Search

Objective: To compare the differences in the prevalence of mild micro-hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) among patients with cirrhosis by using the psychometric hepatic encephalopathy score (PHES) and the Stroop smartphone application (Encephal App) test. Methods: This prospective, multi-center, real-world study was initiated by the National Clinical Medical Research Center for Infectious Diseases and the Portal Hypertension Alliance and registered with International ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05140837). 354 cases of cirrhosis were enrolled in 19 hospitals across the country. PHES (including digital connection tests A and B, digital symbol tests, trajectory drawing tests, and serial management tests) and the Stroop test were conducted in all of them. PHES was differentiated using standard diagnostic criteria established by the two studies in China and South Korea. The Stroop test was evaluated based on the criteria of the research and development team. The impact of different diagnostic standards or methods on the incidence of MHE in patients with cirrhosis was analyzed. Data between groups were differentiated using the t -test, Mann-Whitney U test, and χ (2) test. A kappa test was used to compare the consistency between groups. Results: After PHES, the prevalence of MHE among 354 cases of cirrhosis was 78.53% and 15.25%, respectively, based on Chinese research standards and Korean research normal value standards. However, the prevalence of MHE was 56.78% based on the Stroop test, and the differences in pairwise comparisons among the three groups were statistically significant (kappa = -0.064, P < 0.001). Stratified analysis revealed that the MHE prevalence in three groups of patients with Child-Pugh classes A, B, and C was 74.14%, 83.33%, and 88.24%, respectively, according to the normal value standards of Chinese researchers, while the MHE prevalence rates in three groups of patients with Child-Pugh classes A, B, and C were 8.29%, 23.53%, and 38.24%, respectively, according to the normal value standards of Korean researchers. Furthermore, the prevalence rates of MHE in the three groups of patients with Child-Pugh grades A, B, and C were 52.68%, 58.82%, and 73.53%, respectively, according to the Stroop test standard. However, among the results of each diagnostic standard, the prevalence of MHE showed an increasing trend with an increasing Child-Pugh grade. Further comparison demonstrated that the scores obtained by the number connection test A and the number symbol test were consistent according to the normal value standards of the two studies in China and South Korea ( Z = -0.982, -1.702; P = 0.326, 0.089), while the other three sub-tests had significant differences ( P < 0.001). Conclusion: The prevalence rate of MHE in the cirrhotic population is high, but the prevalence of MHE obtained by using different diagnostic criteria or methods varies greatly. Therefore, in line with the current changes in demographics and disease spectrum, it is necessary to enroll a larger sample size of a healthy population as a control. Moreover, the establishment of more reliable diagnostic scoring criteria will serve as a basis for obtaining accurate MHE incidence and formulating diagnosis and treatment strategies in cirrhotic populations.

Objective: To explore the underlying mechanism of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) transfer induced cardiac function improvement in failing hearts., Methods: Congestive heart failure (CHF) was induced in rats by cauterization of the heart wall. MSCs were cultured from autologous bone marrow and injected into the border zone and the remote myocardium 5 days after cauterization., Results: Ten weeks later, cardiomyocyte nucleus mitotic index, capillary density and expression of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were significantly increased in the border zone and significantly reduced in the remote myocardium in CHF rats (all P<0.05 vs. sham). Besides cardiac function improvement and left ventricular remodeling attenuation evidenced by hemodynamic and echocardiographic examinations, expressions of IGF-1, HGF and VEGF in the remote myocardium and in the border zone were also significantly upregulated (P<0.05 or P<0.01 vs. CHF), and cardiomyocyte nucleus mitotic index as well as capillary density were significantly increased in CHF rats with MSCs (P<0.05 or P<0.01 vs. CHF). Moreover, collagen area was significantly reduced and myocardial area was significantly increased in the border zone in these rats too., Conclusion: Autologous MSC implantation upregulated expressions of growth factors enhanced cardioangiogenesis which might be the underlying mechanisms for improved cardiac function and attenuated left ventricular remodeling induced by MSCs transplantation in failing rat myocardium.

The relationships between nitrogen and yield and between water and yield, and the fate of nitrogen under plastic film mulching for spring maize were studied with field plots and microplots in the southern Loess Plateau. The results showed that plastic-film mulching (N120C) could increase maize yield by 46.7%, comparing with no-mulching(N120UC) in same rate of fertilizer. The maize yield potentiality of mulching might be played fully, comparing with CK (no nitrogen), treatments N120 (urea nitrogen 120 kg.hm-2), N180 (urea nitrogen 180 kg.hm-2) and N120 M (urea nitrogen 120 kg.hm-2 + organic manure nitrogen 60 kg.hm-2) could raise grain yield by 41.8%, 43.9% and 34.7%, respectively. Mulching planting raised water use efficiency (WUE) by 57.9%, and raised rainfall use efficiency (RUE) by 54.5%. N120, N180 and N120M improved WUE by 38.4%, 47.4% and 32.4%, respectively, and improved RUE by 42.3%, 43.9% and 34.7%, respectively. Because the organic manure applied was not fully rotted cattle dung, which supplied available nitrogen slowly than urea, it raised yield and WUE to a low extent. Meanwhile, the experiment showed that 73.0%-83.7% of water used by maize from rainfall, which indicated that the key water to determine maize yield was rainfall in spring maize growth period. Mulching planting for maize had little impact on the fate of nitrogen fertilizer. The total recovery of nitrogen had little difference, NUE decreased 7.3%, and residual N in soil raised 6.4%, comparing with N120UC. A great part of the residual N was in 0-20 cm of soil, and no risk occurred for nitrogen leaching and accumulation to deeper soil layers in the first growth season.

The effect of long-term fertilization on the yield of winter wheat was studied on the basis of 18-year located experiment on the Loess Plateau. The results showed that the winter wheat yield increased 418.1 kg.hm-2 under N fertilization, and the average increasing rate was different with precipitation. In average and rain rich year, the average increasing rate were 30.3% and 58.9%, respectively, but in drought year, the yield decreased, and its average decreasing rate was 13.9%. The winter wheat yield under P fertilizer increased in drought year, and decreased in average and rain rich year. The average increasing rate was 6.5% in drought year, and the average decreasing rate was 15.4% and 10.0%, respectively. The average increasing rate in M, NP, PM, NM and NPM was 82.8%, 127.8%, 18.9%, 144.4%, and 169.3%, respectively. In addition, precipitation affected the amount of spike, grains per spike, and weight of thousand-grains.

The NO3(-)-N accumulation and distribution in soil profile of Loess Plateau dry highland were studied by long-term field trials. The results showed that NO3(-)-N was accumulated in the soil profile under N-fertilization. Application of P-fertilizer or organic manure reduced the NO3(-)-N content and its leaching depth in the soil profile. The deepest depth of NO3(-)-N accumulation was 120-200 cm under N treatment, and the peak of the accumulation was the highest in NPM treatment, with the depth of 60-120 cm. The NO3(-)-N accumulation depth was 80-140 cm for NP. Without nitrogen application, there was no evident accumulation of NO3(-)-N in soil profile. The more nitrogen used, the more NO3(-)-N accumulated in soil profile. Under the same nitrogen application rate, NO3(-)-N accumulation might decrease with increasing P application.

On the basis of long-term fertilization experiments in gully area of Loess Plateau, the relationships among fertilizations, NO3(-)-N accumulation, and moisture distribution in soil profiles were evaluated. The results showed that fertilization and rainfall significantly influenced the yields. NO3(-)-was accumulated in soil profiles under N and P fertilizers and organic manure(NPM) and N and P fertilizer (NP) treatment. The accumulated NO3-N reached 340 kg.hm-2 in 60-120 cm under NPM treatment, and 220 kg.hm-2 in 80-140 cm under NP treatment, respectively. Soil moisture in 100-300 cm was significantly reduced under NPM treatment. Under NP treatment, it was significantly reduced in dry year and normal year, while under organic manure(M) treatment, it was significantly reduced in dry year. Soil moisture under P and CK treatments was relatively stable in different years. N uptake under NPM and NP treatments was significantly decreased in dry year. It reflected the close relationship among soil moisture, crops, and fertilization.