OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficacy of autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) gel in the treatment of refractory pressure injuries and its effect on wound healing time and quality of life of patients. METHODS: A random number table method was used to group 102 patients with refractory pressure injuries into either a control group (CG) (51 cases) receiving negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) or a study group (SG) (51 cases) receiving NPWT+PRP gel. RESULTS: The total efficacy rate in the SG (92.16%) was higher than that in the CG (76.47%) (p<0.05). The SG exhibited lower visual analog scale (VAS) scores and pressure ulcer scale for healing (PUSH) scores, smaller wound sizes and depths, and shorter wound healing times than the CG after 21 days of treatment (p<0.05). After 6 months of treatment, the SG scored higher than the CG on the psychological, physiological, social functions, and daily activity domains on the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF) scale (p<0.05). The incidence of postoperative complications in the SG (13.73%) was not significantly different from that of the CG (7.84%) (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: In the treatment of refractory pressure injuries, PRP gel can accelerate wound healing, reduce wound pain, shorten the treatment cycle, regulate tissue inhibitor matrix metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) levels and the expression of specific proteins in granulation tissue, reduce the levels of the inflammatory factors interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and improve the quality of life of patients without increasing complications.

Cuscuta chinensis Lam. (Convolvulaceae) is an important herbal medicine widely used to improve sexual function, treat osteoporosis, and prevent aging, and has been reported to exhibit anti-osteoporotic effects in vitro. However, the activity of Cuscuta chinensis Lam. on glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis still remains unclear. The present study aimed to assess the protective effect and the underlying mechanism of action of Cuscuta chinensis extract (CCE) against glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis in vivo. Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups as follows: control group, osteoporosis group, and 2 CCE-treated osteoporosis groups (100 mg·kg-1·day-1). Blood samples and femur bones were collected for immunohistochemistry, biochemical, mRNA expression, and western blot analysis. HPLC analysis revealed that chlorogenic acid, quercetin, and hyperin were the major constituents of CCE. The results indicated that CCE increased bone length, bone weight, and bone mineral density and suppressed dexamethasone (DEX)-induced reduction in body weight. In addition, TRAP staining indicated that CCE reduced osteoclasts in DEX-induced osteoporosis rats. Mechanistically, CCE treatment alleviated the increase of bone resorption markers and the decline of osteogenic markers, which might be partially mediated by regulation of RANKL/OPG and RunX2 pathways. These results suggest that CCE showed promising effects in the protection against glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis through protecting osteoblasts and suppressing osteoclastogenesis.

Abstract This paper provides a simplified life cycle based assessment for a local branded pure milk product, to measure its related carbon footprint, including production of raw milk, dairy processing, transportation of milk product and disposal of packaging waste. The results show that the total carbon footprint of the pure milk is 1120g CO2/L. The production of raw milk is identified as the major contributor to the carbon footprint. This contribution has amounted to 843 g of CO2 per liter of pure milk, accounted for 75.27% of the total carbon footprint. The carbon footprint of product transportation is 38 g of CO2 per liter, which accounts for 3.39% of the total. The carbon footprint related to the dairy processing and disposal of waste packaging is 173 g of CO2 per liter and 66 g of CO2 per liter, accounting for 15.45% and 5.89% of the total, respectively. The carbon footprint assessment intends to help dairy enterprises identify the intensive sectors of carbon emissions, and provides insight into improvement of product environmental performances.

Abstract In order to obtain a more stable and reusable immobilized spore laccase for dye decolorization, the spores from Bacillus pumilus W3 were immobilized on diethylaminoethyl cellulose (DEAE-cellulose). Free and immobilized spore laccase retained 34.38% and 46.11% of their initial activity, respectively, after 10 days incubation at pH 9.0. Their residual activity remained at 27.36% and 31.84% after 10 h incubation at 70 ºC. Immobilized spore laccase was more stable than free spore laccase in the presence of most organic solvents, metal ions and inhibitors. The tested dyes, including methyl green, methyl red and acid red 1, were removed 86.82%, 78.14% and 88.60%, respectively, by immobilized spore laccase after 24 h at 37 ºC, and 74.34% of initial decolorization activity after 7 cycles was retained when it decolorized acid red 1. These properties indicated that immobilized spore laccase may be useful in textile effluent treatment.

A series of Co3O4-CeO2 supports with different Co/Ce ratio have been synthesized by using polyethyleneglycol (PEG) as a surfactant. The catalytic performance tests indicated the activity of the catalysts is better than the corresponding support. In addition, CuO/(0.7)Co3O4-CeO2 displayed the best activity with 100% CO conversion and 93% O2 selectivity at 120 °C. Furthermore, the stability test of CuO/(0.7)Co3O4-CeO2 expressed the activity can be retained at 80% for 80h at 100 °C. Catalysts and supports were characterized by BET, XRD, TPR and TPD techniques. Discussion of the results showed that the strongest lattice distortion and the best reducibility of Co3O4-CeO2 supports were both negative factors for the catalytic activity. More precisely, an appropriate Co/Ce ratio can restrain the stronger interaction between cobalt oxide and ceria to promote the formation of reducible copper species.

The CeO2-MnOx mixed oxides were prepared by deposition-precipitation (DP) and surfactant-templated (CB) methods, and then used as the support of CuO/ CeO2-MnOx catalysts. The samples were characterized by means of XRD, BET, H2-TPR, CO-TPD and XPS. Results show that preparation methods of CeO2-MnOx support have a direct effect on the physicochemical properties and catalytic activities of CuO/CeO2-MnOx catalysts for the CO preferential oxidation in H2-rich gases(CO PROX). CuO/CeO2-MnOx (CB) catalyst exhibits higher CO conversion and stability in H2-rich gases than CuO/CeO2-MnOx (DP), with 100% conversion of CO at 140 °C after a temperature cycle, which indicates that CeO2-MnOx (CB) as support of CuO based catalyst is more useful for CO PROX reaction than CeO2-MnOx (DP). Compared with CuO/CeO2-MnOx (DP), there are richer oxygen vacancies and more Mn4+ species on the surface of CuO/CeO2-MnOx (CB), and stronger interaction between CeO2 and MnOx in it. More amounts of active copper species and complicated transfer of electrons density on CuO/CeO2-MnOx (CB) also favour the activity of the catalyst.