Trace and evaluation systems for health services quality in rural and remote areas: a systematic review

Aim

To provide a systematic review of the existing theory, framework, systems and instruments for tracing and evaluating quality in rural health services.

Subjects and methods

We searched six electronic databases up to March 2016. Observational studies of quality assessment of rural health services using theoretical models were included. Ekman’s scale was used to evaluate the quality of the included studies.

Results

A total of 18 studies, published between 2001 and 2015, met the inclusion criteria. The corresponding authors for most of them (7, 44%) are from Chinese institutions and three (3, 17%) from Australian institutions. Five studies (28%) focused on township hospitals. Primary health care quality was reported in five studies (28%), followed by clinical service in four (22%). More than half of the studies (61%) were considered of high quality, and the remainder was of moderate quality. These studies applied 16 theoretical systems, including the model/pattern (4, 25%), method/tool (7, 44%) and framework of the theory (5, 31%). Most of the theoretical models (14, 88%) obtained positive observations. In addition, the conceptual model (6, 36%) and TOPSIS method (2, 13%) were more frequently reported.

Conclusion

Although most of the current studies were considered to have high-quality and positive results, there were limitations in the number of publications and research on theoretical systems. The lacks of unified standards and comprehensive evaluation are important issues that need to be pointed out and resolved.

     

Comparative Study of Metal Accumulation in Three Fish Species (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Silurus asotus,Cyprinus carpio</Emphasis>, and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Carassius auratus auratus</Emphasis>) from the Jinsha and Tuo Rivers Located Upstream of the Yangtze River,China

Poland is one of the countries distinguished by a long and colorful past. Undergoing numerous turbulent socio-economic changes forced by the course of history, Poland is now one of the member states of the European Union. Experiencing low water quantity and high contamination levels in surface waters, Poland is following other EU countries in the effort to reach a “good” water status. Herein are presented impacts of changes in Polish history on water legislation, management, and research, as well as explanations for the perceptible split between engineering and scientific approaches to the aquatic issues. Drawbacks caused by unsatisfactory state research funding for the sciences and division of the water related contemporary scientific interests are also discussed.     

谷氨酰胺联合益生菌治疗失代偿肝硬化患者的临床研究

目的观察谷氨酰胺联合益生菌对失代偿肝硬化患者的疗效与安全性。方法收集本院失代偿肝硬化患者78例,随机分为2组,每组39例:对照组用常规治疗;在常规治疗的基础上,试验组用谷氨酰胺联合益生菌治疗,复方谷氨酰胺肠溶胶囊,每次750 mg;枯草杆菌二联活菌肠溶胶囊口服,每次250 mg,两药均每天3次,连用4周。治疗前后,测定2组的肠黏膜通透性指标、肝功能指标、疗效和药物不良反应(ADR)发生率。结果治疗后,试验组与对照组的尿乳果糖/甘露醇比值分别是0.09±0.06,0.12±0.08,这2组的血清白细胞介素-8水平分别是(15.02±3.69),(18.45±4.10)ng·L^-1,这2组的血清谷丙转氨酶水平分别是(24.61±14.29),(36.82±15.67)U·L^-1,上述3个指标在组间比较差异均有统计学意义(均P<0.05)。对照组和试验组的改善率分别为71.80%,92.31%,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。对照组和试验组的ADR发生率分别为15.38%(6例/39例),20.51%(8例/39例),组间比较差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。结论谷氨酰胺联合益生菌对失代偿肝硬化患者的治疗效果确切,有助于降低肠黏膜通透性和提高肝功能;且不增加ADR发生率。     

铜绿假单胞菌的群体感应系统及其抑制剂研究进展

群体感应系统(quorum sensing system, QS)是一种微生物细胞与细胞间的交流系统。铜绿假单胞菌是该系统的典型代表,可调控细菌产生对抗生素的耐药、形成生物膜、产生毒力因子,并且减弱宿主的免疫应答。群体感应系统抑制剂(quorum sensing inhibitors, QSIs)在不影响细菌生长的前提下可降低细菌的毒性,且增强细菌生物膜对抗生素治疗的敏感性,这些特点使QSIs成为目前抗感染领域的研发热点。本文就铜绿假单胞菌的群体感应系统及QSIs的研究进展进行了综述。     

Protective effect of MOTILIPERM in varicocele-induced oxidative injury in rat testis by activating phosphorylated inositol requiring kinase 1α (p-IRE1α) and phosphorylated c-Jun N-terminal kinase (p-JNK) pathways

Context: MOTILIPERM was prepared as a mixture of extracts of three medicinal herbs [roots of Morinda officinalis How (Rubiaceae), outer scales of Allium cepa L. (Liliaceae) and seeds of Cuscuta chinensis Lamark (Convolvulaceae)].

Objective: To investigate the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS)-based endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in a rat model of varicocele and the therapeutic efficacy of MOTILIPERM in this model.

Materials and methods: Sixty male rats were divided into five experimental groups: a normal control group (CTR?+?vehicle), a control group administered MOTILIPERM 200?mg/kg (CTR?+?M 200), a varicocele-induced control group (VC?+?vehicle) and two varicocele-induced groups administered MOTILIPERM 100 (VC?+?M 100) or 200 (VC?+?M 200) mg/kg for 4 weeks. Testis weights were recorded and serums were assayed for hormone concentrations. Tissues were subjected to semen analysis, histopathology, analyses of ER response protein expression levels and oxidative stress were assessed by measuring ROS, reactive nitrogen species (RNS), malondialdehyde (MDA) level and ratios of total glutathione (GSH)/oxidized GSH (GSSG).

Results: MOTILIPERM treatment of varicocele-induced groups significantly increased left testis weight, testosterone level, sperm motility, count and spermatogenic cell density. ER-response protein expression levels were dose-dependently decreased in VC?+?M 200 group compared with VC?+?vehicle group. MOTILIPERM treatment also decreased MDA and ROS/RNS level but increased GSH/GSSG ratio.

Discussion and conclusions: This study suggests that ROS-related ER stress may play a major role in varicocele-induced infertility and MOTILIPERM, a novel compound targeting ROS-based ER stress, may be therapeutically useful in treatment of varicocele, or as a supplement for the treatment of infertility.     

Pulmonary delivery of polyplexes for combined PAI-1 gene silencing and CXCR4 inhibition to treat lung fibrosis

This report describes the development of polyplexes based on CXCR4-inhibiting poly(ethylenimine) derivative (PEI-C) for pulmonary delivery of siRNA to silence plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (siPAI-1) as a new combination treatment of pulmonary fibrosis (PF). Safety and delivery efficacy of the PEI-C/siPAI-1 polyplexes was investigated in vitro in primary lung fibroblasts isolated from mice with bleomycin-induced PF. Biodistribution analysis following intratracheal administration of fluorescently labeled polyplexes showed prolonged retention in the lungs. Treatment of mice with bleomycin-induced PF using the PEI-C/siPAI-1 polyplexes resulted in a significant down-regulation of the PAI-1 expression and decreased collagen deposition in the lung. The results of this study provide first evidence of the potential benefits of combined inhibition of CXCR4 and PAI-1 in the pulmonary treatment of PF.     

In vivo near infrared fluorescence imaging and dynamic quantification of pancreatic metastatic tumors using folic acid conjugated biodegradable mesoporous silica nanoparticles

Cancer metastasis is one of the biggest challenges in cancer treatments since it increases the likelihood that a patient will die from the disease. Therefore, the availability of techniques for the early detection and quantification of tumors is very important. We have prepared cyanine 7.5 NHS ester (Cy_7.5) and folic acid (FA) conjugated biodegradable mesoporous silica nanoparticles (bMSN@Cy_7.5-FA NPs) (~100 nm) for visualizing tumors in vivo. The fluorescence spectra revealed that the emission peak of bMSN@Cy_7.5-FA NPs had a red-shift of 1 nm. Confocal immunofluorescent images showed that bMSN@Cy_7.5-FA NPs had an excellent targeting ability for visualizing cancer cells. In vivo fluorescence imaging has been conducted using an orthotopic model for pancreatic cancer within 48 h, and the fluorescence intensity reached a maximum at a post injection time-point of 12 h, which demonstrated that the use of bMSN@Cy_7.5-FA NPs provides an excellent imaging platform for tumor precision therapy in mice.