In China, the crude oil supply is highly dependent on overseas countries, and thus strengthening crude oil self-sufficiency has become an important issue of the national energy security. Tertiary oil recovery, especially polymer flooding, has been widely applied in large oil fields in China, which can increase the recovery rate by 15%-20% compared with water flooding. However, the widely used oil flooding polymers show poor thermal stability and salinity tolerance, complicated synthesis ways of monomers, and environmental unfriendliness. Moreover, the polymer flooding induces problems including pore plugging, heterogeneity intensification, high dispersion of remaining oil resources, pressure rise in injection wells, and low efficiency circulation of injection medium, which restrict the subsequent recovery of old oil fields. Here, we systematically review the developing and current situations of polymer flooding, introduce the innovative biomanufacturing of oil flooding polymers and their monomers or precursors as well as low-cost bio-based chemical raw materials for multiple compound flooding. The comprehensive study of the relationships between microbial fermentation metabolites and polymer flooding will reveal the green and low-carbon paths for polymer flooding. Such study will enable the application of enzymes produced by microorganisms in polymer production and polymer plugging removal after polymer flooding as well as the application of microbial metabolites such as biosurfactants, organic acids, alcohols, biogas, and amino acids in enhancing oil recovery. This review suggests that incorporating biomanufacturing into polymer flooding will ensure the high productivity and stability for crude oil production in China.
Polymers/metabolism* ; China ; Petroleum ; Oil and Gas Fields

Synthetic biology is a crucial tool for the development of the bio-industry and bio-economy, representing a significant aspect of new quality productive forces. As a core course for graduate students in bioengineering, Synthetic Biology plays a vital role in ensuring the supply of essential talents for the development of the bio-industry in the new era. To better serve regional economic development and provide high-level talents for China's progress in the bio-industry, we analyzed typical issues encountered in the past teaching activities, set up a multi-disciplinary teaching team, optimized the course contents, adjusted the teaching mode, and mobilized students' learning interest. With the application of scientific research project as the starting point, we guided students to think and discuss deeply through the simulation of application writing and project defense, which improved students' critical thinking and innovative thinking. With industrialization as a focus, we explored a new training model combining production, education, and research through the joint practice base of the university and enterprises introduced typical cases of biomanufacturing to encourage students to engage in scientific research. The teaching reform significantly enhances the comprehensive abilities and national sentiments of graduate students. This paper hopes to serve as a reference for colleagues engaged in teaching in this field.
Synthetic Biology/education* ; Teaching ; China ; Humans

Objective:To construct a competency evaluation indicator system for infection prevention and control nurses in Operating Rooms (hereinafter referred to as "IPC") and provide an objective basis for the management of IPC nurses.Methods:From June to November 2022, an initial competency evaluation indicator system for IPC nurses was developed through literature review and semi-structured interviews. The Delphi method was employed to consult 20 experts from 11 provinces and municipalities across the country. Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and mean distribution method were applied to quantify and determine the weight of each level of indicators within the system.Results:Nineteen experts were finally included, with two rounds of questionnaire recovery rates of 95.00% (19/20) and 100.00% (19/19), respectively. The authority coefficients of the experts were 0.858 and 0.861, familiarity coefficients were 0.850 and 0.853, and coefficients of judgment basis were 0.865 and 0.868, respectively. The Kendall's W coefficient of concordance for the two rounds of inquiries were 0.139 and 0.202 ( P<0.05), respectively. The final IPC nurse competency evaluation indicator system included six primary indicators, 22 secondary indicators, and 66 tertiary indicators. Conclusions:The constructed IPC nurse competency evaluation indicator system is scientific, reasonable, objective, and comprehensive, providing a valuable reference for the capability training, assessment, entry standards, and qualification certification of IPC nurses.

The Principle of Biotechnology is a compulsory course for undergraduates majoring in bioengineering at Zhejiang University of Technology. In response to the "Double First-Class" initiative and in order to improve the teaching effect of this course and the quality of talent training, we reformed the teaching of Principle of Biotechnology, the core course in bioengineering. Specifically, we reorganized the teaching contents, improved the process management of teaching and learning, and implemented multi-dimensional teaching practice. These measures improved teaching quality and promoted the achievement of training goals, which was of great significance for developing "First-Class" disciplines.
Biotechnology/education* ; Teaching ; China ; Curriculum ; Bioengineering/education* ; Universities

BACKGROUND: The effect of arteriosclerotic intracranial arterial vessel wall enhancement (IAVWE) on downstream collateral flow found in vessel wall imaging (VWI) is not clear. Regardless of the mechanism underlying IAVWE on VWI, damage to the patient's nervous system caused by IAVWE is likely achieved by affecting downstream cerebral blood flow. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of arteriosclerotic IAVWE on downstream collateral flow. METHODS: The present study recruited 63 consecutive patients at the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University from January 2021 to November 2021 with underlying atherosclerotic diseases and unilateral middle cerebral artery (MCA) M1-segment stenosis who underwent an magnetic resonance scan within 3 days of symptom onset. The patients were divided into 4 groups according to IAVWE and the stenosis ratio (Group 1, n = 17; Group 2, n = 19; Group 3, n = 13; Group 4, n = 14), and downstream collateral flow was analyzed using three-dimensional pseudocontinuous arterial spin labeling (3D-pCASL) and RAPID software. The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores of the patients were also recorded. Two-factor multivariate analysis of variance using Pillai's trace was used as the main statistical method. RESULTS: No statistically significant difference was found in baseline demographic characteristics among the groups. IAVWE, but not the stenosis ratio, had a statistically significant significance on the late-arriving retrograde flow proportion (LARFP), hypoperfusion intensity ratio (HIR), and NIHSS scores ( F = 20.941, P <0.001, Pillai's trace statistic = 0.567). The between-subject effects test showed that IAVWE had a significant effect on the three dependent variables: LARFP ( R2 = 0.088, F = 10.899, P = 0.002), HIR ( R2 = 0.234, F = 29.354, P <0.001), and NIHSS ( R2 = 114.339, F = 33.338, P <0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Arteriosclerotic IAVWE significantly reduced downstream collateral flow and affected relevant neurological deficits. It was an independent factor affecting downstream collateral flow and NIHSS scores, which should be a focus of future studies. TRIAL REGISTRATION ChiCTR.org.cn, ChiCTR2100053661.
Humans ; Constriction, Pathologic/pathology* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods* ; Middle Cerebral Artery/pathology* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Tacrolimus (FK506) is a 23-membered macrolide with immunosuppressant activity that is widely used clinically for treating the rejection after organ transplantation. The research on tacrolimus production was mainly focused on biosynthesis methods, within which there are still some bottlenecks. This review summarizes the progress made in tacrolimus biosynthesis via modification of metabolic pathways and control of fermentation process, with the hope to address the technical bottlenecks for tacrolimus biosynthesis and improve tacrolimus production by fermentation engineering and metabolic engineering.
Tacrolimus ; Immunosuppressive Agents ; Fermentation ; Macrolides ; Anti-Bacterial Agents

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of mitoxantrone hydrochloride liposome injection in the treatment of peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) in a real-world setting.Methods:This was a real-world ambispective cohort study (MOMENT study) (Chinese clinical trial registry number: ChiCTR2200062067). Clinical data were collected from 198 patients who received mitoxantrone hydrochloride liposome injection as monotherapy or combination therapy at 37 hospitals from January 2022 to January 2023, including 166 patients in the retrospective cohort and 32 patients in the prospective cohort; 10 patients in the treatment-na?ve group and 188 patients in the relapsed/refractory group. Clinical characteristics, efficacy and adverse events were summarized, and the overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were analyzed.Results:All 198 patients were treated with mitoxantrone hydrochloride liposome injection for a median of 3 cycles (range 1-7 cycles); 28 cases were treated with mitoxantrone hydrochloride liposome injection as monotherapy, and 170 cases were treated with the combination regimen. Among 188 relapsed/refractory patients, 45 cases (23.9%) were in complete remission (CR), 82 cases (43.6%) were in partial remission (PR), and 28 cases (14.9%) were in disease stabilization (SD), and 33 cases (17.6%) were in disease progression (PD), with an objective remission rate (ORR) of 67.6% (127/188). Among 10 treatment-na?ve patients, 4 cases (40.0%) were in CR, 5 cases (50.0%) were in PR, and 1 case (10.0%) was in PD, with an ORR of 90.0% (9/10). The median follow-up time was 2.9 months (95% CI 2.4-3.7 months), and the median PFS and OS of patients in relapsed/refractory and treatment-na?ve groups were not reached. In relapsed/refractory patients, the difference in ORR between patients with different number of treatment lines of mitoxantrone hydrochloride liposome injection [ORR of the second-line, the third-line and ≥the forth-line treatment was 74.4% (67/90), 73.9% (34/46) and 50.0% (26/52)] was statistically significant ( P = 0.008). Of the 198 PTCL patients, 182 cases (91.9%) experienced at least 1 time of treatment-related adverse events, and the incidence rate of ≥grade 3 adverse events was 66.7% (132/198), which was mainly characterized by hematologic adverse events. The ≥ grade 3 hematologic adverse events mainly included decreased lymphocyte count, decreased neutrophil count, decreased white blood cell count, and anemia; non-hematologic adverse events were mostly grade 1-2, mainly including pigmentation disorders and upper respiratory tract infection. Conclusions:The use of mitoxantrone hydrochloride liposome injection-containing regimen in the treatment of PTCL has definite efficacy and is well tolerated, and it is a new therapeutic option for PTCL patients.

Background: and Purpose Recent studies suggested an increased incidence of cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We evaluated the volume of CVT hospitalization and in-hospital mortality during the 1st year of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the preceding year. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional retrospective study of 171 stroke centers from 49 countries. We recorded COVID-19 admission volumes, CVT hospitalization, and CVT in-hospital mortality from January 1, 2019, to May 31, 2021. CVT diagnoses were identified by International Classification of Disease-10 (ICD-10) codes or stroke databases. We additionally sought to compare the same metrics in the first 5 months of 2021 compared to the corresponding months in 2019 and 2020 (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04934020). Results: There were 2,313 CVT admissions across the 1-year pre-pandemic (2019) and pandemic year (2020); no differences in CVT volume or CVT mortality were observed. During the first 5 months of 2021, there was an increase in CVT volumes compared to 2019 (27.5%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 24.2 to 32.0; P<0.0001) and 2020 (41.4%; 95% CI, 37.0 to 46.0; P<0.0001). A COVID-19 diagnosis was present in 7.6% (132/1,738) of CVT hospitalizations. CVT was present in 0.04% (103/292,080) of COVID-19 hospitalizations. During the first pandemic year, CVT mortality was higher in patients who were COVID positive compared to COVID negative patients (8/53 [15.0%] vs. 41/910 [4.5%], P=0.004). There was an increase in CVT mortality during the first 5 months of pandemic years 2020 and 2021 compared to the first 5 months of the pre-pandemic year 2019 (2019 vs. 2020: 2.26% vs. 4.74%, P=0.05; 2019 vs. 2021: 2.26% vs. 4.99%, P=0.03). In the first 5 months of 2021, there were 26 cases of vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT), resulting in six deaths. Conclusions During the 1st year of the COVID-19 pandemic, CVT hospitalization volume and CVT in-hospital mortality did not change compared to the prior year. COVID-19 diagnosis was associated with higher CVT in-hospital mortality. During the first 5 months of 2021, there was an increase in CVT hospitalization volume and increase in CVT-related mortality, partially attributable to VITT.

Objective:To explore the status and influencing factors of positive feelings of caregivers of patients with enterostomy, so as to provide a reference for targeted interventions.Methods:From May to October 2021, convenience sampling was used to select 130 caregivers of patients with enterostomy who received follow-up visits in the Stoma Clinic of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University as the research subject. The survey was carried out using the General Information Questionnaire, the Positive Aspects of Caregiving (PAC) , and the Care Preparedness Scale (CPS) . A total of 130 questionnaires were distributed, and 127 valid questionnaires were recovered, with a valid recovery rate of 97.69%.Results:Among 127 caregivers of patients with enterostomy, the total score of PAC was (32.69±4.99) , and the self-affirmation dimension score was (18.39±2.84) , and the life outlook dimension score was (14.36±2.53) , and the total score of CPS was (17.76±4.36) . Multiple linear regression analysis showed that caregiver gender, education level, work status, and readiness were the influencing factors of positive feelings of caregivers of patients with enterostomy ( P<0.05) , which explained 43.7% of the total variance. Conclusions:The positive perception of caregivers of patients with enterostomy is at an upper-middle level. Nurses should formulate targeted humanistic care strategies according to the influencing factors, increase the positive feelings of caregivers, help patients adapt to the stoma as soon as possible, and then improve the quality of life of patients.

Heart sound is one of the common medical signals for diagnosing cardiovascular diseases. This paper studies the binary classification between normal or abnormal heart sounds, and proposes a heart sound classification algorithm based on the joint decision of extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) and deep neural network, achieving a further improvement in feature extraction and model accuracy. First, the preprocessed heart sound recordings are segmented into four status, and five categories of features are extracted from the signals based on segmentation. The first four categories of features are sieved through recursive feature elimination, which is used as the input of the XGBoost classifier. The last category is the Mel-frequency cepstral coefficient (MFCC), which is used as the input of long short-term memory network (LSTM). Considering the imbalance of the data set, these two classifiers are both improved with weights. Finally, the heterogeneous integrated decision method is adopted to obtain the prediction. The algorithm was applied to the open heart sound database of the PhysioNet Computing in Cardiology(CINC) Challenge in 2016 on the PhysioNet website, to test the sensitivity, specificity, modified accuracy and F score. The results were 93%, 89.4%, 91.2% and 91.3% respectively. Compared with the results of machine learning, convolutional neural networks (CNN) and other methods used by other researchers, the accuracy and sensibility have been obviously improved, which proves that the method in this paper could effectively improve the accuracy of heart sound signal classification, and has great potential in the clinical auxiliary diagnosis application of some cardiovascular diseases.
Algorithms ; Databases, Factual ; Heart Sounds ; Neural Networks, Computer