Tofu wastewater as a carbon source flowing into municipal wastewater treatment plants for reductions of costs and greenhouse gas emissions.

Wastewater treatment processes significantly contribute to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Municipal wastewater treatment also faces challenges related to low strength and a low carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratio. This study investigates the high-carbon tofu wastewater flowing into municipal sewers for co-treatment at a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) directly, with the goal of enhancing nitrogen removal and reduce GHG emissions.

Roxithromycin attenuates inflammation via modulation of RAGE-influenced calprotectin expression in a neutrophilic asthma model.

Background: Roxithromycin (RXM), a macrolide antibiotic, exhibits anti-asthmatic effects, but its specific mechanism of action remains elusive. We evaluated the effects of RXM on airway inflammation, the expression of calprotectin, and the activity of the receptor of advanced glycation end products (RAGE) to determine whether RXM alleviates inflammation by regulating RAGE activation, and thereby calprotectin expression, in neutrophilic asthma.

Methods: Male Brown Norway rats were sensitized with ovalbumin (OVA) and Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA) mixture, followed by OVA challenge to induce neutrophilic asthma.

Epidemiological features and viral shedding in children with SARS-CoV-2 infection.

A pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection broke out all over the world; however, epidemiological data and viral shedding in pediatric patients are limited. We conducted a retrospective, multicenter study, and followed-up with all children from the families with SARS-CoV-2 infected members in Zhejiang Province, China. All infections were confirmed by testing the SARS-CoV-2 RNA with real-time reverse transcription PCR method, and epidemiological data between children and adults in the same families were compared.

Cysteinyl Leukotriene Receptor 2 is Involved in Inflammation and Neuronal Damage by Mediating Microglia M1/M2 Polarization through NF-κB Pathway.

Microglia activation plays a key role in regulating inflammatory and immune reaction during cerebral ischemia and it exerts pro-inflammatory or anti-inflammatory effect depending on M/M polarization phenotype. Cysteinyl leukotriene 2 receptor (CysLTR) is a potent inflammatory mediator receptor, and involved in cerebral ischemic injury, but the mechanism of CysLTR regulating inflammation and neuron damage remains unclear. Here, we found that LPS and CysLTR agonist NMLTC significantly increased microglia proliferation and phagocytosis, up-regulated the mRNA expression of M polarization markers (IL-1β, TNF-α, IFN-γ, CD86 and iNOS), down-regulated the expression of M polarization markers (Arg-1, CD206, TGF-β, IL-10, Ym-1) and increased the release of IL-1β and TNF-α.

[The role of S100A8/RAGE and Caveolin-1 and the effect of roxithromycin on their expression in a rat model of neutrophilic asthma].

To explore the role of S100A8, the receptor for advanced glycation endproducts (RAGE) and Caveolin-1 in neutrophilic asthmatic rats, and to further study the intervention of roxithromycin and the possible mechanisms. Male Brown Norway rats were randomly assigned to a control group, an asthma group and a Roxithromycin group. The asthmatic rat model was established by intraperitoneal injection of ovalbumin (OVA) and Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA) mixture, and aerosol inhalation of OVA.

In-vivo anti-tumor activity of a novel poloxamer-based thermosensitive in situ gel for sustained delivery of norcantharidin.

In order to develop a novel norcantharidin (NCTD) delivery system with slow drug release and specific targeting characteristics, we have developed a Poloxamer-based NCTD thermosensitive in situ gel. The evaluation of the characteristics of this system using both in vitro and in vivo methods was previously reported. However, its anti-tumor activity in vivo is still not confirmed.

The use and discontinuation of hormone replacement therapy in women in South China.

Objective: The use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) started later in China than in European countries. The purpose of the present study was to investigate HRT patterns and reasons for the initiation and discontinuation of HRT among women in South China.

Methods: A telephone survey about menopausal status, the use of HRT, reasons for HRT discontinuation and duration of HRT treatment was conducted in 2014.