Search

Background Dexamethasone is commonly used for antiemesis in surgical patients. It has been confirmed that long-term steroid use increases blood glucose level in both diabetic and non-diabetic patients, it is unclear how a single dose of intravenous dexamethasone used pre/intraoperatively for postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) prophylaxis would influence the blood glucose and wound healing in diabetic patients. Methods The Pubmed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science databases, CNKI and Google Scholar were searched. The articles reporting a single dose dexamethasone administered intravenously for antiemesis in surgical patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) were included. Results Nine randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and 7 cohort studies were included in our meta-analysis. The results showed that dexamethasone increased glucose level intraoperatively (MD: 0.439, 95% CI: 0.137–0.581, I2 = 55.7%, P = 0.004), at the end of surgery (MD: 0.815, 95% CI: 0.563–1.067, I2 = 73.5%, P = 0.000), on postoperative day (POD) 1 (MD: 1.087, 95% CI: 0.534–1.640, I2 = 88%, P = 0.000), on POD 2 (MD: 0.501, 95% CI: 0.301–0.701, I2 = 0%, P = 0.000), and increased peak glucose level within 24 hours of surgery (MD: 2.014, 95% CI: 0.503–3.525, I2 = 91.6%, P = 0.009) compared with control. It indicated that dexamethasone caused the increase of perioperative glucose level at different time points by 0.439 to 1.087 mmol/L (7.902 to 19.566 mg/dL), and the increase of peak glucose level within 24 hours of surgery by 2.014 mmol/L (36.252 mg/dL) compared with control. Dexmethasone had no impact on wound infection (OR: 0.797, 95%CI: 0.578–1.099, I2 = 0%, P = 0.166) and healing (P Conclusion Dexamethasone could increase blood glucose by only 2.014 mmol/L (36.252 mg/dL) of peak glucose level within 24 hours of surgery in surgery patients with DM, the increase of glucose level at each time point perioperatively was even lower, and had no effect on wound healing. Thus, dexamethasone with a single dose could be safely used for PONV prophylaxis in diabetic patients. Trial registration The protocol of this systematic review was registered in INPLASY with the registration number INPLASY202270002.

Purpose: Postoperative pain and complications are still common after colorectal surgery, and pain can put patients in a stressful condition and precipitate complications. Thus, sufficient postoperative analgesia is essential for patient recovery. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of various postoperative analgesic strategies in laparoscopic colorectal surgery，and to elucidate whether systemic nalbuphine is a good choice for laparoscopic colorectal surgery. Patients and methods: One hundred patients undergoing laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery were recruited, and 69 patients were eventually included and randomly divided into three groups: patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) with ropivacaine (Group R, n=23), patient-controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA) with morphine (Group M, n=23) or nalbuphine (Group N, n=23). Pain at rest (PAR), movement-evoked pain (MEP), stress hormone and complications during the 72 hours after surgery, and chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) at 3 months and 6 months were recorded. Results: There was no significant difference in PAR among the 3 groups, whereas patients in Group N had a higher intensity of MEP than those in Group R during the 72 hours after surgery (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in CPSP at 6 months among the 3 groups (P>0.05), but the incidence of CPSP at 3 months was higher in Group N (P=0.01, vs Group R), and CPSP at 3 months was closely correlated with MEP (P<0.05). There were no significant differences in cortisol and adrenocorticotropic hormone levels among the 3 groups (P>0.05). The incidences of pruritus and postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) were found to be significantly higher in Group M than in the other two groups (P<0.05). The time to the first flatus after surgery was shorter in Group R than in Group M or Group N (P<0.05). Conclusion: PCEA is the first choice for postoperative analgesia in laparoscopic colorectal surgery. Regarding the similar analgesic effect between morphine and nalbuphine, and the higher side effects from morphine, PCIA with nalbuphine might be a better choice in patients who have contraindications for PCEA or with a history of or a high risk for PONV or pruritus. Trial registration: This study was registered at http://www.chictr.org.cn/usercenter.aspx (registration No: ChiCTR-INR-17011092) on 08/04/2017.

BACKGROUND Endoscopic thyroidectomy has obvious advantages over conventional surgical techniques in terms of postoperative cosmetic outcome. Although the incidence of carbon dioxide embolism (CDE) during endoscopic thyroidectomy is very low, it is potentially fatal. The clinical manifestations of CDE vary, and more attention should be paid to this disorder. CASE SUMMARY A 27-year-old man was scheduled for thyroidectomy by the transoral vestibular approach. The patient had no other diseases or surgical history. During the operation, he developed a CDE following inadvertent injury of the anterior jugular vein. The clinical manifestation in this patient was a transient sharp rise in end-tidal carbon dioxide, and his remaining vital signs were stable. In addition, loud coarse systolic and diastolic murmurs were heard over the precordium. The patient was discharged on day 4 after surgery without complications. CONCLUSION A transient sharp rise in end-tidal carbon dioxide is considered a helpful early sign of CDE during endoscopic thyroidectomy.

Xiao-Long Liang, Ran An, Qi Chen, Hong-Liang Liu Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, School of Medicine, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400030, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Hong-Liang LiuChongqing University Cancer Hospital, School of Medicine, Chongqing University, No. 181, Hanyu Road, Shapingba District, Chongqing, 400030, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86 13883686721Email liuhl75@163.comBackground: To date, there is no definitive evidence for the analgesic effects and side effects of thoracic epidural anesthesia (TEA) versus thoracic paravertebral block (TPVB) after thoracoscopic surgery. In this study, we conducted a meta-analysis of published randomized clinical trials (RCTs) to analyze the analgesic effects of TEA versus TPVB after thoracoscopic surgery.Methods: We systematically searched RCTs published by October 26, 2020, in PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane library and conducted a meta-analysis to analyze the analgesic effects of TEA versus TPVB after thoracoscopic surgery. The primary measure was postoperative pain score, and the secondary measures were postoperative 24-hour usage of opioids, hypotension, postoperative nausea, and vomiting.Results: A total of 458 patients from five RCTs were included in this study. After thoracoscopic surgery, the numerical rating scale (NRS) score for resting pain was higher in the TPVB group than in the TEA group at 1– 2 hours and 4– 6 hours after surgery (MD = 0.44, 95% CI = 0.24 to 0.64, P < 0.0001, I2 = 0%; MD = 0.47, 95% CI = 0.23 to 0.70, P < 0.0001, I2 = 0%). The postoperative 24-hour usage of morphine was higher in the TPVB group than in the TEA group (SMD = 0.67; 95% CI = 0.03 to 1.31; P = 0.04; I2 = 84%). The incidence of hypotension was significantly lower in the TPVB group than in the TEA group (OR = 4.52; 95% CI = 2.03 to 10.10; P = 0.0002; I2 = 0%). No significant between-group difference was observed in postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV).Conclusion: Compared with TPVB, TEA provides statistically significant but clinically unimportant short-term benefits following thoracoscopic surgery.Keywords: thoracic paravertebral block, thoracic epidural anesthesia, thoracoscopic surgery, meta-analysis

BACKGROUND Esophageal cancer is a common malignant tumor of the digestive system. At present, surgery is the most important treatment strategy. After esophagectomy and gastric esophagoplasty, the patients are prone to regurgitation. However, these patients currently do not receive much attention, especially from anesthesiologists. CASE SUMMARY A 55-year-old woman was scheduled for right lower lung lobectomy. The patient had undergone radical surgery for esophageal cancer under general anesthesia 6 mo prior. Although the patient had fasted for > 17 h, unexpected aspiration still occurred during induction of general anesthesia. Throughout the operation, oxygen saturation was 98%-100%, but the airway pressure was high (35 cmH2O at double lung ventilation). The patient was sent to the intensive care unit after surgery. Bedside chest radiography was performed, which showed exudative lesions in both lungs compared with the preoperative image. After surgery, antibiotics were given to prevent lung infection. On day 2 in the intensive care unit, the patient was extubated and discharged on postoperative day 7 without complications related to aspiration pneumonia. CONCLUSION After esophagectomy, patients are prone to regurgitation. We recommend nasogastric tube placement followed by rapid sequence induction or conscious intubation.

BackgroundUltrasound-guided internal jugular vein (IJV) catheterization has become a standard procedure as it yields a higher success rate and fewer mechanical complications compared with an anatomical landmark technique. There are several common methods for ultrasound guidance IJV catheterization, such as short-axis out-of-plane, long-axis in-plane and oblique axis in-plane, but these technologies are still developing. It is important to further study the application of different ultrasound-guided IJV puncture techniques and find an effective and safe ultrasound-guided puncture technique.MethodsA China randomized, open-label, parallel, single center, positive-controlled, non-inferiority clinical trial will evaluate 190 adult patients undergoing elective surgery and need right jugular vein catheterization. Study participants randomized in a 1:1 ratio into control and experimental groups. The control group will take the oblique axis in-plane method for IJV catheterization. The experimental group will take the Modified combined short and long axis method. The primary endpoint of the trial is the rate of one-time successful guidewire insertion without posterior wall puncture (PWP). Secondary endpoints are the number of needle insertion attempts, the total success rate, the procedure time, and mechanical complications.ConclusionThis randomized controlled trial will evaluate the effectiveness and safety of Modified combined short and long axis method and oblique axis in-plane method for right IJV catheterization in adult patients.

Carotid artery stenosis (CAS) can cause ischemic stroke, and clinical intervention for CAS is critical clinically. The purpose of this study was to explore the expression changes of microRNA-486-5p in the serum of patients with CAS and its possible mechanism. Ninety-one cases with asymptomatic CAS were recruited, and serum levels of miR-486-5p were measured using RT-qPCR. The diagnostic ability was evaluated by drawing the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) were treated with oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) to establish cell model, and cell proliferation and apoptosis were tested. The markers of cell inflammation and oxidative stress were detected via ELISA. The target gene was analyzed using bioinformatics analysis combined with luciferase reporting assay. CAS cases exhibited significantly low serum miR-486-5p levels in comparison with the control group and can identify asymptomatic CAS. Serum miR-486-5p manifested a negative correlation with the degree of carotid stenosis. Underexpression of miR-486-5p was also detected in ox-LDL treated HAECs. OxLDL treatment contributes to inflammatory response and oxidative stress of HAECs; however, these adverse impacts caused by ox-LDL were reversed by miR-486-5p upregulation. NFAT5 was confirmed to be the target gene of miR-486-5p in HAECs. MiR-486-5p serves as a promising biomarker for the early identification of CAS. Overexpression of miR-486-5p can prevent endothelial dysfunction, and the mechanism might be related to anti-inflammation and anti-oxidation via targeting NFAT5.

Objectives We aimed to investigate the psychological problems on people infected with SARS-CoV-2 during the pandemic. Methods In this living systematic review and meta-analyses, we searched seven electronic databases for cross-sectional studies and longitudinal studies on psychological problems on COVID-19 patients from Jan 1, 2020 to Oct 7, 2020. The primary outcome was prevalence of various psychological problems such as anxiety, depression, stress, insomnia, somatization, and fear. We pooled data for prevalence with their 95% confidence interval (CI) using random effect models and assessed the study quality based on the 11-item checklist recommended by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Results Fourty-four studies, including studies from China(35), Italy(2), Iran(2), India(1), Korea(1), Ecuador(1), Switzerland(1), Germany(1), were identified by comprising a total of 8587 completed questionnaires and 38 studies for meta-analyses. The prevalence of anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD), insomnia, somatization, and fear in patients with COVID-19 was 16.6% (10.1%-23.1%), 37.7% (29.3%-46.2%), 41.5% (9.3%-73.7%), 68.3% (48.6%-88.0%), 36.5% (20.2%-52.8%), 47.6% (9.4%-85.7%), respectively. The prevalence of anxiety, depression, and insomnia in severe COVID-19 patients (intensive care unit inpatients) was higher than mild or clinically stable COVID-19 patients. Limitations A significant degree of heterogeneity in terms of populations, sampling methods, scales was noted across studies. Conclusions There existed high proportions of COVID-19 patients with psychological problem. The prevalence of psychological problems was closely related to the patients themselves, their surroundings and social support. It is imperative to provide ontime psychological care service for COVID-19 patients and to follow-up them for a longer period.

Background The surgical approaches remain controversial for the treatment of middle and distal-third humeral shaft (MDTHS) fractures. This study compared clinical effects of the anterolateral approach with two incisions (AATI) and the posterior median approach (PMA) in the treatment of MDTHS fractures. Methods A retrospective analysis was carried out. One hundred sixty-six patients with MDTHS fractures were selected from January 2015 to January 2017 in Xi’an Hong Hui Hospital. According to surgical approaches, patients were divided into AATI (86 cases) and PMA group (80 cases). All patients were treated with open reduction and plate fixation. Operation indexes were compared, including incision length, operation time, and bleeding. Bryan-Morrey score was used to evaluate elbow joint function. Complication incidence was compared, such as incision infection, iatrogenic radial nerve injury, and nonunion. Results The AATI group showed smaller incision length, less bleeding, lower iatrogenic radial nerve injury rate, and better elbow function than that of PMA group (P Conclusions The middle and distal-third humeral shaft fractures can be successfully cured by both approaches. Compared with the posterior median approach, it has better clinical effects of the anterolateral approach with two incisions, which is worthy of clinical application and promotion.

Background. Fuzheng Huayu recipe (FZHY) is an original Chinese patent medicine which was developed and marketed by our institute. It could markedly improve liver tissue inflammation and ameliorate hepatic fibrosis in the clinical study. The intrahepatic macrophages recruitment and polarization play an important role in the progress of liver inflammation and fibrosis. Whether FZHY exerted its antiliver fibrosis effects through regulating intrahepatic macrophages phenotypic ratios is still unknown. This study aims to explore the antifibrosis mechanism of FZHY on regulating the recruitment and polarization of intrahepatic macrophages. Methods. C57/B6 mice were used for the establishment of the CCl4-induced mice liver fibrosis model. Liver inflammation and fibrosis were evaluated by HE and Sirius red staining, hydroxyproline assays, and biochemical tests. The levels of chemokines and inflammatory cytokines in liver tissue were measured by RNA-Seq transcriptome analysis, western blot assay, RT-qPCR, and immunofluorescence assay. The macrophages recruitment and phenotypic polarization were observed by flow cytometry. Results. FZHY significantly improved liver inflammation and reduced liver fibrosis degree. TNF signaling pathway, involved in macrophages recruitment and phenotypic polarization, was discovered by RNA-Seq transcriptome analysis. In TNF signaling pathway, CCL2 expression was significantly decreased and CX3CL1 expression was significantly upregulated by FZHY in liver tissue and primary intrahepatic macrophages. The ratio of proinflammatory hepatic resident macrophage-Kupffer cells (F4/80+CD11b−CD86+) was downregulated by FZHY, while the proportion of anti-inflammatory Kupffer cells (F4/80+CD11b−CD206+) was upregulated. Meanwhile, the ratio of proinflammatory Ly6Chigh macrophages (F4/80+CD11b+Ly6Chigh) which were recruited from blood circulation by CCL2 was reduced by FZHY, while the ratio of restorative Ly6Clow macrophages (F4/80+CD11b+Ly6Clow) which were recruited from blood circulation or induced from Ly6Chigh macrophages polarization by CX3CL1 was significantly increased. Conclusions. FZHY could regulate the recruitment and polarization of intrahepatic macrophages via CCL2 and CX3CL1, so as to play its anti-inflammation and antifibrosis pharmacological effects in the liver.

Presummer, summer, and autumn bolls (PSB, SB and AB, respectively) in cotton are related to both maturity and yield. Therefore, studying their genetic basis is important for breeding purposes. In this study, we developed an association analysis panel consisting of 169 upland cotton accessions. The panel was phenotyped for PSB, SB and AB across four environments and genotyped using a Cotton SNP80K array. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with these three traits were identified by a genomewide association study. A total of 53,848 high-quality SNPs were screened, and 91 significant trait-associated SNPs were detected. Of the 91 SNPs 33 were associated with PSB, 21 with SB and 37 with AB. Three SNPs for PSB (TM10410, TM13158 and TM21762) and five for AB (TM13730, TM13733, TM13834, TM29666 and TM43214) were repeatedly detected in two environments or by two methods. These eight SNPs exhibited high phenotypic variation of more than 10%, thus allowing their use formarker-assisted selection. The candidate genes for target traits were also identified. These findings provide a theoretical basis for the improvement of early maturity and yield in cotton breeding programmes.

BACKGROUND Intra-operative hypotension might induce poor postoperative outcomes in non-cardiac surgery, and the relationship between the level or duration of Intra-operative hypotension (IOH) and postoperative adverse events is still unclear. In this study, we performed a meta-analysis to determine how IOH could affect acute kidney injury (AKI), myocardial injury and mortality in non-cardiac surgery. METHODS We searched PubMed (Medline), Embase, Springer, The Cochrane Library, Ovid and Google Scholar, and retrieved the related clinical trials on intra-operative hypotension and prognosis in non-cardiac surgery. RESULTS Fifteen observational studies were included. The meta-analysis showed that in non-cardiac surgery, intra-operative hypotension (mean arterial pressure [MAP]) 10 minutes: OR = 1.35, 95% CI (1.1, 1.67), I2 = 52.6%, P = .004] and myocardial injury [1-5 minutes: OR = 1.16, 95% CI (1.01, 1.33), I2 = 30.6%, P = .04; 5-10 minutes: OR = 1.34, 95% CI (1.01, 1.77), I2 = 70.4%, P = .046; >10 minutes: OR = 1.43, 95% CI (1.18, 1.72), I2 = 39.4%, P

All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) is an effective agent that induces differentiation, inhibits cell proliferation, and acts as an anticancer agent. ATRA was successfully conjugated with Pluronic F127 via esterification to enhance its anticancer effects. Pluronic-ATRA showed high cytotoxicity and inhibitory concentrations (IC50) 50% lower than those of ATRA in various breast cancer cell lines (4T1:31.16-8.57 μg/mL; EMT6: 50.48-7.08 μg/mL; MDA-MB-231:37.58-8.99 μg/mL; BT474:25.27-9.09 μg/mL). In combination with chemotherapy, Pluronic-ATRA synergistically enhanced the cytotoxic effects of cisplatin (CDDP). Pluronic-ATRA combined with CDDP effectively suppressed breast tumor growth in vivo. The results of this study demonstrate the potential of Pluronic-ATRA as an anticancer agent that can be used in combination therapy against solid tumors.

Levistilide A (C24H28O4, molecular weight = 380.48) derived from Angelica sinensis (Danggui) has been reported to inhibit hepatic stellate cell proliferation. This study investigated the effects of levistilide A on liver fibrosis relating to angiogenesis, particularly on the characteristic change in liver sinusoidal endothelial cells. LX-2 cells were activated by TGF-β1, and the human hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells (HHSECs) were induced by endothelial cell growth supplement. Cell viability was detected using a methylthiazoldiphenyl–tetrazolium bromide assay; F-actin was visualized through the fluorescence probe method; cell proliferation was examined using the EdU kit; antiangiogenesis activity was assessed using the tube formation assay and transgenic zebrafish model. To verify the results in vivo, rats were subcutaneously injected with CCl4 twice a week for six weeks to duplicate the liver fibrosis model and then treated with 10 mL/kg of normal saline, 4 mg/kg of sorafenib, and 3 and 6 mg/kg of levistilide A for three weeks from the fourth week. Collagen deposition was detected through Sirius Red staining; liver microvasculature was examined through vWF labeling and X-ray 2D imaging; sinusoidal fenestrations were observed through scanning electron microscopy; collagen I, α-SMA, CD31, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and VEGF-R2 were detected through Western blotting. Our results indicated that levistilide A attenuated LX-2 cell activation and HHSEC proliferation. The ability of HHSECs to form tubelike structures in Matrigel was inhibited, and the number of functional vessels in transgenic zebrafish decreased. In in vivo experiments, levistilide A reduced collagen deposition and the number of new microvessels; ameliorated sinusoid capillarization; and downregulated the expression of CD31, VEGF, and VEGF-R2. These findings suggest that levistilide A can inhibit liver fibrosis through antiangiogenesis by alleviating sinusoid capillarization via the VEGF signaling pathway. Impact statement Levistilide A has been reported to inhibit hepatic stellate cell (HSC) proliferation. In this study, we further investigated the mechanisms of levistilide A on liver fibrosis relating to angiogenesis, particularly on the characteristic change in liver sinusoidal endothelial cells. The cell models of HSC and liver sinusoidal endothelial cell and CCl4 induced liver fibrosis model were used. These results suggest that levistilide A can inhibit liver fibrosis through antiangiogenesis by alleviating sinusoid capillarization via the vascular endothelial growth factor signaling pathway. The effect of levistilide A on liver fibrosis was confirmed, and its detailed mechanism was also discussed. These findings suggest that levistilide A may be a great potential drug for treating liver fibrosis through antiangiogenesis, and this effect will be verified in other fibrotic animal model studies or by clinical trials.

Salvianolate is widely used to treat angiocardiopathy in clinic in China, but its application in liver diseases remains unclear. Our study aims to investigate the effect of Salvianolate on rat hepatic injury by protecting hepatocyte mitochondria. To evaluate the effects of Salvianolate on injured hepatocytes, alpha mouse liver 12 (AML-12) cells were induced with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and treated with Salvianolate. Cell viability and MitoTracker Green for mitochondria and 5,5′,6,6′-tetrachloro-1,1′,3,3′-tetraethylbenzimidazole-carbocyanide iodine (JC-1) levels and cytochrome C (Cyto-C) expressions were detectedin vitro. To identify the effect of Salvianolate on protecting against mitochondria injury, male Wistar rats were injected with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) and treated with Salvianolate (40 mg·kg−1). Serum liver function, parameters for peroxidative damage, hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, and transmission electron microscope (TEM) of hepatocyte mitochondria were assayed. Our results showed that Salvianolate effectively protected hepatocytes, increased mitochondria vitality, and decreased Cyto-C expressionsin vitro. Besides, Salvianolate alleviated the liver function, attenuated the indicators of peroxidation, and relieved the mitochondria injuryin vivo. In conclusion,Salvianolateis effective in protecting hepatocytes from injuryin vitroandin vivo, and the mechanism might be related to its protective effect on hepatocyte mitochondria against oxidative stress.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common degenerative joint disease. Inflammation may exaggerate the catabolism and degeneration in the pathogenesis of OA. Hydroxytyrosol (HT) has been used in the management of inflammatory diseases. In addition, reports have revealed that autophagy was a therapeutic target of diseases caused by inflammation. Sirtuin 6 (SIRT6) has also been demonstrated to prevent OA development by reducing both the inflammatory response and chondrocyte senescence. However, the roles of SIRT6 and autophagy in cartilage and its underlying anti‑inflammatory mechanism are unknown. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the effects of HT on autophagy and inflammation in chondrocytes, and clarify whether HT regulates the inflammatory response through SIRT6‑mediated autophagy. The expression of protein and mRNA were determined by western blot analysis and reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The production of cytokines was detected by ELISA. It was demonstrated that HT inhibited the levels of interleukin (IL)‑1β and IL‑6 in tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‑α‑stimulated chondrocytes in a concentration‑dependent manner. In addition, HT promoted cell autophagy and increased the mRNA and protein expression levels of SIRT6 in chondrocytes stimulated with TNF-α. Autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine or knockdown of SIRT6 decreased the inhibitory effects of HT on the inflammatory response in chondrocytes. In addition, knockdown of SIRT6 attenuated the expression of microtubule-associated protein 1A/1B‑light chain 3 and Beclin1 in chondrocytes. Overall, these findings suggested that HT inhibits the inflammatory response of chondrocytes through SIRT6‑mediated autophagy. The present study provided a new drug target for the clinical treatment of inflammatory diseases.

We report three molecular salts formed by 5-sulfosalicylic acid dihydrate (A·2H2O) and 4,4′-diaminodiphenylmethane (B) in different stoichiometric ratios. The A1B1·H2O, A1B2 and A2B1·H2O molecular salts can be accessed via mechanochemical grinding and from solution. Structural aspects were analyzed using single crystal and X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD). The reversible solid state ionic interconversion between A1B1·H2O, A1B2, and A2B1·H2O upon neat grinding by adding an appropriate amount of A·2H2O or B is described. In the ionic interconversion water molecules are included or excluded upon grinding, which suggests that water plays an important role in the proton transfer. The solid-state fluorescence spectra of A1B1·H2O, A1B2, and A2B1·H2O showed that the three molecular salts exhibit emission features and are red-shifted compared with the starting materials A·2H2O and B. The interparticle (CT) interactions and the degree of anion deprotonation are important in the solid-sate fluorescence of the describ...

Magnoliae officinalis cortex (MOC), derived from Magnolia officinalis and its variation M. officinalis var. biloba, is an important traditional Chinese medicine. In our previous work, 11 hydrophilic ingredients of MOC were isolated and structurally elucidated and four, namely syringin (SG), magnoloside A (MA), magnoloside B (MB) and magnoflorine (MF), showed bioactive effects. Herein, we describe an HPLC –DAD method for the simultaneous quantitative determination of MA, MB, MF and SG in MOC for the first time. The chromatographic separation of samples was performed on an Agilent Zorbax SB-C18 column (250 3 4.6 mm i.d., 5 mm) by gradient elution with water – acetic acid ( pH 3.0) and methanol at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. The wavelengths were set at 265 nm for MF and SG, and 328 nm for MA and MB. The average recovery of the four compounds was from 97.63 to 103.84%. Nearly 100 MOC samples harvested from eight habitats were analyzed in which the contents of the tested compound varied in the range of 0.016 – 0.350% (MF), 0.010 – 0.337% (SG), 0.017 – 3.009% (MB) and 0.077 – 2.529% (MA). The analysis also indicated that MOC contains a significant amount of phenylethanoid glycosides. This was an unexpected finding because previously lignan was considered to be the main component of MOC.

Photosynthetic responses to sudden exposure to high light stress (600 μmol photons m − 2 s − 1 ) and the potential for subsequent recovery were assessed in Sargassum thunbergii germlings grown under three different light intensities of 10 μmol photons m − 2 s − 1 (low light, LL), 60 μmol photons m − 2 s − 1 (moderate light, ML) and 300 μmol photons m − 2 s − 1 (high light, HL). The photosynthetic activity (maximum photochemical efficiency, F v / F m ; rapid light curves, RLCs; non-photochemical quenching, NPQ) was estimated by chlorophyll fluorescence using a pulse amplitude modulated fluorometer. All treatments exhibited high capacity for dynamic photoinhibition, with the fast reaction kinetics of F v / F m during both inhibition and recovery period, and with the rapid induction of maximum NPQ (within minutes). HL-germlings characteristically demonstrated a high NPQ value of approx. 5.5, allowing a flexible and reversible response to stress. Besides the significant contribution of NPQ to photoprotection, photosynthetic capacity (ETR max ) in LL-germlings was as great as that in HL-germlings, suggesting that energy dissipation through photochemical electron transport system could also reduce probability of photodamage. NPQ in S. thunbergii germlings appeared to be not directly controlled by a transthylakoid proton gradient (ΔpH) due to the lack of “light activated state”. Furthermore, inhibition of xanthophyll cycle with DTT considerably blocked NPQ pre induction of preillumated germlings, and a slow NPQ relaxation occurred upon disruption of ΔpH by NH 4 Cl, collectively indicating the importance of xanthophyll cycle to NPQ. These results suggested that S. thunbergii germlings could tolerate sudden high light by down-regulation of photosynthetic capacity, based on highly efficient photoprotective responses, including energy dissipation through xanthophyll cycle and photosynthetic electron transport. The photoprotection was efficiently independent on the light history of germlings. The high photosynthetic plasticity with immediate response to rapidly changing light may be a central feature explaining the survival of germlings in highly variable light environments of intertidal habitat.

Shear strength is a basic mechanical property of sea ice and directly affects the determination of ice loads on offshore structures in addition to the breakup behavior of ice cover in sea ice dynamics. This paper reports on the writers’ studies of the influences of ice temperature, brine volume, and shear stress rate on sea ice shear strength using laboratory shear tests with single-shear plane and lateral confinement. Ice samples were collected from the Laizhou Bay and Yellow River Delta of the Bohai Sea. Sea ice shear strength increases linearly in accordance with decreasing temperature and increasing shear stress rate, and decreases exponentially in accordance with the square root of brine volume. Considering the influences of both brine volume and shear stress rate comprehensively, this paper presents a double-parameter function to determine the sea ice shear strength.

The bark of Magnolia officinalis is a well-known Traditional Chinese Medicine. In the present study, two new alkaloids, named (S)-4-keto-magnoflorine (6) and (R)-3,4-dehydromagnocurarine (11), together with seven known alkaloids: (S)-magnoflorine (5), trans/cis N-feruloylputrescine (7/8), (R)-magnocurarine (10), (S)-tembetarine (12), (R)-oblongine (14), and (R)-asimilobine (17) were isolated and their structures elucidated by spectroscopic methods, including 1D, 2D NMR, and HRESI-MS. The absolute configurations of the isoquinoline alkaloids 5, 6, 10-12, 14, and 17 were determined by CD. In vitro inhibitory activities against aldose reductase, lipase, α-glucosidase, DPP-IV and three cancer cell lines (A549, Bel-7402, and HCT-8) were evaluated for all isolated compounds. However, all compounds showed weak activities in all tests at the same concentration as the positive control drugs. An HPLC-ESI-MS(n) method has been established for screening of alkaloids in the bark of M. officinalis. A total of 23 alkaloids were identified or tentatively characterized; including 13 aporphines, eight benzylisoquinolines and two amides. Plausible fragmentation pathways of the representative compounds 6, 7/8, 11, and 17 were proposed in the present study.

In this study, a three-way factorial experimental design was used to investigate the diurnal changes of photosynthetic activity of the intertidal macroalga Sargassum thunbergii in response to temperature, tidal pattern and desiccation during a simulated diurnal light cycle. The maximum ( F v / F m ) and effective (Φ PSII ) quantum yields of photosystem II (PSII) were estimated by chlorophyll fluorescence using a pulse amplitude modulated fluorometer. Results showed that this species exhibited sun-adapted characteristics, as evidenced by the daily variation of F v / F m and Φ PSII . Both yield values decreased with increasing irradiance towards noon and recovered rapidly in the afternoon suggesting a dynamic photoinhibition. The photosynthetic quantum yield of S . thunbergii thalli varied significantly with temperature, tidal pattern and desiccation. Thalli were more susceptible to light-induced damage at high temperature of 25 °C and showed complete recovery of photosynthetic activity only when exposed to 8 °C. In contrast with the mid-morning low tide period, although there was an initial increase in photosynthetic yield during emersion, thalli showed a greater degree of decline at the end of emersion and remained less able to recover when low tide occurred at mid-afternoon. Short-term air exposure of 2 h did not significantly influence the photosynthesis. However, when exposed to moderate conditions (4 h desiccation at 15 °C or 6 h desiccation at 8 °C), a significant inhibition of photosynthesis was followed by partial or complete recovery upon re-immersion in late afternoon. Only extreme conditions (4 h desiccation at 25 °C or 6 h desiccation at 15 °C or 25 °C) resulted in the complete inhibition, with little indication of recovery until the following morning, implying the occurrence of chronic PSII damage. Based on the magnitude of effect, desiccation was the predominant negative factor affecting the photosynthesis under the simulated daytime irradiance period. These results may explain the distribution pattern of this species in natural habitats, where it is generally restricted to tide pools in the intertidal zone of wave-swept rocky shores which could provide shelter from desiccation stress during low tide.

The cell voltage and degradation rate of p-nitrophenol (PNP) were monitored in a two-chambered microbial fuel cell (MFC) system. Degradation metabolites in the anode solution of MFC were analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). PNP was used as substrate by the MFC that was inoculated with anaerobic sludge. The results showed that electricity output increased with the PNP concentration increased, the MFC displayed a maximum power density of 1.778 mW m−2 and a maximum PNP degradation rate of 64.69% when PNP was used as a sole substrate. However, the cell voltage and the PNP degradation rate with sodium acetate (402.3 mV and 95.96%) were higher than those fed with glucose (341.9 mV and 83.51%) when glucose and sodium acetate were used as a substrate, respectively. Furthermore, GC–MS analysis showed that the PNP was biodegraded completely after 142 h in the MFC. These results demonstrate that PNP can be used for electricity generation in MFC for practical applications of wastewater treatment.

Dissolved organic matter obtained from landfill leachate was separated into hydrophobic acid, base, neutral (HOA, HOB, HON) and hydrophilic (HIM) fractions. Fluorescence excitation–emission matrix spectra and parallel factor analysis were employed to characterize the composition, and fluorescence quenching titration technique was applied to study the complexation between Hg (II) and HON, HOA, and HIM fractions. Protein-like substances, humic-like compounds and xenobiotic organic matters (XOM) were identified in all fractions. The HOA, HOB and HON fractions comprised mainly XOM, while the HIM fraction consisted primarily of humic-like compounds. The complexation ability of protein-like substances was higher than that of humic-like compounds. The complexation ability of the HIM was highest for protein-like substances, while the complexation ability of the HON fraction was the highest for humic-like substances. The results suggested that the toxicity and bioavailability of the mercury in the young leachates was the highest, and decreased with landfill time.

The determination of multiple components is considered to be one of the key methods to control the quality of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), because the clinical efficacy of TCM is derived from the synergistic action of multi-components. When simultaneously determining multi-components in TCM with multiple reference standards (MRS), the limited availability and high expense of various reference standards is a major obstacle. Currently, a practical method determining multi-components with a single reference standard (SRS) is needed to solve the problem, in which the contents of those components without reference standards can be calculated using relative conversion factor. In the present paper, both MRS and SRS methods were established for the simultaneous quantitative determination of seven bioactive flavonoids in Muhudie (MHD), the seed of Oroxylum indicum L., a traditional Chinese herb that has been used for centuries. Forty samples were assayed and data obtained from the two methods were compared, and no statistically significant difference was observed by a T-test (P > 0.05), thus, the SRS method can be applied for quality analysis of MHD. At the same time, a certain correlation was discovered between the contents of the bioactive components and the morphological character of MHD.

A filtration–adsorption pool train (FAPT) and drawing water (DW) system was developed to control the small urban recreational water pollution at a senior hotel in Shanghai, China. The results from one year of operation indicated that the system had successfully achieved the water quality objectives: compared with the water quality before the treatment system worked, the average concentrations of SS, CODMn, BOD5, NH3-N, TP and Chla were reduced by 79%, 39.5%, 45%, 36%, 44.3% and 70%, respectively, and DO and transparency were improved by 27% and 134%, respectively. The customers enjoyed a recreational, aesthetic and educational amenity along the ring pond. Therefore, it was conducted that the FAPT–DW system was an effective measure for small recreational waters, especially in urban areas with limited land resources.

In this study, two laboratory-scale simulated landfill bioreactors were established, of which Reactor A was operated only with leachate recirculation and served as the control, and Reactor B was operated as semi-aerobic bioreactor landfill with leachate recirculation. In situ leachate treatment and accelerating organic decomposition in semi-aerobic bioreactor landfill was investigated. The results indicated that the introduction of air into the landfill was favourable for optimising the micro-organism growth environment and accelerating the degradation off organic matter. It can be seen clearly from the results that NH4+-N can be removed in situ in the semi-aerobic bioreactor landfill with leachate recirculation. Moreover, semi-aerobic bioreactor landfill showed lower emissions for leachate than those in leachate from anaerobic landfill, with low concentrations of COD, VFA, NH4+-N and TKN, and which saved the disposing process off the discharged leachate. The three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy (EEMs) of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in Reactor B changed greatly, and fluorescence peak changed from protein-like fluorescence at Day 60 to humic-like fluorescence at Day 95 and 250, while in Reactor A, fluorescence peak of DOM was always protein-like fluorescence. The comparison of the EEMs indicated that the semi-aerobic landfill accelerated the organic decomposition.

Lignocellulosic biomass is an abundant renewable resource difficult to degrade. Its bioconversion plays important roles in carbon cycles in nature, which may be influenced by heavy metals in environment. Mycelial growth and the degradation of lignocellulosic waste by lignin-degrading fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium under lead stress were studied. It was shown that P. chrysosporium could grow in liquid media with 400 mg L⁻¹ Pb(II), and mycelial dry weight was reduced by 54% compared to the control. Yellow mycelia in irregular short-strip shape formed in Pb-containing media, whereas the control showed ivory-white regular mycelial pellets. Two possible responses to Pb stress were: dense hyphae, and secretion from mycelia to resist Pb. During solid-state fermentation of straw, fungal colonization capability under Pb stress was positively correlated with the removal efficiency of soluble-exchangeable Pb when its content was higher than 8.2 mg kg⁻¹ dry mass. Carboxymethyl cellulase activity and cellulose degradation were inhibited at different Pb concentrations, whereas low Pb concentrations increased xylanase and ligninolytic enzyme activities and the hemicellulose and lignin degradation. Cluster analyses indicated that Pb had similar effects on the different microbial indexes related to lignin and hemicellulose degradation. The present findings will advance the understandings of lignocellulose degradation by fungi under Pb pollution, which could provide useful references for developing metal-polluted waste biotreatment technology.

The progenies differed in amylose and protein contents in grains, which derived from a rice cross, Dongnong 423×Toukei 180, were used to study changes in the activities of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPP), soluble starch synthetase (SSS), starch branching enzyme (SBE) and glutamine synthetase (GS) in rice grains during grain filling. The activities of AGPP, SSS and SBE gradually increased and then declined as a single-peak curve with the process of grain filling in the progenies with high and low amylose contents in grains. The progenies with high amylose content peaked earlier in the AGPP, SSS and SBE activities and had higher AGPP, SSS and SBE activities at the early grain filling stage than those with low amylose content. The GS activity peaked earlier and was higher at the late stage of grain filling in the progenies with high protein content than in those with low protein content. It is suggested that the activities of key enzymes for starch synthesis and glutamine synthetase could be changed in oriented breeding for amylose and protein contents in grains.

Two japonica rice parents (Tong 769 and Xixuan 1) and their progenies, significantly different in protein content of grains, were investigated to reveal the activities of proteinase in leaves and glutamine synthetase in grains, as well as the dynamic changes of soluble protein content in grains during rice grain filling. The results showed that the parents were very similar in protein content, however, advanced lines with different protein contents in grains and varied activities of proteinase and glutamine synthetase were acquired by consecutively directional selection of the grain protein content in their progenies. Moreover, the enzyme activity and the protein content in grains exceeded their parents during grain filling. The protein content in grains was positively related with the proteinase activity, and the soluble protein content was negatively related with the glutamine synthetase activity in grains to some extent.

Micellar-enhanced ultrafiltration (MEUF), a surfactant-based separation process, is promising in removing heavy metal ions from aqueous solution. The retentate is the concentrated solution of surfactant and heavy metal ions retained by membrane. Two methods, chelation followed by ultrafiltration and acidification followed by ultrafiltration, were tested for separation of Cd2+ or Zn2+ from sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) micelles in simulated retentate solution of MEUF and the reuse of SDS. The influences of chelating agents, acid agents, pH values and molar concentration ratio of EDTA versus heavy metal ions (δ) on the recovery of SDS were studied. In the method using chelating agents, adding EDTA (δ = 1.0) at pH 4.4 was the best for separating heavy metal ions (90.1% for Cd2+, 87.1% for Zn2+) and recovering SDS (65.5% for Cd2+, 68.5% for Zn2+). The removal efficiencies of heavy metal ions were 90.3% for Cd2+, 89.6% for Zn2+ with the reclaimed SDS in MEUF. In the method using acid agents, adding H2SO4 at pH 1.0 was the best for separating heavy metal ions (98.0% for Cd2+, 96.1% for Zn2+) and recovering SDS (58.1% for Cd2+, 54.3% for Zn2+). The efficiencies of reclaimed SDS were 88.1% for removing Cd2+ and 87.8% for removing Zn2+ in MEUF.

Livestock wastewater has been a major contributor to Chinese cultural eutrophication of surface waters. Constructed wetlands are under study as a best management practice to treat wastewater from dairy and swine operations, but the removal efficiency of pollutants is relatively low. Enhancing the treatment efficiency of livestock wastewater by effluent recirculation was investigated in a pilot-scale vertical-flow constructed wetland. The wetland system was composed of downflow and upflow stages, on which narrow-leaf Phragmites communis and common reed Phragmites Typhia are planted, respectively; each stage has a dimension of 4 m 2 (2 m × 2 m). Wastewater from facultative pond was fed into the system intermittently at a flow rate of 0.4 m 3 /d. Recirculation rates of 0, 25%, 50%, 100% and 150% were adopted to evaluate the effect of the recirculation rate on pollutants removal. It shows that with effluent recirculation the average removal efficiencies of NH 4 -N, biological oxygen demand (BOD 5 ) and suspended solids (SS) obviously increase to 61.7%, 81.3%, and 77.1%, respectively, in comparison with the values of 35.6%, 50.2%, and 49.3% without effluent recirculation. But the improvement of TP removal is slight, only from 42.3% to 48.9%. The variations of NH 4 -N, dissolved oxygen (DO) and oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) of inflow and outflow reveal that the adoption of effluent recirculation is beneficial to the formation of oxide environment in wetland. The exponential relationships with excellent correlation coefficients (R 2 >0.93) are found between the removal rates of NH 4 -N and BOD 5 and the recirculation rates. With recirculation the pH value of the outflow decreases as the alkalinity is consumed by gradually enhanced nitrification process. When recirculation rate is kept constant 100%, the ambient temperature appears to affect NH 4 -N removal, but does not have significant influence on BOD 5 removal. © 2006 Science Press. All rights reserved.

One 530mm X80 pipeline weld failed infrequently in service process. This paper gives a systematic analysis in consideration of both material quality and loading condition. Inspection was performed on chemical composition, mechanical performance, metallograghy and micro-morphology. The result shows that weld joint’s leakage failure accident is fatigue failure. Under the effect of tensile- tensile stress fatigue stress, fatigue crack originated from weld fusion line near the pipe body and developed along the weld. Porosity defect in the weld reduced its bearing capacity, and promoted the formation and development of the fatigue crack. Fatigue strength and fatigue life of the weld has great relationship with the size and distribution of porosity. The greater the porosity, the more close to surface, the decrease of fatigue life is more obvious.

Municipal solid waste (MSW) compost contains a significant amount of humic substances. In this study, the compost consisted of residual MSW with the metal, plastic and glass removed. In order to enhance degradation processes and the degree of composting humification, complex microorganisms (Bacillus casei, Lactobacillus buchneri and Candida rugopelliculosa) and ligno-cellulolytic (Trichoderma and White-rot fungi) microorganisms were respectively inoculated in the composting process. During the MSW composting, humic acid (HA) was extracted and purified. Elements (C, N, H, O) and spectroscopic characteristics of the HA were determined using elementary analyzer, UV, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and fluorescence spectroscopy. The elements analysis, UV, FTIR and fluorescence spectra all led to the same conclusion, that is inoculations with microbes led to a greater degree of aromatization of HA than in the control process (CK) with no inoculation microbes. This indicated that inoculation with microbes in composting would improve the degree humification and maturation processes, in the following order: lingo-cellulolytic>complex microorganisms>CK. And mixed inoculation of MSW with complex microorganisms and lingo-cellulolytic during composting gave a greater degree of HA aromatization than inoculation with complex microorganisms or lingo-cellulolytic alone. But comparing with the HA of soil, the HA of MSW compost revealed a lower degree of aromatization.