[Pollution Assessment and Source Apportionment of Heavy Metals in the Surrounding Soil of Typical Mining Areas in Tongling, Anhui Province].

To study the level of heavy metal pollution and ecological risks in the soil around typical mining areas in Tongling, a total of 150 soil samples were collected from the study area. The content characteristics of 10 elements, namely, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Fe, and Zn, in the soils were analyzed. Methods including enrichment factor, the geo-accumulation index, single-factor pollution index, Nemero comprehensive pollution index, and potential ecological risk index were used to evaluate the pollution status of heavy metals in the soil of the study area.

Malignancy-associated membranous nephropathy: focus on diagnosis and treatment.

Background: The clinicopathological features of malignancy-associated membranous nephropathy have been described previously, but information about diagnosis and treatment remains limited.

Methods: Patients with malignancy-associated membranous nephropathy in a tertiary hospital in China between June 2012 and October 2021 were retrospectively reviewed.

Results: Forty-two patients with malignancy-associated membranous nephropathy were identified.

Clinicopathological study of mixed cryoglobulinemic glomerulonephritis secondary to hepatitis B virus infection.

Background: Cryoglobulinemic glomerulonephritis (CryoGn) caused by hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection was rarely reported. Our study aimed to investigate the clinical features, renal pathology findings, and prognosis in patients with HBV related CryoGn.

Methods: This was a retrospective study including seven Chinese patients with HBV related CryoGn in a tertiary referral hospital from April 2016 to March 2019.

Nephrotic-range proteinuria and central nervous involvement in typical hemolytic uremic syndrome: a case report.

Background: Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a common subtype of thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA), is characterized by microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, and acute kidney injury. Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli infection is the most common cause of post-diarrheal HUS. Kidney and central nervous system are the primary target organs.

Improving structure-based virtual screening performance via learning from scoring function components.

Scoring functions (SFs) based on complex machine learning (ML) algorithms have gradually emerged as a promising alternative to overcome the weaknesses of classical SFs. However, extensive efforts have been devoted to the development of SFs based on new protein-ligand interaction representations and advanced alternative ML algorithms instead of the energy components obtained by the decomposition of existing SFs. Here, we propose a new method named energy auxiliary terms learning (EATL), in which the scoring components are extracted and used as the input for the development of three levels of ML SFs including EATL SFs, docking-EATL SFs and comprehensive SFs with ascending VS performance.

Improving Docking-Based Virtual Screening Ability by Integrating Multiple Energy Auxiliary Terms from Molecular Docking Scoring.

Virtual Screening (VS) based on molecular docking is an efficient method used for retrieving novel hit compounds in drug discovery. However, the accuracy of the current docking scoring function (SF) is usually insufficient. In this study, in order to improve the screening power of SF, a novel approach named EAT-Score was proposed by directly utilizing the energy auxiliary terms (EAT) provided by molecular docking scoring through eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost).

Three-Level Hepatotoxicity Prediction System Based on Adverse Hepatic Effects.

Hepatotoxicity is a major cause of drug withdrawal from the market. To reduce the drug attrition induced by hepatotoxicity, an accurate and efficient hepatotoxicity prediction system must be constructed. In the present study, we constructed a three-level hepatotoxicity prediction system based on different levels of adverse hepatic effects (AHEs) combined with machine learning, using (1) an end point, hepatotoxicity; (2) four hepatotoxicity severity degrees; and (3) specific AHEs.

Morphology and ultrastructure of the adrenal gland in Bactrian camels (Camelus bactrianus).

In the present study, we examined the morphological features of the adrenal gland in Bactrian camel by means of digital anatomy, light and electron microscopy. Our findings testified that the gland was divided into three parts, capsule, cortex and medulla from outside to inside as other mammals, and the cortex itself was further distinguished into four zones: zona glomerulosa, zona intermedia, zona fasciculate and zona reticularis. Notably, the zona intermedia could be seen clearly in the glands from females and castrated males, whereas it was not morphologically clear in male.

Underlying renal insufficiency: the pivotal risk factor for Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia in immunosuppressed patients with non-transplant glomerular disease.

Purposes: Data on PCP in patients with glomerular disease are rare. The aim of this study was to assess the predictors of PCP development, the risk factors for mortality and the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) when high-dose trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) was used in patients with non-transplant glomerular disease.

Methods: Forty-seven patients with PCP, as confirmed by positive results for Pneumocystis jirovecii DNA or Pneumocystis jirovecii cysts tested by a methenamine silver stain between January 1, 2003, and December 30, 2012, were retrospectively investigated.

[Chronic Disease Control among Rural Residents in Beijing Pinggu District].

Objective: To analyze the composition and control status of chronic diseases among rural residents in a Beijing suburb district.

Methods: Rural residents aged 35 years or older were investigated by stratified random sampling in Pinggu District, Beijing. Each participant received questionnaire-based survey,physical examination,and laboratory tests including routine blood test,urine albumin creatinine ratio (ACR), liver and renal function,serum lipid, fasting blood glucose, and glycosylated hemoglobin.

[Long-term effects of arteriovenous fistula on cardiac structure and function in non-diabetic hemodialysis patients].

Objective: To evaluate the long-term effects of arteriovenous fistula (AVF) on heamodynamic changes and cardiac structure and function in non-diabetic hemodialysis patients.

Methods: Data were collected from 50 non-diabetic hemodialysis patients (aged 18 to 60 years) who had used AVF as the vascular access. AVF flow (Qa), stoke volume (SV), cardiac output (CO), cardiac index (CI), central blood volume (CBV) and peripheral vascular resistance (PR) were measured using the ultrasound dilution technique.

[Association between cardiac function and intradialytic hypotension].

Objective: To prospectively determinate the association of left ventricular systolic and diastolic function with intradialytic hypotension (IDH) in patients on maintenance hemodialysis.

Methods: Totally 115 patients with sinus rhythm were included in this study and divided into IDH group (n=29) and control group (n=86). The cardiac function was assessed by New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification before hemodialysis.

[Clinical analysis of anti glomerular basement membrane disease with normal renal function].

Objective: To investigate the clinical and pathologic characteristics of anti-glomerular basement membrane(GBM) disease with normal renal function.

Methods: The clinical and pathologic data of 6 patients with anti-GBM disease and normal renal function in Peking Union Medical College Hospital were reviewed retrospectively. Furthermore, 29 patients with anti-GBM disease and impaired renal function in the same period in the same hospital were enrolled as the control group.

Phytoremediation of arsenic contaminated paddy soils with Pteris vittata markedly reduces arsenic uptake by rice.

Arsenic (As) accumulation in food crops such as rice is of major concern. To investigate whether phytoremediation can reduce As uptake by rice, the As hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata was grown in five contaminated paddy soils in a pot experiment. Over a 9-month period P.

Arsenic speciation in phloem and xylem exudates of castor bean.

How arsenic (As) is transported in phloem remains unknown. To help answer this question, we quantified the chemical species of As in phloem and xylem exudates of castor bean (Ricinus communis) exposed to arsenate [As(V)], arsenite [As(III)], monomethylarsonic acid [MMA(V)], or dimethylarsinic acid. In the As(V)- and As(III)-exposed plants, As(V) was the main species in xylem exudate (55%-83%) whereas As(III) predominated in phloem exudate (70%-94%).

Glomerular disease associated with Takayasu arteritis: 6 cases analysis and review of the literature.

Objective: To evaluate the clinical features, renal histopathology and therapeutic response to glucocorticoid and immunosuppressive agents in patients with glomerular disease associated with Takayasu arteritis (TA).

Methods: Patients with TA and renal biopsy-confirmed glomerular disease were investigated retrospectively. None of them had renal artery stenosis or occlusive changes.

[A clinicopathological analysis of non-haematological malignancy in nephrotic syndrome].

Objective: To analysis the clinical and pathological features, results of laboratory tests and prognosis of nephrotic syndrome (NS) in patients with non-haematological malignancy.

Methods: The data were collected from 25 patients who presented with NS around the diagnosis of non-haematological malignancy.

Results: Twenty-five cases were investigated (age: (56.

[Risk factors of post-renal biopsy bleeding].

Objective: To evaluate the risk factors of post-renal biopsy bleeding (PBB).

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 1 262 patients who received ultrasound-guided biopsy of native kidney at our hospital from January 2005 to December 2006.

Results: The overall incidence of PBB was 30.

[Effects of oxidized low-density lipoprotein on expression of type A scavenger receptor in human mesangial cells].

Objective: To explore the regulational effect of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (Ox-LDL) on expression of type A scavenger receptor (SR-A) in human mesangial cells (HMC).

Methods: HMC line (HMCL) with high expression of SR-A (HMCL-SRA) was established after stable transfection of expressive vector with cDNA encoding SR-A. Uptake of Ox-LDL by HMCL was evaluated using Oil Red "O" staining.

[Non-diabetic renal disease in type II diabetes mellitus].

Objective: Several studies have suggested that non-diabetic renal disease (NDRD) was common among non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) patients with renal involvement.

Methods: The prevalence of NDRD among Chinese NIDDM population in PUMC hospital center was retrospectively studied. Renal biopsy specimens were evaluated with light-, immunofluorescence- and electron-microscopy.