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Constructed wetlands, serving as artificially simulated natural wetland water treatment systems, have emerged as effective technologies for ecologically treating wastewater. Biochar, a carbon material derived from biomass waste pyrolysis, possesses significant specific surface area, abundant functional groups, and high stability. The integration of biochar into artificial wetland systems enhances the removal efficiency of pollutants. This review explores various types of biochar utilized in artificial wetland technology and their impacts on pollutants. Moreover, the modification methods applied to biochar in artificial wetlands are summarized. The mechanisms underlying pollutant removal by biochar in artificial wetlands are elucidated. Concluding with an outlook on future research directions for biochar in artificial wetlands, this review aims to offer theoretical guidance for both research and engineering applications of biochar in this field.

Introduction: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a complex neurodegenerative disease with high heritability. Compared to autosomes, a higher proportion of disorder-associated genes on X chromosome are expressed in the brain. However, only a few studies focused on the identification of the susceptibility loci for AD on X chromosome., Methods: Using the data from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative Study, we conducted an X chromosome-wide association study between 16 AD quantitative biomarkers and 19,692 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) based on both the cross-sectional and longitudinal studies., Results: We identified 15 SNPs statistically significantly associated with different quantitative biomarkers of the AD. For the cross-sectional study, six SNPs (rs5927116, rs4596772, rs5929538, rs2213488, rs5920524, and rs5945306) are located in or near to six genes DMD , TBX22 , LOC101928437 , TENM1 , SPANXN1 , and ZFP92 , which have been reported to be associated with schizophrenia or neuropsychiatric diseases in literature. For the longitudinal study, four SNPs (rs4829868, rs5931111, rs6540385, and rs763320) are included in or near to two genes RAC1P4 and AFF2 , which have been demonstrated to be associated with brain development or intellectual disability in literature, while the functional annotations of other five novel SNPs (rs12157031, rs428303, rs5953487, rs10284107, and rs5955016) have not been found., Discussion: 15 SNPs were found statistically significantly associated with the quantitative biomarkers of the AD. Follow-up study in molecular genetics is needed to verify whether they are indeed related to AD. The findings in this article expand our understanding of the role of the X chromosome in exploring disease susceptibility, introduce new insights into the molecular genetics behind the AD, and may provide a mechanistic clue to further AD-related studies., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Wang, Yuan, Zhu, Zhang, Wei, Meng, Zhang, Wang and Zhou.)

A series of two-dimensional (2D) single-layer binary group VA-VA crystals, where VA represents P, As, Sb and Bi, are explored by the first-principles calculations. Unlike the orthorhombic α-phase and hexagonal β-phase, these crystals have a tetragonal haeckelite lattice and are named as T-VA-VAs. These ultrathin 2D materials have high thermal stability and are semiconductors with moderate band gaps ranging from 0.80 to 2.68 eV (HSE06). The band gaps show a prevalent linear correlation with average ionization energies (AIEs) of different composites, and thus can be effectively designed. Furthermore, these materials exhibit superior carrier mobility, e.g. 2.96 × 10 3 cm -2 V -1 s -1 of T-SbBi, and considerable visible light absorption index. These novel 2D binary materials are expected to be fabricated and used as nanoelectronics and for solar energy harvesting.

Objective: To explore the daily dietary behaviors of girls under precocious puberty and provide targeted measures for the prevention of precocious puberty. Methods: A case control study was conducted in a hospital in Shenzhen between September 2016 and December 2018. Girls with diagnosed precocious puberty were selected as case group. A 1∶1 matching was conducted. The control group was from 26 primary schools in Shenzhen. Dietary survey was conducted in parents, completing a self-administered questionnaire. Frequencies of 12 kinds of food intakes were investigated and dietary patterns were analyzed. Conditional logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship between dietary patterns and precocious puberty. Results: A total of 568 girls were included in the study. Among them, those aged 8-year-old accounted for highest proportion (43.8%). The median of age was same in both case group and control group (8 years-old). There was no significant difference in ethnic group between two groups ( P >0.05). The medians of height, weight and BMI of case group were 135.0 cm, 30.2 kg and 16.6 kg/m(2), respectively, which were all higher than those of the control group (129.2 cm, 25.0 kg and 15.3 kg/m(2)), the differences were significant ( P <0.05). There was significant difference in nutritional assessment result between two groups ( P < 0.05). Three dietary patterns were defined, i.e. balanced pattern, high calorie and fat pattern and high protein diet pattern. The cumulative rate of variance contribution of the three dietary patterns was 0.541 2. The differences in the prevalence of three dietary patterns between two groups were significant ( χ (2)=4.41, χ (2)=49.24, χ (2)=39.68, P <0.05 respectively). Data from the multivariate regression analysis showed that both balanced dietary pattern ( OR =0.633, 95% CI : 0.504-0.769) and high protein diet pattern ( OR =0.622, 95% CI : 0.498-0.776) were protective factors for precocious puberty, while high calorie and fat pattern was risk factors ( OR =1.850, 95% CI : 1.461-2.342). Conclusions: Balanced dietary pattern was common in school-aged girls. High calorie and fat pattern was risk factor for precocious puberty. Children should be encouraged to develop a balanced dietary habit and increasing the intake of legumes and fish since they are beneficial to normal growth and development.

To reasonably evaluate the eco-environmental health of the Tangwang River, which is a tributary of the Songhua River in China, community structures of periphyton and cleanliness of the benthic diatom at 24 sampling sites were investigated using McNaughton's dominance index, clustering, and ecotype analysis, while the relationship between the environmental factors and the diatom communities were studied by principal component analysis, Spearman correlation test, and redundancy analysis, in August 2018 (flood season). A total of 99 species or variants of benthic diatoms have been identified, indicating that there were abundant diatoms in the Tangwang River. Achnanthidium minutissimum and other diatoms that can be used as clean water indicators were dominant species in the Tangwang River, which indicates that the eco-environmental quality of the Tangwang River was relatively healthy in the flood season. Of these, the dominant degree of A. minutissimum was 0.32, making it the absolute dominant species in Tangwang River. Sampling sites can be divided into three groups based on clustering analysis. The dominant species of group 1 and group 2 were mainly clean species, indicating that the two groups were in a relatively healthy state. Nitzschia palea, Ulnaria ulna , and other diatoms that can be used as eutrophication indicators were the dominant species of group 3, indicating that group 3 was less healthy than the other two groups. From groups 1 and 2, the results from ecotype analysis showed a decrease in the proportion of polyoxybiontic diatoms and an increase in the proportion of α-mesosaphrobe diatoms, polysaprobe diatoms, oligo-mesotrophic diatoms, mesotrophic diatoms, meso-eutrophic diatoms, and eutrophic diatoms. Compared to the other two groups, the results from ecotype analysis showed a significant increase in the proportion of α -mesosaphrobe diatoms, polysaprobe diatoms, eutrophic diatoms and hypereutrophic diatoms in group 3. The predominant aquatic influencing factors of diatom community structures for the Tangwang River were permanganate index, total nitrogen (TN), and ammonia nitrogen (NH 4 + -N), of which permanganate index was the main factor for group 2, while TN and NH 4 + -N were the main factors for group 3. As a result, the eco-environmental quality of the Tangwang River was good, and the benthic diatom was found to be an effective indicator of the nutritional conditions and saprophytic status.

Objective: To analyze the related factors of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and precancerous lesions among residents aged 40-69 years old in rural areas of Shandong Province. Methods: In October 2018, 300 villages in 13 counties of the Shandong upper gastrointestinal cancerearly diagnosis and treatment projectin 2017 were selected as research areas, and 30 400 residents aged 40-69 were recruited in this study. The demographic characteristics, health status and lifestyle information were collected through the questionnaire survey, and endoscope iodine staining and indicative biopsy methods were used for cancer screening among eligible people.The multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze the risk factors for esophageal cancer and precancerous lesions. Results: The subjects in this study were (56.42±7.24) years old, including 13 193 males (43.40%).There were 936 cases of esophageal cancer and precancerous lesions (3.08%), including 521 males and 415 females.Compared with women, 40-49 years old, high level education, drinking tap water, regular intake of meat, eggs and milk, and family average annual income more than 30 000 RMB, men ( OR= 1.90, 95 %CI : 1.65-2.19), 60-69 years old ( OR= 5.28, 95 %CI : 4.11-7.30), primary school education or below ( OR= 1.50, 95 %CI : 1.20-1.89), drinking groundwater ( OR= 1.71, 95 %CI : 1.38-2.13), never eating meat, eggs and milk ( OR= 1.48, 95 %CI : 1.22-1.80), and family average annual income less than 30 000 RMB ( OR= 1.41, 95 %CI : 1.16-1.70) would increase the risk of esophageal cancer and precancerous lesions. Conclusion: The gender, age, educational level, annual household income, drinking water source, the frequency of eating meat, egg and milk were related to the occurrence of esophageal cancer and precancerous lesions among 40-69 years old residents in rural areas of Shandong Province.

The histone acetyltransferases (HATs) adenovirus E1A-associated protein (p300) and CREB binding protein (CBP) serve as coactivators during a diverse assortment of cellular processes. In the present study, p300 and CBP were highly expressed in 5 gastric cancer (GC) cell lines (SGC‑7901, MKN45, MGC-803, BGC-823 and KATO III) compared with human normal gastric epithelial cell line (GES-1). C646, a selective inhibitor of p300 and CBP, inhibited cell viability and cell cycle and promoted cell apoptosis in all 5 GC cell lines. In addition, C646 suppressed the migration and invasion capability of the GC cell lines, except for the middle-differentiated SGC-7901 cell line. Furthermore, we detected the differential expression of corresponding oncogenic signalling molecules, such as c-Met, Akt, Bcl-2, Bax, cyclin D1, MMP7 and MMP9, in GC cells following C646 treatment. In conclusion, our results suggest that C646 inhibits the acetylation of histone H3 via inactivation of p300 and CBP, resulting in antineoplastic effects toward GC cells. Thus, the selective HAT inhibitor C646 could be a promising antitumour reagent for GC treatment.

Introduction: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) has been used for the treatment of gastric submucosal tumors (SMTs). This study aims to compare clinical outcomes of ESD versus laparoscopic wedge resection (LWR) for gastric SMTs., Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study. Patients with SMTs who underwent ESD or LWR were enrolled in this study at a university-affiliated hospital from January 2010 to October 2015. Preoperative endoscopic ultrasound and computed tomography were performed to determine origin of layer and growth pattern. Clinical outcomes including baseline demographics, tumor size, operation time, blood loss, hospital stay, cost, pathology and postoperative complications were compared., Results: From January 2010 to October 2015, 68 patients with SMTs received ESD and 47 patients with SMTs received LWR. There was no difference in age, gender, body mass index, origin of layer and proportion with symptoms between ESD group and LWR group. However, tumor size was significantly larger in the LWR group (37.1 mm) than in the ESD group (25.8 mm, P = 0.041). For patients with tumors smaller than 20 mm, ESD was associated with shorter mean operation time (89.7 ± 23.5 vs 117.6 ± 23.7 min, P = 0.043), less blood loss (4.9 ± 1.7 vs 72.3 ± 23.3 ml, P < 0.001), shorter length of hospital stay (3.6 ± 1.9 vs 6.9 ± 3.7 days, P = 0.024) and lower cost (2471 ± 573 vs 4498 ± 1257 dollars, P = 0.031) when compared with LWR. For patients with tumors between 20 mm and 50 mm, ESD was associated with shorter mean operation time (99.3 ± 27.8 vs 125.2 ± 31.5 min, P = 0.039), less blood loss (10.1 ± 5.3 vs 87.6 ± 31.3 ml, P < 0.001), shorter length of hospital stay (4.0 ± 1.7 vs 7.3 ± 4.5 days, P = 0.027) and lower cost (2783 ± 601 vs 4798 ± 1343 dollars, P = 0.033) when compared with LWR. There were no significant differences in terms of rates of en bloc resection, complete resection and complication and histological diagnosis regardless of tumor size., Conclusions: ESD can achieve similar oncological outcomes when compared with surgery for treatment of gastric SMT smaller than 50 mm.

Background: Endoscopic resection methods, including endoscopic mucosal resection and endoscopic submucosal dissection, have become standard treatment modalities for patients with early gastric cancer (EGC) and absolute indications, with en bloc resection being more frequent with the latter. Endoscopic resection, however, has been associated with higher recurrence and metachronous cancer rates than gastrectomy. This meta-analysis compared the efficacy and safety of endoscopic resection and gastrectomy for EGC., Methods: PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science were electronically searched for relevant studies comparing endoscopic resection and gastrectomy for EGC from 1976 through March 2015. The primary endpoints were en bloc resection and histologically complete resection rates. The secondary endpoints were duration of hospital stay and rates of complications, recurrence, metachronous cancer and overall survival., Results: This meta-analysis enrolled 10 studies with 2070 patients: 993 patients who underwent endoscopic resection and 1077 who underwent gastrectomy. Endoscopic resection was associated with shorter hospital stay (standardized mean difference -2.02; 95 % confidence interval [CI] -2.64 to -1.39) and lower complication rate (relative risk [RR] 0.41; 95 % CI 0.22-0.76) than gastrectomy. However, endoscopic resection was associated with lower rates of en bloc resection (odds ratio [OR] 0.05; 95 % CI 0.02-0.16) and histologically complete resection (OR 0.04; 95 % CI 0.01-0.11) and higher rates of recurrence (RR 5.23; 95 % CI 2.43-11.27) and metachronous cancer (RR 5.22; 95 % CI 2.40-11.34) than gastrectomy. Overall survival rate (OR 1.18; 95 % CI 0.76-1.82) was similar., Conclusions: Endoscopic resection is minimally invasive and as effective as surgery, suggesting that the former be considered standard treatment for EGC. It should be recommended as standard treatment for EGC with indications. Additional randomized controlled trials from more countries are required.

With the development of technology and accessories, the role of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) has evolved from diagnostics to therapeutics. In order to characterise the therapeutic role of EUS, we searched Web of Knowledge database and reviewed articles associated with therapeutic EUS. There are two modalities for the therapeutic purpose: drainage and fine-needle injection. EUS-guided drainage is a promising procedure for the treatment of peripancreatic fluid collection and biliary obstruction; EUS-guided fine-needle injections such as celiac plexus neurolysis, for the purpose of pain relief for pancreatic cancer and chronic pancreatitis, has emerged as a promising procedure. The aim of the study was to perform a comprehensive and conscientious review on the techniques, complications and clinical outcomes of those EUS-based procedures.

Background and Aims: This retrospective study was designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for the resection of gastric submucosal tumors (SMTs) originating from the muscularis propria (MP) layer at our institution., Patients and Methods: From January 2010 to January 2014, a total of 49 patients underwent ESD for the resection of MP-originating gastric SMTs. The characteristics of the 49patients, clinical efficacy, safety of ESD, and post-ESD pathological diagnoses were evaluated retrospectively., Results: ESD was successfully performed in 48 cases, and one case was converted to surgery. Pathological diagnosis included 43 gastrointestinal stromal tumors, 5 leiomyomas, and 1 schwannoma. During the procedure, 9 patients developed perforation. These patients recovered after conservative treatment. No residual or recurrent tumors were detected during the follow-up period., Conclusions: ESD seems to be a feasible, safe, effective and minimally invasive procedure, even for the resection of large gastric tumors originating from the MP. However, more studies should be carried out in the future., (© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is one of the most important modalities for the diagnosis of digestive tract diseases. EUS has been evolving ever since it was introduced. New techniques such as elastography and contrast enhancement have emerged, increasing the accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of EUS for the diagnosis of digestive tract diseases including pancreatic masses and lymphadenopathy. EUS-elastography evaluates tissue elasticity and therefore, can be used to differentiate various lesions. Contrast-enhanced EUS can distinguish benign from malignant pancreatic lesions and lymphadenopathy using the intravenous injection of contrast agents. This review discusses the principles and types of these new techniques, as well as their clinical applications and limitations.

The Mann-Whitney U test method was used to analyze the species sensitivity to ammonia toxicity. And based on the analysis, the relationship between species selection method and WQC deriving method was studied by using toxicology, biological taxonomy and sampling-inference theory. Results showed that vertebrate species, especially the Actinopterygii, accounted for the vast majority in the toxicity test species. And the species composition of toxicity test species was inconsistent with the species composition of the ecosystem. Sensitivity to ammonia toxicity among different taxa varied significantly for most species except some species in individual taxa, especially the less sensitive species. The variable coefficient of interspecies decreased with the reduction of biological classification level. To a certain extent, it showed that the species sensitivities in the same taxa to toxicant were more similar than those in different taxa. According to sampling-inference theory, the WQC for aquatic life deriving method belonged to the design-based inference. And taxonomic groups could be used as auxiliary variables to conduct a stratifactory sampling for species selection in WQC deriving which could improve the sampling efficiency and precision.

Stress during gestation increases vulnerability to disease and changes behavior in offspring. We previously reported that hypoxia and restraint during pregnancy sensitized the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and induced anxiety-like behavior in the adult offspring. Here, we report that gestational intermittent hypoxia (GIH) elicited a sex-dependent anxiety-like behavior in male P90 offspring and activation of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and CRH type-1 receptor (CRHR1) mRNA in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and in male E19 hypothalamus. These linked to demethylation at several specific sites of CpG island of Crhr1 promoter in P90 PVN and E19 embryo hypothalamus in GIH groups. Crhr1 DNA demethylation is more crucial in CpG island 1 than island 2 for activation of CRHR1 mRNA. DNMT3b is required for the Crhr1 DNA methylation than DNMT1 and DNMT3a in increased CRHR1 mRNA. We first address a novel hypothesis that GIH-induced male-sex-dependent demethylation at CpG sites of Crhr1 DNA in promoter triggers elevation of CRHR1 mRNA in PVN and anxiety-like behavior in adult offspring.

The toxicity sensitivity of different freshwater aquatic organisms was analyzed using the collected toxicity data in this paper. Three methods were used to estimate the criteria of nitrate to protect the freshwater aquatic life. The results showed that the species sensitivity to nitrate followed the order of Arthropoda > Mollusca > Chordata, and Crustacea > Insecta > Gastropoda > Bivalvia > Amphibia > Actinopterygii. Moreover, the output of assessment factor method, species sensitivity distribution method and USEPA's method was significantly different. Finally, criterias of 87.97 mg x L(-1) and 5.17 mg x L(-1) to protect aquatic life from acute and chronic toxicity were proposed using USEPA's method.

Nano-roughened Teflon-like film coated poly-crystalline Si photovoltaic solar cells (PVSCs) with enhanced surface hydrophobicity and conversion efficiency (η) are characterized and compared with those coated by a Si nanorod array or a standard SiN anti-reflection layer. The Teflon-like film coated PVSC surface reveals a water contact angle increasing from 89.3° to 96.2° as its thickness enlarges from 22 to 640 nm, which is much larger than those of the standard and Si nanorod array coated PVSC surfaces (with angles of 55.6° and 32.8°, respectively). After nano-roughened Teflon-like film passivation, the PVSC shows a comparable η(10.89%) with the standard SiN coated PVSC (η = 11.39%), while the short-circuit current (I(SC)) is slightly reduced by 2% owing to the slightly decreased UV transmittance and unchanged diode performance. In contrast, the Si nanorod array may offer an improved surface anti-reflection with surface reflectance decreasing from 30% to 5% at a cost of optical scattering and randomized deflection, which simultaneously decrease the optical transmittance from 15% to 3% in the visible region without improving hydrophobicity and conversion efficiency. The Si nanorod array covered PVSC with numerous surface dangling bonds induced by 1 min wet-etching, which greatly reduces the open-circuit voltage (V(OC)) by 10-15% and I(SC) by 30% due to the reduced shunt resistance from 3 to 0.24 kΩ. The nano-scale roughened Teflon-like film coated on PVSC has provided better hydrophobicity and conversion efficiency than the Si nanorod array covered PVSC, which exhibits superior water repellant performance and comparable conversion efficiency to be one alternative approach for self-cleaning PVSC applications.

Enhanced Stoke Raman scattering of large-area vertically aligned Si nanorod surface etched by metal-particle-catalytic is investigated. By enlarging the surface area with lengthening Si nanorods, the linear enhancement on Stoke Raman scattering intensity at 520 cm(-1) is modeled to show well correlation with increasing quantity of surface Si dangling bonds. With Si nanorod length increasing from 0.19 to 2.73 μm, the Raman peaks of the as-etched and oxidized samples gradually shift from -4 cm(-1) and from -4.5 cm(-1) associated with their linewidth broadening from 3 to 9 cm(-1) and from 7 to 18 cm(-1), respectively. The peak intensity of Raman scattering signal from Si nanorod could be enhanced with the increase of interaction area as the number of phonon mode directly corresponds to the tetrahedrally coordinated Si vibrations in the bulk crystal lattice. The asymmetric linewidth broadening and corresponding Raman peak shift is affected by the strained Si nanorod surface caused by etching and the crystal quality. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy corroborates the dependency between nanorod length and Si-O-Si stretching mode absorption (at 1097 cm(-1)) on oxidized Si nanorod surface, elucidating the increased transformation of surface dangling bonds to Si-O-Si bonds for passivating Si nanorods and attenuating Stoke Raman scattering after oxidation.

Background: Intestinal mucosa barrier (IMB) dysfunction results in many notorious diseases for which there are currently few effective treatments. We studied curcumin's protective effect on IMB and examined its mechanism by using methotrexate (MTX) induced rat enteritis model and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treated cell death model., Methodology/principal Findings: Curcumin was intragastrically administrated from the first day, models were made for 7 days. Cells were treated with curcumin for 30 min before exposure to LPS. Rat intestinal mucosa was collected for evaluation of pathological changes. We detected the activities of D-lactate and diamine oxidase (DAO) according to previous research and measured the levels of myeloperoxidase (MPO) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) by colorimetric method. Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and interleukin 1β (IL-1β) were determined by RT-PCR and IL-10 production was determined by ELISA. We found Curcumin decreased the levels of D-lactate, DAO, MPO, ICAM-1, IL-1β and TNF-α, but increased the levels of IL-10 and SOD in rat models. We further confirmed mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase-1 (MKP-1) was activated but phospho-p38 was inhibited by curcumin by western blot assay. Finally, NF-κB translocation was monitored by immunofluorescent staining. We showed that curcumin repressed I-κB and interfered with the translocation of NF-κB into nucleus., Conclusions/significance: The effect of curcumin is mediated by the MKP-1-dependent inactivation of p38 and inhibition of NF-κB-mediated transcription. Curcumin, with anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activities may be used as an effective reagent for protecting intestinal mucosa barrier and other related intestinal diseases.

Objective: To investigate the changes in expression level of human leucocyte antigen-DR (HLA-DR) on CD14(+) monocyte (CD14(+)/HLA-DR) in the patients after orthotopic liver transplantation, and its role in monitoring postoperative infection., Methods: Sixty-three patients with liver transplantation were divided into three groups, non-infection group with 47 cases, infection group with 10 cases and septic shock group with 6 cases [according to the definition of septic shock of American College of Chest Physicians/Society for Critical Care Medicine (ACCP/SCCM)]. CD14(+)/HLA-DR expression ratio was assessed with flow cytometer, and its clinical implication was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve assay., Results: CD14(+)/HLA-DR expression ratio in infection group [(29.6+/-7.2)%] and septic shock group [(16.3+/-10.5)%] were significantly lower than that in non-infection group [(62.3+/-18.3)%, both P<0.01], but no significant difference of CD14(+)/HLA-DR expression ratio was found between infection group and septic shock group (P=0.128). Total area under ROC curve of CD14(+)/HLA-DR expression ratio for the infection was 0.965, its sensitivity and specificity at 36.35% cut off were 100.0% and 93.6%, respectively. Total area under ROC curve of CD14(+)/HLA-DR expression ratio to predict septic shock was 0.968, its sensitivity and specificity at 31.97% cut off were 100.0% and 87.7%, respectively. Comparing the change of CD14(+)/HLA-DR expression, it was lower in the infection group and septic shock group (P<0.05 and P<0.01), and the expression rate was lowest during period of serious infection in the two groups [infection group: (29.6+/-7.2)%, septic shock group: (16.3+/-0.5)%, all P<0.01]., Conclusion: For the patients with possible infection after liver transplantation, sequential assessment of CD14(+)/HLA-DR expression ratio would be a good marker for the judgment of patient's conditions and outcome. CD14(+)/HLA-DR expression ratio below 36.35% could be used as the prewarning value for the diagnosis of postoperative infection, and 31.97% could be used as the critical value for the diagnosis of septic shock.

Depolarization of sub-mum-high Si nano-pillar/nano-rod surface reflectance with morphologically controlled anti-reflection spectrum is demonstrated. Extremely small reflectance dip of 1.5% at 400-450 nm for Si nano-pillars is extraordinary when comparing with Si nano-rods, in which the reflectance vs. L/lambda for Si nano-pillars coincides well with the graded-index multilayer based modeling spectrum. Alternatively, Si nano-rods preserve its flattened reflectance spectrum up to 1700 nm, whereas the Si nano-pillar surface reflectance monotonically increases to approach that of bulk Si. The destructive interference is only induced on Si nano-pillar surface with larger aspect-ratio > or =15 and small sidewall slope <7 to suppress surface reflectance at blue-green wavelength region. Anomalous depolarization observed from disordered Si nano-pillar/nano-rod surface reflection indicates that TM-mode incidence interacts with more bound electrons than TE-mode to preserve its effective dielectric permittivity less deviated from the bulk Si. The degraded depolarization ratio observed under TE-mode incidence which correlates well with a simplified bounded-electron resonance model is elucidated.

Objective: To study the effects of high mobile group box-1 protein (HMGB1) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) singly or in combination on release of cytokines from human liver carcinoma cell line (HepG2)., Methods: HepG2 cells were cultured, and purified HMGB1 protein was prepared by chromatography on Ni(2+)-NTA Sepharose column under natural conditions with recombinant expression plasmid pET14b-HMGB1. Different concentrations of HMGB1 (0, 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10 mg/L) and LPS (0, 0.1, 1, 10, 100 mg/L) were added into the cultured cells for 24 hours, respectively. Then the supernatant were collected to detect the levels of granulocyte/macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and IL-12 by using LiquiChip system. Lastly, HepG2 cells were co-stimulated with 10 mg/L LPS and 1 mg/L HMGB1 for 24 hours. The supernatant were collected to determine the levels of above ten of cytokines ., Results: The expression and release of IL-6 and IL-8 increased from HepG2 cells after being stimulated by LPS in a dose-dependent manner, but there were no changes in other eight kinds of cytokines (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Low concentration of HMGB1 could up-regulate the expression of IL-6 and IL-8 in HepG2 cells (both P<0.01). But the extent of induction decreased with higher concentration of HMGB1. Similar to LPS, there was no effect of HMGB1 on the expression of other eight kinds of cytokines from cultured HepG2 cells. Furthermore, high concentration of HMGB1 could obviously inhibit the upregulation of IL-6 and IL-8 by high concentration of LPS when the HepG2 cells were co-stimulated with LPS and HMGB1 (both P<0.01)., Conclusion: HepG2 cells could only express and release a few kinds of cytokines when the cells were stimulated with pro-inflammatory agents, such as LPS or HMGB1. Two kinds of cytokines, IL-6 and IL-8 could be up-regulated by LPS and low concentration of HMGB1, and HMGB1 acted as an inhibitor of LPS to down-regulate the expression and release of IL-6 and IL-8 from HepG2 cells.

Objective: To identify microRNA expression patterns associated with the lymph node metastasis of colon cancer., Methods: MicroRNA were isolated from six frozen non-cancerous surrounding colonic tissues derived from stage II-III colon cancer patients with (n = 3) and without (n = 3) lymph node metastasis. We compared the microRNA expression profiles of the six non-cancerous colonic tissues from two colon cancer patient groups; those with confirmed lymph node metastasis, termed the lymph node positive group, and those without detectable lymph node metastasis, termed the lymph node negative group. MicroRNA expression was analyzed with Agilent microarrays containing 723 human microRNA probes. We validated the expression level of differentially expressed microRNA using quantitative real-time PCR analysis., Results: Two microRNA (hsa-miR-129*, hsa-miR-137) were differentially expressed in the lymph node positive group compared with the lymph node negative group. The expression level of hsa-miR-137 was quantified via quantitative real-time PCR analysis for validation. Hsa-miR-137 expression was significantly upregulated nearly 6.6-fold in lymph node positive specimens (P = 0.036). The quantitative real-time PCR result correlates with the microarray finding., Conclusion: The non-cancerous colonic tissues from colon cancer patients with lymph node metastasis have a significantly different microRNA expression profile compared to that from colon cancer patients without lymph node metastasis. The differentially expressed microRNA could have relevance to the lymph node metastasis of colon cancer and may provide a simple profiling method to assist in identifying patients with lymph node metastasis. Besides, these data might offer new ideas for preventing and controlling lymphatic metastasis in colon cancer.

Objective: This purpose of this study was to determine if serum procalcitonin (PCT) concentration at the time of admission to the ICU is a predictor of all-cause short-term mortality., Design and Methods: This prospective cross-sectional study was conducted over a 16-month period with 86 consecutive critically ill patients. The semi-quantitative PCT-Q test was performed and APACHE II scores and C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations were determined within 24 h of admission., Results: PCT-Q test value was a better predictor of all-cause short-term mortality than CRP value or APACHE II score. PCT > or = 10 ng/mL was highly and independently correlated with mortality. Use of PCT-Q > or = 10 ng/mL was superior to use of APACHE II > or = 25 or CRP > or = 10 mg/dL as a predictor of poor outcome., Conclusions: A PCT-Q value > or = 10 ng/mL obtained at the time of admission to the ICU is a strong predictor of short-term mortality.

Objective: To analyze clinical effect of immuno-modulatory therapy with ulinastatin and thymosin alpha1 on patients with sepsis., Methods: Two hundred and forty-two septic patients admitted to Guangzhou General Hospital of Guangzhou Military Command intensive care unit (ICU) during 2004.10-2008.6 were included, and they were randomly divided into treatment group (128 cases) and control group (114 cases). The patients in control group were given regular conventional treatment according to Surviving Sepsis Campaign (SSC) in 2004, including early fluid resuscitation, antibiotic therapy, mechanical ventilation (MV) and blood purification. The treatment group received conventional treatment plus immuno-modulation therapy including ulinastatin (first 200 kU injection intravenous twice a day for 4 days and 100 kU for another 6 days) and thymosin alpha1 (1.6 mg subcutaneous twice a day for 4 days, followed by 1.6 mg per day subcutaneous for another 6 days). The total treatment course was 10 days. General demographics were observed, and acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) scores were recorded. Serum interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-10 levels of peripheral blood were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Peripheral blood CD14(+) monocyte human leucocyte antigen DR (HLA-DR) expression, and ratio of helper T lymphocyte 1 (Th1) cytokines interferon-gamma (CD4(+)IFN-gammaww(+)), and Th2 cytokines (CD4(+) IL-4(+)) were assessed with flow cytometer. Duration of infection and MV, length of ICU stay, rate of development of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) and mortality rate on 28 days were observed as end-point., Results: Before treatment, there was no difference in all biomarkers between two groups (all P>0.05). After treatment, peripheral blood CD14ww+ monocyte HLA-DR expression and the ratio of CD4(+)IFN-gamma (+)/CD4(+) IL-4(+) increased significantly in the treatment group (both P<0.05), with serum IL-6, IL-10 levels and APACHE II scores all reduced remarkably (all P<0.05). The values showed significant differences compared with those of control group (all P<0.05). The MODS development rate in the treatment group was much lower than that of control group (21% vs. 47%, P<0.05), and the length of use of MV was significantly reduced [(6.08+/-2.46) days vs. (8.23+/-3.47) days, P<0.05]. There was no difference in the infection duration and length of ICU stay (both P>0.05). The mortality rate on 28 days in the treatment group was much lower than that in control group (20% vs. 33%, P<0.05)., Conclusion: The immuno-modulation therapy of ulinastatin and thymosin alpha1 can remarkably improve the duration of MV and the development rate of MODS and mortality rate on 28 days in the patients with sepsis, probably due to its effect in ameliorating the immuno-imbalance state of the patients. However, the duration of infection and length of ICU stay are not effected.

The Si nanopillars with high aspect ratio were fabricated by dry-etching the thin SiO(2)-covered Si substrate with a rapidly self-assembled Ni nanodot patterned mask. Aspect-ratio-dependent ultra-low reflection and anomalous luminescence of Si nanopillars are analyzed for applications in all-Si based lighting and energy transferring systems. The Si nanopillars induce an ultra-low reflectance and refractive index of 0.88% and 1.12, respectively, at 435 nm due to the air/Si mixed structure and highly roughened surface. The reflectance can be <10% with a corresponding refractive index of<1.80 between 190 and 670 nm. Lengthening the Si nanopillars from 150 +/- 15 to 230 +/- 20 nm further results in a decreasing reflectance, corresponding to a reduction in refractive index by Delta n/n = 18% in the visible and near-infrared wavelength region. After dry-etching an Si wafer into Si nanopillars, the weak blue-green luminescence with double consecutive peaks at 418-451 nm is attributed to the oxygen defect (O(2-))-induced radiation, which reveals less relevance with the ultra-low-reflective Si nanopillar surface.

Objective: To evaluate the influence of anisodamine (Ani) on restoration of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) rate in a randomized, blinded experimental study so as to explore a new treatment for CPR., Methods: Forty-five Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomized to three groups: control group (0.9% normal saline), epinephrine (Epi) group and Epi plus Ani group (combined group), 15 rats in each group. Ventricular fibrillation (VF) or asystole was induced by transoesophageal alternating current stimulation. A blinded drug administration and mechanical chest compression were used in this study (Epi 200 microg/kg, Ani 10 mg/kg). ROSC rate and resuscitation rate were compared among these groups., Results: Combined group had higher ROSC rate(93.3% vs. 46.7%), resuscitation rate (80.0% vs.33.3%) and survival rate within 3 hours (83.3% vs.20.0%) compared with Epi group (all P<0.05). ROSC occurred only in one rat of control group. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) at the beginning of ROSC in Epi group was higher compared with combined group (P<0.05). After ROSC, MAP decreased in both drug groups, especially after 5 minutes of ROSC, and MAP in Epi group was lower than that of combined group. There was difference between the two groups till 30 minutes after ROSC (all P<0.05) ., Conclusion: Administration of Epi plus Ani at the beginning of treatment for cardiac arrest could improve ROSC rate and resuscitation rate.

Incidence rates have risen for gastric cardia adenocarcinoma, whereas rates have remained stable for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in many western countries. The aim of this study was to describe and analyze trends in incidence rates for esophageal cancer and gastric cardia cancer in Cixian county, which is one of the high-risk areas for esophageal cancer in China as well as in the world. The data were obtained from the Cixian Cancer Registry, which is a population-based registry. All the data were checked and analyzed using SPSS 11.5. Between the years 1988 and 2003 there were 11,183 cases of esophageal cancer in the county. The age-standardized incidence rate was 168.55 per 100,000. In 1988, the age-standardized incidence rate for male patients was 250.76/100,000; it declined to 160.05/100,000 in 2003, representing a decrease of 36.2%. The age-standardized incidence rate for female patients was 153.86/100,000 in 1988; it declined to 82.55/100,000 in 2003, showing a decrease of 46.3%. A slight decreasing trend was observed during the period, with a yearly decrease of 3.61% in male patients and 3.39% in female patients. For gastric cardia cancer, there were 1654 cases from 1988 to 2003. The age-standardized incidence rate was 25.58 per 100,000. The age-standardized incidence rate for male patients was 13.75/100,000 in 1988; it increased to 28.55/100,000 in 2003, with a yearly increase of 7.65%. The age-standardized incidence rate for female patients was 7.12/100,000 in 1988; it increased to 12.91/100,000, with a yearly increase of 5.44%. A statistically significant increasing trend of gastric cardia cancer was observed during the study period. Cixian county is a geographical region with a very high incidence of esophageal cancer and cardia cancer. The trend in the incidence rates of esophageal cancer had decreased slightly; on the other hand, gastric cardia cancer showed a significantly increased trend in the last 16 years. Detailed epidemiological analyses of demographic trends and risk factors will help to guide future cancer control strategies.

Objective: To explore the relationship of monitoring CD14(+) monocyte human leucocyte antigen (locus) DR (HLA-DR) and the outcome in the early stage of sepsis., Methods: Thirty-six definitely diagnosed septic patients in intensive care unit (ICU) were included. CD14(+) monocyte HLA-DR levels were detected by flow cytometer on the first day of the study, and acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) scores were evaluated. Their clinical values in predicting the outcome of the disease were assessed through correlation analysis., Results: Among 36 sepsis patients CD14(+) monocyte HLA-DR level<30% was found in 6 patients (16.67%). The average APACHE II score was 24.17+/-4.45 (r=0.212, P=0.687), all of them die, CD14(+) monocyte HLA-DR level <40% was 27.78% (10/36), the scores of APACHE II score was 23.50+/-4.30 (r=-0.0251, P=0.484), and the mortality rate was 80% (8/10)., Conclusion: CD14(+) monocyte HLA-DR level <30% is an immunosuppressive index. In predicting the outcome of sepsis, it might be better than APACHE II scores. Immunosuppression is primarily found in the early stage of sepsis, suggesting that the classical compensatory anti-inflammatory response syndrome (CARS) hypothesis needs to be revised and improved.

Objective: To describe the incidence and mortality rates of esophageal cancer from 1974-2002 in Cixian county of Hebei province. Basic information on comparative geographical, epidemiological, and clinical research was collected., Methods: In early 1970s, cancer registry system in Cixian was established, collecting information on all the esophageal cancer cases in Cixian. Data was checked manually, then computerized, coded and analyzed using the software--SPSS 11.5., Results: From 1974 to 2002, there were 18 471 esophageal cancer cases in Cixian, with 11 068 males and 7403 females, respectively. The age standardized incidence rate (ASR) for males was 208.77 per 100,000, while 120.47 per 100,000 for females. The trend of incidence rate of esophageal cancer had decreased during the 29 years from 1974 to 2002 (trend chi(2) = 19.94, P < 0.001). From 25 years of age onward, the incidence rates of the lower age groups declined with the increase of age. As for geographic distribution, the incidence rate in mountainous areas and hilly areas showed a significant declining trend in mountainous areas, chi(2) = 195.00, P < 0.001; hilly areas, chi(2) = 46.08, P < 0.001. The esophageal cancer incidence in plain areas remained steady, but had a slight increase in recent years. From 1969 to 2002, there were 18,736 cases died of esophageal cancer with 11 598 males and 7138 females. The ASR for male was 127.17 per 100,000 and 101.57 per 100,000 for female. Compared with the year 1969, the mortality rate of esophageal cancer in 2002 had a 37.96% decline. The proportion of esophageal cancer among malignant tumors in different decades decreased significantly., Conclusion: The trend of the incidence rate of esophageal cancer had been decreasing for the last 29 years. The incidence rate in mountainous areas and hilly areas showed a declining trend while in the plain areas it remained steady but having slight increase in the recent years. The mortality rate of esophageal cancer had a significant decrease from 1969 to 2002.

Large uniform-sized polymer beads are desirable for "one-bead-one-compound" applications in the combinatorial synthesis of compound libraries. We have developed a technique for the preparation of large polymer spheres with narrow size distributions. Uniform-sized poly(styrene-co-divinylbenzene) beads with diameters in excess of 1 mm have been prepared by free radical polymerization in an ascension process through a heated column. The size of the beads can be adjusted by the diameter of the injection needle and the injection speed. The resin beads can be made porous by the incorporation of a porogen during the preparation; they reach a specific surface area in excess of 200 m(2)/g. The mechanical properties of the spheres and their use in organic synthesis have been studied.

Background: Cixian county has one of the highest incidence rates of esophageal cancer (EC) in China, as well as the world. In 1974, the Cixian population-based cancer registry system was established, so that there is now information on esophageal cancer cases over almost 30 years., Methods: Data from Cixian Cancer Registry were checked and analyzed using SPSS 11.5., Results: From 1974 to 2002, a total of 18,471 new esophageal cancer cases were registered in Cixian, 11,068 in males and 7,403 in females. The age standardized incidence rate (ASR) for males was 208.77 per 100,000, while for females it was 120.47 per 100,000. There was a clear trend for decrease overall in the incidence rate of esophageal cancer over the 29 years (X(2)=19.94, P<0.001). As to the geographic distribution, the incidence rate in mountainous and hilly areas showed a significant decline (X(2) = 195.00 and X(2) = 46.08, respectively, both P X(2)0.001). Data for esophageal cancer incidence in level land areas in contrast were relatively steadily, with increase in recent years., Conclusion: Esophageal cancer has decreased in Cixian county during the last 29 years, but this is due to change in mountainous and hilly areas. Compared to other regions in the world, Cixian county still has a very high incidence of ECs.

Aim: To characterize the histological types of esophageal and cardiac mucosa by endoscopic survey of a population in a high-risk area of esophageal cancer of China., Methods: A selected cohort of residents in Cixian County during December 2001 and May 2002 was surveyed by using Lugol's staining, followed by computer-based statistical analysis of the data with SPSS 10.0 software., Results: Histologically, the detection rates of squamous epithelial acanthosis, squamous epithelial atrophy, and basal cell hyperplasia in the esophagus were 1.9% (38/2,013), 0.1% (3/2,013) and 0.9% (18/2,013) respectively, and those of mild, moderate, and severe esophagitis were 34.9% (703/2,013), 1.6% (33/2,013) and 0.2% (2/2,013) respectively. Mild, moderate, and severe esophageal dysplasia were detected in 8.6% (172/2,013), 7.8% (157/2,013) and 2.6% (53/2,013) respectively in the selected population, whereas in situ carcinoma, intramucosal carcinoma, invasive squamous carcinoma of the esophagus in 2.5% (50/2,013), 0.2% (4/2,013) and 0.7% (14/2,013) respectively. The detection rates of non-atrophic gastritis and atrophic gastritis of the cardia were 36.3% (730/2,013) and 11.5% (232/2,013) respectively, with mild and severe dysplasia of the cardia detected in 2.5% (51/2,013) and 0.8% (17/2,013), respectively, in this population; the rates of intramucosal adenocarcinoma and invasive adenocarcinoma of the cardia were 0.1% (3/2,013) and 0.8% (17/2,013) respectively. The detection rate of esophageal cancer at early stage was 79.4% (54/68). The survey rate (ratio of examined population to expected population) was 73.8% (2,013/2,725)., Conclusion: Histologic types of the esophageal and cardiac mucosa were characterized by endoscopic survey in a high-risk population of esophageal cancer, which may help the early detection and treatment of esophageal and cardiac cancers and dysplasia, and reduce the mortality of such malignancies.

Aim: To describe the incidence of esophageal cancer (EC) in Cixian, a county of Hebei province during 1974-1996. We analyzed the sex and age characteristics as well as the geographic distribution of EC, in order to determine the impact so that methods of preventing and controlling EC in Cixian can be put in place., Methods: Since the early 1970s, the cancer registry system has been established, which collects the cancer incidence in Cixian county. The malignant tumors were coded according to International Classification of Disease IX (ICD-9). All the data were checked and analyzed using EPIINFO., Results: The trend of the incidence rate of EC from 1974 to 1996 had declined, (229.9/100 000 vs 178.5/100 000, Odds ratio=1.47, 95 % CI:1.32-1.63, chi(2)=52.89. trend chi(2)=26.54, P<0.001). The incidence rate of males declined significantly (281.81/100 000 vs 157.96/100 000, Odds ratio=1.61, 95 % CI: 1.41-1.84, chi(2)=47.85. Trend chi(2)=44.86, P<0.001), whereas, the females remained steady (157.96/100 000 vs 133.41/100 000, odds ratio=1.28, 95 % CI:1.17-1.49, chi(2)=9.26. trend chi(2)=2.69, P>0.05). Male average annual incidence rate was 142.80/100 000 and the female's was 95.18/100 000. The sex ratio (males to females) was 1.50:1. The incidence rate was increasing along with the age. As to the geographic distribution, the incidence rate in mountainous areas and hilly areas showed a significantly declining trend (mountainous areas, trend chi(2)=149.93, P<0.001; hilly areas, trend chi(2)=42.70, P<0.001). The incidence rate of EC in plain areas had increased (trend chi(2)=22.39, P<0.001)., Conclusion: The incidence rate of EC in Cixian county shows a trend and has declined after two decades, especially in mountainous area. But compared to other regions in the world, Cixian county still had a high incidence rate of EC.