Objective:There is a lack of scientifically validated tools to measure the knowledge attitude and practice(KAP)of informal caregivers for patients with pressure injury(PI).This study aims to develop a KAP Scale for Informal Caregivers of PI Patients and to evaluate its reliability and validity. Methods:Based on the KAP theory framework and relevant literature,an initial pool of items was created through expert brainstorming sessions.The initial scale was formed after a Delphi expert consultation and a preliminary survey.From April to October 2023,a convenient sample of informal caregivers for PI patients was recruited from an inpatient department of the Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University,as well as its associated community and nursing homes.The first round included 186 participants,and the second round included 213 participants,who were used for item analysis and reliability and validity testing.After a 3-week interval,20 participants from the initial group were randomly selected for a retest to assess the test-retest reliability of the scale. Results:The KAP Scale for informal caregivers of PI patients consists of 3 dimensions with 19 items.The overall internal consistency(Cronbach's α)of the scale was 0.916.The item-level content validity index(I-CVI)ranged from 0.826 to 1.000,and the scale level-content validity index/average(S-CVI/Ave)was 0.94.Exploratory factor analysis extracted 3 common factors,accounting for 64.643％of the total variance.Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the model fit the data well,with x2/df=2.54,root mean square error of approximation(RMSEA)=0.085,comparative fit index(CFI)=0.920,and standardized root mean square residual(SRMR)=0.059. Conclusion:The KAP scale for informal caregivers of PI patients demonstrates good reliability and validity and can be used to assess the KAP levels of informal caregivers regarding PI.

Objective: To develop effective alternatives to natural enzymes, it is crucial to develop nanozymes that are economical, resource efficient, and environmentally conscious. Carbon nanomaterials that have enzyme-like activities have been extensively developed as substitutes for traditional enzymes. Methods: Carbide-derived carbons (CDCs) were directly synthesized via a one-step electrochemical method from a MAX precursor using an ammonium bifluoride electrolyte at ambient conditions. The CDCs were characterized by systematic techniques. Results: CDCs showed bienzyme-like activities similar to that of peroxidase and superoxide dismutase. We systematically studied the dependence of CDC enzyme-like activity on different electrolytes and electrolysis times to confirm activity dependence on CDC content. Additionally, the synthesis mechanism and CDC applicability were elaborated and demonstrated, respectively. Conclusion The demonstrated synthesis strategy eliminates tedious intercalation and delamination centrifugation steps and avoids using high concentrations of HF, high temperatures, and halogen gases. This study paves the way for designing two-dimensional material-based nanocatalysts for nanoenzyme and other applications.
Ammonium Compounds/chemical synthesis* ; Carbon/chemistry* ; Electrochemical Techniques ; Enzymes ; Fluorides/chemical synthesis* ; Humans ; Nanostructures ; Oxidation-Reduction

OBJECTIVE: This study optimizes three-dimensional (3D) culture conditions of HepG2 using response surface methodology (RSM) based on the VitroGel system to facilitate the cell model in vitro for liver tissues. METHOD: HepG2 cell was 3D cultured on the VitroGel system. Cell viability was detected using Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay of HepG2 lived cell numbers. The proliferation of HepG2 cell and clustering performance was measured via fluorescence staining test. Albumin concentration in the culture medium supernatant as an index of HepG2 cell biological function was measured with ELISA kit. Independent factor tests were conducted with three key factors: inoculated cell concentration, cultured time, and dilution degree of the hydrogel. The preliminary results of independent factor tests were used to determine the levels of factors for RSM. RESULT: The selected optimal culture conditions are as follows: concentration of inoculated cells was 4.44 × 10 ⁵/mL, culture time was 4.86 days, and hydrogel dilution degree was 1:2.23. The result shows that under optimal conditions, the predicted optical density (OD) value of cell viability was 3.10 and measured 2.978 with a relative error of 3.94%. CONCLUSION This study serves as a reference for the 3D HepG2 culture and constructs liver tissues in vitro. Additionally, it provides the foundation for repeated dose high-throughput toxicity studies and other scientific research work.
Albumins ; Cell Culture Techniques/methods* ; Hep G2 Cells ; Humans ; Hydrogels

ObjectiveTo explore the underlying molecular mechanism of Xiaochuanning granules in the treatment of bronchial asthma based on the network pharmacology and experimental verification through the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B （PI3K/Akt） signaling pathway on ovalbumin （OVA） sensitization-induced bronchial asthma model in rats. MethodThe main active ingredients and targets of Xiaochuanning Granules were screened out from Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform （TCMSP） and Bioinformatics Analysis Tool for Molecular Mechanism of Traditional Chinese Medicine （BATMAN-TCM）. The targets related to bronchial asthma were obtained from five disease databases such as GeneCards and Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man （OMIM）. The common targets were screened out through the Venn diagram. STRING was used to construct the protein-protein interaction （PPI） network of "compound-disease"， and Cytoscape 3.8.0 was used to establish a network of key active ingredients of Xiaochuanning granules and core target genes （"ingredient-gene" network）. Gene Ontology （GO） and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG） pathway enrichment analyses were performed through DAVID. The bronchial asthma model was induced by OVA stimulation in rats. Bronchial and lung tissue inflammation was observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining， and the enrichment analysis results of the network pharmacology were verified by Western blot. ResultIn this experiment， 232 active ingredients and 4 687 related targets of Xiaochuanning granules were screened out， and 233 common targets of Xiaochuanning granules and bronchial asthma were collected， including eosinophil-derived neurotoxin 1 （EDN1）， cyclic AMP response element-binding protein 1 （CREB1）， cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A （CDKN1A）， epidermal growth factor receptor （EGFR）， mitogen-activated protein kinase 14 （MAPK14）， and Akt1. KEGG pathway analysis revealed 186 related signaling pathways， indicating that the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway presumedly played a key role in the treatment of bronchial asthma by Xiaochuanning granules. The animal experiment showed that Xiaochuanning granules relieved the airway inflammation and smooth muscle hyperplasia in rats and down-regulated the gene expression of PI3K and Akt as compared with the conditions in the model group （P<0.05）. ConclusionXiaochuanning granules have the characteristics of multi-component， multi-target， and multi-pathway synergistic effect in the treatment of asthma. Xiaochuanning granules may exert anti-inflammatory effects by regulating the expression of genes related to the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. The present study is expected to provide a theoretical basis for follow-up in-depth research on the complex mechanism of Xiaochuanning granules in the treatment of bronchial asthma.

ObjectiveTo explore the intervention effect of Baofeikang granule （BFK） on the rat model of pulmonary fibrosis through the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. MethodAfter adaptive feeding for one week， 50 healthy rats were randomly divided into a blank group （n=8） and an experimental group （n=42）. After anesthesia， the rats in the experimental group were injected with bleomycin sulfate solution （5 mg·kg^-1） into the trachea for the induction of the pulmonary fibrosis model. Those in the blank group were injected with the same amount of normal saline under the same manipulation. On the 7^th day after modeling， one of the remaining 33 rats alive was randomly removed， and the other 32 model rats were assigned into a model group （n=8）， a prednisone acetate （1.17 mg·kg^-1） group （n=8）， a low-dose BFK （13.59 g·kg^-1） group （n=8）， and a high-dose BFK （27.18 g·kg^-1） group （n=8）. The rats in the groups with drug intervention were treated correspondingly by gavage once per day for 21 days， and those in the blank group and the model group received the same amount of normal saline. The pulmonary compliance and ventilatory function， the scores of pathological changes and fibrosis， the levels of type Ⅰ collagen （Col Ⅰ） in lung tissues and hydroxyproline （HYP） in the serum， and the relative expression of Wnt3a and β-catenin protein in lung tissues were compared. ResultCompared with the blank group， the model group showed reduced pulmonary function indexes， such as forced vital capacity （FVC）， peak expiratory flow （PEF）， the resistance of lung （RL）， and dynamic compliance （Cdyn） （P<0.05， P<0.01）， severely damaged lung tissue morphology， massive formed continuous fibrous foci， increased fibrosis score （P<0.01）， elevated levels of Col Ⅰ in lung tissues and HYP in the serum （P<0.01）， and up-regulated expression of Wnt3a and β-catenin （P<0.01）. FVC， PEF， and Cdyn levels in the prednisone acetate group and the BFK groups were higher than those in the model group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Pathological changes were improved in the groups with drug intervention， and fibrosis scores were decreased as compared with the model group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The scores in the BFK groups were lower than that in the prednisone acetate group （P<0.01）. The levels of Col Ⅰ and HYP in the groups with drug intervention were lower than those in the model group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The level of Col Ⅰ in the prednisone acetate group was higher than that in the high-dose BFK group （P<0.01）. The levels of serum HYP in the BFK groups was lower than that in the prednisone acetate group （P<0.01）. The protein expression of Wnt3a in lung tissues of the high-dose BFK group was lower than that of the model group （P<0.05）. The protein expression of β-catenin in the prednisone acetate group and the BFK groups was lower than that in the model group （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the expression level in the high-dose BFK group was lower than that in the prednisone acetate group （P<0.01）. ConclusionBFK can relieve bleomycin sulfate-induced pulmonary fibrosis， reduce collagen deposition， improve pulmonary compliance， and enhance pulmonary ventilatory function in rats. One of its mechanisms is presumedly the inhibition of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.

Objective Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and tuberculosis (TB) are major public health and social issues worldwide. The long-term follow-up of COVID-19 with pulmonary TB (PTB) survivors after discharge is unclear. This study aimed to comprehensively describe clinical outcomes, including sequela and recurrence at 3, 12, and 24 months after discharge, among COVID-19 with PTB survivors. Methods From January 22, 2020 to May 6, 2022, with a follow-up by August 26, 2022, a prospective, multicenter follow-up study was conducted on COVID-19 with PTB survivors after discharge in 13hospitals from four provinces in China. Clinical outcomes, including sequela, recurrence of COVID-19, and PTB survivors, were collected via telephone and face-to-face interviews at 3, 12, and 24 months after discharge. Results Thirty-two COVID-19 with PTB survivors were included. The median age was 52 (45, 59) years, and 23 (71.9％) were men. Among them, nearly two-thirds (62.5％) of the survivors were moderate, three (9.4％) were severe, and more than half (59.4％) had at least one comorbidity (PTB excluded). The proportion of COVID-19 survivors with at least one sequela symptom decreased from 40.6％ at 3 months to 15.8％ at 24 months, with anxiety having a higher proportion over a follow-up. Cough and amnesia recovered at the 12-month follow-up, while anxiety, fatigue, and trouble sleeping remained after 24 months. Additionally, one (3.1％) case presented two recurrences of PTB and no re-positive COVID-19 during the follow-up period. Conclusion The proportion of long symptoms in COVID-19 with PTB survivors decreased over time, while nearly one in six still experience persistent symptoms with a higher proportion of anxiety. The recurrence of PTB and the psychological support of COVID-19 with PTB after discharge require more attention.

Objective:To investigate the disability status of the elderly in medical-nursing integrated pension institutions in Beijing and analyze its influencing factors.Methods:Using the convenient sampling method, a total of 359 elderly people from 5 medical-nursing integrated pension institutions in Beijing were selected from May to August 2019. General data and Elderly Disability Assessment Scale (EDAS) were used to evaluate the disability status of the included population, and univariate and multivariate analysis were conducted.Results:A total of 95.3% (342/359) of the elderly had disability. The single factor analysis result showed that male, low education level, a large number of chronic diseases, history of fall, history of smoking, history of drinking, widowed and elderly people living in nursing homes at their public expense were more disabled ( P<0.05) . Multivariate analysis showed that, history of falls, the number of chronic diseases greater than or equal to 3 and widowhood were the influencing factors for aggravated disability ( P<0.05) . Conclusions:In this survey, the rate of disability of the elderly in medical-nursing integrated pension institutions in Beijing is relatively high and the degree of disability is serious. The focus should be on the elderly who are male, with low educational level, smoking history, drinking history, falling history, comorbidities of the aged, the loss of spouse and those who bear the expenses of pension institutions at public expense.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of periodontal endoscope as an adjuvant therapy for the non-surgical periodontal treatment of patients with severe and generalized periodontitis. METHODS: Patients (n=13) were divided into three groups: patients treated with conventional subgingival scaling and root planing (SRP) (n=7, 408 sites) (group A), SRP using periodontal endoscope (n=4, 188 sites) (group B) or SRP with periodontal endoscope 3 months after initial SRP (n=2, 142 sites) (group C). Two subgroups were divided into 2 subgroups according to PD at the baseline: 46 mm as subgroup 2. Probing depth (PD), attachment loss (AL), gingival recession (GR) and bleeding on probing (BOP) were recorded. RESULTS: The results of 3 months after treatment showed all PD, AL, and GR values in group A1 were less than those in group B1 (P<0.05), but no significant difference in BOP was found between the two groups. The decrease in PD, BOP in group B2 was more obvious than those in group A2 (P<0.000 1), and the GR values in group B2 were more than those in group A2 (P<0.000 1). But the improvement of AL showed no statistical difference between the two groups (P=0.296 8). In group C1, no significant difference in PD, AL, and GR was observed after endoscopy-assisted therapy, but it was more effective for BOP (P<0.000 1). In group C2, the improvement in PD and AL was significantly different from the improvement in SRP alone (P=0.000 5, P=0.000 2) and was accompanied by more GR (P=0.000 5). CONCLUSIONS In non-surgical treatment of severe and generalized periodontitis, SRP can achieve good therapeutic effect on sites with 4<
PD≤6 mm. For sites with PD>6 mm, the application of periodontal endoscopy can increase the effect, reducing PD and GR, which may be an effective supplement to the current non-surgical periodontal treatment.
Dental Scaling ; Endoscopes ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gingival Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Periodontal Attachment Loss ; Periodontal Index ; Periodontal Pocket ; Periodontitis ; Root Planing ; Treatment Outcome

Objective: Several COVID-19 patients have overlapping comorbidities. The independent role of each component contributing to the risk of COVID-19 is unknown, and how some non-cardiometabolic comorbidities affect the risk of COVID-19 remains unclear. Methods: A retrospective follow-up design was adopted. A total of 1,160 laboratory-confirmed patients were enrolled from nine provinces in China. Data on comorbidities were obtained from the patients' medical records. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds ratio ( Results: Overall, 158 (13.6%) patients were diagnosed with severe illness and 32 (2.7%) had unfavorable outcomes. Hypertension (2.87, 1.30-6.32), type 2 diabetes (T2DM) (3.57, 2.32-5.49), cardiovascular disease (CVD) (3.78, 1.81-7.89), fatty liver disease (7.53, 1.96-28.96), hyperlipidemia (2.15, 1.26-3.67), other lung diseases (6.00, 3.01-11.96), and electrolyte imbalance (10.40, 3.00-26.10) were independently linked to increased odds of being severely ill. T2DM (6.07, 2.89-12.75), CVD (8.47, 6.03-11.89), and electrolyte imbalance (19.44, 11.47-32.96) were also strong predictors of unfavorable outcomes. Women with comorbidities were more likely to have severe disease on admission (5.46, 3.25-9.19), while men with comorbidities were more likely to have unfavorable treatment outcomes (6.58, 1.46-29.64) within two weeks. Conclusion Besides hypertension, diabetes, and CVD, fatty liver disease, hyperlipidemia, other lung diseases, and electrolyte imbalance were independent risk factors for COVID-19 severity and poor treatment outcome. Women with comorbidities were more likely to have severe disease, while men with comorbidities were more likely to have unfavorable treatment outcomes.
Adult ; Aged ; COVID-19/virology* ; China/epidemiology* ; Comorbidity ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Severity of Illness Index ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to clone and characterize the oxiranedicarboxylate hydrolase (ORCH) from Labrys sp. WH-1. METHODS: Purification by column chromatography, characterization of enzymatic properties, gene cloning by protein terminal sequencing and polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and sequence analysis by secondary structure prediction and multiple sequence alignment were performed. RESULTS: The ORCH from Labrys sp. WH-1 was purified 26-fold with a yield of 12.7%. It is a monomer with an isoelectric point (pI) of 8.57 and molecular mass of 30.2 kDa. It was stable up to 55 °C with temperature at which the activity of the enzyme decreased by 50% in 15 min (T₅₀¹⁵) of 61 °C and the half-life at 50 °C (t_{1/2, 50 °C}) of 51 min and was also stable from pH 4 to 10, with maximum activity at 55 °C and pH 8.5. It is a metal-independent enzyme and strongly inhibited by Cu²⁺, Ag⁺, and anionic surfactants. Its kinetic parameters (K_m, k_cat, and k_cat/K_m) were 18.7 mmol/L, 222.3 s^-1, and 11.9 mmol/(L·s), respectively. The ORCH gene, which contained an open reading frame (ORF) of 825 bp encoding 274 amino acid residues, was overexpressed in Escherichia coli and the enzyme activity was 33 times higher than that of the wild strain. CONCLUSIONS The catalytic efficiency and thermal stability of the ORCH from Labrys sp. WH-1 were the best among the reported ORCHs, and it provides an alternative catalyst for preparation of L(+)-2,3-dihydrobutanedioic acid.
Alphaproteobacteria/enzymology* ; Cloning, Molecular ; Dicarboxylic Acids/metabolism* ; Enzyme Stability ; Epoxide Hydrolases/metabolism*