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Liver is one of the important edible byproducts of livestock and poultry. It has high nutritional value and a long history of human consumption in China. However, liver, when used as food, has the problems of off-flavor, poor texture, and high risk of residual harmful substances, which results in low overall food utilization rate. This not only reduces the overall profit of the meat processing industry, but also causes a waste of resources. This review focuses on recent research on the nutrition, flavor, texture, and quality improvement of livestock and poultry liver. Moreover, the defects and blind spots in current research are summarized. It is expected that this review will be helpful for further research and provide a basis for the high-value utilization of livestock and poultry liver.

ObjectiveTo investigate the impact of acute respiratory infections in children under 12 years old in Pudong New Area， Shanghai from 2019 to 2023.MethodsAcute respiratory infection samples of children under 12 years old from three sentinel hospitals in Pudong New Area， Shanghai from 2019 to 2023 were collected， and 42 respiratory infection pathogens， including influenza virus， adenovirus， parainfluenza virus， respiratory syncytial virus， human enterovirus/rhinovirus， human pulmonary virus， human bokavirus， coronavirus （229E， HKU1， NL63 and OC43）， and novel coronavirus， were detected with microfluidic chips. The situation of acute respiratory infections among outpatient and inpatient children in this area was analyzed for the before the implementation of non pharmacological intervention measures （2019.12‒2020.1）， during the period of non pharmacological intervention measures （2020.2‒2022.12）， and after non pharmacological intervention measures （2023.1‒2023.6）.ResultsFrom 2019 to 2023， a total of 1 770 samples were collected， and 445 pathogens were detected， with a detection rate of 25.14% （445/1 770）. The main pathogens detected during the study period were influenza virus： 8.70% （154/1 770）， respiratory syncytial virus： 4.41% （78/1 770）， human enterovirus/rhinovirus： 2.66% （47/1 770）， human adenovirus： 2.49% （44/1 770）， and parainfluenza virus： 2.20% （39/1 770）. Before the implementation of non pharmacological intervention measures， outpatients were primarily infected with influenza， parainfluenza virus， and respiratory syncytial virus， with detection rates of 8.09%， 4.49%， and 4.04%， respectively； inpatients were mainly infected with influenza， respiratory syncytial virus， and parainfluenza virus， with detection rates of 4.49%， 3.82%， and 3.15%， respectively. During the period of non pharmacological intervention measures， influenza， rhinovirus and respiratory syncytial virus were the main viruses detected in the samples of outpatient children， with detection rates of 4.04%， 3.60%， and 2.47%， respectively； inpatient samples mainly detected respiratory syncytial virus， rhinovirus， and influenza virus， with detection rates of 3.60%， 2.02%， and 1.80%， respectively. After non pharmacological intervention measures， influenza， rhinovirus and respiratory syncytial virus were the main pathogens detected in the outpatients， with detection rates of 9.89%， 2.92% and 2.02%， respectively； influenza， respiratory syncytial virus， and rhinovirus were the main pathogens detected in inpatient children， with detection rates of 6.29%， 1.57%， and 1.35%， respectively.ConclusionThe prevalence of pathogens related to acute respiratory infections in children is influenced by non pharmacological preventive measures.

Vitamin C is an essential micronutrient for human and its deficiency will lead to scurvy. In recent years, as a new therapeutic strategy, high dose intravenous vitamin C(HDIVC) has been widely studied in critical cared diseases. In this review, we summarized the progress of HDIVC in sepsis, including its research history, rationality of usage, controversy and prospect, problems and outlook. The application of HDIVC in critical cared diseases underwent three periods: early, preheating and outbreaking period. Given the reduction of vitamin C in critical diseases, it requires rapid intravenous supplementation. We confirmed the therapeutic efficacy of HDIVC in COVID-19 and severe acute pancreatitis respectively. It is well known that HDIVC has effect of suppressing inflammatory responses, stabilizing the circulation and improving the immunity. But the application of HDIVC in critical cared diseases is still controversial, for the opposing findings in multiple large-scale randomized controlled trials. Future studies should be better to pay further attention on the dose and time of vitamin C and vitamin C plasma concentration monitoring.

Objective To evaluate the effect of double filtration plasmapheresis (DFPP) on patients with hyperlipidemic acute pancreatitis (HL-AP). Methods The clinical data of the patients with hyperlipidemic severe acute pancreatitis (HL-SAP) or moderately severe acute pancreatitis (HL-MSAP) from January 2019 to May 2022 were collected. The patients were divided into two groups,the control group received conventional treatment, DFPP group received DFPP treatment on the basis of conventional treatment. Results Compared with the control group, the following parameters changed significantly in DFPP group, triglyceride (TG), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) decreased on day 1 and 2, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) increased on day 1, 2, 3 and 5, leukocyte and neutrophil counts decreased on day 1 and 2, hemoglobin (HGB) decreased on day 1, 2, and 3, C-reactive protein (CRP) decreased on day 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7. And the patients in DFPP group receiving mechanical ventilation decreased compared with that in control group. Conclusion Compared with conventional treatment, DFPP can reduce plasma TG faster, improve lung, liver and kidney function, reduce inflammatory markers, and facilitate early fluid recovery.

Lipid oxidation and degradation in instant meatballs stored for different periods of time (0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 days) were investigated by measuring peroxide value (POV), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) value, carbonyl value and diene value. The changes in the fatty acid composition of instant meatballs during storage were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The evolution of volatile flavor compounds was studied by headspace-solid phase microextraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) combined with calculation of odor activity value (OAV) and sensory evaluation. The results showed that eating quality attributes such as flavor and texture continued to decline during storage. Off-flavor appeared on the 4th day, and then quality deterioration was accelerated. The POV increased significantly during the early stage (0–3 days), but did not change significantly at the later stage (3–5 days). The TBARS value first increased slowly (0–4 days) and then dramatically (4–5 days). The carbonyl and diene values showed an upward trend during storage, indicating an increase in the degree of lipid oxidation. During storage, the proportion of unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) especially polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) was significantly reduced. A total of 36 volatile flavor compounds with OAV ≥ 0.1 were detected. Among of them, the number (15) of aldehydes was highest. The OAVs of aldehydes and alcohols accounted for a high proportion (79.73%–87.58% and 10.15%–16.64%, respectively) of the total. Four and two classes of odor-active compounds were significantly correlated with lipid oxidation and sensory score for flavor, respectively.

The study aimed to investigate the dynamic changes of metabolites in beef high rib with different dry-aging periods by non-targeted metabolomics based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS). Multivariate statistical analysis and metabolic pathway analysis were performed on the metabolites. The results showed that 41 differential metabolites were identified in dry-aged beef, including 21 amino acids, 16 fatty acids, 2 nucleotides and 2 other metabolites. The types and relative contents of differential metabolites increased significantly with prolonged aging time. Five key metabolic pathways were identified, including purine metabolism; fatty acid degradation; alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism; arginine and proline metabolism; and the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, which could promote the formation of flavor and nutrients in dry-aged beef.

In this study, the effect of Mg2+ on the physiochemical, structural and gel properties of mutton myofibrillar protein was studied. The results indicated that with an increase in Mg2+ concentration (0, 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04 and 0.05 mol/L), the physicochemical properties of mutton myofibrillar protein (MP) including solubility, emulsification activity, emulsion stability and particle size increased significantly (P < 0.05), the absolute value of the zeta potential decreased, the proportion of β-sheet increased significantly (P < 0.05), and surface hydrophobicity increased significantly (P < 0.05). The endogenous fluorescence intensity of tryptophan was largest at a Mg2+ concentration of 0.04 mol/L. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) showed that the band intensity of myosin and relevant light chain proteins increased. Rheological analysis showed that the storage modulus (G’) first increased and then decreased. Compared with the control group, MP gel strength increased by 70.49% at a 0.03 mol/L Mg2+ concentration. Gel cooking loss and water-holding capacity (WHC) were negatively correlated with Mg2+ concentration (P < 0.05). Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis showed that with increasing Mg2+ concentration, immobilized water in the MP gel was transformed into free water. Microstructure observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the higher the concentration of Mg2+, the more porous the gel. Correlation analysis showed that Mg2+ concentration was highly correlated with the structure and gel characteristics of MP. Therefore, Mg2+ can significantly improve the gel properties of mutton MP.

ObjectiveTo investigate the etiological features and traceability of a food poisoning incident in Pudong District， Shanghai， and to provide a basis for the future investigation and disposal of similar incidents.MethodsAnal swabs of the patients and a chef and food residues were collected for pathogens isolation and identification. Enterotoxin detection immunosorbent assay （ELISA）， drug sensitivity test， pulsed field gel electrophoresis （PFGE） and multilocus sequence typing （MLST） were used for genotyping and tracing.ResultsNine anal swabs from patients， one anal swab from the chef， and 3 food residues were positive for Staphylococcus aureus （S. aureus）. Ten isolates from patients and the chef carried Staphylococcus enterotoxin （SE） A and SEE， while 3 isolates from food carried SEA， SED and SEE. All the isolates were resistant to penicillin. The S. aureus strains from the case shared the same PFGE pattern and the MLST type of them belonged to ST6.ConclusionThe cause of this food poisoning outbreak was S. aureus contamination. It is necessary to further strengthen the education and management of food processing enterprises， canteens， etc. to prevent similar incidents.

Background The prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is high. The development of telemedicine and mobile applications play an important role in the diagnosis and screening of OSAHS patients. Objective To evaluate the value of smartphone snoring analysis software Mianyun Sara in screening of Chinese adults with OSAHS. Methods One hundred and thirty patients〔mean age (49.7±17.4) years old, 70% male and 30% female, mean body mass index (28.2±5.0) kg/m2〕who were admitted to the Sleep Center of Peking University People's Hospital from April to December 2020 were selected and underwent overnight monitoring with Mianyun Sara and polysomnography (PSG) simultaneously. The relevant indicators generated by Mianyun Sara's automatic analysis and the relevant indicators interpreted by sleep professional technicians according to the recommended guidelines, the agreement between the apnea hypopnea index (AHI) derived from this method and PSG were evaluated, as well as the sensitivity and specificity of the diagnosis of OSAHS. Results (1) The total sleep time (TST) monitored by Mianyun Sara was 523.67 (497.50, 542.64) min, and the TST monitored by PSG was 408.25 (364.25, 462.50) min, the difference was statistically significant (Z=-9.540, P8.34 times/h, with a corresponding sensitivity of 83.81% and a specificity of 92.00%. The area under the curve (AUC) was 0.91 (0.84, 0.95) , the positive predictive value (PPV) was 97.8%, and the negative predictive value (NPV) was 57.5%, at different AHI thresholds (5, 15, 30 times/h) , the sensitivity/specificity corresponding to the best diagnostic value were 83.8%/92.0%, 88.2%/74.1% and 64.9%/91.4%, respectively. Conclusion Mianyun Sara has a good screening value for adult OSAHS patients and there is close agreement between Mianyun Sara and PSG.

The quality of bauxite resources in China is deteriorating, and the high-grade bauxite resources are depleting day by day, the resource problem has become an important problem for the development of China's aluminum industry, and the high sulfur and high iron bauxite, which has not yet been exploded on an industrial scale, belongs to the difficult-to-use resources, and it has a huge potential industrial value, and it is of great theoretical and practical significance to carry out the basic research on desulfurization and removal of iron from high sulfur and high Hon bauxite. For the comprehensive development and utilization of high sulfur and high iron bauxite in Guangxi, a systematic test of desulfurization and Hon removal from bauxite was carried out by using the process of "suspension oxidation roasting-reduction roasting-magnetic separation", and the transformation of mineral phases in the roasting process was studied by using the methods of X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), chemical phase analysis, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), etc. The test was carried out on the basis of "suspension oxidation roasting-reduction roasting-magnetic separation" . The results showed that the main sulfur containing and iron-containing mineral is pyrite, the process of "suspension oxidation roasting-reduction roasting-magnetic separation" can simultaneously realize the efficient removal of sulfur and the enrichment and separation of Hon. Under the conditions of suspension oxidation roasting with roasting temperature 700 °C, roasting time 40 min, O2 concentration 40%, and the total gas volume 600 mL/min, an oxidized roasting product with S, of 0.396% and desulfurization rate of 98.10% can be obtained. Suspension reduction roasting was then carried out under the conditions of roasting temperature 550 °C, roasting time 20 min, CO concentration 20%, total gas volume 600 mL/min, and magnetic Held strength 150 kA/m, which resulted in an iron ore concentrate with TFe grade of 54.79% and aluminum-rich ore with St of 0.248%, TFe grade of 4.37% and Al2O3 content of 75.27%. This technology substantially increases the Al2O3 content of high sulfur high iron bauxite, which is conductive to the subsequent dissolution of bauxite and achieves the technical goal of desulfurization and removal of iron to raise aluminum content. This process provides a new technical way for the efficient utilization of this kind of difficult--to-process to select high sulfur high iron bauxite resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In view of the adjustment of national environmental protection policy, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and other three ministries and commissions have designated "cyanidation takings produced in beneficiation using cyanide" as hazardous waste, and the new environmental protection tax law to be implemented will levy an environmental protection tax of 1 000 Yuan/t on hazardous waste. Economic digestion of cyanide waste is the main research topic and development detection of cyanidation plants in the future. Some cyanidation tailings in Shandong province contain lead, zinc and copper of certain grade. If the cyanidation tailings are not recycled, it will not only waste resources, but also pollute the environment. If this part of polymetals is recovered, good economic benefits will be produced. Recovery of valuable metal elements from cyanidation takings is different from that from raw ore, and it is difficult to recover valuable elements from cyanidation takings. In order to solve this problem, according to the properties of the takings, representative samples are taken, and a reasonable beneficiation process is proposed to recover the valuable metals in the takings. A preferential flotation process of floating lead and zinc first and then floating sulfur is adopted, which can achieve better recovery of valuable metals. The results show that under the conditions of 2.56 = Pb, 0.95=Zn and 0.19=Cu in the raw ore, a Pb-Zn concentrate wkh Pb grade 19.77%, Pb recovery 21.50%, Zn grade 19.69%, Zn recovery 71.07% and Cu content 1.43%, and a sulfur concentrate with sulfur grade 45.27% and sulfur recovery 35.92% can be obtained by adopting the flotation process of one roughing, two cleanings and two scavengings. The new process has better process indexes, lower reagent cost and simper process. Not only lead and zinc in lead-zinc concentrate are effectively recovered, but also the associated sulfur recover is improved, which provides a scheme for the recovery of lead, zinc, copper and sulfur in cyanidation tailings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyanidation tailings were industrial hazardous solid waste generated in the process of gold mining industry that the global annual production could reach hundreds of millions of tons. Due to the cyanide gold extraction process, the cyanide content in the cyanidation tailings was seriously excessive, which was easy to cause serious casualties if not handled properly. Therefore, it is necessary to research the harmless disposal of cyanidation tailings in order to make is subsequent resource utilization. Based on the thermal treatment method, the process mineralogy of cyanidation tailings in Inner Mongota was investigated, the cyanidation tailings were qualitively analyzed by time of light secondary mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) wkh high accuracy. The approach of oxidative degradation of total cyanide and thiocyanate in cyanidation tailings simultaneously by roasting was developed. The results showed that, the total cyanide content was 778.20 mg/kg, the thiocyanate content was 1 229. 41 mg/kg. When the cyanidation tailings were roasted at 550 °C for 30 minutes, at 20= O2 concentration and 600 mL/min of total gas, the total cyanide content was 1.59 mg/kg, the thiocyanate content was below the detection limit, which means the removal rate of total cyanide after treatment achieved 99.80%, and the removal rate of thiocyanate achieved 99.99%. The gas product of cyanide tailings was analyzed. The oxidation reaction of pyrite, decomposition reaction of carbonates, and continuous oxidation decomposition reactions of total cyanide and thiocyanate were described. This process filled the gap of current simultaneous treatment technology of cyanide and thiocyanate in cyanidation tailings, and efficiently oxidize and decompose high content thiocyanate while removing complex cyanide with high stability, provided theoretical support for the deep detoxification treatment of cyanidation tailings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aluminum is an important metal material in people's modern life, and bauxite is the main raw material for the production of aluminum. With the continuous development of domestic aluminum industry, the demand for bauxite resources is increasing year by year. However, the quality of domestic bauxite resources is poor, the supply is insufficient, and the degree of external dependence of bauxite is high, which brings a serious threat to the supply security of aluminum resources in China and restricts the sustainable development of China's aluminum industry. In order to cope with the scarcity of high-quality bauxite resources in China, the development of complex and difficult-to-process bauxite resources, such as high sulfur and high iron bauxite, is crucial to ensuring the strategic security of China's bauxite resources. China has a large amount of complex bauxite resources, such as high-sulfur and high-iron bauxite, which is more than 1.5 billion tons, accompanied by other strategic metal resources, which is urgently needed to be efficiently developed and advanced technology is used to realize the industrial application of this kind of typical poor and miscellaneous bauxite. Excessive sulfur and iron impurities in bauxite will have non-negligible effects on the process of aluminum extraction by Bayer process, such as corroding equipment and pipes, increasing alkali consumption and red mud, affecting the quality of alumina and so on. Therefore, starting with the present situation and characteristics of high-sulfur and high-iron bauxite resources in China, the current research progress of desulphurization and iron removal process of high-sulfur and high-iron bauxite has been summarized. The main desulfurization technologies such as flotation desulfurization, perorating desulfurization, biological desulfurization and physical iron removal, chemical iron removal and biological iron removal are summarized. The industrial application level of various processes is discussed and several typical examples of industrial application of high-sulfur and high-iron bauxite are given. It will provide theoretical support for the development and utilization of complex bauxite resources in China, make effective use of difficult-to-process aluminum resources, reduce China's dependence on foreign aluminum resources, and improve the supporting force of bauxite resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To analyze the relevant risk factors for intracranial infection after craniotomy for resection of skull base neoplasms. Methods The clinical data of 159 patients with skull base neoplasms who underwent craniotomy from May 2010 to January 2020 in The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University were analyzed retrospectively. The relevant risk factors for intracranial infection were analyzed by univariate and multivariate forward Logistic regression. Results Postoperative intracranial infection occurred in 81 out of 159 patients, the infection rate was 50.94%. Multivariate forward Logistic regression analysis showed the operation time was ≥ 5 h (OR = 3.438, 95%CI: 1.371-8.625; P = 0.008), blood loss ≥ 400 ml (OR = 2.308, 95%CI: 1.115-4.777; P = 0.024), frontal sinus or mastoid air chamber breach (OR = 16.817, 95%CI: 3.689-76.658; P = 0.000) were the risk factors for intracranial infection after craniotomy for resection of skull base neoplasms. Conclusions There was a higher risk of intracranial infection after craniotomy for resection of skull base neoplasms in patients who had long operation time, more intraoperative blood loss as well as frontal sinus or mastoid air chamber breach. It is necessary to adopt effective prevention and control measures to reduce the risk of intracranial infection.

Uniaxial tensile tests of ethylene-chloro-tri-fluoro-ethylene (ECTFE) foils were conducted at a thickness of 250 μm and various low and high temperatures (-50, -40, -30, -20, -10, 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, and 80 ℃). The specimens were fabricated according to the machine direction (MD). The tensile stress-strain curves of the foils at various temperatures were obtained. According to the variation discipline with temperature, several parameters such as elastic modulus, yield stress, yield strain, cold drawing stress, tensile strength, and tensile strain at break were subsequently analyzed and calculated. The results show that with the elevation of the stress-strain curves, the yield strength, tensile strength, cold drawing stress, and elastic modulus increase, but the strain at break and toughness decrease when the temperature decreases. At a wide range of temperatures from -50 ℃ to 80 ℃, the difference of elastic modulus can increase up to 93%, with a yield stress of 89%, which reflects the great sensitivity of ECTFE to temperatures. The fitting formulas of main mechanical parameters are also obtained, which can be used to predict the mechanical properties of ECTFE foils at various temperatures.

Objective To investigate the effect of nicotinate-curcumin(NC) on the LPS-induced secretion of cytokines by human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVECs) and its mechanism. Methods HUVECs were incubated with different concentrations of NC for 24 h. Western blot was used to detect the phosphorylation of AMPK. After silencing the expression of AMPK with siRNA, the potential outcomes on the phosphorylation of NF-kappa B p65, the expression of adhesion molecules, the secretion of TNF-alpha and MCP-1 in the supernatant of LPS-induced cells, and the expression of endoplasmic reticulum stress markers IRE-1, eIF2α and CHOP were observed. Results The phosphorylation of AMPK was significantly increased and p65 phosphorylation was alleviated after HUVECs treatment with the concentration of 10~20 mmol/L NC for 24 h (P＜0.05). After silencing of AMPK, the inhibition effect of NC on NF-κB was significantly reduced(P＜0.05). At the same time, the expressions of ICAM-1, VCAM-1 and E-selectin, and the adhesion of THP-1 cells to HUVECs, content of TNF-α and MCP-1 in supernatants were significantly reduced after NC treatment (P＜0.05). After siRNA silenced AMPK, the above effects were all inhibited(P＜0.05). NC down-regulated the expression of endoplasmic reticulum stress markers IRE-1, eIF2α and CHOP induced by LPS. The inhibitory effect of curcumin on these molecules was significantly reduced by interfering with the expression of AMPK (P＜0.05). Conclusions NC inhibits LPS-induced expression, secretion of adhesion molecules and cytokines in HUVECs, and also inhibits endoplasmic reticulum stress. The mechanism is potentially related to the activation of AMPK.

With the rapid development of industry and agriculture, organic pollutants in aqueous solution has caused serious influence for ecological environment. Zeolite have the advantages of large surface area, good stability and strong cation exchange ability. Therefore, it is widely used in adsorption of pollutants in aqueous solution. Quaternary ammonium cationic surfactant is often used as a modifier for zeolite because it has high surface activity, easy to adhere to the zeolite surfaces and change surface electrical properties of zeolite. The structural properties of zeolite, the quaternary ammonium cationic surfactant interaction with zeolite and modified zeolite interaction with adsorbent are reviewed. Research progress on the adsorption of drugs, heavy metal ions, water-soluble dyes, ammonia nitrogen and phenolic compounds by quaternary ammonium cationic surfactant modified zeolite is also introduced. It puts forward some problems and possible development directions in the use of modified zeolite in water pollution removal. It provides theoretical guidance for the practical application of modified zeolite environmental protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the experiment was to explore the mechanism of Qizhi oral liquid in enhancing the immune function of poultry. The active ingredients and their targets of Astragalus and Ganoderma lucidum in the compound were collected by the traditional Chinese medicine systematic pharmacology database and analysis platform (TCMSP), and the immune targets were collected by the OMIM, TTD and GeneCards databases. The potential target of Qizhi oral liquid for the poultry immunity was obtained. The Chinese medicine-component-target-pathway-disease network diagram and protein interaction (PPI) network were constructed by Cytoscape 3.9.1 software, and GO enrichment and KEGG pathway analysis were performed on the targets. The molecular docking of active ingredients and core targets was verified by molecular docking technology. The results showed that the .30 components of Qizhi oral liquid correspond to 66 targets, and .329 targets of poultry immunization, including 17 intersection targets. The core PPI targets included nuclear factor κB inhibitor α (NFKBIA), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interferon γ (IFNG). There were .38 results of GO functional enrichment, including .3.3 biological process items, four molecular function items and one cell component item. KEGG pathway analysis showed that the intersection genes were mainly concentrated in the C-type lectin receptor signaling pathway, the FoxO signaling pathway and the toll-like receptor signaling pathway. The results of molecular docking showed that the key components had good binding activity with the core protein target, which proved the reliability of the prediction results of network pharmacology. The study indicates that Qizhi oral liquid can enhance the immune function of poultry through a multi-component, multi-target and multi-pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the efficacy of Xuebijing injection in the treatment of emergency patients with severe sepsis and its impact on coagulation function. Methods Seventy-eight patients with severe sepsis were randomly divided into the control group (n = 39) and the Xuebijing group (n = 39) by the random number table method. All patients in both groups were treated with routine anti-sepsis bundle therapy according to the 2016 International Guidelines for the Treatment of Sepsis and Septic Shock. In addition to these routine treatments, the Xuebijing group was treated with a Xuebijing injection, while the control group was given an equal amount of sodium chloride. The platelet count (PLT), coagulation function, thromboelastography (TEG) values, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) score, the stay time at the emergency intensive care unit, and the fatality rate within 28 days were compared between these two groups before and after 7 days of treatment. Results After 7 days of treatment, the PLT count in the Xuebijing group increased significantly, and the fibrin/fibrinogen degradation products (FDP) decreased significantly (P < 0.05); the PLT count in the control group continued to decrease (P < 0.01). After 7 days of treatment, FDP and D-Dimer (DD) in the Xuebijing group were lower than those in the control group (P < 0.01), and clot formation time was significantly shortened; α angle, maximum clot strength (MA), and coagulation index (CI) were significantly increased, and all were better than those in the control group (P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in these indicators before and after treatment in the control group (P > 0.05). After 7 days of treatment, APACH II scores in both groups decreased compared to before treatment (P < 0.05), but the performance of the Xuebijing group was better (P < 0.05). The 28-day fatality rate in the Xuebijing group was 17.95%, lower than that in the control group at 23.08%. Conclusions Combined with routine symptomatic treatment, Xuebijing injection could effectively improve the coagulation function of sepsis patients, showing a positive role in the treatment of sepsis patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Influence of fabric electrode on polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) piezoelectric film property was studied. Sheet resistance of 3. 5 Ω·cm² silver paste screen printing polyester fabric was prepared by screen printing method. Silver-plated polyester fabric and copper screen fabric with same sheet resistance were selected. Three kinds of fabric were used as electrode together with PVDF piezoelectric film to encapsulate and prepare flexible piezoelectric sensor. Dielectric contact property, sensitivity and durability of the three fabric piezoelectric sensors were tested. The test results showed electrode dielectric impedance of silver-plated fabric and copper screen fabric were stable when the frequency was lower than 4 kHz. When the frequency was around 1x104 Hz, the fluctuation of relative dielectric constant for silver paste screen printing fabric electrode was obvious. It was obviously higher than those of the other two fabric electrodes under high frequency condition. The dielectric property of silver-plated fabric electrode was close to that of copper screen fabric electrode. The three kinds of electrode all had a certain piezoelectric susceptibility. The sensitivities of silver paste screen printing fabric electrode and copper screen fabric electrode were slightly higher. After 2 000 times of pressing, sawtooth square signals still could be output for silver-plated fabric electrode and copper screen fabric electrode. Obvious baseline drift phenomenon was appeared for silver paste screen printing fabric electrode. It is considered that the overall properties of flexible piezoelectric sensor packaged by copper screen fabric as electrode are better. Dielectric property and durability of silver-plated fabric are better. Sensitivity of silver paste screen printing fabric is better. The three kinds of fabric can be used as electrode material to produce sensor. However, problems like motion artifact and so on need to be further studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the traditional artificial potential field method, the local minimum point problem exists in path planning, which makes the mobile robot unable to move to the target point. Therefore, an artificial potential field method based on simulated annealing algorithm is proposed. Artificial potential field method uses the simulated annealing algorithm to add random target points near the local minimum point and guide the mobile robot to escape from the local minimum point area gradually. Finally, Matlab simulation proves that the method can make the mobile robot escape from the local minimum position, successfully reach the target position, consumes shorter time, and is more stable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A travertine is a special chemical or biochemical deposition. They are widely distributed in the interior of the continent and contain important geological information and are special reservoirs of oil and gas. The factors that affect the deposition of travertines are complex and diverse. Based on the investigation of the formation process and classification of travertines, this article discusses the controlling factors of travertine formation from five aspects : climate environment, hydrogeological conditions, physical and chemical conditions of water bodies, biological activities, and structural activities. Then, the travertine in the Tabei area of Xinjiang province is compared with foreign travertine deposits in terms of depositional environment, model, and deposition rate. The travertine deposits show good seasonal stratification under a warm and humid environment in north Tarim. The travertine in Wudaopan area was deposited into a large amount of terrigenous debris and greatly affected by biological activities. In Liuhuanggou, travertines are a product of hydrothermal upwellings resulting from fault activity. By comparing and summarizing the findings, the travertine that filled in the fractured caves in Tabei has well-developed internal pores, good connectivity, and good oil content display. Therefore, the travertine has a certain storage capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The important agronomic traits, such as grain type, plant height, and panicle composition, are closely related to rice yield, and their gene inheritance is complex. Chromosome segment substitution lines (CSSLs) are useful materials for studying these complex traits. An excellent CSSL, Z746, containing seven substitution segments and with an average substitution length of 3.99 Mb, was identified from Nipponbare as a recipient and 'Xihui 18' as a donor parent. There were significant differences in plant height, panicle composition and grain size between Z746 and Nipponbare. Furthermore, a total of 36 quantitative trait loci (QTL) were detected on chromosomes 2, 3, 4, 6, and 11 in the secondary F2 population constructed by hybridization between Nipponbare and Z746. Five of them may be alleles of the cloned genes, such as qPH3-1, and eight can be detected by multiple times, indicating that these were genetically stable major QTLs. The grain length in Z746 was mainly controlled by four QTLs (qGL3, qGL4, qGL2, and qGL6), and the phenotypic variation of qGL3 and qGL4 for grain length was 60.28% and 27.47%, respectively. Plant height was controlled by five QTLs, panicle length by four QTLs, grain number per panicle by two QTLs, and the 1000-grain weight by two QTLs. Eight single segment substitution lines (SSSLs) were developed in F3 population by molecular marker-assisted selection (MAS), and relevant QTLs verification was conducted in F4. Finally, 24 QTLs were detected by 8 SSSLs and the repeat detection rate was 66.7%, indicating that these QTLs were genetically stable. These results provide a good foundation for further research on genetic mechanisms of the target QTLs and molecular design breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taking a tailings pond project in Yunnan as a research background, address to the dally variation of the stability of the takings dam, three-dimensional numerical simulation, the analysis of the infiltration line of the dam-filling model test, and the indoor permeability coefficient test are used. The experimental results of the takings body permeability coefficient and the empirical values of the permeability coefficients calculated with reference to the seepage flow of the tailings dam at home and abroad, considering the ansotropy of the tailings body in the tailings dam, select reasonable calculation parameters, the differences between the tailings reservoir burial depth and variation law of infiltration line of tailings dam under working conditions are analized. The research shows that the test results are in good agreement with the three-dimensional numerical simulation calculation results and can reflect the real situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To develop functional materials with high retention ability for hydrogen cyanide (HCN) and crotonaldehyde in cigarette smoke, 20 tetrabutyl ammonium hydroxide-amino acid ionic liquids (TBAILs) were prepared. The structures of TBAILs were characterized, and their toxicant-reducing performance in smoke was evaluated. The effects and stability of TBAILs on reducing the releases of HCN and crotonaldehyde in mainstream cigarette smoke were evaluated in the form of paper-cellulose acetate dual composite filter. The results showed that: 1) The structures of TBAILs were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. In addition, thermogravimetric analysis indicated that TBAILs had good thermal stability under 150 °C . 2) The adsorption performance tested on a bespoke device revealed that all of the 20 TBAILs had substantial reductions for HCN (>80% ), wherein 13 TBAILs also showed a high efficiency for crotonaldehyde (>60% ). 3) When tetrabutyl ammonium-threonine ionic liquid ([N4444][Thr]) was applied to cigarette filters at 10 mg/cig., compared with the control cigarettes, the releases of HCN and crotonaldehyde in mainstream smoke were reduced by 50.8% and 27.7%, respectively, and the smoke sensory quality did not change obviously. The toxicant-reducing performance of [N4444] [Thr] was maintained after storing for 3 months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glioma is the most common primary tumor of central nervous system (CNS), about 50% of which is extremely malignant glioblastoma (GBM). GBM is the most common primary malignant brain tumors in adults. Surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy (most with temozolomide) are regarded as the conventional treatments, but they failed to significantly prolong the survival of GBM patients. The standard treatment of GBM lacks of specificity, and tumor cells are resistant to radiotherapy or alkylating agents, thus recurrence of GBM is inevitably and the overall prognosis is quite poor. Currently, tumor immunotherapy is emerging and booming, which provides more treating options for GBM. This study, hence, reviews the current status of immunotherapy among the comprehensive treatments of glioma, at the same time indicates the potential targets of immunotherapy, further to update treatment strategies and explain the potential for the resistance of immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, AI has risen to become the core strategy for the transformation and upgrading of science and technology in various countries. Under the background of the internet of everything, all walks of life have set off a research boom of AI. The telecom industry is no exception. As the carrier network faces the challenge of digital transformation, the automatic driving of the telecommunication network through AI technology has gradually become the consensus of the industry. Huawei's SoftCOM AI solution for autopilot and its deployment methods, values and cases were introduced . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, investigation on plant community was conducted in Heyeping subalpine meadow of Luya Mountain in Shanxi Province of China. The importance values of 36 herbaceous species, α diversity index, phylogenetic diversity index, as well as their correlations were investigated. The results showed that the species diversity of the subalpine meadow was uniformly distributed. Species richness was higher in marginal areas, indicating an 'edge effect'. The phylogenetic structure of four plots was convergent and that of 12 plots was dispersive. The phylogenetic diversity index (PD) was positively correlated with the Petrick index, Simpson index and Shannon index, while there was no significant correlation of either the net relatedness index (NRI) or the nearest taxon index (NTI) to the α diversity indices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explains concepts of virtual reality and 3D stereoscopic projection technology, discusses the construction of software and hardware for the virtual laboratory in the College of Landscape and Architecture, Nanjing Forestry University. It provides reference materials for the laboratory building of the same type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ischemic stroke (IS) is one of the main causes inducing death and disability in adults. Because of the high recurrence rate of IS, prevention of recurrence is of great significance to this population, for which the evidence-based and effective secondary prevention strategy is an important means, and acupuncture intervention has a positive effect on its risk factors. In the present article, we reviewed the progress of researches on the mechanisms of acupuncture underlying prevention of IS relapse from the perspective of its main risk factors, namely 1) hypertension (preventing and controlling the adverse effects caused by the imbalance of blood pressure level, vascular and other tissue structures, endocrine factors and central nervous system activities in patients with hypertension after IS), 2) hypercholesterolemia (lowering serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) and raising high-density lipoprotein cholesterol), 3) diabetes (regulating the secretion function of adipose tissue, activating the insulin signal transduction pathway, protecting the function of pancreatic β cells, and regulating the central nervous system functions to participate in the secondary prevention of IS), 4) smoking (relieving the symptoms of smoking cessation and reducing the smoker's dependence on smoking by changing the internal environment, lowering the level of blood endorphin and regulating the excitability of central nervous system), 5) sleep apnea syndrome (regulating local muscle function and the excitability of the nervous system, but also affecting some organic changes as reducing tonsil swelling) and 6) obesity (lowering blood glucose and lipid, increasing the ratio of brown/white fat, reducing leptin resistance, and suppressing appetite to induce body weight loss, or directly regulate the changes of fat tissue, etc). Results shows that the acupuncture's regulatory mechanism for IS risk factors is closely related to the neuroendocrine system, and simultaneously involves multiple targets of multiple risk factors. Due to its good efficacy and safety, acupuncture therapy is of great value for clinical promotion as an important intervention for secondary prevention.

Picea schrenkiana is the dominant tree species in Ili River Basin located in the western Tianshan Mountains of Xinjiang. We investigated the growth decline characteristics of P. schrenkiana at different altitudes (1800, 2300 and 2800 m) based on tree-ring index (TRI) and percentage growth change (GC), aiming to understand the growth response of P. schrenkiana to drought events at different altitudes and the impacts of altitude on tree growth decline in this region. The results showed that P. schrenkiana experienced multiple decline events at low-altitude (1800 m). TRI and GC identified inconsistent occurrence time of the decline events. The variations of TRI indicated that P. schrenkiana at low-altitude experienced two large-scale declines during 1927-1933 and 2017-2014, respectively. The variations of GC identified four decline events, including 1891-1893, 1924-1926, 1973-1975, and 2004-2009. The radial growth of P. schrenkiana across altitudes from low to high was significantly affected by the Palmer drought severity index (PDSI) of the previous growing season. The impact of current PDSI on P. schrenkiana during the growing season initially enhanced but later decreased with increasing altitude. In the extreme drought year 1917, the magnitude of growth decline increased with altitude. At low-altitude (1800 m), the TRI was 0.65, which was 35% lower than the normal level. At mid-altitude (2300 m) and high-altitude (2800 m), it was 0.56 and 0.54, respectively, being 40% lower than the average level. The drought event in 1917 had a 2-year legacy effect on the growth of P. schrenkiana at all the altitudes, with the TRI in 1920 recovered to exceeding 0.9, being close to the normal level. The impact of altitude on drought-induced forest decline was significant. Tree growth in low-altitude areas was more vulnerable to drought events due to the relatively poorer water and temperature conditions at low-altitude, which could lead to multiple large-scale decline events. In mid- and high-altitude areas, where hydrothermal conditions were more favorable, trees could experience even more severe decline during extreme droughts.

Objective: To investigate the effects of Ziyin Liangxue formula combined with prednisone on immune function and the ST2/IL-33 pathway in mice with immune thrombocytopenia., Methods: In 40 BALB/c mice, 32 were constructed as immune thrombocytopenia mouse models by antiplatelet serum injection. After successful modeling, the mice were randomly divided into model group, Ziyin Liangxue formula group (0.2 ml/10 g), prednisone group (0.2 ml/10 g), and Ziyin Liangxue formula + prednisone group (0.2 ml/10 g), 8 mice in each group, and the other 8 mice were set as control group. The drugs were administered by gavage at the dose, and the model group and control group were given equal amounts of saline by gavage once a day for 2 weeks of continuous intervention. Blood samples and spleen tissues were collected, the peripheral platelet count was measured by automatic hematology analyzer, the pathological changes in spleen tissue was observed by HE staining, the levels of serum transforming growth factor (TGF)-β, interleukin (IL)-17, and peripheral blood thrombopoietin (TPO) were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), the expression of IL-33, sST2, and ST2 in spleen tissue was detected by Western blot, and the cell counts of peripheral blood Th17 and Treg were detected by flow cytometry., Results: Compared with the control group, the number of platelets, the level of TPO, TGF-β, and Treg cells were significantly decreased ( P <0.05), while the level of IL-17, Th17 cells, and the expression of IL-33, sST2, and ST2 protein were significantly increased in the model group ( P <0.01). Compared with the model group, the number of platelets, the level of TPO, TGF-β, and Treg cells were significantly increased ( P <0.05), while the level of IL-17, Th17 cells, and the expression of IL-33, sST2, and ST2 protein were significantly decreased in the Ziyin Liangxue formula + prednisone group ( P <0.01)., Conclusion: Ziyin Liangxue formula + prednisone can effectively regulate Th17/Treg balance, thus effectively improve immune thrombocytopenia, and the mechanism may be related to the regulation of ST2/IL-33 signaling pathway.

Due to various constraints, such as clinical implementation conditions and unique characteristics of acupuncture-moxibustion, some randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of acupuncture-moxibustion still suffer from relatively low quality and limited applicability. The single-arm objective performance criteria/performance goal can be considered as an ideal supplementary and alternative research approach to RCTs. In this paper, the feasibility of applying the single-arm objective performance criteria/performance goal in acupuncture-moxibustion clinical research is explored from the limitations of conducting acupuncture-moxibustion RCTs, the principles, the essential design considerations and key statistical steps. In addition, illustrative examples are provided. The objective is to offer insights into resolving practical difficulties in acupuncture-moxibustion clinical research.

Soil acidification and low SOC are the main limiting factors in acidic paddy soils. Straw returning with lime is an effective measure to alleviate soil acidification and improve soil fertility; however, its interaction effects on SOC and carbon pool management are still unclear. To investigate the impact of straw returning with lime on the organic carbon pool of acidic paddy soil, field experiments were conducted on acidic paddy soil in Baiyun District and Huiyang District of Guangdong Province. The changes in soil total organic carbon (TOC), water-soluble organic carbon (DOC), active organic carbon (LOC), particulate organic carbon (POC), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), carbon pool index (CPI), stable organic carbon (IOC), carbon pool activity ( L ), carbon pool activity index (CPAI), and carbon pool management index (CPMI) were analyzed under three treatments (CK, conventional fertilization; RS, straw returning+conventional fertilization; RS+L straw returning with lime+conventional fertilization). The results demonstrated that compared with that in CK, the TOC, LOC, POC, and MBC in the RS+L treatment were significantly increased by 10.24%-17.79%, 34.49%-44.37%, 19.27%-23.59%, and 33.36%-43.26%, respectively ( P <0.05). Compared with that in CK, the RS+L treatment significantly increased the DOC content during the early growth stage (15-45 days after transplanting) of rice ( P <0.05) but had no significant influence on the DOC content during the late growth stage of rice. Compared with that in RS, the TOC, LOC, POC, and MBC in the RS+L treatment were increased by 2.15%-6.95%, 1.17%-17.90%, 4.27%-8.65%, and 12.99%-14.53%, respectively. Compared with that in CK, the RS+L treatment significantly increased IOC and CPI by 8.32%-15.57% and 14.00%-20.00%, respectively ( P <0.05). Compared with that in the CK treatment, the RS treatment significantly increased CPI by 14.00%-18.00% ( P <0.05). No significant differences in L , CPAI, or CPMI were detected among the different treatments. The soil pH in the RS+L treatment was significantly higher than that in the CK treatment ( P <0.05). No significant differences in rice yield were detected among the different treatments. Principal component analysis demonstrated that rice yield was primarily correlated with DOC, LOC, CPAI, and CPMI but its contribution to SOC and carbon pool management index was low. Principal component analysis also indicated that straw returning with lime could improve soil pH and nutrient contents of acidic paddy soil, driving the formation and accumulation of organic carbon fraction such as MBC and POC, thus boosting the increase in SOC. In conclusion, straw returning with lime is beneficial to the accumulation of MBC, POC, LOC, and IOC in acidic paddy soil to improve the content and stability of soil total organic carbon, which is an effective way to improve the carbon sequestration of acidic paddy soil.

Objective: To analyze the clinical characteristics of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) and to identify the risk factors of VTE in MM patients., Methods: 179 newly diagnosed MM (NDMM) patients admitted to The Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University from January 2014 to December 2020 who were followed up for more than 6 months were collected, and they were divided into VTE group and control group according to whether combined with VTE. The clinical and laboratory data were compared between the two groups. Mann-whitney U test was used for inter-group comparison of measurement data, Chi-square test or Fisher's exact test was used for inter-group comparison of count data, and multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to explore the risk factors of VTE in MM patients., Results: Compared with control group, the serum albumin (ALB) level in VTE group was significantly lower ( P =0.033), the fibrinogen (FIB) level was significantly higher ( P =0.016), and the proportion of patients with D-dimer≥2 000 ng/ml was significantly higher than that in the control group (26.3% vs 4.4%, P =0.002). There was a significant difference in M-component type between the two groups ( P =0.028), and the proportion of IgG type in VTE group was higher. There were no statistically significant differences between two groups in age, sex, body mass index (BMI), the proportions of patients with hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart disease and cerebral infarction, white blood cell (WBC) count, platelet (PLT) count, liver and kidney function, plasma cells ratio in bone marrow, serum globulin (GLO), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), β 2 -microglobulin (β 2 -MG) level, C-reactive protein (CRP) level, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), disease stage, thrombosis prevention and the use of immunomodulators ( P >0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that FIB level ( OR =1.578, 95% CI :1.035-2.407, P =0.034), D-dimer≥2 000 ng/ml ( OR =5.467, 95% CI :1.265-23.621, P =0.023) and IgG type ( OR =4.780, 95% CI : 1.221-18.712, P =0.025) were independent risk factors for VTE in MM patients., Conclusion: MM patients are prone to VTE, and FIB level, D-dimer≥2 000 ng/ ml and IgG type are independent risk factors for VTE in MM patients.

Objective: To investigate the effect of p-coumaric acid on apoptosis of multiple myeloma cells and its related mechanism., Methods: Multiple myeloma cell line MM.1s cells were selected and treated with different concentrations of p-coumaric acid (0, 0.4, 0.8, 1.6, 3.2 mmol/L), and the inhibition rate and half inhibition concentration (IC 50 ) were detected by CCK-8 method. Then MM.1s cells were treated with 1/2 IC 50 , IC 50 , 2 IC 50 and transfected with ov-Nrf-2 and ov-Nrf-2+IC 50 . The apoptosis, ROS fluorescence intensity and mitochondrial membrane potential of MM.1s cells were detected by flow cytometry, and the relative expressions of cellular Nrf-2 and HO-1 protein were detected by Western blot., Results: P-coumaric acid inhibited the proliferation of MM.1s cells in a dose-dependent manner( r =0.997) with an IC 50 value of 2.754 mmol/L. Compared with the control group, apoptosis and ROS fluorescence intensity of MM.1s cells were significantly increased in the 1/2 IC 50 group, IC 50 group, 2 IC 50 group and ov-Nrf-2+IC 50 group ( P <0.01), the expressions of Nrf-2, HO-1 protein in the IC 50 group and 2 IC 50 group were significantly decreased ( P <0.05). Compared with the IC 50 group, the cells apoptosis and ROS fluorescence intensity were significantly decreased ( P <0.01), and the expressions of Nrf-2 and HO-1 protein were significantly increased in the ov-Nrf-2+IC 50 group ( P <0.01)., Conclusion: P-coumaric acid can inhibit the proliferation of MM.1s cells and may target the Nrf-2/HO-1 signaling pathway to affect oxidative stress in MM cells thereby inducing their apoptosis.

The appropriate needle device is crucial for obtaining the curative effect of fire needling therapy. The article introduces the material specification, clinical operation, indications, characteristics and advantages of the contemporary traditional fire needling devices (e.g. He 's fire needle and Shi 's fire needle) and the contemporary new-type ones (e.g. fire needling with filiform needle and micro-needle); and determines the innovations of modern fire needling. It is anticipated that the needle specifications, production process and operation standard of fire needling devices should be further unified so as to provide the references for the selection of fire needling devices in treatment based on clinical syndrome differentiation and expand the clinical application of fire needling therapy.

Physicians in the past dynasties have improved the theory of fire needling from the aspects of fire needling instruments, clinical efficacy, application scope, operation, precautions, etc., which promoted the clinical application of fire needling. Modern fire needling breaks through the traditional clinical taboos such as heat syndrome, face, forbidden acupoints, and no needle retention. By using modern fire needling with various types, characteristics and functions, multiple needles and multiple methods are used to treat various diseases, which can further exert the therapeutic effect of fire needling and promote the popularization and application of fire needle therapy.

This study aims to explore the electrophysiological properties and changes in gene expression of basket cells, a unique population of GABAergic interneurons expressing parvalbumin (PV), during the postnatal development of mouse prefrontal cortex (PFC). Toward this goal, we took use of the G42 transgenic mouse line which specifically expresses enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) in basket cells. The brain slices of PFC were prepared from the postnatal 7 (P7), 14 (P14) and 21 days (P42) G42 mice and whole-cell patch clamp recording was performed in basket cells. In addition, we sorted the basket cells by flow cytometry and analyzed their transcription profiling on P7, P14, and P21 using RNA-seq technology. The results showed that the resting membrane potential and membrane input resistance decreased gradually from P7 to P21. The amplitude and duration of action potential of basket cells increased and decreased from P7 to P21, respectively. In contrast, the threshold of action potential of basket cells did not have a significant change from P7 to P21. The frequency of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSCs) of basket cells increased gradually, while the amplitudes of sEPSCs of basket cells remained constant from P7 to P21. RNA sequencing from basket cells revealed that the expression of 22 and 660 genes was upregulated and downregulated from P7 to P14, respectively. By contrast, the expression of 107 and 69 genes was upregulated and downregulated from P14 to P21, respectively. The differentially expressed genes in basket cells from P7 to P21 were significantly enriched in pathways such as neuron apoptotic process, mRNA processing, Golgi vesicle transport and axon guidance. Altogether, we characterized electrophysiological properties and changes in gene expression of basket cells during the postnatal development in mouse PFC. These results provide insight into the mechanisms underlying the development of basket cells in mouse cortex.

Objective: To investigate the clinical features, risk factors and prognosis of Clostridium difficile infection/colonization (CDI/CDC) in emergency intensive care unit (EICU) of Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, then provides theoretical basis for clinical treatment., Methods: A retrospective case-control study was conducted. The data of EICU patients admitted to Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine from June 2016 to June 2020 were collected. Taking the CDI/CDC patients as research objects [Clostridium difficile (CD) positive group] and the CD negative patients with the same gender and age difference less than 5 years who were admitted to the hospital during the same period as the control (CD negative group). Demographic information, risk factors, prognosis and stool samples were collected. Single factor analysis and binary Logistic regression were used to analyze the CD positive infection rate, risk factors, and hospital death of patients with different clinical characteristics., Results: About 487 patients in EICU were included, 76 cases were taken into CD positive group, CD positive rate was 15.6%, including CDI 11 cases, CDC 65 cases. Among the CD positive group, all of the cases used proton pump inhibitor (PPI), and 75 cases used at least one antibiotic. Seventy-six CD negative patients with or without diarrhea (CD negative group) were included in this study. Among them, 75 patients used PPI and 74 patients used at least one antibiotic. Univariate analysis showed that acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II), duration of hospitalization, and carbapenem use were the risk factors for CDI/CDC. There were significant differences in the above indicators between CD positive group and CD negative group [APACHE II: 18.0 (12.2, 25.8) vs. 10.0 (7.0, 14.0), duration of hospitalization (days): 46.0 (30.5, 72.5) vs. 18.5 (9.2, 37.0), proportion of carbapenems: 81.6% (62/76) vs. 64.5% (49/76), all P < 0.05]. Binary Logistic analysis regression analysis showed that APACHE II score [odds ratio (OR) = 0.802, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was 0.730-0.882, P < 0.01] and duration of hospitalization (OR = 0.960, 95%CI was 0.942-0.978, P < 0.01) were independent risk factors for CDI/CDC. There was no difference in overall mortality between the CD positive group and CD negative group [27.6% (21/76) vs. 38.2% (29/76), P = 0.167]., Conclusions: Critically ill patients in EICU routinely use PPI and antibiotics, and the use of antibiotics does not affect the CD positive rate. The independent risk factors of CDI/CDC are the APACHE II score and the duration of hospitalization, but fecal CD positive has no obvious influence on death.

As a common disease worldwide, alcoholic liver injury is caused by long-term or excessive intake of alcohol and triggers cell death due to alcohol metabolism and reactive oxygen species(ROS)-mediated cytotoxicity. Wangshi Baochi(WSBC) Pills have been widely adopted in clinical practice for evacuating stasis, resolving turbidity, clearing heat, tranquilizing mind, invigorating sto-mach, promoting digestion, purging fire and removing toxin. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of WSBC Pills in dispelling the effect of alcohol and protecting against acute alcoholic liver/stomach injury in mice, and preliminarily investigate its possible mole-cular mechanism. The results found that the preventive treatment with WSBC Pills contributed to elevating the activity of alcohol dehydrogenase(ADH) and its expression in liver and shortening the time required for sobering up of mice with acute alcoholic liver injury. The staining of liver pathological sections as well as the detection of serum aspartate aminotransferase(AST) and alanine aminotransferase(ALT) and liver ROS levels revealed that WSBC Pills protected the liver by reducing serum AST and ALT. It suppressed oxidative stress-induced liver injury by lowering liver ROS and elevating superoxide dismutase(SOD), and the liver-protecting effect was superior to that of silibinin. Western blot assay confirmed that WSBC Pills inhibited the oxidative stress by up-regulating SOD1 and NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase 1(NQO-1). In addition, WSBC Pills lowered the ROS level to protect against the acute alcoholic stomach injury in mice. The findings have suggested that WSBC Pills alleviated the acute alcoholic liver/stomach injury in mice by increasing ADH and resisting oxidative stress.

Objective: To investigate the protective effect of spermine (Sp) on diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) and high glucose-induced cardiac fibroblasts (CFs), and to explore its mechanism. Methods: ①Animal experiments: 24 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into control group, type 1 diabetes group (TID) and spermine group (TID+Sp, each group n=8). TID rats were induced by streptozocin (STZ, 60 mg/kg), and TID+Sp rat were pretreated with spermine (Sp, 5 mg/(kg·d)) for 2 weeks before STZ injection. After 12 weeks of modeling, blood glucose, insulin levels, ejection fraction (EF) and shortening fraction (FS) were measured, and Masson staining and Sirius red staining were performed in the rat cardiac tissues. ②Cell experiments: primary CFs were extracted from newborn (1-3 d) Wistar rat hearts, and were randomly divided into control group, high-glucose group (HG) and HG+Sp group (n=6 per group). HG group was treated with 40 mmol/L glucose, and the HG+Sp group was pretreated with 5 μmol/L Sp for 30 min before HG treatment. The cell viability of CFs was detected by CCK8, the content of collagen in culture medium was analyzed by ELISA, and protein expressions of cell cycle related proteins (PCNA, CyclinD1 and P27) were detected by Western blot. Results: Compared with control group, the blood glucose and collagen content were increased, and the insulin level and heart function were decreased in the T1D group. Meanwhile, HG induced an increasing of the cell viability, the collagen content in the medium and the expressions of PCNA and CyclinD1, while the expression of P27 was down-regulated. Spermine could reduce the above changes, manifested as improving the cardiac function, regulating the expression of cyclin and reducing the level of myocardial fibrosis. Conclusion: Spermine can alleviate myocardial fibrosis in diabetic cardiomyopathy, which mechanism is related to the regulation of cell cycle.

Objective: To observe the protective effects of exogenous spermine on renal fibrosis induced by diabetic nephropathy (DN) and to explore its mechanism. Methods: Twenty-four male C57 mice were randomly divided into control group, type 1 diabetes group (TID) and spermine pretreatment group (TID+Sp, n=8 in each group). TID mice were induced by STZ (60 mg/kg), and TID+Sp mice were pretreated with spermine (5 mg/(kg·d)) for 2 weeks before STZ injection. The mice were killed at the 12th week. The renal function was determined by serum creatinine and urea nitrogen. HE, PAS and Masson staining were used to evaluate renal tissue injury and fibrosis. The expressions of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP-2, MMP-9) and collagen IV (Coll-IV) in the kidney of mice were detected by Western blot. Results: Compared with the control group, the blood glucose (5.67±0.22 vs 28.40±0.57 mmol/L), creatinine (14.33±1.22 vs 30.67±4.73 μmol/L) and urea nitrogen (6.93±4.94 vs 22.00±1.04 mmol/L) in the T1D group were increased significantly (P＜0.05), the glomerular basement membrane was thickened, the collagen was significantly increased, the expressions of MMP-2, MMP-9 and Coll-IV protein were increased (0.57±0.07 vs 1.06±0.20, 47.00±0.04 vs 1.29±0.09 and 0.42±0.16 vs 0.95±0.18,P＜0.05). Exogenous spermine significantly alleviates the above-mentioned changes. Conclusion: Exogenous spermine pretreatment could significantly alleviate renal fibrosis in diabetic mice by regulating the balance between MMPs and collagen.

Objective: To observe the changes of renal function in critically ill patients using vancomycin and analyze the renal protective effect of high dose vitamin C (VC) on vancomycin nephrotoxicity., Methods: Retrospective analysis was carried out to enroll the patients who were hospitalized in emergency intensive care unit (ICU) of Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine from January 2012 to October 2019. All patients were administered with vancomycin or VC infusion in addition. According to the infusion of vancomycin alone or in combination with VC, the patients were divided into vancomycin group and vancomycin in combination with VC group; vancomycin group was further divided into two groups according to before vancomycin or after vancomycin usage; combination group were further divided into two groups according to before VC use or after VC. The initial dosage of vancomycin was calculated according to the actual weight of the patient and adjusted according to the renal function. The dosage of VC was determined according to the disease severity of the patient, and the dosage range was 50-200 mg×kg -1 ×d -1 , continuously infused into the body. The age, gender, weight and renal function etc. were recorded and analyzed., Results: A total of 245 patients who met the requirements were included in the analysis. There were 127 patients in the vancomycin group and 118 patients in the combination group. The causes of patients admitted to ICU were pulmonary infection, sepsis, severe acute pancreatitis, etc. Among them, pulmonary infection accounted for 63.0% in vancomycin group, while severe acute pancreatitis accounted for 61.9% in combination group. The quick sequential organ failure assessment (qSOFA) score of combination group was significantly higher than that of vancomycin group [1.0 (0, 1.0) vs. 0 (0, 0.2), P < 0.01], its basic renal function was also significantly worse [serum creatinine (SCr, μmol/L): 98.0 (65.0, 178.2) vs. 56.0 (42.2, 71.0), blood urea nitrogen (BUN, mmol/L): 11.30 (6.48, 18.38) vs. 4.70 (3.45, 8.10), both P < 0.05], and the average daily dose of vancomycin was also significantly lower than that of vancomycin group (mg×kg -1 ×d -1 : 23.0±9.4 vs. 26.6±8.5, P < 0.01). Compared with vancomycin before administration, the renal function was getting worse significantly after vancomycin administration [SCr (μmol/L): 68.0 (50.2, 104.5) vs. 56.0 (42.2, 71.0), BUN (mmol/L): 5.35 (3.75, 9.83) vs. 4.70 (3.45, 8.10), both P < 0.05]. Combination with VC significantly improved renal function compared with that before VC treatment [SCr (μmol/L): 79.0 (58.0, 129.0) vs. 98.0 (65.0, 178.2), P < 0.05; BUN (mmol/L): 9.60 (6.10, 18.30) vs. 11.30 (6.48, 18.38), P > 0.05] and shortened the length of ICU stay [days: 28.5 (14.8, 54.2) vs. 37.0 (25.0, 55.0), P < 0.01]., Conclusions: The incidence of drug-induced renal injury caused by vancomycin is high. Intravenous high dose VC can significantly reduce the nephrotoxicity of vancomycin and shorten the length of hospital stay. When vancomycin is used in critically ill patients, VC can be used in combination to reduce or avoid drug-induced renal injury, improve curative effect and reduce toxic effects.