The dose-response relationship between physical activity and the risk of death from pneumonia in middle-aged and older adults: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Deaths from COVID-19 are concentrated in older adults, and studies have reported that physical activity (PA) can reduce the risk of death from pneumonia. METHODS: Eight cohort studies and 2 case-control studies were included according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria established in this meta-analysis study followed the PRISMA guideline, 8 cohort studies and 2 case-control studies were finally included. Then, the research objects in these studies were classified to further study the dose-response relationship and non-dose-response relationship. RESULTS: The highest dose of PA reduced the risk of death by 59% (risk ratio = 0.41; 95% confidence interval: 0.23-0.58) compared with the lowest dose of PA in middle-aged and elderly people. Furthermore, when the PA level was <10 m/wk, the risk of death from pneumonia was reduced by 6% every 4.5 MET-h/wk increase. At a PA level > 10 m/wk, the risk of death from pneumonia increased by 5% every 4.5 MET-h/wk increase. At a PA level > 30 m/wk, PA is a risk factor for pneumonia-related death in middle-aged and elderly people. CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis showed that PA was associated with a reduced risk of dying from pneumonia in middle-aged and older adults, and that there was a significant nonlinear negative dose-response relationship between PA levels and the risk of dying from pneumonia. Therefore, moderate exercise was recommended.

Continuous and Scalable Synthesis of Prussian Blue Analogues with Tunable Structure and Composition in Surfactant-Free Microreactor for Stable Zinc-Ion Storage.

We represent a segmented flow surfactant-free microfluidic strategy for continuous synthesis of Prussian blue analogues (PBAs) with high dispersity and high crystallization. Representative zinc hexacyanoferrate (ZnHCF) nanocubes were successfully synthesized in a microfluidic reactor within a few minutes via the cooperation method and possessed lower contents of crystal water and Fe(CN)6 3- vacancies than that of synthesis in bulk solution. The nucleation and particle growth process can be precisely controlled by the exploration of different flow rates and reaction temperatures during the formation of ZnHCF nanocubes in segmented flow microfluidic reactors. High crystallinity, low crystal water and vacancies in the ZnHCF structure were presented at relatively high temperatures for the crystal growth process. High-quality ZnHCF with a low content of crystal water showed excellent electrochemical activity and stability towards zinc-ion storage. The continuous and scalable synthesis approach can be extended to the fabrication of other PBAs such as NiHCF, CoHCF, MnHCF, and CuHCF with high dispersity without using any surfactants. The controllable construction of PBAs with tunable properties in microfluidic reactors provides a promising direction to minimize the gap between commercial reality and laboratory research.

Hydrothermal route upcycling surgical masks into dual-emitting carbon dots as ratiometric fluorescent probe for Cr (VI) and corrosion inhibitor in saline solution.

Exploration effective route to convert plastic waste into valuable carbon dots with bifunction of metal fluorescence monitoring and corrosion protection in seawater is promising. Herein, using "white-pollution" polypropylene surgical masks as a single precursor, dual-emitting carbon dots (CDs) with excellent ratiometric fluorescent sensitivity and corrosion inhibitor efficiency were fabricated with high yield (∼100 %) by a one-pot in situ acid oxidation hydrothermal strategy without post-treatment and organic solvents. Chemical, structural, morphological, optical properties and the Cr (VI) detection and Cu inhibition mechanism of the synthesized CDs had been systematically studied. Furthermore, a dual-response-OFF proportional fluorescent probe had been developed for the detection of the analyte Cr (VI) with a low detection limit of 24 nM. Additionally, the corrosion inhibition efficiency of the prepared CDs reached approximately 94.01 % for Cu substrate in 3.5 wt% NaCl electrolyte under a CDs concentration of 200 mg/L, which is higher than that of most previous reports.

Coupling Ferricyanide/Ferrocyanide Redox Mediated Recycling Spent LiFePO4 with Hydrogen Production.

Replacing the oxygen evolution reaction with thermodynamically more favorable alternative oxidation reactions offers a promising alternative to reduce the energy consumption of hydrogen production. However, questions remain regarding the economic viability of alternative oxidation reactions for industrial-scale hydrogen production. Here, we propose an innovative cost-effective, environment-friendly and energy-efficient strategy for simultaneous recycling of spent LiFePO4 (LFP) batteries and hydrogen production by coupling the spent LFP-assisted ferricyanide/ferrocyanide ([Fe(CN)6 ]4- /[Fe(CN)6 ]3- ) redox reaction. The onset potential for the electrooxidation of [Fe(CN)6 ]4- to [Fe(CN)6 ]3- is low at 0.87 V. Operando Raman and UV/Visible spectroscopy confirm that the presence of LFP in the electrolyte allows for the rapid reduction of [Fe(CN)6 ]3- to [Fe(CN)6 ]4- , thereby completing the [Fe(CN)6 ]4- /[Fe(CN)6 ]3- redox cycle as well as facilitating the conversion of spent LiFePO4 into LiOH ⋅ H2 O and FePO4 . The electrolyzer consumes 3.6 kWh of electricity per cubic meter of H2 produced at 300 mA cm-2 , which is 43 % less than conventional water electrolysis. Additionally, this recycling pathway for spent LFP batteries not only minimizes chemical consumption and prevents secondary pollution but also presents significant economic benefits.

Scrolling reduced graphene oxides to induce room temperature magnetism via spatial coupling of defects.

Due to its intriguing features and numerous applications, graphene has garnered a lot of interest in recent years. However, it is still very difficult to create graphene-based room-temperature magnets without transition metals or rare earth elements since pristine graphene is inherently diamagnetic due to the delocalized π bonding network. Herein, room-temperature ferromagnetism with a saturation magnetization of 0.93 emu g-1 (300 K) is achieved in defect-rich-reduced graphene oxide (DR-rGO) nanoscrolls by creating a spatial coupling of defects. The experiments and DFT calculations verify that spatial coupling of defects could enhance Rudermann-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida interactions to induce magnetism in graphene. It displays high-efficiency electromagnetic wave absorption performance with a minimal reflection loss of -62.1 dB and an effective absorption bandwidth of 7.8 GHz (3.0 mm) thanks to greatly improved magnetism. This breakthrough serves as a building block for the creation of room-temperature magnetic carbon materials and expands their applications in many pertinent domains.

Reactivation of redox active materials boosts the performance of electrochemical desalination with coupling energy storage.

Aqueous redox flow battery (RFB) desalination is considered as an emerging technology for both freshwater production and energy storage. However, the desalination capacity of desalination RFB is constrained by the amount of redox active materials. To break through this innate limit, a tandem redox strategy is reported to boost the desalination capacity of desalination RFB through reactivating the depleted redox active materials to achieve relay desalination. Taking zinc/sodium ferrocyanide as the proof-of-concept model, the introduction of 5.6 g Prussian blue (PB) as a reactivator could boost the desalination capacity by ∼106.1%, reaching to 651.2 mAh, compared with the theoretical limit of 315.9 mAh. This system can afford the desalination of 34-47 mL seawater with 85%-91% NaCl removal and as low as 8.17 kJ/mol (2.27 Wh/L) salt energy consumption using only 15 mL of catholyte, while providing 55.6-42.5 Wh/L electrical energy for other purposes, outperforming the reported desalination RFBs so far. This study represents a paradigm shift to rational design for desalination RFB and may broaden the implications in desalination, energy storage, and other related fields.

Lithium Ferrocyanide Catholyte for High-Energy and Low-cost Aqueous Redox Flow Batteries.

Aqueous redox flow batteries (ARFBs) are a promising technology for grid-scale energy storage, however, their commercial success relies on redox-active materials (RAM) with high electron storage capacity and cost competitiveness. Herein, a redox-active material lithium ferrocyanide (Li4 [Fe(CN)6 ]) is designed. Li+ ions not only greatly boost the solubility of [Fe(CN)6 ]4- to 2.32 M at room temperature due to weak intermolecular interactions, but also improves the electrochemical performance of [Fe(CN)6 ]4-/3- . By coupling with Zn, ZIRFBs were built, and the capacity of the batteries was as high as 61.64 Ah L-1 (pH-neutral) and 56.28 Ah L-1 (alkaline) at a [Fe(CN)6 ]4- concentration of 2.30 M and 2.10 M. These represent unprecedentedly high [Fe(CN)6 ]4- concentrations and battery energy densities reported to date. Moreover, benefiting from the low cost of Li4 [Fe(CN)6 ], the overall chemical cost of alkaline ZIRFB is as low as $11 per kWh, which is one-twentieth that of the state-of-the-art VFB ($211.54 per kWh). This work breaks through the limitations of traditional electrolyte composition optimization and will strongly promote the development of economical [Fe(CN)6 ]4-/3- -based RFBs in the future.

Baseline physical activity and the risk of severe illness and mortality from COVID-19: A dose-response meta-analysis.

To provide a scientific basis for improved exercise-based immunity, a meta-analysis was used to explore the dose-response relationship between physical activity (PA) and the risk of severe illness and mortality related to COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019). To this end, we searched PubMed, Web of Science databases from January 2020 through April 2022. 14 observational studies met the criteria for inclusion in the meta-analysis, including 2840 cases of severe illness and death from COVID-19. Categorical dose-relationship analysis showed that the risks of severe illness and mortality from COVID-19 were, respectively, 46% (risk ratio (RR): 0.54; confidence intervals (CIs): 0.41-0.68) and 59% (RR = 0.41; 95%CI: 0.23-0.58) lower for the highest dose of PA compared with the lowest dose of PA. The results of the continuous dose-response analysis show an inverse nonlinear relationship (Pnon-linearity < 0.05) between PA and both the risk of severe illness and mortality from COVID-19. For PA below 10 MET-h/week (MET-h/week: metabolic equivalent of task-hours/week), an increase of 4 MET-h/week (1 h of moderate-intensity or 0.5 h of high-intensity PA) was associated with 8% and 11% reductions in the risk of severe illness and mortality from COVID-19. PA above 10 MET-h/week lowered the risk of severe illness and mortality from COVID-19 by 7% and 9%, respectively, for each 4 MET-h/week increase. Doses of WHO-recommended PA levels (10 MET-h/week) may be required for more substantial reductions in the risk of severe illness and mortality from COVID-19.

Association of physical activity and the risk of COVID-19 hospitalization: A dose-response meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Many people have experienced a high burden due to the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and its serious consequences for health and everyday life. Prior studies have reported that physical activity (PA) may lower the risk of COVID-19 hospitalization. The present meta-analysis explored the dose-response relationship between PA and the risk of COVID-19 hospitalization. METHODS: Epidemiological observational studies on the relationship between PA and the risk of COVID-19 hospitalization were included. Categorical dose-response relationships between PA and the risk of COVID-19 hospitalization were assessed using random effect models. Robust error meta-regression models assessed the continuous relationship between PA (metabolic equivalent [Met]-h/wk) and COVID-19 hospitalization risk across studies reporting quantitative PA estimates. RESULTS: Seventeen observational studies (cohort\case-control\cross-section) met the criteria for inclusion in the meta-analysis. Categorical dose-relationship analysis showed a 40% (risk ratio [RR] 0.60, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.48-0.71) reduction in the risk of COVID-19 hospitalization compared to the lowest dose of PA. The results of the continuous dose-response relationship showed a non-linear inverse relationship (Pnon-linearity < .05) between PA and the risk of COVID-19 hospitalization. When total PA was < or >10 Met-h/wk, an increase of 4 Met-h/wk was associated with a 14% (RR = 0.83, 95% CI: 0.85-0.87) and 11% (RR = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.87-0.90) reduction in the risk of COVID-19 hospitalization, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: There was an inverse non-linear dose-response relationship between PA level and the risk of COVID-19 hospitalization. Doses of the guideline-recommended minimum PA levels by the World Health Organization may be required for more substantial reductions in the COVID-19 hospitalization risk.

Bidirectional Tandem Electrocatalysis Manipulated Sulfur Speciation Pathway for High-Capacity and Stable Na-S Battery.

The sluggish polysulfide redox kinetics and the uncontrollable sulfur speciation pathway, leading to serious shuttling effect and high activation barrier associated with sulfur cathode. We describe here the use of core-shell structured composite matrixes containing abundant catalytic sites for nearly fully reversible cycling of sulfur cathodes for Na-S batteries. The bidirectional tandem electrocatalysis provide successive reversible conversion of both long- and short-chain polysulfides, whereas Fe2 O3 accelerates Na2 S8 /Na2 S6 to Na2 S4 conversion and the redox-active Fe(CN)6 4- -doped polypyrrole shell catalyzes Na2 S4 reduction to Na2 S. The electrochemically reactive Na2 S can be readily charged back to sulfur with minimal overpotential. Simultaneously, stable cycling of Na-S pouch cell with a high reversible capacity of 696 mAh g-1 is also demonstrated. The bidirectional confined tandem catalysis renders the manipulation of sulfur redox electrochemistry for practical Na-S cells.

Advances in the regulation of kinetics of cathodic H+/Zn2+ interfacial transport in aqueous Zn/MnO2 electrochemistry.

Rechargeable aqueous Zn-MnO2 energy storage systems have attracted extensive attention owing to their high theoretical capacity and non-flammable mild aqueous electrolytes. Nevertheless, the complicated reaction mechanism of a MnO2-based cathode severely restricts its further development. Therefore, it is crucial to clarify the kinetics of H+/Zn2+ interfacial transport in the MnO2 cathode for realizing controllable regulation of interfacial ion transport and then realizing high capacity and long lifespan. Recently, based on different reaction mechanisms, various strategies have been employed to improve the performance of aqueous Zn/MnO2 cells, such as surface modifications and structural engineering. Herein, we systematically summarize the recent advances in the modulation of interfacial H+/Zn2+ transport and related redox kinetics to effectively improve the electrochemical responses. Furthermore, the challenges of designing novel MnO2 cathodes have also been prospected in detail to provide possible guidelines for the development of Zn/MnO2 batteries.

Leisure-time physical activity and risk of depression: A dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies.

BACKGROUND: There has never been a dose-response meta-analysis of the relationship between physical activity and the risk of depression. Hence, we aimed to explore the dose-response relationship between leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) and the risk of depression through a meta-analysis to provide a basis for the prevention of depression. METHODS: PubMed and Web of Science databases were searched using a computer to collect prospective cohort studies on the relationship between LTPA and depression between January 1997 and July 2021. A dose-response meta-analysis was performed using the Stata 14 software to calculate the combined effect size relative risk (RR and 95% confidence interval CI). RESULTS: Twelve cohort studies included 310,359 subjects who met the inclusion criteria. The categorical dose-response analysis results showed that the risk of incident depression was 27%, 17%, and 8% lower for the light, moderate, and highest dose LTPA participants, respectively (RR: 0.73, 95% CI: 0.64-0.82; RR: 0.83, 95% CI: 0.78-0.87; RR: 0.92, 95% CI: 0.86-0.99), compared with the lowest LTPA category. Continuous dose-response analysis showed a nonlinear relationship between LTPA and the risk of incident depression (P = .04). The risk of incident depression was reduced by 3% (RR: 0.97, 95% CI: 0.95-0.98) for every 5 MET-h/week increase in LTPA < 25 MET-h/week; when LTPA was higher than 25 MET-h/week, a 4% increase in the risk of depression for every 5 MET-h/week increase was observed (RR: 1.04, 95% CI: 1.02-1.05). CONCLUSIONS: There was a nonlinear relationship between LTPA and the risk of incident depression. Moderate and low doses of LTPA were protective factors in preventing the risk of incident depression, while high doses of LTPA may increase the risk of incident depression.

Study of resistance performance of Al2O3-ZnO-Y2O3 thermal control coating exposed to vacuum-ultraviolet irradiation.

As deep space exploration moves farther and farther away, thermal control coating of the in-orbit spacecraft will suffer a serious vacuum-ultraviolet radiation environment, which seriously threatens the reliability of the spacecraft in orbit. Therefore, it is important to improve the vacuum-ultraviolet resistance performance of the thermal control coating. In this work, the inorganic Al2O3-ZnO-Y2O3 thermal control coating was in situ fabricated on a 6061 aluminum alloy surface by PEO technology, and its vacuum-ultraviolet resistance performance was investigated. The results show that the Al2O3-ZnO-Y2O3 thermal control coating has a good resistance performance to vacuum-ultraviolet radiation, which is mainly because the large extinction coefficients of the ZnO and Y2O3 materials in the ultraviolet band are conducive to improving the ultraviolet resistance performance. Furthermore, the life prediction model of the Al2O3-ZnO-Y2O3 thermal control coating shows that its Δα s value first slightly increases and then tends to be stable with the increase of ultraviolet irradiation time from 0 ESH to 25 000 ESH, and the maximum variation of Δα s is about 0.0536. This work provides a material basis and technical support for the thermal control system of spacecraft with long life and high reliability.

EPA and DHA differentially coordinate the crosstalk between host and gut microbiota and block DSS-induced colitis in mice by a reinforced colonic mucus barrier.

Background: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the colon with a continuously remitting and relapsing course. Its etiology is closely related to abnormal interactions between host and gut microbiota. The mucus barrier lining the gastrointestinal tract is necessary to coordinate host and gut microbiota interaction by nourishing and modulating the microbiota. Differential effects of the anti-inflammatory fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) on UC progression in mice were firstly addressed by our previous work; here, the mechanism for their respective effects were further uncovered from host-microbiome crosstalk based on mucus barrier modulation to pave the way for UC therapy. Methods: Assessment of the disease activity index and histopathology score was conducted in mice with dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis pre-treated with different doses of EPA and DHA. Mucin generation, glycosylation and secretion were evaluated by a combination of electron microscopy, specific mucous staining, and qPCR. Western blotting was used to analyze the underlying molecular events. Fecal short chain fatty acids were detected using gas chromatography, and the gut microbial composition was analyzed using 16S rRNA sequencing. Results: Compared with DHA, the more potent inhibitory effect of high dose EPA on DSS-induced colitis was reconfirmed, which was underlain by a reinforced mucus layer as indicated by increased mucin granule release, mucus layer stratification and markedly upregulated expression of the key modulators involved in goblet cell differentiation. In turn a remarkably enhanced mucus barrier in the EPA group functioned to modulate the gut microbiome, as demonstrated by the enriched abundance of the phylum Bacteroidetes and mucin-degrading bacterium Akkermansia muciniphila producing acetic and propionic acids. Conclusions: EPA and DHA differentially coordinate the interaction between the host and the gut microbiota and relieve mucus barrier disruption in DSS-induced colitis. EPA may develop into a promising adjunctive therapy for UC.

Leisure time physical activity and risk of pneumonia mortality: a dose-response meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: This meta-analysis of cohort studies aimed to examine the dose-response relationships between LPTA (leisure time physical activity) and pneumonia mortality to provide some suggestions for the prevention of respiratory disease mortality. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: PubMed, WOS database were systematically searched for eligible studies until November 1, 2020. The prospective cohort study on the relationship between LPTA and pneumonia mortality was collected. The meta-analysis was performed using STATA 14 software (StataCorp LLC, College Station, TX, USA) to calculate the combined effect size (HR) of pneumonia mortality and its 95% CI in a categorical dose-response relationship. The restrictive cubic spline model was used to fit the continuous dose-response relationship. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: Eight cohort studies including 370,045 subjects who met the inclusion criteria were selected for the study. The categorical dose-relational analysis revealed that the highest dose compared to the lowest LTPA dose reduced the risk of pneumonia mortality by 32% (HR=0.68; 95% CI: 0.64-0.73). The continuous dose-response relationship results showed a negative nonlinear relationship between LTPA and the risk of pneumonia mortality (Pnon-linearity<0.05). The risk of pneumonia death HR decreased by 16% (P<0.01, HR=0.84; 95% CI: 0.82-0.86) for each additional 5 MET-h/week when LTPA below 20 MET-h/week. When LTPA was higher than 20 MET-h/week, the risk of pneumonia death HR decreased of 6% for each additional 5 MET-h/week (P<0.01, HR=0.94; 95% CI: 0.93-0.94). CONCLUSIONS: All doses of LTPA are protective factors of pneumonia mortality risk and the protective effect on pneumonia mortality is enhanced if LTPA increases. The degree of enhancement is weakened when LTPA is higher than 20 MET-h/week.

Effects of nutritional support combined with insulin therapy on serum proteins, inflammatory factors, pentraxin-3, and serum amylase levels in patients with diabetic ketoacidosis complicated with acute pancreatitis.

ABSTRACT: To explore the effects of nutritional support combined with insulin therapy on serum protein, procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), pentraxin-3 (PTX-3), and serum amylase (AMS) levels in patients with diabetic ketoacidosis complicated with acute pancreatitis.A total of 64 patients with diabetic ketoacidosis complicated with acute pancreatitis admitted to our hospital from January 2018 to February 2019 were enrolled in this prospective study. They were divided into the study group and the control group according to the random number table method, with 32 patients in each group. Patients in the study group were given nutritional support combined with insulin therapy, and patients in the control group were given insulin therapy.There were no significant differences in general data including age, gender, body mass index, course and type of diabetes, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II, RANSON, CT grades between the 2 groups before treatment (all P > .05). After 7 days of treatment, the clinical efficacy of the study group was significantly higher than that of the control group (study group vs control group, 94.44% vs 75.00%, P < .05). After 7 days of treatment, the levels of prealbumin and albumin in the study group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P < .05). After 7 days of treatment, the levels of PCT, CRP, TNF-α, PTX-3, and AMS in the 2 groups were significantly lower than those before treatment (P < .05), and the levels of PCT, CRP, TNF-α, PTX-3, and AMS in the study group were significantly lower than those in the control group. After 7 days of treatment, the levels of IgG, IgM, and IgA in the 2 groups were significantly higher than those before treatment, and the levels of IgG, IgM, and IgA in the study group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P < .05).Nutritional support combined with insulin is obviously effective in the treatment of diabetic ketoacidosis complicated with acute pancreatitis, which can improve serum protein levels, reduce inflammatory response, improve immune function, and is worthy of clinical application.

Correlation between PCT, 25(OH)D, PTX-3, AMS levels and the severity of diabetic ketoacidosis complicated by pancreatitis.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to explore the correlation between procalcitonin (PCT), 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D), pentraxin-3 (PTX-3), amylase (AMS) levels and severity of diabetic ketoacidosis complicated by pancreatitis. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 198 patients with diabetic ketoacidosis admitted to our hospital from January 2015 to February 2020 were included. According to whether the patients with pancreatitis, subjects were divided into diabetic ketoacidosis with pancreatitis (DKA-AP) group and diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) group. Healthy controls admitted to the hospital for physical examinations were included as a control group. Clinical outcomes were collected. RESULTS: On the first day after admission, the levels of PCT, PTX-3, and AMS in DKA-AP group were significantly higher than those in DKA group and control group, and 25(OH)D levels in DKA-AP group were lower than those in DKA group and control group. PCT, PTX-3, and AMS levels were significantly increased, and 25(OH)D levels were decreased in the DKA group compared with the control group. Furthermore, the levels of PCT, 25(OH)D, PTX-3, and AMS in the DKA-AP group were correlated with the disease severity of of diabetic ketoacidosis complicated by pancreatitis. The levels of PCT, PTX-3, and AMS in the DKA-AP group on day 1 were significantly higher and 25(OH)D levels were significantly lower than those on days 3-7 after admission. The levels of PCT, PTX-3, and AMS in the DKA group on day 1 were significantly higher and 25(OH)D levels were significantly lower than those on days 2-7 after admission. The levels of these indicators returned to normal levels on day 3 or day 7 in DKA or DKA-AP group, respectively. PCT, PTX-3, and AMS levels in the DKA-AP group were significantly increased, while 25(OH)D levels in the DKA-AP group were decreased compared with DKA group on days 1-6 after admission. The duration of hospital stay, patients of ICU care, duration of ICU stay, and cost in DKA-AP group were all higher than those in the DKA group. CONCLUSION: Blood levels of PCT, 25(OH)D, PTX-3, and AMS were correlated with diabetic ketoacidosis complicated by pancreatitis, and have certain application value in assessment of the disease severity.

The effect of insulin pump combined with ulinastatin on the levels of PCT, TG, PTX-3, and CX3CL1 in patients with diabetic ketoacidosis and pancreatitis.

ABSTRACT: The aim of this research is to observe the effect of insulin pump combined with Ulinastatin on the levels of procalcitonin (PCT), triglycerides (TG), pentraxin-3(PTX-3), and C-X3-C motif chemokine ligand 1 (CX3CL1) in patients with diabetic ketoacidosis and pancreatitis.A total of 72 patients with diabetic ketoacidosis and pancreatitis who were admitted to our hospital from February 2016 to February 2020 were selected as the research subjects. They were divided into study groups (36 cases, given insulin pump combined Ulinastatin treatment) and control group (36 cases, given insulin pump treatment). Statistics of changes in blood amylase (AMS), blood glucose, blood ketones, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), PCT, TG, PTX-3, and chemokine CX3CL in pancreatic tissue before and after treatment.After treatment, the clinical efficacy of the study group was significantly higher than that of the control group (94.44% vs 75.00%), the difference was significant (P < .05). After treatment, the clinical symptoms (abdominal distension, abdominal pain, body temperature, blood sugar, HbA1c and blood amylase) in the study group were significantly less time-to-normal than in the control group, and the difference was significant (P < .05). After treatment, the AMS, blood sugar, HbA1c, and blood ketones of the 2 groups were all lower than before treatment, and the study group's AMS, blood sugar, HbA1c, and blood ketones were all lower In the control group, the difference was significant (P < .05). After treatment, the 2 groups of PCT, TG, PTX-3, and CX3CL were all lower than before treatment, among which the study group PCT, TG, PTX-3, and CX3CL1 were lower than the control group, the difference was significant (P < .05). After treatment, the total adverse reaction rate of the 2 groups was not significantly different (P > .05), but the total adverse reaction rate of the study group was lower than that of the control group.The combination of insulin pump and ulinastatin in the treatment of patients with diabetic ketoacidosis complicated with acute pancreatitis has a effect, which can shorten the recovery time of clinical symptoms, reduce the levels of PCT, TG, PTX-3, and CX3CL1, and has fewer adverse reactions. It is worthy of clinical application.

Differential effects of EPA and DHA on DSS-induced colitis in mice and possible mechanisms involved.

BACKGROUND: The anti-inflammatory effect of n-3 PUFAs has been widely documented. Emerging evidence suggests that the main component of n-3 PUFAs, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), may have differential effects in ulcerative colitis (UC). It was aimed to clarify their differential effects in UC. METHODS: Eight-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into 7 groups, namely control, UC model, salicylazosulfapyridine (SASP), low-dose DHA, high-dose DHA, low-dose EPA, and high-dose EPA. DHA, EPA and SASP treatment groups were orally treated accordingly for 9 weeks. During the 5th to 9th week the control group was given distilled water, while other groups were given distilled water with 2% dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) to induce UC. Body weight loss, diarrhea, and stool bleeding were recorded to calculate the disease activity index (DAI). The level of tight junction proteins Claudin-1 and Occludin, and cytokines including TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1ß as well as inflammatory cell markers such as MPO, F4/80, and MCP-1 in the intestinal epithelium were measured using western blotting. Activation of IL-6/STAT3 and NLRP3/IL-1ß inflammatory pathways was also assessed. Levels of proliferation-related proteins of the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway with c-myc, Cyclin-D1, and PCNA were detected. RESULTS: EPA, superior to DHA, significantly attenuated DSS-induced colitis evidenced by reduced DAI scores, cytokine production and inflammatory cell infiltration. Mechanically, EPA triggered a marked up-regulation of Claudin-1 and Occludin with down-regulation of their up-stream Akt and ERK. EPA also inhibited NLRP3/IL-1ß and IL-6/STAT3 inflammatory pathways and up-regulated the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway. CONCLUSIONS: EPA is more suitable to be used for the treatment of UC than DHA.

The Efficacy and Safety of 3 Types of Interventions for Stroke Prevention in Patients With Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases: A Network Meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: The goal of this study was to compare the relative efficacy and safety of different types of interventions for stroke prevention in patients with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. METHODS: This network meta-analysis (NMA) was conducted with a random effects model of Bayesian framework using Stata version 12.0. Odds ratios (ORs) and their credible intervals (CrIs) were applied for the efficacy and safety evaluation of various medical interventions, including aspirin, dipyridamole, ticlopidine, warfarin, and apixaban. In addition, the ranking of probability of every clinical outcome was estimated by comparing the surface under the cumulative ranking curve. FINDINGS: Compared with dabigatran, both edoxaban and aspirin + warfarin exhibited a higher rate of all-cause stroke (OR, 2.84 [95% CrI, 1.17-6.97]; OR, 3.42 [95% CrI, 1.20-9.84]). With respect to intracranial hemorrhage, aspirin + clopidogrel yielded worse outcomes than 7 treatments, including placebo, apixaban, aspirin, aspirin + dipyridamole, cilostazol, clopidogrel, and dabigatran (OR, 2.21 [95% CrI, 1.45-3.40]; OR, 2.11 [95% CrI, 1.05-4.17]; OR, 1.53 [95% CrI, 1.11-2.15]; OR, 1.78 [95% CrI, 1.01-3.03]; OR, 4.17 [95% CrI, 1.37-14.28]; OR, 1.85 [95% CrI, 1.22-2.86]; and OR, 2.56 [95% CrI, 1.37-4.76]). In terms of ischemic stroke, dabigatran provided better efficacy than placebo, aspirin, and aspirin + dipyridamole (OR, 0.36 [95% CrI, 0.18-0.72]; OR, 0.43 [95% CrI, 0.21-0.84]; and OR, 0.41 [95% CrI, 0.17-0.94]). As for mortality, dabigatran resulted in a lower mortality compared with aspirin, aspirin + clopidogrel, edoxaban, and warfarin (OR, 0.48 [95% CrI, 0.23-0.97]; OR, 0.40 [95% CrI, 0.17-0.92]; OR, 0.27 [95% CrI, 0.10-0.72]; and OR, 0.52 [95% CrI, 0.28-0.92]). IMPLICATIONS: There are still some limitations to our NMA research. For instance, the lack of direct evidence for some therapies resulted in inconsistencies, particularly for warfarin compared with placebo and clopidogrel under different end points. Moreover, the included randomized controlled trials for patients with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases are relatively broad, involving atrial fibrillation, myocardial infarction, and large-artery atherosclerosis stroke. Although further research is needed, dabigatran is highly recommended based on the present NAM for the treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases due to the drug's efficacy and safety.