Zebrafish larvae are useful for identifying chemicals against lateral line (LL) hair cell (HC) damage and this type of chemical screen mainly focuses on searching for protectors against cell death. To expand the candidate pool of HC protectors, a self-built acoustic escape response (AER)-detecting system was developed to apply both low-frequency near-field sound transmission and AER image acquisition/processing modules. The device quickly confirmed the changed LL HC functions caused by most known ototoxins, protectors, and neural transmission modifiers, or knockdown of LL HC-expressing genes. With ten devices wired in tandem, five 'hit' chemicals were identified from 124 cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors to partially restore cisplatin-damaged AER in less than a day. AS2863619, ribociclib, and SU9516 among the hits, protected the HCs in the mouse cochlea. Therefore, using free-swimming larval zebrafish, the self-made AER-detecting device can efficiently identify compounds that are protective against HC damage, including cell death and loss-of-function.
Animals ; Zebrafish ; Hair Cells, Auditory/physiology* ; Lateral Line System/cytology* ; Escape Reaction/physiology* ; Larva ; Mice ; Cisplatin/toxicity* ; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical/methods*

Shewanella oneidensis MR-1, a Gram-negative bacterium with a significant role in the adsorption and reduction of uranium in wastewater and a quorum-sensing effect, can be used to remove uranium from wastewater. Exogenous signaling molecules (acyl-homoserine lactones, AHLs) can be added to induce the quorum sensing behavior for rapid biofilm formation, thereby improving the removal efficiency of this bacterium for uranium. Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), as the significant components of biofilm, play a key role in biofilm formation. To investigate the quorum sensing behavior induced by AHLs, we systematically investigated the effects of AHLs on the EPS secretion and biofilm properties of S. oneidensis MR-1 by regulating parameters such as AHL species, concentration, addition time point, and contact time. The results showed that the addition of 10 μmol/L N-butyryl-l-homoserine lactone (C4-HSL) after 6 h of culture and continued incubation to reach the time point of 72 h significantly promoted the secretion of EPSs, in which the content of extracellular proteins and extracellular polysaccharides was increased by 15.2% and 28.2%, respectively, compared with that of the control group. The biofilm electrodes induced by signaling molecules showed superior properties, which were evidenced by an increase of exceeding 20 μm in biofilm thickness, an increase of 33.9% in the proportion of living cells, enhanced electroactivity, and an increase of 10.7% in the uranium removal rate. The biofilm electrode was confirmed to immobilize uranium in wastewater mainly by electrosorption, physicochemical adsorption, and electro-reduction through characterization means such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). This study provides a new technical idea for the efficient recovery of uranium in wastewater and enriches the theoretical system of quorum sensing regulation of electroactive biofilms.
Biofilms/drug effects* ; Acyl-Butyrolactones/pharmacology* ; Quorum Sensing/drug effects* ; Uranium/metabolism* ; Shewanella/metabolism* ; Adsorption ; Uranium Compounds/metabolism* ; Wastewater/chemistry* ; Biodegradation, Environmental ; Extracellular Polymeric Substance Matrix/metabolism*

Objective The present study conducted a comprehensive literature review and visualization analysis of both domestic and international research on the utilization of hemodialysis water over the past two decades,aiming to gain insights into the current research status,identify prominent areas of interest,and highlight future development trends in this field,thereby of-fering valuable references for subsequent studies.Methods By employing bibliometric analysis,the relevant literature on hemo-dialysis water usage was retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection(WoSCC)database and China National Knowledge Network(CNKI)for the period between 2004 and 2024.Subsequently,an in-depth examination of countries,research institu-tions,authors,and keywords associated with these publications was conducted.The visualization map was generated using CiteSpace 6.2.R4 software.Results A total of 3 304 papers were included,with 147 in Chinese and 3 157 in English.Over the past two decades,there has been a consistent upward trend in the number of publications both domestically and international-ly,although the growth rate of domestic literature lags behind that of foreign countries.The United States,China,and Japan rank as the top three countries in terms of publication volume,with the United States exhibiting the highest centrality.Foreign coun-tries tend to form small research groups with close institutional collaborations,while domestic research teams and institutions are relatively dispersed.Currently,foreign research primarily focuses on Fabrication,Ultrafiltration Membranes and Performance;meanwhile,domestic research emphasizes infection control,quality control,and daily maintenance.Conclusion From 2004 to 2024,both domestic and international researchers have consistently focused on water research for hemodialysis.However,China lags behind foreign countries in this field,necessitating enhanced collaboration among nations,institutions,and regions to broad-en the scope and depth of domestic research.

Background::Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have shown similar worsening epidemic patterns globally and shared various overlapping pathophysiological mechanisms. However, evidence on the relationship between NAFLD and IBD risk is lacking. We aimed to investigate the associations between long-term risk of incident IBD and NAFLD in a large prospective cohort.Methods::Participants from the United Kingdom Biobank cohort (https://biobank.ndph.ox.ac.uk/) who were free of IBD and alcoholic liver disease at baseline were enrolled. Baseline non-alcoholic fatty liver degree was measured by the well-established fatty liver index (FLI). The outcomes of interest included incident IBD, ulcerative colitis (UC), and Crohn’s disease (CD). Multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression was used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).Results::Among 418,721 participants (mean FLI: 48.11 ± 30.11), 160,807 (38.40%) participants were diagnosed as NAFLD at baseline. During a median of 12.4 years’ follow-up, 2346 incident IBD cases (1545 UC, 653 CD, and 148 IBD-unclassified) were identified. Due to limited events, those IBD-unclassified were combined in UC or CD when examining the associated risk of UC or CD, separately. Compared with the lowest quartile of FLI, the highest quartile showed a separately 36.00%, 25.00%, and 58.00% higher risk of incident IBD (HR Q4 vs. Q1 =1.36, 95% CI: 1.19-1.55, Ptrend <0.001), UC (HR Q4 vs. Q1 =1.25, 95% CI: 1.07-1.46, Ptrend=0.047), and CD (HR Q4 vs. Q1 =1.58, 95% CI: 1.26-1.97, Ptrend <0.001) after multivariable adjustment. Compared with non-NAFLD, NAFLD participants had a significantly higher risk of incident IBD (HR=1.13, 95% CI: 1.04-1.24) and CD (HR =1.36, 95% CI: 1.17-1.58). Conclusions::Higher degree of non-alcoholic fatty liver is associated with increased risk of incident IBD. Interventions aimed at improving NAFLD may be a potential targeted strategy for the detection and treatment of IBD.

BACKGROUND:The repair and clinical outcome of bone defects remains a hot and difficult area of clinical research,which is a common problem that plagues clinicians.Constructing suitable,reproducible and infinitely close to clinical animal experimental models and their scientific evaluation are essential for further clinical treatment of related diseases. OBJECTIVE:To retrospectively analyze the preparation methods and characteristics of common animal models of femoral bone defects and to assess their strengths and weaknesses,thereby providing some reference for relevant researchers to select appropriate animal models of femoral bone defects. METHODS:PubMed,Web of Science,Medline,and CNKI were retrieved for relevant literature published from January 1,2000 to August 1,2022.The keywords were"bone defect,bone,bones,defect,defects,defective,animal model,animal,model,laboratory,laboratory animal,animal laboratory"in English and"bone defect,animal model,experiment"in Chinese. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Twenty-seven randomized controlled animal experiments involving rats,mice,New Zealand rabbits,and sheep were included,analyzed and assessed.The most common types of bone defects were cylindrical bone defects and segmental osteotomy bone defects,generally found in the middle and distal femur.These models are mostly used to evaluate the effects of bone repair materials,drugs,drug-loaded active substances and physical therapy on bone defect repair and explore defect healing mechanisms,particularly the weight-bearing bone defect repair mechanism.Different defect kinds and femoral bone defect ranges have been found in different animal experiments.Researchers can select the suitable animal model and bone defect type based on the goal of the experiment and then set an acceptable bone defect value.Current studies have shown that cylindrical and segmental osteotomy-induced bone defects,mainly in the distal and middle femur,are mostly used in the animal models of femoral bone defects and that the surgical methods and postoperative management are more mature and operable to provide mature experimental animal models.In terms of cylindrical bone defects,rats and New Zealand rabbits are more suitable,whereas segmental osteotomy has no special requirements and all types of animals can meet the experimental requirements.

【Objective】 To evaluate the efficacy and safety of percutaneous nephrolithotomy in Galdakao-modified supine Valdivia (GMSV) position and prone position in the treatment of renal calculi. 【Methods】 PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Library databases were searched systematically to identify all eligible studies. Literature collected were screened and data were extracted by three authors independently. RevMan5.4 software was used for Meta-analysis. 【Results】 A total of 9 articles were enrolled, including 7 randomized controlled studies and 2 case-control studies, with a total of 1 690 patients. The results of Meta-analysis showed that compared with the prone position group, the GMSV group had shorter hospital stay (WMD:-9.04, 95%CI:-16.85--1.22, P=0.02), shorter intraoperative radiation exposure (WMD:-1.23, 95%CI:-1.98--0.48, P=0.001), lower rate of complications (RR:0.72, 95%CI:0.59-0.88, P=0.001), but there were no significant differences in operation time, primary stone clearance rate, postoperative hemoglobin loss, blood transfusion rate, fever rate and non-tubulization rate. 【Conclusion】 Compared with percutaneous nephrolithotomy in prone position, percutaneous nephrolithotomy in GMSV position has the comparable stone clearance rate, but has significant advantages in hospital stay, intraoperative radiation time, and overall complications. It is safe for the treatment of renal stones and upper ureteral stones.

AIM: To investigate the mechanism of baicalin-induced apoptosis in human laryngeal cancer cells. METHODS: AMC-HN-8 cells were selected for the study, and baicalin was applied to the cells at different concentrations (0, 10, 30, 100, and 300 μmol/L), and the half-inhibitory concentration (IC50) was measured by the CCK-8 method. Bax, cleaved-caspase-3, Cyto-c, IRF4 protein expression by protein blotting (Western blot); miR-125b-5p and IRF4 expression by RT-qPCR. Dual-luciferase reporter gene validation of Targetscan prediction (binding of miR-125b-5p to IRF4-3'UTR); apoptosis and necrosis inhibitors explore the way baicalein induces death in laryngeal cancer cells. AMC-HN-8 was then divided into blank group, baicalein (IC50), miR-125b-5p inhibitor group, baicalein + inhibitor NC group, baicalein+miR-125b-5p inhibitor group, and cell invasion and clone formation assays to detect cell invasion and proliferation ability, respectively. Apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry. RESULTS: Baicalein inhibited the proliferation of AMC-HN-8 cells in a dose-dependent manner with an IC50 value of 47.31 μmol/L. Compared with the blank group, 47.31 μmol/L baicalin induced apoptosis and inhibited cell invasion, while upregulating the expression of miR-125b-5p and suppressing the mRNA and protein levels of IRF4. The luciferase results showed that the miR-125b-5p mimic was able to inhibit the activity of the IRF4-3'UTR promoter relative to the NC mimic (mimic) group. Baicalein induces laryngeal cancer cell death in an apoptotic manner. In addition, the combination of 47.31 μmol/L baicalin and miR-125b-5p inhibitor affected the behavior of AMC-HN-8 cells, showing that compared with the blank group, the baicalin group showed a decrease in the number of cell clones, weakened invasion ability, and increased apoptosis; the miR - 125b-5p inhibitor group showed an increase in the number of cell clones, enhanced invasion ability and decreased apoptosis. The baicalin+ inhibitor NC group was consistent with baicalin, with no significant effect of inhibitor NC on cell behavior. The cloning, invasion, and apoptosis of cells in the baicalin+miR-125b-5p inhibitor group were intermediate between the baicalin and miR-125b-5p inhibitor groups. CONCLUSION: Baicalin inhibits the proliferation of AMC-HN-8 cells, and the mechanism may be related to miR-125b-5p targeting to inhibit the expression of IRF4, inducing the pro-apoptotic proteins Bax, cleaved-caspase3, and Cyto-c, and inhibiting the apoptosis suppressor protein Bcl-2 thereby inducing apoptosis.

From January 2016 to December 2020, 6 cases of polyps in the appendix cavity with a diameter of 0.3-1.3 cm were treated by endoscopy in the Department of Gastroenterology of Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University. All 6 cases underwent endoscopic treatment successfully, including 3 cases of en bloc endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR), 1 case of piecemeal EMR, 1 case of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), and 1 case of removed by cold forceps. No complications such as bleeding, perforation, infection or acute appendicitis occurred.The wound healed well with no recurrence after re-examination in 3 cases, and 3 others were not re-examined by colonoscopy yet. The results preliminarily confirmed that endoscopic treatment of intraluminal polyps in the appendix cavity is safe and effective.

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics of patients suffering from plastic bronchitis (PB) caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) and explore its risk factors as well. Methods:A retrospective analysis on clinical and laboratory data of PB children caused by MP and treated in Department of Respiratory in Children′s Hospital of Soochow University from January 2011 to December 2017, compared with MP pneumonia(MPP) children without PB in the same period.Meanwhile, Logistic regression analysis was performed. Results:Among the 306 MPP children, there were 50 cases in the PB group and 256 cases in the non-PB group.Compared with children in the non-PB group, children in PB group were higher in terms of age [(82.74±35.17)months vs.(66.63±35.67) months], percentage of neutrophils (0.705 8±0.139 1 vs.0.605 7±0.162 6), C reactive protein(CRP) [17.4(10.21, 42.86) mg/L vs.11.43(4.55, 23.66) mg/L], D-dimer(DD) [1 071 (279.5, 2 386.5) μg/L vs.523 (233, 1 099.5) μg/L], lactate dehydrogenase(LDH) [491.1 (342.3, 607.4) U/L vs.394.9 (319.1, 512.8) U/L], erythrocyte sedimentation rate(ESR)[25.0 (17.0, 36.0) mm/1 h vs.15.5(9.0, 28.0) mm/1 h], aspartate aminotranferase(AST) [33.5(26.1, 49.3) U/L vs.29.2(24.0, 37.2) U/L], alanine aminotransferase (ALT) [19.1(11.45, 31.50) U/L vs.13.6 (10.3, 23.15) U/L], IgA [1.46(0.98, 2.12) mg/L vs.1.15 (0.64, 1.60) mg/L], CD3 -CD (16+56)+ (0.155 0±0.088 6 vs.0.120 2±0.071 5), allergy history [44.0%(22/50 cases) vs.25.8%(65/256 cases)], mixed infection [38.0% (19/50 cases) vs.24.6%(63/256 cases)], and microscopic mucosal erosion [10.0%(5/50 cases) vs.2.3%(6/256 cases)] (all P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis displayed that allergy history ( OR= 5.604, 95% CI: 1.937-16.216), age ( OR = 3.142, 95% CI: 1.425-6.929), percentage of neutrophils ( OR=2.387, 95% CI: 1.088-5.238), CRP ( OR=3.959, 95% CI: 1.072-14.662), and DD ( OR=7.824, 95% CI: 2.824-21.673) were independent risk factors for PB caused by MP infection (all P<0.05). The cut-off values of age, percentage of neutrophils, CRP, and DD were 64 months, 0.70, 35 mg/L, and 2 000 μg/L. Conclusions:Children with PB caused by MP often develop in older and allergic children who have stronger inflammatory reactions, immune disorders, and hyperfibrinolysis.

Objective:To explore the epidemiological characteristics and the antibiotic resistance of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates, and to provide the evidence for the rational use of antimicrobial agents to treat Streptococcus pneumoniae infection. Methods:The positive microbiological laboratory identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing of Streptococcus pneumoniae from sputum of children with respiratory infections during January 2010 to December 2017 in Children′s Hospital of Soochow University were retrospectively analyzed. The positive rates of Streptococcus pneumoniae of different genders, ages, years and seasons were compared. The annual detection rates and trends of drug resistance of Streptococcus pneumoniae to penicillin, amoxicillin and cefotaxime were analyzed by Mann-Kendall trend test. The seasonal decomposition of time series was conducted to assess the association between Streptococcus pneumoniae detection rate and season. Enumeration data was compared using χ2 test. Results:Of the 88 480 sputum specimens, the total positive rate of Streptococcus pneumoniae was 10.3%(9 081/88 480). The detection rates of Streptococcus pneumoniae in children aged 0 to <0.5 years old, 0.5 to <2 years old, 2 to <3 years old, 3 to <5 years old, and 5 to <15 years old were 4.2%(1 407/33 224), 13.1%(3 191/24 390), 14.9%(2 417/16 252), 17.9%(1 474/8 246) and 9.3%(592/6 368), respectively. The difference was statistically significant ( χ2=2 421.6, P<0.01). The detection rates were 8.1%(1 321/16 306) from January to March, 10.9%(2 194/20 207) from April to June, 8.5%(2 141/25 058) from July to September, and 12.7%(3 425/26 909) from October to December. The discrepancy of positive rates in different seasons showed statistical significance ( χ2=311.5, P<0.01). During 2010 to 2017, significant decreases in antibiotic resistant rates of Streptococcus pneumoniae to penicillin, amoxicillin and cefotaxime were detected (tau=-0.93, -0.93 and -0.71, respectively, all P<0.05). Conclusions:The detection rate of Streptococcus pneumoniae in sputum of children with respiratory infections may present seasonal pattern and vary between different ages of children. The resistance to β-lactam antibiotics has declined.