The Effects of Oxygen-Derived Free-Radical Scavengers During Normothermic Ex-Situ Heart Perfusion.

Oxidative stress occurs during ex-situ heart perfusion (ESHP) and may negatively affect functional preservation of the heart. We sought to assess the status of key antioxidant enzymes during ESHP, and the effects of augmenting these antioxidants on the attenuation of oxidative stress and improvement of myocardial and endothelial preservation in ESHP. Porcine hearts were perfused for 6 hours with oxygen-derived free-radical scavengers polyethylene glycol (PEG)-catalase or PEG-superoxide dismutase (SOD) or with naive perfusate (control). The oxidative stress-related modifications were determined in the myocardium and coronary vasculature, and contractile function, injury, and endothelial integrity were compared between the groups. The activity of key antioxidant enzymes decreased and adding catalase and SOD restored the enzyme activity. Cardiac function and endothelial integrity were preserved better with restored catalase activity. Catalase and SOD both decreased myocardial injury and catalase reduced ROS production and oxidative modification of proteins in the myocardium and coronary vasculature. The activity of antioxidant enzymes decrease in ESHP. Catalase may improve the preservation of cardiac function and endothelial integrity during ESHP. While catalase and SOD may both exert cardioprotective effects, unbalanced SOD and catalase activity may paradoxically increase the production of reactive species during ESHP.

Perfusate Exchange Does Not Improve Outcomes in 24-hour Ex Situ Lung Perfusion.

BACKGROUND: Reliable 24-hour preservation is required to optimize the rehabilitation potential of Ex Situ Lung Perfusion (ESLP). Other ESLP protocols include fresh perfusate replacement to counteract an accumulation of deleterious by-products. We describe the results of our reliable 24-hour negative pressure ventilation (NPV)-ESLP protocol with satisfactory acute post-transplant outcomes and investigate perfusate exchange (PE) as a modification to enhance prolonged ESLP. METHODS: Twelve pig lungs underwent 24 hours of NPV-ESLP using 1.5L of cellular perfusate (500 mL packed red blood cells and 1 L buffered perfusate). The Control (n = 6) had no PE; the PE (n = 6) had 500 mL replaced after 12 hours of NPV-ESLP with 1000 mL fresh perfusate. Three left lungs per group were transplanted. RESULTS: Results are reported as Control vs PE (mean ± SEM). Both groups demonstrated stable and acceptable oxygenation during 24 hours of ESLP with final PF ratios of 527.5 ± 42.19 and 488.4 ± 35.38 (P = .25). Final compliance measurements were 20.52 ± 3.59 and 18.55 ± 2.91 (P = .34). There were no significant differences in pulmonary artery pressure after 24 hours of ESLP (10.02 ± 2.69 vs 14.34 ± 1.64, P = .10), and pulmonary vascular resistance only differed significantly at T12 (417.6 ± 53.06 vs 685.4 ± 81.19, P = .02). Percentage weight gain between groups was similar (24.32 ± 8.4 and 45.33 ± 7.76, P = .07). Post-transplant left lung oxygenation was excellent (327.3 ± 14.62 and 313.3 ± 15.38, P = .28). There was no significant difference in % weight gain of lungs post-transplant (22.20 ± 7.22 vs 14.36 ± 9.96, P = .28). CONCLUSION: Acceptable lung function was maintained during 24-hour NPV-ESLP and post-transplant regardless of PE.

Moderate-Flow Perfusion is Superior to Low-Flow Perfusion in Ex Situ Lung Perfusion.

BACKGROUND: Full-flow perfusion during prolonged ex situ lung perfusion (ESLP) results in unacceptable pulmonary edema formation. Clinical ESLP at 30% to 50% predicted cardiac output (CO) supports acceptable physiologic outcomes; however, progressive pulmonary edema still develops. Lower flow rates may provide equivalent physiologic preservation with less edema formation due to reduced hydrostatic pressures. We report our results of moderate-flow (MF; 30% CO) vs low-flow (LF; 10% CO) negative pressure ventilation (NPV)-ESLP with transplantation. METHODS: Twelve pig lungs underwent 12-hours of NPV-ESLP with 30% or 10% CO (n = 6/group). Three left lungs per group were transplanted post-ESLP and assessed in vivo over 4 hours. Lung function was assessed by physiologic parameters, weight-gain, and pro-inflammatory cytokine profiles. RESULTS: Results are MF vs LF (mean ± SEM). All lungs demonstrated acceptable oxygenation post-ESLP (454.2 ± 40.85 vs 422.7 ± 31.68, P = .28); however, after transplantation, the MF lungs demonstrated significantly better oxygenation (300.7 ± 52.26 vs 141.9 ± 36.75, P = .03). There was no significant difference in compliance after ESLP (21.38 ± 2.28 vs 16.48 ± 2.34, P = .08); however, pulmonary artery pressure (PAP; 10.89 ± 2.28 vs 21.11 ± 0.93, P = .06) and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR; 438.60 ± 97.97 vs 782.20 ± 162.20, P = .05) were significantly higher in the LF group. Weight gain (%) post-ESLP and post-transplant was similar between groups (29.42 ± 5.72 vs 24.17 ± 4.42, P = .24; and 29.63 ± 7.23 vs 57.04 ± 15.78, P = .09). TNF-α and IL-6 were significantly greater throughout LF ESLP. CONCLUSIONS: The MF NPV-ESLP results in superior lung function with less inflammation compared to LF NPV-ESLP.

Comparison of three objective nutritional screening tools for identifying GLIM-defined malnutrition in patients with gastric cancer.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare three objective nutritional screening tools for identifying GLIM-defined malnutrition in patients with gastric cancer (GC). METHOD: Objective nutritional screening tools including geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI), prognostic nutritional index (PNI), and controlling nutritional status (CONUT) score, were evaluated in patients with GC at our institution. Malnutrition was diagnosed according to the GLIM criteria. The diagnostic value of GNRI, PNI, and COUNT scores in identifying GLIM-defined malnutrition was assessed by conducting Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves and calculating the area under the curve (AUC). Additionally, sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were determined. The Kappa coefficient (k) was used to assess agreement between three objective nutritional screening tools and GLIM criteria. RESULTS: A total of 316 patients were enrolled in this study, and malnutrition was diagnosed in 151 (47.8%) patients based on the GLIM criteria. The GNRI demonstrated good diagnostic accuracy (AUC = 0.805, 95% CI: 0.758-0.852) for detecting GLIM-defined malnutrition, while the PNI and COUNT score showed poor diagnostic accuracy with AUCs of 0.699 (95% CI: 0.641-0.757) and 0.665 (95% CI: 0.605-0.725) respectively. Among these objective nutritional screening tools, the GNRI-based malnutrition risk assessment demonstrated the highest specificity (80.0%), accuracy (72.8%), PPV (74.8%), NPV (71.4%), and consistency (k = 0.452) with GLIM-defined malnutrition. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to PNI and COUNT scores, GNRI demonstrated superior performance as an objective nutritional screening tool for identifying GLIM-defined malnutrition in GC patients.

Prevalence and Diagnostic Agreement of Sarcopenia Based on Handgrip Strength and 5-Time Chair-Stand Test Among Chinese Community-Dwelling Older Adults.

INTRODUCTION: Handgrip strength and the 5-time chair-stand test are the two important muscle strength measures run through the whole sarcopenia diagnosis algorithm. There is a lack of evidence to confirm which muscle strength measures have a higher detection rate of sarcopenia among Chinese older adults, which is a challenge for community workers to choose the muscle strength measures and to identify more sarcopenia in clinical practice. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate the prevalence and diagnostic agreement of sarcopenia based on handgrip strength and the 5-time chair-stand test among Chinese community-dwelling older adults. METHODS: This cross-sectional study sampled 1027 community-dwelling older adults from Hunan, China. We used handgrip strength and the 5-time chair-stand test to assess participants' muscle strength and used gait speed and bioimpedance analysis (BIA) to assess physical performance and skeletal muscle mass, respectively. The kappa values of the agreement test were used to evaluate the agreement of handgrip strength and 5-time chair-stand tests in the assessment of sarcopenia. RESULTS: A total of 1027 participants were included in this analysis including 337 males and 690 females with an average age of 70.35 ± 7.24 years. The prevalence of possible sarcopenia, confirmed sarcopenia and severe sarcopenia based on handgrip strength was 50.8%, 20.3% and 14.5% respectively, while the corresponding prevalence for using the 5-time chair-stand test was 27.6%, 10.8% and 10.9%. The kappa value of the consistency test between handgrip strength and 5-time chair-stand test in the assessment of possible sarcopenia, confirmed and severe sarcopenia was 0.26, 0.51 and 0.62, respectively (p < 0.001 for all). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of possible sarcopenia, confirmed sarcopenia and severe sarcopenia based on handgrip strength was significantly higher than that of the 5-time chair-stand test. We recommend handgrip strength as the preferred method of muscle strength measurement for Chinese community-dwelling older adults and use 5-time chair-stand tests when handgrip strength is not available. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The findings provide information and suggestions to healthcare providers for choosing the muscle strength measures to detect more sarcopenia in clinical practice. Compared with the 5-time chair-stand test, handgrip strength has a better performance to identify sarcopenia in Chinese community-dwelling older adults.

Normothermic Perfusion is Superior to Cold Perfusion in Porcine Ex Situ Lung Perfusion.

BACKGROUND: Cold ex situ lung perfusion (ESLP) has demonstrated improved preservation in small animal ESLP compared to normothermic ESLP and cold static preservation. We hypothesized that cold negative pressure ventilation (NPV)-ESLP would improve graft function in a porcine transplantation model. METHODS: Four perfusate temperatures were examined with 12 hours NPV-ESLP in a large animal transplantation model. Pig lungs were allotted to four groups: (1) Normothermia (38°C, n = 6); (2) profound hypothermia (10°C, n = 6); (3) moderate hypothermia (20°C, n = 3); (4) subnormothermia (32°C, n = 3). A fifth group subnormothermic low-flow (SNLF) perfusion was examined to assess the effect of reduced cardiac output with cold perfusion (32°C, 10% cardiac output, n = 6). RESULTS: Only Normothermic and SNLF groups demonstrated acceptable oxygenation after 12 hours NPV-ESLP and were transplanted. All other groups failed prematurely. After 12 hours of ESLP, Normothermic lungs demonstrated significantly greater dynamic compliance compared to SNLF lungs (P = .03). Edema formation post-ESLP was significantly worse in the SNLF group (P = .01). There was no significant difference in pulmonary artery pressures after ESLP (P = .10); however, pulmonary vascular resistance was significantly greater in the SNLF (P = .04). Isolated left lung oxygenation 4-hours post-transplant and left lung edema formation was not significantly different between Normothermic and SNLF post-transplant (P = .09). Proinflammatory cytokines were significantly greater during SNLF-ESLP (tumor necrosis factor alpha, P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Prolonged normothermic (38°C) NPV-ESLP is superior to 10, 20, and 32°C perfusion. Normothermic ESLP of porcine lungs results in superior graft function and reduced inflammation versus SNLF-ESLP.

A Deep-Learning-Based Algorithm for Landslide Detection over Wide Areas Using InSAR Images Considering Topographic Features.

The joint action of human activities and environmental changes contributes to the frequent occurrence of landslide, causing major hazards. Using Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) technique enables the detailed detection of surface deformation, facilitating early landslide detection. The growing availability of SAR data and the development of artificial intelligence have spurred the integration of deep learning methods with InSAR for intelligent geological identification. However, existing studies using deep learning methods to detect landslides in InSAR deformation often rely on single InSAR data, which leads to the presence of other types of geological hazards in the identification results and limits the accuracy of landslide identification. Landslides are affected by many factors, especially topographic features. To enhance the accuracy of landslide identification, this study improves the existing geological hazard detection model and proposes a multi-source data fusion network termed MSFD-Net. MSFD-Net employs a pseudo-Siamese network without weight sharing, enabling the extraction of texture features from the wrapped deformation data and topographic features from topographic data, which are then fused in higher-level feature layers. We conducted comparative experiments on different networks and ablation experiments, and the results show that the proposed method achieved the best performance. We applied our method to the middle and upper reaches of the Yellow River in eastern Qinghai Province, China, and obtained deformation rates using Sentinel-1 SAR data from 2018 to 2020 in the region, ultimately identifying 254 landslides. Quantitative evaluations reveal that most detected landslides in the study area occurred at an elevation of 2500-3700 m with slope angles of 10-30°. The proposed landslide detection algorithm holds significant promise for quickly and accurately detecting wide-area landslides, facilitating timely preventive and control measures.

Error Correction of the RapidEye Sub-Pixel Correlation: A Case Study of the 2019 Ridgecrest Earthquake Sequence.

The optical image sub-pixel correlation (SPC) technique is an important method for monitoring large-scale surface deformation. RapidEye images, distinguished by their short revisit period and high spatial resolution, are crucial data sources for monitoring surface deformation. However, few studies have comprehensively analyzed the error sources and correction methods of the deformation field obtained from RapidEye images. We used RapidEye images without surface deformation to analyze potential errors in the offset fields. We found that the errors in RapidEye offset fields primarily consist of decorrelation noise, orbit error, and attitude jitter distortions. To mitigate decorrelation noise, the careful selection of offset pairs coupled with spatial filtering is essential. Orbit error can be effectively mitigated by the polynomial fitting method. To address attitude jitter distortions, we introduced a linear fitting approach that incorporated the coherence of attitude jitter. To demonstrate the performance of the proposed methods, we utilized RapidEye images to extract the coseismic displacement field of the 2019 Ridgecrest earthquake sequence. The two-dimensional (2D) offset field contained deformation signals extracted from two earthquakes, with a maximum offset of 2.8 m in the E-W direction and 2.4 m in the N-S direction. A comparison with GNSS observations indicates that, after error correction, the mean relative precision of the offset field improved by 92% in the E-W direction and by 89% in the N-S direction. This robust enhancement underscores the effectiveness of the proposed error correction methods for RapidEye data. This study sheds light on large-scale surface deformation monitoring using RapidEye images.

Whole-genome sequencing of Pseudoalteromonas piscicida 2515 revealed its antibacterial potency against Vibrio anguillarum: a preliminary invitro study.

Pseudoalteromonas piscicida 2515, isolated from Litopenaeus vannamei culture water, is a potential marine probiotic with broad anti-Vibrio properties. However, genomic information on P. piscicida 2515 is scarce. In this study, the general genomic characteristics and probiotic properties of the P. piscicida 2515 strain were analysed. In addition, we determined the antibacterial mechanism of this bacterial strain by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results indicated that the whole-genome sequence of P. piscicida 2515 contained one chromosome and one plasmid, including a total length of 5,541,406 bp with a G + C content of 43.24%, and 4679 protein-coding genes were predicted. Various adhesion-related genes, amino acid and vitamin metabolism and biosynthesis genes, and stress-responsive genes were found with genome mining tools. The presence of genes encoding chitin, bromocyclic peptides, lantibiotics, and sactipeptides showed the strong antibacterial activity of the P. piscicida 2515 strain. Moreover, in coculture with Vibrio anguillarum, P. piscicida 2515 displayed vesicle/pilus-like structures located on its surface that possibly participated in its bactericidal activity, representing an antibacterial mechanism. Additionally, 16 haemolytic genes and 3 antibiotic resistance genes, including tetracycline, fluoroquinolone, and carbapenem were annotated, but virulence genes encoding enterotoxin FM (entFM), cereulide (ces), and cytotoxin K were not detected. Further tests should be conducted to confirm the safety characteristics of P. piscicida 2515, including long-term toxicology tests, ecotoxicological assessment, and antibiotic resistance transfer risk assessment. Our results here revealed a new understanding of the probiotic properties and antibacterial mechanism of P. piscicida 2515, in addition to theoretical information for its application in aquaculture.

Development of a community intervention combining social media-based health education plus exercise programme (SHEEP) to improve muscle function among young-old adults with possible sarcopenia: Co-design approach.

OBJECTIVES: There is no precedent for the use of social media in preventing sarcopenia. The aim of this study is to develop a social media-based intervention programme for the young-old population in the community in China to improve their awareness and behaviours regarding sarcopenia prevention. STUDY DESIGN: Using guidelines for developing complex interventions, this study was divided into two main phases: a co-development phase and a preliminary test phase. Both were carried out in Changsha, China. The development phase employed co-design methodology with relevant stakeholders, including two rounds of consultation with patient and public involvement (12 members) and two rounds of focus groups (30 participants); this was followed by the three-week preliminary test phase (22 participants). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: This study evaluated the consultation with patient and public involvement, and mainly collected qualitative data from the two rounds of focus group interviews and a final semi-structured interview following the preliminary test, so as to explore the participants' experiences, comments, and suggestions for revising the social media-based intervention. Handgrip strength was also evaluated. RESULTS: The health education included seven videos of 4-6 min each related to sarcopenia, including information on the concept, influencing factors, adverse effects, manifestations, screening methods, and preventions. The exercise video consisted of four types of training (warm-up, aerobic, resistance, and flexibility training) and lasted 30 min, with a suggested engagement of at least 3 days/week. The specific contents and "dosage" of the final intervention were unanimously favourable to the diverse stakeholders involved (older adults with possible sarcopenia, experts, researchers). After the preliminary test, an improvement in handgrip strength was observed, from M15.92±SD5.22 kg to M19.13±SD5.44 kg (T = -5.44, P < 0.001). Subgroup analysis revealed that this improvement was evident in both men and women. CONCLUSIONS: The social media-based intervention was universally endorsed by the participants and showed indications of a positive influence on sarcopenia. A feasibility study is now needed.

Breathable and wearable graphene/waterborne polyurethane coated regenerated polyethylene terephthalate fabrics for motion sensing and thermal therapy.

The functional utilization of recycled polymers has emerged as a current prominent and timely subject. Flexible wearable devices with high sensitivity to conductivity have garnered significant attention in the fields of human healthcare monitoring and personal heat management. One significant obstacle that needs to be addressed is the simultaneous maintenance of both sensing functionality and durability in composite fabrics. In this paper, a collection of durable, breathable, and flexible smart fabric was produced using the scratch coating method. The fabrics were created by utilizing a regenerated polyethylene terephthalate fabric as a base material, incorporating graphene microsheets (G) as a conductive agent, and applying a waterborne polyurethane layer as a surface protective coating. Furthermore, an investigation was conducted to assess their sensing performance and electrothermal performance. The composite fabric exhibits significant advantages in terms of high conductivity (592 S/m), wide strain range, high sensitivity (Gauge factor = 6.04) and fantabulous dynamic stability (2000 cycles) at a mass ratio of Graphene/WPU loading of 8:2. These sensors were successfully utilized to monitor various degrees of real-time human body movements, ranging from significant deformation bending of elbows to slight deformation swallowing. Furthermore, the sensors also exhibit a significant electric heating effect. Specifically, when a voltage of 10 V is applied, the sensors can reach a steady state temperature of 53.3 °C within a mere 30 s. This discovery holds potential for the development of wearable heaters that can be used for on-demand thermal therapy, functional protective clothing, and medical electric heating wearables.

Inhalable FN-binding liposomes or liposome-exosome hybrid bionic vesicles encapsulated microparticles for enhanced pulmonary fibrosis therapy.

Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a chronic, progressive and irreversible interstitial lung disease that seriously threatens human life and health. Our previous study demonstrated the unique superiority of traditional Chinese medicine cryptotanshinone (CTS) combined with sustained pulmonary drug delivery for treating PF. In this study, we aimed to enhance the selectivity, targeting efficiency and sustained-release capability based on this delivery system. To this end, we developed and evaluated CTS-loaded modified liposomes-chitosan (CS) microspheres SM(CT-lipo) and liposome-exosome hybrid bionic vesicles-CS microspheres SM(LE). The prepared nano-in-micro particles system integrates the advantages of the carriers and complements each other. SM(CT-lipo) and SM(LE) achieved lung myofibroblast-specific targeting through CREKA peptide binding specifically to fibronectin (FN) and the homing effect of exosomes on parent cells, respectively, facilitating efficient delivery of anti-fibrosis drugs to lung lesions. Furthermore, compared with daily administration of conventional microspheres SM(NC) and positive control drug pirfenidone (PFD), inhaled administration of SM(CT-lipo) and SM(LE) every two days still attained similar efficacy, exhibiting excellent sustained drug release ability. In summary, our findings suggest that the developed SM(CT-lipo) and SM(LE) delivery strategies could achieve more accurate, efficient and safe therapy, providing novel insights into the treatment of chronic PF.

The impact of refined nursing intervention on neurological function recovery and prognosis improvement in patients undergoing intracranial aneurysm intervention.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to explore the application of refined nursing intervention in patients undergoing unruptured intracranial aneurysm intervention, evaluating its impact on neurological function recovery and prognosis improvement. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with intracranial aneurysms and undergoing treatment at our hospital from February 2022 to June 2023 were included in this study. After applying complete inclusion and exclusion criteria to ensure sample representativeness, a total of 92 patients were enrolled. Using a randomization method, patients were divided into an observation group and a control group. The control group received routine nursing care, while the observation group received refined nursing intervention. Nursing effects were compared between the two groups, and statistical analysis was conducted using appropriate methods, with content analysis summarizing the results. RESULTS: The observation group, post-intervention, exhibited significantly improved Neurological Function Deficit (NFD) scores compared to the control group (p = 0.023). Additionally, the observation group showed higher proportions of Grade V patients in the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) post-intervention (p = 0.031). Moreover, Fugl Meyer Assessment (FMA) scores for motor function were notably higher in the observation group than the control group (p = 0.003). The observation group also reported lower headache intensity and fewer adverse outcomes than the control group (p = 0.018, 0.038). CONCLUSION: Refined nursing intervention in patients undergoing intracranial aneurysm intervention demonstrates better outcomes in terms of neurological function recovery and prognosis improvement. It reduces uncertainty in nursing practices, effectively enhancing nursing outcomes, and warrants clinical application and promotion.

The Effects of Oxygen-Derived Free-Radical Scavengers During Normothermic Ex-Situ Heart Perfusion.

Oxidative stress occurs during ex-situ heart perfusion (ESHP) and may negatively affect functional preservation of the heart. We sought to assess the status of key antioxidant enzymes during ESHP, and the effects of augmenting these antioxidants on the attenuation of oxidative stress and improvement of myocardial and endothelial preservation in ESHP. Porcine hearts were perfused for 6 hours with oxygen-derived free-radical scavengers polyethylene glycol (PEG)-catalase or PEG-superoxide dismutase (SOD) or with naive perfusate (control). The oxidative stress-related modifications were determined in the myocardium and coronary vasculature, and contractile function, injury, and endothelial integrity were compared between the groups. The activity of key antioxidant enzymes decreased and adding catalase and SOD restored the enzyme activity. Cardiac function and endothelial integrity were preserved better with restored catalase activity. Catalase and SOD both decreased myocardial injury and catalase reduced ROS production and oxidative modification of proteins in the myocardium and coronary vasculature. The activity of antioxidant enzymes decrease in ESHP. Catalase may improve the preservation of cardiac function and endothelial integrity during ESHP. While catalase and SOD may both exert cardioprotective effects, unbalanced SOD and catalase activity may paradoxically increase the production of reactive species during ESHP.

The optimal cut-off value of five-time chair stand test for assessing sarcopenia among Chinese community-dwelling older adults.

BACKGROUND: The five-time chair stand test (5CST) as an indicator of muscle strength and physical function is the first step in assessing sarcopenia. We aimed to determine the optimal cut-off value of the 5CST for assessing older adults with sarcopenia in the Chinese community. METHODS: We used a stratified cluster random sampling method to recruit older adults from Chinese communities. The handgrip strength was assessed using an electronic handgrip dynamometer. The 5CST and gait speed were assessed by the trained researchers. The bioimpedance analysis device was used to evaluate the skeletal muscle index. We used the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia diagnosis criteria as the gold standard. According to the receiver operating characteristic curve, we determine the optimal cut-off value using the Youden index. RESULTS: A total of 1027 participants were included in this analysis, including 337 men and 690 women with an average age of 70.35 ± 7.24 years. The prevalence of sarcopenia in total participants was 24.9%. The optimal cut-off value of 5CST in the total population was 10.9 s. Stratified by age and gender, for the older adults aged 60-69 years, the optimal cut-off values were 9.2 s in men and 10.8 s in women; for the older adults aged 70-79 years, cut-off values were 10.2 s in men and 10.9 s in women; and for the older adults over 80 years, cut-off values were 14.0 s in men and 11.5 s in women (all P < 0.001). The areas under the curve of 5CST were 0.632 in men and 0.650 in women (both P < 0.001). Using the newly defined cut-off values, the prevalence of sarcopenia increased significantly (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: We determined the optimal cut-off value of the 5CST for assessing older adults with sarcopenia in the Chinese community, and this cut-off can significantly improve the detection rate of sarcopenia. The cut-off determined in our study will help community workers detect more people with sarcopenia and benefit from early intervention and management of sarcopenia in practice.

Examination of the role of the rotating nursing department in the training of nursing staff based on SWOT analysis.

BACKGROUND: The implementation of the rotation system in the Chinese medical industry has achieved significant results. OBJECTIVES: The present study aims to 1) explore the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges of rotational nursing department implementation and 2) provide references for developing nursing staff's competencies in leadership, performance evaluation, quality of care, communication in relationships and human resources. METHODS: A total of 16 rotational nursing department staff members from a tertiary tuberculosis specialist hospital in Beijing were interviewed, and the interview data were analysed using a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats analysis and class analysis. RESULTS: The advantages of the rotational nursing department included: (1) stimulating the nursing staff's enthusiasm and creativity; (2) strengthening the communication and collaboration between departments; (3) improving the detailed management of nursing quality; and (4) enhancing the nursing staff's comprehensive abilities. The disadvantages included: (1) the design of the rotation programme focusing on practice; (2) a lack of personalisation; and (3) imperfect performance assessment of the rotating staff. Opportunities included: (1) deepening the connotation of nursing job management and (2) developing the construction of nursing discipline and the need for personal career development and value realisation. Threats included the lack of a sound rotation management model to draw on. CONCLUSION: A rotational nursing department is conducive to enhancing the competence of nursing staff in management positions and providing new ideas for hospitals to select and train nursing management talents. By taking full advantage of the benefits of vertical nursing management, designing personalised rotation training programmes, building a diversified learning and training platform and developing a positive performance incentive mechanism is recommended to fully engage the role of rotation in nursing management talent training.

Efficient pulmonary fibrosis therapy via regulating macrophage polarization using respirable cryptotanshinone-loaded liposomal microparticles.

Lung inflammation and fibrogenesis are the two main characteristics during the development of pulmonary fibrosis (PF), which are particularly associated with pulmonary macrophages. In this context, whether cryptotanshinone (CTS) could alleviate PF through regulating macrophage polarization were preliminarily demonstrated in vitro. Then the time course of PF and its relationship with macrophage polarization was determined in BLM-induced mice based on cytokine levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), lung histopathology, flow cytometric analysis, mRNA and protein expression. CTS was loaded into macrophage-targeted and responsively released mannose-modified liposomes (Man-lipo), and the liposomes were then embedded into mannitol microparticles (M-MPs) using spray drying to achieve efficient pulmonary delivery. Afterwards, how CTS regulates macrophage polarization in vivo during different time courses of PF was probed. Furthermore, the molecular mechanisms of CTS against PF by regulating macrophage polarization were elucidated in vivo and in vitro. The full-course therapy group could achieve comparable therapeutic effects compared with the positive control drug PFD group. CTS can alleviate PF through regulating macrophage polarization, mainly by inhibiting NLRP3/TGF-ß1 pathway during the inflammation course and modulating MMP-9/TIMP-1 balance during the fibrosis development course, providing new insights into chronic PF treatment.

Synergistic enhancement of modified sericite on rheological and foaming properties of poly (lactic acid).

Due to low melt strength and slow crystallization rate, poly (lactic acid) (PLA) foam materials are still not satisfactory. In order to improve the foaming performance of PLA, sericite (GA) was selected as the filler and modified by 3-Aminopropyltriethoxysilane (KH-550). Through melt blending with PLA, azodicarbonamide (ADC) foaming agent was selected for molding foaming, and PLA/GA composite foam was prepared. The addition of GA not only acts as a nucleating agent to improve the crystallization performance of the blend, but also improves its complex viscosity and storage modulus, and enhances its melt strength, so that the compressive strength and impact strength of the prepared composite foam are increased by 265.5 % and 224.0 %, respectively. Compared with PE foam, PLA/GA composite foam showed excellent thermal insulation performance through thermal infrared imaging test. Based on its mechanical and thermal insulation properties, this sample provides new materials for the field of wall insulation and foam packaging. This study provides an effective way to improve the melt strength and workability of PLA.

Multiple domestications of Asian rice.

The origin of domesticated Asian rice (Oryza sativa L.) has been controversial for more than half a century. The debates have focused on two leading hypotheses: a single domestication event in China or multiple domestication events in geographically separate areas. These two hypotheses differ in their predicted history of genes/alleles selected during domestication. Here we amassed a dataset of 1,578 resequenced genomes, including an expanded sample of wild rice from throughout its geographic range. We identified 993 selected genes that generated phylogenetic trees on which japonica and indica formed a monophyletic group, suggesting that the domestication alleles of these genes originated only once in either japonica or indica. Importantly, the domestication alleles of most selected genes (~80%) stemmed from wild rice in China, but the domestication alleles of a substantial minority of selected genes (~20%) originated from wild rice in South and Southeast Asia, demonstrating separate domestication events of Asian rice.