[Effects of Vermicomposting on Compost Quality and Heavy Metals：A Meta-analysis].

In order to comprehensively evaluate the effects of vermicomposting on compost quality and the conversion of heavy metals under different control conditions, 109 studies were reviewed. The effects of earthworm species, pre-compost time, ventilation methods, initial C/N, initial pH, and initial moisture of the raw materials on compost quality and the heavy metal toxicity were quantitatively discussed during the vermicomposting process through Meta-analysis. The results showed that the six subgroups of factors all showed obvious influences on the compost quality and heavy metal toxicity. After vermicomposting, the contents of NO3--N (116.2%), TN (29.1%), TP (31.2%), and TK (15.0%) were significantly increased, whereas NH4+-N (-14.8%) and C/N (-36.3%) were significantly decreased. Meanwhile, the total amount of Cu and Cr of the final compost and their bioavailability were significantly reduced. Considering the influences of grouping factors on compost quality and heavy metals, it is recommended to adjust the initial moisture of pile materials to 70%-80%, C/N to 30-85, and pH to 6-7 and to conduct pre-composting for 0-15 d; additionally, vermicomposting should be naturally placed when the composting is aimed at promoting the compost quality. If the main purpose is to weaken the perniciousness of heavy metals in the raw material, it is recommended to adjust the initial moisture of the material to 50%-60%, C/N to less than 30, and pH to 7-8; to conduct no pre-compost; regularly turn the piles; and use the earthworm Eudrilus eugeniae for vermicomposting.

Microwave-induced hyperthermia in situ in the treatment of tumors of proximal humerus: long-term results with functionary sparing surgery.

BACKGROUND: The present study aimed to evaluate the indications, feasibility, clinical effectiveness and complications of the treatment with microwave in situ inactivation followed by curettage and bone grafting assisted with internal fixation, for the proximal humerus tumors. METHODS: The clinical data of 49 patients with primary or metastatic tumor of the proximal humerus who received intraoperative microwave inactivation in situ with curettage and bone grafting in our hospital from May 2008 to April 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: There were 25 males and 24 females, with an average age of 57.6 ± 19.9 years (range, 20-81). All patients were followed up for 7 to 146 months, with an average period of 69.2 ± 39.8 months. Up to the last follow-up, 14 patients died. The 5-year overall survival was 67.3%, and 5-year tumor-specific survival was 71.4%. The 5-year tumor-specific survival rates were 100% for aggressive benign tumors or low potential malignancy tumors, 70.1% for primary malignancies, and 36.9% for metastatic tumors. The average preoperative MSTS, constant-Murley and VAS scores were 16.81 ± 3.85, 62.71 ± 12.56 and 6.75 ± 2.47, which were all significantly improved at 6 weeks after operation and at the final follow-up (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Microwave inactivation in situ and curettage and bone grafting are a feasible treatment for tumors of proximal humeral, especially for malignant tumors and metastases, without the necessity of the replacement of the shoulder, with little trauma and good upper limb function, and with low local recurrence and distant metastasis.

Comparison of demineralized bone matrix with different cycling crushing times in posterolateral fusion model of athymic rats.

Decalcified bone matrix (DBM) is a widely used alternative material for bone transplantation. In the DBM production process, an effective particle size and the highest utilization rate of raw materials can be achieved only through multiple high-speed circulating comminution. The rat posterolateral lumbar fusion model (PLF) is the most mature small animal model for the initial evaluation of the efficacy of graft materials for bone regeneration and spinal fusion. To evaluate the differences in the in vivo osteogenic effects of DBM pulverization through 1, 5, 9, and 14 high-speed cycles, sixty athymic rats were divided into six groups: single cycling crushing (CC1), 5 cycles of crushing (CC5), 9 cycles of crushing (CC9), 13 cycles of crushing (CC13), autogenous bone graft (ABG) and negative control (NC). Posterolateral lumbar fusion was performed. Six weeks after surgery, the bilateral lumbar fusion of athymic rats was evaluated through manual palpation, X-ray, micro-CT and histological sections. Rank data were tested by the rank-sum test, and nonparametric data were tested by the Kruskal‒Wallis H test. The manual palpation and X-ray results showed that the fusion rate did not significantly differ between the CC1, CC5, CC9, CC13 and ABG groups. However, cavities appeared in CC9 and CC13 on the micro-CT image. The bone mass (BV/TV) of CC1, CC5, CC9 and CC13 was better than that of the ABG group, while almost no osteogenesis was observed in the NC group. Histologically, there was no obvious difference between the four groups except that the CC9 group and CC13 group had more fibrous tissues in the new bone. In conclusion, DMB with different cycling crushing times has no obvious difference in fusion rate of PLF, but it is slightly better than the ABG group.

Proteomic investigation and biomarker identification of lung and spleen deficiency syndrome in HIV/AIDS immunological nonresponders.

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) immunological nonresponders (HIV/AIDS-INRs) whose CD4+ cell counts do not rebound after highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) treatment usually experience severely impaired immune function and high mortality. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has many advantages in the field of AIDS, especially its promotion of patients' immune reconstitution. Accurate differentiation of TCM syndromes is a prerequisite for guiding an effective TCM prescription. However, the objective and biological evidence for identification of the TCM syndromes in HIV/AIDS-INRs remains lacking. Lung and spleen deficiency (LSD) syndrome, a typical HIV/AIDS-INR syndrome, was examined on in this study. Methods: We first performed a proteomic study of LSD syndrome in INRs (INRs-LSD) using tandem mass tag combined with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (TMT-LC-MS/MS) and screened them against the healthy and undocumented identifiable groups. The TCM syndrome-specific proteins were subsequently validated based on bioinformatics analysis and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: A total of 22 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were screened in INRs-LSD compared to the healthy group. Based on bioinformatic analysis, these DEPs were found to be mainly associated with the immunoglobin A (IgA)-generated intestinal immune network. In addition, we examined the TCM syndrome-specific proteins alpha-2-macroglobulin (A2M) and human selectin L (SELL) with ELISA and found that they were both upregulated, which was consistent with the proteomic screening results. Conclusions: A2M and SELL were finally identified as potential biomarkers for INRs-LSD, providing a scientific and biological basis for identifying typical TCM syndromes in HIV/AIDS-INRs and an opportunity to build a more effective TCM treatment system for HIV/AIDS-INRs.

Repair of tendons treated with peracetic acid-ethanol and gamma irradiation by EDC combined with NHS: a morphological, biochemical and biomechanical study in vitro.

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC) combined with n-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) can repair tendon damage caused by peracetic acid-ethanol and gamma irradiation sterilization. The semitendinosus tendons of 15 New Zealand white rabbits were selected as experimental materials, and the tendons were sterilized in a solution containing 1% (v/w) peracetic acid and 24% (v/w) ethanol. After 15 kGy gamma irradiation sterilization, the tendons were randomly divided into three groups (n = 10). The tendons were repaired with EDCs of 0, 2.5 and 5 mM combined with 5 mM NHS for 6 h, the tendons were temporarily stored at - 80 ± °C. The arrangement and spatial structure of collagen fibers were observed by light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, the collagen type and collagen crimp period were observed under a polarizing microscope, and the collagen fibril diameter and its distribution were measured by transmission electron microscopy, from which the collagen fibril index and mass average diameter were calculated. The resistance of collagen to enzymolysis was detected by the free hydroxyproline test, and tensile fracture and cyclic loading tests of each group of tendons were carried out, from which the elastic modulus, maximum stress, maximum strain, strain energy density and cyclic creep strain were calculated. The obtained results showed that the gap between loose collagen fibers in the 0 mM control group was wider, the parallel arrangement of tendons in the 2.5 and 5 mM groups was more uniform and regular and the fiber space decreased, the crimp period in the 5 mM group was lower than that in the 0 mM group (P < 0.05), and the concentration of hydroxyproline in the 5 mM group (711.64 ± 77.95 µg/g) was better than that in the control group (1150.57 ± 158.75 µg/g). The elastic modulus of the 5 mM group (424.73 ± 150.96 MPa) was better than that of the 0 mM group (179.09 ± 37.14 MPa). Our results show that EDC combined with NHS can repair damaged tendons after peracetic acid-ethanol and gamma radiation treatment, and 5 mM EDC has better morphological performance, anti-enzymolysis ability and biomechanical properties than 2.5 mM EDC.

[Response of Topsoil Fungal Community Structure to Soil Improvement Measures in Degraded Forest of Red Soil Region].

Soil fungal community structure and diversity are highly sensitive to variations in the external environment, as well as soil improvement measures. In order to clarify the effects of soil improvement measures on topsoil fertility or quality, a field experiment was conducted in eroded forest of a red soil region. Organic fertilizer, biochar, and lime+microbial fertilizer were added to the topsoil, respectively. After four years, the chemistry properties and nutrients in the topsoil were measured, and the diversity and composition of fungi were analyzed. The results showed that the additions of organic fertilizer, biochar, and lime+microbial fertilizer reduced fungal richness in topsoil, compared to that with no fertilizer addition (CK). Among them, lime+microbial fertilizer had the most negative effect on fungal richness. The three soil improvement measures also affected the diversity of topsoil fungi, but the impacts were not significant. The dominant fungal phyla in the topsoil were Ascomycota (31.29%-46.55%) and Basidiomycota (30.07%-70.71%), and the dominant fungal genera were Amphinema and Archaeorhizomyces. The effects of soil improvement measures on fungal community structure in the topsoil were different; organic fertilizer increased the relative abundance of Ascomycetes and Archaeopteroides, and biochar enhanced the relative abundance of Basidiomycetes and Archaeopteroides, whereas lime+microbial fertilizer improved the relative abundance of Basidiomycetes and Archaeopteroides. Fungal diversity and community structure in the topsoil was affected by edaphic factors, and fungal richness was regulated by pH value, whereas fungal community structure was influenced by pH, total nitrogen, and organic carbon. This study provides scientific guidance for soil improvement and ecological restoration below the canopy in eroded forests of red soil regions.

Effects of demineralization mode and particle size of allogeneic bone powder on its physical and chemical properties.

At present, the commonly used allogeneic bone powder in the clinic can be divided into nondemineralized bone matrix and demineralized bone matrix (DBM). Commonly used demineralizers include acids and ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA). There may be some diversities between them. Also, the size of the bone particle can affects its cell compatibility and osteogenic ability. We produced different particle sizes i.e., < 75, 75-100, 100-315, 315-450, 450-650, and 650-1000 µm, and treated in three ways (nondemineralized, demineralized by EDTA, and demineralized by HCl). Scanning electron microscopy showed that the surface of the samples in each group was relatively smooth without obvious differences. The results of specific surface area and porosity analysis showed that they were significantly higher in demineralized bone powder than in nondemineralized bone powder, however, there was no significant difference between the two decalcification methods. The content of hydroxyproline in nondemineralized bone powder and EDTA-demineralized bone powder had no statistical difference, while HCl-demineralization had statistical significance compared with the former two, and the content increased with the decrease of particle size. The protein and BMP-2 extracted from HCl demineralized bone powder were significantly higher than that from nondemineralized bone powder and EDTA demineralized bone powder, and there were differences among different particle sizes. These results suggested the importance of demineralization mode and particle size of the allogenic bone powder and provided guidance for the choice of the most appropriate particle size and demineralization mode to be used in tissue bioengineering.

Epidemiological investigation and proteomic profiling of typical TCM syndrome in HIV/AIDS immunological nonresponders.

HIV/AIDS pandemic remains the world's most severe public health challenge, especially for HIV/AIDS immunological nonresponders (HIV/AIDS-INRs), who tend to have higher mortality. Due to the advantages in promoting patients' immune reconstitution, Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has become one of the mainstays of complementary treatments for HIV/AIDS-INRs. Given that effective TCM treatments largely depend on precise syndrome differentiation, there is an increasing interest in exploring biological evidence for the classification of TCM syndromes in HIV/AIDS-INRs. In our study, to identify the typical HIV/AIDS-INRs syndrome, an epidemiological survey was first conducted in the Liangshan prefecture (China), a high HIV/AIDS prevalence region. The key TCM syndrome, Yang deficiency of spleen and kidney (YDSK), was evaluated by using a tandem mass tag combined with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (TMT-LC-MS/MS). A total of 62 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) of YDSK syndrome compared with healthy people were screened out. Comparative bioinformatics analyses showed that DEPs in YDSK syndrome were mainly associated with response to wounding and acute inflammatory response in the biological process. The pathway annotation is mainly enriched in complement and coagulation cascades. Finally, the YDSK syndrome-specific DEPs such as HP and S100A9 were verified by ELISA, and confirmed as potential biomarkers for YDSK syndrome. Our study may lay the biological and scientific basis for the specificity of TCM syndromes in HIV/AIDs-INRs, and may provide more opportunities for the deep understanding of TCM syndromes and the developing more effective and stable TCM treatment for HIV/AIDS-INRs.

Risk factors for simple congenital ptosis / 中华实验眼科杂志

Objective:To identify the risk factors for simple congenital ptosis.Methods:A case-control study was performed.A total of 106 children diagnosed with simple congenital ptosis at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine from October 2018 to January 2021 were recruited as a case group, and 106 sex-matched children without congenital abnormalities were enrolled as a control group at the same period.Ophthalmic examinations, including interpalpebral fissure height and margin reex distance 1, were performed on all participants.A questionnaire survey was administered to their mothers.The questionnaire included demographic information, prenatal maternal diseases, medical treatments and environmental exposures during pregnancy.Univariate analysis was used to compare the differences in variables between the case and control groups.Variables with P<0.20 were retained for multivariate logistic regression analysis to identify the risk factors for simple congenital ptosis.The goodness of fit of the model was evaluated by the Hosmer-Lemeshow test, and collinearity was assessed by the variance inflation factor (VIF). This study adhered to the Declaration of Helsinki.The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine (No.2019-136). The method and purpose of the study were fully explained to the children's guardians and written informed consent was obtained. Results:Comparisons of gestational age <37 weeks, birth order ≥2, maternal age, antibiotic use in the first trimester, paternal smoking ≥half a pack per day, and prenatal maternal passive smoking between the two groups were all with P<0.20.Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that gestational age <37 weeks (odds ratio [ OR]=4.58; 95% confidence interval [ CI]: 1.24-16.85), paternal smoking ≥half a pack per day ( OR=2.28; 95% CI: 1.22-4.28) and prenatal maternal passive smoking ( OR=3.13; 95% CI: 1.16-8.41) were risk factors for simple congenital ptosis.No significant collinearity was found among these identified factors (all VIF<5). Conclusions:Preterm birth, paternal smoking, and prenatal maternal passive smoking are risk factors for simple congenital ptosis.

Determination of diacetyl in workplace air by high performance liquid chromatography using 4-nitro-o-phenylenediamine as precolumn derivatization / 环境与职业医学

Background Diacetyl (DC) is widely used in the food flavoring industry and excessive occupational exposure to DC can cause serious respiratory diseases. However, there is no corresponding national standard method for the determination of DC in the air of workplace. Objective To establish a method for the determination of DC in workplace air by high performance liquid chromatography using 4-nitro-o-phenylenediamine (NPDA) as precolumn derivatization. Methods DC in the air of workplace was collected by solution absorption method. This experiment used NPDA as the derivatization reagent. By adjusting acidity of solution and optimizing concentration ration of DC/NPDA, derivatization temperature, and time, a method for the determination of DC in workplace air was proposed, and its performance indexes such as linearity, detection limit, and lower limit of quantification were obtained. Sampling efficiency was evaluated by relative comparison method, and sample stability was evaluated by sample preservation test. Accuracy and precision of the method were evaluated by standard addition recovery test with blank samples, and an interference test was carried out by adding standard samples. The established method was applied to actual samples to evaluate its adaptability. Results A combination of 60 °C for 2 h was selected for derivatization because a higher derivatization reaction temperature and a longer reaction time associated with a higher derivatization efficiency. The solution was separated by SB-C18 column (250 mm×4.6 mm, 5 μm) at 30 ℃, using a mixture of methanol and water (v/v, 65%/35%) as mobile phase with an elution flow rate of 1.0 mL·min−1, and was detected with a variable wavelength detector (λmax=257 nm) by qualitative analysis based on retention time and quantitative analysis based on external standard method. In terms of the proposed method, the linear range of detection was from 5 μg·L−1 to 2000 μg·L−1, with a correlation coefficient of 0.9999, and a detection limit of 1.3 μg·L−1, the quantitative detection of the lower limit was 4.3 μg·L−1, with a sampling volume V0 of 3.0 L, the minimum detection concentration was 4.3 μg·m−3, and the minimum quantitative concentration was 14.3 μg·m−3. The recovery rate was 99.1%-100.8%, the intra-batch precision was 0.5%-3.0%, and the inter-batch precision was 1.2%-2.0%. The average sampling efficiency of this method was 94.5%, and the sample could be stored at 4 °C for at least 14 d. The coexisting components in the air of the workplace did not interfere with the determination of DC. The DC content in the air of a flavor workplace was 5.86-8.85 mg·m−3. Conclusion A determination method for DC in workplace air by high performance liquid chromatography using NPDA as precolumn derivatization after being collected by 1.0% phosphoric acid absorbent is proposed and has the advantages of simple operation, high sensitivity, and good accuracy. With no DC loss and degradation, the method may satisfy the request for DC determination in the air of workplace.

Two new lactam derivatives from a Sphagneticola trilobata derived fungus Penicillium rubens PQJ-2.

A new bicyclic lactam derivatives penicilactam B (1) and a new monocyclic amide penicillamide D (2), along with four known compounds (3-6), were isolated from the fermentation broth of the derived fungus Penicillium rubens PQJ-2. Their structures and stereochemistry were elucidated by comprehensive spectroscopic analyses and quantum ECD calculations. All the compounds were evaluated for their antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus subsp, Candida albicans, Escherichia coli and insecticidal activity against Helicoverpa armigera Hubner. Compounds 1-3 exhibited modest insecticidal activity against H. armigera Hubner.

Meta-analysis on the contents of trace elements in workers with occupational exposure to lead / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

Objective: To quantitatively evaluate the content differences of trace elements in workers with occupational exposure to lead. Methods: In January 2021, relevant literatures on the contents of trace elements in workers with occupational exposure to lead published from 1990 to 2020 were searched through CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, PubMed, web of science and Embase. Screened and extracted the literatures, and evaluated the quality of the included literatures with Newcastle Ottawa Scale. Meta analysis was performed with Review Manager 5.3 software, and standardized mean difference (SMD) and its 95% confidence interval were used as effect indicators. Results: A total of 20 literatures were included, and the quality scores were 5-7. The results of Meta-analysis showed that compared with the control group, the contents of blood zinc (SMD=-1.01, 95%CI: -1.53, -0.49) , hair zinc (SMD=-0.17, 95%CI: -0.33, -0.01) , hair copper (SMD=-0.50, 95%CI: -1.01, 0) , hair iron (SMD=-3.91, 95%CI: -5.80, -2.03) and hair manganese (SMD=-1.09, 95%CI: -2.02, -0.15) in occupational lead exposure group were significantly lower (P<0.05) . Compared with the control group, the content of cobalt in hair of occupational lead exposure group (SMD=1.41, 95%CI: 0.72, 2.10) was higher, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05) . There was no significant difference in the contents of blood chromium, blood copper, blood iron, blood manganese, blood selenium and hair nickel between the two groups (P>0.05) . Conclusion: Workers with occupational exposure to lead have abnormal trace elements.

Determination of methyl isobutyl ketone in urine by headspace coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

Objective: To establish a method for the determination of methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) in urine samples by headspace-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Methods: Automatic headspace sampling technique was adopted to optimize the headspace conditions (headspace bottle heating temperature and equilibration time) and gas chromatographic conditions. A total of 5 ml samples were taken and added with 3.0 g ammonium sulfate into a 20 ml headspace bottle. After heated at 60 ℃ for 30 mins, gas from the upper part of headspace bottle was injected into gas chromatography with an injection volume of 100 μl. The target was separated by HP-5MS UI (30 m×0.25 mm×0.25 μm) capillary column and then detected by mass spectrometry detector. The retention time and external standard method were used for qualitative and quantitative analysis of MIBK in samples, respectively. Results: The standard curve of MIBK showed significant linearity between 20.0-1 000.0 μg/L. The standard curve was y=62.9x-652.5, and the correlation coefficient r=0.9998. The detection limit of MIBK was 5.0 μg/L and the quantification limit of MIBK was 16.0 μg/L. The average recovery rate was 95.3%~100.2% at three spiked concentrations of low (50.0 μg/L) , medium (200.0 μg/L) and high (500.0 μg/L) . The intra-day and inter-day precisions were 1.7%~3.8% (n=6) and 1.2%~4.0% (n=6) respectively. This method was stable for the determination of MIBK, and the urine could be kept 14 d at -20 ℃ without significantly loss. Conclusion: This method is proved to be simple, practical and highly sensitive. It can satisfy the request for the determination of urine samples of workers exposed to MIBK.

Musculoskeletal Pain in Parkinson's Disease.

BACKGROUND: Musculoskeletal pain is commonly experienced in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Few studies have investigated the clinical characteristics and risk factors associated with musculoskeletal pain. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the distribution, clinical characteristics, and factors associated with musculoskeletal pain in a large sample of patients with PD. METHODS: We enrolled 452 patients from two clinics and used a standardized questionnaire to collect demographic and clinical information. Musculoskeletal pain was diagnosed based on the Ford Classification System, and pain severity was assessed with the numeric rating scale (NRS). Multivariate regression models explored the association between clinical features of PD and quality of life and pain. RESULTS: Two hundred and six patients (45.58%) reported musculoskeletal pain, typically in their lower limbs and backs. Levodopa resulted in a ≥30% reduction in pain intensity scores in 170 subjects. Female sex (odds ratio [OR], 1.57; 95% CI, 1.07-2.29) and Levodopa-equivalent daily doses (LEDDs; OR, 3.35; 95% CI, 1.63-6.59) were associated with an increased risk for musculoskeletal pain. Pain duration (p = 0.017), motor symptoms (p < 0.001), and depression (p < 0.001) were significantly associated with quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: The lower limbs and back are common sites of musculoskeletal pain in patients with PD, and up to 82.52% of patients were responsive to Levodopa. Female sex and LEDDs are associated with musculoskeletal pain, suggesting that dopamine deficiencies, and not the motor and non-motor impairment, might be the most critical baseline risk factor of musculoskeletal pain.

Multifaceted behavior of PEST sequence enriched nuclear proteins in cancer biology and role in gene therapy.

The amino acid sequence enriched with proline (P), glutamic acid (E), serine (S), and threonine (T) (PEST) is a signal-transducing agent providing unique features to its substrate nuclear proteins (PEST-NPs). The PEST motif is responsible for particular posttranslational modifications (PTMs). These PTMs impart distinct properties to PEST-NPs that are responsible for their activation/inhibition, intracellular localization, and stability/degradation. PEST-NPs participate in cancer metabolism, immunity, and protein transcription as oncogenes or as tumor suppressors. Gene-based therapeutics are getting the attention of researchers because of their cell specificity. PEST-NPs are good targets to explore as cancer therapeutics. Insights into PTMs of PEST-NPs demonstrate that these proteins not only interact with each other but also recruit other proteins to/from their active site to promote/inhibit tumors. Thus, the role of PEST-NPs in cancer biology is multivariate. It is hard to obtain therapeutic objectives with single gene therapy. An especially designed combination gene therapy might be a promising strategy in cancer treatment. This review highlights the multifaceted behavior of PEST-NPs in cancer biology. We have summarized a number of studies to address the influence of structure and PEST-mediated PTMs on activation, localization, stability, and protein-protein interactions of PEST-NPs. We also recommend researchers to adopt a pragmatic approach in gene-based cancer therapy.

Destrin Contributes to Lung Adenocarcinoma Progression by Activating Wnt/ß-Catenin Signaling Pathway.

Lung cancer, especially lung adenocarcinoma, is one of the most common neoplasms worldwide. However, the mechanisms underlying its initiation, development, and metastasis are still poorly understood. Destrin (DSTN) is a member of ADF/cofilin family. Its detailed biological function remains unknown, although it is reported that DSTN is involved in cytoskeleton remodeling and regulation of actin filament turnover. Recent evidence has shown that high expression of cofilin-1 is associated with invasion and poor prognosis of several types of human tumors, but the detailed mechanism is still entirely unclear, particularly in lung cancer tumorigenesis and malignancy. Here, we report that DSTN was highly expressed in a mouse lung cancer model induced by urethane and in clinical lung adenocarcinoma tissue samples. Its expression level was positively correlated with cancer development, as well as metastasis to the liver and lymph nodes. Consistently, it was directly associated with the poor prognosis of lung adenocarcinoma patients. Furthermore, we also found that DSTN promotes cell proliferation, invasion, and migration in vitro, and facilitates subcutaneous tumor formation and lung metastasis via intravenous injection in vivo. Mechanically, DSTN associates with and facilitates nuclear translocation of ß-catenin, which promotes epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Taken together, our results indicated that DSTN enhances lung cancer malignancy through facilitating ß-catenin nuclear translocation and inducing EMT. Combined with multivariate analyses, DSTN might potentially serve as a therapeutic target and an independent prognostic marker of lung adenocarcinoma. IMPLICATIONS: This finding indicates that DSTN facilitates ß-catenin nuclear translocation and promotes malignancy in lung adenocarcinoma.

Taking a holistic view of PEST-containing nuclear protein (PCNP) in cancer biology.

Polypeptide sequences enriched with proline (P), glutamic acid (E), aspartic acid (D) and serine (S)/ threonine (T) (PEST) have been reported to be the most abundant and frequently distributed at the cellular level. There is growing evidence that PEST sequences act as proteolytic recognition signals for degradation of residual proteins which is critical for activation or deactivation of regulatory proteins involved in cellular signaling pathways of cell growth, differentiation, stress responses and physiological death. A PEST containing nuclear protein (PCNP) was demonstrated as a tumor suppressor in a neuroblastoma cancer model and tumor promoter in lung adenocarcinoma cancer model. Its unique properties like ubiquitination by NIRF, co-localization with NIRF in nucleus and tumor progression attract the attention of researchers. PCNP was reported to be ubiquitinated by ring finger protein NIRF in E3 ligase manner and as modulator of MAPK and PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathways. In this review, we summarize PCNP linked DNA damage response, Post translational modifications, and transportation to address initiation, prognosis, and resistance of tumor cells in terms of cell cycle regulation, transcription and apoptosis. Hence, we demonstrate PCNP as a novel target in cancer diagnosis and treatment.

[Concentration Characteristics and Source Analysis of PM2.5 During Wintertime in Zhengzhou-Xinxiang].

To study the pollution characteristics, sources, and transportation process of PM2.5 and its chemical compositions in the Zhengzhou-Xinxiang region, PM2.5 samples were collected using a middle volume sampler, in Zhengzhou and Xinxiang urban areas for 30 consecutive days during the winter of 2016. The mass concentration of PM2.5 was measured gravimetrically. 17 trace metals were determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and 7 water-soluble ions were determined by ion chromatography. The enrichment factor (EF) method and principal component analysis were employed to determine the source apportionment. The results showed that the daily mean PM2.5 mass concentration during the winter sampling period of 2016 in Xinxiang and Zhengzhou was 223.87 µg·m-3 and 226.67 µg·m-3, respectively, which indicated that pollution levels were relatively high in both cities. The concentration of three macro elements (Al, Ca, and Fe) accounted for 50% of the total metal elements in both cities, while the heavy metals concentration was higher in Xinxiang than in Zhengzhou. The EFs of Cd, Ag, and Pb in Xinxiang were far higher than 1000, while only Cd was higher than 1000 in Zhengzhou. NO3-, SO42-, and NH4+ were the main ions in the two cities. They exceeded 94% of total water-soluble ions and existed in the forms of (NH4)2SO4 and NH4NO3. The principle component analysis showed that the main contributors to PM2.5 were a mixture of biomass combustion and secondary aerosol in Xinxiang, and a mixture of coal combustion and traffic emissions in Zhengzhou, accounting for 34.94% and 33.99% of total PM2.5 emissions, respectively.

A novel method for sewage sludge composting using bamboo charcoal as a separating material.

Traditional composting processes must be conducted with a bulking agent to ensure adequate air space for aeration. The bulking agent and composting materials are always completely mixed. A novel layered structure was introduced in sewage sludge composting, in which no bulking agent was used and bamboo charcoal was used as a separating material. Three lab-scale composting reactors (A: sawdust and sludge; B: bamboo charcoal and sludge; and C: sawdust, bamboo charcoal, and sludge) were continuously operated for 29 days. Several physicochemical parameters were investigated to evaluate the feasibility of layered composting with bamboo charcoal. The results indicated that the maximum temperatures during the thermophilic stage in treatments A, B, and C were 51.4, 50.9, and 51 °C, respectively. Layered composting with bamboo charcoal decreased the pH of the thermophilic stage from 8.98 in A to 8.75 in C, and delayed the peaks by about 120 h. The degradation rates of dissolve organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved nitrogen (DN) were 75 and 71.5% in treatment B, respectively, which were significantly higher than those of control group A (60 and 59.1%, respectively). The total NH3 emissions of treatment C (2127.8 mg) were significantly lower than those of A (2522.8 mg). Our results suggested that layered composting using bamboo charcoal as a separating material could be an alternative strategy to the traditional composting method. Moreover, layered composting combined with sawdust could effectively reduce NH3 emissions and N loss.

[Inhibitory Effect of Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor SAHA on Proliferation of Mouse Multiple Myeloma Cell Line SP2/0 in vitro and in vivo].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the anti-myeloma effect of suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) and on mouse myeloma cell line SP2/0 in vitro and in vivo and its mechanism. METHODS: The inhibitory effect of SAHA on SP2/0 cells was measured by CCK-8 assay,and the apoptosis and cell cycle were analyzed by flow cytometry FACS. The protein expression of Caspase-3 and p53 of SP2/0 cells treated with SAHA were examined by Western blot. Annexin V/7-AAD double staining was performed to detect the apoptosis of SP2/0 induced by SAHA in vitro. SP2/0 cells (1×106) resuspended in 200 µl PBS were inoculated subcutaneously and intravenously into BALB/c mice, so as to establish aggressive or non-aggressive myeloma-bearing mouse models respectively. On day 3 after modeling, mice received SAHA or vehicle control treatment by intraperitoneal injection. The dose of SAHA was 60 mg/kg·d, 5 times a week for 3 weeks. RESULTS: In SAHA-treated SP2/0 cells, the proliferation inhibition rate and apoptotic cells increased in a dose dependent manner. Also, SAHA significantly increased the ratio of cells in G2 phase and decreased in S phase. Molecular mechanisms of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest of SP2/0 induced by SAHA partly correlated with up-regulating the expression level of Caspase-3 and p53. In the non-aggressive myeloma-bearing mice, SP2/0 cells disappeared in peripheral blood after SAHA treatment. In the aggressive myeloma-bearing mice, inhibition of tumor growth and prolongation of the cell survival were observed after SAHA treatment. CONCLUSION: SAHA inhibited SP2/0 cell proliferation, this effect associates with inducing apoptosis and cell cycle arrest, the mechanism of SAHA ralates partly with activating Caspase-3 and p53 pathway.