Boosting Potassium Adsorption and Diffusion Performance of Carbon Anodes for Potassium-Ion Batteries via Topology and Curvature Engineering: From KT-Graphene to KT-CNTs.

We propose a two-dimensional carbon allotrope (named KT-graphene) by incorporating kagome and tetragonal lattices consisting of trigonal, quadrilateral, octagonal, and dodecagonal rings. The introduction of non-hexagonal rings can give rise to the localized electronic states that improve the chemical reactivity toward potassium, making KT-graphene a high-performance anode material for potassium-ion batteries. It shows a high theoretical capacity (892 mAh g-1), a low diffusion barrier (0.33 eV), and a low average open-circuit voltage (0.51 V). The presence of electrolyte solvents is propitious to boost the K-ion adsorption and diffusion capabilities. Moreover, one-dimensional nanotubes (KT-CNTs), rolled up by the KT-graphene sheet, are metallic regardless of the tube diameter. As the curvature increases, KT-CNTs exhibit significantly increased surface activity, which can promote the electron-donating ability of K. Furthermore, the curvature effect greatly enhances the efficiency of K diffusion on the inner surface compared to that on the outer surface.

Mitigation of QingLuoTongMai Pills on Chemotherapy-induced Phlebitis: A Network Pharmacology Study and Experimental Validation.

OBJECTIVE: Chemotherapy induced phlebitis (CIP) is a side product of chemotherapy treatment for malignant tumors, which affects the therapeutic effect and quality of life of cancer patients, and still lacks a clear therapeutic means. In this study, we investigated the therapeutic effects of QLTMP on CIP using network pharmacology and verified the anti-inflammatory mechanism of QLTMP in mice model induced by vinorelbine. METHODS: Network pharmacology analysis was performed to identify bioactive compounds in QLTMP. The protein-protein interaction network was used to identify the core therapeutic targets of QLTMP against CIP. Analyzed biological function and pathway enrichment based on the identified core therapeutic targets. Evaluate the therapeutic effect of QLTMP in a model of CIP induced by vinorelbine to confirm the reliability of the network pharmacological analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The 165 bioactive compounds of QLTMP matched the screening criteria and identified 19 core therapeutic targets of QLTMP against CIP. Biofunctional analysis showed that the therapeutic effect of QLTMP on CIP was mainly related to the inhibition of inflammation; while pathway enrichment analysis showed that TNF signaling pathway was involved in the inflammatory process. Experimental confirmation in mice model showed that QLTMP exerts anti-inflammatory effects through modulation of PI3K/AKT/TNF signaling pathway, a discovery consistent with the network pharmacological analysis. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: The network pharmacological analysis of the anti-inflammatory mechanism of QLTMP on CIP and its exploration of in vivo experiments provide a theoretical basis for the design of agents that can mitigate or cure CIP.

The application of a zero-profile implant in anterior cervical discectomy and fusion.

We analyzed the clinical efficacy of the Zero-P implant (Synthes GmbH Switzerland, Oberdorf, Switzerland) in the treatment of single level cervical spondylotic myelopathy. The clinical data of 47 patients with single level cervical spondylotic myelopathy were retrospectively analyzed. Twenty-two patients were treated with a Zero-P implant (Group A) and 25 with a titanium plate with cage (Group B) between January 2009 and September 2010. Operative time, intraoperative blood loss, preoperative and postoperative Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scores and JOA recovery rate, dysphagia incidence and adjacent segment degeneration rate were measured. The mean operative time in Group A and Group B was 98.18 minutes and 105.4 minutes, respectively. The average intraoperative blood loss in Group A and Group B was 87.95 ml and 92.4 ml, respectively. There were no statistical differences in operation time and intraoperative blood loss between the two groups (p>0.05). The JOA score was significantly improved in the two groups (p<0.001), and the recovery rate was similar (60.86% for Group A versus 62.95% for Group B, p>0.05). Dysphagia was experienced by one (4.5%) patient in Group A and eight (32%) patients in Group B, which was significantly different (p=0.044). There was no statistical significance found in the adjacent level degeneration rates between Group A and Group B (p=0.330). The Zero-P implant and traditional titanium plate with cage are effective treatments for single level cervical spondylotic myelopathy, but the Zero-P implant has a lower dysphagia incidence.

[Assessment of the quality of randomized controlled trials in treating coronary heart disease by Chinese patent medicine].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the quality of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on Compound Danshen Dripping Pill, Compound Danshen Tablet, Suxiao Jiuxin Pill, Tongxinluo Capsule, and isosorbide dinitrate (ISDN) in treating coronary heart disease angina. METHODS: RCT reports were retrieved from CNKI, Wanfang Data, PubMed, China Master Theses Full-text Database, Chinese Electronic Periodical Services, Social Sciences Citation Index, Science Direct, Cambridge Journals Online, and EBM Reviews. Qualities of RCTs were assessed according to Jadad scale, M scale, CONSORT 2010, and CONSORT for herbal medicine. Kendall correlations between basic study characteristics and qualities of included RCTs were analyzed using R statistical software. RESULTS: Eighty-eight RCTs were included. The medians (means, 95% CIs) were 2.00 (2.09, [1.81,2.37]) for the Jadad scale, 4.00 (3.52,[2.95, 4.09]) for the M scale, 15.00 (15.39, [13.87, 16.91]) for the CONSORT 2010, and 19.00 (19.06,[17.16, 20.96]) for the CONSORT for herbal medicine. Only 9.09% (8/88) of RCTs were of high quality (Jadad score >2). These RCT quality measures were not correlated with individual items of reporting, such as sample sizes and follow-up periods. CONCLUSIONS: The quality of RCTs on Chinese patent medicine compared with ISDN was not improved from 1997 to 2009. It is urgent to improve the design of RCTs and the report quality.

Minimally invasive ventriculo-atrial shunt for hydrocephalus.

OBJECTIVE: To study the therapeutic effect of mini-traumatic ventriculo-atrial shunt on hydrocephalus. METHODS: Seventeen patients were treated with right internal jugular venepuncture intubation to finish minimally invasive ventriculo-atrial shunt for hydrocephalus. The patients were evaluated by CT/MRI. The catheters were deployed at the proper position in the right atrium under X-ray fluoroscopy. RESULTS: The hydrocephalus in all the 17 patients eliminated with this surgical procedure with a 100% success rate technically. The operational duration ranged from 0.75 to 1.5 h (average: 1 h). Mistaken puncture into the internal carotid artery as a complication occurred on 1 case. CONCLUSIONS: The mini-traumatic ventriculo-atrial shunt, as a novel minimal invasion technique, has the advantages of small trauma, no influence on local blood circulation, short time and simplicity at operation, rapid healing, and good short-term effect. Moreover, it is suitable for those patients with organic dysfunction.