Microbial denitrification is a major pathway for nitrogen removal from water bodies. However, denitrification is often difficult to continue when there is a lack of microbially available organic matter in the water body to serve as electron donors. In recent years, studies have shown that some denitrifying bacteria can directly utilize photoelectrons generated by sunlight-excited semiconductor minerals or natural organic matter for denitrification without the need for bioavailable organic matter as electron donors. This process is defined as microbial photoelectrotrophic denitrification. The discovery of microbial photoelectrotrophic denitrification phenomenon reshapes the previous knowledge about the chemoheterotrophic mode of denitrifying bacteria and broadens the pathway of nitrogen removal by the new photoelectrotrophic metabolism, which is of great significance to our understanding and exploration of sunlight-driven nitrogen cycling process. In this paper, we comprehensively sort out the existing research reports in the field of microbial photoelectrotrophic denitrification, systematically summarize the principle and the current research progress of microbial photoelectrotrophic denitrification, deeply analyze the problems and challenges faced by this technology, and make an outlook on the future research directions and application prospects of this technology, providing a reference for the further research and application of this technology.
Denitrification/physiology* ; Nitrogen/isolation & purification* ; Bacteria/metabolism* ; Sunlight ; Phototrophic Processes

With the increasing incidence and mortality of cancer, the limitations of conventional therapies have become increasingly apparent, necessitating the development of more precise immunotherapeutic approaches. mRNA vaccines have emerged as a prominent research focus in cancer immunotherapy due to their advantages in antigen design, rapid production, and enhanced safety profiles. This article reviews the advances in molecular design optimization of mRNA cancer vaccines such nucleoside modification, 5’-/3’-untranslated region (UTR) optimization and open reading frame (ORF) engineering to enhance efficacy and stability), key antigen types (viral antigens, tumor-associated antigens, tumor-specific antigens, and immunomodulators), delivery systems, and clinical research. By expressing specific antigens in vivo, these vaccines activate immune recognition and elimination of cancer cells. Currently, multiple mRNA vaccines have entered clinical trials, often in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors or other immunotherapies. Despite their promising potential, challenges such as mRNA instability, difficulty in targeted delivery, immune tolerance, and tumor immune evasion still exist. Future breakthroughs will require advances in neoantigen prediction, targeted delivery, and combination therapy.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of Codonopsis pilosula polysaccharide （CPP） regulating the nuclear factor- erythroid 2-related factor 2 （Nrf2）/heme oxygenase-1 （HO-1） signaling pathway on gastric mucosal injury in rats with chronic atrophic gastritis （CAG）. METHODS Rats were randomly divided into control group， model group， CPP low-dose， medium-dose and high-dose groups （CPP 10， 20， 40 mg/kg）， and ML385 group （Nrf2 inhibitor ML385 30 mg/kg+CPP 40 mg/kg）， 10 rats per group. CAG rat model was established using N-methyl-N′- nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine combined with irregular diet， then they were given drugs for consecutive 6 weeks. HE staining was used to observe the pathological changes in gastric tissue morphology； the levels of serum gastrin （GAS）， motilin （MTL）， pepsin （PP）， as well as tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin-8 （IL-8） malondialdehyde （MDA） and superoxide dismutase （SOD） in gastric mucosal tissue were detected； TUNEL assay was used to observe gastric mucosal tissue cell apoptosis； immunohistochemical assay was adopted to observe the expressions of Nrf2 and recombinant Bcl2 associated X protein （Bax） in gastric mucosal tissue； Western blot was used to detect the expressions of Nrf2， HO-1， Bax and Bcl-2 proteins in gastric mucosal tissue. RESULTS Compared with the control group， the gastric mucosal tissue was damaged； the levels of GAS， MTL， PP and SOD， and the protein expressions of Nrf2， HO-1 and Bcl-2 were significantly reduced in model group （P＜0.05）， while the levels of MDA， TNF-α and IL-8， the cell apoptosis index， and the protein expression of Bax were significantly increased （P＜0.05）. Compared with model group， CPP low-dose， medium-dose and high- dose groups showed varying degrees of improvement in gastric mucosal histopathology； the levels of the quantitative indicators were significantly reversed （P＜0.05）. Nrf2 inhibitor ML385 significantly attenuated the improvement effect of high-dose CPP on the above indicators in CAG rats （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS CPP can improve gastric mucosal injury in CAG rats， and inhibit oxidative stress， inflammatory response， and cell apoptosis. The mechanism of action may be related to the activation of Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway.

Objective To compare the safety and clinical efficacy of lesion removal combined with percutaneous pedicle screw fixation with classical posterior lesion removal in the treatment of lumbar brucelli spondylitis(LBS)by unilateral biportal endoscopic technique with transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion(UBE-LIF)technique.Methods The clinical data of 32 patients with LBS admitted by the Department of Spine and Orthopedics of Gansu Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January 2020 to January 2022 were retrospectively analyzed,and the clinical data of the 32 LBS patients were divided into 15 cases in the UBE-LIF group and 17 cases in the posterior group.The general data,surgery-related indexes,and postoperative pathological HE staining of the two groups were recorded and analyzed.The patients'clinical recovery was assessed according to their erythrocyte sedimentation rate(ESR)and C-reactive protein(CRP),low back pain visual analogue score(VAS),Japanese Orthopaedic Association(JOA)score,and Oswestry Dysfunction Index(ODI)preoperative,1 week after surgery,1,3,6 months and 1 year after surgery.Lumbar lordosis angle(LL)and intervertebral space height(DH)were measured by imaging before surgery and at the last follow-up,and intervertebral bone graft fusion was assessed using Suk grading criteria.Results Both groups successfully completed the operation and no serious postoperative complications occurred.There were no significant differences in gender,age,surgical segment,operation time,preoperative ESR and CRP,preoperative VAS,JOA score and ODI index,preoperative LL and DH(P＞0.05).The intraoperative blood loss,postoperative drainage,postoperative getting out of bed,and postoperative hospital stay in UBE-LIF group were significantly lower than those in the posterior group(P＜0.001).Pathological examination of diseased tissues was performed during surgery,all of which was consistent with brucellosis changes.Patients in both groups were followed up for 12-18 months,with an average of 14.8 months.The VAS,JOA score,and ODI index at all postoperative time points in the two groups were significantly improved compared with the preoperative period(P＜0.05).The difference between the two groups was significantly greater than that in the postoperative group:VAS score was lower in UBE-LIF group than in the posterior group(P＜0.01),CRP in both groups was higher than that in the preoperative group,and the elevation level was significantly lower in UBE-LIF group than in the posterior group(P＜0.001).There was no significant difference in ESR between the two groups compared with that before surgery(P＞0.05).There were no significant differences in VAS,JOA score,ODI index,CRP or ESR between the remaining time points after surgery(P＞0.05).At the last follow-up,imaging examination showed that the overall fusion rate of intervertebral bone graft in UBE-LIF group was 93.3％and 94.1％in the posterior group,without significant difference(x2=0.246,P=0.884).LL and DH were significantly improved in both groups compared with preoperative ones(P＜0.01),and the two groups did not significantly differ before and after surgery(P＞0.05).Conclusion Both surgical treatments for LBS are safe effect.Compared with posterior lesion removal bone graft fusion internal fixation,UBE-LIF technology combined with percutaneous pedicle screw internal fixation has the advantages of clear intraoperative vision,less blood loss,faster early postoperative recovery,and shorter postoperative hospital stay,and thus is a feasible surgical method for the minimally invasive treatment of LBS.

Currently, obesity and its complications have become increasingly serious health issues. Bariatric surgery is an effective method of treating obesity and related metabolic complications. Among them, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) is still considered the “gold standard” procedure for bariatric surgery. Small bowel obstruction is one of the possible complications after RYGB, and in addition to the formation of intra-abdominal hernias, kinking of the jejunojejunal anastomosis is an important cause of small bowel obstruction. The early clinical symptoms of kinking of the jejunojejunal anastomosis often lack clarity in the early stages. Therefore, early diagnosis, prevention, and effective treatment of kinking of the jejunojejunal anastomosis are challenging but crucial. The occurrence of kinking of the jejunojejunal anastomosis may be related to surgical techniques and the surgeon′s experience. The use of anti-obstruction stitch, mesenteric division, and bidirectional jejunojejunal anastomosis may be beneficial in preventing kinking of the jejunojejunal anastomosis. If kinking of the jejunojejunal anastomosis occurs, timely abdominal CT scans and endoscopic examinations should be performed. Gastric and intestinal decompression should be initiated immediately, and exploratory surgery should be prepared.

Currently, obesity and its complications have become increasingly serious health issues. Bariatric surgery is an effective method of treating obesity and related metabolic complications. Among them, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) is still considered the “gold standard” procedure for bariatric surgery. Small bowel obstruction is one of the possible complications after RYGB, and in addition to the formation of intra-abdominal hernias, kinking of the jejunojejunal anastomosis is an important cause of small bowel obstruction. The early clinical symptoms of kinking of the jejunojejunal anastomosis often lack clarity in the early stages. Therefore, early diagnosis, prevention, and effective treatment of kinking of the jejunojejunal anastomosis are challenging but crucial. The occurrence of kinking of the jejunojejunal anastomosis may be related to surgical techniques and the surgeon′s experience. The use of anti-obstruction stitch, mesenteric division, and bidirectional jejunojejunal anastomosis may be beneficial in preventing kinking of the jejunojejunal anastomosis. If kinking of the jejunojejunal anastomosis occurs, timely abdominal CT scans and endoscopic examinations should be performed. Gastric and intestinal decompression should be initiated immediately, and exploratory surgery should be prepared.

Objective:To investigate the effects of different small monitor unit (MU) beam deletion optimization method in the CyberKnife treatment planning system on the calculated planned dose to brain tumors.Methods:A total of 17 patients with brain metastases treated in our hospital from June, 2021 to February, 2022 were selected for this study. A treatment plan was designed for each patient using the multiPlan system in the CyberKnife VSI system as the group without optimization. To improve the efficiency, the generated original plans should be optimized first by deleting some small MUs, forming an experience group and an optimization group for each patient. For the experience group, beams below 30 MU were deleted according to experience. For the optimization group, beams below the MU value calculated based on the second derivative method were deleted. Finally, the parameters of the two groups were statistically compared. The main evaluation parameters included the node number, the beam number, the total number of MUs, the estimated treatment duration, doses to 2% and 95% planning target volumes (PTV D2 and PTV D95), average dose to PTV ( Dmean), average dose to brain tissue ( Dmean-Brain), conformity index (CI), new conformity index (nCI), gradient index (GI), coverage, and the maximum doses to the brainstem and left and right lens ( Dmax-BS, Dmax-LL, and Dmax-RL), and the average doses to the dose shells 20 mm and 40 mm away from PTV (Shell20 and Shell40). Results:The two optimization method met the requirements for the prescription dose delivery to more than 98% PTV. There were statistical differences in the node number ( H = 7.97, P< 0.05) and estimated treatment duration ( H = 6.60, P < 0.05) among the group without MP optimization, the experience group, and the optimization group, with the estimated treatment duration and node number of the optimization group less than those of the group without MP optimization ( P < 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in other parameters among the three groups ( P > 0.05). The PTV was moderately positively correlated with the treatment duration ( r=0.79, P < 0.01) and beam number ( r=0.78, P < 0.01) of the experience group, and was also moderately positively correlated with the treatment duration ( r=0.69, P < 0.01) and beam number ( r=0.71, P < 0.01) of the optimization group. Conclusions:For the CyberKnife planning of heads, the small MU beam deletion optimization method based on the second derivative can further shorten the treatment duration while ensuring no significant differences in the distribution of doses to organs at risk and targets. Moreover, this method is more effective in optimizing the plans for a large PTV volume.

Objective:To investigate the safety and efficacy of stent-assisted coil embolization in acute intracranial ruptured wide-necked aneurysms, and explore the safety of different antiplatelet drug regimens during perioperative period and the risk factors for prognoses.Methods:A perspective multicenter study was performed. A total of 417 patients with intracranial ruptured wide-necked aneurysms treated by stent-assisted coil embolization in Neurosurgery Departments of 4 hospitals (First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University [ n=41], Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University [ n=111], Tangdu Hospital of Air Force Military Medical University [ n=100], and Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University [ n=165]) from June 2017 to January 2020 were included. According to the different antiplatelet drugs regimens used in perioperative period, these patients were divided into loaded clopidogrel group ( n=87), loaded clopidogrel combined with aspirin group ( n=212), and tirofiban group ( n=118). Clinical data and perioperative complications of 3 groups were compared. Modified Rankin scale (mRS) was used to evaluate the prognoses of patients at discharge; differences of clinical data between the poor prognosis group and good prognosis group were compared. Independent risk factors for prognoses of patients with intracranial ruptured wide-necked aneurysms were analyzed by multivariate Logistic regression analysis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the predictive values of risk factors in poor prognosis. Results:Degrees of aneurysm embolization immediately after surgery: Raymond grading I was noted in 351 patients (84.2%), grading II in 44 patients (10.6%), and grading III in 22 patients (5.2%). Perioperative complications were noted in 44 patients (10.6%), and death was noted in 4 (1%). Intraoperative thrombosis incidence of the loaded clopidogrel group, loaded clopidogrel combined with aspirin group and tirofiban group was 5.7% (5/87), 5.7% (12/212) and 0.8% (1/118); that in tirofiban group was significantly lower than that in the loaded clopidogrel group and loaded clopidogrel combined with aspirin group ( P<0.05). At discharge, 360 patients (86.3%) had good prognosis and 57 patients (13.7%) had poor prognosis. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed age≥60 years ( OR=3.407, 95% CI: 1.620-7.166, P=0.001), preoperative Hunt-Hess grading 3 ( OR=11.445, 95% CI: 3.584-36.547, P<0.001), preoperative Hunt-Hess grading 4 ( OR=88.951, 95% CI: 14.519-544.948, P<0.001), preoperative Hunt-Hess grading 5 ( OR=64.949, 95% CI: 12.809-329.325, P<0.001), and multiple stenting ( OR=4.709, 95% CI: 1.215-18.248, P=0.025) were independent risk factors for poor prognosis of these patients. ROC curves showed that area under the curve of combination of age, number of implanted stents, and preoperative Hunt-Hess grading in predicting poor prognosis of these patients was 0.821, with optimal diagnostic threshold of 0.500, sensitivity of 0.667, and specificity of 0.833. Conclusion:Stent-assisted coil embolization is safe and effective in acute intracranial ruptured wide-necked aneurysms; tirofiban is safe as perioperative antiplatelet drug; patients with old age, preoperative Hunt-Hess grading≥3, and multiple stents are prone to have poor prognosis.

Humans ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/surgery* ; Gastrectomy ; Gastric Bypass ; Obesity/surgery* ; Obesity, Morbid/surgery* ; Treatment Outcome ; Laparoscopy ; Retrospective Studies

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of modified Atkins diet (MAD) in treating global growth retardation (GDD).Methods:A prospective multicenter clinical controlled study was conducted.The children were included from 8 departments of children′s rehabilitation in Henan Province from July 2017 to October 2017.A total of 154 children who met the inclusion criteria were randomly assigned into the routine treatment group (88 cases) and MAD therapy group (66 cases). A total of 62 children in MAD therapy group and 59 children in routine treatment group completed the study for 15 months.The routine treatment group was provided comprehensive rehabilitation training, and the MAD therapy group was given MAD treatment on the basis of rehabilitation training.Two-way repeated-measures ANOVA was used to compare the differences among datas at different time points. Results:After 3 months, there were significant differences in the scores of the Chinese Version of Urban Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment (CITSEA)/Achenbach Children′s Behavior Scale (CBCL) between the 2 groups (all P<0.05). Significant improvement was seen in the MAD group.After 6 months, the MAD therapy group had significantly higher scores on the Gesell Developmental Scale for language and social behavior than the routine treatment group (all P<0.05). After 9 months, the scores of the children in the MAD therapy group were better than those in the routine treatment group in the Gesell Developmental Scale adaptive energy area and the infant-junior high school student social life scale (S-M scale), and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). After 15 months, the fine motor in the MAD therapy group was better than that in the routine treatment group ( P<0.05). At the early stage of MAD therapy, 28 patients showed mild adverse reactions that were reversed after symptomatic treatment.No severe adverse reactions were observed. Conclusions:MAD therapy can improve the neuro-development, emotional and social behaviors, and adaptive behaviors with no severe adverse effects.