Predictive Value of Serum Cholic Acid and Lithocholic Acid for the Diagnosis in an Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy Population with High Levels of Total Bile Acids and the Correlation with Placental Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1α.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the ability of serum cholic acid (CA) and lithocholic acid (LCA) in the diagnosis and perinatal prognosis assessment of intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP), and the relationship between both indicators and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α). Methods: Between March 2020 and March 2021, pregnant women with high levels of total bile acid (TBA) in the late pregnancy with TBA ≥10 µmol/L and TBA <10 µmol/L (control group) were included for the retrospective study. Those with TBA ≥10 µmol/L were divided into the ICP group and the asymptomatic hypercholanaemia of pregnancy (AHP) group based on ICP symptoms. The comparison of the bile acid profiles, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, and Pearson correlation analysis were conducted successively. Results: Nine types of bile acids were significantly higher in ICP and AHP than in the control group, while CA and LCA serum levels in the AHP group were significantly lower than those in the ICP group (P < 0.05). The ROC curve analysis showed that LCA, CA, and LCA+CA were all diagnostic indicators for ICP, and LCA+CA displayed the greatest diagnostic value (area under the curve (AUC), 0.923). Subgroup analysis using the LCA+CA cut-off point (3.28 µmol/L) as the subgroup indicator proved that the incidence of adverse perinatal outcomes and the placental HIF-1α positivity were significantly higher in the high LCA+CA group than in the low LCA+CA group (P < 0.05). Pearson correlation analysis revealed significant positive correlations of HIF-1α expression levels to LCA, CA and LCA+CA (r = 0.473, 0.537, 0.619, respectively. P < 0.05 in all). Conclusion: This study confirmed that CA and LCA have a predictive diagnostic value for ICP in pregnant women, and the combined evaluation is associated with adverse perinatal outcomes, and LCA+CA positively correlates to placental HIF-1α expression levels.

Clinical implications of concentration of alveolar nitric oxide in asthmatic and non-asthmatic subacute cough.

Asthma is an important cause of subacute cough. The concentration of alveolar nitric oxide (CANO) is a sensitive inflammatory indicator in peripheral airways, and it has received much less attention than the fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO50). The main objective of this study was to explore the correlation between CANO and clinical parameters in asthmatic and non-asthmatic subacute cough, which might promote understanding of the clinical utility of CANO in these special patient populations. 155 patients with subacute cough were included consecutively, of which 25 were diagnosed as asthmatic. Data for demographic characteristics, FeNO50, CANO, baseline spirometry, bronchial provocation test (or bronchodilation test) and response dose ratio (RDR) were collected. Differences between the asthmatic and non-asthmatic groups were analyzed. Spearman's correlation coefficient (ρ) was used to evaluate the correlation between FeNO50, CANO and other clinical parameters. In patients with subacute cough, baseline CANO values did not differ between asthmatic and non-asthmatic patients (4.4(1.3, 11.4) versus 4.0(2.1, 6.8) ppb,P> 0.05). Besides, CANO exhibited a stronger association with pulmonary function parameters when compared with FeNO50. For asthmatic subacute cough, CANO was inversely correlated with FEV1/FVC (ρ= -0.69,P< 0.01) and small airway parameters including MEF25 (ρ= -0.47,P< 0.05) and MMEF (ρ= -0.45,P< 0.05). For non-asthmatic subacute cough, CANO was inversely correlated with MEF25 (ρ= -0.19,P< 0.05) and RDR (ρ= -0.21,P< 0.05). In subacute cough, asthmatic and non-asthmatic patients had similar values of baseline CANO. In both asthmatic and non-asthmatic subacute cough, CANO exhibited a stronger association with pulmonary function parameters when compared with FeNO50. A low CANO value in non-asthmatic subacute cough corresponded to a higher value of RDR, which implied a stronger tendency towards airway responsiveness.

Diagnostic value of FeNO and MMEF for predicting cough variant asthma in chronic cough patients with or without allergic rhinitis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the diagnostic value of fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) and maximum mid-expiratory flow (MMEF) for differentiating cough variant asthma (CVA) from chronic cough in patients with or without allergic rhinitis. METHODS: In total, 328 patients with chronic cough who underwent spirometry and FeNO testing were consecutively included in the retrospective analysis. Patients were divided into the CVA (n = 125) or NCVA (n = 203) groups according to the diagnostic criteria of CVA. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were established to assess the diagnostic efficiency and optimal cutoff points of FeNO and MMEF for the prediction of CVA. RESULTS: The optimal cutoff values of FeNO and MMEF to discriminate CVA from chronic cough were 24.5 ppb (AUC, 0.765; sensitivity, 69.60%; specificity 72.91%; PPV, 61.27%; NPV, 79.57%) and 66.2% (AUC, 0.771; sensitivity, 67.20%; specificity 78.33%; PPV, 65.63%; NPV, 79.50%). The optimal cutoff values of combining FeNO with MMEF to discriminate CVA from chronic cough were >22 ppb for FeNO and <62.6% for MMEF (AUC, 0.877). In patients with and without allergic rhinitis, the optimal cutoff point of FeNO to discriminate CVA from chronic cough was 24.5 ppb (AUC, 0.820) and 33.5 ppb (AUC, 0.707), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: FeNO and MMEF might have greater value as negative parameters for differentiating CVA from chronic cough. Combining FeNO and MMEF provided a significantly better prediction than either alone. The diagnostic accuracy of FeNO for predicting CVA in chronic cough patients with allergic rhinitis was higher than in chronic cough patients without allergic rhinitis.

Prediction of Long Non-Coding RNAs Based on Deep Learning.

With the rapid development of high-throughput sequencing technology, a large number of transcript sequences have been discovered, and how to identify long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) from transcripts is a challenging task. The identification and inclusion of lncRNAs not only can more clearly help us to understand life activities themselves, but can also help humans further explore and study the disease at the molecular level. At present, the detection of lncRNAs mainly includes two forms of calculation and experiment. Due to the limitations of bio sequencing technology and ineluctable errors in sequencing processes, the detection effect of these methods is  not very satisfactory. In this paper, we constructed a deep-learning model to effectively distinguish lncRNAs from mRNAs. We used k-mer embedding vectors obtained through training the GloVe algorithm as input features and set up the deep learning framework to include a bidirectional long short-term memory model (BLSTM) layer and a convolutional neural network (CNN) layer with three additional hidden layers. By testing our model, we have found that it obtained the best values of 97.9%, 96.4% and 99.0% in F1score, accuracy and auROC, respectively, which showed better classification performance than the traditional PLEK, CNCI and CPC methods for identifying lncRNAs. We hope that our model will provide effective help in distinguishing mature mRNAs from lncRNAs, and become a potential tool to help humans understand and detect the diseases associated with lncRNAs.

The relationship between steps of 6MWT and COPD severity: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The distance of 6-minute walk test (D6MWT) has been widely used in the assessment of functional status in patients with COPD, while very little attention has been paid to the role of steps of 6-minute walk test (S6MWT). The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between S6MWT and other physiologic parameters of COPD. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Seventy patients with stable COPD were enrolled consecutively in this cross-sectional study. Pulmonary function tests, including spirometry, impulse oscillometry (IOS) and the single-breath diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide (DLCO), were carried out at rest. Quality of life was assessed by health-related quality of life (HRQoL) questionnaires, including modified Medical Research Council dyspnea scale (mMRC), St George's Respiratory Questionnaire, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Assessment Test (CAT) and Clinical Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Questionnaire. Both steps and distance were measured in the following 6-minute walk test (6MWT). RESULTS: Both S6MWT and D6MWT showed significant correlation with spirometry, IOS, DLCO parameters and HRQoL questionnaires score. Both pre- and post-6MWT inspiratory capacity showed significant correlation with S6MWT (ρ=0.338, P=0.004; ρ=0.359, P=0.002, respectively), whereas did not correlate with D6MWT (ρ=0.145, P=0.230; ρ=0.160, P=0.189, respectively). In stepwise multiple regression analysis, mMRC grade, age and CAT score remained as significant predictors in the final model for D6MWT (adjusted R 2=0.445, P<0.01). DLCO and CAT score remained as significant predictors in the final model for S6MWT (adjusted R 2=0.417, P<0.01). CONCLUSION: S6MWT is efficient in the evaluation of functional status and quality of life in COPD and has significant correlation with various parameters indicating disease severity. Additionally, S6MWT might be better in predicting lung hyperinflation in COPD compared with D6MWT.

[Physiological Characteristics and Nitrogen and Phosphorus Uptake of Myriophyllum aquaticum Under High Ammonium Conditions].

Ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N) at high concentrations is toxic to plants. In order to explore the NH4+-N tolerance of Myriophyllum aquaticum (M. aquaticum) and its ability of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) uptake, this study used a nutrient solution with three NH4+-N levels (70, 210, 420 mg·L-1) to incubate M. aquaticum for 21 d. The characteristics of plant physiology and N and P uptake of M. aquaticum were measured. At NH4+-N of 70 mg·L-1, M. aquaticum grew healthily, and shoot height and biomass linearly increased with the increase incubation time. Relative shoot height and biomass of M. aquaticum were 40.56 cm and 17.82 g·hole-1 on day 21, respectively. Compared to the control with 70 mg·L-1 ammonium, malondialdehyde (MDA) content of M. aquaticum was significantly increased; chlorophyll and soluble sugar contents were also high at NH4+-N of 210 mg·L-1. M. aquaticum suffered from the NH4+-N stress. However, the stress of 210 mg·L-1 NH4+-N did not affect its normal growth and there was no significant difference in the relative growth rate of the shoot height and biomass compared with the control. At NH4+-N of 420 mg·L-1, MDA contents of M. aquaticum doubled and the shoot height and biomass growth rate were only 27.4% and 17.9% of those for 70 mg·L-1 NH4+-N, indicating that M. aquaticum was subjected to serious stress that caused unhealthy growth or even death. At three NH4+-N levels, the ranges of N and P content of M. aquaticum were 30.7-53.4 mg·g-1 and 3.8-7.7 mg·g-1, respectively, which indicated that M. aquaticum had a high uptake capacity of N and P. M. aquaticum is an ideal wetland plant that has a good application prospect for constructed wetlands in biological treatment of high-ammonia wastewater.

[Atmospheric Ammonia/Ammonium-nitrogen Concentrations and Wet and Dry Deposition Rates in a Double Rice Region in Subtropical China].

Ammonia (NH3) is the most abundant alkaline gas in the ambient air, and it is also one of the important precursors for the ammonium salts in aerosol and rainwater. Though the emission intensities of NH3 and acidic gases are high, the concentrations and deposition rates of atmospheric ammonia-nitrogen (NH3-N), particulate ammonium-nitrogen (NH4+-Np) and rainwater ammonium-nitrogen (NH4+-Nr) in double rice regions in subtropical China are still less known. In this study, atmospheric concentrations of NH3-N, NH4+-Np in PM10 and NH4+-Nr and related meteorological parameters were observed simultaneously in a typical double rice region in the subtropical hilly region of China, with the aim to clarify the characteristics and influencing factors of atmospheric NH3/NH4+-N concentrations and to quantify the wet and dry deposition rates of atmospheric NH3/NH4+-N. The results showed that the annual mean concentrations of nitrogen in NH3-N, NH4+-Np and NH4+-Nr were 5.7 µg·m-3, 12.8 µg·m-3 and 0.8 mg·L-1, respectively, and their deposition rates were 8.38, 5.61 and 9.07 kg·(hm2·a)-1, respectively. The NH3-N concentration was significantly increased after application of nitrogen fertilizer in the paddy field, and had a significant positive correlation with the air temperature. The NH4+-Np concentration did not show significant correlation with NH3-N concentration, indicating that atmospheric NH3-N concentration was not the main limiting factor for the NH4+-Np pollution in the studied region. The NH4+-Nr concentration was positively correlated with the NH4+-Np concentration but negatively correlated with precipitation. The high concentrations and deposition rates of atmospheric NH3-N/NH4+-N in the studied region indicated that the atmospheric NH3/NH4+-N pollution was serious, and atmospheric deposition of NH3/NH4+-N was an important nitrogen source in paddy fields, which should be considered in cropland nitrogen nutrient management.

The investigation on the role of mitochondrial fusion protein 1 in the development of myopia.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to preliminarily investigate the expression of mitochondrial fusion protein 1 (MFN1) in a lens-induced animal myopia (LIM) model and to explore the relationship between MFN1 and the visual development. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MFN1 gene expression in guinea pigs was examined during the development of minus LIM, 15 tri-colored guinea pigs were obtained, and one eye of each pig was randomly selected and treated with -7.00D lenses. Ocular refraction and axial length were collected before intervention and 1, 2, and 3 weeks after intervention. After the refraction and axial length measurements at 1, 2, and 3 weeks of lens intervention, five guinea pigs were randomly selected. MFN1 expression in the retina of both eyes was tested by immunohistochemistry technique. RESULTS: MFN1-positive cells could be observed in the retina of both eyes. The positive cells in the LIM eyes were staining deeper, and much more positive cells could be observed. Furthermore, MFN1-positive expression could be seen mainly in ganglion cells after 1 week of minus lens intervention, and with time extension, more and more positive cells appeared in the rod-cone cell and bipolar cell layer, and this phenomenon could not be found in the normal control eyes. CONCLUSION: This study suggested that MFN1 might be correlated to the development of myopia.

[Epidemiological survey of asthma among children aged 0-14 years in 2010 in urban Zhongshan, China].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence, current treatment, and clinical characteristics of asthma, as well as the risk factors for this disease, among children aged 0-14 years in 2010 in urban Zhongshan, China. METHODS: A total of 10 336 children aged 0-14 years were selected from urban Zhongshan by cluster random sampling. The Third National Childhood Asthma Epidemiological Questionnaire 2010 was used to analyze the prevalence, current treatment, and clinical characteristics of childhood asthma, as well as the risk factors for this disease. RESULTS: Asthma was diagnosed in 179 cases (1.73%). The prevalence of asthma in male children was significantly higher than that in female children (2.25% vs 1.16%; P<0.01). Of the 179 patients, severe attacks were common in 104 cases (58.1%), 110 cases (61.5%) had slow onset, 102 cases (57.0%) had gradually relieved conditions, 61 cases (34.1%) suffered from asthma during seasonal transition, and 150 cases (83.8%) developed asthma due to respiratory tract infection. Among all asthmatic children, 71.5% had been treated with inhaled corticosteroids, and 71.5% had been treated with bronchodilator. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that a history of penicillin allergy, a family history of allergy, food allergy, eczema, allergic rhinitis, cesarean delivery, family mould, and perinatal passive smoking were independent risk factors for childhood asthma. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of childhood asthma in urban Zhongshan is on a high level, and is associated with gender. The treatment of asthma has been standardized, but still needs further improvement. The onset of asthma attack is influenced by various factors.

[Distribution and Dynamics of Cropland Soil Organic Carbon in Jianghan Plain: A Case Study of Qianjiang City].

Taking an example of Qianjiang City in Jianghan Plain, the distribution and dynamics of soil organic carbon (SOC) in croplands was studied in present study. The cropland included both paddy field and dry land. SOC contents were analyzed by taking soil samples of topsoil (0-20 cm) in 2011 according to land uses and soil types, and then compared with the initial SOC conducted in the period of the second soil survey (1983). The results showed that SOC density and storage in 2011 was 30.50 t . hm-2and 452. 82 x 10(4) t, respectively. During the past 28 years, the cropland SOC density was decreased at a rate of 0. 10 t . (hm2.a)-1, and SOC storage was reduced by 9% with the decreasing rate of 1. 53 t.a-1. SOC density and storage in paddy field was about 1. 6 and 1. 3 times over that in dry land in the two selected periods. However, the dynamics of SOC in paddy field and dry land were quite the opposite. In paddy field, SOC was lost by 16% (52. 83 x 10(4) t), with a decreasing rate of 0. 23 t . (hm2.a)-1; whereas in dry land, SOC was increased by 5% (8. 57 x 10(4) t), with an increasing rate of 0. 05 t . (hm2.a)-1. The loss of SOC in paddy field was mainly resulted from gleyed paddy soil, which suffered a fast decrease of SOC density and accounted for 80% of SOC lost in paddy field. In addition, Hydromorphic paddy soil, accounting for 50% of the area of paddy field, tended to loss another 15% of SOC in paddy field. While in dry land, the minor SOC storage increased was dominantly attributed to grey fluvo aquic soil, which accounted for 96% of the area of dry land. Thus, the dynamics of cropland SOC in Jianghan Plain was dominantly controlled by SOC changes in paddy field. Our findings suggest that effective management should be considered to enhance the capacity of SOC accumulation and sequestration in the low-yield paddy field and the types of soils that are large in area.

Transcriptome profiling of genes and pathways associated with arsenic toxicity and tolerance in Arabidopsis.

BACKGROUND: Arsenic (As) is a toxic metalloid found ubiquitously in the environment and widely considered an acute poison and carcinogen. However, the molecular mechanisms of the plant response to As and ensuing tolerance have not been extensively characterized. Here, we report on transcriptional changes with As treatment in two Arabidopsis accessions, Col-0 and Ws-2. RESULTS: The root elongation rate was greater for Col-0 than Ws-2 with As exposure. Accumulation of As was lower in the more tolerant accession Col-0 than in Ws-2. We compared the effect of As exposure on genome-wide gene expression in the two accessions by comparative microarray assay. The genes related to heat response and oxidative stresses were common to both accessions, which indicates conserved As stress-associated responses for the two accessions. Most of the specific response genes encoded heat shock proteins, heat shock factors, ubiquitin and aquaporin transporters. Genes coding for ethylene-signalling components were enriched in As-tolerant Col-0 with As exposure. A tolerance-associated gene candidate encoding Leucine-Rich Repeat receptor-like kinase VIII (LRR-RLK VIII) was selected for functional characterization. Genetic loss-of-function analysis of the LRR-RLK VIII gene revealed altered As sensitivity and the metal accumulation in roots. CONCLUSIONS: Thus, ethylene-related pathways, maintenance of protein structure and LRR-RLK VIII-mediated signalling may be important mechanisms for toxicity and tolerance to As in the species. Here, we provide a comprehensive survey of global transcriptional regulation for As and identify stress- and tolerance-associated genes responding to As.

[Optimization immobilizing activated carbon and bacteria by sodium alginate and its character of adsorption of Pb2+].

Through the immobilized biosorption of activated carbon and Paenibacillus polymyxa GA1 by sodium alginate, this paper take advantage of the orthogonal experiment to investigate the adsorption characteristics of sodium alginate. According to the research, the optimal preparation conditions were as following: the mass fraction of sodium alginate was 2.5%; the amount of carbon and bacteria was 1:20 and 1:2, respectively; under the preparation condition, the adsorption rate could reach to 93.74%. The adsorption conditions of the immobilized beads were: pH 5, temperature 30 degrees C and Pb2+ with an initial concentration of 300 mg x L(-1). Moreover, the immobilized activated carbon and GA1 improved their application range of pH, temperature and the initial concentration of Pb2+. Based on the equilibrium curve, it showed that the adsorption of Pb2+ was a rapid process within 30 min and gradually reached leveling within 2 h. What's more, the equilibrium curve could be well described by Langmuir model and Freundlich model, which be consisted mainly of monolayer adsorption, and the maximum monolayer adsorption amount was 370.37 mg x g(-1). Finally, the desorption result showed that the immobilized beads could be recycled effectively.

Synchronous ovarian endometrioid adenocarcinoma and endocervical mucinous adenocarcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: We report a rare case of synchronous cancer consisting of ovarian endometrioid adenocarcinoma and endocervical mucinous adenocarcinoma. Related literature was reviewed and it appeared that no similar case had been reported previously. CASE REPORT: A 30-year-old (gravida 1, para 1, abortus 0) woman complained of abdominal fullness, chest tightness and dyspnea on exertion of several days' duration. Gynecologic sonography showed a right complex adnexal cyst, 16 x 14 cm in size. Computed tomography showed an 18 x 16 cm right pelvic tumor, with both cystic and solid components, ascites and bilateral massive pleural effusion. Cytology of the pleural effusion showed no malignant cells. The patient underwent staging surgery. Histology showed moderately to poorly differentiated endometrioid adenocarcinoma of the right ovary with extensive lymphovascular permeation, as well as paraaortic and bilateral pelvic lymph node metastases. Extensive tumor thrombi were observed in the lymphovascular channels of the left ovary, bilateral tubes and uterus. Endocervical adenocarcinoma, < 3 mm in depth, was also identified on the cervix. The final surgical-pathologic stage of ovarian endometrioid adenocarcinoma was stage IIIc and of endocervical mucinous adenocarcinoma was stage IA1. Adjuvant chemotherapy with carboplatin and paclitaxel was prescribed postoperatively, but the malignancy was not controlled due to lung, brain and vulva metastases. The patient died of respiratory failure. CONCLUSION: The coexistence of primary neoplasms in the ovary and cervix is rare. Diagnosis should be based on histologic examination and requires appropriate treatment for both tumors.

Proton "off-on" behaviour of methylpiperazinyl derivative of naphthalimide: a pH sensor based on fluorescence enhancement.

In a search for new type pH sensing fluorophores, the possibility of using the proton "off-on" switch behaviour of naphthalimide derivatives for optical pH sensor preparation has been explored. A new compound, N-allyl-4-(4[prime or minute]-methyl-piperazinyl)-1,8-naphthalimide (AMPN), was synthesized. The enhancement of fluorescence of AMPN with the increase of hydrogen ion concentration is based on arresting photo-induced electron transfer to the naphthalimide fluorophore from aliphatic amine group after its protonation. The Stokes Shift of the proposed type of pH sensing fluorophore is significantly larger than that of the fluorescein counterparts. To avoid the leakage of the fluorophore, AMPN was photo-copolymerized with 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate and acrylamide on the glass surface. The fluorescence intensity of membrane contacted with a pH 3.50 buffer is 4.7 times of that for pH 12.00 buffer solutions. The proposed pH sensor is not susceptible to ionic strength and shows good selectivity, repeatability and short response time. The membrane shows a good stability with a lifetime over two months. The sensor can be used for the determination of pH in the range of pH 4.5-9.0, without interference of most commonly co-existing inorganic ions and some organic species. The sensor has been applied to the analysis of urine samples.