Search

Metal-organic framework (MOF) is a poriferous 3D framework, composed of organic ligands and central metal ions. The MOFs are often preferred for SO2 capture due to their ligand function, large pore volume, simplicity of preparation as well as their relatively low cost of reactivation. In this review, the synthesis strategies achieving the formation of MOFs with higher porosity and strengthened reversibility were introduced. The synthesis processes include conventional heating, modulated synthesis, and post-synthetic modification (PSM). Conventional heating is categorized into two different methods, including electric heating and solvothermal synthesis. Electric heating usually involves using temperature change to produce target MOF whereas solvothermal synthesis is defined as reactions in enclosed containers under autogenic pressure past the boiling point of the solvent. Modulated synthesis and PSM also guarantee low by-products and great stability. The mechanisms of SO2 adsorption were also discussed, which mainly focused on the physisorption that enables the utilizing resources to be efficiently used, as MOFs with physisorption are reusable. The adsorption site including strong hydrogen bonds and the uncoordinated atom with strong electronegativity also determines MOF’s ability. In addition, the influencing factors were interpreted to help demonstrate the mechanism of SO2 adsorption. The SO2 adsorption in the MOF is influenced by the pore structure, both the pore arrangement and the pore size, the guest binding to the SO2 and the linkers to the SO2.

Background: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a severe and fatal clinical syndrome characterized by high blood pressure and vascular remodeling in the pulmonary arterioles, which is also a rapidly progressing disease of the lung vasculature with a poor prognosis. Although PAH medication made great advances in recent years, the efficacy and safety of the medication are unsatisfactory. Therefore, we aimed to update and expand previous studies to explore the efficacy and safety of PAH-targeted medications. Methods: Relevant articles were searched and selected from published or publicly available data in PubMed, Cochrane Library, CNKI, PsycInfo, and MEDLINE (from inception until October 1st, 2020). To assess the efficacy and safety of PAH therapies, five efficacy outcomes [6-minute walking distance (6MWD), mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP), WHO functional class (WHO FC) improvement, clinical worsening, death] and two safety outcomes [adverse events (AEs), serious adverse events (SAEs)] were selected. And 6MWD was regarded as the primary efficacy outcome. Results: 50 trials included with 10 996participants were selected. In terms of efficacy, all targeted drugs were more effective than placebo. For 6MWD, Bosentan + Sildenafil, Sildenafil, Bosentan + Iloprost were better than others. Bosentan + Iloprost and Bosentan + Sildenafil were better for mPAP. Bosentan + Iloprost and Ambrisentan + Tadalafil were more effective in improving WHO FC. Bosentan + Tadalafil and Bosentan + Iloprost had the Ambrisentan probability to reduce the incidence of clinical worsening. It is demonstrated that Ambrisentan had clear benefits in reducing all-cause mortality. In terms of safety, no therapies had been shown to reduce the incidence of SAEs significantly, and Ambrisentan + Tadalafil significantly increased the incidence of AEs. Conclusions: Phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor (PDE5i) + Endothelin Receptor Antagonists (ERA) seems to be better therapy for PAH. Prostacyclin analogs (ProsA) + ERA appear promising, though additional data is warranted. Registration PROSPERO CRD42020218818.

PURPOSE We investigated the effectiveness, safety and compliance of Zheng's Supine Rehabilitation Exercise (ZSRE) as a rehabilitation programme among elderly patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). PATIENTS AND METHODS About 82 elderly patients with AECOPD were divided into a rehabilitation group and control group on their admission day, and both groups received routine medical treatment. Patients in the rehabilitation group started ZSRE on the second day of admission and continued until 8 weeks after discharge. RESULTS At the 9th week after discharge, the COPD Assessment Test (CAT), 6-minute walking distance (6MWD) and Modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale (mMRC) in the rehabilitation group were all significantly better than those in the control group (P

Background Talaromyces marneffei (T. marneffei) infection has been associated with adult-onset immunodeficiency due to anti-IFN-γ autoantibodies. We aimed to investigate the clinical features of non-HIV-infected patients with T. marneffei infection in southern China. Methods Between January 2018 and September 2020, we enrolled patients with T. marneffei infection who were HIV-negative (group TM, n = 42), including anti-IFN-γ autoantibody-positive (group TMP, n = 22) and anti-IFN-γ autoantibody-negative (group TMN, n = 20) patients and healthy controls (group HC, n = 40). Anti-IFN-γ autoantibodies were detected by ELISA. Clinical characteristics and clinical laboratory parameters were recorded. Results Compared with anti-IFN-γ autoantibody-negative patients with T. marneffei infection, anti-IFN-γ autoantibody-positive patients did not have underlying respiratory disease; more frequently exhibited dissemination of systemic infections with severe pleural effusion; had higher WBC counts, C-reactive protein levels, erythrocyte sedimentation rates, and neutrophil and CD8+ T cell counts; had lower hemoglobin levels; and were more likely to have other intracellular pathogen infections. Most of these patients had poor outcomes despite standardized antimicrobial therapy. Conclusion T. marneffei-infected patients with higher anti-IFN-γ autoantibody titers have more severe disease and complex clinical conditions.

This paper investigates the channel structure and pricing problem of a two-echelon supply chain consisting of a manufacturer and a retailer. There are four common channel structures: (1) traditiona...

BackgroundCirculating tumor cells (CTCs) represent a collection of heterogeneous cells. Studies have shown epithelial CTCs and folate receptor (FR) positive CTCs could be used as diagnostic biomarkers for lung cancer (LC). This study aimed to determine whether cell surface vimentin (CSV) positive CTCs could be used as a biomarker for LC as well.Methods78 treatment-naïve non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, 21 patients with benign lung diseases (BLD) and 9 healthy donors (HD) were enrolled in this study. CTC detection was performed using CytoSorter® mesenchymal CTC kit (CSV). The correlation between CSV positive CTCs (CSV-CTCs) and LC patients’ clinicopathological characteristics would be evaluated, and diagnostic performances of CSV-CTCs and serum tumor markers for LC would be compared.ResultsCTC detection rates (average CTC count: range) in LC patients, patients with BLD and HD were 83.33% (2.47: 0-8), 47.62% (0.5: 0-3) and 0% (0: 0), respectively. CSV-CTCs could be used to differentiate LC patients from the patients with BLD and HD (P < 0.0001). CSV-CTCs were correlated with cancer stage, lymph node involvement and distant metastasis (P = 0.0062, 0.0014 and 0.0021, respectively). With a CTC cut-off value of 2, CSV-CTCs would have a sensitivity and specificity of 0.67 and 0.87, respectively, for diagnosing LC. CSV-CTC positive rates showed statistical differences among HD, BLD patients and LC patients at different cancer stages (P < 0.0001). Furthermore, CSV-CTC positive rates were positively correlated with tumor size, lymph node involvement and distant metastasis (P = 0.0163, 0.0196 and 0.03, respectively). CSV-CTCs had a better diagnostic performance than serum tumor makers, such as carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), neuron-specific enolase (NSE), cancer antigen 125 (CA125) and CA153.ConclusionWhen CTC cut-off is set to 2 CTCs per 7.5 mL of blood, CSV-CTCs can be considered as an acceptable biomarker for diagnosing LC with a sensitivity and specificity of 0.67 and 0.87, respectively.

Study Objectives This meta-analysis aimed to explore the effect of non-benzodiazepine sedative hypnotics (NBSH) on continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) adherence in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Methods We conducted a systematic search through PubMed, Medline, the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Scopus and ClinicalTrials (all searched from inception to August 15, 2020). Publications were limited to articles, clinical conferences and letters, including randomized controlled trials and retrospective studies. We used a random-effects model to calculate the odds ratio (OR) and mean difference (MD) with corresponding confidence interval (CI). Subgroup analyses were conducted to analyze the sources of heterogeneity. Results Eight studies fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria for patients newly diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea. Overall, the use of NBSH was associated with increased use of CPAP per night (MD = 0.62 h; 95% CI = 0.26–0.98) and use for more nights (MD = 12.08%; 95% CI = 5.27–18.88). When a study seriously affecting heterogeneity was removed, more patients adhered well with CPAP use (pooled OR = 2.48; 95% CI = 1.75–3.52) with good adherence defined as CPAP use for >4 h/night on >70% of nights. Among prescribed NBSHs, eszopiclone showed the most significant effect on CPAP adherence. Conclusion CPAP adherence may increase in OSA patients treated with non-benzodiazepine sedative hypnotics especially eszopiclone. The effect of zolpidem and zaleplon on CPAP adherence requires further investigation by larger scale, randomized, controlled trials.

Background Rapid and convenient screening for identification of SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals are key to prevent and control this pandemic. Methods The peripheral blood samples were collected from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients and asymptomatic carriers to evaluate the test characteristics of the IgM-IgG combined assay for SARS-CoV-2 compared to that of serum samples and enzyme-linked immuno sorbent assay (ELISA). Close contacts, healthcare workers and workforces were recruited and screened using this assay. Results The sensitivity of the rapid IgM-IgG combined antibody test for SARS-CoV-2 using peripheral blood (sued as a POCT) was 97.0% and the specificity was 99.2%, which was consistent with the result obtained using serum sample (consistency is about 100%). Furthermore, this POCT assay also can detect IgM and IgG antibodies of SARS-CoV‐2 in asymptomatic carriers, with 19 of the 20 RT-PCR confirmed asymptomatic carriers testing positive. Therefore, this POCT assay was used for population screening of SARS-CoV-2 infection diagnosis. First, it found 4 positive close contacts among the 10 cases, and there were three IgM positive cases and one IgG positive case among them. It is worth noting that the IgM positive cases also tested positive for the nucleic acid of the SARS-CoV-2. Second, there was one IgM positive assay among the 63 healthcare workers, but RT-PCR of SARS CoV-2 was negative. Third, for workforces screening, there were no positive cases. Conclusions The IgM-IgG combined antibody test of SARS-CoV-2 can be used as a POCT for rapid screening of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Background. Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a life-threatening disease. Target-specific anticoagulant rivaroxaban is a direct factor Xa inhibitor that can be safely used without laboratory monitoring. Objective. To investigate the efficacy and safety of rivaroxaban versus warfarin for the treatment of acute pulmonary thromboembolism in real-world clinical practice. Method. This was a semiretrospective, semiprospective, and real-world trial involving 128 patients with acute symptomatic pulmonary embolism with or without active tumor or frailty. We compared rivaroxaban to the standard therapy consisting of low-molecular-weight heparin combined with warfarin. The primary efficacy outcome was absorption of thrombus. The principal safety outcome was bleeding episode. Results. There was no significant difference in thrombus absorption between rivaroxaban and standard therapy after 3-month treatment (P=0.798, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.686 to 1.336) or more than 6-month treatment (P=0.534, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.795 to 1.556). There was no decline in efficacy (including computed tomographic pulmonary angiography and recurrence) when the rivaroxaban dose was reduced to 10 mg once daily after 3 months of administration. The ratio of patients without bleeding was 48.84% for rivaroxaban and 19.05% for standard therapy (P=0.001). There was no significant difference in rivaroxaban monotherapy subgroups (including frail patients, tumor patients, and thrombolysis or nonthrombolysis at intermediate-high-risk patients). Conclusion. In this real-world study, the efficacy and safety of rivaroxaban alone was not different to standard therapy for pulmonary emboli absorption. With an extension in treatment duration, the rivaroxaban regimen had a higher efficacy and safety than standard therapy and there was no decline in treatment efficacy when the rivaroxaban dose was reduced to 10 mg once daily.

The Internet of Things (IoT) has enhanced the value of agricultural supply chains and reduced traditional risks. However, new risks to the agricultural supply chain have emerged in the IoT era. The risks in the agricultural supply chain under IoT, including risks related to perception, network, and application layers, are summarised in this paper. The ordered weighted averaging operator is utilised to quantitatively evaluate and sort these risks. Subsequently, the supply chain risk diffusion convergence model is used to identify the quantitative indicators that can measure risk fluctuations in the agricultural supply chain according to the risk assessment results. Finally, measures for risk management are proposed according to the results derived through the quantitative model for the agricultural supply chain under IoT.

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are susceptible to aspiration, probably due to discoordination between breathing and swallowing, cricopharyngeal muscle dysfunction, and changes in lung volume [1, 2]. Terada et al . [3] found a significantly higher prevalence of an abnormal swallowing reflex in patients with COPD than in healthy controls. Shaker et al . [4] found that patients with acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD) have a higher risk of aspiration. In this cross-sectional study, using the technetium-99m–sulfur colloid (99mTc-SC) salivary scintigraphy method that is believed to be more sensitive than techniques using in previous studies, the prevalence and risk factors of silent aspiration in hospitalised AECOPD patients was studied. Radionuclide imaging of silent aspiration We would like to express our gratitude to all of those who assisted with the preparation of this manuscript, particularly to Guangqiao Zeng (State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou, China) for helpful contributions to the translation and editing of this article.

To establish a method to detect aspiration of nasopharyngeal secretion and to explore the relationship between aspiration of nasopharyngeal secretion and pneumonia.Thirty-two patients with pulmonary infection [(30 males, 2 females; mean age (73 ± 8) years] were recruited from the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University during the period between June 2014 and August 2014, and 9 age-matched healthy volunteers [(7 males, 2 females; mean age (73 ± 6) years] as the control group. A dose of 74.0 MBq ⁹⁹Tc(m)-sulfur colloid was diluted in 12 ml of saline, and then the mixture was dripped into the nasal pharynx of volunteers by 24 ml/h. Dynamic imaging from the mouth to the stomach was acquired by SPECT/CT. Two experienced physicians assessed all examination results and reached consensus for final diagnosis. Radioactivity detected at either the bronchi or within the lung fields was reported as positive for aspiration.In the test group, 19 of 32 patients with pneumonia had a history of suffering from upper respiratory tract symptoms such as runny or blocked nose, and 21 of 32 patients were detected to have aspiration. However, none of the healthy people had aspiration (χ² = 9.624, P=0.002). In 21 patients with pneumonia, 14 showed respiratory aspirations in areas corresponding to the lesions, i.e. bilateral lungs, the right lung and the left lung in 6/10, 6/8, and 2/3 cases respectively (P=0.067).⁹⁹Tc(m)-sulfur colloid imaging is effective to detect the aspiration of nasopharyngeal secretions in the elderly people. Besides, the incidence rate of aspiration in the patients was higher than that in healthy people, which suggests that aspiration of nasopharyngeal secretion is the cause of pulmonary infection.

Port logistics promotes regional economy and vice versa. Taking the data of development of economy and port into account, this article compares the linkage between Ningbo's port logistics and Ningbo's economy with Zhejiang's port logistics and the overall economic development in Zhejiang with gray correlation method. It goes through this method and eventually proves the linkage relationship between port logistics and regional economy based on the accumulated statistics. The results also prove that the related degree between the port and a small area is bigger than which between the port and a bigger one. Finally, this article concludes the results combined with the actual situation in Zhejiang Province, and then proposes some recommendations about port logistics and regional economic development, which have reference value for the decision-making to relevant government departments.