Factors influencing safe use of drugs among community residents: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Researchers have paid little attention to the safety of drug use among community residents (CRs). Irrational use of drugs can lead to health risks. We investigated the situation of knowledge-attitude-practices (KAP) of CRs in Shenzhen (China) for safe use of drugs, and analyzed the main factors influencing drug use. METHODS: A multi-stage, random sampling method was used. We used a validated questionnaire to conduct an online questionnaire survey on the demographic characteristics and KAP of safe use of drugs of CRs in 10 administrative districts of Shenzhen City. The KAP score of safe use of drugs of CRs was analyzed. Influencing factors were identified using a single-factor chi-squared test and binary logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: A total of 7269 valid questionnaires were collected. The average scores of knowledge, attitude, and behavior were (9.08 ± 1.49) (possible range: 0-10), (37.82 ± 3.96) (possible range: 8-40), and (35.82 ± 4.56) (possible range: 8-40), respectively, indicating that they had a better grasp of safe use of drugs. Logistic regression analysis showed that sex, age, education level, occupation, monthly household income per capita, marital status, health status, and different sources of information were the main factors affecting the knowledge and behavior of safe use of drugs of CRs. In addition to the marital status variable, other variables also have a significant impact on attitude towards safe use of drugs of CRs. CONCLUSIONS: Male sex, lower education level, lower income level, average/poor self-rated health status, and single source of drug-use information were the main factors affecting safe use of drugs based on KAP theory. The government and medical workers should carry out various forms of drug-education activities for people with different needs, encourage CRs to learn safe use of drugs, and promote safe use of drugs by CRs through diverse information sources.

Role of ADAR1 on Proliferation and Differentiation in Porcine Preadipocytes.

Recent research has identified ADAR1 as a participant in the regulation of lipid accumulation in mice. However, there are no reports on the roles of ADAR1 in proliferation, apoptosis and differentiation of porcine preadipocytes. In this study, we investigated the role of ADAR1 in differentiation, proliferation and apoptosis of porcine preadipocytes using CCK-8, EdU staining, cell cycle detection, RT-qPCR, Western blot, a triglyceride assay and Oil Red O staining. The over-expression of ADAR1 significantly promoted proliferation but inhibited the differentiation and apoptosis of porcine preadipocytes. The inhibition of ADAR1 had the opposite effect on the proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis of porcine preadipocytes with over-expressed ADAR1. Then, the regulation mechanisms of ADAR1 on preadipocyte proliferation were identified using RNA-seq, and 197 DEGs in response to ADAR1 knockdown were identified. The MAPK signaling pathway is significantly enriched, indicating its importance in mediating fat accumulation regulated by ADAR1. The study's findings will aid in uncovering the mechanisms that regulate fat accumulation through ADAR1.

Paeoniflorin loaded liposomes modified with glycyrrhetinic acid for liver-targeting: preparation, characterization, and pharmacokinetic study.

OBJECTIVE: To enhance the retention times and therapeutic efficacy of paeoniflorin (PF), a liver-targeted drug delivery system has been developed using glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) as a ligand. SIGNIFICANCE: The development and optimization of GA-modified PF liposomes (GPLs) have shown promising potential for targeted delivery to the liver, opening up new possibilities for liver disease treatment. METHODS: This study aimed to identify the best prescriptions using single-factor experiments and response surface methodology. The formulation morphology was determined using transmission electron microscopy. Tissue distribution was observed through in vivo imaging, and pharmacokinetic studies were conducted. RESULTS: The results indicated that GPLs, prepared using the thin film dispersion method and response surface optimization, exhibited well-dispersed and uniformly sized particles. The in vitro release rate of GPLs was slower compared to PF monomers, suggesting a sustained release effect. The liver-targeting ability of GA resulted in stronger fluorescence signals in the liver for targeted liposomes compared to non-targeted liposomes. Furthermore, pharmacokinetic studies demonstrated that GPLs significantly prolonged the residence time of PF in the bloodstream, thereby contributing to prolonged efficacy. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that GPLs are more effective than PF monomers in terms of controlling drug release and delivering drugs to specific targets, highlighting the potential of PF as a liver-protective drug.

Paeoniflorin alleviates 17α-ethinylestradiol-induced cholestasis via the farnesoid X receptor-mediated bile acid homeostasis signaling pathway in rats.

Cholestasis, characterized by disturbance of bile formation, is a common pathological condition that can induce several serious liver diseases. As a kind of trigger, estrogen-induced cholestasis belongs to drug-induced cholestasis. Paeoniflorin is the most abundant bioactive constituent in Paeonia lactiflora Pall., Paeonia suffruticosa Andr., or Paeonia veitchii Lynch, a widely used herbal medicine for treating hepatic disease over centuries in China. However, the pharmacologic effect and mechanism of paeoniflorin on estrogen-induced cholestasis remain unclear. In this experiment, the pharmacological effect of paeoniflorin on EE-induced cholestasis in rats was evaluated comprehensively for the first time. Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with Q-Exactive orbitrap mass spectrometer was used to monitor the variation of bile acid levels and composition. It was demonstrated that paeoniflorin alleviated 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE)-induced cholestasis dose-dependently, characterized by a decrease of serum biochemical indexes, recovery of bile flow, amelioration of hepatic and ileal histopathology, and reduction of oxidative stress. In addition, paeoniflorin intervention restored EE-disrupted bile acid homeostasis in enterohepatic circulation. Further mechanism studies using western blot, quantitative Real-Time PCR, and immunohistochemical showed that paeoniflorin could upregulate hepatic efflux transporters expression but downregulate hepatic uptake transporter expression. Meanwhile, paeoniflorin reduced bile acids synthesis by repressing cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase in hepatocytes. Paeoniflorin affected the above transporters and enzyme via activation of a nuclear receptor, farnesoid X receptor (FXR), which was recognized as a vital regulator for maintaining bile acid homeostasis. In conclusion, paeoniflorin alleviated EE-induced cholestasis and maintained bile acid homeostasis via FXR-mediated regulation of bile acids transporters and synthesis enzyme. The findings indicated that paeoniflorin might exert a potential therapeutic medicine for estrogen-induced cholestasis.

A BeiDou Signal Acquisition Approach Using Variable Length Data Accumulation based on Signal Delay and Multiplication.

The secondary modulation with the Neumann-Hoffman code increases the possibility of bit sign transition. Unlike other GNSS signals, there is no pilot component for synchronization in BeiDou B1/B3 signals, which increases the complexity in acquisition. A previous study has shown that the delay and multiplication (DAM) method is able to eliminate the bit sign transition problem, but it only applies to pretty strong signals. In this paper, a DAM-based BeiDou signal acquisition approach, called variable length data accumulation (VLDA), is proposed to acquire weak satellite signals. Firstly, the performance of DAM method versus the different delays is analyzed. The DAM operation not only eliminates bit sign transition, but it also increases noise power. Secondly, long-term signal is periodically accumulated to improve signal intensity in order to acquire weak signals. While considering the Doppler frequency shift of ranging codes, the signal length must be compensated before accumulating long-term signal. Finally, the fast-Fourier-transform based parallel code phase algorithm are used for acquisition. The simulation results indicate that the proposed VLDA method has better acquisition sensitivity than traditional non-coherent integration method under the same calculation amount. The VLDA method only requires approximately 27.5% of calculations to achieve the same acquisition sensitivity (35 dBHz). What is more, the actual experimental results verify the feasibility of the VLDA method. It can be concluded that the proposed approach is an effective and feasible method for solving the bit sign transition problem.

A simple and rapid resonance Rayleigh scattering method for detection of indigo carmine in soft drink.

A novel method that uses acridine orange (AO) to detect indigo carmine (IC) in soft drinks was developed. The method is highly sensitive and is based on a resonance Rayleigh scattering (RRS) technique. In Britton-Robinson (BR) buffer solution, pH 4.3, the weak RRS intensity of AO was greatly enhanced by the addition of IC, with the maximum peak located at 332 nm. Under optimum conditions, it was found that the enhanced RRS intensity was proportional to the concentration of IC over a range of 2-32 × 10(-6)  mol/L. A low detection limit of 2.4 × 10(-8)  mol/L was achieved. The sensitivity and selectivity of the method are high enough to permit the determination of trace amounts of IC without any significant interference from high levels of other components such as common anions and other amino acids. Finally, the concentration of IC in three different soft drinks was determined with satisfactory results. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

One-Pot Synthesis of Copper Sulfide Nanowires/Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanocomposites with Excellent Lithium-Storage Properties as Anode Materials for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Copper sulfide nanowires/reduced graphene oxide (CuSNWs/rGO) nanocompsites are successfully synthesized via a facile one-pot and template-free solution method in a dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)-ethyl glycol (EG) mixed solvent. It is noteworthy that the precursor plays a crucial role in the formation of the nanocomposites structure. SEM, TEM, XRD, IR and Raman spectroscopy are used to investigate the morphological and structural evolution of CuSNWs/rGO nanocomposites. The as-fabricated CuSNWs/rGO nanocompsites show remarkably improved Li-storage performance, excellent cycling stability as well as high-rate capability compared with pristine CuS nanowires. It obtains a reversible capacity of 620 mAh g(-1) at 0.5C (1C = 560 mA g(-1)) after 100 cycles and 320 mAh g(-1) at a high current rate of 4C even after 430 cycles. The excellent lithium storage performance is ascribed to the synergistic effect between CuS nanowires and rGO nanosheets. The as-formed CuSNWs/rGO nanocomposites can effectively accommodate large volume changes, supply a 2D conducting network and trap the polysulfides generated during the conversion reaction of CuS.