Efficacy and safety of fecal microbiota transplantation for treatment of ulcerative colitis:A post-consensus systematic review and metaanalysis

BACKGROUND Numerous studies have assessed the efficacy and safety of fecal microbiota transplantation(FMT)as a therapy for ulcerative colitis(UC).However,the treatment processes and outcomes of these studies vary.AIM To evaluate the efficacy and safety of FMT for treating UC by conducting a systematic meta-analysis.METHODS The inclusion criteria involved reports of adult patients with UC treated with FMT,while studies that did not report clinical outcomes or that included patients with infection were excluded.Clinical remission(CR)and endoscopic remission(ER)were the primary and secondary outcomes,respectively.RESULTS We included nine studies retrieved from five electronic databases.The FMT group had better CR than the control group[relative risk(RR)=1.53;95%confidence interval(CI):1.19-1.94;P<0.0008].ER was statistically significantly different between the two groups(RR=2.80;95%CI:1.93-4.05;P<0.00001).Adverse events did not differ significantly between the two groups.CONCLUSION FMT demonstrates favorable performance and safety;however,well-designed randomized clinical trials are still needed before the widespread use of FMT can be recommended.Furthermore,standardizing the FMT process is urgently needed for improved safety and efficacy.

Synthesis of kalsilite from microcline powder by an alkali-hydrothermal process

The properties of aluminosilicate kalsilite have attracted the interest of researchers in chemical synthesis, ceramic industry, biofuels, etc. In this study, kalsilite was hydrothermally synthesized from microcline powder in a KOH solution. The microcline powder, rich in potassium, aluminum, and silicon, was collected from Mountain Changling in Northwestem China. The effects of temperature, time, and KOH concentration on the decomposition of microcline were investigated. The kalsilite and intermediate products were characterized by means of wet chemistry analysis, X-ray Diffraction （XRD）, infi＇ared spectrometry （IR）, 29Si magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance （29Si MAS NMR）, 27A1 MAS NMR, and scanning electron microscope （SEM）. With increasing temperature, the microcline powder transforms into a metastable KAlSiO4 polymorph before transforming further into pure kalsilite. A mixture of both kalsilite and metastable KAlSiO4 polymorph is obtained when the hydrothermal reaction is carried out within 2 h; but after 2 h, kalsilite is the predominant product. The concentration of KOH, which needs to be larger than 4.3 M, is an important parameter influencing the synthesis ofkalsilite.

Improving job satisfaction of Chinese nurses: the positive effects of structural empowerment and psychological capital

Objectives:This study examined the influence of Chinese nurses’personal resources(psychological capital)and access to workplace resources(structural empowerment)on their job satisfaction.Method:A cross-sectional study was designed during the period of January to April 2018.An anonymous questionnaire containing demographic characteristics sheet,Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire,Conditions for Work Effectiveness Questionnaire-II and psychological capital(PsyCap)was issued to 480 registered nurses in Tianjin,China.A total of 462 respondents became our subjects.Hierarchical regression was performed to explore the factors associated with job satisfaction.Results:The average Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire score was 65.68±12.35 in our study population.Hierarchical regression analysis showed that structural empowerment(β=0.421,P<0.01),PsyCap(β=0.227,P<0.01) and educational level(β=0.061,P<0.05) were positively associated with job satisfaction.Conclusion:The job satisfaction of Chinese nurses was at a moderate level.Structural empowerment was the most crucial predictor of job satisfaction,followed by PsyCap.Therefore,nursing administrators should take measures such as building an authorized work environment and improving nurses’PsyCap in order to promote job satisfaction among Chinese nurses.

Three new pyrrolizidine alkaloids derivatives from Liparis nervosa

Three new pyrrolizidine alkaloids, nervosineⅦ（1）, nervosine Ⅷ（2） and nervosine IX （3） were isolated from the whole plant extract of Liparis nervosa. Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analyses （including 1 D, 2D NMR, and HR-ESI-MS） and chemical methods. Compounds 1-3 were evaluated for their cytotoxic activity against A549, MCF-7and H460 human cancer cell lines.