IGRA-based INH regimen for prevention of active tuberculosis after kidney transplantation: A single-centre retrospective study.

Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of Interferon-gamma release Assay (IGRA)-based isoniazid (INH) prophylaxis strategy to prevent tuberculosis (TB) infection in kidney transplantation (KT) with a risk of TB occurrence.

Methods: Adult KT recipients (KTRs) between June 2014 and July 2021 were retrospectively enrolled. The development of active TB after KT was evaluated.

Higher serum selenium concentration is associated with lower risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality among individuals with chronic kidney disease: A population-based cohort study of NHANES.

Background: Selenium is an essential nutrient and trace element required for human health and plays an important role in antioxidative and anti-inflammatory processes. However, the long-term impact of selenium levels on the health of patients with chronic kidney disease remains unclear.

Method: Participants in this study were 3,063 CKD adults from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 1999-2000, 2003-2004, and 2011-2018).

Identification of an amino acid metabolism-associated gene signature predicting the prognosis and immune therapy response of clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

Background: The upregulation of amino acid metabolism is an essential form of metabolic reprogramming in cancer. Here, we developed an amino acid metabolism signature to predict prognosis and anti-PD-1 therapy response in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC).

Methods: According to the amino acid metabolism-associated gene sets contained in the Molecular Signature Database, consensus clustering was performed to divide patients into two clusters.

Transforaminal Percutaneous Endoscopic Decompression for Lower Thoracic Spinal Stenosis.

Objective: To explore the effect and safety of transforaminal percutaneous endoscopic decompression for lower thoracic spinal stenosis.

Methods: We reviewed 6 patients receiving transforaminal percutaneous endoscopic thoracic decompression for sympathetic symptoms in the lower extremities. Pre- and postoperative Frankel grade and Japanese Orthopaedic Association scale (JOA) score, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) score, and visual analog scale (VAS) scores of back and lower extremities were also evaluated and recorded.

Heavy Metal Pollution and Ecological Risk Assessment of the Agriculture Soil in Xunyang Mining Area, Shaanxi Province, Northwestern China.

Mining is considered to be one of the most significant sources of environmental pollution with regard to heavy metals. Mineral mining causes large quantities of mercury, cadmium, and other elements to be released into the environment and naturally poses a serious threat to environment. This paper will analyze the pollution status of agricultural soil caused by the mining of heavy metals in various mining areas in the Xunyang County in the Shaanxi Province of China, an area in famous for its resource mining.

Evaluation of nutrients and heavy metals in the sediments of the Heer River, Shenzhen, China.

The parameters of water contents, oxidation-reduction potential, organic matter, total phosphorus, total nitrogen and heavy metals concentrations of mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), arsenic (As), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) in surface sediment and their vertical distribution incore sediments of the Heer river were investigated. Evaluation of nutrients and heavy metals in the Heer River sediments was done by pollution index and potential ecological risk index (PERI) method, respectively. Environmental dredging depth was calculated.

Potential bioavailability of mercury in humus-coated clay minerals.

It is well-known that both clay and organic matter in soils play a key role in mercury biogeochemistry, while their combined effect is less studied. In this study, kaolinite, vermiculite, and montmorillonite were coated or not with humus, and spiked with inorganic mercury (IHg) or methylmercury (MeHg). The potential bioavailability of mercury to plants or deposit-feeders was assessed by CaCl2 or bovine serum albumin (BSA) extraction.

Prediction of methylmercury accumulation in rice grains by chemical extraction methods.

To explore the possibility of using chemical extraction methods to predict phytoavailability/bioaccumulation of soil-bound MeHg, MeHg extractions by three widely-used extractants (CaCl2, DTPA, and (NH4)2S2O3) were compared with MeHg accumulation in rice grains. Despite of variations in characteristics of different soils, MeHg extracted by (NH4)2S2O3 (highly affinitive to MeHg) correlated well with grain MeHg levels. Thus (NH4)2S2O3 extraction, solubilizing not only weakly-bound and but also strongly-bound MeHg, may provide a measure of 'phytoavailable MeHg pool' for rice plants.