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Nerve guide conduits (NGCs) offer a promising alternative to traditional tools for regenerating peripheral nerves. The efficacy of nerve regeneration and functional recovery is heavily dependent on the electrical, chemical, and physical properties of NGCs. A bionic melt electrowriting (MEW) NGC loaded with placental derived mesenchymal stem cells (PDMSCs) has been developed. Our study introduces a novel approach by utilizing Schwann cells induced from placental mesenchymal stem cells (PDMSCs), showcasing their potential in enhancing nerve regeneration when integrated with conductive nerve guidance conduits. Schwann cells (SCs) are crucial for nerve regeneration, and while various stem cells, including bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs), have been investigated as sources of SCs for NGC loading, they are often limited by ethical concerns and restricted availability. PDMSCs, however, offer the advantages of widespread sourcing and unique ability to differentiate into SCs, making them an attractive alternative for NGC applications. This NGC utilizes an electrostatic direct writing technique employing polycaprolactone (PCL) for the sheath and a crimped fiber scaffold made of polypyrrole (PPY) incorporated with PDMSCs for its internal structure. The bionic PC-NGC loaded with PDMSCs exhibits favorable characteristics including permeability, mechanical stability, and electrical conductivity. The PPY component effectively transmits physiological nerve signals, thereby promoting nerve regeneration, while the PDMSCs differentiate into Schwann cells, creating a conducive environment for nerve regeneration. This research innovatively combines PDMSCs, known for their wide availability and SC differentiation potential, with a bionic NGC to enhance the treatment of peripheral nerve injuries (PNIs). In vitro evaluations have confirmed the excellent biocompatibility of the materials used. Animal experiments using a rat model with sciatic nerve injury demonstrated that the PC-NGC significently facilitated peripheral nerve regeneration. This was evidenced by improvements in axonal myelination, increased muscle mass, enhanced sciatic nerve function index, and positive electrophysiological findings. These outcomes are comparable to those achieved through autologous transplantation. Characterized by its layered oriented fibers, the bionic PC-NGC integrates multi-scale and multifunctional biomaterials with PDMSCs to effectively address peripheral nerve injuries (PNIs). The use of this printed NGC stimulates neuronal cell growth, thereby accelerating nerve regeneration. This innovative approach in tissue engineering presents a promising clinical treatment strategy for PNIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Obesity is becoming more widely acknowledged as a chronic illness that raises the risk of oncogenesis. This inquiry aimed to look into the correlation between cancer patient mortality and obesity, as measured by the weight-adjusted waist index (WWI). Methods: We used continuous data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1999 to 2018 as the benchmark, with a follow-up validity period of December 31, 2019. First, we assessed the correlation between WWI and the all-cause and cause-specific execution of cancer sufferers using multivariable Cox proportional hazards models. Second, a smoothed curve fit was utilized to examine the relationship between WWI and both cause-specific and all-cause mortality in cancer patients. Lastly, we analyzed the relationship between WWI and both cause-specific and all-cause mortality in cancer patients, to find out if this link held across the population subgroup evaluation and impact analyses were used as well during the last step. Results: With a median follow-up of 87.8 months, 1,547 (34.7%) of the 4,463 cancer patients had deceased. Among them, 508 (11.4%) succumbed to cancer, while 322 (7.2%) passed away due to cardiovascular disease. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards model of mortality among cancer patients revealed an all-cause mortality hazard ratio [HR=1.13; 95% CI (1.04, 1.23)] and cardiovascular mortality [HR=1.39; 95% CI (1.16, 1.67)]. Furthermore, for each unit increase in WWI, all-cause mortality was significantly higher in male cancer survivors than in female cancer survivors. Conclusions: Our study reveals substantial correlations between WWI and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in US cancer survivors, helping to identify cancer survivors at higher risk of death and thus potentially guiding targeted interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Wetland loss threatens global biodiversity. Peri-urban wetlands face acute pressures from urban expansion. Aims: Investigate biodiversity and land-cover changes in two wetlands undergoing suburbanisation near Hangzhou, China. Methods: Seasonal field surveys of birds, fish and amphibians, coupled with remote-sensing analysis of land-cover changes from 2009 to 2020. Key results: Suburban wetlands exhibited unique degradation patterns, including reduced species diversity, simplified community structures and proliferation of invasive species, with 91 bird species being recorded, dominated by common residents, 25 still-water fish species with few carnivores and migratory species, and 5 ubiquitous amphibian species detected. Species richness was lower than in nearby conserved wetlands. From 2009 to 2020, 6–7% of the wetlands were lost to urban expansion and converted to artificial vegetation or infrastructure. Conclusions: Ecological degradation is driven by rapid urbanisation, with habitats being fragmented by roads and converted to artificial land covers. Water pollution from insufficient treatment and abandoned aquaculture further impairs habitats. Implications: Innovative integrated-management framework was proposed for wetlands biodiversity restoration in suburban area. Key strategies include (1) modernising traditional circular economies to sustain wise use, (2) wildlife-friendly infrastructure design, (3) targeted invasive species control, and (4) adaptive co-management informed by ongoing monitoring. This socio-ecological systems approach aims to harmonise biodiversity conservation, cultural heritage and sustainable development in threatened suburban wetlands. This investigation showed degraded wetland biodiversity near urbanising Hangzhou, with habitat loss to development, water pollution and invasive species. Strategic planning integrating ecological restoration and sustainable development is urgently needed to conserve these ecosystems critical for wildlife and human communities. This article belongs to the collection Ecological monitoring and assessment of freshwater ecosystems: new trends and future challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biological co-metabolism is an economical and efficient technique for treating refractory organic matter, and in recent years, it has been widely used in the treatment of chlorophenol-containing wastewater. It has been found that many conditions affect the bio co-metabolism efficiency, such as the carbon source type, carbon source content, microorganism types, and environmental factors. The carbon source concentration experiment showed that when the dosage ratio of sodium acetate to black aniline powder was 1:2, the degradation rate of black aniline powder was 82%, and the removal rate was 92.9%. When tetrachlorophenol increased from 210 mg/L to 2100 mg/L, the tetrachlorophenol was increased in the effluent, and the microorganism's activity was inhibited. Besides, the sedimentation performance of activated sludge was also damaged. The temperature test showed that the removed 4-chlorophenol was as high as 2100 mg/L at 35 °C, and the apparent 4-chlorophenol residue in the effluent could be detected at 20 °C. Therefore, by appropriately controlling the external operating conditions of the reactor, the co-metabolism of refractory organic such as chlorophenols can be achieved.

Chlorophenol wastewater belongs to highly toxic industrial wastewater, which can cause serious harm to the environment and human health if not treated effectively. The current treatment methods for chlorophenol wastewater are divided into physical, chemical, and biological methods. The physical adsorption experiment found that the monodisperse magnetic nano-column was prepared by the solvothermal method, which could remove 91.5% of pentachlorophenol within 30 mins. More than 90% of chlorophenol can be extracted using an ionic liquid as an extractant. When the chlorophenol reaches 15 g/L, the extraction rate only slightly decreases. CaO and SiO2 can achieve 99.0% 2,4,6-trichlorophenol in 6 hours as ball milling materials by physical and chemical methods. The electrochemical reduction test found that using Pd/Py SDBS/Ti as the cathode, 2-chlorophenol, 4-chlorophenol, and 3-chlorophenol could be reduced and dechlorinated, in which 100 mg/L of 2-chlorophenol could be completely degraded within 60 minutes. The biochemical index BOD5/COD of wastewater is less than 0.3 if the biological treatment technology based on co-metabolism is adopted to realize the chlorophenol treatment. In treating chlorophenol wastewater, the application scenario should be fully considered to achieve the best treatment effect of chlorophenol wastewater.

Currently, the treatment of point source pollution has been basically com-pleted, and the development of non-point source pollution(NPP) has become a new threat to natural water. Unlike point source pollution, NPP is much more complex than point source pollution in terms of treatment difficulty and treatment measures. Therefore, NPP has gradually become the focus of researchers’ attention. This paper mainly reviews the current research status on the governance of NPP, precisely urban source and agricultural source pollution governance. In addition, the article reviews the treatment measures of NPP at the present stage, from source treatment, process blocking and end-of-pipe treatment. This thesis provides a more comprehensive overview of NPP treatment measures, which can provide a reference for further research and development of engineering practices on NPP.

The Yangtze River protection is an important environmental protection strategy for China, and the quality and efficiency of the sewage system is also one of the environmental protection actions that China is working hard to implement in recent years. As the first batch of pilot cities for the protection of the Yangtze River, Wuhu City has significantly improved its sewage system through a series of comprehensive sewage system improvement engineering measures. This paper briefly described the general situation and measures of the sewage system renovation project in the CD area of Wuhu City, and based on the systematic thinking of “source-network-plant-river”, the performance of improving the quality and efficiency of the sewage system was evaluated. With the implementation of the sewage system remediation project, the water quality at the source and discharge outlet as well as the water quantity of sewage collected had been greatly improved. The sewage collection volume had been increased from 10,000 m3/d to 42,000 m3/d and the COD concentration of the influent has increased significantly. The introduction and analysis of this project may provide some reference for other similar sewage system remediation projects in China and other countries and regions.

Objective To summarize the clinical experience of removing infratemporal fossa and pterygopalatine fossa foreign bodies via a trans⁃oral approach. Methods The clinical data of 9 patients with foreign bodies in the infra⁃ temporal fossa and pterygopalatine fossa hospitalized from March 2008 to June 2017 were analyzed retrospectively. Among these cases, 4 were flying injuries, 2 were falling injuries, 2 were traffic injuries and 1 was an iatrogenic syringe injury. Foreign bodies were divided into the following categories: 3 cases of wood from branches, 3 cases of iron filings, 2 cases of broken glass, and one case of a broken syringe needle. Before surgery, all subjects underwent spiral CT three⁃ dimensional reconstruction and CT angiography examinations. After accurately determining the relationship between the foreign body and the internal and external carotid arteries and their branches, patients underwent an operation under general anesthesia to remove the foreign body via a trans⁃oral approach. In addition, patients participated in mouth open⁃ ing training for one week. Then, patients were followed for 1 to 6 months. Results Foreign bodies were removed com⁃ pletely in all 9 patients. Foreign bodies were independently located in the pterygopalatine fossa in 2 cases and in the in⁃fratemporal fossa in 3 cases. There were 4 cases of foreign bodies located in both the infratemporal fossa and the ptery⁃ gopalatine fossa. All 9 patients had the foreign bodies completely removed and were discharged one week after surgery. They were followed for 1 to 6 months. Their mouth opening and occlusion were normal, without any complications. Con⁃ clusion Spiral CT, 3D reconstruction and CT angiography examinations are necessary and important for accurate pre⁃ operation positioning. It is feasible to remove foreign bodies in the infratemporal fossa and pterygopalatine fossa via a trans⁃oral approach.

In chlorophenol wastewater treatment, adding easily degradable carbon sources, such as methanol, ethanol, sodium acetate, and sodium propionate, significantly improves the chlorophenol removal efficiency. This study systematically compares these conventional carbon sources in different sequencing batch reactors to understand their specific effects on both 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (2,4,6-TCP) degradation efficiency and microbial abundance. In a 35-day experiment, as a carbon source, ethanol exhibited a lower 2,4,6-TCP degradation concentration (77.56 mg/L) than those of methanol, sodium acetate, and sodium propionate, which achieved higher degradation concentrations: 123.89 mg/L, 170.96 mg/L, and 151.79 mg/L, respectively. As a carbon source, sodium acetate enhanced extracellular polymeric substance production (200.80 mg/g·VSS) by microorganisms, providing protection against the toxicity of chlorophenol and resulting in a higher 2,4,6-TCP removal concentration. Metagenomics identified crucial metabolic genes, including PcpA, chqB, Mal-r, pcaI, pcaF, and fadA. The abundance of genera containing the chqB gene correlated positively with the metabolic capacity for 2,4,6-TCP. Moreover, small molecular carbon sources such as methanol, sodium acetate, and sodium propionate promoted the enrichment of genera with functional genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coat protein (CP) is an important structural protein that plays many functional roles during the viral cycle. In this study, the CP of pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV) was genetically fused to GFP using the foot-and-mouth disease virus peptide 2A linker peptide and the construct (PMMoV-GFP2A) was shown to be infectious. The systemic spread of the virus was monitored by its fluorescence in infected plants. Electron microscopy and immunocolloidal gold labelling confirmed that PMMoV-GFP2A forms rod-shaped particles on which GFP is displayed. Studies of tissue ultrastructure and virion self-assembly confirmed that PMMoV-GFP2A could be used to monitor the real-time dynamic changes of CP location during virus infection. Aggregations of GFP-tagged virions appeared as fluorescent plaques in confocal laser microscopy. Altogether, PMMoV-GFP2A is a useful tool for studying the spatial and temporal changes of PMMoV CP during viral infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the effect and mechanism of Grifola frondosa extract on inflammatory response of colon tissue in rats with ulcerative colitis (UC) by regulating interleukin-6 (IL-6)/Janus kinase 2 (JAK2)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling pathway. Methods: Forty SD rats were randomly divided into blank control group, UC model group, Grifola frondosa treatment group, western medicine treatment group and combined treatment group, with 8 rats in each group. After UC rats were established by free drinking 3%DSS for 7 days, the treatment group were given Grifola frondosa extract 10 mg/(kg⋅d), sulfasalazine 0.3 g/(kg⋅d), and the same amount of two drugs, for 14 consecutive days. During the experiment, general state of rats were observed, and the disease activity index (DAI) score was calculated; pathological changes of rats colon tissue were observed by HE staining; protein expression levels of IL-6, JAK2, STAT3 and p-STAT3 in rats colon tissue were detected by Western blot; content of IL-6 in rats serum was detected by ELISA; protein contents and expressions of IL-6R and MPO in rats colon tissue were determined by immunohistochemistry. Results: Compared with blank control group, general state of rats in UC model group was poor, DAI score was increased, obvious tissue mucosal defects and inflammatory cell infiltration were observed by HE staining; protein expression levels of IL-6, JAK2, STAT3 and p-STAT3 in rats colon tissue and contents of IL-6R and MPO were significantly increased (P<0.01) ; content of IL-6 in rats serum was significantly increased (P<0.01), the difference was statistically significant. Compared with UC model group, general condition of rats in each treatment group was improved, DAI score was decreased, HE staining showed that mucosal defects were improved to varying degrees, and occasionally inflammatory cell infiltration was observed; protein expression levels of IL-6, JAK2, STAT3 and p-STAT3 in colon tissue were significantly decreased (P<0.01), contents of IL-6R and MPO in colon tissue and content of IL-6 in serum were significantly decreased (P<0.01 or P<0.05), the differences were statistically significant. Conclusion: Grifola frondosa extract can reduce the inflammatory response in colon tissue of UC rats by regulating expressions of IL-6/JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway related factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Sialylation of the crystallizable fragment (Fc) of ACPAs, which is catalysed by β-galactoside α-2,6-sialyltransferase 1 (ST6GAL1) could attenuate inflammation of RA. In this study, we screened the transcription factor of ST6GAL1 and elucidated the mechanism of transcriptionally upregulating sialylation of ACPAs in B cells to explore its role in the progression of RA. Methods Transcription factors interacting with the P2 promoter of ST6GAL1 were screened by DNA pull-down and liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), and verified by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), dual luciferase reporter assay and electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). The function of the CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) on the expression of ST6GAL1 and the inflammatory effect of ACPAs were verified by knocking down and overexpressing CTCF in B cells. The CIA model was constructed from B cell–specific CTCF knockout mice to explore the effect of CTCF on arthritis progression. Results We observed that the levels of ST6GAL1 and ACPAs sialylation decreased in the serum of RA patients and were negatively correlated with DAS28 scores. Subsequently, CTCF was screened and verified as the transcription factor interacting with the P2 promoter of ST6GAL1, which enhances the sialylation of ACPAs, thus weakening the inflammatory activity of ACPAs. Furthermore, the above results were also verified in the CIA model constructed from B cell–specific CTCF knockout mice. Conclusion CCCTC-binding factor is the specific transcription factor of β-galactoside α-2,6-sialyltransferase 1 in B cells that upregulates the sialylation of ACPAs in RA and attenuates the disease progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To describe our experience with the surgical treatment of severe wooden foreign body (WFB) injuries in the head and neck region. Methods A case series review of WFB injuries in the head and neck region that were managed at Sun Yat ⁃sen Memorial Hospital between 2008 and 2014 was performed retrospectively. The clinical findings and surgical details of ten cases were reviewed. Results The WFBs were integrally removed from all patients with the average age of 40.9 years. 8 cases dued to falling and 2 cases because of industrial injuries. All cases under⁃ went general anesthesia (6 cases tracheal incision, 3 cases through nose intubation, 1 cases through oral intubation). The lengths of the WFBs ranged from 4.0 cm to 17.5 cm (average 9.96 cm). The procedures lasted 30 to 180 min. No se⁃ vere bleeding was observed. Total blood loss ranged from approximately 3 to 200 mL (average 69 mL). The patients were followed for 11 to 38 months, and no postoperative complications, only 1 cases appeared open type deviation and 2 cases of scar discomfort after neck operation. Conclusion Surgical treatment of severe WFB injuries in the head and neck region is acceptably safe and effective. Endoscopic surgery can be used in patients with WFBs that are embedded in the maxilla.