Silk Nanofibril-Palygorskite Composite Membranes for Efficient Removal of Anionic Dyes.

To develop membrane materials with good performance for water purification that are green and low cost, this work reports an organic-inorganic composite membrane composed of silk nanofibrils (SNFs) and palygorskite (PGS). To improve the stability of the the composite membrane, genipin was used as a crosslinking agent to induce the conformational transition of SNF chains from random coils to ß-sheets, reducing the swelling and hydrolysis of the membrane. The separation performance can be adjusted by tailoring the component ratio of the nanomaterial. The results showed that these membranes can effectively remove anionic dyes from water, and they exhibit excellent water permeability. The SNF-based membrane had strong mechanical and separation properties, and the PGS could tune the structure of composite membranes to enhance their permeability, so this green composite membrane has good prospects in water treatment and purification applications.

Diagnosis and treatment of primary pulmonary enteric adenocarcinoma: Report of Six cases.

BACKGROUND: Primary pulmonary enteric adenocarcinoma (PEAC) is a very rare subtype of invasive adenocarcinoma, and there have been no large studies on PEAC to date. Therefore, it is necessary to obtain much more information about the clinical and pathological features, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and treatment of PEAC. CASE SUMMARY: All clinical data of six patients with confirmed PEAC from 2013 to 2018 were collected, and data on diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and treatment of PEAC are discussed combined with all the associated literature. The mean age of six patients was 64.0 ± 5.6 (59-73) years old. Their clinical manifestations were heterogeneous, and during their disease course, there were no gastrointestinal symptoms. There was no evidence from colonoscopy or imaging studies to suggest digestive tract tumors or new metastases. The most commonly mutated gene was KRAS (50.0%), and the pathological features of the six cases were similar to those of colorectal cancer. CDX2 (83.3%) and CK7 (66.7%) had the highest positive rates upon immunohistochemical examination. In the associated literature, 252 cases were identified, and the most commonly mutated gene was KRAS (42.9%). Additionally, CDX2 (68.3%) and CK7 (85.8%) had the highest positive rates. Patients mainly received surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, immunotherapy was not included. CONCLUSION: Positive results for CDX2 and CK7 play an important role in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of PEAC, and immunotherapy or targeted therapy focused on KRAS needs to be further studied for the treatment of PEAC.

Diagnose of occult bronchial foreign body: A rare case report of undetected Chinese medicine aspiration for 10 long years.

BACKGROUND: Occult bronchial foreign body can be very difficult to diagnose early in an adult patient without acute symptoms. This report describes a rare case of undetected Chinese medicine "Coptis chinensis" aspiration for 10 long years. METHODS: A case was reported that a female patient complained of a 10-year history of productive cough. A battery of tests were given to confirm the diagnosis. RESULTS: Chest computed tomography (CT) showed extensive bronchiectasis and multiple nodules, along with stenosis of left lower lobar bronchus. An extensive solid lesion with surrounding inflammatory granulation tissue was seen on her first bronchoscopy and biopsy revealed chronic mucosal inflammation. A neglected history of Coptis chinensis regularly kept in-mouth while sleeping for the last 10 years in this patient provided clues for a final diagnosis. Confirmatory diagnosis of bilateral tracheobronchial foreign bodies caused by recurrent inhalation of Coptis chinensis was made by a second bronchoscopy. CONCLUSIONS: This case clearly demonstrates that a precise medical history is often overlooked. A high index of suspicion, a precise medical history, radiographic features of chronic respiratory symptoms not explained by other conditions were keys to diagnosing this case.

The tracheobronchial foreign body in welder without the history of allotriophagy and foreign body aspiration.

The typical chest computed tomography (CT) finding of the arc welders is ill-defined micronodules diffusely distributed in the lung. We report a rare case of tracheobronchial foreign body in welder without the history of allotriophagy and foreign body aspiration. We used the CT and mineralogical analysis in diagnosis and the flexible fiberoptic bronchoscope in therapy. The CT showed bronchiectasis with pulmonary infiltration of the right lower lobe and high-density shadow in the basal bronchus of the right lower lobe. The foreign bodies were removed by a fibreoptic bronchoscope. Semiquantitative chemical analyses showed that the constituent of foreign body was similar to the dregs which were collected in the same garage. This is an unusual case of the welding-related respiratory diseases, which is different from Welder's siderosis and broncholith.

[Clinical study of induced abortion of early-early pregnancy: an analysis of 10, 404 cases].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of early-early pregnancy induced abortion (EPIA). METHODS: A total of 10 404 cases of EPIA performed at our hospital from January 1993 to December 2003 were retrospectively analyzed and compared with 9434 cases of common induced abortion (CIA). The amount of hemorrhage and operative duration, degree of pain, rate of induced-abortion syndrome, rate of incomplete abortion, menstrual changes and post-operative onset of Asherman's syndrome were observed and compared between 2 groups. RESULTS: The average age, ratio of parous cases, ratio of the cases of first-pregnancy induced abortion were not different between 2 groups (P > 0.05). The amount of hemorrhage bleeding ((4.9 ± 3.2) ml), operative duration ((90.3 ± 12.4) s), degree of pain, rate of induced-abortion syndrome, menstrual changes and the rate of Asherman's syndrome in the EPIA group were all significantly less than those in the CIA group (P < 0.05). However, the rate of incomplete abortion (0.44%) in the EPIA group was significantly higher than that (0.21%) in the CIA group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: EPIA has the advantages of lesser hemorrhage, less pain, shorter operative duration and fewer complications over CIA. Therefore the recovery of EPIA cases is earlier than that of CIA cases. While the risk of incomplete abortion stays high.

[Correlation of CerbB-2 to Ki-67 and P53 expressions in hormone-independent breast cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relation of CerbB-2 with Ki-67 and P53 expressions in hormone-independent breast cancer. METHODS: A total of 180 patients with breast cancer were examined for the positivity to estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR), and subsequently divided into hormone-dependent group (positive for both ER and PR) and hormone-independent group (negative for both). CerbB-2, Ki-67 and P53 expressions were detected in these patients using an improved Envision immunohistochemical staining with the corresponding antibodies. Twenty-nine patients without definite immunohistochemical results of C-erbB-2 were excluded from further analysis. The 51 hormone-independent and 100 hormone-dependent cases were analyzed for the correlation of CerbB-2 to Ki-67 and P53 expressions. RESULTS: In hormone-independent cases negative for CerbB-2, Ki-67 and P53 expressions were significantly higher than that in hormone-dependent CerbB-2-negative cases (P<0.05), but in CerbB-2-positive cases, their expressions showed no significant differences (P>0.05) with respect to hormonal dependence. CONCLUSION: In hormone-independent CerbB-2-negative cases, the tumor cells show a higher proliferative activity and P53 expression than those in hormone-dependent cases, which can be an important reason for the high malignancy and poor prognosis of hormone-independent breast cancer negative for CerbB-2.

Effects of sandy desertified land rehabilitation on soil carbon sequestration and aggregation in an arid region in China.

The rehabilitation of sandy desertified land in semi-arid and arid regions has a great potential to increase carbon sequestration and improve soil quality. Our objective was to investigate the changes in the soil carbon pool and soil properties of surface soil (0-15 cm) under different types of rehabilitation management. Our study was done in the short-term (7 years) and long-term (32 years) desertification control sites in a marginal oasis of northwest China. The different management treatments were: (1) untreated shifting sand land as control; (2) sand-fixing shrubs with straw checkerboards; (3) poplar (Populus gansuensis) shelter forest; and (4) irrigated cropland after leveling sand dune. The results showed that the rehabilitation of severe sandy desertified land resulted in significant increases in soil organic C (SOC), inorganic C, and total N concentrations, as well as enhanced soil aggregation. Over a 7-year period of revegetation and cultivation, SOC concentration in the recovered shrub land, forest land and irrigated cropland increased by 4.1, 14.6 and 11.9 times compared to the control site (shifting sand land), and increased by 11.2, 17.0 and 23.0 times over the 32-year recovery period. Total N, labile C (KMnO(4)-oxidation C), C management index (CMI) and inorganic C (CaCO(3)-C) showed a similar increasing trend as SOC. The increased soil C and N was positively related to the accumulation of fine particle fractions. The accumulation of silt and clay, soil C and CaCO(3) enhanced the formation of aggregates, which was beneficial to mitigate wind erosion. The percentage of >0.25 mm dry aggregates increased from 18.0% in the control site to 20.0-87.2% in the recovery sites, and the mean weight diameter (MWD) of water-stable aggregates significantly increased, with a range of 0.09-0.30 mm at the recovery sites. Long-term irrigation and fertilization led to a greater soil C and N accumulation in cropland than in shrub and forest lands. The amount of soil C sequestration reached up to 1.8-9.4 and 7.5-17.3 Mg ha(-1) at the 0-15 cm layer over a 7- and 32-year rehabilitation period compared to the control site, suggesting that desertification control has a great potential for sequestering soil C and improving soil quality in northwest China.

[Construction, expression and characterization of recombinant fusion protein HSA-PTH (1-34) in Pichia pastoris].

OBJECTIVE: To obtain recombinant fusion protein HSA (human serum albumin)-PTH(1-34) in Pichia pastoris. METHODS: HSA and PTH(1-34) cDNA were obtained with PCR and the DNA segments were cloned into vector pPIC9 with linker. The linearized plasmids were transformed GS115 competent cells treated with LiCl, and mut+ transformants were screened on MD plate. With AOX promoter and alpha-MF signal sequences leading, fusion protein was expressed in GS115. PCR and SDS-PAGE were employed to confirm the integration and expression of HSA-PTH(1-34). The fusion protein was identified by Western blotting and classical adenylate cyclase assay. RESULT: The PCR results showed that the gene of HSA-PTH(1-34) was integrated into GS115 genome. Western bolt approved the existence of two domains of HSA and PTH(1-34). The bioactivity assay in rabbit cortical membranes indicated that HSA-PTH (1-34) activated adenylate cyclase, but the activity was lower than that of the synthetic PTH(1-34). CONCLUSION: Active fusion protein HSA-PTH (1-34) is successfully expressed in Pichia pastoris.

Inhibitory effect of 1,8-cineol (eucalyptol) on Egr-1 expression in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated THP-1 cells.

AIM: To study the effects of 1,8-cineol (eucalyptol) on the expression of early growth response factor-1 (Egr-1) and NF-kappaB in the human monocyte THP-1 cell line stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). METHODS: The THP-1 cells were incubated with serial doses of 1,8-cineol (1, 10, and 100 mg/L, 30 min) before being stimulated with LPS (1 mg/L, 30 min). The localization of Egr-1 in the THP-1 cells was detected by immunofluorescence and a laser scanning confocal microscope. The expression of Egr-1 in the nuclei and whole cell, and NF-kappaB in the nuclei, were measured by Western blot analysis. RESULTS: When stimulated by LPS, the FITC-labeled Egr-1 was detected mainly in the nuclei. Moreover, the expression of Egr-1 in the whole cell increased markedly compared with the control cells. 1,8-Cineol pretreatment decreased the expression of Egr-1 in both the nuclei and whole cell of the LPS-stimulated THP-1 cells, and this effect was concentration-dependent, but there was no reaction on the expression of NF-kappaB in the nuclei protein in the LPS-stimulated THP-1 cells. CONCLUSION: In a concentration-dependent manner, 1,8-Cineol reduces LPS-induced Egr-1 expression in nuclei and in whole cell of THP-1 cells, but shows no effect on NF-kappaB expression.

Inhibition of expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and its receptors in pulmonary adenocarcinoma cell by TNP-470 in combination with gemcitabine.

Angiogenesis is required for solid tumor growth and facilitates tumor progression and metastasis. The inhibition effects of O-(chloroacetyl-carbamoyl) fumagillol (TNP-470), an angiogenesis inhibitor, and gemcitabine, a chemotherapeutic agent, on expression of growth factors were investigated using human pulmonary adenocarcinoma cell line, A549. The A549 cells were divided into four groups: control group, 10(-6) mg/ml gemcitabine treated group, 10(-4) mg/ml TNP-470 treated group and gemcitabine+TNP-470 treated group. The mRNA and protein expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptors, FMS-like tyrosine kinase-1 (FLT-1) and kinase insert domain-containing receptor (KDR), in different groups were measured. The growth of A549 cell cultured with gemcitabine or TNP-470 was inhibited in an almost dose-dependent manner. Although gemcitabine (10(-6) mg/ml) alone and TNP-470 (10(-4) mg/ml) alone had no effect on the mRNA and protein expression of VEGF and its receptors (FLT-1, KDR) in A549 cells compared to the control (P>0.05), 10(-6) mg/ml gemcitabine in combination with 10(-4) mg/ml TNP-470 had significant effect (P<0.01). Moreover, combination of the two drugs significantly inhibited the mRNA expression of VEGF, FLT-1 and KDR compared to either drug alone (P<0.05). This study suggests that combined treatment with TNP-470 plus gemcitabine may augment the antiangiogenic and antineoplastic effects in lung cancer cells in vitro.

[Chronic necrotizing pulmonary aspergillosis: diagnosis and treatment].

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to describe the approaches to the diagnosis and the treatment of chronic necrotizing pulmonary aspergillosis (CNPA). METHODS: The study included 8 patients with CNPA confirmed by histopathological studies. The patients were admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of College of Medicine of Zhejiang University during 2000-2004. The clinical data were analyzed, and related literature was reviewed. The clinical, radiological and pathological characteristics, and the approaches to the diagnosis and the treatment were described. RESULTS: CNPA was a rare form of pulmonary aspergillosis. Common presentations included productive cough (8/8), haemoptysis (7/8) and constitutional symptoms (5/8). Radiographically, the air crescent sign was suggestive of the diagnosis, which was found in 4 patients. Consolidation was also common in the other 4 cases. The histological feature of CNPA included the presence of tissue invasion by Aspergillus, tissue necrosis and granulomatous inflammation. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical manifestations of CNPA are non-specific. Radiography plays a pivotal role in the diagnosis of CNPA. Treatment with antifungal medications is indicated once the diagnosis is made. Pulmonary resection should be considered when patients have prolonged illness or frequent haemoptysis.