Computer Tomography (CT)-based Screening of Hospitalized Patients with Moderate to Severe Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Complicated by Bronchiectasis Phenotype During Acute Exacerbation: A Clinical Analysis.

BACKGROUND: In the past, many experts considered chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and bronchiectasis to be separate, chronic respiratory diseases. Nonetheless, the widespread use of high-resolution lung computed tomography (CT) has led to the discovery that these diseases can occur alone or together. AIM: The current study aimed to compare the effects of nutritional status on the clinical outcomes in moderate to severe COPD patients with bronchiectasis. OBJECTIVE: This study identifies the nutritional risk in hospitalized patients with moderate to severe COPD complicated by bronchiectasis phenotype during acute exacerbation screened using computer tomography (CT). Also, determines its correlation with disease progression. MATERIALS AND METHODS: NRS 2002 (Nutrition Risk Screening Evaluation Tool) was used to determine and evaluate the nutritional risk status in 182 hospitalized patients with moderate to severe COPD complicated by bronchiectasis phenotype during an acute exacerbation. Selected patients were divided into the nutritional risk (NR) group and the non-nutritional risk (NNR) group according to their nutritional status determined by NRS 2002. The body mass index (BMI), serum albumin (ALB), pre albumin (PAB), lymphocyte count (TLC), FEV1/FVC, FEV1% predicted, PEF% predicted, blood gas analysis, number of acute exacerbations in the past year, number of respiratory failure cases, number of anti-infection days, and length of hospitalization of the two groups were observed. RESULTS: The hospitalized patients in acute exacerbation of moderate to severe COPD complicated by bronchiectasis phenotype had a nutritional risk of 62.64%. BMI, ALB, PAB, TLC, FEV1% predicted, FEV1/FVC, PEF% predicted, blood gas analysis, number of acute exacerbations in the past year, number of respiratory failure cases, number of anti-infection days, and length of hospitalization were statistically significantly different between the NR group and NNR group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Hospitalized patients with moderate to severe COPD complicated by bronchiectasis phenotype during acute exacerbation are often associated with nutritional risk. An increase in nutritional risk reduces the level of pulmonary function of the patient and elevates the risk for repeated acute exacerbations, which predispose the patient to respiratory failure, thereby increasing the length of hospitalization. Therefore, the nutritional risk status of COPD patients with bronchiectasis was closely related to the occurrence, development, and prognosis of the disease.

Dual pH-/Photo-Responsive Color Switching Systems for Dynamic Rewritable Paper.

Smart color switching materials that can change color with a fast response and a high reversibility have attracted increasing attention in color-on-demand applications. However, most of them can only respond to a single stimulus from their external environment, which dramatically limits their broad applications. To address this problem, we report a new strategy in developing a dual pH-/photo-responsive color switching system by coupling the pH-dependent and redox-driven color switchable neutral red (NR) with photoreductive TiO2-x nanoparticles. The biodegradable TiO2-x nanoparticles/NR/agarose gel film shows a rapid color switching between yellow and red upon stimulation with acidic/basic vapors in more than 20 cycles because of the protonation and deprotonation process of NR. Moreover, the film shows interesting photoreversible color switching properties under both acidic and basic conditions, including a fast response time and a high reversibility. Taking advantage of the excellent dual pH-/photo-responsive color switching properties, we demonstrated the potential applications of the TiO2-x nanoparticles/NR/agarose gel film in dynamic rewritable paper, in which the created patterns by photo-printing produce dynamic color changing upon applying an acidic or a basic vapor. We believe that the result will enable a new path for the development of dual- and even multi-responsive color switching systems, broadening their new applications.

Social Capital, Financial Literacy, and Rural Household Entrepreneurship: A Mediating Effect Analysis.

In rural areas, entrepreneurship helps lift households out of poverty by alleviating unemployment and increasing income, and financial literacy plays an important role in promoting entrepreneurship. Social capital is a resource embedded in social relationships, the boundaries of which have been expanded by the development of information communications technologies (ICTs). This article aims to link social capital, financial literacy, and rural entrepreneurship through a partial mediating effect analysis. Using data from the 2015 China Household Finance Survey (CHFS), we analyze how social capital affects rural entrepreneurship and the role of local ICTs development in this effect while also accounting for reverse causality. We construct a social capital indicator, mainly referring to bridging social capital, and two financial literacy indicators to make the conclusions robust. The empirical results show that social capital promotes rural entrepreneurship by sharing financial literacy. Furthermore, the spread of ICTs enhances this mediating effect. Our study provides empirical evidence for encouraging entrepreneurship and promoting knowledge sharing and implies the importance of ICTs in promoting entrepreneurship in rural areas.

On-Demand Regulation of Photoreversible Color Switching for Rewritable Paper and Transient Information Encryption.

The achievement of photoreversible color switching systems (PCSS) has offered great opportunities for fundamental studies and practical applications. However, the development of PCSS that possessing highly reversible cyclability and on-demand regulation of recoloration process remains a grand challenge. Herein, we report a hydrazine-mediated self-doping strategy for the synthesis of alkaline Ti3+ self-doped TiO2-x nanoparticles, enabling the TiO2-x nanoparticles/methylene blue based PCSS with long photoreversible cyclability and rapid color switching rate. The Ti3+ species as internal sacrificial electron donors significantly improve the photoreductive activity of TiO2-x nanoparticles, which results in fast decoloration rate and long cycling number of the PCSS. Simultaneously, the alkaline property of TiO2-x nanoparticles enhances the oxidation kinetics of the PCSS to dramatically accelerate the recoloration rate. Moreover, the PCSS can be integrated elaborately with biodegradable agarose to form flexible color switching films, which exhibit long-waited on-demand regulation of recoloration rate in a wide range. By taking advantage of photoreversible color switching and time-resolved color changing process, we demonstrate their potential application in self-erasing rewritable paper and transient optical information encryption. This work represents a new strategy for the future development of PCSS and their advanced applications.

Effects of a hydroxyapatite-coated nanotube surface of titanium on MC3T3-E1 cells: an in vitro study.

PURPOSE: To compare the biological behavior of mouse osteoblast-like cells (MC3T3-E1) on hydroxyapatite (HA)-coated nanotube surface of titanium and plasma-sprayed HA (HA-PS)-coated titanium surface. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The HA-coated nanotube surface of titanium were fabricated by anodization coupled with alternative immersion method (AIM). MC3T3-E1 osteoblast cells cultured in vitro were seeded onto these different surfaces; their growth states were examined by a confocal laser scanning microscope; the proliferation behavior, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, osteocalcin (OCN) secretion, and analysis of osteoblastic gene expressions were also compared in detail. RESULTS: Significant increases in ALP activity and OCN production on days 7 and 14 (P < 0.05) were observed for AIM-coated HA (HA-AIM) surfaces. However, cells cultured on HA-AIM-coated surfaces showed a delayed growth pattern. Real-time polymerase chain reaction analyses showed significantly higher relative mRNA expression levels of osteoblastic genes (runt-related protein 2, osterix, osteopontin, OCN) in cells cultured on the HA-AIM-coated nanotube surfaces as compared with cells cultured on the HA-PS and baer Ti surfaces. CONCLUSION: The current research showed that the HA-AIM-coated nanotubular Ti surfaces enhance osteoblast differentiation, which had the potential to further improve osseointegration.

Characterization and preosteoblastic behavior of hydroxyapatite-deposited nanotube surface of titanium prepared by anodization coupled with alternative immersion method.

The modification on the titanium (Ti) implant surface is an effective method to improve the bioactivity of Ti. In this study, a hydroxyapatite (HA)-deposited nanotubular Ti surface was prepared by anodization coupled with an alternative immersion method (AIM). Surface physicochemical characteristics including morphology, microstructure, composition, roughness were evaluated by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Preosteoblast cell (MC3T3-E1) behavior on the HA-deposited nanotube surface, including cell morphology, proliferation, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, osteocalcin secretion, and mineralization, were also investigated. The untreated nanotube surface and bare Ti were used as controls. The results showed that synthetic HA crystals could be efficiently grown on/inside the nanotubes after AIM treatment in saturated Ca(OH)(2) and 0.02M (NH(4))(2) HPO(4). The amount of synthetic HA on nanotube layer was dependent on the number of dipping cycles. Significant increases in ALP activity and osteocalcin production on day 7 and 14 and calcium deposition on day 21 (P < 0.05) were observed for HA-deposited nanotubular Ti surface when compared with untreated nanotube layer and bare Ti. However, the cell proliferation rate on HA-deposited nanotube surfaces was slowed down significantly (P < 0.05). All these results indicated that this HA-deposited nanotube surface might have the potential benefit to enhance implant osseointegration. The synthetic HA TiO(2) nanotube loading might be a highly promising path to improve the bioactivity of Ti-based implants.

[A cross sectional survey on the prevalence of food intolerance and its determinants in Beijing, China].

OBJECTIVE: To study the prevalence of food intolerance among attendants in a general hospital and to learn its related determinants in Beijing, China. METHODS: An cross sectional survey, from August 1st, 2008 to June 30th, 2009, was carried out, including 12 766 adults from Health Sciences Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital. Data for epidemiological analysis were entered (double entry) into computer and organized by EpiData 3.0. Non-conditional logistic regression model was used for odd ratio (OR) and 95%CI calculation, with statistic analysis through SPSS 13.0. RESULTS: The three leading intolerance food items were egg, crab and milk, and the prevalence rates were 28.5%, 24.5% and 24.5% respectively. Prevalence of food intolerance increased along with aging. Levels and the kinds of food intolerance were associated with age, sex and appeared a linear correlation tendency (P < 0.05). Prevalence of food intolerance in females (67.3%) was higher than that in males (56.2%). Data from multiple regression analysis showed that, comparing with age group under 40 and 40 years, the OR (95%CI) of age group 41 - 50, 51 - 60, and above 60 were 1.125 (1.027 - 1.233), 1.307 (1.176 - 1.452) and 1.536 (1.275 - 1.849) respectively. Compared to males, the OR (95%CI) of females was 1.602 (1.475 - 1.741). When compared with normal weights, the OR (95%CI) of people with low weight was 1.772 (1.207 - 2.602). CONCLUSION: Food intolerance was associated with age, sex and body mass index. Health education should be carried out according to the related characteristics of age and sex. Suggesting that reducing the risk of food intolerance, keeping the suitable weight was necessary.