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The aim of this study was to analyze whether warm irrigation fluid could reduce postoperative adverse effects in patients undergoing arthroscopic shoulder surgery compared with room temperature irrigation fluid. A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials was performed. A computerized search of electronic databases was performed. The inclusion criteria were studies comparing the clinical effects of room temperature and warm irrigation fluid on patients undergoing arthroscopic shoulder surgery. Warm irrigation fluid reduced the degree of core body temperature drop and the incidence of hypothermia. A statistically lower incidence of shivering also occurred in the warm irrigation fluid group. The use of warm irrigation fluid better maintains core body temperature and reduces incidence of shivering than room temperature irrigation fluid. Therefore, warm irrigation fluid is a better choice for arthroscopic shoulder surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) are highly toxic and persistent organic pollutants that can cause adverse effects in the environment and on human health. PCNs have been detected in remote areas because of their long-range transportation. Bees and bee products are commonly used as biomonitors for various pollutants in the environment. However, information on PCNs in apiaries is scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate the occurrences of PCNs in bees and bee products from apiaries located in different geographical regions of China, and to identify potential pollution sources and assess exposure risks to humans. Our results showed that the average Σ 75 PCNs concentrations in bees, pollen, and wax were 74.1, 96.3, and 141 pg/g dry weight, respectively. The homologue and congener profiles of PCNs in bees, pollen, and wax were similar, and di- and tri-chlorinated naphthalenes (>60%) were the predominant homologues. The concentrations and distributions of PCNs in bees, pollen, and wax varied among different geographical regions, but their occurrences were correlated with PCN metallurgical sources in China. The health risks of PCNs in pollen were evaluated, and both carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks of PCNs exposure to humans through the diet were low. [Display omitted] • Polychlorinated naphthalene contents in bees, pollen and wax were region-dependent. • Less-chlorinated homologues were predominant in bees, pollen, and wax. • PCNs in bees, pollen, and wax were correlated with metallurgical sources in China. • The exposure risk of PCNs in bee pollen to humans was low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Zeotropic mixtures are popular alternatives to chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) in the high temperature heat pump system. Zeotropic mixtures exhibit two major characteristics during phase change: temperature gliding and a nonlinear relationship between temperature and enthalpy. The theory proposed by Venkatarathnam that the nonlinear relationship between temperature and enthalpy in the two phase region for zeotropic mixtures can cause pinch points were verified experimentally. Results also show that the variations of the maximum temperature difference and the minimum temperature difference change the mean temperature difference in the same way, and further change the exergy loss in the same way. Therefore, when selecting zeotropic mixtures as working fluids in the high temperature heat pump, it is of great importance to check the pinch points occurring in condenser and evaporator. The zeotropic mixture that has a smaller maximum temperature difference in condenser and a smaller minimum temperature difference in evaporator can give a higher COP. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objectives To analyze the efficacy and safety of direct factor Xa inhibitors for thromboprophylaxis after total hip or knee replacement. To delineate the dose response effect of direct factor Xa inhibitors. To compare the efficacy between any two direct factor Xa inhibitors. Design Systemic review, traditional meta-analysis, dose-response meta-analysis and network meta-analysis. Data source PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane Library. Study selection Randomized controlled trials of rivaroxaban, apixaban, betrixaban, darexaban and edoxaban were compared with enoxaparin for thromboprophylaxis after total hip or knee replacement. Two reviewers independently checked the quality of RCTs. Another two investigators independently extracted data. The primary efficacy outcomes (composite of deep venous thrombosis, non-fatal pulmonary embolism and death of all causes) and the primary bleeding outcomes (major bleeding and non-major but clinically relevant bleeding) were summarized for meta-analysis. Stata software was used for traditional meta-analysis and dose–response meta-analysis, and Winbugs software was used for network meta-analysis. Results Twenty trials with 38,507 subjects in the intention-to-treat population were included. Compared with enoxaparin, the risk of total venous thromboembolism was lower with rivaroxaban (relative risk 0.70, 95% confidence interval 0.60 to 0.81), apixaban (0.62, 0.47 to 0.81), and edoxaban (0.62, 0.39 to 0.97) and similar to darexaban (0.96, 0.84 to 1.11) and betrixaban (1.28, 0.97 to 1.68). Compared with enoxaparin, the risk of major or clinically relevant non-major bleeding was higher with rivaroxaban (1.52, 1.14 to 2.02), lower with betrixaban (0.34, 0.14 to 0.84) and similar to apixaban (0.88, 0.73 to 1.05), darexaban (0.85, 0.66 to 1.09) or edoxaban (1.30, 0.72 to 2.33). The risk of major and clinically relevant non-major bleeding of rivaroxaban had a linear relationship with its treatment doses; the risk of total venous thromboembolism of betrixaban and darexaban had linear relationships with their respective treatment doses. There was no linear nor non-liner relationships between the effect of apixaban and its treatment dose. The ranking of total venous thromboembolism risk from low to high was: rivaroxaban, apixaban, edoxaban, enoxaparin, darexaban, and betrixaban. The ranking of major and clinically relevant non-major bleeding from low to high was: betrixaban, enoxaparin, darexaban, edoxaban, apixaban, and rivaroxaban. Conclusions Direct oral factor Xa inhibitors are more effective to prevent venous thromboembolism after total hip or knee replacement. Their anticoagulant effect was not necessarily compromised with a higher bleeding risk. Rivaroxaban, apixaban and edoxaban showed a better anticoagulant effect, as compared with enoxaparin. Rivaroxaban had a higher bleeding rate, while apixaban and edoxaban did not show significantly higher bleeding risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flumethrin is one of the few acaricides that permit the control of Varroa disease or varroosis in bee colonies. However, flumethrin accumulates in hive products. We previously discovered that sublethal doses of flumethrin induce significant physiological stress in honeybees (Apis mellifera L.), however its potential impacts on the honeybee gut microenvironment remains unknown. To fill this gap, honeybees were exposed to a field-relevant concentration of flumethrin (10 μg/L) for 14 d and its potential impacts on gut system were evaluated. The results indicated that flumethrin triggered immune responses in the gut but had limited effects on survival and gut microbial composition. However, survival stress drastically increased in bees exposed to antibiotics, suggesting that the gut microbiota is closely related to flumethrin-induced dysbiosis in the bee gut. Based on a non-targeted metabolomics approach, flumethrin at 10 μg/L considerably altered the composition of intestinal metabolites, and we discovered that this metabolic stress was closely linked with a reduction of gut core bacterial endosymbiont Gilliamella spp. through a combination of microbiological and metabolomics investigations. Finally, an in vitro study showed that while flumethrin does not directly inhibit the growth of Gilliamella apicola isolates, it does have a significant impact on the glycerophospholipid metabolism in bacteria cells, which was also observed in host bees. These findings indicated that even though flumethrin administered at environmental relevant concentrations does not significantly induce death in honeybees, it still alters the metabolism balance between honeybees and the gut symbiotic bacterium, G. apicola. The considerable negative impact of flumethrin on the honeybee gut microenvironment emphasizes the importance of properly monitoring acaricide to avoid potential environmental concerns, and further studies are needed to illustrate the mode of action of bee health-gut microbiota-exogenous pesticides. [Display omitted] • Flumethrin induced immune stress in the midguts of the bees. • Flumethrin has limited effects on the gut microbiota composition. • Flumethrin induced metabolite differences in the midguts of bees. • Gilliamella spp. are associated with sublethal risks induced by flumethrin. • Flumethrin had a major impact on G. apicola metabolite profiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glutathione peroxidase 3 (GPX3) provides critical protection against reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cells. Downregulation of GPX3 may contribute to carcinogenesis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), but the mechanisms are not clear. We examined the differences in gene expression between ESCC and normal esophageal epithelial, by using GEO datasets, and collected 136 ESCC tumors and adjacent normal tissues to confirm our findings. GPX3 expression was measured, at the mRNA and protein levels, by qRT-PCR, Western Blot and immunohistochemistry (IHC). GPX3 mRNA and protein levels were 3.3-fold higher in normal epithelium compared with case-matched ESCC tissues. There was no significant correlation between clinical parameters and expression levels of GPX3 in ESCC. Promoter methylation of the GPX3 gene correlated with decreased expression. Downregulation of GPX3 might be a key factor in the process of ESCC carcinogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]