Ecological Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals Pollution in Soil and Lotus Seeds in Xiangtan Lotus Planting Area

In order to study the pollution characteristics and potential ecological risks of heavy metals in soil of Xiangtan lotus planting area,the contents of Mn,Cu,As,Cd,Pb and Cr in soil and lotus seeds were analyzed in six main lotus planting areas.The comprehensive potential ecological risks of heavy metals in soil were evaluated by the potential ecological hazard index.The results showed that Cd concentration(mean value)was higher than the risk screening value and lower than the risk control value,and other heavy metals were lower or close to the risk screening value.The ecological risks of each element from large to small were Cd,Pb,As,Cu,Cr and Mn.The average value of the comprehensive ecological hazard index of the six sites was 224.7,which was a medium level of pollution risk.The lotus seeds corresponding to each site were also polluted by heavy metals to a certain extent,and Cd and Pb in the seeds exceeded the standard.Through the above analysis,the heavy metals in the soil of the lotus planting area presented a medium ecological risk.In order to ensure the safety of lotus production,it is necessary to strengthen the soil testing and management in the lotus planting area.

Cheyne-Stokes Respiration in Heart Failure Is Not a Therapeutic Target: A Lesson from CANPAP, SERVE-HF and ADVENT-HF Trials (Letter to the Editor)

Letter to the Editor.

Overcoming the biofilm barrier by cell-like microbubbles for the treatment of biofilm-associated implant infections

Although the advent of antibiotics has significantly improved the quality of life of infected patients,bacterial infections continue to pose a serious threat to public health[1,2].According to a recent report,within the next 30 years,bacterial infections are projected to surpass cancer in terms of lethality rates,resulting in an alarming 10 million deaths annually by 2050 due to the development of bacterial resistance[3].Moreover,the formation of bacterial biofilms hampers the penetration of antibacterial agents and inhibits the host immune response,making biofilm infections extremely challenging to treat[4-7].Hence,the development of innovative antimicrobial biofilm therapeutics is imperative.

Plantations of native shrub species restore soil microbial diversity in the Horqin Sandy Land, northeastern China

Caragana microphylla Lam., a leguminous shrub species, plays an important role in revegetation in the degraded ecosystems of the Horqin Sandy Land, Northeastern China. Large areas planted with this shrub have been artificially established as sand binders for soil protection, which might change the composition of soil bacterial communities with the development of sand dune stabilization. In this paper, we investigated the diversity and composition of native soil bacterial communities in the C. microphylla plantation for sand fixation using polymerase chain reaction with denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis（PCR-DGGE） to understand the influence of this plantation on sandy soil ecosystem development. We collected soil samples from plantations with an age sequence of 0, 9, 16, and 26 years, as well as from the natural community, to identify the differences among soil bacterial communities. The result showed that bacterial abundance and community composition in the sandy land were affected by the age of the C. microphylla plantation. Moreover, bacterial diversity decreased with increasing plantation age, and the composition of the bacterial community in the 26-year plantation was similar to that in the natural community. Phylogenetic analysis of bands excised from the DGGE gels showed that members of alpha Proteobacterium, gamma Proteobacterium, Gemmatimonadetes and Chloroflexi were dominant in the sandy land. The stabilization of moving sand dune and development of sand-fixed plantation resulted in an increase of soil fertility, which could drive the structural evolvement of soil bacterial community, and it needs over 20 years for the soil bacterial community to form a stable structure, similar to the case for the natural vegetation.

Problems and Instruction Needed in Relation to Nursing Students’ Handling of Patient Information—From a Survey of Nurses Coordinating Clinical Practicums in Japan

The purpose of this study was to clarify and consider the instruction that is needed in relation to nursing students’ handling of patient information, as felt by the people in charge of student clinical practicums in hospitals. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 7 people in charge of organizing practicums at hospitals where they are carried out. These subjects were asked about problems they had experienced in relation to nursing students’ handling of patient information and the instruction that is needed so that problems related to nursing students’ handling of information do not occur. Various problems were shown to occur in relation to nursing students’ handling of patient information, such as handling the information outside of the practicum setting. Many students receive no instruction with regard to the ethics of handling patient information in their classroom work, and their awareness regarding information is cannot be considered high, indicating the need for more consistent and reliable education in this area. The findings also suggest that instruction is needed with regard to the handling of sensitive information in accordance with the circumstances of individual patients.

The current state of, and outstanding issues relating to, nursing diagnosis, as taught in basic nursing education in Japan <br>—Based on a questionnaire study implemented by nursing universities—

This report attempts to ascertain the current state of, and outstanding issues relating to, nursing diagnosis, as taught in nursing education in Japan, and to obtain basic resources that will allow the improvement of said nursing diagnosis training. A self-completed, anonymous survey was carried out in regard to teaching staff responsible for classes in “nursing process” or “nursing diagnosis” at 183 university institutions involved in nursing education nationwide. Responses were received from 82 people, which clarified the following three points. 1) Of the 63 universities teaching nursing process as an independent subject, approximately 62% included nursing diagnosis. 2) A diverse range of educational materials were used in nursing diagnosis training, including NANDA-I nursing diagnosis. 3) In implementing nursing process using nursing diagnosis, issues raised included the following: the limitations of education “on paper”, using theoretical patients, insufficient skills among teaching staff, the difficulty of realizing practical training in a clinical setting, and the tendency to try to make a simple diagnosis fit the circumstances. In the future, this study suggests that it may be important to create a set of guidelines guaranteeing a minimum level of educational content in relation to nursing diagnosis, which must be learned before graduation.

The current situation and issues there of related to nursing care at the time of medical examinations for children with developmental disabilities including autism

The objective of this study is to clarify the details regarding nursing care that is currently provided in terms of the situation regarding medical examinations for children with developmental disabilities and to discuss necessary nursing care. I conducted semi-structured interviews among 13 parents brining up children with developmental disabilities and analyzed the content of verbatim reports both qualitatively and functionally. Regarding those situations when they feel difficult at the time of undergoing medical examinations at the medical institute, the following four categories were extracted: painful treatment;difficulty in predicting;difficulty in communicating;and trouble in the waiting room. Regarding nursing care felt necessary at the time of undergoing medical examinations, the following six categories were extracted: technique while suppressing pain to a minimum;involvement in providing perspective;adjustment of surrounding environment;provision of opportunities to get acclimatized;provision of warm support;and understanding of patient characteristics. Many difficulties regarding medical examinations were revealed and it was found that they have concerns with regard to health management. It has been suggested that it is important to adjust the surrounding environment during medical examinations.

Metabolites isolated from Penicillium HDS-Z-1E, an endophytic fungal strain isolated from Taxus cuspidata and their activation effect of catalase

Objective:To study the compounds isolated from Penicillium HDS-Z-1E,an endophytic fungal strain isolated from Taxus cuspidata and their activation effect of catalase(CAT).Methods:The chemical constituents were isolated from Penicillium HDS-Z-1E,by using silica gel,Sephadex LH-20 and HPLC.The structural elucidations of five metabolites were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic including 1 H-NMR,13C-NMR,HMBC and HSQC.Their activation sites of catalase have been investigated by molecular docking.Results:Five metabolites,compounds(1–5)were isolated from Penicillium HDS-Z-1E and identified as 4-hydroxy-4-methyltetrahydro-2H-pyran-2-one(1),4-hydroxymethyl-5,6-dihydro-pyran-2-one(2),5,6-dihydro-2-oxo-2H-pyran-4-carboxylic(3),N-acetyl-hydrazinobenzoic acid(4),and methyl 2-(2,5-dihydroxyphenyl)acetate(5).Conclusion:Compound 3 is a new compound.Compounds 3 and 4 may have potential activators of catalase,providing a theoretical basis for the development of CAT activators.

Exogenous electric field to accelerate wound healing

Wound healing is a critical physiological process in living organisms that includes repair cell proliferation and migration,etc.[1,2].While effective wound-healing treatment strategies have been developed in the past,few have actively controlled the behavior of skin cells to accelerate wound healing[3,4].The importance of accelerated wound healing lies in its ability to shorten treatment time,reduce the risk of infection,and lower the cost of treatment.Electrical stimulation can modulate cell behavior during wound healing by simulating endogenous electric fields,boosting cell migration,fibroblast proliferation,and granulation tissue growth more significantly than traditional methods[5-7].However,electrical stimulation devices’size,space limitations,and unsustainability make them challenging to use in clinical surgery,hindering real-time and convenient treatment.It is therefore crucial to explore the miniaturization of electrical stimulation devices to advance the healing of skin wounds in clinical procedures.Recently,Chen et al.report a flexible micro-Zn-MnO2(mZMB)battery-based woundplast for wound management,which shows a promising path in biomedical applications(Figure 1)[8].

Self-Powered Implantable Skin-Like Glucometer for Real-Time Detection of Blood Glucose Level In Vivo

Implantable bioelectronics for analyzing physiological biomarkers has recently been recognized as a promising technique in medical treatment or diagnostics. In this study, we developed a self-powered implantable skinlike glucometer for real-time detection of blood glucose level in vivo. Based on the piezo-enzymatic-reaction coupling effect of GOx@ZnO nanowire, the device under an applied deformation can actively output piezoelectric signal containing the glucose-detecting information. No external electricity power source or battery is needed for this device, and the outputting piezoelectric voltage acts as both the biosensing signal and electricity power. A practical application of the skin-like glucometer implanted in mouse body for detecting blood glucose level has been simply demonstrated. These results provide a new technique path for diabetes prophylaxis and treatment.

Characterization of ploidy levels in Chrysanthemum L. by flow cytometry

Analyzing the ploidy levels of plants is important for identifying species, selecting parental lines, identifying the relationships between species, and determining evolutionary patterns. The genus Chrysanthemum is widely distributed throughout the world and exhibits different ploidy levels. We used flow cytometry to analyze the ploidy levels of nine species of Chrysanthemum L. collected from different regions and geographical locations in China. Three diploids from Henan and Wuhan provinces corresponded to Chrysanthe- mum lavandulifolium and two species of C. nankingense, while three tetraploids from various regions corresponded to C. indicum and two species of C. chanetii. Two hexaploids corresponding to C. vestitum were collected at Funiu moun- tain （Henan province）, and C. zawadskii was collected at Huangshan mountain （Anhui province）. We found that OTTO extraction buffer was suitable for extracting nuclei from most species, apart from C. zawadskii. Flow cytometry proved to bea simple, rapid, and highly accurate method for identifying ploidy levels in Chrysanthemum species.

DNA vaccines targeting amyloid-βoligomer ameliorate cognitive deficits of aged APP/PS1/tau triple-transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease

The amyloid-β(Aβ)oligomer,rather than the Aβmonomer,is considered to be the primary initiator of Alzheimer’s disease.It was hypothesized that p(Aβ3-10)10-MT,the recombinant Aβ3-10 gene vaccine of the Aβoligomer has the potential to treat Alzheimer’s disease.In this study,we intramuscularly injected the p(Aβ3-10)10-MT vaccine into the left hindlimb of APP/PS1/tau triple-transgenic mice,which are a model for Alzheimer’s disease.Our results showed that the p(Aβ3-10)10-MT vaccine effectively reduced Aβoligomer levels and plaque deposition in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus,decreased the levels tau protein variants,reduced synaptic loss,protected synaptic function,reduced neuron loss,and ameliorated memory impairment without causing any cerebral hemorrhaging.Therefore,this novel DNA vaccine,which is safe and highly effective in mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease,holds a lot of promise for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease in humans.

Protective effect of active ingredient of Ferula sinkiangensis on global cerebral ischemia-reperfusion mice

OBJECTIVE Learning and memory impairment is one of the common sequelae of stroke patients,which is called"post-stroke dementia"and seriously affects the quality of life of the patients.For post-stroke dementia,there is still no effective clinical treatment.In the present study,we aim to investigate the effect of the active ingredient of Ferula sinkiangensis,AW09,on global cerebral ischemia-reperfusion mice.METHODS The bilateral common carotid artery occlusion(BCCAO)reperfusion model was used to investigate the protective effect of AW09 on cognitive dysfunction in mice with global cerebral ischemia reperfusion.Y-maze and Morris water maze were used to test the learning and memory ability of mice.RESULTS Y-maze test showed that AW09 treatment significantly increased the spontaneous alternation rate of BCCAO model animals and had no significant effect on the total number of arm entries.The results of Morris water maze showed that AW09 significantly reduced the escape latency of BCCAO mice during the training period.During the probe test phase,AW09 significantly increased the swimming time in target quadrant,distance in target quadrant and number of platform crossings and decreased the swimming time in the quadrant opposite the target quadrant of BCCAO mice.CONCLUSION AW09,the active ingredient of Ferula sinkiangensis,can improve working memory impairment and spatial memory impairment in animals with global cerebral ischemia-reperfusion,suggesting that AW09 has poten⁃tial therapeutic value for cognitive dysfunction caused by global cerebral ischemia.

Visual Perception of Incomplete Human-Like Body Postures: A Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Study

Previous studies have reported that the mirror neuron system plays a crucial role in social cognition. We examined whether the higher-order cognitive functions are involved in the activations in the mirror neuron area when we perceive simplified pseudo-postures. We measured 14 participants’ brain activation during the posture-recognition task using near-infrared spectroscopy. The participants’ task was to observe five sequentially presented target pseudo-postures and judge whether a test pseudo-posture was identical to one of the preceding five target pseudo-postures. The results in the majority of participants (n = 10/14) revealed that the activity in the inferior frontal mirror neuron area is modulated by perception of human-likeness, but not in the remaining four participants (n = 4/14). These results suggest that the degree of the activation of higher-order cognitive functions, which may be engaged in the inhibitory and/or facilitative processing of human body or bodily movement, leads to the distinctive activities in the inferior frontal mirror neuron area.

Substrate specificity of avian influenza H5N1 neuraminidase

AIM: To characterise neuraminidase(NA) substrate specificity of avian influenza H5N1 strains from humans and birds comparing to seasonal influenza virus.METHODS: Avian influenza H5N1 strains from humans and birds were recruited for characterising their NA substrate specificity by using a modified commercial fluorescence Amplex Red assay. This method can identify the preference of α2,6-linked sialic acid or α2,3-linked sialic acid. Moreover, to avoid the bias of input virus, reverse genetic virus using NA gene from human isolated H5N1 were generated and used to compare with the seasonal influenza virus. Lastly, the substrate specificity profile was further confirmed by high-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) analysis of the enzymatic product. RESULTS: The H5N1 NA showed higher activity on α2,3-linked sialic acid than α2,6-linked(P < 0.0001). To compare the NA activity between the H5N1 and seasonal influenza viruses, reverse genetic viruses carrying the NA of H5N1 viruses and NA from a seasonal H3N2 virus was generated. In these reverse genetic viruses, the NA activity of the H5N1 showed markedly higher activity against α2,3-linked sialic acid than that of the H3N2 virus, whereas the activities on α2,6-linkage were comparable. Interestingly, NA from an H5N1 human isolate that was previously shown to have heamagglutinin(HA) with dual specificity showed reduced activity on α2,3-linkage. To confirm the substrate specificity profile, HPLC analytic of enzymatic product was performed. Similar to Amplex red assay, H5N1 virus showed abundant preference on α2,3-linked sialic acid.CONCLUSION: H5N1 virus maintains the avian specific NA and NA changes may be needed to accompany changes in HA receptor preference for the viral adaptation to humans.

The Effect of Material Surface Microstructure on the Enhancement of Bone-Bonding Ability of a Hydroxyapatite-Implant by Low-Intensity Pulsed Ultrasound (LIPUS)

Excellent firm bonding between the biomaterials and bone tissue (osseointegration and osteo-conductivity) has been desired for the stability in vivo of dental implants and artificial joints. Much has been learned about this concept, which has led to significant improvements in the design and surface modification of implants in the field of implant dentistry, orthopedic surgery. We have already reported that low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) irradiation can accelerate the bone bonding ability of the bio-conductive materials such as bioactive titanium and hydroxyapatite implant. However, it is still unclear whether the LIPUS could have same effect to different types of the bioactive-materials. Therefore, in this study, the differences of bone-like hydroxyapatite formation on some kind of hydroxyapatite surface in simulated body fluid (SBF) under the LIPUS irradiation were investigated. Two kinds of hydroxyapatite samples immersed in SBF was exposed to ultrasound waves, the bone-like apatite on the surface was analyzed by Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. As a result, the enhancement of hydroxyapatite formation on the surface by LIPUS was confirmed, the initial epitaxial nucleation and crystal growth of apatite depended on crystal structure of the surface of matrix materials.

Down-regulation of protein kinase C alpha/ezrin signals in light-induced phagocytic crisis of retinal pigment epithelium cells

AIM： To investigate the roles of PKC-α/ezrin signals in phagocytosis crisis of retinal pigment epithelium（RPE） cells in light damage model. METHODS： Light induced mice RPE injury model was established by continuously irradiating cool white light at different exposure time（0, 4, 8h light intensity： 4.18×10^-6 J/cm^2）. In vitro, human ARPE-19 cells treated with the doses and intensity（1.57×10^-6 J/cm^2） of laser irradiation. Histology analysis was evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin（HE） staining. In vivo RPE phagocytosis was quantified by measuring the accumulation of photoreceptor outer segments in the sub-retinal space. In vitro RPE phagocytosis was assessed by calculating the relative fluorescence intensity of FITC-labeled microspheres in ARPE-19 cells. To further investigate the molecular mechanism, the activation of PKC-α/ezrin signal was evaluated by Western blot in vivo and in vitro.RESULTS： HE staining revealed that the thickness of outer nuclear layer decreased significantly after 4 and 8h light exposure. By immunostaining with rhodopsin, a significant greater accumulation of photoreceptor outer segment was noticed after light injury. In vitro, light injuredRPE cells had less phagocytic activity in a dose dependent manner than that of the normal control（P〈0.01）. Western blot suggested the activation of PKC-α/ezrin signaling was down-regulated in a dose-dependent manner after light exposure. CONCLUSION： Our data suggest that light induced phagocytic crisis of RPE cells may result from the downregulation of PKC-α/ezrin signaling.

TMED2 Induces Cisplatin Resistance in Breast Cancer via Targeting the KEAP1-Nrf2 Pathway

Objective Cisplatin is the first-line treatment for breast cancer,but it faces challenges of drug resistance.This study investigated new molecular mechanisms underlying cisplatin resistance in breast cancer.Methods We analyzed sequencing data from the TCGA database to identify potential associations between transmembrane emp24 protein transport domain containing 2(TMED2)and breast cancer.Western blotting,real-time PCR,CCK-8,and TUNEL assays were used to measure the effects and molecular mechanism of TMED2 on cisplatin resistance in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines.Results TMED2 was overexpressed in breast cancer and associated with poor prognosis.TMED2 increased cisplatin resistance in breast cancer cells in vitro via promoting ubiquitination of Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1(KEAP1),relieving inhibition of KEAP1 on nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2(Nrf2),and increasing expression of downstream drug resistance related genes,such as heme oxygenase 1(HO-1)and NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase 1(NQO1).Conclusion We identified a new molecular mechanism by which TMED2 affects cisplatin resistance in breast cancer.Our results provide theoretical guidance for future clinical applications.

EBV-associated lymphoproliferative disease post-CAR-T cell therapy

Epstein–Barr virus(EBV)-associated lymphoproliferative diseases(EBV-LPDs)are common complications that occur after solid organ transplantation or allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation(HSCT).However,their occurrence and treatment post-chimeric antigen receptor-modified T(CAR-T)cell therapy has not been reported.Two patients had been diagnosed with EBV-positive aggressive B-cell lymphoma and experienced relapses after multiple lines of treatment.After receiving CAR-T cell therapy in tandem with autologous HSCT,the patients achieved complete remission.However,with a median time of 38.5 months after CAR-T cell therapy,B-cell-derived EBV-LPDs were diagnosed,and they were relieved through the administration of immune checkpoint inhibitor or B-cell-depleting agents.Collectively,our report suggests that EBV-LPDs may represent a long-term adverse event after CAR-T cell therapy,especially in patients who previously had EBV-positive disorders,and they can be resolved by immune normalization strategy or B-cell depleting therapy.

Cyclooxygenase-2 is critical for the propagation of β-amyloid protein and reducing the glycosylation of tau in Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s disease(AD)is generally believed to be caused by the production ofβ-amyloid protein(Aβ),and hyperphosphorylation of tau,which are deposited inβ-amyloid plaques(APs)and neurofibrillary tangles(NFTs),respectively.However,the inherent reasons for their propagation and deposition remain unknown.In light of our prior works,magnesium(Mg2+)deficiency is critical for the onset of AD.1 In addition,the restoration of Mg2+in the brain reduces neuroinflammation by suppressing the expression of interleukin(IL)-1β,1 which decreases Aβoverload in an APH-1α/1β-dependent mechanism.2 In this regard,inflammation is the target of Mg2+in the treatment of AD.In addition to IL-1β,a powerful inflammatory inducer,cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2),has also been reported to be inhibited by the addition of Mg2+.3 We thereby extended our prior works to COX-2.Analyses of the underlying mechanisms elucidated the role of COX-2 in spreading Aβdeposits in APs to the cerebellum.This was probably caused by the formation of hetero-oligomers between COX-2 and Aβ,which have been shown to accelerate the aggregation and deposition of Aβin APs.4 Moreover,the induction of COX-2 decreased the glycosylation of tau,which has been shown to result in the phosphorylation of tau in different animal models.In this scenario,the status of tau phosphorylation is critical for the development and progression of AD.5 Therefore,COX-2 appears to be a potential therapeutic target for AD.