Role of inflammation and immunity in vascular calcification: a bibliometric and visual analysis, 2000–2022

BackgroundIn recent years, a great deal of research has been done on vascular calcification (VC), and inflammation and immunity have been displayed to play important roles in the mechanism of VC. However, to date, no comprehensive or systematic bibliometric analyses have been conducted on this topic.MethodsArticles and reviews on the roles of inflammation and immunity in VC were obtained from the Web of Science Core Collection on August 5, 2022. Four scientometric software packages—HistCite, CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and R-bibliometrix—were used for the bibliometric and knowledge mapping analyses.ResultsThe obtained 1,868 papers were published in 627 academic journals by 9,595 authors of 2,217 institutions from 69 countries. The annual number of publications showed a clear growth trend. The USA and China were the most productive countries. Karolinska Institutet, Harvard University, and the University of Washington were the most active institutions. Stenvinkel P published the most articles, whereas Demer LL received the most citations. Atherosclerosis published the most papers, while Circulation was the most highly cited journal. The largest cluster among the 22 clusters, based on the analysis of co-citations, was osteo-/chondrogenic transdifferentiation. “Vascular calcification,” “inflammation,” “chronic kidney disease,” and “expression” were the main keywords in the field. The keyword “extracellular vesicle” attracted great attention in recent years with the strongest citation burst.ConclusionsOsteo-/chondrogenic transdifferentiation is the primary research topic in this field. Extracellular vesicles are expected to become a new research focus for exploring the inflammatory and immune mechanisms of VC

Effects of progressive muscle relaxation on anxiety and sleep quality in patients with COVID-19

BACKGROUND: Patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019(COVID-19) will experience high levels of anxiety and low sleep quality due to isolation treatment. Some sleep-improving drugs may inhibit the respiratory system and worsen the condition. Prolonged bedside instruction may increase the risk of medical infections. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of progressive muscle relaxation on anxiety and sleep quality of COVID-19. METHODS: In this randomized controlled clinical trial, a total of 51 patients who entered the isolation ward were included in the study and randomly divided into experimental and control groups. The experimental group used progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) technology for 30 min per day for 5 consecutive days. During this period, the control group received only routine care and treatment. Before and after the intervention, the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Scale (STAI) and Sleep State Self-Rating Scale (SRSS) were used to measure and record patient anxiety and sleep quality. Finally, data analysis was performed using SPSS 25.0 software. RESULTS: The average anxiety score (STAI) before intervention was not statistically significant (P = 0.730), and the average anxiety score after intervention was statistically significant (P < 0.001). The average sleep quality score (SRSS) of the two groups before intervention was not statistically significant (P = 0.838), and it was statistically significant after intervention (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Progressive muscle relaxation as an auxiliary method can reduce anxiety and improve sleep quality in patients with COVID-19

Daphmacromines A–J, Alkaloids from <i>Daphniphyllum macropodum</i>

Ten new yuzurine-type <i>Daphniphyllum</i> alkaloids, daphmacromines A–J (<b>1</b>–<b>10</b>), along with seven known alkaloids were isolated from the leaves and stems of <i>Daphniphyllum macropodum</i>. Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic techniques, including 2D NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry, and the structure of <b>1</b> was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The pesticidal and cytotoxic activities of the isolated alkaloids were evaluated in vitro against brine shrimp (<i>Artemia salina</i>) and five human cancer cell lines (HL-60, SMMC-7721, A-549, MCF-7, and SW480), respectively. This study also suggested structural revisions of oxodaphnigracine, oxodaphnigraciline, and epioxodaphnigraciline

Daphmacromines A–J, Alkaloids from <i>Daphniphyllum macropodum</i>

Ten new yuzurine-type <i>Daphniphyllum</i> alkaloids, daphmacromines A–J (<b>1</b>–<b>10</b>), along with seven known alkaloids were isolated from the leaves and stems of <i>Daphniphyllum macropodum</i>. Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic techniques, including 2D NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry, and the structure of <b>1</b> was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The pesticidal and cytotoxic activities of the isolated alkaloids were evaluated in vitro against brine shrimp (<i>Artemia salina</i>) and five human cancer cell lines (HL-60, SMMC-7721, A-549, MCF-7, and SW480), respectively. This study also suggested structural revisions of oxodaphnigracine, oxodaphnigraciline, and epioxodaphnigraciline