The relationship between the interactive behavior of industry–university–research subjects and the cooperative innovation performance: The mediating role of knowledge absorptive capacity

IntroductionIndustry–university–research cooperation innovation, which is often characterized by resource complementarity and the sharing technology, has become one of the most preferred innovation cooperation methods for enterprises. However, various problems still occur in the process of industry–university–research cooperations, such as poor innovation performance and difficulty in sustaining cooperation. Existing studies mostly focus on the macroscopic perspectives of geographic location, cooperation scale, concentration, and diversification of industry–university–research cooperation subjects, and fail to explore the microscopic behavioral mechanisms.MethodsTherefore, this paper establishes the interactive behavior of industry–university–research subjects and defines its concepts and dimensions in an attempt to provide a mechanism for improving the cooperative innovation performance of industry–university–research from the micro-behavioral perspective. On the basis of theoretical analysis, this paper develops a model of the relationship between cooperative trust, cooperative communication, and cooperative innovation performance for interactive behavior, while exploring the mediating role of knowledge absorptive capacity. The model was validated by stepwise regression using data from 325 questionnaires.ResultsThe paper found that cooperative trust and cooperative communication in the cooperative interactive behavior of industry–university–research positively contribute to the improvement of cooperative innovation performance. Knowledge absorptive capacity plays a partially mediating role between the interactive behaviors and cooperative innovation performance. More specifically, knowledge absorptive capacity partially mediates cooperative communication in cooperative innovation performance and completely mediates cooperative trust in cooperative innovation performance. The results are largely consistent with the results of the heterogeneity analysis of the sample.DiscussionThis paper not only explains why the cooperative innovation performance of industry–university–research is poor from the perspective of interactive behavior, but also enriches the research perspective of industry–university–research and provides theoretical support for enterprises to optimize the relationship between industry, university, and research institutes

Safety and effects of a home-based Tai Chi exercise rehabilitation program in patients with chronic heart failure: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

IntroductionChronic heart failure (CHF), as the final stage of the progression of many cardiovascular disorders, is one of the main causes of hospitalization and death in the elderly and has a substantial impact on patients' quality of life (QOL). Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation (CR) has been shown to considerably enhance QOL and prognosis. Given the barriers to center-based CR faced by most developing countries in the form of expensive instruments, the development of home-based CR is necessary. Tai Chi, as an instrument-free exercise, has been shown to be successful in treating elderly CHF individuals. Fu Yang, as one of the academic concept of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), believes that the fundamental pathogenesis of CHF is the gradual decline of Yang, and emphasizes the restoration of Yang physiological function in the treatment process. Therefore, we develope a home-based Tai Chi exercise rehabilitation program called Fu Yang Tai Chi (FYTC) for elderly CHF patients by combining the Fu Yang Theory of TCM with the CR theory. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness, acceptability, and safety of the program.Methods and analysisWe suggest conducting a parallel randomized controlled clinical trial with open label. Eighty CHF elderly participants will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to the FYTC rehabilitation program group or the moderate-intensity aerobic walking control group. Eligible participants will engage in either three sessions weekly of FYTC or walking exercise for 12 weeks. The primary outcome is the relative change in 6 min walk distance (6MWD). The secondary outcomes are the plasma levels of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), QOL, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDd), self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) and depression scale (SDS), exercise skills, and noninvasive hemodynamic monitoring. Throughout the trial, adverse events will be recorded for safety evaluation. Researchers who are blinded to the treatment allocation will analyze the data.Ethics and disseminationThis research was authorized by the Guang'anmen Hospital Ethics Committee of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2022-141-KY). Our findings will be shared online and in academic conferences as well as in peer-reviewed journals. Trial registration numberChiCTR2200063511

Toxicologic effects of gold nanoparticles in vivo by different administration routes

Gold nanoparticles have potential applications in biomedicine, but one of the important concerns is about their safety. Most toxicology data are derived from in vitro studies and may not reflect in vivo responses. Here, an animal toxicity study of 13.5 nm gold nanoparticles in mice is presented. Animal survival, weight, hematology, morphology, and organ index are characterized at different concentrations (137.5–2200 μg/kg) over 14–28 days. The results show that low concentrations of gold nanoparticles do not cause an obvious decrease in body weight or appreciable toxicity, even after their breakdown in vivo. High concentrations of gold nanoparticles induced decreases in body weight, red blood cells, and hematocrit. It was also found that gold nanoparticles administered orally caused significant decreases in body weight, spleen index, and red blood cells. Of the three administration routes, the oral and intraperitoneal routes showed the highest toxicity, and the tail vein injection showed the lowest toxicity. Combining the results of all of these studies, we suggest that targeted gold nanopartices by tail vein injection may be suitable for enhancement of radiotherapy, photothermal therapy, and related medical diagnostic procedures

Evaluating the efficiency of a nomogram based on the data of neurosurgical intensive care unit patients to predict pulmonary infection of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii

BackgroundPulmonary infection caused by multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (MDR-AB) is a common and serious complication after brain injury. There are no definitive methods for its prediction and it is usually accompanied by a poor prognosis. This study aimed to construct and evaluate a nomogram based on patient data from the neurosurgical intensive care unit (NSICU) to predict the probability of MDR-AB pulmonary infection.MethodsIn this study, we retrospectively collected patient clinical profiles, early laboratory test results, and doctors’ prescriptions (66 variables). Univariate and backward stepwise regression analyses were used to screen the variables to identify predictors, and a nomogram was built in the primary cohort based on the results of a logistic regression model. Discriminatory validity, calibration validity, and clinical utility were evaluated using validation cohort 1 based on receiver operating characteristic curves, calibration curves, and decision curve analysis (DCA). For external validation based on predictors, we prospectively collected information from patients as validation cohort 2.ResultsAmong 2115 patients admitted to the NSICU between December 1, 2019, and December 31, 2021, 217 were eligible for the study, including 102 patients with MDR-AB infections (102 cases) and 115 patients with other bacterial infections (115 cases). We randomly categorized the patients into the primary cohort (70%, N=152) and validation cohort 1 (30%, N=65). Validation cohort 2 consisted of 24 patients admitted to the NSICU between January 1, 2022, and March 31, 2022, whose clinical information was prospectively collected according to predictors. The nomogram, consisting of only six predictors (age, NSICU stay, Glasgow Coma Scale, meropenem, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio, platelet to lymphocyte ratio), had significantly high sensitivity and specificity (primary cohort AUC=0.913, validation cohort 1 AUC=0.830, validation cohort 2 AUC=0.889) for early identification of infection and had great calibration (validation cohort 1,2 P=0.3801, 0.6274). DCA confirmed that the nomogram is clinically useful.ConclusionOur nomogram could help clinicians make early predictions regarding the onset of pulmonary infection caused by MDR-AB and implement targeted interventions

Healthy CD4+ T lymphocytes are not affected by targeted therapies against the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia

An attractive molecular target for novel anti-cancer therapies is the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway which is commonly deregulated in many types of cancer. Nevertheless, the effects of PI3K/Akt/mTOR inhibitors on T lymphocytes, a key component of immune responses, have been seldom explored. In this study we investigated the effects on human CD4+ T-cells of a panel of PI3K/Akt/mTOR inhibitors: BGT226, Torin-2, MK2206, and ZSTK474. We also assessed their efficacy against two acute leukemia T cell lines. T lymphocytes were stimulated with phytohemagglutinin. Inhibitor effects on cell cycle and apoptosis were analyzed by flow cytometry, while cytotoxicity was assessed by MTT assays. In addition, the activation status of the pathway as well as induction of autophagy were analyzed by Western blotting. Quiescent healthy T lymphocytes were unaffected by the drugs whereas mitogenstimulated lymphocytes as well as leukemic cell lines displayed a cell cycle block, caspase-dependent apoptosis, and dephosphorylation of key components of the signaling pathway. Autophagy was also induced in proliferating lymphocytes and in JURKAT and MOLT-4 cell lines. When autophagy was inhibited by 3-methyladenine or Bafilomycin A1, drug cytotoxicity was increased, indicating that autophagy is a protective mechanism. Therefore, our findings suggest that PI3K/Akt/mTOR inhibitors preserve lymphocyte viability. This is a valuable result to be taken into account when selecting drugs for targeted cancer therapy in order to minimize detrimental effects on immune function

Liddle syndrome misdiagnosed as primary aldosteronism resulting from a novel frameshift mutation of SCNN1B

Liddle syndrome (LS), a monogenetic autosomal dominant disorder, is mainly characterized by early-onset hypertension and hypokalemia. Clinically, misdiagnosis or missing diagnosis is common, since clinical phenotypes of LS are variable and nonspecific. We report a family with misdiagnosis of primary aldosteronism (PA), but identify as LS with a pathogenic frameshift mutation of the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) β subunit. DNA samples were collected from a 32-year-old proband and 31 other relatives in the same family. A designed panel including 41 genes associated with monogenic hypertension was screened using next-generation sequencing. The best candidate disease-causing variants were verified by Sanger sequencing. Genetic analysis of the proband revealed a novel frameshift mutation c.1838delC (p.Pro613Glnfs*675) in exon 13 of SCNN1B. This heterozygous mutation involved the deletion of a cytosine from a string of three consecutive cytosines located at codons 612 to 613 and resulted in deletion of the crucial PY motif and elongation of the β-ENaC protein. The identical mutation was also found in 12 affected family members. Amiloride was effective in alleviating LS for patients. There were no SCNN1A or SCNN1G mutations in this family. Our study emphasizes the importance of considering LS in the differential diagnosis of early-onset hypertension. The identification of a novel frameshift mutation of SCNN1B enriches the genetic spectrum of LS and has allowed treatment of this affected family to prevent severe complications

Tribofilms on CoCrMo alloys: Understanding the role of the lubricant

The tribological activation of a passive metal alloy in an aqueous biological environment have been highlighted by many researchers; better known as bio-tribocorrosion. Tribocorrosion processes, which can be found at a number of metal-based biomedical implant interfaces, can be affected by lubricant species such as proteins, amino acids and salts. To date, researchers have quantified how the presence of organic species and the environment affect the tribological and corrosion process. However, the nature of the bio-films is still broadly to be explored. This study aims to understand how the lubricant - surface interactions influence the evolving frictional, corrosion and material volume loss from CoCrMo alloys and how the formation of any tribo-film at the interface may influence the aforementioned processes. This current research uses reciprocating tribocorrosion tests of CoCrMo surfaces in saline, protein, and protein-free cell culture medium lubricants (0.9% NaCl, 25% Foetal Bovine Serum (FBS) diluted in Phosphate Buffered Saline (PBS), Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM) and 25% FBS in DMEM solutions). Results show the addition of organic constituents give a better tribology and corrosion performances. XPS confirmed that chemical reactions happened on the tested surfaces. Calcium, phosphorus and sulphur are shown to be catalysed to react in tribology-induced processes and have important roles in tribocorrosion. These results contribute to the understanding of protein-metal interactions occurring in tribofilm formation on wearing surfaces