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Renal interstitial fibrosis is the common pathological process of various chronic kidney diseases to end-stage renal disease. Inhibition of fibroblast activation attenuates renal interstitial fibrosis. Our previous studies show that poricoic acid A (PAA) isolated from Poria cocos is a potent anti-fibrotic agent. In the present study we investigated the effects of PAA on renal fibroblast activation and interstitial fibrosis and the underlying mechanisms. Renal interstitial fibrosis was induced in rats or mice by unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO). UUO rats were administered PAA (10 mg·kg−1·d−1, i.g.) for 1 or 2 weeks. An in vitro model of renal fibrosis was established in normal renal kidney fibroblasts (NRK-49F cells) treated with TGF-β1. We showed that PAA treatment rescued Sirt3 expression, and significantly attenuated renal fibroblast activation and interstitial fibrosis in both the in vivo and in vitro models. In TGF-β1-treated NRK-49F cells, we demonstrated that Sirt3 deacetylated β-catenin (a key transcription factor of fibroblast activation) and then accelerated its ubiquitin-dependent degradation, thus suppressing the protein expression and promoter activity of pro-fibrotic downstream target genes (twist, snail1, MMP-7 and PAI-1) to alleviate fibroblast activation; the lysine-49 (K49) of β-catenin was responsible for Sirt3-mediated β-catenin deacetylation. In molecular docking analysis, we found the potential interaction of Sirt3 and PAA. In both in vivo and in vitro models, pharmacological activation of Sirt3 by PAA significantly suppressed renal fibroblast activation via facilitating β-catenin K49 deacetylation. In UUO mice and NRK-49F cells, Sirt3 overexpression enhanced the anti-fibrotic effect of PAA, whereas Sirt3 knockdown weakened the effect. Taken together, PAA attenuates renal fibroblast activation and interstitial fibrosis by upregulating Sirt3 and inducing β-catenin K49 deacetylation, highlighting Sirt3 functions as a promising therapeutic target of renal fibroblast activation and interstitial fibrosis.

Objective To investigate the immunomodulatory activity of polysaccharides from the roots of Brassica rapa. Methods The crude polysaccharide from roots of B. rapa (BRP) was extracted and purified to further investigate the active fraction of BRT for inducing macrophage phagocytosis. Results Effects on RAW264.7 cells demonstrated that BRP behaved better phagocytic capacity and had potent immunomodulatory activity, including increasing production of nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) and upregulating mRNA levels of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and TNFα. Furthermore, modulation of macrophage by BRP was indicated to be mediated via the activation of Akt and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB). Conclusion The beneficial effects of BRP could be used as an immunotherapeutic adjuvant in treatment of inflammatory diseases.

Two new dihydro

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) combined with the levonorgestrel intrauterine system (LNG-IUS) for adenomyosis.We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CNKI, SinoMed, Wanfang, and VIP databases from their inception to Nov 20, 2021 for relevant articles that compared HIFU combined with LNG-IUS vs. HIFU alone in patients with adenomyosis. RevMan5.4 software was used for the data analysis. The primary outcome was changes in volume of the uterine. Secondary outcomes included visual analog scale (VAS) scores for dysmenorrhea, serum CA125 level, recurrence rate, changes in volume of the adenomyotic lesion, menstrual volume scores, and adverse reactions. Data synthesis was conducted using a random-effects model with significant heterogeneity (IThe final analysis included 13 studies, with a total of 1861 patients. Results of analysis revealed that there was no significant difference in uterine volume reduction between the HIFU control group and the HIFU/LNG-IUS group at 3 months after procedure (MD:30.63). Compared with the HIFU control group, the HIFU/LNG-IUS group had more pronounced reduction in uterine volume at 6 (MD:29.04) and 12 months (MD:22.10) after procedure. The HIFU/LNG-IUS group has lower VAS scores for dysmenorrhea than the HIFU control group at 3 (MD:1.68), 6 (MD:1.69), and 12 months (MD:1.30) after procedure. Serum CA125 level in the HIFU/LNG-IUS group decreased more significantly than the HIFU control group at 6 (MD:18.34) and 12 months (MD:18.49) after procedure. The recurrence rate in the HIFU/LNG-IUS group was lower than that in the HIFU control group (RR:0.20).Compared to HIFU control group, HIFU/LNG-IUS group for the management of adenomyosis had more advantages in alleviating symptoms and decreasing the volumes of the uterine and adenomyotic lesions. However, since the number of the included studies was too small and some of them were not RCT, this conclusion needs to be referenced with caution.

This study aims to explore the soil fertility in the main Artemisia argyi planting areas in Qichun county.To be specific, the soil physical and chemical properties in the main planting areas of A.argyi in Qichun county were analyzed.On this basis, 12 indexes were selected for principal component analysis(PCA) which was then combined with the norm value of each index and the correlation coefficients between the indexes to establish the minimum data set(MDS).The radar map was plotted to directly demonstrate the level of each index and the comprehensive level of the sampling sites.The comprehensive index model was used to calculate the soil fertility quality index(SFQI) of the total data set(TDS) and MDS(SFQI-TDS and SFQI-MDS, respectively), and linear regression of the two was performed.The results showed that the indexes that made up the MDS for soil fertility evaluation were pH, available potas-sium, available iron, available zinc, available manganese, available copper, and available magnesium.The radar map suggested the greatest difference in soil organic matter and smallest difference in available nitrogen among the 14 sampling sites.Moreover, the overall content of available phosphorus and available iron was high, while that of available nitrogen was the lowest.The SFQI-MDS which was yielded based on the weight of each index in MDS calculated with the norm value was more sensitive and the SFQI had stronger correlation with TDS-SFQI, which can better represent TDS-SFQI.SFQI-MDS was in the range of 0.298-0.784, with the average of 0.565 and variation coefficient of 18.38%.Caohe Town had the highest average SFQI-MDS.Clustering of SFQI-MDS value suggested that the soil fertility can be classified into 4 levels: level Ⅰ(SFQI ≥ 0.677) indicated excellent soil fertility, which accounted for 11.24%(mainly in Qingshi town, Balihu, and Zhangbang town); level Ⅱ(0.571≤SFQI≤0.680) meant good fertility, which made up 43.82%(mainly in Caohe town, Hengche town, and Pengsi town); level Ⅲ(0.466≤SFQI≤0.557) indicated average fertility, which took up 32.58%(mainly in Chidong town and Zhulin town); level Ⅳ(SFQI≤0.421) suggested poor fertility, which accounted for 12.36%(mainly in Guanyao town).It is recommended that nitrogen, potassium, magnesium, and calcium fertilizers should be increased and organic ferti-lizer should be applied for the cultivation of A.argyi in Qichun county to improve soil fertility and soil physical and chemical properties.

Electroacupuncture (EA) is considered to have a therapeutic effect in the relief of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)-associated visceral hypersensitivity via the reduction of the level of 5‐hydroxytryptamine (5‐HT) and 5-HT3 receptors (5-HT3R). However, whether Epac1/Piezo2, as the upstream of 5-HT, is involved in this process remains unclear. We investigated whether EA at the ST36 and ST37 acupoints alleviated visceral and somatic hypersensitivity in a post-inflammatory IBS (PI-IBS) model mice via the Epac1-Piezo2 axis. In this study, we used 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced PI-IBS as a mouse model. Visceral sensitivity was assessed by the abdominal withdrawal reflex test. Somatic sensitivity was evaluated by the hind paw withdrawal threshold. Quantitative real-time PCR, immunofluorescence staining, ELISA, and Western blotting were performed to examine the expressions of Epac1, Piezo2, 5-HT, and 5-HT3R from the mouse distal colon/L5–S2 dorsal root ganglia (DRG). Our results showed that EA improved the increased visceral sensation and peripheral mechanical hyperalgesia in PI-IBS model mice, and the effects of EA were superior to the sham EA. EA significantly decreased the protein and mRNA levels of Epac1 and Piezo2, and reduced 5-HT and 5-HT3R expressions in the distal colon. Knockdown of colonic Piezo2 eliminated the effect of EA on somatic hypersensitivity. Combined knockdown of colonic Epac1 and Piezo2 synergized with EA in relieving visceral hypersensitivity and blocked the effect of EA on somatic hypersensitivity. Additionally, protein levels of Epac1 and Piezo2 were also found to be decreased in the L5–S2 DRGs after EA treatment. Taken together, our study suggested that EA at ST36 and ST37 can alleviate visceral and somatic hypersensitivity in PI-IBS model mice, which is closely related to the regulation of the Epac1–Piezo2 axis.

Dopant distribution is key to understand sintering behavior and microstructure‒property relationship of silicon carbide (SiC) ceramics. Using high-angle secondary-electron (SE) imaging in scanning electron microscope combining elemental and cathodoluminescence (CL) analysis, core‒rim structures were found as common microstructural features in SiC ceramics sintered with rare-earth oxides. Characteristic emission by donor-accepter-pairs (DAP) could reveal co-solution of Al‒N in α- and β-SiC phases in hot-pressed and gas-pressure sintered ceramics, with or without AlN co-dopant. Stacking-faults (SFs) were found in β-SiC grains to emit characteristic photons by local twin-structures, which confine the luminous transition by DAP into a quantum effect and suppress fully the luminescence when SF density reaches a limit by sintering with two rare-earth oxides. Systematic correlation between the development of microstructures, solution and defect luminescence, and phase transformation can lead to hierarchical microstructure‒property relationship to study synergetic mechanical, thermal and opto-electrical performance of SiC ceramics as well as electronic materials.

The sixth species of the genus Pseudohampsonella Solovyev & Saldaitis, 2014, P. medogensis sp. nov., is described from Xizang Autonomous Region, China. The new species is morphologically similar to the congeners P. bayizhena Wu & Pan, 2015 and P. hoenei Solovyev & Saldaitis, 2014, but differs from them by the uncus slightly waved with a blunt apex and the phallus distinctly curved mesally. Images of adults and genitalia are presented. The circumscription of the new species is supported molecularly by the analysis of the pairwise genetic distances using mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene. The minimum interspecific distance value between the new species and its sister species, P. lii Wang & Li, 2017, is 7.7%.

Two new species of the subgenus Reticularisus Wu, Wu & Han, 2022 of the genusRhamnosaFixsen, 1887, Rhamnosa (Reticularisus) chenjunisp. nov.and Rh. (R.) mangshanensissp. nov., are described from the provinces of Hunan and Guangdong, China. The adults and genital structures of the new species and similar examined species are illustrated. A checklist of the genus is provided.

In this paper, four species of the genus Diduga Moore, [1887] from China (Chongqing and Guangdong) and Malaysia (Borneo, Sabah) are described as new to science, namely D. simianshanasp. nov., D. chebalingasp. nov., D. chewisp. nov., and D. hollowayisp. nov. Adults of these species are illustrated in color, and images of the male and female genitalia are provided. A distribution map of the new species is provided, together with an updated checklist of all species of Diduga.

최근들어 항만도시에서의 대기오염이 심각한 문제로 대두되고 있다. 그러나 항만의 하역기계에서 배출되는 온실가스는 선박, 트럭 등 타 수단에 비해 상대적으로 주목받지 못하였다. 본 연구에서는 인천항에서 디젤엔진으로 가동되는 하역기계로부터 배출되는 대기오염물질 배출량을 산정하였다. 이를 위해 각 항만하역사로부터 2017년 기준 하역장비의 대수, 제원, 가동시간 등 활동자료를 수집하였다. 분석결과, CO 105.6톤, NOX 243.2톤, SOX 0.005톤, PM 22.8톤, VOC 26.0톤, NH3 0.2톤이 발생한 것으로 나타났다. CO와 NOX의 배출은 하역기계 전체 배출량의 87.71%를 차지하였으며, 크레인, 지게차, 트랙터, 로더의 배출량이 하역기계 전체 배출량의 84.79%를 차지하였다. 또한 노후화된 디젤엔진을 장착한 하역기계가 주 배출원임을 규명하였다. 분석된 대기오염물질 배출량 수치는 하역기계에 의한 항만 대기오염의 심각성을 나타내며, 다음과 같은 친환경장비 도입이 시급함을 시사한다. 첫째, 오래된 디젤 장비의 LNG연료 또는 전기장비로의 교체가 필요하다. 둘째, NOX의 배출을 감소시킬 수 있는 선택적환원촉매(SCR)와 같은 후처리장비의 사용이 필요하다. 향후 체계적이고 공식적인 국가 대기오염배출 인벤토리 정립 방법을 설정하고, 매년 하역기계에서 배출되는 대기오염물질 배출량을 모니터링 및 평가하는 것이 필요하다.

Thermal degradation of the composite constituted by high density polyethylene (HDPE) and microencapsulated red phosphorus (MRP) were studied using thermogravimetric (TG) data obtained at different heating rates. The kinetic models and parameters of the thermal degradation of MRP/HDPE composite were evaluated by FWO, KAS and IKP method. It indicates that the activation energy E of 4 % MRP/HDPE composite is higher than HDPE for three methods. MRP could improve the thermal stability and slow down the thermal degradation of HDPE. With adding MRP, the degradation mechanism of HDPE is changed and the degradation rate decreases.

AIM: To investigate the relationship of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and transforming growth factor-beta 2 (TGF-β2) levels in human vitreous with axial length (AL) of patients with high myopia. METHODS: The concentrations of MMP-2 and TGF-β2 levels were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbnent assay (ELISA). Fifty-five human vitreous samples of 55 patients were collected during vitrectomy surgery, and were divided into two groups according to their spherical equivalent (SE) and AL. High myopia group (25 cases): AL≥26.00 mm, and control group or non-high myopia group (30 cases): AL

LOXL1-AS1, a recently characterized long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), has been reported to modulate tumor progression in several types of cancer. However, the expression and role of LOXL1-AS1 in breast cancer remain unclear. In this study, we sought to identify novel lncRNA regulators engaged in breast cancer metastasis. To this end, we examined 42 cancer-related lncRNAs between MCF7 (with low metastatic potential) and MDA-MB-231 (with high metastatic potential) cells. These lncRNAs have been found to affect the invasiveness of several cancer types, but they are still undefined in breast cancer. Among the 42 candidates, LOXL1-AS1 is significantly increased in MDA-MB-231 cells relative to MCF7 cells. We also show that LOXL1-AS1 is upregulated in breast cancer tissues and cells compared to noncancerous counterparts. Increased LOXL1-AS1 expression is correlated with tumor stage and lymph node metastasis in breast cancer patients. Biologically, overexpression of LOXL1-AS1 enhances and knockdown of LOXL1-AS1 suppresses breast cancer cell migration and invasion. In vivo studies demonstrate that depletion of LOXL1-AS1 inhibits breast cancer metastasis. Mechanistically, LOXL1-AS1 sponges miR-708-5p to increase nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) activity. LOXL1-AS1 can also interact with EZH2 protein to enhance EZH2-mediated transcriptional repression of miR-708-5p. Rescue experiments indicate that co-expression of miR-708-5p attenuates LOXL1-AS1-induced invasiveness in breast cancer. In addition, there is a negative correlation between LOXL1-AS1 and miR-708-5p expression in breast cancer specimens. Overall, LOXL1-AS1 upregulation facilitates breast cancer invasion and metastasis by blocking miR-708-5p expression and activity. LOXL1-AS1 serves as a potential therapeutic target for breast cancer treatment.

The mechanisms of age-associated memory impairment may be associated with glutamate receptor function and chromatin modification. To observe the effect of an enriched environment on the cognitive function of mice with age-associated memory impairment, 3-month-old C57BL/6 male mice (“young” mice) were raised in a standard environment, while 24-month-old C57BL/6 male mice with memory impairment (“age-associated memory impairment” mice) were raised in either a standard environment or an enriched environment. The enriched environment included a variety of stimuli involving movement and sensation. A water maze test was then used to measure cognitive function in the mice. Furthermore, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot assays were used to detect right hippocampal GluN2B mRNA as well as protein expression of GluN2B and CREB binding protein in all mice. In addition, chromatin immunoprecipitation was used to measure the extent of histone acetylation of the hippocampal GluN2B gene promoters. Compared with the young mice, the water maze performance of age-associated memory impairment mice in the standard environment was significantly decreased. In addition, there were significantly lower levels of total histone acetylation and expression of CREB binding protein in the hippocampus of age-associated memory impairment mice in the standard environment compared with the young mice. There were also significantly lower levels of histone acetylation, protein expression, and mRNA expression of GluN2B in the hippocampus of these mice. In contrast, in the age-associated memory impairment mice with the enriched environment intervention, the water maze performance and molecular biological indexes were significantly improved. These data confirm that an enriched environment can improve cognitive dysfunction in age-associated memory impairment mice, and suggest that the mechanisms may be related to the increased expression of CREB binding protein and the increased degree of total histone acetylation in the hippocampus of age-associated memory impairment mice, which may cause the increase of histone acetylation of GluN2B gene promoter and the enhancement of GluN2B mRNA transcription and protein expression in hippocampus. The animal experiment was approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Yangzhou University, China (approval No. 20170312001) in March 2017.

Multifunctional nanoclusters based on Fe3O4 nanoparticles for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and drug delivery are reported here. At first, oleic acid (OA)-coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles were prepared. Then block copolymer Pluronic F127 or folic acid (FA) conjugated-Pluronic F127 was used to modify the hydrophobic nanoparticles to become hydrophilic Fe3O4@F127 nanoclusters via facile ultrasonic treatment. During this process, drug molecules can also be introduced into the nanoclusters and therefore the targeted drug delivery system was formed. Next, we verified the feasibility of the nanoclusters as drug delivery vehicles and magnetic contrast agents. The nanoclusters have an average size of 200 nm and remained stable in water for long periods. Folic acid-modified nanoclusters showed an enhanced intracellular uptake into HepG2 cells by using both cellular iron amount analysis and flow cytometry analysis. Besides, Fe3O4@F127@FA nanoclusters showed good compatibility in the tested concentration range and good sensitivity in T2-weighted MRI. The magnetic nanoclusters combined with drug delivery properties have greatly increased the significance in the diagnosis and therapy of diseases, which are suitable for systematical administration of hydrophobic drugs and simultaneously MRI diagnosis.

The transition energies and wavelengths of 1s24f-1s2ng (5 ≤ n ≤ 8) states of lithium-like ions starting from vanadium and ending with zinc are determined by using the full-core-plus-correlation (FCPC) method. Our calculated values are compared with other available data and found to be in good agreement with them. The oscillator strengths of the 1s24f-1s2ng (5 ≤ n ≤ 8) dipole transition under three criteria are explored by using the FCPC method. The consistency of the three criteria proves the accuracy of the constructed wave function over all space. In this paper, the oscillator strength and the oscillator strength density of all discrete and continuous states from any given initial to final state are calculated, and the theoretical prediction of the spectral characteristics of the omnipotence threshold is realized.

A metal-organic framework (MOF), namely SCNU-Z3, based on an imidazole-tetrazole tripodal ligand and Mn(ii), has been constructed. It exhibits a porous 3D framework composed of truncated octahedron cage subunits. Unexpected ligand-induced missing metal-ion defects were observed in the framework. In addition, the application of SCNU-Z3 in a supercapacitor was performed.

BackgroundGolden 2-Like (G2-like) transcription factors play an important role in plant development. However, the roles of theseG2-likeregulatory genes in response to abiotic stresses in tomato are not well understood.ResultsIn this study, we identified 66 putativeG2-likegenes in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)and classified them into 5 groups (I to V) according to gene structure, motif composition and phylogenetic analysis. TheG2-likegenes were unevenly distributed across all 12 chromosomes. There were nine pairs of duplicated gene segments and four tandem duplicatedSlGlkgenes. Analysis of the cis-regulatory elements (CREs) showed that the promoter regions ofSlGlks contain many kinds of stress- and hormone-related CREs. Based on RNA-seq,SlGlks were expressed in response to three abiotic stresses. Thirty-six differentially expressedSlGlks were identified; these genes have multiple functions according to Gene Ontology (GO) analysis and are enriched mainly in the zeatin biosynthesis pathway. Further studies exhibited that silencingSlGlk16in tomato would reduce drought stress tolerance by earlier wilted, lower superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) activities, less Pro contents and more MDA contents.ConclusionsOverall, the results of this study provide comprehensive information on G2-like transcription factors andG2-likegenes that may be expressed in response to abiotic stresses.

BackgroundChemotherapeutic drugs creates severe adverse reactions for colorectal cancer. Moxibustion confers clinical benefits for postoperative patients undergoing chemotherapy, it will fill the blank period of western medicine treatment and provide useful help for tumor patients to prevent recurrence and metastasis, but the physiological mechanisms behind the antitumor effects are unclear. This study was aimed to determine the effect and characterize the differential cytokines and gene expression profiles in intrasplenic transplanted GFP-HCT-116 cells-induced tumors model by Pre-Mox, Post-Mox and Pre-Post-Mox intervention.MethodsHuman CRC cells with GFP fluorescence were implanted via intrasplenic injection into Balb/c nude mice spleens. Moxibustion stimulation was applied to the BL18 and ST36 acupoints. The model control (MC) group were given no treatment. Pre-Mox mice were received moxibustion for 2 weeks before HCT-116 cell injection. Post-Mox mice received moxibustion for 3 weeks after CRC cell injection. Pre-Post-Mox mice received moxibustion for 5 weeks (2 weeks before and 3 weeks after CRC cell injection). Peripheral bloods were collected, pooled and assayed using a RayBio® mouse inflammation antibody array. Multi-Analyte Suspension Array was opted for verification. RNA isolated from liver paracancerous tissues from the control group and the experimental groups was subjected to RNA-seq, and then screened out significant differences for in-depth verification.RESULTSThe results showed that moxibustion stimulation increased the survival rate and decreased CRC liver metastasis. With the help of Multi-Analyte Suspension Array and RNA-seq, we screened significant differential expression of cytokines and RNA, then further verified them. The metastasis rate decreased significantly from 100% (10/10, MC group) to 50% (6/12, Pre-Mox group), to 46% (6/13, Post-Mox group), and further to 25% (3/12, Pre-Post-Mox group). Cytokine chips were used significant differences were found in MIP-3α, MDC, IL-6, and IL-1a. Transcriptomic analysis suggested that the low-dose combination of Pre-Mox and Post-Mox modulated larger gene sets than the single treatment. We identified a small subset of genes, like APOA4, IGFBP5, IGFBP6, TIMP1, and MGP, as potential molecular targets involved in the preventive action of the combination of Pre-Mox and Post-Mox.ConclusionsTaken together, the current results provide the first evidence in support of the chemopreventive effect of a combination of Pre-Mox and Post-Mox in CRC. Moreover, the cytokines and transcriptional profile obtained in our study may provide a framework for identifying the mechanisms underlying the carcinogenesis process from colonic cancer to liver metastasis as well as the cancer inhibitory effects and potential molecular targets of Pre-Post-Mox.

Objective: Hemorrhagic transformation (HT) is a major complication of ischemic stroke that worsens outcomes and increases mortality. Disruption of gut microbiota is an important feature of stroke, and some special bacteria combined with bacterial metabolites may contribute to HT pathogenesis. we aimed to study the relationship between gut microbiota and HT of large-artery atherosclerotic stroke. Methods: From May-2020 through September-2021, the blood and fecal samples in patients with acute first-ever ischemic stroke and not undergoing intravenous thrombolysis or endovascular were obtained on admission, and gut microbiota was assessed by 16s ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) sequence. Stroke that developed HT (n=15) were compared to those without HT (n=17) and healthy controls (n=16). We also examined the key components of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) pathway: LPS, LPS-binding protein (LBP), and solube CD14 (sCD14). The role of gut microbiota in HT was evaluated using experimental stroke model. Results: We observed that bacterial diversity was decreased in both HT and non-HT group compared to the healthy controls. The patients of ischemic stroke that developed HT had differential composition of gut microbiota, in particular, an increase in the relative abundance and diversity of members belonging to the Enterobacteriaceae family. Plasma LPS and LBP levels were higher in HT group compared to non-HT group. The concentrations of LPS, LBP and sCD14 were associated with increased abundance of Enterobacteriaceae. In experimental study, the antibiotics treatment diminished HT-induced increase in the levels of LPS and LBP as well as upregulated expression of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and NF-κB in colon tissue. Transplant of microbiota from HT rats triggered higher level of LPS, LBP and sCD14 in plasma and increased expression of TLR4 and NF-κB in colon tissue.Conclusion: Stroke patients who developed with HT exhibit an obvious change in gut microbiota and LPS-induced inflammatory response. This suggests that maintaining a balance of gut microbiota may be an important factor in preventing HT after stroke.

A genus Tanvia Solovyev & Witt, 2009, belonging to family Limacodidae, is reported for the first time from Yunnan province, China, with redescription of a newly recorded species: T. zolotuhini Solovyev & Witt, 2009. In this study, illustrations of adults and genitalia of the species and the distribution are provided.

Tangshen formula (TSF) is a traditional Chinese medicine composed of seven medicinal herbs including Astragalus membranaceus, Rehmannia glutinosa Libosch, Citrus aurantium L., etc. which is used to treat diabetic nephropathy III, IV qi and yin deficiency and stasis syndrome. Most of the studies on TSF are pharmacological and pharmacodynamic experiments. There are few basic studies on its chemical substances, and the effective constituents are not clear.To analyse the main chemical components of TSF and the absorbed components in rat plasma following oral administration based on liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Moreover, providing a rapid and valid analytical strategy for simultaneous determination of six components in rat plasma and use it in pharmacokinetic studies.A total of 132 components were identified in TSF, and 44 components were identified in rat plasma after oral TSF, 35 of which were prototype components and nine were metabolic components. A sensitive and reliable LC-MS/MS method was developed for simultaneous determination of six components in rat plasma. The intra-day and inter-day precision relative standard deviation (RSD) was lower than 15%; the accuracy of low, medium and high concentrations ranged from 80% to 120%. The recovery met the requirements and the RSD of the recoveries was less than 15%.A total of 132 components were identified in TSF. The LC-MS/MS quantitative method for the simultaneous determination of morroniside, loganin, notoginsenoside R

To compare the therapeutic effect between cotton-moxibustion and compound flumetasone ointment, and observe the effect on quality of life in patients with chronic eczema.A total of 66 patients with chronic eczema were randomized into an observation group (33 cases, 2 cases dropped off) and a control group (33 cases, 2 cases dropped off). In the observation group, cotton-moxibustion was adopted on target skin lesion, once a day, 3 cones a time. In the control group, external application of compound flumetasone ointment was given twice a day. The treatment for 3 weeks was required in the both groups. Before treatment and 1,2,3 weeks into treatment, scores of visual analogue scale (VAS), eczema area and severity index (EASI) and dermatology life quality index (DLQI) were observed, and the recurrence rate was evaluated in the follow-up one month after treatment.Compared before treatment, the VAS scores of 1,2,3 weeks into treatment, the EASI and DLQI scores of 2,3 weeks into treatment were decreased in the both groups (Cotton-moxibustion can effectively improve the pruritus symptom, skin lesion and quality of life in the patients with chronic eczema, the therapeutic effect is superior to the external application of compound flumetasone ointment.

Objective: High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is an innovative non-invasive technology used for adenomyosis. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a) is a hormone commonly used for adenomyosis. We investigated and assessed the efficacy of HIFU combined with GnRH-a for adenomyosis.Methods: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched Pubmed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Embase, CNKI, WanFang, and VIP databases for relevant articles published in Chinese or English that compared HIFU combined with GnRH-a vs. HIFU alone in patients with adenomyosis. The last literature search was completed on January 31, 2021. Two reviewers independently assessed study eligibility and assessed risk of bias. Another two reviewers extracted the data. The RevMan5.3 software was used for the data analysis. Changes in volume of the uterine and adenomyotic lesion were defined as the primary outcomes. The secondary outcomes were visual analog scale (VAS) scores for dysmenorrhea, menstrual volume scores, serum CA125 levels, and recurrence rate. This study is registered with PROSPERO (CRD42021234301).Results: Three hundred and ninety potentially relevant articles were screened. Nine studies with data for 766 patients were finally included. Compared with the HIFU alone group, the HIFU combined with GnRH-a group had a higher rate of uterine volume reduction (MD 7.51, 95% CI 5.84–9.17, p < 0.00001), smaller adenomyotic lesion volume (MD 4.11, 95% CI 2.93–5.30, p < 0.00001), lower VAS score for dysmenorrhea (MD 1.27, 95% CI 0.54–2.01, p = 0.0007) and menstrual volume score (MD 0.88, 95% CI 0.73–1.04, p < 0.00001), and lower CA125 level (SMD 0.31, 95% CI 0.05–0.56, p = 0.02) after the procedure. The recurrence rate in the HIFU combined with GnRH-a group was lower than that in the HIFU alone group (RR 0.28, 95% CI 0.10–0.82, p = 0.02).Conclusions: Compared with HIFU treatment alone, HIFU combined with GnRH-a for the treatment of adenomyosis has greater efficacy in decreasing the volumes of the uterine and adenomyotic lesions and alleviating symptoms. However, since the number of the included studies was too small and most of them were written in Chinese, this conclusion needs to be referenced with caution. And the long-term evidence of its efficacy is still insufficient.Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/ identifier [CRD42021234].

To identify topics attracting growing research attention as well as frontier trends of acupuncture-neuroimaging research over the past two decades.This paper reviewed data in the published literature on acupuncture neuroimaging from 2000 to 2020, which was retrieved from the Web of Science database. CiteSpace was used to analyze the publication years, countries, institutions, authors, keywords, co-citation of authors, journals, and references.A total of 981 publications were included in the final review. The number of publications has increased in the recent 20 years accompanied by some fluctuations. Notably, the most productive country was China, while Harvard University ranked first among institutions in this field. The most productive author was Tian J with the highest number of articles (50), whereas the most co-cited author was Hui KKS (325). Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (92) was the most prolific journal, while Neuroimage was the most co-cited journal (538). An article written by Hui KKS (2005) exhibited the highest co-citation number (112). The keywords "acupuncture" (475) and "electroacupuncture" (0.10) had the highest frequency and centrality, respectively. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) ranked first with the highest citation burst (6.76).The most active research topics in the field of acupuncture-neuroimaging over the past two decades included research type, acupoint specificity, neuroimaging methods, brain regions, acupuncture modality, acupoint specificity, diseases and symptoms treated, and research type. Whilst research frontier topics were "nerve regeneration", "functional connectivity", "neural regeneration", "brain network", "fMRI" and "manual acupuncture".

Isoliquiritigenin (2’,4’,4-trihydroxychalcone, ISL) is one of the most important chalcone compounds which is mainly derived from licorice root and many other plants. It exhibits a remarkable range of potent biological and pharmacological activities such as antioxidative, antitumor, antiaging, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic activities, etc. Numerous research teams have demonstrated that ISL posseses the ability to carry out antigrowth and proliferation in various cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Meanwhile, the underlying mechanisms of ISL that inhibit cancer cell proliferation have not been well explored. However, the poor bioavailability and low water-soluble limit its clinical application. This review aims at providing a comprehensive overview of the pharmacology antitumor activity of ISL and its mechanisms in different malignancy especially in breast cancer cell line and summarize developments of formulation utilized to overcome the barrier between its delivery characteristics and application in clinics over the past 20 years.

CO2 is not only the most important greenhouse gas but also an important resource of elemental carbon and oxygen. From the perspective of resource and energy strategy, the conversion of CO2 to chemicals driven by renewable energy is of significance, since it can not only reduce carbon emission by the utilization of CO2 as feedstock but also store low-grade renewable energy as high energy density chemical energy. Although studies on photoelectrocatalytic reduction of CO2 using renewable energy are increasing, artificial bioconversion of CO2 as an important novel pathway to synthesize chemicals has attracted more and more attention. By simulating the natural photosynthesis process of plants and microorganisms, the artificial bioconversion of CO2 can efficiently synthesize chemicals via a designed and constructed artificial photosynthesis system. This review focuses on the recent advancements in artificial bioreduction of CO2, including the key techniques, and artificial biosynthesis of compounds with different carbon numbers. On the basis of the aforementioned discussions, we present the prospects for further development of artificial bioconversion of CO2 to chemicals.