Photochemical reduction of CO2 into CO coupling with triethanolamine decomposition.

In this work, the impacts of triethanolamine (TEOA) on the performance of photochemical CO2 reduction were investigated in a simple homogeneous system. We demonstrates that CO2 can be converted into CO coupling with the decomposition of triethanolamine in TEOA aqueous solution without other additives under light irradiation. About 7.5 µmol CO product is achieved within 7 h with a maximum apparent quantum yield (AQY) of 0.086% at 254 nm. The isotope labelling experiment confirms that CO product originates from the reduction of CO2 rather than the decomposition of TEOA. In addition, the photochemical system exhibits excellent stability, no obvious inactivation is observed during long-term photochemical CO2 reduction reaction. This work provides a deep understanding of the effects of TEOA on the performance of photocatalytic CO2 reduction. Upon utilizing TEOA as a sacrificial electron donor in photocatalytic system, the contribution of TEOA must be considered once evaluating the catalytic activity of catalysts.

Magnesium intake and all-cause mortality after stroke: a cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Population-based studies have shown that adequate magnesium intake is associated with a lower risk of stroke and all-cause mortality. Whether adequate magnesium intake is important for reducing all-cause mortality risk after stroke remains unclear. METHODS: We analyzed data from 917 patients with a self-reported history of stroke from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007-2018. The total magnesium intake was calculated by summing the magnesium intake from dietary and dietary supplements, and then adjusting for total energy intake according to the nutrient density method. Mortality status was determined using public-use linked mortality files from 2019. Cox regression model and restricted cubic splines were used to explore the relationship between magnesium intake and all-cause mortality. RESULTS: The average total magnesium intake across all patients was 251.0 (184.5-336.5) mg/d, and 321 (70.2%) males and 339 (73.7%) females had insufficient magnesium intake. During a median follow-up period of 5.3 years, 277 deaths occurred. After fully adjusting for confounding factors, total magnesium intake levels were inversely associated with all-cause mortality risk (HR per 1-mg/(100 kcal*d) increase, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.94-1.00; p = 0.017). Participants with the highest quartile of total magnesium intake (≥ 18.5 mg/(100 kcal*d)) had a 40% reduction in all-cause mortality risk compared to those with the lowest quartile (≤ 12.0 mg/(100 kcal*d)) (HR, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.38-0.94; p = 0.024). Stratified analyses showed that this inverse association was statistically significant in those who were older, female, without hypertension, and had smoking, normal renal function, and adequate energy intake. Dietary magnesium intake alone might be not related to all-cause mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Stroke survivors who consumed adequate amounts of magnesium from diet and supplements had a lower risk of all-cause mortality.

Clinical performance of metagenomic next-generation sequencing for the rapid diagnosis of talaromycosis in HIV-infected patients.

Background: Talaromycosis is an invasive endemic mycosis caused by the dimorphic fungus Talaromyces marneffei (T. marneffei, TM). It mainly affects immunodeficient patients, especially HIV-infected individuals, which causes significant morbidity and mortality. Culture-based diagnosis takes a long turnaround time with low sensitivity, leading to treatment delay. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the performance of Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing (mNGS) for the rapid diagnosis of talaromycosis in HIV-infected patients. Methods: Retrospectively analysis was conducted in HIV-infected cases at Changsha First Hospital (China) from January 2021 to March 2022. Patients who underwent routine microbiological examination and mNGS testing in parallel were enrolled. The clinical final diagnosis was used as a reference standard, and cases were classified into the TM group (60 cases) and the non-TM group (148 cases). The clinical performances of mNGS were compared with culture and serum Galactomannan (GM). The mixed infections detected by mNGS were analyzed. The impact of mNGS detection on treatment was also investigated. Results: The sensitivity of mNGS test reached 98.3% (95% CI, 89.8-99.9), which was significantly higher than culture (66.7% [95% CI, 53.2-77.9], P < 0.001) and serum GM (83.3% [95% CI, 71.0-91.2], P < 0.05). The specificity of 98.6% (95% CI, 94.7-99.7) was similar to culture (100.0% [95% CI, 96.8-100.0], P = 0.156), and superior to serum GM (91.9% [95% CI, 85.9-95.5], P < 0.05). In bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samples, the positive rate of mNGS was 97.6%, which was significantly higher than culture (28.6%, P <0.001). mNGS has excellent performance in the identification of mixed infection in TM group patients. Cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus and Pneumocystis jirovecii were the most common concurrent pathogens. In summary, 60.0% (36/60) patients were added or adjusted to antimicrobial therapy after mNGS test. Conclusion: mNGS is a powerful technique with high specificity and sensitivity for the rapid diagnosis of talaromycosis. mNGS of BALF samples may be a good option for early identification of T. marneffei in HIV-infected individuals with manifestations of infection. Moreover, mNGS shows excellent performance in mixed infection, which benefits timely treatment and potential mortality reduction.

[Corrigendum] miR­126 overexpression attenuates oxygen­glucose deprivation/reperfusion injury by inhibiting oxidative stress and inflammatory response via the activation of SIRT1/Nrf2 signaling pathway in human umbilical vein endothelial cells.

Following the publication of this article, the authors have realized that the two affiliation addresses in the paper were written incorrectly: "The First People's Hospital" and "The Second People's Hospital" should have appeared as "The First People's Hospital of Linhai" and "The Second People's Hospital of Linhai", respectively. Therefore, the author affiliations and addresses in this paper should have appeared as follows: Jixin Li1, Caili Yang1 and Yan Wang2. 1Department of Neurology, The First People's Hospital of Linhai, Taizhou, Zhejiang 317000; 2Department of Neurology, The Second People's Hospital of Linhai, Taizhou, Zhejiang 317016, P.R. China. The authors regret these errors in the presentation of the affiliation addresses, and apologize for any inconvenience caused.[the original article was published in Molecular Medicine Reports 23: Article no. 165, 2021; DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2020.11804].

miR­126 overexpression attenuates oxygen­glucose deprivation/reperfusion injury by inhibiting oxidative stress and inflammatory response via the activation of SIRT1/Nrf2 signaling pathway in human umbilical vein endothelial cells.

MicroRNA­126 (miR­126) has been reported to be implicated in the pathogenesis of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury; however, its role is still unclear and requires further investigation. The objective of the present study was to determine the neuroprotective effect of miR­126 overexpression against oxygen­glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R)­induced human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) injury, an in vitro model of cerebral I/R injury, and to further explore the role of the NAD­dependent protein deacetylase sirtuin­1 (SIRT1)/nuclear factor erythroid 2­related factor 2 (Nrf2) signaling pathway in this process. The results of the present study revealed that miR­126 expression was markedly reduced in HUVECs subjected to OGD/R treatment. Functional experiments demonstrated that transfection with miR­126 mimics attenuated OGD/R­induced down­regulation of cell viability, and reversed OGD/R­induced up­regulation of lactate dehydrogenase release, apoptosis and caspase­3 activity in HUVECs. Notably, OGD/R reduced SIRT1 and heme oxygenase­1 expression, and induced the nuclear translocation of Nrf2, as demonstrated by the increase in cytoplasmic Nrf2 expression and the decrease in nuclear Nrf2 expression. Following transfection with miR­126 mimics, these effects of OGD/R were reversed, indicating that miR­126 overexpression promoted the SIRT1/Nrf2 signaling pathway. Additionally, miR­126 mimics attenuated OGD/R­induced cytotoxicity and apoptosis, which was blocked by inhibition of the SIRT1/Nrf2 signaling pathway followed by transfection with SIRT1­small interfering RNA (siRNA). Furthermore, miR­126 mimics decreased ROS generation and malondialdehyde content, and increased superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activity in HUVECs exposed to OGD/R, and these effects of miR­126 mimics were also blocked by SIRT1­siRNA. Additionally, the miR­126 mimics­induced the decreases in the levels of pro­inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor­α, interleukin (IL)­1ß and IL­6, and the miR­126 mimics­induced increase in anti­inflammatory cytokines, including IL­10, were reversed by SIRT1­siRNA. Overall, these results suggested that miR­126 overexpression attenuated OGD/R­induced neurotoxicity to HUVECs by alleviating oxidative stress and the inflammatory response via promotion of the SIRT1/Nrf2 signaling pathway.

[Ventilator bundle guided by context of JCI settings can effectively reduce the morbidity of ventilator-associated pneumonia].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the impact of improving the compliance of ventilator bundle on morbidity of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in intensive care unit (ICU) patients undergoing mechanical ventilation (MV) guided by context of Joint Commission International (JCI) settings, and to study the oral care efficacy of suction tube sponge brush. METHODS: A prospective study was conducted. The patients who needed MV admitted to Department of Critical Care Medicine of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University from January 2013 to December 2016 were enrolled. In the context of JCI settings, necessary measurements were taken to enhance the compliance of ventilator bundle each year. In 2013, the preventive measures were set up and the education was strengthened. In 2014, the compliance of hand hygiene and bedside elevation was strengthened. In 2015, a control study was conducted to evaluate the effect between the traditional cotton dipped in chlorhexidine and the suction tube sponge brush rinsed with chlorhexidine on oral health impact parameters. The suction tube sponge brush rinsed with chlorhexidine oral care was introduced to improve compliance. In 2016, electronic bundle checklist for daily self-audits was conducted. The annually morbidity of VAP through the software of hospital and ICU was collected and calculated. The annual incidence of VAP was indicated by the VAP cases per 1 000 MV days. Based on the VAP incidence rate in 2013 as 1, the VAP incidence-rate ratio (IRR) of each year was calculated. RESULTS: During the study period, a total of 2 733 patients admitted to the ICU, including 1 403 patients undergoing MV. Ninety-four of the 1 403 patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), aspiration pneumonia, back elevation ban, incomplete information, and withdrew from the study were excluded. 1 399 patients undergoing MV were enrolled in the final analysis, with total MV days of 11 012 days, and 94 patients occurred VAP. The annual incidence of VAP was progressively declined from 2013 to 2016, and the VAP cases per 1 000 MV days were 17.0, 10.0, 5.9, 3.5 cases, respectively. Based on the VAP incidence rate in 2013, the IRR of VAP from 2014 to 2016 was also progressively declined, which was 0.59 [95% confidence interval (95%CI) = 0.35-0.98], 0.35 (95%CI = 0.18-0.64), and 0.21 (95%CI = 0.09-0.41), with statistical significance (all P < 0.05). In 2013, ICU patients had the lowest rates of bedside elevation and hand hygiene compliance, which were 28.57% and 54.29%, respectively. Compared with 2013, by the implementation of two quality control circle (QCC) projects for bedside elevation and hand hygiene, the rates of bedside elevation and hand hygiene compliance were improved significantly in 2014, which were 82.35%, 91.18%, respectively (both P < 0.05). In 2015, the compliance of chlorhexidine oral care which was the worst performed in 2014 had been improved by the method of QCC, and the rate of the compliance was significantly higher than that in 2013 (87.10% vs. 62.86%, P < 0.05). Compared with 2013, bundle compliance was significantly increased in 2016, except for the sterile operation of the suction tube [daily wake and weaning: 95.00% vs. 71.43%, bedside elevation for over 30degree angle: 92.50% vs. 28.57%, hand hygiene: 97.50% vs. 54.29%, chlorhexidine mouth care once per 6-8 hours: 95.00% vs. 62.86%, turned back and posture drainage: 97.50% vs. 80.00%], the differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.05). The incidences of bad breath, dirt residue and plaque were significantly lower in the group of oral care by using suction tube sponge brush with chlorhexidine (30 cases) compared with the group of traditional cotton pad with chlorhexidine (30 cases; bad breath: 10.0% vs. 40.0% %, dirt residue: 16.7% vs. 70.0%, plaque: 3.3% vs. 30.0%, all P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of oral ulcers between the oral brush group and the traditional group (10.0% vs. 30.0%, P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Ventilator bundle can effectively reduce the morbidity of VAP in the context of JCI settings, and the oral care by using suction tube sponge brush and chlorhexidine can effectively improve oral hygiene.

PHLPP2 Downregulation Contributes to Lung Carcinogenesis Following B[a]P/B[a]PDE Exposure.

PURPOSE: The carcinogenic capacity of B[a]P/B[a]PDE is supported by epidemiologic studies. However, the molecular mechanisms responsible for B[a]P/B[a]PDE-caused lung cancer have not been well investigated. We evaluated here the role of novel target PHLPP2 in lung inflammation and carcinogenesis upon B[a]P/B[a]PDE exposure. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: We used the Western blotting, RT-PCR, [(35)S]methionine pulse and immunohistochemistry staining to determine PHLPP2 downregulation following B[a]P/B[a]PDE exposure. Both B[a]PDE-induced Beas-2B cell transformation model and B[a]P-caused mouse lung cancer model were used to elucidate the mechanisms leading to PHLPP2 downregulation and lung carcinogenesis. The important findings were also extended to in vivo human studies. RESULTS: We found that B[a]P/B[a]PDE exposure downregulated PHLPP2 expression in human lung epithelial cells in vitro and in mouse lung tissues in vivo. The ectopic expression of PHLPP2 dramatically inhibited cell transformation upon B[a]PDE exposure. Mechanistic studies showed that miR-205 induction was crucial for inhibition of PHLPP2 protein translation by targeting PHLPP2-3'-UTR. Interestingly, PHLPP2 expression was inversely associated with tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) expression, with low PHLPP2 and high TNFα expression in lung cancer tissues compared with the paired adjacent normal lung tissues. Additional studies revealed that PHLPP2 exhibited its antitumorigenic effect of B[a]P/B[a]PDE through the repression of inflammatory TNFα transcription. CONCLUSIONS: Our studies not only first time identify PHLPP2 downregulation by lung carcinogen B[a]P/B[a]PDE, but also elucidate a novel molecular mechanisms underlying lung inflammation and carcinogenesis upon B[a]P/B[a]PDE exposure.