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Patents related to healthcare management software and hardware have played an essential role in international competition in the healthcare field in recent years. The study aimed to conduct a strategic analysis of patents in healthcare management based on the theory of competitive strategy and expectation. The results can be an essential reference for the patent layout of healthcare-related enterprises and the promotion of the commercial value of patents. The study took the WIPS Global database as the object, adopted the keyword patent retrieval method, as well as retrieved and analysed 1,731,925 patent materials related to software and hardware for global healthcare management from 2012 to 2022. The Description, IP competitiveness, Applicant Ranking, Technical vs Market share, and Activity index of global patent abstracts were analysed. The results show that patents were divided by section as A (The number of human necessities patents is 6864, accounting for 7% of the total patents); B (performing operations & transporting, 8379, 9%); G (physics, 47340, 49%); H (electricity, 27254, 28%). The results can be used as a reference for enterprises to carry out healthcare management patent layouts and promote commercial value.

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) have attracted increasing interest as sustainable plastics because of their biorenewability and biodegradability in the ambient environment. However, current semicrystalline PHAs face three long-standing challenges to broad commercial implementation and application: lack of melt processability, mechanical brittleness, and unrealized recyclability, the last of which is essential for achieving a circular plastics economy. Here we report a synthetic PHA platform that addresses the origin of thermal instability by eliminating α-hydrogens in the PHA repeat units and thus precluding facile cis-elimination during thermal degradation. This simple α,α-disubstitution in PHAs enhances the thermal stability so substantially that the PHAs become melt-processable. Synergistically, this structural modification also endows the PHAs with the mechanical toughness, intrinsic crystallinity, and closed-loop chemical recyclability.

This study aimed to determine the structural characteristics and adsorption capacities of a novel activated carbon prepared from passion fruit by-product. Passion fruit peel was carbonized and structurally modified using phosphoric acid-potassium hydroxide reagent before carbon activation. Industrial-activated carbon was used as a control sample. The surface functional groups and adsorption capacities of the activated carbon samples were determined. The results showed that the chemical-modified activated carbon had anhydride and carboxylic acid as the main functional groups on the carbon surface, together with several conformations of the hydroxyl group. These hydroxyl confirmations were in alkoxy and carboxylate forms but not phenoxy. The peel-based activated carbon had a smoother carbon surface with multiple micropores, whereas the carbon surface of industrial activated carbon was rough with multiple meso- and macropores. The methylene blue adsorption capacity (0.1 mg/mL methylene blue) of the peel-based activated carbon (99.97±0.01%) was comparable to the industrial activated carbon (100.00±0.01%). But the peel-based activated carbon had better cholesterol and albumin adsorption capacities than the industrial activated carbon. Since activated carbon prepared from the fruit peel has better adsorption capacities of cholesterol and other chemicals in liquid foods, it can replace the wood-based activated carbon in food and pharmaceutical applications.

Yan-Hua Luo,1 Li Xie,2 Jiao-Yang Li,3 Yuan Xie,4 Man-Qin Li,1 Li Zhou1 1Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, People’s Republic of China; 2Pediatric Medical Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Li Zhou, Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 18573477875, Email zl_zhou2016@163.comPurpose: The increasing prevalence of obesity in children and its associated risk with cardiovascular diseases demand more discovery of the novel biomarkers for developing new treatment options for this complex disease. This study aimed to investigate the association of serum MOTS-C (a peptide encoded in the mitochondrial genome) levels and vascular endothelial function in obese children.Patients and Methods: A total of 225 obese children (aged 8.1 ± 2.6 years) and 218 healthy children (aged 7.9 ± 2.2 years) were enrolled. Related anthropometric assessment and biochemical evaluation were done in all subjects. Reactive hyperemia index (RHI), as assessed by the peripheral arterial tonometry, was used for evaluation of peripheral endothelial function. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure the level of serum MOTS-C.Results: Levels of serum MOTS-C and RHI were lower in the obese children compared with the healthy children (P < 0.01). The RHI level was independently associated with body mass index, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and MOTS-C in linear regression analysis. Further analysis showed a significant mediating effect of MOTS-C on the correlation between body mass index and RHI in children, with the ratio of mediating effect value of 9.12%.Conclusion: These data identify that MOTS-C is a previously unknown regulator in the development process of obesity-induced vascular changes.Keywords: obese, children, mitochondrial-derived peptides, MOTS-C, vascular endothelial function

This case-control study uses single-institution data to explore risk factors associated with vancomycin drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic systems (DRESS) syndrome.

To improve the seismic behaviour of cold-formed steel (CFS) walls, a novel infilled CFS wall covered with different wall sheathings (gypsum wallboard, oriented strand board and fibre cement board) was assessed. Four full-scale specimens were tested under cyclic lateral loads to investigate the impacts of the wall sheathings on the seismic performance of the CFS wall. The failure process, failure mode, load–displacement curve, strength degradation, stiffness degradation, energy dissipation, deformation and strain variation of the walls were investigated. The failure modes of the walls were found to be failure of the connections between the CFS frame and the sheathing as well as crushing of the infill material. Compared with a specimen without sheathing, the peak load and lateral stiffness of the walls with sheathing were increased by 1.25–1.72 times, indicating that the sheathings played an important role in the lateral resistance of the wall. An analysis model and formulas for predicting wall lateral stiffness were developed. Comparisons between the calculations and experimental data showed that the proposed theoretical method was able to predict the lateral stiffness of the infilled CFS walls accurately.

Highly asymmetric bimetal nanostructures, such as Au-Pt nanorings and Au-Ag nanoplates possess superior plasmonic properties owing to various synergistic effects between different components and diversified morphologies. Herein, we report a controllable growth of asymmetric Pt-Au nanoplates and Au@Pt nanorings with excellent photothermal conversion efficiency. Hexagonal Au nanoplates are used as templates, which is achieved through a transformation reaction from Au nanotriangles. Pt-Au nanoplates is prepared by a site-selective growth of Pt on the rim of obtained hexagonal Au nanoplates. Subsequently, Pt nanorings is obtained by a selective etching of Au, and a regrowth of Au on the Pt nanorings leads to bimetallic Au@Pt nanorings. The evolution of extinction spectra during the whole process is carefully studied. Under irradiation by 1064 nm laser located in the second near-infrared bio-window, the Pt-Au nanoplates exhibit excellent photothermal conversion, better than that of initial Au nanotriangles and hexagonal Au nanoplates with same mass concentration. The improvement of photothermal effect can be ascribed to the strong surface plasmon resonances and coupling between Au and Pt.

Purpose While the economic benefits of the exhibition industry for the hotel sector have been addressed, the impact of exhibitions on individual hotels is unknown, especially when individual hotels’ star classification and locations are considered. This study aims to provide a better understanding of how room rates of different hotels change during different stages of the Canton Fair in China from a spatial-temporal perspective. Design/methodology/approach Room rates of 681 star-hotels within the city of Guangzhou before, during and after the Fair were extracted from websites. Through spatial interpolation and autocorrelation analysis and geographical detector (GeoDetector) technique, spatial and temporal patterns of hotel room rates and the interdependence between the convention center and the hotels with different star classification and locations were examined. Findings An inverse-U shape of room rate change was identified before, during and after the Fair, and the five-star hotels had the sharpest increase. Moreover, the distribution of hotel room rates followed the law of distance decay. The variation of hotel rates became larger when the distance to the convention center was larger. Spatial high-high clusters varied among hotels with different star classification. Originality/value This study contributed to the hotel literature by providing empirical evidence regarding how hotels with different star classification and locations were affected by events. This study also advanced the event literature by introducing GeoDetector. The findings of this study offered insights into the hotel location selection, pricing strategies and hotel collaboration with events.

Dysfunction of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling plays a critical role in the tumorigenesis of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). In the present study, the data analysis results of immunohistochemistry and the TCGA database verified that the expression of EGFR is significantly upregulated in OSCC tumor tissues, and depletion of EGFR inhibits the growth of OSCC cells in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, these results showed that the natural compound, curcumol, exhibited a profound antitumor effect on OSCC cells. Western blotting, MTS, and immunofluorescent staining assays indicated that curcumol inhibited cell proliferation and induced intrinsic apoptosis in OSCC cells via downregulating myeloid cell leukemia 1 (Mcl-1). A mechanistic study revealed that curcumol inhibited the EGFR-Akt signal pathway, which activated GSK-3[Formula: see text]-mediated Mcl-1 phosphorylation. Further research showed that curcumol-induced Mcl-1 Ser159 phosphorylation is required to disrupt the interaction between deubiquitinase JOSD1 and Mcl-1 and eventually induce Mcl-1 ubiquitination and degradation. In addition, curcumol administration can effectively inhibit CAL27 and SCC25 xenograft tumor growth and is well-tolerated in vivo. Finally, we demonstrated that Mcl-1 is upregulated and positively correlates with p-EGFR and p-Akt in OSCC tumor tissues. Collectively, the present results provide new insights into the antitumor mechanism of curcumol, identifying it as an attractive therapeutic agent that reduces Mcl-1 expression and inhibits OSCC growth. Targeting EGFR/Akt/Mcl-1 signaling could be a promising option in the clinical treatment of OSCC.

Central venous occlusion (CVO) refractory to endovascular angioplasty is a critical challenge threatening hemodialysis vascular access. The present study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tunnelled cuffed central venous catheter (tCVC) placement via percutaneous superior vena cava (SVC) puncture in patients with refractory CVO.Maintenance hemodialysis patients with refractory CVO who received percutaneous puncture of SVC and tCVC insertion in a university-affiliated hospital from January 2016 to June 2020 were included. The patients were followed-up until May 2021. Demographic information, complications, and catheter patency were analyzed.A total of 205 patients were included. There were 105 females (51.2%), and the mean age was 61±15 years old. SVC puncture and tCVC insertion were successfully performed in 194 patients, achieving a technical success rate of 94.6%. A patient unfortunately encountered pleura injury and hemothorax who required urgent thoracotomy. Thirty-seven patients presented with mild chest pain and were prescribed oral NSAIDs. During the follow-up of those 194 patients with a successful procedure, catheter dysfunction due to thrombosis occurred in 66 patients, while 5 patients suffered from catheter malposition and 6 patients encountered catheter related-blood stream infection. The 3-year primary patency rate was 64.2%, and the 3-year secondary patency rate was 76.3%.TCVC placed through percutaneous SVC puncture had a satisfactory technical success rate and long-term patency rate in hemodialysis patients, providing optional vascular access for those with exhausted central vein resources. SVC puncture also avoided left-sided catheters and preserved central vein resources. Caution should be paid to avoid potential complications such as pleura injury and hemothorax.

Clinical classification of advanced schistosomiasis japonica is important for treatment options and prognosis prediction. Network analysis was used to solve the problem of complexity and co-occurrence complications in classification of advanced schistosomiasis. A total of 4,125 retrospective patients were enrolled and divided randomly into a training cohort (n = 2,888) and a validation cohort (n = 1,237). Network analysis was used to cluster the isolated complications of advanced schistosomiasis. The accuracy of the network was evaluated. Nomograms based on the clustered complications were built to predict 1- to 5-year survival rates in advanced schistosomiasis. The predictive performance of the nomogram was also evaluated and validated. Fifteen isolated complications were identified: metabolic syndromes, minimal hepatic encephalopathy, hepatic encephalopathy, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary hypertension, respiratory failure, right heart failure, gastroesophageal variceal bleeding, gastrointestinal ulcer bleeding, splenomegaly, fibrosis, chronic kidney disease, ascites, colorectal polyp, and colorectal cancer. Through network analysis, three major clustered complications were achieved—namely, schistosomal abnormal metabolic syndromes (related to chronic metabolic abnormalities), schistosomal abnormal hemodynamics syndromes (related to severe portal hypertension and portosystemic shunting), and schistosomal inflammatory granulomatous syndromes (related to granulomatous inflammation). The nomograms showed a good performance in prognosis prediction of advanced schistosomiasis. The novel classification-based nomogram was useful in predicting the survival rate in advanced schistosomiasis japonica.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer worldwide. The main obstacle in treating advanced CRC is tumor recurrence and metastasis due to chemoresistance. S-phase kinase associated protein 2 (Skp2), an E3 ligase, is highly associated with tumor resistance and a poor prognosis. The results of immunoblotting, immunohistochemical staining, ubiquitination analysis, and co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP) assay revealed that the plant curcuma, curcumol, is a novel Skp2 inhibitor for CRC treatment. Curcumol inhibits aerobic glycolysis in CRC by inducing Skp2 degradation. Co-immunoprecipitation results showed that curcumol enhanced the interaction between cadherin-1 (Cdh1) and Skp2 and led to the ubiquitination and degradation of Skp2. Curcumol exhibited significant antitumor effects against CRC, such as increased intrinsic apoptosis and decreased tumorigenic properties, both in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, curcumol overcame 5-fluorouracil (5-Fu) resistance in CRC and induced apoptosis in 5-Fu-resistant CRC cells. The present data revealed a novel antitumor mechanism of glycolytic regulation by curcumol, suggesting that curcumol may be a potential chemical candidate for treating 5-Fu-resistant CRC.