Influence of the Pre-shock State on the Prognosis of Medical Patients with Sepsis: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Objective: To investigate the effects of the pre-shock state on the mortality of patients with sepsis.

Methods: We enrolled patients with sepsis admitted to the medical intensive care unit of a tertiary care university hospital. These patients were then classified into three groups: sepsis, pre-shock state, and septic shock.

Research progress of CO oxidative dehydrogenation of propane to propylene over Cr-free metal catalysts.

CO-assisted oxidative dehydrogenation of propane (CO-ODHP) is an attractive strategy to offset the demand gap of propylene due to its potentiality of reducing CO emissions, especially under the demands of peaking CO emissions and carbon neutrality. The introduction of CO as a soft oxidant into the reaction not only averts the over-oxidation of products, but also maintains the high oxidation state of the redox-active sites. Furthermore, the presence of CO increases the conversion of propane by coupling the dehydrogenation of propane (DHP) with the reverse water gas reaction (RWGS) and inhibits the coking formation to prolong the lifetime of catalysts via the reverse Boudouard reaction.

Untreated Prior Pulmonary Tuberculosis Adversely Affects Pregnancy Outcomes in Infertile Women Undergoing Fertilization and Embryo Transfer: A Large Retrospective Cohort Study.

Objective: Prior pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) on chest X-ray (CXR) was commonly found in infertile patients receiving examinations before fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET). It was unclear whether untreated PTB would affect pregnancy outcomes after IVF-ET.

Method: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 14,254 infertile patients who had received IVF-ET at Peking University Third Hospital in 2017.

Imbalance of osteoprotegerin/receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand and oxidative stress in patients with obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome.

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is associated with a higher prevalence of osteoporosis. However, the underlying mechanisms linking OSAHS with bone loss are still unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the changes of receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL, an osteoclastogenesis-promoting factor) and osteoprotegerin (OPG, the decoy receptor for RANKL), oxidative stress and bone metabolism markers in OSAHS, in order to understand the potential mechanisms underlying bone loss in OSAHS patients.

Peripheral Tc17 and Tc17/Interferon-γ Cells are Increased and Associated with Lung Function in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by progressive loss of lung function and local and systemic inflammation, in which CD8+ T-cells are believed to play a key role. Activated CD8+ T-cells differentiate into distinct subpopulations, including interferon-γ (IFN-γ)-producing Tc1 and interleukin (IL)-17-producing Tc17 cells. Recent evidence indicates that Tc17 cells exhibit considerable plasticity and may convert into IL-17/IFN-γ-double producing (Tc17/IFN-γ) cells when driven by inflammatory conditions.

[Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: report of 3 cases].

Objective: To improve the clinical knowledge on allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) combined with COPD by report of cases.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical information of 3 cases of ABPA combined with COPD diagnosed in our hospital from Jan. 2009 to Dec.

[IgG4-related lung disease: a case report and review of the literature].

Objective: To describe the clinical features of IgG4-related lung disease.

Method: The clinical symptoms, laboratory tests, radiographic patterns, histopathological features and therapeutic management of a patient with IgG4-related lung disease were described and the literatures were reviewed.

Results: A 41-year-old male without significant symptoms was admitted to our department because of diffuse opacities on regular X-ray examination.

[A comparative clinical analysis of thoracic sarcoidosis and multi-organ sarcoidosis].

Objective: To investigate the clinical characteristics of thoracic sarcoidosis compared with multi-organ sarcoidosis.

Methods: The clinical data of 24 patients with thoracic sarcoidosis and 29 patients with multi-organ sarcoidosis histologically diagnosed at Beijing Tongren Hospital from 1995 to 2010 were retrospectively analyzed. The demographic data, clinical manifestations, diagnostic procedures, involved organs, serum angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) levels, lung functions, and cellular characteristics of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were compared.

[Sarcoidosis with upper airway involvement as the presenting symptoms: case report and literature review].

Objective: To investigate the clinical characteristics of sarcoidosis with upper airway (including nose/paranasal sinus, pharynx, larynx and middle ear) involvement as the presenting symptoms, and therefore to minimize the misdiagnosis of sarcoidosis with special manifestations.

Methods: Four cases of sarcoidosis with upper airway involvement as the presenting symptoms diagnosed at our hospital were described. The clinical data were analyzed and related literatures were reviewed.

Structural and thermal characterization of hemicelluloses isolated by organic solvents and alkaline solutions from Tamarix austromongolica.

Three organosolv and three alkaline hemicellulosic fractions were prepared from lignocellulosic biomass of the fast-growing shrub Tamarix austromongolica (Tamarix Linn.). Sugar analysis revealed that the organosolv-soluble fractions contained a higher content of glucose (33.

Comparative study of alkali-soluble hemicelluloses isolated from bamboo (Bambusa rigida).

The physicochemical properties and structural characteristics of seven alkali-soluble hemicellulosic preparations were determined. These were extracted from bamboo (Bambusa rigida) with 1M NaOH, KOH, LiOH, NH(3)·H(2)O, (CH(3)CH(2))(3)N, Ca(OH)(2), Ba(OH)(2), respectively, at 50°C for 3h, were comparatively studied. Sugar analysis showed that these hemicelluloses contained d-xylose as the major constituent, along with d-glucose and l-arabinose in noticeable amounts.

Fractional isolation and chemical structure of hemicellulosic polymers obtained from Bambusa rigida species.

Water and aqueous alkali sequential treatments of delignified bamboo particles were performed to extract hemicelluloses with a high yield and weight-average molecular mass (Mw). The sequential treatment together dissolved 42% of hemicelluloses based on dry holocellulose. GPC results showed that the alkali-extractable hemicelluloses have higher Mw (35000 and 44450 g mol(-1)) than water-extractable ones (20100-28100 g mol(-1)).