Identifying a competency improvement strategy for infection prevention and control professionals:A rapid systematic review and cluster analysis

Remarkable progress has been made in infection prevention and control(IPC)in many countries,but some gaps emerged in the context of the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic.Core capabilities such as standard clinical precautions and tracing the source of infection were the focus of IPC in medical institutions during the pandemic.Therefore,the core competences of IPC professionals during the pandemic,and how these contributed to successful prevention and control of the epidemic,should be studied.To investigate,using a systematic review and cluster analysis,fundamental improvements in the competences of infection control and prevention professionals that may be emphasized in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.We searched the PubMed,Embase,Cochrane Library,Web of Science,CNKI,WanFang Data,and CBM databases for original articles exploring core competencies of IPC professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic(from January 1,2020 to February 7,2023).Weiciyun software was used for data extraction and the Donohue formula was followed to distinguish high-frequency technical terms.Cluster analysis was performed using the within-group linkage method and squared Euclidean distance as the metric to determine the priority competencies for development.We identified 46 studies with 29 high-frequency technical terms.The most common term was“infection prevention and control training”(184 times,17.3%),followed by“hand hygiene”(172 times,16.2%).“Infection prevention and control in clinical practice”was the most-reported core competency(367 times,34.5%),followed by“microbiology and surveillance”(292 times,27.5%).Cluster analysis showed two key areas of competence:Category 1(program management and leadership,patient safety and occupational health,education and microbiology and surveillance)and Category 2(IPC in clinical practice).During the COVID-19 pandemic,IPC program management and leadership,microbiology and surveillance,education,patient safety,and occupational health were the most important focus of development and should be given due consideration by IPC professionals.

Chondroitinase ABC combined with Schwann cell transplantation enhances restoration of neural connection and functional recovery following acute and chronic spinal cord injury

Schwann cell transplantation is considered one of the most promising cell-based therapy to repair injured spinal cord due to its unique growth-promoting and myelin-forming properties.A the Food and Drug Administration-approved Phase I clinical trial has been conducted to evaluate the safety of transplanted human autologous Schwann cells to treat patients with spinal cord injury.A major challenge for Schwann cell transplantation is that grafted Schwann cells are confined within the lesion cavity,and they do not migrate into the host environment due to the inhibitory barrier formed by injury-induced glial scar,thus limiting axonal reentry into the host spinal cord.Here we introduce a combinatorial strategy by suppressing the inhibitory extracellular environment with injection of lentivirus-mediated transfection of chondroitinase ABC gene at the rostral and caudal borders of the lesion site and simultaneously leveraging the repair capacity of transplanted Schwann cells in adult rats following a mid-thoracic contusive spinal cord injury.We report that when the glial scar was degraded by chondroitinase ABC at the rostral and caudal lesion borders,Schwann cells migrated for considerable distances in both rostral and caudal directions.Such Schwann cell migration led to enhanced axonal regrowth,including the serotonergic and dopaminergic axons originating from supraspinal regions,and promoted recovery of locomotor and urinary bladder functions.Importantly,the Schwann cell survival and axonal regrowth persisted up to 6 months after the injury,even when treatment was delayed for 3 months to mimic chronic spinal cord injury.These findings collectively show promising evidence for a combinatorial strategy with chondroitinase ABC and Schwann cells in promoting remodeling and recovery of function following spinal cord injury.

Microglia lactylation in relation to central nervous system diseases

The development of neurodegenerative diseases is closely related to the disruption of central nervous system homeostasis.Microglia,as innate immune cells,play important roles in the maintenance of central nervous system homeostasis,injury response,and neurodegenerative diseases.Lactate has been considered a metabolic waste product,but recent studies are revealing ever more of the physiological functions of lactate.Lactylation is an important pathway in lactate function and is involved in glycolysis-related functions,macrophage polarization,neuromodulation,and angiogenesis and has also been implicated in the development of various diseases.This review provides an overview of the lactate metabolic and homeostatic regulatory processes involved in microglia lactylation,histone versus non-histone lactylation,and therapeutic approaches targeting lactate.Finally,we summarize the current research on microglia lactylation in central nervous system diseases.A deeper understanding of the metabolic regulatory mechanisms of microglia lactylation will provide more options for the treatment of central nervous system diseases.

EZH2-dependent myelination following sciatic nerve injury

Demyelination and remyelination have been major focal points in the study of peripheral nerve regeneration following peripheral nerve injury.Notably,the gene regulatory network of regenerated myelin differs from that of native myelin.Silencing of enhancer of zeste homolog 2(EZH2)hinders the differentiation,maturation,and myelination of Schwann cells in vitro.To further determine the role of EZH2 in myelination and recovery post-peripheral nerve injury,conditional knockout mice lacking Ezh2 in Schwann cells(Ezh2^(fl/fl);Dhh-Cre and Ezh2^(fl/fl);Mpz-Cre)were generated.Our results show that a significant proportion of axons in the sciatic nerve of Ezh2-depleted mice remain unmyelinated.This highlights the crucial role of Ezh2 in initiating Schwann cell myelination.Furthermore,we observed that 21 days after inducing a sciatic nerve crush injury in these mice,most axons had remyelinated at the injury site in the control nerve,while Ezh2^(fl/fl);Mpz-Cre mice had significantly fewer remyelinated axons compared with their wild-type littermates.This suggests that the absence of Ezh2 in Schwann cells impairs myelin formation and remyelination.In conclusion,EZH2 has emerged as a pivotal regulatory factor in the process of demyelination and myelin regeneration following peripheral nerve injury.Modulating EZH2 activity during these processes may offer a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of peripheral nerve injuries.

Pro-resolving lipid mediator reduces amyloid-β42–induced gene expression in human monocyte–derived microglia

Specialized pro-resolving lipid mediators including maresin 1 mediate resolution but the levels of these are reduced in Alzheimer's disease brain, suggesting that they constitute a novel target for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease to prevent/stop inflammation and combat disease pathology. Therefore, it is important to clarify whether they counteract the expression of genes and proteins induced by amyloid-β. With this objective, we analyzed the relevance of human monocyte–derived microglia for in vitro modeling of neuroinflammation and its resolution in the context of Alzheimer's disease and investigated the pro-resolving bioactivity of maresin 1 on amyloid-β42–induced Alzheimer's disease–like inflammation. Analysis of RNA-sequencing data and secreted proteins in supernatants from the monocyte-derived microglia showed that the monocyte-derived microglia resembled Alzheimer's disease–like neuroinflammation in human brain microglia after incubation with amyloid-β42. Maresin 1 restored homeostasis by down-regulating inflammatory pathway related gene expression induced by amyloid-β42 in monocyte-derived microglia, protection of maresin 1 against the effects of amyloid-β42 is mediated by a re-balancing of inflammatory transcriptional networks in which modulation of gene transcription in the nuclear factor-kappa B pathway plays a major part. We pinpointed molecular targets that are associated with both neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's disease and therapeutic targets by maresin 1. In conclusion, monocyte-derived microglia represent a relevant in vitro microglial model for studies on Alzheimer's disease-like inflammation and drug response for individual patients. Maresin 1 ameliorates amyloid-β42–induced changes in several genes of importance in Alzheimer's disease, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic target for Alzheimer's disease.

Pharmacological targeting cGAS/STING/NF-κB axis by tryptanthrin induces microglia polarization toward M2 phenotype and promotes functional recovery in a mouse model of spinal cord injury

The M1/M2 phenotypic shift of microglia after spinal cord injury plays an important role in the regulation of neuroinflammation during the secondary injury phase of spinal cord injury.Regulation of shifting microglia polarization from M1(neurotoxic and proinflammatory type)to M2(neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory type)after spinal cord injury appears to be crucial.Tryptanthrin possesses an anti-inflammatory biological function.However,its roles and the underlying molecular mechanisms in spinal cord injury remain unknown.In this study,we found that tryptanthrin inhibited microglia-derived inflammation by promoting polarization to the M2 phenotype in vitro.Tryptanthrin promoted M2 polarization through inactivating the cGAS/STING/NF-κB pathway.Additionally,we found that targeting the cGAS/STING/NF-κB pathway with tryptanthrin shifted microglia from the M1 to M2 phenotype after spinal cord injury,inhibited neuronal loss,and promoted tissue repair and functional recovery in a mouse model of spinal cord injury.Finally,using a conditional co-culture system,we found that microglia treated with tryptanthrin suppressed endoplasmic reticulum stress-related neuronal apoptosis.Taken together,these results suggest that by targeting the cGAS/STING/NF-κB axis,tryptanthrin attenuates microglia-derived neuroinflammation and promotes functional recovery after spinal cord injury through shifting microglia polarization to the M2 phenotype.

An Efficient Boron Source Activation Strategy for the Low‑Temperature Synthesis of Boron Nitride Nanotubes

Lowering the synthesis temperature of boron nitride nanotubes(BNNTs)is crucial for their development.The primary reason for adopting a high temperature is to enable the effective activation of highmelting-point solid boron.In this study,we developed a novel approach for efficiently activating boron by introducing alkali metal compounds into the conventional MgO–B system.This approach can be adopted to form various low-melting-point AM–Mg–B–O growth systems.These growth systems have improved catalytic capability and reactivity even under low-temperature conditions,facilitating the synthesis of BNNTs at temperatures as low as 850℃.In addition,molecular dynamics simulations based on density functional theory theoretically demonstrate that the systems maintain a liquid state at low temperatures and interact with N atoms to form BN chains.These findings offer novel insights into the design of boron activation and are expected to facilitate research on the low-temperature synthesis of BNNTs.

Interplay between creeping fat and gut microbiota: A brand-new perspective on fecal microbiota transplantation in Crohn's disease

Inflammatory bowel disease,particularly Crohn's disease(CD),has been linked to modifications in mesenteric adipose tissue(MAT)and the phenomenon known as"creeping fat"(CrF).The presence of CrF is believed to serve as a predictor for early clinical recurrence following surgical intervention in patients with CD.Notably,the incorporation of the mesentery during ileocolic resection for CD has been correlated with a decrease in surgical recurrence,indicating the significant role of MAT in the pathogenesis of CD.While numerous studies have indicated that dysbiosis of the gut microbiota is a critical factor in the development of CD,the functional implications of translocated microbiota within the MAT of CD patients remain ambiguous.This manuscript commentary discusses a recent basic research conducted by Wu et al.In their study,intestinal bacteria from individuals were transplanted into CD model mice,revealing that fecal microbiota trans-plantation(FMT)from healthy donors alleviated CD symptoms,whereas FMT from CD patients exacerbated these symptoms.Importantly,FMT was found to affect intestinal permeability,barrier function,and the levels of proinflammatory factors and adipokines.Collectively,these findings suggest that targeting MAT and CrF may hold therapeutic potential for patients with CD.However,the study did not evaluate the composition of the intestinal microbiota of the donors or the subsequent alterations in the gut microbiota.Overall,the gut microbiota plays a crucial role in the histopathology of CD,and thus,targeting MAT and CrF may represent a promising avenue for treatment in this patient population.

Esophageal space-occupying lesion caused by Ascaris lumbricoides

Ascaris lumbricoides is the largest intestinal nematode parasite of man,which can lead to various complications because of its mobility.As the esophagus is not normal habitat of Ascaris,the report of esophageal ascariasis is rare.An old female presented with dysphagia after an intake of several red bean buns and haw jellies.The barium meal examination revealed a spherical defect in the lower esophagus.Esophageal bezoar or esophageal carcinoma was considered at the beginning.The patient fasted,and received fluid replacement treatment as well as some oral drugs such as proton pump inhibitor and sodium bicarbonate.Then upper gastrointestinal endoscopy was done to further confirm the diagnosis and found a live Ascaris lumbricoides in the gastric antrum and two in the duodenal bulb.The conclusive diagnosis was ascariasis.The esophageal space-occupying lesion might be the entangled worm bolus.Anthelmitnic treatment with mebendazole improved patient's clinical manifestations along with normalization of the radiological findings during a 2-wk follow-up.Authors report herein this rare case of Ascaris lumbricoides in the esophagus,emphasizing the importance of awareness of this parasitic infection as it often presents with different and unspecific symptoms.

GWAS signals across the HLA regions:revealing a clue for common etiology underlying infectious tumors and other immunity diseases

Increasing evidence suggests that multiple genes in the human leukocyte antigen(HLA) regions play an important role in development of cancers and immunity disorders.However,the biological mechanisms of the HLA associations are not well understood.We recently conducted a survey of all genome-wide association studies(GWAS) with significant findings in the HLA regions and concluded that diseases such as cancer and immune disorders are more likely to be associated with genetic variants located in the HLA regions than other diseases.This finding is suggestive for testing a hypothesis of a common etiology of infectious tumors and other immunity diseases.

Effects of β-Glucan Supplementation on Repairing of Phenol-Induced Vaginal Mucosal Epithelium Damage in Rats

Objective: To investigate the effects of different concentrations of β-glucan on the repair of damaged vaginal mucosa, the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and the inflammatory factor-6 (IL-6) in vaginal tissues. Methods: Thirty-six adult female specific pathogen free (SPF)-grade Wistar rats were randomly divided into 3 phase groups with 12 rats each. Vaginal inflammation rat models were established by injecting phenol gel into the vagina of each rat at a dose of 0.1 ml/100g body weight. After modeling, rats were divided into 4 groups based on different concentrations of the test agent. The control group was injected with 0.5 ml of saline, experimental group A was injected with 0.375 ml saline 0.125 ml β-glucan, experimental group B was injected with 0.25 ml saline 0.25 ml β-glucan, and experimental group C was injected with 0.50 ml β-glucan. The injection sites were selected at the 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock positions of the vagina. Rats were sacrificed at 7-, 14-, and 28-days post-injection, and tissue samples were collected from the injection sites and prepared for histological analysis. New blood vessels and fibroblast numbers in the tissues were observed after Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. The expression levels of VEGF and IL-6 in the tissues were measured using quantificational reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Results: Histological examination of vaginal tissue specimens at 7-, 14-, and 28-days post-injection showed that on day 7, there were no significant changes in the experimental groups compared to the control group. However, on days 14 and 28, the experimental groups showed more new blood vessels, macrophages, and fibroblasts with increased activity compared to the control group. The expression levels of VEGF in vaginal tissues were elevated on days 14 and 28 in the experimental groups. The comparison of IL-6 levels in vaginal tissues on day 28 showed that serum IL-6 levels returned to normal, and there was no statistically significant difference between the experimental and control groups. Conclusion: In the 3 experimental phases, the increase in VEGF levels in vaginal tissues on day 14 post-injection was more pronounced with higher concentrations of β-glucan, and IL-6 levels returned to normal on day 28. β-Glucan can enhance VEGF levels in damaged vaginal tissues, promote the repair of damaged vaginal tissues, and higher concentrations of β-glucan have a better effect.

Study on Thin Layer Drying of <i>Rosa laevigata</i>Michx

The drying process of traditional Chinese medicine Rosa laevigata Michx was investigated in a laboratory scale dryer. Drying experiments were conducted at five temperatures of 40℃, 50℃, 60℃, 70℃ and 80℃. The experimental data were fitted to ten different thin layer drying models to select a suitable model for describing the drying process of Rosa laevigata Michx fruits. The results showed that the Midilli model had the highest value of R2 (0.999767), the lowest χ2 (0.000034) and RMSE (0.003616) among the ten models considered. The drying process of Rosa laevigata Michx fruits consisted of 1st falling rate period and 2nd falling rate period. The effective moisture diffusivity was found in the range of 1.49 - 30.20 × 10-11 m2·s-1. The value of activation energy obtained by plotting lnD versus 1/T is about 36 kJ·mol-1.

无机化学中“酸碱解离”教学内容的重构探讨

依据素质教育中知识-能力-素质有机融合的思想指导,对《无机化学》酸碱解离内容进行重组,构建新的课程设计模块。内容重组扩充为5个模块,包括电解质溶液基础、酸碱理论概述、酸碱强度、弱酸弱碱解离平衡和酸碱滴定与误差基本概念。教学内容的重构在保证基本面知识结构完整的前提下与时俱进,从专业能力方面促进学生发展。

无机化学中“配位化学基础”教学内容的重构探讨

一流的教学内容要求达到“知识-能力-素质有机融合”。“配位化学基础”教学内容作为无机化学理论基础之一的主章节,应在教育部提倡的“专业-能力-素质有机融合”育人精神指导下,突破长期存在的固化框架,构建新的课程设计,加强基础概念的科学性和准确性,培养学生学以致用的能力,提高学生的科学素养,体现“高阶性、创新性和挑战度”。提议将章名改为“配位化合物基础及应用”,内容扩充描绘为6个模块;尽量使教学内容的重构在保证基本面知识结构的前提下与时俱进,适当凸显配位化学发展中的最新理论、最新研究成果、最新前沿、实践成果;同时凸显“专业与思政同向同行”,充分发挥课程育人功能,从专业、能力、素质全方位促进学生学业发展。

Volatile Solid and Bury Period Influence on Odorous Material Production in Simulating Landfill Treatment

Odor pollution in landfill area has attracted more social attention in China. It is very important to control the generation of odor pollutants in situ. Analyzing odorous materials production form buried waste, simulated columns of different volatile solid (VS) content and different buried period waste were designed. Gas compounds produced from the columns were collected and analyzed by comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC × GC) method. It has remarkable relationship between VS content and concentrations of odorous material. When VS content more than 40%, the total amount of odorous compounds increases remarkably. It can be inferred that reduced VS content of original waste may effective decreasing odorous materials production in landfill area. The old rubbish produced more odorous compounds than that of fresh one in simulated columns.

基于文化自信的中外合作办学学科基础课“General Chemistry”课程思政建设探索与实践

“General Chemistry”是面向中外合作办学工科专业学生开设的一门学科基础课。为了提升教学质量,课程引入国外经典教材,在教学过程中面临外来文化的冲击和文化自信缺失的风险。因此,必须通过“General Chemistry”课程思政教学提升学生对自身文化的深度认同。本文中,“General Chemistry”课程思政建设坚持文化自信理念,积极挖掘中国思政元素,将中外思政元素合理融入到教学的每一个环节,不断助推课程思政教学内涵式发展,打造课程思政高效课堂,取得了较好的育人成效。

以学生综合素质为导向的《中药鉴定学》教学探索

《中药鉴定学》是中药学专业的核心课程,在人才培养中起到举足轻重的作用。针对课程特点及现有教学模式中存在的问题,结合人才培养目标,提出以学生综合素质为导向的《中药鉴定学》的教学改革的思路和方法。课程采用SPOC平台上线下混合式教学模式,重视实践教学环节,通过开设性状鉴别实训室、中药标本馆、饮片等级考试中心、班级“中药角”等实践环节,促进学生从感性认识到深入思考的递进式学习。整合教学资源,优化课堂教学结构,形成模块化教学内容体系,完善多元考核方式,挖掘思政元素,将学生培养成为具有高素质的中医药现代化人才,以承担保障中药质量安全、维护人民群众身体健康的重要社会责任。

Dormancy Characteristics of Malus ‘Snowdrift’ and Effects of Spraying 6-benzyladenine on Its Germination and Flowering in Long-day Treatment

[Objective] The dormancy characteristics of Malus ‘Snowdrift’ in long-day treatment were studied, and 6-BA was used to break the dormancy, with the aim to achieve the purpose of flowering in autumn. [Method] The new shoots of ‘Snowdrift’ in long-day treatment were conducted with hydroponics to investigate their dormancy time. And cytokinin 6-benzyladenine(6-BA)was used to treat the dormant shoots, to investigate the budding, flowering and flower bud differentiation. [Result] The shoots in long-day treatment entered endodormancy after August 7^(th) and the shoots in the natural daylight entered endodormancy before July 18^(th). In long-day treatment, 116 buds, 198 flowers were observed after 6-BA spraying. [Conclusion] The optimum concentration of 6-BA was 300 mg/L. And the flower bud differentiation of ‘Snowdrift’ in long-day treatment was faster than those in natural daylight after 6-BA spraying.

A Survey of Research on Treatment of Pediatric Diarrhea with Massage Ying-Ming

Pediatric diarrhea is a common pediatric disease.Massage has broad application prospects in the treatment of pediatric diarrhea,which is an ideal treatment for pediatric diarrhea.In this paper,the etiology analysis of pediatric diarrhea,classification of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM),massage techniques and other aspects were reviewed.In order to provide reference for the clinical application of pediatric massage in the treatment of diarrhea.

39例肺肉瘤样癌临床病理特征及预后分析

背景与目的肺肉瘤样癌(pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma,PSC)是非小细胞肺癌(non-small cell lung cancer,NSCLC)的罕见类型,具有低发病率、高度恶性、强侵袭性、预后差的特点,当前无标准治疗方案。本研究拟通过收集PSC患者临床病理特征、当前诊治情况并分析预后因素,总结诊治经验,旨在提高临床对PSC的认识。方法回顾性收集2013年12月至2023年12月于北京胸科医院确诊、接受治疗且临床资料完整的39例PSC患者的人口学信息、临床病理特征、肿瘤原发灶-淋巴结-转移(tumor-node-metastasis,TNM)分期和诊疗方案资料,并完成临床预后随访。应用Kaplan-Meier法进行单因素生存分析。结果39例PSC患者年龄范围45-76岁,其中男性35例,女性4例,首诊临床表现缺乏特异性;20例患者接受手术治疗,19例患者行姑息性放化疗或对症支持治疗。患者1、5年生存率分别为61.90%、35.20%。单因素分析结果提示恶性肿瘤家族史、肿瘤部位、TNM分期、淋巴结转移、远处转移、是否手术、手术类型、治疗方案、细胞程序性死亡配体1(programmed cell death ligand 1,PD-L1)蛋白表达≥1%、间质上皮细胞转化因子(mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor,MET)通路异常与患者总生存期(overall survival,OS)有关(P<0.05);多因素分析结果显示,淋巴结转移是患者OS的独立影响因素(P=0.037)。结论PSC临床发病率低,多见于有吸烟史的老年男性。PD-L1蛋白表达≥1%及MET通路异常可提示患者不良预后,淋巴结转移是患者OS的独立危险因素。以手术为主的综合治疗是早期及局部晚期患者的主要治疗模式,靶向治疗和免疫治疗的临床应用价值有待进一步探索。