Fecal microbiota transplantation for treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease:Mechanism,clinical evidence,and prospect

The population of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)patients along with relevant advanced liver disease is projected to continue growing,because currently no medications are approved for treatment.Fecal microbiota transplantation(FMT)is believed a novel and promising therapeutic approach based on the concept of the gut-liver axis in liver disease.There has been an increase in the number of pre-clinical and clinical studies evaluating FMT in NAFLD treatment,however,existing findings diverge on its effects.Herein,we briefly summarized the mechanism of FMT for NAFLD treatment,reviewed randomized controlled trials for evaluating its efficacy in NAFLD,and proposed the prospect of future trials on FMT.

Nitrogen Deep Placement Combined with Straw Mulch Cultivation Enhances Physiological Traits,Grain Yield and Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Mechanical Pot-Seedling Transplanting Rice

To assess the effects of straw return coupled with deep nitrogen(N)fertilization on grain yield and N use efficiency(NUE)in mechanical pot-seedling transplanting(MPST)rice,the seedlings of two rice cultivars,i.e.,Yuxiangyouzhan and Wufengyou 615 transplanted by MPST were applied with N fertilizer at 150 kg/hm2 and straw return at 6 t/hm2 in early seasons of 2019 and 2020.The experiment comprised of following treatments:CK(no fertilizer and no straw return),MDS(deep N fertilization and straw return),MBS(broadcasting fertilizer and straw return),MD(deep N fertilization without straw return),MB(broadcasting fertilizer without straw return).Results depicted that the MDS treatment significantly increased the rice yield by 41.69%-72.22%due to total above-ground biomass,leaf area index and photosynthesis increased by 54.70%-55.80%,38.52%-52.17%and 17.89%-28.40%,respectively,compared to the MB treatment.In addition,the MDS treatment enhanced the total N accumulation by 37.74%-43.69%,N recovery efficiency by 141.45%-164.65%,N agronomic efficiency by 121.76%-134.19%,nitrate reductase by 46.46%-60.86%and glutamine synthetase by 23.56%-31.02%,compared to the MB treatment.The average grain yield and NUE in both years for Yuxiangyouzhan were higher in the MDS treatment than in the MD treatment.Hence,deep N fertilization combined with straw return can be an innovative technique with improved grain yield and NUE in MPST in South China.

Effects of Mechanized Transplanting and Fertilization Mode on Population Growth and Development of Male Parent in Seed Production of Hybrid Rice

In order to study the effects of mechanized transplanting and fertilization mode on population growth and development of the male parent in seed production of hybrid rice, three male parents, Huazhan, Shuhui 527 and R9311 were selected as materials. The male parents were transplanted by rice transplanter with two kinds of line spacing design, six lines with equal row spacing （20/25 cm x 30 cm） and wide and narrow spacing （20/25 cm x 40, 20 cm）, and artificial transplanting with equal row spacing （20/25 cm x 30 cm） was set as the control. The three fer- tilization modes were applying for one, two and three times. The flowering stage and panicle-spikelet structure of the male parent were investigated. The results showed that the effects of mechanized transplanting and fertilization mode were little on the duration from seeding to heading; the panicles and spikelets of the three male parents were significantly increased by mechanized transplanting. The tiller number was increased by mechanized transplanting and fertilizing for two and three times. Wide and narrow spacing by machine planting and fertilizing for three times were suitable for Huazhan, which significantly increased the number of spikelets per unit area. Furthermore, the number of spikelets per unit area of Shuhui 527 and R9311 were significantly increased by mechanized transplanting and fertilizing for three times.

Effects of Farming and Seedling-raising Methods on Population Growth and Grain Yield of Mechanized Transplanting Rice

The effects of farming method, rice variety and seedling-raising method were studied on the population growth quality and grain yield of the mechanized transplanting rice by way of three-factor split plot design. The results showed that the no-tillage mechanical transplanting treatment was poorer than the conventional mechanical transplanting treatment in transplanting quality in general, but the former was similar to the latter in population growth quality. In regard to grain yield, the no-tillage mechanical transplanting treatment was lower than the conventional me- chanical transplanting treatment. Raising both pot-mat seedling and plastic-tray seedling did not make much difference in population growth and grain yield of mechanized transplanting rice, so both of the seedling-raising methods can be adopted according to practical conditions.

Relationship between intestinal microbiota and ulcerative colitis:Mechanisms and clinical application of probiotics and fecal microbiota transplantation

Ulcerative colitis(UC) is an inflammatory disease that mainly affects the colon and rectum. It is believed that genetic factors, host immune system disorders, intestinal microbiota dysbiosis, and environmental factors contribute to the pathogenesis of UC. however, studies on the role of intestinal microbiota in the pathogenesis of UC have been inconclusive. Studies have shown that probiotics improve intestinal mucosa barrier function and immune system function and promote secretion of anti-inflammatory factors, thereby inhibiting the growth of harmful bacteria in the intestine. Fecal microbiota transplantation(FMT) can reduce bowel permeability and thus the severity of disease by increasing the production of short-chain fatty acids, especially butyrate, which help maintain the integrity of the epithelial barrier. FMT can also restore immune dysbiosis by inhibiting Th1 differentiation, activity of T cells, leukocyte adhesion, and production of inflammatory factors. Probiotics and FMT are being increasingly used to treat UC, but their use is controversial because of uncertain efficacy. Here, we briefly review the role of intestinal microbiota in thepathogenesis and treatment of UC.

Immunological mechanisms of fecal microbiota transplantation in recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection

Fecal microbiota transplantation(FMT)is a successful method for treating recurrent Clostridioides difficile(C.difficile)infection(rCDI)with around 90%efficacy.Due to the relative simplicity of this approach,it is being widely used and currently,thousands of patients have been treated with FMT worldwide.Nonetheless,the mechanisms underlying its effects are just beginning to be understood.Data indicate that FMT effectiveness is due to a combination of microbiological direct mechanisms against C.difficile,but also through indirect mechanisms including the production of microbiota-derived metabolites as secondary bile acids and short chain fatty acids.Moreover,the modulation of the strong inflammatory response triggered by C.difficile after FMT seems to rely on a pivotal role of regulatory T cells,which would be responsible for the reduction of several cells and soluble inflammatory mediators,ensuing normalization of the intestinal mucosal immune system.In this minireview,we analyze recent advances in these immunological aspects associated with the efficacy of FMT.

Immune mechanisms of ischemia-reperfusion injury in transplantation

All allografts suffer a number of unavoidable ischemic insults. These, starting with brain death and ending with reperfusion, are very troublesome, as ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) is demonstrated to be a major cause of allograft damage in various types of transplantations. To counter the threat this poses to allograft function, investigators have worked diligently over the past decades in clinical settings and in the laboratory to understand the pathophysiology and immune mechanism underlying IRI hoping to ultimately devise strategies that lessen its detrimental effects on allografts. Herein, we review the major immune components of the IRI dynamic process. Better understanding of the cellular pathophysiological processes underlying IRI will hopefully result in the design of more targeted therapies to prevent the injury, hasten repair, and minimize chronic progressive allograft damage.

Progress of mechanical perfusion in split liver transplantation

Split liver transplantation is an essential means which expand the donor pool currently and the two livers obtained after splitting are marginal donor livers.The adoption of Static Cold Storage during allocation and preservation leads to a higher cold ischemia time,thus increasing the occurrence of related postoperative complications,which limits the further development of split-liver transplantation.Mechanical perfusion as a complement to split liver transplantation can minimize the damage to the marginal donor liver during preservation and reduce the occurrence of ischemia-reperfusion.At present,mechanical perfusion has achieved better efficacy in other types of marginal donor liver transplantation such as DCD,elderly donor liver,fatty liver,and so on.In recent years,mechanical perfusion has also shown great potential for application in split-liver transplantation,and limited clinical studies have shown outstanding therapeutic effects.Therefore,this paper will summarize the research progress and mechanisms related to the application of mechanical perfusion in split liver transplantation in order to promote the application of mechanical perfusion in split liver transplantation and reduce the damage of the organ during preservation.

Tillering Characteristics of Different Varieties of Double-season Rice under Different Mechanical Transplanting Modes

A total of 8 early-season and late-season rice varieties with different growth periods were selected, and their tillering characteristics under wide-narrow row and equal row .transplanting modes were studied. The results showed that the length of slow growth phase was related to the performance of transplanter; the ef- fect of mechanical transplanting on tillering of early-season rice was greater than that of late-season rice; Compared with late-season rice, early-season rice showed later tillering and longer tillering period; the tiller number per plant and effective panicle number per plant differed greatly among different varieties of double-season rice; under the condition of same transplanting density, the tillers of rice under wide- narrow row transplanting mode appeared rapidly and disappeared slowly, and wide- narrow row transplanting mode improved tillering, effective panicle number and yield of rice; different varieties of double-season rice showed different adaptability to me- chanical transplanting, and the varieties with short growth period, strong tilledng a- bility and more effective panicles per plant were more suitable for mechanical trans- planting; the effect of mechanical transplanting on rejuvenation of rice could be im- proved by improving the performance of transplanter.

Effect of Seedling Raising Methods on Leaf Photosynthesis and Grain Yield of Mechanically-transplanted Japonica Rice

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of seedling raising modes on photosynthetic charactedsticsand grain yield under wheat straw returning. Four representative cultivars in Huaibei area were selected as test materials. By setting potted seedlings and carpet seedlings, the effects of different nursery meth- ods on the photosynthesis of rice at different growth stages in Huaibei area were investigated. Compared with carpet seedlings, the leaf area index of potted seedlings decreased at the maturation stage, but the dry weight of leaf shewed no significant difference.The SPAD of potted seedlings had an increasing trend after transplanting, but the SPAD increased differently according to cultivars. The net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance and transpiration rate of the leaves of pot seeding rice were significantly higher than those of carpet seedling rice on the 85^th d after transplanting. However, theintracellular CO2 concentration and water use efficiency of leaves had no significant differences between different ＇treatments. The results indicate that the photosynthetic capacity of flag leaves of pot seedling rice is stronger in early and middle stages, but the decay rate of photosynthetic function is slightly faster than carpet seedling rice, which might be the main reason for the rice yield of potted seedlings having no remarkable difference from carpet seedlings.

Major Physiological Characters of Different Double Cropping Rice Varieties by Different Mechanical Transplanting Methods

The research selected 16 rice varieties（8 early and 8 late double-cropping rice） by mechanical transplanting modes as per equivalent row and wide-narrow row to explore yield and physiological traits in order to provide references for selection of rice variety suitable for mechanical transplanting. The results showed that yields of early and late rice improved by 2.90% and 2.73% by mechanical transplanting as per equivalent row and wide-narrow row respectively. Besides, leaf area index in the treatment as per wide-narrow row was higher compared with the treatment as per equivalent row, as well as average photosynthetic potential which grew by 0.92%,3.99% and 5.64% of early from tillering-peak stage to mature stage and 3.46%,7.09% and 6.79% of late rice. Furthermore, by mechanical transplanting as per wide-narrow row, SPAD value, and root activity performer higher, as well as the number of differentiated branch and glumous flowers, but degradation rate showed lower. In addition, with mechanical transplanting the same, early rice Zhuliangyou819 and late rice Fengyuanyou 299 took advantages in yield, which can be priorities for mechanical transplanting in double-cropping areas in Jiangxi Province.

Effects of Mechanical Sowing and Transplanting on Characteristics of Dry Matter Production in Middle-season Hybrid Rice

To clarify the effects of mechanical sowing and transplanting on dry mat- ter production of middle-season hybrid rice, a two-factor split plot design was used to study the effects of different sowing and transplanting methods and their interac- tion with the seedling number per hill or seeding time on dry matter accumulation, distribution and transformation of F You 498, a middle-season hybrid rice variety, under field conditions in 2012 and 2013. The results showed that there was a marked effect of the sowing and transplanting methods and their interaction with the seedling number per hill or seeding time on dry matter accumulation, distribution and transformation. The total population dry matter accumulation of the treatments with mechanical direct seeding （MDS） and machine-based transplanting （MT） was lower than that of the treatment with traditional manual transplanting （TMT）. How- ever, MDS had higher dry matter accumulation and accumulating rate in the joint- ing-earing stage,and maintained higher stem-sheath exportation, export rate and transformation than MT and TMT; MT had higher dry matter accumulation and ac- cumulating rate in the heading-maturity period than MDS and TMT. Moreover, the treatments with low seedling number per hill or early seeding enhanced the assimi- lation of dry matter after heading,the ratio of dry matter accumulation after earing to biomass yield and the contribution rate of dry matter accumulation after earing, and a reasonable early sowing was favorable to increase the harvest index of middle- season hybrid rice under mechanical sowing and transplanting conditions.

Hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury in liver transplant setting:mechanisms and protective strategies

Hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury is a major cause of liver transplant failure,and is of increasing significance due to increased use of expanded criteria livers for transplantation.This review summarizes the mechanisms and protective strategies for hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury in the context of liver transplantation.Pharmacological therapies,the use of pre-and post-conditioning and machine perfusion are discussed as protective strategies.The use of machine perfusion offers significant potential in the reconditioning of liver grafts and the prevention of hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury,and is an exciting and active area of research,which needs more study clinically.

Comparison of yield traits in rice among three mechanized planting methods in a rice-wheat rotation system

Understanding the differences in yield traits of rice among pothole seedling of mechanical transplanting （PSMT）, carpet seedling of mechanical transplanting （CSMT） and mechanical direct seeding （MDS） is of great importance not only for rice scientists but also for rice farmers to develop a high-yield production system under mechanical conditions in a rice-wheat rotation system. However, such traits are yet to be studied among rice varieties ofjaponica-indica hybrid rice （JIHR）,japonica conventional rice （JCR） and indica hybrid rice （IHR）. Field experiments were conducted in 2014 and 2015, where six cultivars of the three rice types JIHR, JCR and IHR were grown individually with PSMT, CSMT and MDS methods, under respective managements for each method to achieve the maximum attainable yield. Results showed that （i） the PSMT significantly increased grain yield of JIHR by 22.0 and 7.1%, of JCR by 15.6 and 3.7% and of I HR by 22.5 and 7.4%, compared to MDS and CSMT on average across the two years, respectively. The highest yield was produced by the combination of JIHR and PSMT; （ii） high yield under PSMT was mainly attributed to large sink capacity and high-efficient dry matter accumulation. With sufficient panicles per hectare, the increase of spikelet number per panicle, especially the increase in spikelet number of the secondary rachis-branches was determined to be the optimal approach for developing a large sink capacity for rice under PSMT. The optimal tillers development, large leaf area index at heading stage, and high leaf area duration, crop growth rate and net assimilation rate during grain-filling phase could be the cause of sufficient dry matter accumulation for rice under PSMT; （iii） moreover, the PSMT favored plant growth as well as enriched the stems plus sheaths during grain-filling phase, as compared with CSMT and MDS. These results suggest that PSMT may be an alternative approach to increasing grain yield in a rice-wheat rotation system in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River in China.

Comparison of agronomic performance between inter-sub-specific hybrid and inbred japonica rice under different mechanical transplanting methods

Mechanical transplanting has been applied to rice cultivation to save labor costs and ease labor shortages in Asian countries, especially in China. However, little information is available related to the characteristics of agronomic performance when comparing inter-sub-specific hybrid rice(IHR) and inbred japonica rice(IJR) under mechanical transplanting method. In 2013 and 2014, field experiments were conducted using IHR(Yongyou 2640) and IJR(Wuyunjing 24) under two cultivation patterns, that is, pot seedlings mechanically transplanted(PS) and carpet seedlings mechanically transplanted(CS). Grain yield, yield components, leaf area index(LAI), leaf area duration(LAD), aboveground biomass, crop growth rate(CGR), nitrogen(N) uptake, and N accumulation were investigated. When compared with CS, PS displayed significantly increased grain yield for both varieties because the larger sink size allowed higher N accumulation from panicle initiation to maturity. Moreover, total aboveground biomass under PS increased significantly compared with that under CS; that is, higher photosynthetic productivity resulted from a greater LAI and higher LAD during the grain filling stage. Higher N absorption capacity in the middle and late growth periods resulted in significantly enhanced total N uptake under PS. When compared with IJR for both treatments, IHR generated 75.2% more grain yield. However, the characteristics creating high yield of IHR were different from those of IJR. Greater aboveground biomass production as well as higher N uptake and accumulation created higher grain yield in IHR than in IJR. These results suggest higher yield could be achieved using PS with IHR, attributing to exploit both yield superiority and productive potential.

Reducing environmental risk of nitrogen by popularizing mechanically dense transplanting for rice production in China

The high nitrogen(N)application rates typically used in Chinese cropping systems have led to diminishing returns for yields and have also imposed substantial environmental costs.Here,we estimate that the annual N loss from rice production in China reached approximately 2.6×109 kg from 2011 to 2015,and we demonstrate that adoption of the mechanically dense transplanting technique by producers is an effective method to reduce N loss from rice cropping systems without suffering a yield penalty.

Critical Yield Factors for Achieving High Grain Yield in Early-Season Rice Grown under Mechanical Transplanting Conditions

Double-season rice cropping systems occupy a large portion of the rice production area in southern China.Because the problem of insufficient labor,mechanical transplanting(in contrast to the manual transplanting)was become more attractive in double-season rice system.However,the decisive yield factors which resulting in high grain yield of early-season rice are unclear under mechanical-transplanted conditions.In present study,the field experiments were conducted in the early season in 2017 and repeated in 2018 in Santang Town,Hunan Province,China.Ten early season rice cultivars(Zhuliangyou 819,Lingliangyou 268,Lingliangyou 104,Luliangyou 996,Xiangzaoxian 24,Xiangzaoxian 32,Xiangzaoxian 45,Xiangzaoxian 42,Zhongjiazao 17,and Zhongzao 39)were used as materials in this study.The difference in grain yield and closely-related agronomic and physiological traits of ten tested cultivars were compared.The range of yields(t ha^(–1) at 86%dry matter)in 2017 was 6.2 to 8.7(mean 7.8)and in 2018 was 6.5 to 8.4(mean 7.8).Grain weight and pre-heading biomass accumulation had potent significant positive correlations with the grain yield.The greater pre-heading biomass accumulation was major attributed to higher apparent radiation use efficiency.Our results suggested that early-season rice cultivars to achieve the high grain yield in mechanical-transplanted conditions depends on apparent radiation use efficiency in the pre-heading period and higher grain weight.

Optimal timing of same-admission orthotopic heart transplantation after left ventricular assist device implantation

AIM To investigate the impact of timing of same-admission orthotopic heart transplant(OHT) after left ventricular assist device(LVAD) implantation on in-hospital mortality and post-transplant length of stay.METHODS Using data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample from 1998 to 2011, we identified patients 18 years of age or older who underwent implantation of a LVAD and for whom the procedure date was available. We calculated in-hospital mortality for those patients who underwent OHT during the same admission as a function of time from LVAD to OHT, adjusting for age, sex, race, household income, and number of comorbid diagnoses. Finally, we analyzed the effect of time to OHT after LVAD implantation on the length of hospital stay post-transplant.RESULTS Two thousand and two hundred patients underwent implantation of a LVAD in this cohort. One hundred and sixty-four(7.5%) patients also underwent OHT duringthe same admission, which occurred on average 32 d(IQR 7.75-66 d) after LVAD implantation. Of patients who underwent OHT, patients who underwent transplantation within 7 d of LVAD implantation("early") experienced increased in-hospital mortality(26.8% vs 12.2%, P = 0.0483) compared to patients who underwent transplant after 8 d("late"). There was no statistically significant difference in age, sex, race, household income, or number of comorbid diagnoses between the early and late groups. Post-transplant length of stay after LVAD implantation was also not significantly different between patients who underwent early vs late OHT. CONCLUSION In this cohort of patients who received LVADs, the rate of in-hospital mortality after OHT was lower for patients who underwent late OHT(at least 8 d after LVAD implantation) compared to patients who underwent early OHT. Delayed timing of OHT after LVAD implantation did not correlate with longer hospital stays post-transplant.

Gut Microbiota Modulation:A Viable Strategy to Address Medical Needs in Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Liver Transplantation

Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is the most common malignancy of the liver,posing a significant threat to public health.Although liver transplantation(LT)is an effective treatment for HCC,ischemia–reperfusion(I/R)injury,transplant rejection,and complications after LT can greatly reduce its effectiveness.In recent years,transplant oncology has come into being,a comprehensive discipline formed by the intersection and integration of surgery,oncology,immunology,and other related disciplines.Gut microbiota,an emerging field of research,also plays a crucial role.Through the microbiome–gut–liver axis,the gut microbiota has an impact on the onset and progression of HCC as well as LT.This review summarizes the mechanisms by which the gut microbiota affects HCC and its bidirectional interactions with chronic liver disease that can develop into HCC as well as the diagnostic and prognostic value of the gut microbiota in HCC.In addition,gut microbiota alterations after LT were reviewed,and the relationship between the gut microbiota and liver I/R injury,the efficacy of immunosuppressive drugs used,and complications after LT were discussed.In the era of LT oncology,the role of the gut microbiota in HCC and LT should be emphasized,which can provide new insights into the management of HCC and LT via gut microbiota modulation.

Intensive care outcomes in adult hematopoietic stem cell transplantation patients

Although outcomes of intensive care for patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(HSCT)have improved in the last two decades, the short-term mortality still remains above 50% among allogeneic HSCT patients. Better selection of HSCT patients for intensive care, and consequently reduction of nonbeneficial care, may reduce financial costs and alleviate patient suffering. We reviewed the studies on intensive care outcomes of patients undergoing HSCT published since 2000. The risk factors for intensive care unit(ICU) admission identified in this report were primarily patient and transplant related: HSCT type(autologous vs allogeneic), conditioning intensity, HLA mismatch, and graft-versus-host disease(GVHD). At the same time, most of the factors associated with ICU outcomes reported were related to the patients' functional status upon development of critical illness and interventions in ICU. Among the many possible interventions, the initiation of mechanical ventilation was the most consistently reported factor affecting ICU survival. As a consequence, our current ability to assess the benefit or futility of intensive care is limited. Until better ICU or hospital mortality prediction models are available, based on the available evidence, we recommend practitioners to base their ICU admission decisions on: Patient pretransplant comorbidities, underlying disease status, GVHD diagnosis/grade, and patients' functional status at the time of critical illness.