Application of Visual Management in Enhancing Work Quality within the Central Sterile Supply Department.

Objective: This study aims to investigate the implementation of visual management in the central sterile supply department, focusing on enhancing work efficiency, improving work quality, reducing errors and accidents, and elevating the satisfaction levels of clinical departments. Methods: Visual flow diagrams were carefully developed and classified by a dedicated team from July to August 2021, led by an established visual management team. Subsequently, department staff underwent organized training sessions to understand the concepts, requirements, and contents of these visual management flow diagrams through a related examination. The application of visual flow diagrams extended to instruments and equipment, infection control, and instrument package management. To assess the impact, a control group comprising 400 pieces of instruments used in the operating room and clinical practice in June 2021 and an observation group with 400 pieces for surgical instruments and clinical use in October 2021 were selected using a convenience sampling method. The study analyzed and compared the qualified rate of instrument cleaning, the qualified rate of instrument packaging, and clinical satisfaction between the two groups. Results: The device qualified rates for instrument cleaning in the observation and control groups were 99% and 95%, respectively; for instrument packaging, they were 96% and 92%. Clinical satisfaction rates were 99% and 90%, respectively. These findings indicate an improved qualified rate for instrument cleaning, instrument packaging, and clinical satisfaction in the observation group compared to the control group before the implementation of visual management, with statistically significant differences (P = .000). Conclusions: The application of visual flow diagrams has a significant positive impact on the work quality in the central sterile supply department and enhances clinical work satisfaction. This approach is deemed suitable for broader promotion.

Licochalcone A alleviates abnormal glucolipid metabolism and restores energy homeostasis in diet-induced diabetic mice.

Licochalcone A (LCA) is a bioactive chalcone compound identified in licorice. This study aimed to investigate the effects of LCA on glucolipid metabolism and energy homeostasis, as well as the underlying mechanisms. Blood glucose levels, oral glucose tolerance, serum parameters, and histopathology were examined in high-fat-high-glucose diet (HFD)-induced diabetic mice, with metformin as a positive control. Additionally, changes in key markers related to glucolipid metabolism and mitochondrial function were analyzed to comprehensively assess LCA's effects on metabolism. The results showed that LCA alleviated metabolic abnormalities in HFD-induced diabetic mice, which were manifested by suppression of lipogenesis, promotion of lipolysis, reduction of hepatic steatosis, increase in hepatic glycogenesis, and decrease in gluconeogenesis. In addition, LCA restored energy homeostasis by promoting mitochondrial biogenesis, enhancing mitophagy, and reducing adenosine triphosphate production. Mechanistically, the metabolic benefits of LCA were associated with the downregulation of mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 and activation of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase, the two central regulators of metabolism. This study demonstrates that LCA can alleviate abnormal glucolipid metabolism and restore energy balance in diet-induced diabetic mice, highlighting its therapeutical potential for the treatment of diabetes.

Knockdown of the DUF647 family member RUS4 impairs stamen development and pollen maturation in Arabidopsis.

ROOT UV-B SENSITIVE4 (RUS4) encodes a Domain of Unknown Function647 (DUF647) protein, whose function is poorly understood. We have previously shown the artificial microRNA knockdown Arabidopsis RUS4 plants, referred to as amiR-RUS4, have severely reduced male fertility with a defect in anther dehiscence. Here, we show that amiR-RUS4 plants are also defective in pollen maturation and germination. Promoter-reporter analysis shows that RUS4 is highly expressed in tapetal layer, developing microspores, mature and germinating pollen, strongly suggesting its role in the process of pollen maturation. As the translational RUS4-GFP fusion protein has been localized to the chloroplasts where the first step of jasmonic acid (JA) biosynthesis takes place, leading to the hypothesis that RUS4 may be involved in JA-mediated stamen development. We show that expression of several JA metabolic genes increased markedly in flower buds of the amiR-RUS4 plants compared to that of the wild-type. We further show that transcript abundance of a clade of the JA-responsive MYB transcript factor genes, especially MYB108, reduced significantly in stamens of amiR-RUS4 plants relative to the wild-type; these MYB transcript factors have been shown to be required for JA-mediated stamen and pollen maturation. Our data suggest that RUS4 may play a role in coordinating anther dehiscence and pollen maturation by affecting the expression of JA-related genes.

Protective effects of Punica granatum (pomegranate) peel extract on concanavalin A-induced autoimmune hepatitis in mice.

Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a chronic inflammatory liver disease of an unknown etiology, glucocorticoid therapy is currently recognized as an effective treatment for AIH, but conventional application and patient compliance are both hindered by its side effects. The exploration of the AIH pathogenesis and the searching for the new candidate drugs that exert potential activity and low toxicity are urgently needed. Pomegranate peel extract (PoPx) is a natural extract of Punica granatum and has been reported to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidative properties. The present study aimed to clarify the effect of PoPx on the concanavalin A (ConA)-induced autoimmune hepatitis in a mouse model that is well established at 12h after tail vein injection with a dose of 20 mg/kg of ConA. C57BL/6 female mice were pretreated with PoPx (250 mg/kg, once daily for 3 days) followed by a ConA challenge. Pretreatment with PoPx significantly alleviated ConA-induced liver injury by down-regulating the levels of plasma alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST) and cytokine, including TNF-α, interferon (IFN) -γ and interleukin (IL)-6. Moreover, liver hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining displayed a lighter inflammatory infiltration around the portal area in the PoPx-pretreated mice. In addition, the flow cytometry (FCM) data showed that the immune response in the liver was died down in the PoPx-pretreated condition. Specially, pretreatment with PoPx reduced the infiltration of activated CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in the liver. Taken together, these findings contributed to a better understanding of the actions of PoPx against acute AIH and indicated that PoPx might be a potential compound in treating T cell-mediated autoimmune liver injury.

[Effects of herb residue vermicompost on maize growth and soil fertility].

A pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of herb residue vermicompost on maize growth and soil fertility. With the increasing application rate of vermicompost, the plant height, stem diameter, leaf area, and chlorophyll content of maize all increased significantly. After 60 days growth of maize, the soil bulk density in most vermicompost treatments decreased significantly. The soil pH in vermicompost treatments was significantly higher than that in CK and in chemical fertilization treatments. In addition, the soil total nitrogen and organic matter contents in vermicompost treatments were obviously higher than those in chemical fertilization treatments. It was suggested that herb residue vermicompost could be used as an efficient and high-quality organic fertilizer, and its appropriate application could improve soil physical structure, alleviate soil acidification, increase soil organic matter and nitrogen contents, and promote crop growth.