A novel interpretable machine learning model approach for the prediction of TiO2 photocatalytic degradation of air contaminants.

Air contaminants lead to various environmental and health issues. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) features the benefits of autogenous photocatalytic degradation of air contaminants. To evaluate its performance, laboratory experiments are commonly used to determine the kinetics of the photocatalytic-degradation rate, which is labor intensive, time-consuming, and costly. In this study, Machine Learning (ML) models were developed to predict the photo-degradation rate constants of air-borne organic contaminants with TiO2 nanoparticles and ultraviolet irradiation. The hyperparameters of the ML models were optimized, which included Artificial Neural Network (ANN) with Bayesian optimization, gradient booster regressor (GBR) with Bayesian optimization, Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) with optimization using Hyperopt, and Catboost combined with Adaboost. The organic contaminant was encoded through Molecular fingerprints (MF). Imputation method was applied to deal with the missing data. A generative ML model Vanilla Gan was utilized to create synthetic data to further augment the size of available dataset and the SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) was employed for ML model interpretability. The results indicated that data imputation allowed for the full utilization of the limited dataset, leading to good machine learning prediction performance and preventing common overfitting problems with small-sized data. Additionally, augmenting experimental data with synthetic data significantly improved prediction accuracy and considerably reduced overfitting issues. The results ranked the feature importance and assessed the impacts of different experimental variables on the rate of photo-degradation, which were consistent with physico-chemical laws.

Curcumin-loaded food-grade nano-silica hybrid material exhibiting improved photodynamic effect and its application for the preservation of small yellow croaker (Larimichthys polyactis).

Two types of curcumin-loaded food-grade nano-silica (F-SiO2) hybrid materials were successfully synthesized using the rotary evaporation method (F-SiO2@Cur) and the adsorption method (Cur@F-SiO2). The microstructure and spectral analyses confirmed that the curcumin in F-SiO2@Cur was loaded within the nanopores in a non-aggregate form rather than being adsorbed onto the surface (Cur@F-SiO2). Additionally, F-SiO2@Cur exhibited remarkable water solubility (1510 ± 50.33 µg/mL) and photostability (a photodegradation ratio of only 59.22 %). Importantly, F-SiO2@Cur obtained a higher capacity for the generation of singlet oxygen (1O2) compared to control groups. Consequently, F-SiO2@Cur-mediated photodynamic inactivation (PDI) group attained the highest score in sensory evaluation and the best color protection effect in PDI experiment of small yellow croaker (Larimichthys polyactis) at 4 °C. Moreover, F-SiO2@Cur could effectively controlled total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) content, pH, and total viable count (TVC), thereby prolonging the shelf life. Therefore, F-SiO2@Cur-mediated PDI is an effective fresh-keeping technology for aquatic products.

Hyperplastic Human Macromass Cartilage for Joint Regeneration.

Cartilage damage affects millions of people worldwide. Tissue engineering strategies hold the promise to provide off-the-shelf cartilage analogs for tissue transplantation in cartilage repair. However, current strategies hardly generate sufficient grafts, as tissues cannot maintain size growth and cartilaginous phenotypes simultaneously. Herein, a step-wise strategy is developed for fabricating expandable human macromass cartilage (macro-cartilage) in a 3D condition by employing human polydactyly chondrocytes and a screen-defined serum-free customized culture (CC). CC-induced chondrocytes demonstrate improved cell plasticity, expressing chondrogenic biomarkers after a 14.59-times expansion. Crucially, CC-chondrocytes form large-size cartilage tissues with average diameters of 3.25 ± 0.05 mm, exhibiting abundant homogenous matrix and intact structure without a necrotic core. Compared with typical culture, the cell yield in CC increases 2.57 times, and the expression of cartilage marker collagen type II increases 4.70 times. Transcriptomics reveal that this step-wise culture drives a proliferation-to-differentiation process through an intermediate plastic stage, and CC-chondrocytes undergo a chondral lineage-specific differentiation with an activated metabolism. Animal studies show that CC macro-cartilage maintains a hyaline-like cartilage phenotype in vivo and significantly promotes the healing of large cartilage defects. Overall, an efficient expansion of human macro-cartilage with superior regenerative plasticity is achieved, providing a promising strategy for joint regeneration.

Biomaterial based implants caused remote liver fatty deposition through activated blood-derived macrophages.

Understanding the biocompatibility of biomaterials is a prerequisite for the prediction of its clinical application, and the present assessments mainly rely on in vitro cell culture and in situ histopathology. However, remote organs responses after biomaterials implantation is unclear. Here, by leveraging body-wide-transcriptomics data, we performed in-depth systems analysis of biomaterials - remote organs crosstalk after abdominal implantation of polypropylene and silk fibroin using a rodent model, demonstrating local implantation caused remote organs responses dominated by acute-phase responses, immune system responses and lipid metabolism disorders. Of note, liver function was specially disturbed, defined as hepatic lipid deposition. Combining flow cytometry analyses and liver monocyte recruitment inhibition experiments, we proved that blood derived monocyte-derived macrophages in the liver underlying the mechanism of abnormal lipid deposition induced by local biomaterials implantation. Moreover, from the perspective of temporality, the remote organs responses and liver lipid deposition of silk fibroin group faded away with biomaterial degradation and restored to normal at end, which highlighted its superiority of degradability. These findings were further indirectly evidenced by human blood biochemical ALT and AST examination from 141 clinical cases of hernia repair using silk fibroin mesh and polypropylene mesh. In conclusion, this study provided new insights on the crosstalk between local biomaterial implants and remote organs, which is of help for future selecting and evaluating biomaterial implants with the consideration of whole-body response.

Emulsions containing composite (clove, oregano, and cinnamon) essential oils: Phase inversion preparation, physicochemical properties and antibacterial mechanism.

Natural essential oils (EOs), especially those combining different individual EOs (also termed composite EOs) with enhanced performance, are becoming healthy, market-sought food preservatives/additives. This study aims to provide insights into the challenge regarding EOs processing due to their low solubility and the elusive mechanism under the enhanced bio-reactivity of composite EOs. A unique oil/water interacting network was created by phase-inversion processing, which enhances EO solubilization and emulsification to form composite EO formulations (EOFs) containing ordinary cinnamon, oregano and clove EOs. These EOFs mainly contained cinnamaldehyde, carvacrol and eugenol and exhibited excellent post-storage stability. The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging ability of EOFs (at 15.880 µL/mL) was > 88%, and the Ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) was 1.8 mM FeSO4·7H2O. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of EOFs against E. coli and S. aureus was ∼7.940 µL/mL. The EOFs could cause quick deterioration of bacterial structures, demonstrating high efficacy in bacteria-killing and anti-biofilm formation.

Atmospheric cold plasma: A potential technology to control Shewanella putrefaciens in stored shrimp.

This work aimed to investigate the inactivation mechanism of atmospheric cold plasma (ACP) against Shewanella putrefaciens both in PBS and sterile shrimp juice (SSJ). Reductions in cell density, cell viability, and biofilm formation activity were observed after ACP treatment. ACP cyclical treatment (1 min, 5 times) was more efficient than a one-time treatment (5 min, 1 time). After ACP cyclical treatment, the cell counts and cell viability of S. putrefaciens in PBS were decreased by 3.41 log CFU/mL and 85.30 %, respectively. As for SSJ group, the antibacterial efficiency of ACP declined, but the antibacterial effect of ACP cyclical treatment was still stronger than that of ACP one-time treatment. The biofilm formation activity of S. putrefaciens in PBS was almost completely inhibited, while it gradually returned to normal level with the prolonged of storage time for the SSJ counterpart. The rapid decrease in AKP activity after ACP treatment indicated the damage to cell wall integrity, which was also demonstrated by TEM. In addition, cell membrane and DNA damage of the strain also occurred after ACP treatment. The ROS fluorescence intensity in PBS was higher for the one-time treatment group, while the cyclical treatment group exhibited higher and more stable ozone levels. It was also detected that the total nitric oxide concentration in bacterial suspension depended on the dose of ACP treatment time. ACP treatment (35 kV) for 5 min, especially cyclical treatment, displayed its antibacterial properties on packaged shrimp contaminated with high concentration of S. putrefaciens. ACP cyclical treatment reduced surface bacterial counts of whole shrimps by 0.52 log CFU/mL, while ACP one-time treatment only achieved a decrease of 0.18 log CFU/mL. Therefore, ACP treatment could be considered as a potential alternative to enhance microbial control in food processing.

The effects of size and surface functionalization of polystyrene nanoplastics on stratum corneum model membranes: An experimental and computational study.

Nanoplastics are mainly generated from the decomposition of plastic waste and artificial production and have attracted much attention due to their wide distribution in the environment and the potential risk for humans. As the largest organ of the human body, the skin is inevitably in contact with nanoplastics. Stratum corneum is the first barrier when the skin is exposed to nanoplastics. However, little is known about the interactions between nanoplastics and stratum corneum. Here, the effects of particle size and surface functionalization (amino-modified and carboxy-modified) of polystyrene nanoplastics on the stratum corneum models were studied by Langmuir monolayer and molecular dynamics simulations. An equimolar mixture of ceramide/cholesterol/free fatty acid was used to mimic stratum corneum intercellular lipids. The Langmuir monolayer studies demonstrated that the larger size and surface functionalization of polystyrene nanoplastics significantly reduced the stability of stratum corneum lipid monolayer in a concentration-dependent fashion. Simulation results elucidated that functionalized polystyrene oligomers had a stronger interaction with lipid components of the stratum corneum model membrane. The cell experiments also indicated that functionalized polystyrene nanoplastics, especially for amino-modified polystyrene nanoplastics, had significant cytotoxicity on normal human dermal fibroblast cells. Our results provide fundamental information and the basis for a deeper understanding of the health risks of nanoplastics to humans.

Aerobic and denitrifying methanotrophs: Dual wheels driving soil methane emission reduction.

The greenhouse gas methane in soils has been considered to be consumed mainly by aerobic methane-oxidizing bacteria for a long time. In the last decades, the discovery of anaerobic methanotrophs greatly complemented the methane cycle, but their contribution rates and ecological significance in soils remain undescribed. In this work, the soil samples from forest, grassland and cropland in four different climatic regions were collected to investigate these conventional and novel methanotrophs. A dual-core microbial methane sink, responsible for over 80 % of soil methane emission reduction, was unveiled. The aerobic core was performed by aerobic methanotrophic bacteria in topsoil, who played important roles in stabilizing bacterial communities. The anaerobic core was denitrifying methanotrophs in anoxic soils, including denitrifying methanotrophic bacteria from NC10 phylum and denitrifying methanotrophic archaea from ANME-2d clade. They were ubiquitous in terrestrial soils and potentially led to around 50 % of the total methane removal. Human activities such as livestock farming and rice cultivation further promoted the contribution rates of these denitrifying methanotrophs. This work elucidated the emission reduction contribution of different methanotrophs in the continental setting, which would help to reduce uncertainties in the estimations of the soil methane emission.

One-Pot Assay for Rapid Detection of Benzimidazole Resistance in Venturia carpophila by Combining RPA and CRISPR/Cas12a.

High resistance to benzimidazole fungicides in Venturia carpophila is caused by the point mutation E198K of the ß-tubulin (TUB2) gene. Traditional methods for detection of fungicide resistance are time-consuming, which are routinely based on tedious operation, reliance on expensive equipment, and specially trained people. Therefore, it is important to establish efficient methods for field detection of benzimidazole resistance in V. carpophila to make suitable management strategies and ensure food safety. Based on recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) combined with CRISPR/Cas12a, a rapid one-pot assay ORCas12a-BRVc (one-pot RPA-CRISPR/Cas12 platform) was established for the detection of benzimidazole resistance in V. carpophila. The ORCas12a-BRVc assay enabled one-pot detection by adding components at the bottom and wall of the tube separately, solving the problems of aerosol contamination and decreased sensitivity caused by competing DNA substrates between Cas12a cleavage and RPA amplification. The ORCas12a-BRVc assay could accomplish the detection with a minimum of 7.82 × 103 fg µL-1 V. carpophila genomic DNA in 45 min at 37 °C. Meanwhile, this assay showed excellent specificity due to the specific recognition ability of the Cas12a-crRNA complex. Further, we combined a method that could rapidly extract DNA from V. carpophila within 2 min with the ORCas12a-BRVc to achieve more rapid and simple detection of V. carpophila with benzimidazole resistance in fields. The ORCas12a-BRVc assay has the advantages of simplicity, rapidity, high sensitivity, high specificity, and ease of operation without the need for precision instruments and the need to isolate and culture pathogens. This assay is the first application of the one-pot platform based on the combination of RPA and CRISPR/Cas12a in fungicide resistance detection and can be used for monitoring of resistant populations in fields, providing guidance on making suitable management strategies for peach scab.

The Effect of Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma Gas and Plasma-Activated Water on the Physicochemical Changes in Button Mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus).

Button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) are highly popular worldwide due to their rich nutritional value and health benefits. However, the rapid water loss rate and browning restrict their economic value. The atmospheric cold plasma (ACP) generated by the plasma equipment used by dielectric barrier discharge preservation technology is widely used for food preservation since it is cost-efficient and environmentally friendly, generating no chemical residues. This study established four treatment groups, namely the direct ACP treatment group (DBD), plasma-activated water immersion group (PAW), pure water immersion group (PW), and control group (control), to explore the effect that ACP preservation technology has on button mushrooms. The results indicated that ACP treatment decreased the pH of pure water from 5.90 ± 0.03 to 5.16 ± 0.03, while significantly increasing the temperature (p < 0.05). During the storage period, the browning index (BI) and E value were the lowest in the PAW group, which exhibited the best hardness and sensory properties. Neither the pH nor water activity changed significantly during the storage period in any of the groups. The polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity in the button mushroom decreased significantly compared with the control after plasma-activated water treatment. In summary, plasma-activated water significantly reduced the BI and E value of button mushrooms, inhibited PPO activity, and yielded the most stable sensory properties for the optimal preservation of button mushrooms.

Indocyanine Green Performance Enhanced System for Potent Photothermal Treatment of Bacterial Infection.

The instability in solution and aggregation-induced self-quenching of indocyanine green (ICG) have weakened its fluorescence and photothermal properties, thus inhibiting its application in practice. In this study, the cationic and anionic liposomes containing ICG were prepared based on 1,2-dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium-propane (DOTAP) and 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-rac-glycerol (DPPG), respectively. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations demonstrate that ICG molecules are better distributed in the membranes of cationic DOTAP-based liposomes, leading to a superior fluorescence and photothermal performance. The liposomal ICG also shows the physical and photothermal stability during irradiation and long-term storage. On this basis, the prepared DOTAP-based liposomal ICG was encapsulated in the self-healing hydrogel formed by guar gum through the borate/diol interaction. The proposed liposomal ICG-loaded hydrogel can not only convert near-infrared (NIR) light into heat effectively but also repair itself without external assistance, which will realize potent photothermal therapy (PTT) against bacterial infection and provide the possibility for meeting the rapidly growing needs of modern medicine.

Engineered adipose-derived stem cells with IGF-1-modified mRNA ameliorates osteoarthritis development.

BACKGROUND: Osteoarthritis (OA), a prevalent degenerative disease characterized by degradation of extracellular matrix (ECM), still lacks effective disease-modifying therapy. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) transplantation has been regarded as the most promising approach for OA treatment while engrafting cells alone might not be adequate for effective regeneration. Genetic modification has been used to optimize MSC-based therapy; however, there are still significant limitations that prevent the clinical translation of this therapy including low efficacy and safety concerns. Recently, chemically modified mRNA (modRNA) represents a promising alternative for the gene-enhanced MSC therapy. In this regard, we hypothesized that adipose derived stem cells (ADSCs) engineered with modRNA encoding insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) were superior to native ADSCs on ameliorating OA development. METHODS: Mouse ADSCs were acquired from adipose tissue and transfected with modRNAs. First, the kinetics and efficacy of modRNA-mediated gene transfer in mouse ADSCs were analyzed in vitro. Next, we applied an indirect co-culture system to analyze the pro-anabolic potential of IGF-1 modRNA engineered ADSCs (named as IGF-1-ADSCs) on chondrocytes. Finally, we evaluated the cell retention and chondroprotective effect of IGF-1-ADSCs in vivo using fluorescent labeling, histology and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: modRNA transfected mouse ADSCs with high efficiency (85 ± 5%) and the IGF-1 modRNA-transfected ADSCs facilitated burst-like production of bio-functional IGF-1 protein. In vitro, IGF-1-ADSCs induced increased anabolic markers expression of chondrocytes in inflammation environment compared to untreated ADSCs. In a murine OA model, histological and immunohistochemical analysis of knee joints harvested at 4 weeks and 8 weeks after OA induction suggested IGF-1-ADSCs had superior therapeutic effect over native ADSCs demonstrated by lower histological OARSI score and decreased loss of cartilage ECM. CONCLUSIONS: These findings collectively supported the therapeutic potential of IGF-1-ADSCs for clinical OA management and cartilage repair.

A novel drug delivery system -- Drug crystallization encapsulated liquid crystal emulsion.

Liquid crystals (LCs) are widely used for drug delivery due to their controlled and sustained drug release properties. In this paper, drug crystallization encapsulated liquid crystal emulsion, a novel drug delivery system, was proposed. The lamellar liquid crystals formed by hydrogenated lecithin, which are similar to the skin stratum corneum lipid structure, are adopted as the drug carrier to encapsulate non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). As the model drug, ketoprofen exists in the hydrophobic core of emulsion as a drug crystal when squalane is used as the oil phase. The microstructure, sustained drug release behaviors, physicochemical property and biocompatibility of the system were examined by polarized light microscopy, rheological measurements, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, small-angle X-ray scattering, in vitro release study, and in vitro cellular cytotoxicity assay. The results have shown that the novel system lowers the drug crystal melting point and improves the thermal stability of liquid crystal structure. Besides, the excellent biocompatibility and sustained release property through the additional dissolution step of drug crystal show its application potentials in the topical cosmeceuticals. The results will also be helpful for in-depth understanding of the physical state of encapsulated drug in the liquid crystal carrier systems.

Combined Effect of the Essential Oil and Collagen Film on the Quality of Pacific Mackerel (Pneumatophorus japonicus) Fillet During Cold Storage.

Essential oils (EOs) and collagen have received recent attention in the seafood industry due to their abilities of antibacterial and seafood preservation individually. However, to the authors' best knowledge, very few publications address the issue of the combined effect of EOs and collagen on seafood preservation. Pacific mackerel is one of the most economically valuable fish species in China and easy to deteriorate during storage. Therefore, present study investigated the effect of combined EOs (cinnamon, oregano, and clove) and collagen on the quality of Pacific mackerel during cold storage. A suite of microbiological, physical, and chemical properties that are indicative of quality was measured. From the results, mackerel fillets treated with an EO-collagen film had a smaller increase in microbial counts compared with control. Furthermore, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), thiobarbituric acid related substance, and pH of mackerel fillet were lower when treated with an EO-collagen film and somewhat lower when treated with collagen alone. According to texture measurements of muscle, samples treated with EO-collagen film began to deteriorate in 8 d, versus only 4 d for control samples. EOs likely contributed to antibacterial and antioxidative activity, and the collagen film isolated muscle from air, which in turn reduced oxidation and retained the quality. Consequently, combination of EOs and collagen film efficiently extends shelf-life of Pacific mackerel during storage.

Dominance of comammox Nitrospira in soil nitrification.

The first and limiting step of nitrification is catalyzed by ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and bacteria (AOB). Recently, complete ammonia oxidizers (comammox Nitrospira) have been discovered to perform complete nitrification in one cell, yet their role in soil nitrification is still unclear. This study investigated the abundance and contribution of aerobic ammonia oxidizers in typical soil habitats, and assessed the role of comammox Nitrospira in ammonia-oxidizing communities. The results showed that comammox Nitrospira were dominant in 70% of the samples and their abundance displayed a significant positive correlation with nitrification potential. The median amoA gene transcription level of comammox Nitrospira exceeded that of AOA and AOB in in-situ soils. The abundance of comammox Nitrospira was negatively correlated with soil pH, dominating in 84% of soil samples with pH < 6.17. The results challenge the role of AOA and AOB in soils, highlighting the importance of comammox Nitrospira in soil nitrification, especially in acid soils. This work supports better understanding and regulation of the soil nitrogen cycle.

The long-term effects of using nitrite and urea on the enrichment of comammox bacteria.

The discovery of complete ammonia oxidizer (comammox) was a breakthrough in the study of nitrification. However, slow growth of comammox bacteria makes it challenging to distinguish them from traditional ammonia oxidizing microorganisms. Genomic data indicated that comammox bacteria encoded genes that can metabolize urea and had higher nitrite tolerance, which could only be found in several ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB). This implies that using nitrite and urea as nitrogen sources may accelerate comammox bacteria's enrichment efficiency. In this study, two reactors using nitrite and urea as substrates, respectively, were operated for 390 days. At the end of cultivation, the reactor fed with urea exhibited higher nitrification potential than the reactor fed with nitrite. Comammox bacteria outcompeted AOA and AOB, regardless of whether they were cultured with nitrite or urea. Using nitrite can improve the proportion of comammox amoA to total amoA of 92%, while using urea may increase the proportion of comammox bacteria among total bacteria to 14.2%. Metagenomic results implied that nitrite was converted to ammonia by nitrate reduction and absorbed by comammox bacteria. On the other hand, urea may be directly utilized as substrate. These results demonstrated that using different nitrogen sources caused niche differentiation of comammox bacteria, AOA, and AOB. Using nitrite can increase the relative abundance of comammox amoA to total amoA, while using urea can increase the quantity of comammox amoA. Comammox bacteria were dominant among ammonia oxidizing microorganisms for both nitrite and urea cultures.

A Deep Neural Network for Accurate and Robust Prediction of the Glass Transition Temperature of Polyhydroxyalkanoate Homo- and Copolymers.

The purpose of this study was to develop a data-driven machine learning model to predict the performance properties of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), a group of biosourced polyesters featuring excellent performance, to guide future design and synthesis experiments. A deep neural network (DNN) machine learning model was built for predicting the glass transition temperature, Tg, of PHA homo- and copolymers. Molecular fingerprints were used to capture the structural and atomic information of PHA monomers. The other input variables included the molecular weight, the polydispersity index, and the percentage of each monomer in the homo- and copolymers. The results indicate that the DNN model achieves high accuracy in estimation of the glass transition temperature of PHAs. In addition, the symmetry of the DNN model is ensured by incorporating symmetry data in the training process. The DNN model achieved better performance than the support vector machine (SVD), a nonlinear ML model and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), a sparse linear regression model. The relative importance of factors affecting the DNN model prediction were analyzed. Sensitivity of the DNN model, including strategies to deal with missing data, were also investigated. Compared with commonly used machine learning models incorporating quantitative structure-property (QSPR) relationships, it does not require an explicit descriptor selection step but shows a comparable performance. The machine learning model framework can be readily extended to predict other properties.

Comparison of Incidence and Outcomes of Neuroblastoma in Children, Adolescents, and Adults in the United States: A Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program Population Study.

BACKGROUND This United States (U.S.) population study aimed to compare the incidence of neuroblastoma and outcomes in children, adolescents, and adults using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program database. MATERIAL AND METHODS Patients with neuroblastoma were identified in the SEER database from 1975 to 2013. According to the age at diagnosis, patients were divided into "Children" (≤14 years old) and "Adolescents/Adults" group (>14 years old). Then, comparisons in basic characteristics, incidence rates (IRs) and long-term survival outcomes between patients in 2 groups were made. RESULTS A total of 4280 patients were identified, including 3998 children and 282 adolescent/adult patients. Adolescent/adult patients were more likely to have localized diseases than children and to be diagnosed with ganglioneuroblastoma (all P<0.05). The IR of neuroblastoma presented with upward and downward trends in children and adolescent/adult populations, respectively. Adolescents/adults had worse overall survival (OS) than children despite the earlier tumor stage. Lastly, multivariate Cox proportional hazards analyses showed that tumor stage, histology, sequence of primary malignancy, primary site, the administration of surgery, and treatment era were prognostic factors for children, and sequence of primary malignancy, primary site, undergoing surgery, and treatment era were tightly related to OS in adolescent/adult patients. CONCLUSIONS Analysis of the SEER program database between 1975 to 2013 showed that in the U.S., the incidence of neuroblastoma in children increased, but the incidence decreased in adolescents and adults. There was a trend for improved overall survival in all age groups despite the increased stage at presentation in children.

Single versus split dose polyethylene glycol for bowel preparation in children undergoing colonoscopy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Polyethylene glycol (PEG) has been widely used for bowel preparation. However, the efficacy and safety of single and split dose PEG for bowel preparation in children undergoing colonoscopy remain unclear, it is necessary to evaluate the role of single and split dose PEG for bowel preparation in children population. METHODS: PubMed et al. databases up to September 1, 2019 were systematically searched. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) single and split dose PEG for bowel preparation in children undergoing colonoscopy were included. Based on the heterogeneity, data were synthesized using random-effects or fixed-effects models. Results were expressed as Mantel-Haenszel style odds ratio (OR) or mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI). RESULTS: Four RCTs with 249 children were included. There was no significantly difference in the efficacy of single and split dose PEG for bowel preparation (OR =0.36, 95% CI: -0.12 to 1.10). The acceptability of split dose PEG for bowel preparation was significantly higher than that of single dose (OR =0.50, 95% CI: 0.29 to 0.85); the incidence of nausea in split dose PEG for bowel preparation was significantly lower than that of single dose (OR =2.1, 95% CI: 1.29 to 3.42); there was no significant difference on the incidence of abdominal pain between two regimes (OR =1.39, 95% CI: 0.67 to 2.89). CONCLUSIONS: Split dose PEG seems to be more superior to single dose for children undergoing colonoscopy. However, considering that the number of included RCTs are very limited, more related studies on this issue are needed in the future.

Surface ammonium loading rate shifts ammonia-oxidizing communities in surface water-fed rapid sand filters.

Nitrification is important in drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs) for ammonia removal and is widely considered as a stepwise process mediated by ammonia- and nitrite-oxidizing microorganisms. The recent discovery of complete ammonia oxidizers (comammox) has challenged the long-held assumption that the division of metabolic labor in nitrification is obligate. However, little is known about the role of comammox Nitrospira in DWTPs. Here, we explored the relative importance of comammox Nitrospira, canonical ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and bacteria (AOB) in 12 surface water-fed rapid sand filters (RSFs). Quantitative PCR results showed that all the three ammonia-oxidizing guilds had the potential to dominate nitrification in DWTPs. Spearman's correlation and redundancy analysis revealed that the surface ammonium loading rate (SLR) was the key environmental factor influencing ammonia-oxidizing communities. Comammox Nitrospira were likely to dominate the nitrification under a higher SLR. PCR and phylogenetic analysis indicated that most comammox Nitrospira belonged to clade A, with clade B comammox Nitrospira almost absent. This work reveals obvious differences in ammonia-oxidizing communities between surface water-fed and groundwater-fed RSFs. The presence of comammox Nitrospira can support the stability of drinking water production systems under high SLR and warrants further investigation of their impact on drinking water quality.