Assessment of the potential bactericide effect of self‐cleaning floors: a proposed protocol

The antibacterial properties of self‐cleaning coatings are based on bactericide nanoparticles (NPs). Ecotoxicity of these NPs have been assessed mostly in suspension, using standard bioassays. Here a protocol is proposed to test actual coating samples, using the Vibrio fischeri bioluminescence inhibition bioassay. The protocol was designed to test bactericide properties of specially coated PVC floors being used in hospital environments under quasinatural conditions, such as prolonged exposure or room temperature. To take into consideration that the light output of the bacteria under prolonged exposure naturally changes, a correction factor is proposed.     

完全弗氏佐剂诱导大鼠慢性骨盆疼痛综合征炎性痛模型的制备*

目的: 建立大鼠慢性骨盆疼痛综合征(CPPS)炎性痛模型并进行评价,为CPPS炎症引起的慢性骨盆疼痛的外周及中枢机制研究提供可靠的动物模型。方法: 将60只SD雄性大鼠随机分成空白组,假手术组和模型组,每组20只。采用向大鼠前列腺腹侧叶注射完全弗氏佐剂(CFA)的方法制备CPPS炎性痛模型。术后观察大鼠一般情况变化;分别于造模后7 d,14 d,21 d,28 d,35 d测定大鼠足底和阴囊热刺激疼痛阈值;取材后前列腺组织称重计算前列腺指数;显微镜下观察大鼠前列腺组织病理变化并用半定量法评价前列腺组织损伤程度,以评价模型是否成功。结果: 模型成功17只,成模率为85%。与空白组和假手术组比较,造模后大鼠的活动度、毛发光泽度降低,排尿量增加。足底和阴囊热刺激疼痛阈值显著降低并可稳定维持1个月以上(P＜0.01)。前列腺湿重和前列腺指数均显著性提高(P＜0.01)。前列腺组织肉眼可见明显水肿,与周围组织粘连严重;镜下可见腺腔萎缩,间质内大量炎性细胞浸润。结论: 利用向大鼠前列腺腹侧叶注射CFA的方法,可成功复制CPPS炎性痛模型,这将为后续CPPS发病机制的研究,特别是疼痛行为与潜在炎症和神经损伤之间的机制联系提供有价值的工具。     

Pine Forest Floor Carbon Accumulation in Response to N and PK Additions: Bomb <Superscript>14</Superscript>C Modelling and Respiration Studies

The addition of nitrogen via deposition alters the carbon balance of temperate forest ecosystems by affecting both production and decomposition rates. The effects of 20 years of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus and potassium (PK) additions were studied in a 40-year-old pine stand in northern Sweden. Carbon fluxes of the forest floor were reconstructed using a combination of data on soil ¹⁴C, tree growth, and litter decomposition. N-only additions caused an increase in needle litterfall, whereas both N and PK additions reduced long-term decomposition rates. Soil respiration measurements showed a 40% reduction in soil respiration for treated compared to control plots. The average age of forest floor carbon was 17 years. Predictions of future soil carbon storage indicate an increase of around 100% in the next 100 years for the N plots and 200% for the NPK plots. As much as 70% of the increase in soil carbon was attributed to the decreased decomposition rate, whereas only 20% was attributable to increased litter production. A reduction in decomposition was observed at a rate of N addition of 30 kg C ha^–1 y^–1, which is not an uncommon rate of N deposition in central Europe. A model based on the continuous-quality decomposition theory was applied to interpret decomposer and substrate parameters. The most likely explanations for the decreased decomposition rate were a fertilizer-induced increase in decomposer efficiency (production-to-assimilation ratio), a more rapid rate of decrease in litter quality, and a decrease in decomposer basic growth rate.     

Linking aphid honeydew, throughfall, and forest floor solution chemistry of Norway spruce

In a seminatural manipulation experiment with artificial irrigation we followed throughfall and forest floor solution chemistry collected underneath aphid infested and uninfested Norway spruce. Solutions underneath infested trees showed significantly higher concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) but lower concentrations of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), NO₃-N, and NH₄-N in throughfall solutions and of NH₄-N in forest floor solutions. Average concentrations were 40.5% (DON), 27.5% (NO₃-N), and 46.2% lower (NH₄-N) underneath infested trees in throughfall solutions, and 19.5% (DON), 9.4% (NO₃-N), and 42.0% (NH₄-N) lower in forest floor solutions. Differences in throughfall were more pronounced than in forest floor leachates. It is likely that honeydew is fuelling the metabolism of micro-organisms and thus critically affects above and below ground nutrient cycles. We emphasize the importance of linking the biology of herbivores and micro-organisms with geochemical processes.     

Post-operative small pelvic field radiation therapy in patients with intermediate risk early stage cervix cancer: a safe and efficient treatment modality

BackgroundThe treatment of early stage cervical cancer has different therapeutic options. Adjuvant external beam radiotherapy for surgically treated intermediate risk cervical cancer patients has shown acceptable oncological outcomes with a low incidence of toxicity. The aim of this study was to analyze the oncological outcomes and safety of adjuvant small pelvic field radiotherapy in surgically treated stage IB1-2 cervical cancer patients who met the Sedlis intermediate-risk criteria.Materials and methodsA retrospective cohort study was carried out with 28 patients treated from 2007 to November 2019 with biopsy proven intermediate risk stage IB1–2 cervical cancer previously treated with radical hysterectomy and bilateral lymphadenectomy who received adjuvant small pelvic field radiotherapy. The primary endpoints were local and distant control and overall survival. Secondary endpoints were acute and late gastrointestinal and genitourinary toxicity. Survival curves were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method.ResultsAfter a median follow up period of 41.5 (27.5–80.5) months, adjuvant small pelvic field radiotherapy showed a 100% overall survival rate, 81.82% disease free survival and 86.36% local recurrence-free survival with no incidence of grade 3 or 4 acute or late toxicity. Three patients suffered from relapse, 1 in the vaginal cuff, 1 in the retrovesical area and 1 patient in the retroperitoneal area.ConclusionsAdjuvant small pelvic field radiotherapy is an efficient and safe treatment option that offers excellent oncological outcomes to surgically treated intermediate-risk stage IB1–2 cervical cancer patients with an excellent toxicity profile.     

透骨川椒汤在妇科慢性盆腔炎治疗中的临床疗效观察

目的:探讨透骨川椒汤在妇科炎症治疗中的应用价值.方法:收集妇科慢性盆腔炎病例508例,分为治疗组和时照组各254例,两组除相同的基础治疗外,治疗组加用透骨川椒汤治疗,并对比两组疗效.结果:治疗组治愈率为50.4%,明显高于对照组的28.3%(P＜0.05).治疗组与对照组的治疗无效率比较无显著性差异(P＞0.05).结论:透骨川椒汤在治疗妇科慢性盆腔炎效果可靠,有着较好的应用前景.     

慢性非细菌性前列腺炎/慢性骨盆疼痛综合征患者的尿动力学检查

目的:探讨尿动力学检查在了解慢性非细菌性前列腺炎/慢性骨盆疼痛综合征(Chronicabacterialprostatitis/chronicpelvicpain syndrome,CPPS)患者中下尿路症状(LUTS)产生原因的作用。方法:对36例难治性慢性前列腺炎/盆腔疼痛综合征患者行尿流动力学压力-流率测定,同步测定膀胱压、逼尿肌压、同步肌电图测定,了解其症状产生的原因。结果:36例患者中,尿动力学证实膀胱出口梗阻14例(39%);逼尿肌过度活动者8例,其中有7例与BOO同时存在;假性逼尿肌尿道外括约肌协同失调6例(16.7%);逼尿肌收缩力低下者5例(13.9%)。结论:对难治性CPPS患者进行尿动力学检查有助于对此类患者LUTS产生的原因进行鉴别,从而可以采取有针对性的治疗。     

Human body mass estimation: a comparison of "morphometric" and "mechanical" methods

In the past, body mass was reconstructed from hominin skeletal remains using both "mechanical" methods which rely on the support of body mass by weight-bearing skeletal elements, and "morphometric" methods which reconstruct body mass through direct assessment of body size and shape. A previous comparison of two such techniques, using femoral head breadth (mechanical) and stature and bi-iliac breadth (morphometric), indicated a good general correspondence between them (Ruff et al. [1997] Nature 387:173-176). However, the two techniques were never systematically compared across a large group of modern humans of diverse body form. This study incorporates skeletal measures taken from 1,173 Holocene adult individuals, representing diverse geographic origins, body sizes, and body shapes. Femoral head breadth, bi-iliac breadth (after pelvic rearticulation), and long bone lengths were measured on each individual. Statures were estimated from long bone lengths using appropriate reference samples. Body masses were calculated using three available femoral head breadth (FH) formulae and the stature/bi-iliac breadth (STBIB) formula, and compared. All methods yielded similar results. Correlations between FH estimates and STBIB estimates are 0.74-0.81. Slight differences in results between the three FH estimates can be attributed to sampling differences in the original reference samples, and in particular, the body-size ranges included in those samples. There is no evidence for systematic differences in results due to differences in body proportions. Since the STBIB method was validated on other samples, and the FH methods produced similar estimates, this argues that either may be applied to skeletal remains with some confidence.     

Spatial and Temporal Expression of the Ventral Pelvic Skin Aquaporins duringMetamorphosis of the Tree Frog, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Hyla Japonica</Emphasis>

Most adult anurans absorb water through their ventral skin to maintain the proper water balance. We examined spatial and temporal expression of frog (Hyla japonica) aquaporins, Hyla AQP-h2 and AQP-h3 proteins, in the ventral pelvic skin by using specific antibodies. Immunofluorescence indicates that AQP-h2 and AQP-h3 first appear in the granular cells of the pelvic skin of the tadpoles at Gosner stage 42, and such labeling is seen in later stages as well. These findings were confirmed by Western blot analysis. In addition, Northern blot analysis demonstrated that V₂-type vasotocin (AVT)-receptor mRNA is first expressed at the same stage as are the AQP proteins, which suggests a functional relationship between expression of AQP proteins and AVT receptor. Also, AQP expression in the ventral pelvic skin is consistent with the morphological changes that occur in the skin for adaptation from life in water to that on land.This revised version was published online in August 2005 with a corrected cover date.     

Linking Foliar Chemistry to Forest Floor Solid and Solution Phase Organic C and N in Picea abies [L.] Karst Stands in Northern Bohemia

Dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen (DOC and DON) produced in the forest floor are important for ecosystem functions such as microbial metabolism, pedogenesis and pollutant transport. Past work has shown that both DOC and DON production are related to litterfall and standing stocks of C and N in the forest floor. This study, conducted in spring, 2003, investigated variation in forest floor water extractable DOC (WEDOC) and DON (WEDON) and forest floor C and N as a function of lignin, cellulose and N contained in live canopy foliage across eight Picea abies [L.] Karst stands in northern Bohemia. Based on Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIR) analysis of foliar materials, lignin:N and cellulose:N content of the youngest needles (those produced in 2002) were positively and significantly related to WEDOC (R² = 0.82–0.97; P<0.01) and to forest floor C:N ratio (R = 0.72–0.78; P<0.01). Foliar N was strongly and negatively related to WEDOC and C:N ratio (R = −0.91 and 0.72; P<0.05) among our study sites. WEDON was positively correlated to foliar lignin:N (R = 0.48; P<0.05; n=40). Forest floor C pools were not positively correlated with foliar lignin and cellulose and forest floor N pools were not positively correlated with foliar N. Instead, a significant negative correlation was found between forest floor N pools and foliar cellulose (R=−0.41; P<0.05), and between forest floor C pools and foliar N (R = −0.44; P<0.05). From a remote sensing standpoint, our results are important because canopy reflectance properties are primarily influenced by the most recent foliage, and it was the chemistry of the most recently produced needles that showed a stronger relationship with forest floor WEDOC and C:N ratio suggesting forest floor production of WEDOC can be calculated regionally with remote sensing.