Effects of different treatment measures on the efficacy of diabetic foot ulcers: a network meta-analysis.

Introduction: Through a network meta-analysis, we compared different treatment measures for patients with diabetic foot ulcers (DFU), assessing their impact on the healing of DFU and ranking them accordingly. Methods: We searched the PubMed, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Embase, the WanFang and the WeiPu database. The retrieval time was from database establishment to January 2024, and retrieval entailed subject and free words. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with different treatment measures for DFU were included. Data extraction and evaluation were based on the PRISMA guidelines. Meta-analyses using pairwise and network methods were employed to compare and rank the effectiveness of different treatments for DFU. Results: Ultimately, we included 57 RCTs involving a total of 4,826 patients with DFU. When it comes to ulcer healing rates, compared to standard of care(SOC),platelet-rich plasma(PRP), hyperbaric oxygen therapy(HBOT), topical oxygen therapy(TOT), acellular dermal matrix(ADM), and stem cells(SCs) in both direct meta-analysis(DMA) and network meta-analysis(NMA) can effectively increase the complete healing rate. For Scs+PRP, a statistically significant improvement was only observed in the NMA. Moreover, when compared to the negative pressure wound therapy(NPWT) group, the PRP+NPWT group was more effective in promoting the complete healing of ulcers. In terms of promoting the reduction of ulcer area, no statistical differences were observed among various treatment measures. When it comes to ulcer healing time, both PRP and NPWT can effectively shorten the healing time compared to SOC. Furthermore, when compared to the NPWT group, the combined treatment of PRP and ultrasonic debridement(UD) with NPWT is more effective in reducing healing time. In terms of amputation rates and adverse reactions, the PRP group effectively reduced the amputation rate and adverse reactions for patients with DFU. Additionally, compared to the NPWT group, the combined treatment of PRP and UD with NPWT reduced the incidence of adverse reactions. However, no significant differences were observed among other treatment measures in terms of amputation rates and adverse reactions. The ranking results showed that the efficacy of PRP+NPWT and UD+NPWT in promoting ulcer healing, reducing ulcer area, shortening healing time, decreasing amputation rates and adverse reactions is superior to that of the alone PRP group, NPWT group, and UD group. Conversely, the SOC group demonstrates the least effective performance in all aspects. Conclusion: Due to the particularity of the wound of DFU, the standard of care is not effective, but the new treatment scheme has a remarkable effect in many aspects. And the treatment of DFU is not a single choice, combined with a variety of methods often achieve better efficacy, and will not bring more adverse reactions.

Heteroatom-Controlled Three-Component [4 + 3] or [3 + 2] Annulation of Isatin-Derived Azomethine Ylide with Azadiene: Selective Synthesis of Spirooxindole-diazepines and Density Functional Theory Studies.

A novel three-component [4 + 3] annulation reaction of isatin-derived azomethine ylides with azadienes was developed for the first time to efficiently synthesize spirooxindole-diazepines incorporating a benzothiophene moiety under catalyst-free conditions. Effects of the heteroatom of azadiene on the chemoselectivity was investigated. With the use of the azadiene bearing a benzofuran moiety as a substrate, the dominant reaction pathway was changed to an α-[3 + 2] annulation. When azadiene bearing an indenone moiety was used, a distinct γ-[3 + 2] annulation was observed. Density functional theory calculations revealed that a delicate balance between kinetic accessibility and the thermodynamic driving force controlled the competition of different annulation reactions.

KIF1A, R1457Q, and P1688L Mutations Induce Protein Abnormal Aggregation and Autophagy Impairment in iPSC-Derived Motor Neurons.

Mutations in the C-terminal of KIF1A (Kinesin family member 1A) may lead to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) through unknown mechanisms that are not yet understood. Using iPSC reprogramming technology and motor neuron differentiation techniques, we generated iPSCs from a healthy donor and two ALS patients with KIF1A mutations (R1457Q and P1688L) and differentiated them into spinal motor neurons (iPSC-MN) to investigate KIF1A-related ALS pathology. Our in vitro iPSC-iMN model faithfully recapitulated specific aspects of the disease, such as neurite fragmentation. Through this model, we observed that these mutations led to KIF1A aggregation at the proximal axon of motor neurons and abnormal accumulation of its transport cargo, LAMP1, resulting in autophagy dysfunction and cell death. RNAseq analysis also indicated that the functions of the extracellular matrix, structure, and cell adhesion were significantly disturbed. Notably, using rapamycin during motor neuron differentiation can effectively prevent motor neuron death.

Isobavachin induces autophagy-mediated cytotoxicity in AML12 cells via AMPK and PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathways.

Isobavachin (IBA) is a dihydroflavonoid compound with various pharmacological effects. However, further investigation into the hepatotoxicity of IBA is necessary. This study aims to identify the hepatotoxic effects of IBA and explore its potential mechanisms. The study assessed the impact of IBA on the viability of AML12, HepG2, LO2, rat, and mouse primary hepatocytes using MTT and LDH assays. Autophagy was detected in AML12 cells after IBA treatment using electron microscopy, MDC, and Ad-mCherry-GFP-LC3B fluorescence. The effect of IBA on autophagy-related proteins was examined using Western blot. The results showed that IBA had dose-dependent inhibitory effects on five cells, induced autophagy in AML12 cells, and promoted autophagic flux. The study found that IBA treatment inhibited phosphorylation of PI3K, Akt, and mTOR, while increasing phosphorylation levels of AMPK and ULK1. Treatment with both AMPK and PI3K inhibitors reversed the expression of AMPK and PI3K-Akt-mTOR signaling pathway proteins. These results suggest that IBA may have hepatocytotoxic effects but can also prevent IBA hepatotoxicity by inhibiting the AMPK and PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathways. This provides a theoretical basis for preventing and treating IBA hepatotoxicity in clinical settings.

Analysis on patents of health care products with substances of medicine food homology in China.

Objective: The concept of substances of medicine food homology (SMFH) has garnered significant attention in recent years. This study conducts a systematic analysis of patent literature related to SMFH, and elucidates the development trends, technical hotspots, and the overall patent protection landscape of SMFH in China over the past two decades. Methods: The patent search focused on the SMFH varieties as the objects of inquiry, with retrieval conducted in patent databases. Subsequently, the acquired data underwent processing, analysis, and visualization. Results: While the technical threshold for pharmaceutical applications surpasses that of the food service sector, the former may assume a prominent role in the future. Research and development (R&D) activities in the southeast of China demonstrate robust activity than other regions. Colleges and scientific research institutions exhibit substantial advantages in patent applications compared with individuals and hold greater potential for future development. Conclusion: The findings of this patent analysis indicate that China's SMFH industry are presently undergoing a transition from an extensive model to a high-quality model. The quality and technical standards of SMFH products are consistently improving. Consequently, there is a need for more stringent patent application requirements to align with the evolving development needs.

Self-Healing B ← N-Based Hydrogen-Bonded Organic Framework for Exclusive Recognition and Separation of Toluene from Methyl-Cyclohexane.

The effective separation of aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons remains a notable challenge in the petrochemical industry. Herein, we report a self-healing three-dimensional B ← N-based hydrogen-bonded organic framework (HOF), BN-HOF-1, constructed from discrete B ← N inclusive dimers through weak C-H···F and C-H···N hydrogen-bonding interactions. To make use of the specific recognition of the B ← N inclusive dimers for the toluene molecules and the reversible ad/desorption nature of this novel HOF, BN-HOF-1 can exclusively recognize and separate toluene from the mixtures of toluene-methylcyclohexane, thus generating 99.6% pure toluene from its mixtures after gentle heating, the recorded value among any reported materials for toluene purification. After the toluene molecules were released from the framework, it becomes the condensed BN-HOF-1a, which can be further reused for the highly selective recognition and purification of toluene from its binary mixtures, through the reversible structural recovery back to BN-HOF-1. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction and molecular modeling studies reveal that the high specific toluene recognition is attributed to the complementary electrostatic potential between the host B ← N inclusive dimers and the guest toluene, while the self-healing and recovery nature of this HOF is attributed to weak intermolecular hydrogen-bonding interactions.

Take-out food enhances the risk of MPs ingestion and obesity, altering the gut microbiome in young adults.

Young people are consuming large amounts of microplastics (MPs) due to the booming development of the take-out industry. To investigate the association between MPs exposure and obesity, 121 volunteers were divided into high MPs exposure (HME) and low MPs exposure (LME) according to the frequency of take-out food consumption. Fecal samples were collected for MPs detection using Raman spectra analysis, and identification of the gut microbiota was based on 16 S rDNA/ITS, while metabolite analysis was performed by LC-MS/MS. High levels of MPs and body mass index (BMI) were observed in the HME group (P < 0.05). Both the multiple linear regression (MLR) model and the binary logistic regression (BLR) (OR: 1.264, 95 % CI: 1.108-1.441, P < 0.001) analysis showed a positive correlation between MPs content and BMI. Microbial community analysis revealed that Veillonella, Alistipes and Dothideomycotes (pathogenic fungi) increased in HME participants, whereas Faecalibacterium and Coprococcus decreased. Meanwhile, analysis of stool metabolites showed that vancomycin resistance, selenocompound metabolism and drug metabolism pathways were enhanced in HME participants. These findings indicate that frequent consumption of take-out food may elevate the intake of microplastics, consequently modifying the gut microbiota and metabolites of young adults, and could represent a potential risk factor for obesity.

Current Status of Shared Decision-Making in Intraocular Lens Selection for Cataract Surgery: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Purpose: To explore 1) the level of shared decision-making (SDM) participation in intraocular lens (IOL) selection in cataract patients and the factors that influence this participation and 2) the relationships between preparation for decision-making (PrepDM)and the level of SDM participation and satisfaction with the decision (SWD). Provide guidance for improving SDM in ophthalmology. Patients and Methods: 176 cataract patients were asked to complete the PrepDM scale, the 9-item Shared Decision Making Questionnaire (SDM-Q-9) and the SWD instrument in IOL decision-making process. Multiple linear regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of the level of SDM. The Process program and bootstrap sampling method was used to test whether the level of participation in SDM was a mediating variable among the three. Results: The SDM-Q-9 median score was 77.78 (IQR 31.11-88.89). Patients with a history of surgery in the operative eye (P=0.022) or PrepDM <60 points (P<0.001) had lower SDM-Q-9 scores than patients with no history of surgery in the operative eye or PrepDM ≥60 points. Patients with an education level lower than primary school had lower SDM-Q-9 scores than patients with other education levels (P<0.05). The PrepDM of cataract patients was positively correlated with the level of SDM (r=0.768, P<0.001) and with the SWD (r=0.727, P<0.001), and the level of SDM was positively correlated with the SWD (r=0.856, P<0.001). The level of SDM fully mediated PrepDM and SDW, with a mediating effect value of 0.128 and a mediating effect of 86.66% of the total effect. Conclusion: The SDM of cataract patients involved in IOL selection was in the upper middle range. Education, history of surgery in the operated eye, and PrepDM were factors that influenced the level of SDM. The level of participation in SDM fully mediated the relationship between PrepDM and SWD.

The adaptive mechanisms of the marine diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii to long-term high CO2 and warming.

While it is known that increased dissolved CO2 concentrations and rising sea surface temperature (ocean warming) can act interactively on marine phytoplankton, the ultimate molecular mechanisms underlying this interaction on a long-term evolutionary scale are relatively unexplored. Here, we performed transcriptomics and quantitative metabolomics analyses, along with a physiological trait analysis, on the marine diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii adapted for approximately 3.5 years to warming and/or high CO2 conditions. We show that long-term warming has more pronounced impacts than elevated CO2 on gene expression, resulting in a greater number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs). The largest number of DEGs was observed in populations adapted to warming + high CO2, indicating a potential synergistic interaction between these factors. We further identified the metabolic pathways in which the DEGs function and the metabolites with significantly changed abundances. We found that ribosome biosynthesis-related pathways were upregulated to meet the increased material and energy demands after warming or warming in combination with high CO2. This resulted in the upregulation of energy metabolism pathways such as glycolysis, photorespiration, the tricarboxylic acid cycle, and the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway, as well as the associated metabolites. These metabolic changes help compensate for reduced photochemical efficiency and photosynthesis. Our study emphasizes that the upregulation of ribosome biosynthesis plays an essential role in facilitating the adaptation of phytoplankton to global ocean changes and elucidates the interactive effects of warming and high CO2 on the adaptation of marine phytoplankton in the context of global change.

Complete Mitogenome sequencing of the fish louse Argulus japonicus (Crustacea: Branchiura): Comparative analyses and phylogenetic implications.

The fish louse Argulus japonicus, a branchiuran crustacean of the Argulidae family, is attracting increasing attention because of its parasitic tendencies and significant health threats to global fish farming. The mitogenomes can yield a foundation for studying epidemiology, genetic diversity, and molecular ecology and therefore may be used to assist in the surveillance and control of A. japonicus. In this study, we sequenced and assembled the complete mitogenome of A. japonicus to shed light on its genetic and evolutionary blueprint. Our investigation indicated that the 15,045-bp circular genome of A. japonicus encodes 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNAs (tRNAs), and 2 ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs) with significant AT and GC skews. Comparative genomics provided an evolutionary scenario for the genetic diversity of 13 PCGs: all were under purifying selection, with cox1 and nad6 having the lowest and highest evolutionary rates, respectively. Genome-wide phylogenetic trees established a close relationship between species of the families Argulidae (Arguloida) and Armilliferidae (Porocephalida) within Crustacea, and further, A. japonicus and Argulus americanus were determined to be more closely related to each other than to others within the family Argulidae. Single PCG-based phylogenies supported nad1 and nad6 as the best genetic markers for evolutionary and phylogenetic studies for branchiuran crustaceans due to their similar phylogenetic topologies with those of genome-based phylogenetic analyses. To sum up, these comprehensive mitogenomic data of A. japonicus and related species refine valuable marker resources and should contribute to molecular diagnostic methods, epidemiological investigations, and ecological studies of the fish ectoparasites in Crustacea.

Preliminary construction of a microecological evaluation model for uranium-contaminated soil.

With the extensive development of nuclear energy, soil uranium contamination has become an increasingly prominent problem. The development of evaluation systems for various uranium contamination levels and soil microhabitats is critical. In this study, the effects of uranium contamination on the carbon source metabolic capacity and microbial community structure of soil microbial communities were investigated using Biolog microplate technology and high-throughput sequencing, and the responses of soil biochemical properties to uranium were also analyzed. Then, ten key biological indicators as reliable input variables, including arylsulfatase, biomass nitrogen, metabolic entropy, microbial entropy, Simpson, Shannon, McIntosh, Nocardioides, Lysobacter, and Mycoleptodisus, were screened by random forest (RF), Boruta, and grey relational analysis (GRA). The optimal uranium-contaminated soil microbiological evaluation model was obtained by comparing the performance of three evaluation methods: partial least squares regression (PLS), support vector regression (SVR), and improved particle algorithm (IPSO-SVR). Consequently, partial least squares regression (PLS) has a higher R2 (0.932) and a lower RMSE value (0.214) compared to the other. This research provides a new evaluation method to describe the relationship between soil ecological effects and biological indicators under nuclear contamination.

Posttraumatic stress disorder and spousal relationships in natural disaster victims: a longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms after natural disaster can have a detrimental effect on marital relationships, which may be through parenting-related factor. AIMS: The study aimed to examine the mechanism underlying the long-term effects of PTSD symptoms on marital satisfaction via coparenting, and its differences between men and women following the Super Typhoon Lekima. METHODS: Participants were 465 married victims with children. They reported their PTSD, coparenting, and marital satisfaction at three and fifteen months after the tropical cyclone. RESULTS: The results showed that for women, only higher negative cognitive and emotional alterations (NCEA) symptoms were associated with lower marital satisfaction through conflict coparenting. For men, higher intrusion, NCEA, and hyperarousal symptoms were associated with marital satisfaction through different coparenting. To be specific, for men, higher intrusion symptoms were associated with lower marital satisfaction via less reprimand coparenting; higher NCEA symptoms were associated with lower marital satisfaction via less integrity coparenting, and associated with higher marital satisfaction via less conflict coparenting; higher hyperarousal symptoms were associated with lower marital satisfaction via more conflict coparenting. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggested that the long-term effect of PTSD symptoms on marital satisfaction via coparenting mainly showed for men.

Oxidized phospholipid POVPC contributes to vascular calcification by triggering ferroptosis of vascular smooth muscle cells.

Vascular calcification is an actively regulated biological process resembling bone formation, and osteogenic differentiation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) plays a crucial role in this process. 1-Palmitoyl-2-(5'-oxo-valeroyl)-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POVPC), an oxidized phospholipid, is found in atherosclerotic plaques and has been shown to induce oxidative stress. However, the effects of POVPC on osteogenic differentiation and calcification of VSMCs have yet to be studied. In the present study, we investigated the role of POVPC in vascular calcification using in vitro and ex vivo models. POVPC increased mineralization of VSMCs and arterial rings, as shown by alizarin red staining. In addition, POVPC treatment increased expression of osteogenic markers Runx2 and BMP2, indicating that POVPC promotes osteogenic transition of VSMCs. Moreover, POVPC increased oxidative stress and impaired mitochondria function of VSMCs, as shown by increased ROS levels, impairment of mitochondrial membrane potential, and decreased ATP levels. Notably, ferroptosis triggered by POVPC was confirmed by increased levels of intracellular ROS, lipid ROS, and MDA, which were decreased by ferrostatin-1, a ferroptosis inhibitor. Furthermore, ferrostatin-1 attenuated POVPC-induced calcification of VSMCs. Taken together, our study for the first time demonstrates that POVPC promotes vascular calcification via activation of VSMC ferroptosis. Reducing the levels of POVPC or inhibiting ferroptosis might provide a novel strategy to treat vascular calcification.

Associations between breastfeeding duration and adherence to complementary feeding recommendations in Scotland.

We aimed to describe how breastfeeding relates to adherence to complementary feeding (CF) recommendations, diet diversification and feeding skills development and whether sociodemographic factors explain any differences observed. The Scottish Maternal Infant and Nutrition Survey for infants aged 8-12 months collected breastfeeding history, CF practices, diet and sociodemographic data using a self-completion questionnaire. Non-healthful CF practices were starting CF < 6 months, any consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), sweet or salty snacks (treats) or unmodified cow's milk and regular consumption of commercial baby foods. Diet diversification and feeding skills were assessed by amount of self-feeding and number of food groups, meals and snacks eaten daily. Of the 2730 mothers, 20% were solely infant formula fed (IFF) and 48% continued breastfeeding ≥6 months. Compared to IFF babies, mothers who gave any breast milk ≥6 months were more likely to start CF ≥ 6 months compared to those IFF (66% vs. 37%) and less likely to give treats (15% vs. 45%), SSBs (11% vs. 20%) and commercial baby foods (31% vs. 53%). These associations remained highly significant (p < 0.001) even after sociodemographic factor adjustment. Despite starting CF later, infants breastfed ≥6 months ate the same number of food groups and meals as those IFF, were just as likely to self-feed purees and more likely to self-feed finger foods daily (87% vs. 81% p < 0.001). Mothers who breastfeed beyond 6 months adhere more to CF recommendations and start CF later compared to IFF, but their babies eat a similarly diverse diet and have similar feeding skills.

Neuropharmacological insights into Gardenia jasminoides Ellis: Harnessing therapeutic potential for central nervous system disorders.

BACKGROUND: In China, Gardenia jasminoides Ellis (GJE) has a longstanding history of application. The Ministry of Health has listed it as one of the first pharmaceutical or food resources. In ethnic, traditional, and folk medicine, GJE has been used to treat fever and cold and relieve nervous anxiety. Recent studies have confirmed the significant efficacy of GJE for treating central nervous system (CNS) disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and major depressive disorder; however, GJE has not been systematically evaluated. PURPOSE: This research systematically summarizes global studies on the use of GJE for treating CNS disorders and explores the potential applications and underlying mechanisms via intestinal flora analysis and network pharmacology, aiming to establish a scientific basis for innovative CNS disorder treatment with GJE. METHODS: The PRISMA guidelines were used, and electronic databases such as the Web of Science, PubMed, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure were searched using the following search terms: "Gardenia jasminoides Ellis" with "central nervous system disease," "neuroprotection," "Alzheimer's disease," "Parkinson's disease," "ischemic stroke," "Epilepsy," and "major depressive disorder." The published literature up to September 2023 was searched to obtain relevant information on the application of GJE for treating CNS disorders. RESULTS: There has been an increase in research on the material formulation and mechanisms of action of GJE for treating CNS disorders, with marked effects on CNS disorder treatment in different countries and regions. We summarized the research results related to the role of GJE in vitro and in vivo via multitargeted interventions in response to the complex mechanisms of action of CNS disorders. CONCLUSION: We systematically reviewed the research progress on traditional treatment for GJE and preclinical mechanisms of CNS disorders and explored the potential of optimizing network pharmacology strategies and intestinal flora analysis to elucidate the mechanisms of action of GJE. The remarkable therapeutic efficacy of GJE, an important resource in traditional medicine, has been well documented in the literature, highlighting its significant medicinal potential.

Z-Scheme Heterojunction Excited by DNA-Programmed Upconversion Nanotransducers for a Near-Infrared Light-Actuated Lab-on-Paper Device.

Herein, a flexible near-infrared (NIR) light-actuated photoelectrochemical (PEC) lab-on-paper device was constructed toward miRNA-122 detection, utilizing the combination of DNA-programmed NaYF4/Yb,Tm upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) and the Z-scheme AgI/WO3 heterojunction grown in situ on gold nanoparticle-decorated 3D cellulose fibers. The UCNPs were employed as light transducers for converting NIR light into ultraviolet/visible (UV/vis) light to excite the nanojunction. The multiple diffraction of NaYF4/Yb,Tm matched the absorption band of the Z-scheme AgI/WO3 heterojunction, resulting in enhanced PEC photocurrent output. This prepared Z-scheme heterojunction effectively directed charge migration and highly facilitated the electron-hole pair separation. Target miRNA-122 activated the nonenzyme catalytic hairpin assembly signal amplification strategy, generating duplexes which caused the exfoliation of NaYF4/Yb,Tm UCNPs from the biosensor electrode and lowered the photocurrent under 980 nm irradiation. Under optimized circumstances, the proposed NIR-actuated PEC lab-on-paper device presented accurate miRNA-122 detection within a wide linear range of 10 fM-100 nM with a low limit of detection of 2.32 fM, providing a reliable strategy in the exploration of NIR-actuated PEC biosensors for low-cost, high-performance bioassay in clinical applications.

Tumor-targeted metabolic inhibitor prodrug labelled with cyanine dyes enhances immunoprevention of lung cancer.

Recent progress in targeted metabolic therapy of cancer has been limited by the considerable toxicity associated with such drugs. To address this challenge, we developed a smart theranostic prodrug system that combines a fluorophore and an anticancer drug, specifically 6-diazo-5-oxo-l-norleucine (DON), using a thioketal linkage (TK). This system enables imaging, chemotherapy, photodynamic therapy, and on-demand drug release upon radiation exposure. The optimized prodrug, DON-TK-BM3, incorporating cyanine dyes as the fluorophore, displayed potent reactive oxygen species release and efficient tumor cell killing. Unlike the parent drug DON, DON-TK-BM3 exhibited no toxicity toward normal cells. Moreover, DON-TK-BM3 demonstrated high tumor accumulation and reduced side effects, including gastrointestinal toxicity, in mice. This study provides a practical strategy for designing prodrugs of metabolic inhibitors with significant toxicity stemming from their lack of tissue selectivity.

Palladium-Catalyzed Dual C-H Carbonylation of Diarylamines Leading to Diversified Acridones under CO-Free Conditions.

A Pd-catalyzed dual C-H carbonylation of commercially available diarylamines using Co2(CO)8 as a safe CO source has been developed. This methodology provides a facile approach for the synthesis of diversified acridones in moderate to good yields. The protocol features good functional group compatibility, operational safety, easy scale-up, and versatile transformations.

Preparation of recyclable magnetic palladium nanocatalysts by dispersion strategy based on sodium alginate for reduction of p-nitrophenol and Suzuki-Miyaura coupling.

Palladium (Pd) has excellent catalytic performance, its application is seriously limited by low atomic utilization and weak recovery capacity. To solve these problems, we report a universal palladium nanocatalysts preparation strategy by taking advantage of the rich chemistry of sodium alginate (SA). SA units not only self-assemble into a cross-linked porous carboxyl and hydroxyl framework but also can coat different substrates. Benefiting from the distinguished chelation of SA, metallic nanocatalysts can be achieved. As a proof-of-concept demonstration, Pd loading on nano-Fe3O4 modified with SA and investigated their catalytic capabilities. The catalyst was Fe3O4 nanoparticles encapsulated by SA film loaded with 0.4 wt% of Pd. It has a particle size around 100 nm and has good superparamagnetism with a saturation strength of 76.26 emu/g. It exhibited good catalytic activity at TOF = 660 h-1 and TOF = 4311 h-1 in typical Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reaction and the reduction of p-nitrophenol, respectively, and showed appreciable recyclability in the test of recyclability. Thus, our findings demonstrate that recyclable magnetic palladium nanocatalysts have several attractive features, such as easy preparation, outstanding catalytic activity and reusability. This work lays the foundation for the preparation of palladium nanocatalysts and the potential application of SA in the field of catalysts.

Prevalence of S. aureus and/or MRSA in hospitalized patients with diabetic foot and establishment of LAMP methods for rapid detection of the SCCmec gene.

BACKGROUND: Patients with diabetic feet are prone to be infected due to the impaired immune system. However, the prognostic outcome of different microbial infections remains controversial. Identification and rapid screening of the pathogenic microorganisms that pose the greatest threat to the prognosis of patients with diabetic foot infections (DFIs) is critical. METHODS: Clinical data were statistically analyzed, which were obtained from 522 patients with DFIs, including pathogenic bacterial culture results and treatment outcomes at the last return visit. In addition, a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) detection method was developed to identify the prevalent subtype of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in DFIs patients. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Nanfang Hospital (NFEC-202012-K6) and registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04916457) on June 1, 2021. RESULTS: We found that the proportion of patients with infections of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and MRSA was 27.7% (145/522) and 33.7% (49/145), respectively. Additionally, the incidence of osteomyelitis was 46.9% (23/49) and amputation/disability was 40.8% (20/49) in patients with MRSA infection, which were significantly higher compared to patients with other types of bacterial infections such as methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA). Notably, we demonstrated that the main prevalent subtype of MRSA in DFIs patients in our hospital was Staphylococcal chromosomal cassettes mec (SCCmec) type II. In addition, it only takes 1.5 h to complete the entire experimental procedure in this LAMP assay, providing high sensitivity (100%) and specificity (77.8%) in hospitalized patients with DFIs. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated there is a very high rate of MRSA isolation in patients with DFIs and revealed that patients infected with MRSA are at a higher risk of developing osteomyelitis, and amputation or disability. Importantly, we have developed a method for quickly screening newly admitted patients for MRSA.