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Background: Spontaneous reporting of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) is essential for the post-marketing safety evaluation of drugs. Therefore, good monitoring of ADRs is vital for strengthening drug supervision, management, and guiding rational drug use. Chinese medical institutions are the primary source of ADR case reports, but the proportion of the reports in grade IIIA hospitals is still low due to serious under-reporting. The 3rd Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu Pidu District People's Hospital, also has such a problem. Objective: To improve the quantity and quality of ADR reports and enhance the level of pharmacovigilance in hospitals, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, People's Hospital of Chengdu Pidu District experienced 10 years to gradually establish a management model to improve the medical staff's reporting rate of spontaneous reporting of ADRs. The management model is led by clinical pharmacists and combines the PDCA with Teach-back methods. The purpose of this paper is to introduce the management model and discuss its advantages and shortcomings of this model. Methods: This study was conducted at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College—Chengdu Pidu District People's Hospital. From 2016, the daily management of reporting, auditing, and data improvement of adverse drug reactions in the hospital was carried out by clinical pharmacists, who used the PDCA method combined with the Teach-back method to continuously improve the reporting program of ADRs in the hospital during 2016–2021. Then, the proportion of spontaneous reports of total, new, and serious ADRs was compared before and after the intervention. Also, we performed a time series analysis using an autoregressive moving average model to assess changes in the total number of spontaneous ADR reports before the intervention (2013–2015), the first intervention (2016–2018), and the second intervention (2019–2021). Results: After the combined PDCA and Teach-back method intervention, the median number of reported ADRs per year increased from 50 (range 37–55) in the pre-intervention period to 88 (range 83–162) in the first intervention period and to 374 in the second (range 312–566). Breakpoint regression analysis of the spontaneous reporting rate of ADRs showed that the instantaneous increase after the first intervention was not statistically significant (P = 0.526). However, the reporting rate of ADRs increased at a month-by-month growth rate during the second intervention compared to the first intervention. Its spontaneous reporting rate improved 1.034 times (P = 0.002). After the second intervention, the spontaneous reporting rate of ADRs transiently increased 6.111-fold (P < 0.001), and the month-to-month growth rate increased 1.024-fold (P < 0.001) again. Conclusion: The management model that combines the PDCA and the Teach-back method significantly improves the reporting rate of adverse drug reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sn-based materials are considered as a kind of potential anode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) owing to their high theoretical capacity. However, their use is limited by large volume expansion deriving from the lithiation/delithiation process. In this work, amorphous Sn modified nitrogen-doped porous carbon nanosheets (ASn-NPCNs) are obtained. The synergistic effect of amorphous Sn and high edge-nitrogen-doped level porous carbon nanosheets provides ASn-NPCNs with multiple advantages containing abundant defect sites, high specific surface area (214.9 m2·g−1), and rich hierarchical pores, which can promote the lithium-ion storage. Serving as the LIB anode, the as-prepared ASn-NPCNs-750 electrode exhibits an ultrahigh capacity of 1643 mAh·g−1 at 0.1 A·g−1, ultrafast rate performance of 490 mAh·g−1 at 10 A·g−1, and superior long-term cycling performance of 988 mAh·g−1 at 1 A·g−1 after 2000 cycles with a capacity retention of 98.9%. Furthermore, the in-depth electrochemical kinetic test confirms that the ultrahigh-capacity and fast-charging performance of the ASn-NPCNs-750 electrode is ascribed to the rapid capacitive mechanism. These impressive results indicate that ASn-NPCNs-750 can be a potential anode material for high-capacity and fast-charging LIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyurethane (PU) foams are widely used in thermal management materials due to their good flexibility. However, their low thermal conductivity limits the efficiency. To address this issue, we developed a new method to produce tannic acid (TA)-modified graphene nanosheets (GTs)-encapsulated PU (PU@GT) foams using the soft template microstructure and a facile layer-by-layer (L-B-L) assembly method. The resulting PU@GT scaffolds have ordered and tightly stacked GTs layers that act as three-dimensional (3D) highly interconnected thermal networks. These networks are further infiltrated with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The through-plane thermal conductivity of the polymer composite reaches 1.58 W·m−1·K−1 at a low filler loading of 7.9 wt.%, which is 1115% higher than that of the polymer matrix. Moreover, the mechanical property of the composite is ∼2 times higher than that of the polymer matrix while preserving good flexibility of the polymer matrix owing to the retention of the PU foam template and the construction of a stable 3D graphene network. This work presents a facile and scalable production approach to fabricate lightweight PU@GT/PDMS polymer composites with excellent thermal and mechanical performance, which implies a promising future in thermal management systems of electronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blooms of Phaeocystis globosa have been reported accountable for massive fish mortality worldwide. The toxigenic mechanisms of P. globosa, however, remain largely unclear due to the multiple structures and/or synergistic or antagonistic effects of hemolytic compounds. External stressors could lead to the regulation of photoprotective or antioxidative defense system, as well as the potential hemolytic activity. Therefore, the light-induced photosynthetic system, including the accessory photosynthetic growth, the relative electron transfer rate (ETR), photosynthetic efficiency (Fv/Fm), quantum yield of photosystem II (Yield), together with the hemolytic activity of P. globosa were investigated under variable environmental conditions in the present study. Results confirmed that hemolytic activity of P. globosa was initiated by the light, but inhibited by low temperature (16 °C), high light intensity (>100 µmol/(m2·s)), and iron-limited conditions. Interestingly, the hemolytic activity was not impacted by photosynthetic electron inhibitors (Diuron, atrazine, paraquat, and dibromothymoquinone), which significantly inhibited the photosynthetic activity of P. globosa. The correlated response of hemolytic and photosynthetic activity of P. globosa under those environmental factors suggested that the hemolytic compounds of P. globosa would be involved in the photosynthetic process but not in the electron transfer chain of P. globosa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Underground gas storages (UGSs) are important large-scale industrial facilities used to bridge the gap between natural gas consumption and supply. The cyclic operation of the UGS may alter the subsurface stresses and local seismicity. We examined seismicity around the Hutubi UGS from 2011 to 2019 using the matched filter technique (MFT) and double-difference location methods. More than 1300 earthquakes were detected with seismicity around the UGS showing a remarkable increase since the start of its operation and showing a clear correlation to seasonal gas production. About 684 detected earthquakes were located, most of them occurred within 6 km of the reservoir. The events can be grouped into two clusters. Both clusters initiated around the gas pressure boundary. The first cluster extinct after the first injection period. While the second cluster diffused upward along a pre-existing fault. We speculate that strain localization caused by non-uniform gas injection contributes to the initiation of seismicity clusters around the UGS, and the trapped crude oil/gas played an important role in the migration of the second surge. The revealed seismicity pattern contributes to a better understanding of the mechanism of induced seismic events and emphasizes the importance of seismic monitoring in the UGS region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The injection performance of a small volume of needle-free injection (up to 0.3 mL) has proven to be controllable and satisfactory in transdermal drug delivery. However, no comprehensive research on the behavior of larger volume injections with different requirements for clinical applications exists. This study aims to present the penetration characteristics of larger volume injections, including dynamic properties, dispersion pattern, and percent delivery. The researchers conduct impact and injection experiments with injection volumes from 0.1–1.0 mL, driving pressures of 0.5–1.75 MPa, and orifice diameters of 0.17–0.5 mm. This study uses high-speed photography and impact experiments to capture the dynamic properties of the liquid jet. The researchers observe the dispersion patterns of liquid penetration into the gels in the gel injection experiments and investigate the percentages of liquid delivered to the skin tissues in porcine tissues injection experiments. Moreover, this study uses the response surface methodology (RSM) to analyze the interactive effect between various injection parameters on the injection performance. Results describe the differences in penetration performance between larger volume injections and small volume injections, and the critical volume of the mentioned injections is approximately 0.6 mL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Needle-free injection is an alternative strategy to conventional needle injection in the field of drug delivery. This approach offers a number of advantages, especially in reducing complaints of needle phobia and avoiding the occurrence of accidental needle stick injuries. The ejection volume and orifice diameter are inherently important in determining the injection depth and percent delivery. In this study, we investigate the dispersion pattern of liquid penetration into gels and porcine tissues using a needle-free injector with ejection volumes of 0.05 to 0.35 mL and orifice diameters of 0.17 to 0.50 mm. In addition, the influence of the two parameters is analyzed quantitatively on the dispersion pattern through impact experiments and injection experiments. Furthermore, an equation of the jet power calculated by the ejection volume and orifice diameter is proposed to describe the delivery fraction of the injection experiments. Controls of the ejection volume and orifice diameter are demonstrated to help achieve a more effective injection process and a better injection experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The anomalous EVI1 rearrangements/t(3;3)(q21;q26) is more frequently found in myelocytic malignancies. 5q- syndrome is a newly defined subtype of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) first proposed by the World Health Organization in 2001. Cases of acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) with 5q- anomaly or t(3;3)/EVI1 rearrangement have rarely been reported. We report a rare 5q- syndrome case which ultimately transformed to acute lymphocytic leukemia accompanied by a secondary cytogenetic anomaly of t(3;3)(q21;q26) and EVI1 rearrangement around 3 years after the diagnosis of 5q- syndrome. This rare case suggests that the 5q- clone of MDS may originate from a multipotent cell with a capacity to differentiate toward both myeloid and lymphoid lineages. It also indicates that although the t(3;3)/EVI1 rearrangement is mostly related to myelocytic neoplasms, the t(3;3)/EVI1-rearrangement may also play an important role in the development of ALL. The results of the necessary tests must be analyzed sufficiently prior to making a final diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES:The objective of this study was to determine the association of 19 mutations with frequencies ≥10% in the core promoter region of hepatitis B virus (HBV) with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), liver cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).METHODS:Eight hundred forty-six asymptomatic hepatitis B surface antigen carriers (ASCs), 235 CHB patients, 188 cirrhosis patients, and 190 HCC patients with intact data of HBV genotyping, DNA sequencing, and serological parameters were studied. Nucleotides with the highest frequencies in HBV genotypes B and C from all ASCs were treated as wild-type nucleotides.RESULTS:Mutations at nt.1674, nt.1719, nt.1762, nt.1764, nt.1846, nt.1896, and nt.1913 in genotype C were significantly associated with CHB, cirrhosis, and HCC, as compared with ASCs. C1673T, A1726C, A1727T, C1730G, C1766T, T1768A, C1773T, and C1799G in genotype C were significantly associated with cirrhosis compared with the CHB patients, whereas these mutations were inversely associated with HCC compared with the cirrhosis patients. Multivariate regression analyses showed that age, male, abnormal alanine aminotransferase (ALT), T1768A, A1762T/G1764A, and A1846T were independently associated with cirrhosis compared with ASCs and the patients with CHB. Age, abnormal ALT, HBV DNA (≥104 copies/ml), genotype C, C1653T, T1674C/G, T1753V, and A1762T/G1764A were independently associated with HCC compared with those without HCC. Haplotypic carriages with two or more HBV mutations were significantly associated with HCC. T1674C/G, C1653T, and T1753V were specific for HCC. A1762T/G1764A had a moderate sensitivity and specificity for HCC.CONCLUSIONS:C1673T, A1726C, A1727T, C1730G, C1766T, T1768A, C1773T, and C1799G in genotype C are specific for cirrhosis. A1846T and T1674C/G are novel factors independently associated with cirrhosis and HCC, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  Six selected plants, belonging to 3 families from Nanjing of China, were extracted with the solvent 95% (v/v) ethanol to yield 11 extracts. The extracts were evaluated for their effects on the growth of eight clinical bacteria, two fungi and one yeast using a modified agar diffusion method. The results showed that the majority of the extracts investigated showed greater activities against the Gram-positive bacteria than against the Gram-negative bacteria, the fungi and the yeast. The strongest antimicrobial activity was exhibited by the stem extracts of Mahonia fortunei against multiresistant Staphylococcus aureus strains, followed by the stem extracts of Mahonia bealei, while Bacillus thuringiensis was the most sensitive to all extracts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sequential ring-opening polymerizations (ROP) of ε-caprolactone (ε-CL) and L-lactide (LLA) with benzo-12-crown-4-imidazole carbene (B-12-C-4imY) as the catalyst have been performed. Using either benzyl alcohol or ethylene glycol as an initiator, the corresponding poly(ε-caprolactone)-poly(L-lactide) (PCL-b-PLLA) diblock or poly(L-lactide)-poly(ε-caprolactone)-poly(L-lactide) (PLLA-PCL-PLLA) triblock copolymers were easily prepared. The results indicated that B-12-C-4imY was quite effective for the copolymerization. The diblock copolymerization of ε-CL with LLA could only be achieved when ε-CL was first polymerized followed by LLA. Feeding the two monomers simultaneously, however, only resulted in the formation of LLA homopolymers. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) measurements demonstrated that block copolymers exhibited the decomposition temperature lower than the PCL homopolymer. The copolymers were characterized by 1H NMR and 13C NMR, FT-IR, GPC, and DSC analyses. 20 × 10 mm2 rectangular specimens made of the triblock copolymer were allowed to degrade in a pH = 7.4 phosphate buffer at 37 °C. Degradation was monitored by various analytical techniques such as GPC, IR, and ESEM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]