Adherence to guidelines and central line-associated bloodstream infection occurrence during insertion and maintenance of intravascular catheters: evidence from 20 tertiary hospitals.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate adherence to intravascular catheter (IVC) insertion and maintenance guidelines in Chinese tertiary hospitals. METHODS: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey of adult inpatients with IVC placements was conducted from July to September 2022 in 20 tertiary hospitals in China. One clinical staff member from each department in each hospital was assigned to participate in the survey. Questionnaires were uniformly collected and reviewed after 3 months. RESULTS: This study included 1815 cases (62.69%) of central venous catheter, 471 cases (16.27%) of peripherally inserted central catheter, 461 cases (15.92%) of PORT, and 147 cases (5.08%) of haemodialysis catheter insertions. Statistically significant differences in compliance were observed across the four IVC types, specifically in relation to the insertion checklist, standard operating procedure, and insertion environment (P<0.05). Practice adherence during IVC maintenance differed significantly across the four IVC types in aspects such as availability of IVC maintenance verification forms, daily scrubbing of the catheterised patients, and catheter connection methods (P<0.05). A total of 386 (13.34%) patients developed fever, 1086 (37.53%) were treated with therapeutic antibiotics, 16 (0.55%) developed central line-associated bloodstream infections, two (0.07%) developed local skin infections, and six (0.21%) developed deep vein thrombosis. CONCLUSIONS: Adherence to guidelines regarding insertion and maintenance differed across the four IVC types; there is a gap between the recommended measures and the actual operation of the guideline. Therefore, it is necessary to further enhance training and develop checklists to prevent CLABSIs.

Modulating CO2 Electrocatalytic Conversion to the Organics Pathway by the Catalytic Site Dimension.

Electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide to organic chemicals provides a value-added route for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. We report a family of carbon-supported Sn electrocatalysts with the tin size varying from single atom, ultrasmall clusters to nanocrystallites. High single-product Faradaic efficiency (FE) and low onset potential of CO2 conversion to acetate (FE = 90% @ -0.6 V), ethanol (FE = 92% @ -0.4 V), and formate (FE = 91% @ -0.6 V) were achieved over the catalysts of different active site dimensions. The CO2 conversion mechanism behind these highly selective, size-modulated p-block element catalysts was elucidated by structural characterization and computational modeling, together with kinetic isotope effect investigation.

Influencing factors of clinical efficacy of roxadustat among hemodialysis patients.

OBJECTIVE: To explore independent influencing factors for clinical efficacy of roxadustat in hemodialysis patients. METHODS: Hemodialysis patients treated with roxadustat were enrolled. The plasma trough concentrations of roxadustat were measured using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). A multiple logistic regression model was established to determine the factors that affect clinical efficacy of roxadustat in patients undergoing hemodialysis. RESULTS: A total of 67 hemodialysis patients were enrolled in the study. The results showed that age, blood trough concentration of roxadustat, and baseline hemoglobin (Hb) level were independent factors of clinical efficacy of roxadustat (OR = 1.06, p = .025 for age; OR = 1.001, p = .037 for plasma concentration; and OR = 0.941, p = .003 for baseline Hb), with an AUC score of 0.859. CONCLUSIONS: Age, blood trough concentration of roxadustat, and baseline Hb level were independent influencing factors of the response to roxadustat in hemodialysis patients.

Effect of acupoint catgut embedding on p38 MAPK pathway in the lung tissue of asthmatic rats. / 穴位埋线通过调节p38ä¸è£‚åŽŸæ´»åŒ–è›‹ç™½æ¿€é ¶é€šè·¯å¯¹å“®å–˜å¤§é¼ æ°”é“ä¸Šçš®çš„å½±å“.

OBJECTIVES: To observe the effect of catgut embedding at "Feishu"(BL13), "Dingchuan" (EX-B1) and "Danzhong" (CV17) on expression of phosphorylated p38 mitogen activated protein kinase (p-p38 MAPK), interleukin-4 (IL-4), interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and changes of airway epithelial cells (AEC) in the lung tissue of bronchial asthma (BA) rats, so as to explore its mechanisms underlying improvement of BA. METHODS: Forty male Wistar rats were randomly and equally divided into blank control, model, dexamethasone (DEX) and catgut embedding groups. The BA model was established by intraperitoneal injection of suspension of ovalbumin and aluminum hydroxide. Rats of the DEX group received intraperitoneal injection of DEX (1.5 mg/kg), once daily for 2 weeks, and those of the catgut embedding group received catgut embedding at BL13, EX-B1 and CV17 only one time. The rats' sneezing times per miniute in each group were recorded. H.E. staining was used to observe the histopathological changes of the lung tissue under light microscope. A transmission electron microscope (TEM) was used to observe the ultrastructural changes of AEC in the lung tissue, including the thickness of bronchial wall and bronchial smooth muscle by using an image analysis software. The protein expressions of p-p38 MAPK, IL-4 and INF-γ in the lung tissue were determined using Western blot. RESULTS: Morphological observation revealed that in the model group, light microscope showed deformed and swollen bronchial tube wall with increased folds and thickened bronchial smooth muscle；and TEM showed a large number of autophagy vesicles containing swollen and deformed organelles in the AEC, and apparent reduction of intracellular mitochondria, these situations were obviously milder in both DEX and catgut embedding groups. Compared with the blank control group, the sneezing times, thickness of bronchial wall and bronchial smooth muscle in the model group were significantly increased (P<0.01), and the expressions of p-p38 MAPK and IL-4 in lung tissue were significantly increased (P<0.01), while the expression of IFN-γ was significantly decreased (P<0.01) in the model group. In comparison with the model group, the sneezing times, thickness of bronchial wall and bronchial smooth muscle, protein expressions of p-p38 MAPK and IL-4 were significantly decreased (P<0.01), while the expression of IFN-γ was obviously increased (P<0.01) in both the DEX and catgut embedding groups. CONCLUSIONS: Acupoint catgut embedding can reduce the expression of IL-4 and increase the expression of IFN-γ by inhibiting p38 MAPK signal pathway of lung tissues in BA rats, which may contribute to its effect in alleviating the degree of airway epithelial cells damage.

Dietary inflammatory index is associated with Vitamin D in CKD patients.

OBJECTIVES: Multiple observational studies have shown that low serum level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have been associated with a faster progression of kidney disease and a higher risk of all-cause mortality. We aim to assess the association between dietary inflammatory index (DII) with Vitamin D in adults with CKD. METHOD: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey appropriated participants from 2009 to 2018 were enrolled. The patients who were under the age of 18, pregnant, and having incomplete data were excluded. DII score were calculated based on a single 24-h dietary recall interview for each participant. Mutivariable regression analysis and subgroup analysis were utilized to determine the independent associations between vitamin D with DII in CKD patients. RESULTS: In total, 4283 individuals were finally included. The results showed a negative association between DII scores and 25(OH)D with statistical significance (ß = - 1.83, 95% CI - 2.31, - 1.34, P < 0.001). In subgroup analysis stratified by gender, low eGFR, age and diabetes, the negative association between DII scores and 25(OH)D was still significant (all P for trend < 0.05). The results from interacion test indicated that the magnitude of the association was the same for the population with and without low eGFR (P for interacion = 0.464). CONCLUSION: Higher consumption of pro-inflammatory diet correlates negatively with the 25(OH)D level in CKD patients with and without low eGFR. Anti-inflammatory diet management may reduce the reduction of vitamin D in CKD patients.

The relationship between dietary inflammatory index and bone mineral density in CKD patients.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic systemic inflammation was proposed as a critical factor in the development of osteoporosis. We aim to investigate the effect of the DII on bone mineral density (BMD) in CKD patients. METHODS: 2276 participants from NHANES were enrolled. The DII score was calculated based on a single 24-h dietary recall. Total BMD was measured using Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. A multiple-stepwise linear regression model was used to determine associations between BMD and DII in CKD patients. RESULTS: When DII >0.35, a negative correlation was obtained between DII and BMD (all ß = -0.008 and p < 0.05). In subgroup analysis, BMD levels decreased across increasing tertiles of the DII for patients with non-osteoporosis, postmenopause, and low eGFR (p for trend ≤0.01). CONCLUSION: Higher consumption of pro-inflammatory diet correlates negatively with the BMD levels in CKD patients.

Bu-Fei Yi-Shen Granules Reduce Acute Exacerbations in Patients with GOLD 3-4 COPD: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Purpose: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a disease characterized by frequent acute exacerbations (AEs), especially in severe and very severe cases. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Bu-fei Yi-shen granules (BYGs) for COPD. Patients and Methods: We conducted a multicenter, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial of 348 COPD patients with GOLD 3-4 COPD. The patients were randomly assigned into experimental or control groups in a 1:1 ratio. Patients in the experimental group were prescribed BYG, while those in the control group were administered a placebo, orally, twice daily, with 5 days on and 2 days off per week for 52 weeks. The outcomes included AEs, pulmonary function, clinical signs and symptoms, dyspnea scores (mMRC), quality of life scores, and a 6-minute walk test (6MWT). Results: A total of 280 patients completed the trial, including 135 patients in the experimental group and 145 in the control group. Compared to the control group, significant differences were observed in frequencies of AEs (mean difference: -0.35; 95% CI: -0.61, -0.10; P = 0.006) and AE-related hospitalizations (-0.18; 95% CI: -0.36, -0.01; P = 0.04), 6MWD (40.93 m; 95% CI: 32.03, 49.83; P < 0.001), mMRC (-0.57; 95% CI: -0.76, -0.37; P < 0.001), total symptoms (-2.18; 95% CI: -2.84, -1.53; P < 0.001), SF-36 (11.60; 95% CI: 8.23, 14.97; P < 0.001), and mCOPD-PRO (-0.45; 95% CI: -0.57, -0.33; P < 0.001) after treatment. However, there were no significant differences in mortality, pulmonary function, and mESQ-PRO scores (P > 0.05). No obvious adverse events were observed. Conclusion: BYG, as compared to a placebo, could significantly reduce the frequencies of AEs and AE-related hospitalizations for GOLD 3-4 COPD patients. Clinical symptoms, treatment satisfaction, quality of life, and exercise capacity improved. There was no significant improvement in mortality and pulmonary function.

Personality traits and peritoneal dialysis patients' prognosis.

Objective: Peritoneal dialysis (PD) requires high patient conscientiousness. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the relationship between conscientiousness score and prognosis in PD patients.Methods: The ten-item Big Five Personality Inventory's Chinese version was used to assess the conscientiousness score. Basic clinical information, prior medical history, hematological examination results, the occurrence of the first peritonitis and catheter-related infection, the start of hemodialysis, and the time of renal transplantation were collected. The patients were split into two groups, high and low conscientiousness groups, based on the mean value of the conscientiousness score. The differences in prognostic indicators were compared between groups, and the association between conscientiousness score and prognostic indicators in PD patients was assessed.Results: Enrolled PD patients were divided into low conscientiousness group 103 and high conscientiousness group 98. There were significant differences in serum albumin (p = 0.021) and iPTH (p = 0.045) between the two groups. Multivariate Cox regression analysis identified conscientiousness score as an independent risk factor for the development of first peritonitis (HR = 0.558, 95% CI 0.400-0.779, p = 0.001) and first catheter-related infection (HR = 0.544, 95% CI 0.308-0.962, p = 0.036) in PD patients. Conscientiousness score (HR = 2.377, 95% CI 1.109-5.095, p = 0.026) was independently associated with renal transplantation.Conclusion: Conscientiousness personality is closely related to the prognosis of PD patients.

La- and Mn-doped cobalt spinel oxygen evolution catalyst for proton exchange membrane electrolysis.

Discovery of earth-abundant electrocatalysts to replace iridium for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in a proton exchange membrane water electrolyzer (PEMWE) represents a critical step in reducing the cost for green hydrogen production. We report a nanofibrous cobalt spinel catalyst codoped with lanthanum (La) and manganese (Mn) prepared from a zeolitic imidazolate framework embedded in electrospun polymer fiber. The catalyst demonstrated a low overpotential of 353 millivolts at 10 milliamperes per square centimeter and a low degradation for OER over 360 hours in acidic electrolyte. A PEMWE containing this catalyst at the anode demonstrated a current density of 2000 milliamperes per square centimeter at 2.47 volts (Nafion 115 membrane) or 4000 milliamperes per square centimeter at 3.00 volts (Nafion 212 membrane) and low degradation in an accelerated stress test.

The effects of sodium sulfite on Helicobacter pylori by establishing a hypoxic environment.

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is an obligate microaerobion and does not survive in low oxygen. Sodium sulfite (SS) reacts and consume oxygen in solutions. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of SS on H. pylori. The effects of SS on oxygen concentrations in solutions and on H. pylori in vivo and in vitro were examined, and the mechanisms involved were explored. The results showed that SS decreased the oxygen concentration in water and artificial gastric juice. In Columbia blood agar and special peptone broth, SS concentration-dependently inhibited the proliferation of H. pylori ATCC43504 and Sydney strain-1 in Columbia blood agar or special peptone broth, and dose-dependently decreased the number of H. pylori in Mongolian gerbils and Kunming mouse infection models. The H. pylori was relapsed in 2 weeks withdrawal and the recurrence in the SS group was lower than that in the positive triple drug group. These effects were superior to positive triple drugs. After SS treatments, the cell membrane and cytoplasm structure of H. pylori were disrupted. SS-induced oxygen-free environment initially blocked aerobic respiration, triggered oxidative stress, disturbed energy production. In conclusion, SS consumes oxygen and creates an oxygen-free environment in which H. pylori does not survive. The present study provides a new strategy and perspective for the clinical treatment of H. pylori infectious disease.

Machine learning models for prediction of invasion Klebsiella pneumoniae liver abscess syndrome in diabetes mellitus: a singled centered retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to develop and validate a machine learning algorithm-based model for predicting invasive Klebsiella pneumoniae liver abscess syndrome(IKPLAS) in diabetes mellitus and compare the performance of different models. METHODS: The clinical signs and data on the admission of 213 diabetic patients with Klebsiella pneumoniae liver abscesses were collected as variables. The optimal feature variables were screened out, and then Artificial Neural Network, Support Vector Machine, Logistic Regression, Random Forest, K-Nearest Neighbor, Decision Tree, and XGBoost models were established. Finally, the model's prediction performance was evaluated by the ROC curve, sensitivity (recall), specificity, accuracy, precision, F1-score, Average Precision, calibration curve, and DCA curve. RESULTS: Four features of hemoglobin, platelet, D-dimer, and SOFA score were screened by the recursive elimination method, and seven prediction models were established based on these variables. The AUC (0.969), F1-Score(0.737), Sensitivity(0.875) and AP(0.890) of the SVM model were the highest among the seven models. The KNN model showed the highest specificity (1.000). Except that the XGB and DT models over-estimates the occurrence of IKPLAS risk, the other models' calibration curves are a good fit with the actual observed results. Decision Curve Analysis showed that when the risk threshold was between 0.4 and 0.8, the net rate of intervention of the SVM model was significantly higher than that of other models. In the feature importance ranking, the SOFA score impacted the model significantly. CONCLUSION: An effective prediction model of invasion Klebsiella pneumoniae liver abscess syndrome in diabetes mellitus could be established by a machine learning algorithm, which had potential application value.

Helicobacter pylori infection increases the risk of thyroid nodules in adults of Northwest China.

Background: Thyroid nodules (TNs) are very common in the adults of Northwest China. The role of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection in TNs is poorly investigated and even with controversial conclusions. Our study aimed at highlighting the relationship between H. pylori infection and the risk of TNs. Methods: 9,042 individuals were enrolled with thyroid ultrasonography and 14C-urea breath test (14C-UBT). Baseline characteristics and relevant covariates were obtained, including basic and laboratory indicators. After applying the exclusion criteria, 8,839 patients were included and divided into 2 groups: a cross-sectional study of single follow-up (n=8,711) and a retrospective cohort study of multiple follow-ups for 5 years (n=139). Results: The prevalence of H. pylori infection and TNs was 39.58% and 47.94% in the adults of Northwest China, respectively. The prevalence of TNs was significantly higher among H. pylori-positive individuals than those without infection (52.55% vs. 44.92%, p<0.01). The result of binary logistic regression revealed that the crude odds ratio (OR) was 1.624 (95% CI 1.242~2.123) in Model 1 without adjustment compared to H. pylori-negative group, and was also positive in Model 2, 3, and 4 (Model 2: OR=1.731, 95% CI 1.294~2.316; Model 3: OR=2.287, 95% CI 1.633~3.205; Model 4: OR=2.016, 95% CI 1.390~2.922) after the adjustment. The data of 5-year follow-up showed that the annual incidence of TNs was significantly higher in individuals with persistent H. pylori infection than non-infected counterparts (all p<0.05). Conclusions: H. pylori is an independent risk factor for TNs in the adults of Northwest China.

Monitoring the Activation of Open Metal Sites in [FexM3-x(µ3-O)] Cluster-Based Metal-Organic Frameworks by Single-Crystal X-ray Diffraction.

While trinuclear [FexM3-x(µ3-O)] cluster-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have found wide applications in gas storage and catalysis, it is still challenging to identify the structure of open metal sites obtained through proper activations and understand their influence on the adsorption and catalytic properties. Herein, we use in situ variable-temperature single-crystal X-ray diffraction to monitor the structural evolution of [FexM3-x(µ3-O)]-based MOFs (PCN-250, M = Ni2+, Co2+, Zn2+, Mg2+) upon thermal activation and provide the snapshots of metal sites at different temperatures. The exposure of open Fe3+ sites was observed along with the transformation of Fe3+ coordination geometries from octahedron to square pyramid. Furthermore, the effect of divalent metals in heterometallic PCN-250 was studied for the purpose of reducing the activation temperature and increasing the number of open metal sites. The metal site structures were corroborated by X-ray absorption and infrared spectroscopy. These results will not only guide the pretreatment of [FexM3-x(µ3-O)]-based MOFs but also corroborate spectral and computational studies on these materials.

Pharmacokinetic and Bioequivalent Study of Potassium Chloride Sustained-Release Tablet Under Different Dietary Conditions in Healthy Chinese Subjects.

Potassium (K+ ) is an endogenous substance that is an essential dietary component. However, the interaction between dietary arrangements and specific effects of dietary K+ intake in bioequivalence studies remains unclear. To investigate the influence of dietary arrangement on the bioequivalence of potassium chloride (KCl) sustained-release tablets in healthy Chinese volunteers, the pharmacokinetics of KCl were compared in two open-label, single-center, randomized, two-period crossover studies with different dietary conditions. All volunteers received an oral dose of 6 g of KCl sustained-release tablets under fasting conditions, with different dietary arrangements. Urine samples were collected on baseline days and 48 hours after tablet consumption. Inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry was used to measure the concentration of K+ in the urine samples. Pharmacokinetic parameters were analyzed using Phoenix WinNonlin software in a noncompartmental model. In either clinical trial, no significant differences were observed in the maximal rate of urinary excretion and cumulative urinary excretion from 0 to 24 hours of K+ between the reference and test drugs. The bioequivalence studies of both KCl sustained-release tablet formulations were successfully conducted under different dietary conditions.

Economic growth targets and green technology innovation: mechanism and evidence from China.

Economic growth target management is a government behavior that the authorities formulate at a specific time and direct the allocation of resources. Despite the importance of socio-economic development, economic growth targets have caused some potential hazards to the environment that cannot be ignored. Using a panel dataset of 278 prefecture-level cities in China over the period 2004-2019, the study employed a two-way fixed effects model to verify the inhibition effect of economic growth targets on green technology innovation (GTI). The results indicated that economic growth targets and hard constraints tended to have a significantly negative effect on GTI. More importantly, the results of the mediation effect test suggested a positive correlation between economic growth targets and the government fiscal expenditures and market segmentation, and both mediators played an intermediary role in the influence of economic growth target constraints restraining GTI. Other findings showed that the economic growth targets of prefecture-level cities had different impacts on GTI, which resulted from the different resource endowments, geographic locations, or periods. Overall, the results suggest that policymakers should lower the economic growth targets and use soft constraints to set them. The conclusions of this paper are applicable to policymakers not only in China but also other economies that regularly set economic growth targets.

Reform and practice of blended teaching of biochemistry and molecular biology in the context of new medicine / 中华医学教育探索杂志

Objective:To investigate the application effect of the blended teaching model of "pre-class synchronous small private online course (SPOC)+ flipped classroom+post-class knowledge expansion" in the theoretical teaching of biochemistry and molecular biology. Methods:A total of 951 students majoring in clinical medicine, preventive medicine, and pharmacy in the class of 2020 in Qiqihar Medical College were selected as teaching reform research group (experimental group), and their curriculum relied on the self-built massive open online course (MOOC) curriculum and the MOOC resources of Chinese universities to construct a blended teaching model; the reform methods such as small class grouping, case-based learning, and diversified examination were adopted to carry out theoretical flipped teaching activities with cross integration of cases and knowledge points as the main line. A total of 847 students majoring in clinical medicine, preventive medicine, and pharmacy in the class of 2019 were selected as control group, and the traditional teaching method was used for theoretical courses. The courses were evaluated by offline assessment and online assessment, and feedback information was collected through examination scores, questionnaire survey, and online voting. SPSS 20.0 was used for statistical analysis, and the t-test was used for comparison between groups. Results:The experimental group had a significantly higher total score of final examination than the control group [(92.12±3.88) vs. (86.73±5.27), P<0.05]. The questionnaire survey showed that the students in the experimental group showed a relatively high degree of satisfaction with the blended teaching reform, which increased their participation, experiencing, and sharing activities. The students majoring in clinical medicine in the class of 2020 believed that they had established clinical thinking ability (263, 92.61%) and become familiar with the clinical manifestations and pathogenesis of common diseases (262, 92.25%); the students majoring in preventive medicine in the class of 2020 believed that they had increased their awareness of serving the public (151, 93.21%) and developed the ability to teach and guide healthy living (148, 91.36%); the students majoring in pharmacy in the class of 2020 believed that they had mastered the mechanism of action of drugs for disease treatment (138, 93.24%) and understood the importance of rational drug use in clinical practice (135, 91.22%). Conclusion:The blended teaching model realizes student-centered teaching, stimulates the interest and initiative in learning, and improves learning outcome, thereby improving teaching quality to a certain extent.

[Acupuncture affects the apoptosis of eosinophilic granulocytes in lung tissue of asthmatic rats by regulating the P38MAPK signaling pathway].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of acupuncture on phosphorylated P38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p-P38MAPK), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), interferon γ (IFN-γ), and eosinophilic granulocytes (EOS) in lung tissue of asthmatic rats, and to explore the mechanism of acupuncture in regulating the apoptosis of EOS. METHODS: Clean-grade male Wistar rats were randomly divided into normal, model, dexamethasone and acupuncture groups, 8 rats in each group. The asthmatic model was established by intraperitoneal injection of mixture suspension (1 mL) of 10% ovalbumin and 10% Al(OH)_3+ normal saline, followed by inhalation of atomized 1% ovalbumin solution for 30 min, once daily for 2 weeks to trigger occurrence of asthmatic symptoms. The rats in dexamethasone group were intraperitoneally injected with 0.9 mg/kg dexamethasone since day 15 once a day for two consecutive weeks. In the acupuncture group, bilateral "Feishu" (BL13), "Pishu" (BL20), "Shenshu" (BL23), "Dingchuan" (EX-B1), and "Danzhong" (CV17) were selected for acupuncture treatment once every other day since day 15 for two consecutive weeks. Uniform reinforcing and reducing manipulation was carried out, and the needles were retained for 30 min. The pathological changes of the lung tissue were observed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. The apoptosis of EOS in the lung tissue of rats was detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay. The expression of p-P38MAPK in the lung tissue was detected by Western blot. The protein and mRNA levels of ICAM-1 and IFN-γ in the lung tissue were determined by immunohistochemistry and real-time PCR, respectively. RESULTS: The results of HE staining showed that the pulmonary alveoli and surrounding tissues were intact with no inflammatory cell infiltration in the normal group. The model group showed massive exudation of inflammatory materials and thickened pulmonary interstitium. The dexamethasone group and acupuncture group showed less damage of the alveolar structure and only a small number of inflammatory cells around the airway. Compared with the normal group, the apoptosis rate of EOS in lung tissue was decreased (P<0.01), the expression levels of p-P38MAPK and ICAM-1 proteins and mRNAs in the lung tissue were up-regulated (P<0.01), while the expression levels of IFN-γ protein and mRNA in the lung tissue were down-regulated (P<0.01) in the model group. Compared with the model group, the apoptosis rate of EOS in the lung tissue was increased (P<0.05), the expression levels of p-P38MAPK and ICAM-1 proteins and mRNAs in the lung tissue were down-regulated (P<0.01, P<0.05), while the expression levels of IFN-γ protein and mRNA were up-regulated (P<0.05, P<0.01) in the dexamethasone and acupuncture groups. CONCLUSION: Acupuncture may inhibit the P38MAPK signaling pathway, down-regulate ICAM-1 expression, and up-regulate IFN-γ expression to promote the apoptosis of EOS and reduce EOS aggregation, thus alleviating the inflammatory response of airway in asthma.

[Acupoint catgut embedment may reduce airway inflammation reaction by down-regulating ICAM-1 and EOS by suppressing p38MAPK signaling in lung tissue of asthmatic rats].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of acupoint catgut embedment(ACE) on expression of p38 mitogen activated protein kinase (p38MAPK), intercellular adhesion molecule-1(ICAM-1), interleukin-4 (IL-4) and eosinophils (EOS) in lung tissue of asthmatic rats, so as to explore its mechanism underlying improvement of asthma. METHODS: Forty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into control, model, ACE and dexamethasone (DEX) groups, with 10 rats in each group. The asthmatic model was established by intraperitoneal injection of mixture suspension (1 mL) of ovalbumin (OVA,10%) and 10% Al (OH)3+ normal saline, followed by inhalation of atomized 1% OVA solution for 30 min, once daily for 2 weeks to trigger occurrence of asthmatic symptoms. The ACE was applied once to "Feishu" (BL13), "Dingchuan" (EX-B1) and "Danzhong" (CV17). Rats of the DEX group were given intraperitoneal injection of DEX once a day for 2 weeks. H.E. staining was used to evaluate histopathological changes of the lung tissue. The relative number of EOS in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was detected by Wright Giemsa staining. The apoptosis level of EOS in the lung tissue was detected by TUNEL staining. The ultrastructural changes of EOS in the lung tissues were observed by transmission electron microscope (TEM). The expression of p38MAPK, ICAM-1 and IL-4 mRNAs in the lung tissue was detected by quantitative real-time PCR. RESULTS: Findings of optical microscope and TEM showed obvious bronchial deformation and inflammatory cell infiltration, rupture of EOS cell membrane, uneven cytoplasm with swelling and uneven density of eosinophilic granules in EOS of the model group, which was relatively milder in the ACE and DEX groups. Compared with the control group, the EOS number in BALF and the expressions of p38MAPK, ICAM-1 and IL-4 mRNAs in the lung tissue were significantly increased (P<0.01), and the apoptosis index of EOS in the lung tissue was significantly decreased (P<0.01) in the model group. After intervention, the EOS number in BALF and expression levels of p38MAPK, ICAM-1 and IL-4 mRNAs in the lung tissue of ACE and DEX groups were significantly decreased (P<0.01, P<0.05), as well as the apoptosis index of EOS in the lung tissue was significantly increased in both ACE and DEX groups (P<0.01) in comparison with the model group. The EOS number in BALF and expression of ICAM-1 mRNA were significantly lower in the DEX group than those in the ACE group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Catgut embedding at acupoints may alleviate the airway inflammatory response in asthma rats, which may be related with its effects in down-regulating p38MAPK signaling, ICAM-1 and IL-4 mRNA expression, reducing the aggregation of EOS, and promoting the apoptosis of EOS.

Three Si-substituted polyoxovanadates as efficient catalysts for Knoevenagel condensation and selective oxidation of styrene to benzaldehyde.

Three new Si-substituted polyoxovanadates (POVs), [Cd2(dien)2][Cd(dien)][Cd(Hdien)2][V15Si6O46(OH)2(H2O)]·7H2O (1), [Co(enMe)2]3[Co2(enMe)2(H2O)2][V16Si4O44(OH)2(H2O)]·6H2O (2), and [Co(teta)]4[V16Si4O42(OH)4(H2O)]·10H2O (3) (dien = diethylenetriamine; enMe = 1,2-diaminopropane; teta = triethylenetetramine) were synthesized by the hydrothermal method and characterized. Structural analysis sheds light on the fact that the {V15Si6O48}/{V16Si4O46} clusters of compounds 1-3 were formed by replacing {VO5} square pyramids in the classical {V18O42} cluster with {Si2O7} units. Compound 1 is a 2D bilayer structure formed by the [V15Si6O46(OH)2(H2O)]10- cluster and two types of bridging Cd complexes containing binuclear groups [Cd2(dien)2]4+. Compound 2 is a 3D framework constructed from the [V16Si4O44(OH)2(H2O)]10- cluster and two types of Co complex fragments including binuclear [Co2(enMe)2(H2O)2]4+. In compound 3, the [V16Si4O42(OH)4(H2O)]8- cluster is connected with bridging [Co(teta)]2+ to expand into a 2D network. Compounds 1 and 3 represent the first 2D assemblies based on a vanadosilicate cluster. 1-3 served as heterogeneous catalysts and exhibited highly efficient catalytic activities for the Knoevenagel condensation under mild ambient conditions with low catalyst loading, featuring the open Lewis base {V15Si6O48}/{V16Si4O46} sites and Lewis acid Cd2+/Co2+ sites. The conversion of benzaldehyde was up to 99.3% in 80 min at room temperature using 1 as a heterogeneous catalyst with only 0.37% catalyst loading. Moreover, compounds 1-3 as catalysts for selective oxidation of styrene to benzaldehyde exhibited excellent catalytic performance, high selectivity and could be readily recycled. Most strikingly, compound 1 showed excellent catalytic performance with 97.6% conversion of styrene and 100% selectivity of benzaldehyde in 15 min. In addition, the catalytic activity of catalyst 1 was well maintained after five cycling reactions.

Nanoarchitectonics of Metal-Organic Frameworks for Capacitive Deionization via Controlled Pyrolyzed Approaches.

Next-generation desalination technologies are needed to meet the increasing demand for clean water. Capacitive deionization (CDI) is a thermodynamically efficient technique to treat non-potable water with relatively low salinity. The salt removal capacity and rate of CDI are highly dependent on the electrode materials, which are preferentially porous to store ions through electrosorption and/or redox reactions. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with "infinite" combinations of transition metals and organic linkers simplify the production of carbonaceous materials often with redox-active components after pyrolysis. MOFs-derived materials show great tunability in both compositions and structures but require further refinement to improve CDI performance. This review article summarizes recent progress in derivatives of MOFs and MOF-like materials used as CDI electrodes, focusing on the structural and compositional material considerations as well as the processing parameters and electrode architectures of the device. Furthermore, the challenges and opportunities associated with this research area are also discussed.