Artificial intelligent patient-controlled intravenous analgesia improves the outcomes of older patients with laparoscopic radical resection for colorectal cancer.

METHODS: Patients undergoing elective laparoscopic radical resection of colorectal cancer from July 2019 to May 2021 were selected. The patients were assigned to Ai-PCIA group and control group. Ai-PCIA group received postoperative analgesia management and effect evaluation through intelligent wireless analgesia system + postoperative follow-up twice a day, while control group received analgesia management and effect evaluation through ward physician feedback + postoperative follow-up twice a day. The pain numerical score (NRS), Richards-Campbell Sleep Scale (RCSQ), and adverse outcomes were collected and compared. RESULTS: A total of 60 patients (20 females and 40 males with average (78.26 ± 6.42) years old) were included. The NRS scores at rest and during activity of the Ai-PCA group at 8, 12, and 24 h after the operation were significantly lower than that of the control group (all P < 0.05). The RCSQ score of Ai-PCA group was significantly higher than that of control group on the 1st and 2nd days after operation (all P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in the incidence of dizziness and nausea, vomiting, and myocardial ischemia (all P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Ai-PCIA can improve the analgesic effect and sleep quality of older patients after laparoscopic radical resection, which may be promoted in clinical analgesia practice.

Butorphanol inhibits angiogenesis and migration of hepatocellular carcinoma and regulates MAPK pathway.

Butorphanol, a synthetic opioid, exerts analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects against pathogenic diseases. Butorphanol repressed malignant behaviors of tumor cells. In this study, the role of butorphanol in hepatocellular carcinoma was evaluated. Firstly, hepatocellular carcinoma cells were treated with butorphanol. The results showed that butorphanol decreased cell viability of hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Cell proliferation and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells were inhibited by butorphanol. Secondly, butorphanol suppressed angiogenesis, and reduced phosphorylation levels of p38 and JNK in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Thirdly, butorphanol reduced in vivo tumor growth of hepatocellular carcinoma in nude mice. Butorphanol reduced tumor micro-vascular density (MVD) and repressed lung metastasis. In conclusion, butorphanol exerted anti-angiogenic and anti-metastatic effects on hepatocellular carcinoma and induced inactivation of MAPKs signaling.

Changes in rhizosphere bacterial communities during remediation of heavy metal-accumulating plants around the Xikuangshan mine in southern China.

Mining and smelting activities are the major sources of antimony (Sb) contamination. The soil around Xikuangshan (XKS), one of the largest Sb mines in the world, has been contaminated with high concentrations of Sb and other associated metals, and has attracted extensive scholarly attention. Phytoremediation is considered a promising method for removing heavy metals, and the diversity and structure of rhizosphere microorganisms may change during the phytoremediation process. The rhizosphere microbiome is involved in soil energy transfer, nutrient cycling, and resistance and detoxification of metal elements. Thus, changes in this microbiome are worthy of investigation using high-throughput sequencing techniques. Our study in Changlongjie and Lianmeng around XKS revealed that microbial diversity indices in the rhizospheres of Broussonetia papyrifera and Ligustrum lucidum were significantly higher than in bulk soil, indicating that plants affect microbial communities. Additionally, most of the bacteria that were enriched in the rhizosphere belonged to the Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes. In Changlongjie and Lianmeng, the diversity and abundance of the microbial community in the B. papyrifera rhizosphere were higher than in L. lucidum. In parallel, the soil pH of the B. papyrifera rhizosphere increased significantly in acidic soil and decreased significantly in near-neutral soil. Redundancy analyses indicated that pH was likely the main factor affecting the overall bacterial community compositions, followed by moisture content, Sb, arsenic (As), and chromium (Cr).

Microbial community analysis of apple rhizosphere around Bohai Gulf.

Bohai Gulf is the main area for apple tree cultivation in China. Consecutive replanting significantly affects the yield and quality of apple trees in this area. Microecological imbalance in apple trees' rhizospheres caused by variation in the soil microbial community is considered the primary cause of apple replant disease (ARD). This study analysed the microbial communities of the rhizospheres of perennial apple trees (PAT) and apple tree saplings under replanting (ATS) around Bohai Gulf using high-throughput sequencing. The results revealed increased populations of typical pathogenic fungi Verticillium and bacteria Xanthomonadaceae, and decreased populations of beneficial bacterial populations Pseudomonas and Bacillus with replanting, suggesting that competition between pathogens and beneficial microbes varies according to the ratio of pathogens to beneficial microbes in rhizosphere soil under the replanting system. Meanwhile, replanting was accompanied by an increase in the antagonistic bacteria Arthrobacter and fungus Chaetomium, suggesting that increased numbers of pathogens can lead to more instances of antagonism. Redundancy analysis (RDA) revealed site position and the main soil properties (pH, organic matter, available N, available K, available P, and moisture) affected the microbial community composition. It found clear differences in soil microbial communities and demonstrated a better understanding of the causes for ARD.

The role of recombinant human elafin in the resistance of A549 cells against Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm.

BACKGROUND: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an opportunistic respiratory pathogen, often causes pulmonary infection in patients with chronic inflammatory airway diseases and forms drug-resistant biofilm. Elafin, a natural antibiotic, has antimicrobial properties against Gram-negative bacteria. OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the effects of elafin on the resistance of epithelial cells against P.aeruginosa biofilm. METHODS: A549 epithelial cells transfected with pEGFP-N1-elafin or pEGFP-N1 were stimulated with tumor necrosis factor (TNF), P.aeruginosa supernatant and Escherichia coli supernatant followed by co-incubation for 24 h to form P.aeruginosa biofilms. RESULTS: We found structural changes in the biofilms of all groups, especially the P.aeruginosa group. Bacterial counts in the TNF (3.238 +/- 0.356 x 10(6) CFU/cm(2)) and P.aeruginosa (3.317 +/- 0.247 x 10(6) CFU/cm(2)) groups were lower than in the control group (5.946 +/- 0.453 x 10(6) CFU/cm(2); p < 0.01). In the P.aeruginosa group, the bacterial count was lower than that of the E. coli group (5.138 +/- 0.391x 10(6) CFU/cm(2); p < 0.05). Bacterial clearance rates were higher in P.aeruginosa (44.2%) and TNF groups (45.6%) than in the E. coli group (13.6%). Cell intactness rates in pEGFP-N1-elafin-transfected groups were consistently higher than those of the control group (p < 0.01); the P.aeruginosa group rate at 24 h was the highest. Compared to the control group, the TNF, P.aeruginosa and E. coli groups showed increased elafin mRNA and protein in cells (p < 0.05), and contents in the TNF and P.aeruginosa group were higher than in the E. coli group (p< 0.05). CONCLUSION: Overexpression of elafin in epithelial cells attenuated the damage of P.aeruginosa biofilm on epithelia. P.aeruginosa has the potential to induce elafin expression.