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Fueled by the rapid advancement of nanofabrication, metasurface has provided unprecedented opportunities for 3D holography. Large depth 3D meta-holography not only greatly increases information storage capacity, but also enables distinguishing of the relative spatial relationship of 3D objects, which has important applications in fields like optical information storage and medical diagnosis. Although the methods based on Fresnel diffraction theory can reconstruct the real depth information of 3D objects, the maximum depth is only 2 mm. Here, we develop a 3D meta-holography based on angular spectrum diffraction theory to break through the depth limit. By developing the angular spectrum diffraction theory into meta-holography, the metasurface structure with independent polarization control is used to create a polarization multiplexing 3D meta-hologram. The fabricated amorphous silicon metasurface increases the depth range by 47.5 times and realizes 0.95 dm depth reconstruction for polarization independent and different color 3D meta-hologram in visible. Such polarization controlled large-depth color meta-holography is expected to open avenue for data storage, display, information security and virtual reality., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objective: The aim of this meta-analysis was to summarize the available results of immunotherapy predictors for small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and to provide evidence-based information for their potential predictive value of efficacy., Methods: We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials (from January 1, 1975 to November 1, 2021). The hazard ratios (HR) and its 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and tumor response rate of the included studies were extracted., Results: Eleven studies were eventually included and the pooled results showed that programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) positive: objective response rate (ORR) (relative risk [RR] = 1.39, 95% CI [0.48, 4.03], p = 0.54), with high heterogeneity (p = 0.05, I 2  = 56%); disease control rate [DCR] (RR = 1.31, 95% CI [0.04, 38.57], p = 0.88), with high heterogeneity (p = 0.04, I 2  = 75%); overall survival (OS) (HR = 0.89, 95% CI [0.74, 1.07], p = 0.22); and progression-free survival (PFS) (HR = 0.83, 95% CI [0.59, 1.16], p = 0.27), with high heterogeneity (p = 0.005, I 2  = 73.1%). TMB-High (TMB-H): OS (HR = 0.86, 95% CI [0.74, 1.00], p = 0.05); PFS (HR = 0.71, 95% CI [0.6, 0.85], p < 0.001). Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) >upper limit of normal (ULN): OS (HR = 0.95, 95% CI [0.81, 1.11], p = 0.511). Asian patients: OS (HR = 0.87, 95% CI [0.72, 1.04], p = 0.135); White/Non-Asian patients: OS (HR = 0.83, 95% CI [0.76, 0.90], p < 0.001). Liver metastasis patients: OS (HR = 0.93, 95% CI [0.83, 1.05], p = 0.229); PFS (HR = 0.84, 95% CI [0.67, 1.06], p = 0.141). Central nervous system (CNS) metastasis patients: OS (HR = 0.91, 95% CI [0.71, 1.17], p = 0.474); PFS (HR = 1.03, 95% CI [0.66, 1.60], p = 0.903)., Conclusion: The available research results do not support the recommendation of PD-L1 positive and TMB-H as predictors for the application of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in SCLC patients. LDH, baseline liver metastasis and CNS metastasis may be used as markers/influencing factors for predicting the efficacy of ICIs in SCLC patients. Non-Asian SCLC patients had better efficacy with ICIs in our results., (© 2023 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Pro-inflammatory factors may be associated with abnormalities in functional brain networks, which may be a mechanism in the pathogenesis of major depressive disorder (MDD). Electroencephalogram (EEG) microstates reflect the functioning of brain networks. However, the relationship between pro-inflammatory factors and the microstate abnormalities in patients with MDD is poorly understood. 24 MDD patients and 24 age-and sex-matched healthy controls (HC) were recruited. Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale(MADRS) were assessed. Serum (interleukin- 2(IL- 2), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and hs-C-reactive protein (CRP)and EEG data were collected. K-means clustering was performed to characterize different microstates. For each microstate, duration, occurrence and coverage were estimated. Four microstates (e.g. A, B, C, D) were characterized, MDD group showed lower duration, occurrence and coverage of microstate B and microstate D, while higher duration of microstate A and microstate C and levels of IL-2, TNF-α, hs-CRP than HC group. The duration, occurrence and coverage of microstate D were negatively correlated with levels of pro-inflammatory factors (IL-2, TNF- α and hs- CRP) (all P  < 0.05). Serum pro-inflammatory induced the abnormalities of microstate D. Together, these findings add to the understanding of the pathophysiology of MDD and point to pro-inflammatory factors contribute to EEG microstate abnormalities in patients with MDD., Competing Interests: This work is supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (No. 2018YFC1705800), Acupuncture & Chronobiology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province (No.2021004) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central public welfare research institutes (ZZ15-YQ-048). We declare no commercial or associative interest that represents a conflict of interest in connection with the work submitted., (© 2022 The Authors.)

Alzheimer's disease (AD), also called senile dementia, is a neurodegenerative disease, characterized by progressive memory and cognitive impairment and different degrees of behavior-mental dysfunction. Clinical trials displayed that acupuncture therapy is effective in relieving symptoms of AD patients. In recent years, many experimental studies have been conducted in SAMP8 mice to explore the underlying mechanisms of acupuncture in improving AD. Results showed that acupuncture therapy can intervene the central pathological process of AD in multiple approaches, including reducing formation of cerebral β amyloid protein and promoting its removal, intervening the phosphorylation process of Tau protein, improving mitochondrial and synaptic structure, enhancing autophagy activity, accelerating cerebral blood flow, and increasing the levels of estrogen content, and improving the learning and memory ability, etc.

Objectives: Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) has been reported to be effective for chronic insomnia (CI). However, the appropriate population for taVNS to treat insomnia is unclear., Methods: Total twenty-four patients with CI and eighteen health controls (HC) were recruited. Rest-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (Rs-fMRI) was performed before and after 30 min' taVNS at baseline. The activated and deactivated brain regions were revealed by different voxel-based analyses, then the seed-voxel functional connectivity analysis was calculated. In the CI group, 30 min of taVNS were applied twice daily for 4 weeks. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Flinders Fatigue Scale (FFS) were also assessed before and after 4 weeks of treatment in the CI group. The HC group did not receive any treatment. The correlations were estimated between the clinical scales' score and the brain changes., Results: The scores of PSQI ( p < 0.01) and FFS ( p < 0.05) decreased after 4 weeks in the CI group. Compared to the HC group, the first taVNS session up-regulated left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and decreased the functional connectivity (FCs) between dlPFC and bilateral medial prefrontal cortex in the CI group. The CI groups' baseline voxel wised fMRI value in the dlPFC were negatively correlated to the PSQI and the FFS score after 4 weeks treatment., Conclusions: It manifests that taVNS has a modulatory effect on the prefrontal cortex in patients with CI. The initial state of dlPFC may predict the efficacy for taVNS on CI., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 He, Jia, Wang, Li, Zhao, Zhou, Bi, Wu, Li, Zhang, Fang and Rong.)

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases among the elderly and it accounts for nearly 80% of all dementias. The pathogenesis of AD is complicated and enigmatic thus far. The mitochondrial cascade hypothesis assumes that mitochondrial damage may mediate, drive, or contribute to a variety of AD pathologies and may be the main factor in late-onset AD. Currently, there are no widely recognized drugs able to attenuate mitochondrial damage in AD. Notably, increasing evidence supports the efficacy of acupuncture for improving the mitochondrial structure and protecting mitochondrial functions in AD. This review reports the mechanisms by which acupuncture regulates mitochondrial dynamics, energy metabolism, calcium homeostasis and apoptosis. In conclusion, these findings suggest that AD mitochondrial dysfunction represents a reasonable therapeutic target and acupuncture could play a significant role in preventing and treating AD., (© 2022. The Chinese Journal of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine Press and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background and Aims: Magnifying chromoendoscopy (ME-CE) through the observation of pit patterns is a productive way to distinguish between neoplastic and nonneoplastic polyps. Magnifying optical enhancement technology (ME-OE) is an emerging virtual chromoendoscopy imaging technology and appeared to be a promising approach. However, this information is currently not available. This study is aimed at comparing the differential diagnostic value of ME-CE and OE for neoplastic and nonneoplastic polyps. Patients and Methods . Consecutive patients undergoing colonoscopy were randomized (1 : 1) into examination by ME-OE or ME-CE. Histopathological findings were utilized as the reference standard. Accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of two endoscopy methods were compared using ME-OE (were classified according to the JNET classification) and ME-CE (were classified according to the Kudo pit pattern classification), respectively, and the time to predict the histological polyp type was compared. And the agreements between the pathological and clinical diagnosis by ME-OE or ME-CE were analyzed., Results: A total of 365 polyps were found in the 220 patients included (ME-OE: 185; ME-CE: 180.202 had nonneoplastic polyps, 163 had neoplastic polyps). The diagnostic accuracy of ME-OE was higher than that of ME-CE (93% vs. 92%, p > 0.05). The average diagnosis time was lower in ME-OE than ME-CE (83 ± 26.4 s vs. 194 ± 17.7 s, p < 0.001). The agreements between the pathological and clinical diagnosis were at least substantial in both groups., Conclusion: ME-OE was superlative to ME-CE in predicting the histology of polyps. OE devoted classification would possibly similarly enhance the endoscopist performance. The trial is registered with ChiCT2000032075., Competing Interests: All authors declare no potential conflicting interests related to this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Ying-Hao Song et al.)

In recent years, the newly appeared closed-loop neuromodulation technique composed of closed-loop controlled stimulation system and neuromodulation is the product of medicine and inter-disciplines. In medical clinical practice, the idea of closed-loop controlled stimulation can be seen everywhere. When both the patient and acupuncturist achieve the state of " Deqi " simultaneously, it is a kind of feedback adjustment process similar to that of the closed-loop stimulation system. Cross-functional multidisciplinary development is the future trend of medical science progress. The acupuncture-moxibustion discipline can draw lessons from the research experience and achievements of closed-loop neuromodulation techniques to explore the origin of the compatibility of meridians, acupoints, and needling manipulations.

Objective: To investigate the effects of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) setting of mechanical ventilation guided by esophageal pressure in the treatment of patients with traumatic craniocerebral injury combined with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Methods: The retrospective cohort study was conducted. From June 2016 to June 2018, 55 patients with traumatic craniocerebral injury combined with ARDS who met the inclusion criteria were admitted to Zhengzhou Central Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University. According to PEEP setting method, 28 patients were allocated to esophageal pressure group (17 males and 11 females, aged (40±13) years) and 27 patients were allocated to PEEP-fractional concentration of inspired oxygen (FiO 2 ) table group (18 males and 9 females, aged (38±10) years). Patients in the 2 groups were treated with mechanical ventilation guided by lung protective ventilation strategy, and the optimal PEEP at 0 (immediately), 24, 48, and 72 h after treatment was determined according to esophageal pressure and PEEP-FiO 2 table, respectively. The mechanical ventilation parameters in the 2 groups were adjusted according to the optimal PEEP. The transpulmonary end-expiratory pressure, pulmonary compliance, oxygen index, central venous pressure, mean arterial pressure, and intracranial pressure at 24, 48, and 72 h after treatment were recorded. Data were statistically analyzed with analysis of variance for repeated measurement, chi-square test, independent sample t test, and Bonferroni correction. Results: The optimal PEEP of patients in esophageal pressure group at 0, 24, 48, and 72 h after treatment was (12.4±3.9), (11.2±3.5), (13.4±2.6), and (13.2±3.6) cmH 2 O (1 cmH 2 O=0.098 kPa), respectively, which was significantly higher than (8.2±2.5), (7.4±2.2), (8.3±2.3), and (8.5±2.5) cmH 2 O in PEEP-FiO 2 table group, respectively ( t =4.702, 4.743, 7.849, 5.623 , P< 0.01). The transpulmonary end-expiratory pressure and pulmonary compliance at 24, 48, and 72 h after treatment and oxygen index at 48 and 72 h after treatment of patients in esophageal pressure group were significantly higher than those in PEEP-FiO 2 table group ( t =17.852, 20.586, 19.532, 4.752, 5.256, 7.446, 2.342, 4.178, P <0.05 or P <0.01). The central venous pressure of patients in esophageal pressure group at 24, 48, and 72 h after treatment was significantly higher than that in PEEP-FiO 2 table group ( t =12.632, 5.247, 8.994, P <0.01), and there was no statistically significant difference in mean arterial pressure of patients between the 2 groups at 24, 48, and 72 h after treatment ( P >0.05). The intracranial pressure of patients in esophageal pressure group was higher than that in PEEP-FiO 2 table group at 24, 48, and 72 h after treatment, but there was no statistically significant difference between the 2 groups ( P >0.05). Conclusions: For patients with traumatic craniocerebral injury combined with ARDS, the optimal PEEP can be set under the guidance of esophageal pressure method, and the mechanical ventilation parameters adjusted according to the optimal PEEP can improve lung compliance and accelerate recovery of lung function more effectively, with no adverse effect in mean arterial pressure and intracranial pressure.

Cinobufotalin injection is a water-soluble preparation extracted from the skin secretion of Bufo bufo gargarizans Cantor or B. melanotictus Schneider, which has been widely used as an adjuvant treatment in lung cancer patients. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of cinobufotalin (PubChem CID: 259776) injection as an adjunctive treatment for lung cancer. We designed a meta-analysis that performed following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. We aim to include randomized controlled trials by systematically searching the PubMed, EMBASE, CNKI, Wanfang database, VIP, CBM, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Chinese Clinical Trial Registry from inception to Mar 1, 2020, comparing the difference between the use of cinobufotalin injection as an adjunctive treatment and a control group without cinobufotalin injection. The objective response rate (ORR) and quality of life (QOL) will be defined as the primary outcomes, and the disease control rate (DCR) and adverse events will be defined as the secondary outcomes. We included 21 articles with 1735 cases of lung cancer patients. Comparison results show that combining with cinobufotalin injection can improve ORR (OR = 1.77, 95% CI [1.43, 2.21], P  < 0.001), with low heterogeneity ( P  = 0.94, I 2  = 0%); DCR (OR = 2.20, 95% CI [1.70, 2.85], P  < 0.001), with low heterogeneity ( P  = 0.60, I 2  = 0%); KPS score (OR = 3.10, 95% CI [2.23, 4.32], P  < 0.001), with low heterogeneity ( P  = 0.85, I 2  = 0%); and the effect of pain relief (OR = 2.68, 95% CI [1.30, 5.55], P  = 0.008), with low heterogeneity ( P  = 0.72, I 2  = 0%). Low-to-moderate evidence shows that cinobufotalin injection combined with chemotherapy can significantly increase ORR, DCR, QOL, and the effect of pain relief. Meanwhile, cinobufotalin injection did not bring additional adverse events such as hematological toxicity, gastrointestinal toxicity, cardiotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, and nephrotoxicity; however, multicenter, large-sample, high-quality clinical research results are still needed to reveal the therapeutic effect of cinobufotalin injection in small-cell lung cancer (PROSPERO registration number: CRD42020170052)., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Lin-Lu Li et al.)

Supramolecular assembly of chromophores with inherent resistance to aggregation-induced self-quenching is significant to applications such as chemical sensing and organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs). In this work, molecular gels with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) are constructed by simply coassembling AIE chromophores (electron donor or acceptor) with a nonfluorescent molecular gelator. The binary gels are fluorescent even at very low concentrations of the AIE chromophores, indicating that the rotation of their aromatic cores is restricted in the gel network. In tertiary gels, the fluorescence of the donor chromophore can be efficiently reduced by the acceptor chromophore through a combination of static and dynamic quenching process, via charge transfer from the donor to the acceptor. This work demonstrates a convenient approach to fabricate a supramolecular charge transfer system using an AIE donor and acceptor., (© 2018 Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Objective: To investigate the preventive treatment effects of electroacupuncture (EA) on cognitive changes and brain damage in senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 (SAMP8) mice., Methods: The 5-month-old male SAMP8 and age-matched homologous normal aging mice (SAMR1) were adopted in this study. EA stimulation at Baihui (GV 20) and Yintang (EX-HN 3) was performed every other day for 12 weeks, 4 weeks as a course. Morris water maze test and Nissl-stained with cresyl violet were used for cognitive impairments evaluation and brain morphometric analysis. Amyloid-β (A β) expression in hippocampus and parietal cortex was detected by immunohistochemistry, and apoptosis was observed by TUNEL staining., Results: After 3 courses of EA preventive treatment, the escape latencies of 8-month-old SAMP8 mice in EA group were significantly shortened than those of un-pretreated SAMP8 mice. Compared with SAMR1 mice, extensive neuronal changes were visualized in the CA1 area of hippocampus in SAMP8 mice, while these pathological changes and attenuate cell loss in hippocampal CA1 area of SAMP8 mice markedly reduced after EA preventive treatment. Furthermore, A β expression in hippocampus and parietal cortex of SAMP8 mice decreased significantly after EA treatment, and neuronal apoptosis decreased as well., Conclusion: EA preventive treatment at GV 20 and EX-HN 3 might improve cognitive deficits and neuropathological changes in SAMP8 mice, which might be, at least in part, due to the effects of reducing brain neuronal damage, decreasing neuronal apoptosis and inhibiting A β-containing aggregates.

We demonstrate an all-optical strategy for realizing spherical three-dimensional (3D) super-resolution (∼ λ 3 /22) spot arrays of pure longitudinal magnetization by exploiting a 4 π optical microscopic setup with two high numerical aperture (NA) objective lenses, which focus and interfere two modulated vectorial beams. Multiple phase filters (MPFs) are designed via an analytical approach derived from the vectorial Debye diffraction theory to modulate the two circularly polarized beams. The system is tailored to constructively interfere the longitudinal magnetization components, while simultaneously destructively interfering the azimuthal ones. As a result, the magnetization field is not only purely longitudinal but also super-resolved in all three dimensions. Furthermore, the MPFs can be designed analytically to control the number and locations of the super-resolved magnetization spots to produce both uniform and nonuniform arrays in a 3D volume. Thus, an all-optical control of all the properties of light-induced magnetization spot arrays has been demonstrated for the first time. These results open up broad applications in magnetic-optical devices such as confocal and multifocal magnetic resonance microscopy, 3D ultrahigh-density magneto-optic memory, and light-induced magneto-lithography., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Purpose: To explore mild cognitive dysfunction and/or spatial working memory impairment in patients with primary onset middle-age type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM] using ethology (behavior tests) and blood oxygen level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD-fMRI)., Materials and Methods: Eighteen primary onset T2DM patients and 18 matched subjects with normal blood glucose levels were all tested using the Montreal cognitive assessment scale test, the Wechsler Memory Scale Chinese-revised test, and scanned using BOLD-fMRI (1.5T, EPI sequence) while performing the n-back task to find the activation intensity of some cognition-related areas., Results: The ethology results showed that T2DM patients had a mild cognitive impairment and memory dysfunction (P < 0.05). The fMRI scan identified a neural network consisting of bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), bilateral premotor area (PreMA), bilateral parietal lobe (PA), and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) / supplementary motor area (SMA) that was activated during the n-back task, with right hemisphere dominance. However, only the right PA and ACC/SMA showed a load effect via quantitative analysis in the T2DM group; the activation intensity of most working memory-related brain areas for the T2DM group were lower than for the control group under three memory loads. Furthermore, we found that the activation intensity of some cognition-related areas, including the right insular lobe, left caudate nucleus, and bilateral hippocampus/parahippocampal gyrus were lower than the control group under the memory loads., Conclusion: Diabetes-related brain damage of primary onset middle-age T2DM patients with right DLPFC-posterior parietal lobe and parahippocampal gyrus default network causes impairment of spatial working memory and mild cognitive dysfunction., (© 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

The microbial diversity and the community succession in the fermenting cover lees of Chinese Luzhou-flavor liquor were investigated by small-subunit rRNA (SSU rRNA) culture independent method. All sequences retrieved from the 1, 7 and 60 days fermented cover lees were respectively assigned into the genera of Streptococcus, Acetobacter, Arthrobacter, Bacillus, Staphylococcus, Serratia, Nocardia, Methanoculleus, Clostridium, Aneurinibacillus, Corynebacterium, Lactobacillus, Microbacterium, Trichosporon, Saccharomycopsis, Sagenomella, Talaromyces, Eurotium, Issatchenkia, Zygosaccharomyces, Saccharomyces and TM7 phylum. The fungal Issatchenkia, Saccharomycopsis and Talaromyces and the bacteria Staphylococcus and Lactobacillus were most abundant in the 1 day fermented cover lees, the fungal Issatchenkia, Saccharomyces and Talaromyces and the bacteria Bacillus and Streptococcus were dominant in the 7 days cover lees, the archaea Methanoculleus and the fungal Eurotium and Talaromyces were prevalent in the 60 days cover lees. When the microbial community profiles in three samples were compared at species level, the prokaryotic community similarity coefficient was from 0.4042 to 0.5703 and descended to 0.2222, and that of eukaryotic community was from 0.3000 to 0.6000 and followed to 0.5215. These results suggested that microbial diversity variability and community succession have happened in the cover lees associated with fermentation proceeding and such variability and succession respond for the appearance of some unique flavor of Luzhou-flavor liquor.

Objective: To study the effect of phospholamban antisense RNA (asPLB) on sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase activity and cardiac function in rats with diabetes mellitus (DM) mediated by recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vector., Methods: Six weeks after the induction of DM by streptozotocin injected intraperitoneally, the rats were divided into three groups, namely: DM-rAAV-asPLB group, DM-saline group and DM group (control group). The rats in the DM-rAAV-asPLB group were intramyocardially injected with rAAV-asPLB, the rats in the DM-saline group were injected with saline, and those in the control group did not receive any treatment. Six weeks after gene transfer, the expressions of PLB protein and PLB phosphorylation were detected by Western-blot, while the activity of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+-ATPase and left ventricular function were measured., Results: The PLB protein expression level was significantly higher whereas the PLB phosphorylation, SR Ca2+-ATPase activity and left ventricular function were significantly lower in the DM-saline group than in the control group. No significant difference was found in PLB protein expression level, PLB phosphorylation or SR Ca2+-ATPase activity between the DM-rAAV-asPLB group and the control group. The left ventricular function in the DM-rAAV-asPLB group was poorer than in the control group and was better than in the DM-saline group., Conclusion: rAAV-asPLB can down-regulate PLB protein expression and up-regulate PLB phosphorylation and SR Ca2+-ATPase activity, thus contributing to the improvement of in vivo left ventricular function., (Copyright © 2013 The Editorial Board of Biomedical and Environmental Sciences. Published by China CDC. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To explore the effects of adrenergic beta-1 antagonists on hemodynamics of severe septic patients., Methods: A total of 16 severe septic patients underwent mechanical ventilation from June 2012 to December 2012 at Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University. There were 14 males and 2 females with a mean age of (58 ± 6) years (range: 48 - 67 years). Among them, there were multiple trauma (n = 4), acute severe pancreatitis (n = 6) and recent tumorectomy for gastrointestinal cancer (n = 6). The adrenergic beta-1 antagonist esmolol was injected through central venous catheter to reduce heart rate by 20% from baseline. Various indices (heart rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, cardiac output, cardiac index, central venous pressure, pulmonary artery wedge pressure, pulmonary vascular resistance index, systemic vascular resistance index and stroke volume index) were monitored by a multifunctional and hemodynamic monitor connected to pulmonary artery catheter. And other indices of arterial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2), lactate (Lac) concentration, superior vena cava oxygen saturation (ScvO2), superior vena cava carbon dioxide pressure (PcvO2) and central venous-to-arterial carbon dioxide tension difference (Pcv-aCO2) were measured by a blood-gas-analyzer before 10 minutes and after 3 hours of dosing., Results: Heart rate and cardiac index decreased significantly at 3 hours post-dosing compared with that at pre-dosing ((91 ± 13) vs (114 ± 15) beats per minute, (3.4 ± 0.7) vs (4.2 ± 0.8) L×min(-1)×m(-2), P < 0.05), but systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, central venous pressure, pulmonary wedge pressure, pulmonary vascular resistance index, systemic vascular resistance index and stroke index showed no significant changes ((100 ± 13) vs (108 ± 14) mm Hg (1 mm Hg = 0.133 kPa), (62 ± 7) vs (64 ± 6) mm Hg, (11.8 ± 2.5) vs (12.1 ± 2.4) mm Hg, (13 ± 5) vs (14 ± 4) mm Hg, (201 ± 72) vs (179 ± 95) dyn×s/(cm(5)×m(2)), (1360 ± 520) vs (1366 ± 538) dyn×s/(cm(5)×m(2)), (40 ± 9) vs (38 ± 6) ml/(beat×m(2)), all P > 0.05). ScvO2, Lac and Pcv-aCO2 also showed no significant change ((72.8 ± 5.3)% vs (70.1 ± 4.0)%, (2.11 ± 0.13) vs (2.31 ± 0.23) mmol/L, (3.9 ± 1.0) vs (4.5 ± 0.8) mm Hg, all P > 0.05)., Conclusion: Adrenergic beta-1 antagonist may reduce cardiac output in proportion to the percentage decreases in heart rate in severe septic patients without adverse effects upon cardiac function and systemic perfusion.

Background: Whether acupuncture is effective for patients with functional constipation is still unclear. Therefore, we report the protocol of a randomized controlled trial of using acupuncture to treat functional constipation., Design: A randomized, controlled, four-arm design, large-scale trial is currently undergoing in China. Seven hundred participants are randomly assigned to three acupuncture treatment groups and Mosapride Citrate control group in a 1:1:1:1 ratio. Participants in acupuncture groups receive 16 sessions of acupuncture treatment, and are followed up for a period of 9 weeks after randomization. The acupuncture groups are: (1) Back-Shu and Front-Mu acupoints of Large Intestine meridians (Shu-Mu points group); (2) He-Sea and Lower He-Sea acupoints of Large Intestine meridians (He points group); (3) Combining used Back-Shu, Front-Mu, He-Sea, and Lower He-Sea acupoints of Large Intestine meridians (Shu-Mu-He points group). The control group is Mosapride Citrate group. The primary outcome is frequency of defecation per week at the fourth week after randomization. The secondary outcomes include Bristol stool scale, the extent of difficulty during defecating, MOS 36-item Short Form health survey (SF-36), Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), and Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS). The first two of second outcomes are measured 1 week before randomization and 2, 4, and 8 weeks after randomization. Other second outcomes are measured 1 week before randomization and 2 and 4 weeks after randomization, but SF-36 is measured at randomization and 4 weeks after randomization., Discussion: The result of this trial (which will be available in 2012) will confirm whether acupuncture is effective to treat functional constipation and whether traditional acupuncture theories play an important role in it., Trials Registration: Clinical Trials.gov NCT01411501.

Spontaneous emission lifetime distribution in the basic unit cell or on a plane of the excited emitters embedded in woodpile photonics crystals with low refractive index contrast are investigated. It is found that the spontaneous emission lifetime distribution strongly depends on the position and transition frequency of the emitters, and has the same symmetry as that of the unit cell. The lifetimes of emitters near the upper gap edge are longer than that in the center of the pseudo-gap, which is quite a contrast to the conventional concept. Furthermore, it is revealed that the polarization orientation of the emitters has significant influence on the lifetime distribution, and may result in a high anisotropy factor (defined as the difference between the maximum and minimum values of the lifetime) up to 4.2. These results may be supplied in probing the lifetime distribution or orientation-dependent local density of states in future experiments.

Objective: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on the expression of glucocorticoid (GC) mRNA and GC in the hippocampus, hypothalamus and pituitary in depression rats so as to study its mechanism underlying EA-resisting depression., Methods: Seventy SD rats were randomized into normal control, model, Fluoxetine (Flu), constraint-stress, EA, RU 486 (an antagonist of GC) and EA+ RU 486 groups (n = 10/group). Chronic depression model was established by lonely raising and chronic unpredictable mild stress for 21 days. EA (2 Hz, 0.6 mA) was applied to "Baihui" (GV 20) and "Yintang" (EX-HN 3) for 20 min, once daily for 21 days. Subcutaneous injection of RU 486 (20 mg/kg) was given to the rats from the 14th day on and con- tinuously for 7 days in order to block the negative feedback reflex of hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Cortisol (CORT) content of the adrenal gland tissue was detected by radioimmunassay. The expression of GC receptor (GR) mRNA in the hippocampus, hypothalamus and pituitary tissues was determined by real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)., Results: Compared with the normal control group, adrenal CORT content of model group was increased significantly (P < 0.05), and in comparison with model group, adrenal CORT level of EA group decreased evidently (P < 0.05). Comparison between the RU 486 and EA + RU 486 groups showed that the adrenal CORT content, and hippocampal GR mRNA expression level of the latter were remarkably lower than those of the former (P < 0.05). Compared with the normal control group, the expression level of GR mRNA of the hipppocampal and pituitary tissues in the model, constraint-stress, and RU 486 groups,and those of the hypothalamus in the constraint-stress and RU 486 groups were down-regulated significantly (P < 0.05). In comparison with the constraint-stress group, hippocampal, hypothalamic and pituitary GR mRNA expression level in the EA group were upregulated considerably (P < 0.05). No significant differences were found among model, Flu, constraint-stress, RU 486 and EA + RU 486 groups in the ardenal CORT contents, and hippocampal, hypothalamic and pituitary GR mRNA expression levels (P > 0.05)., Conclusion: EA can effectively down-regulate adrenal CORT content and hippocampal GR mRNA expression and normalize the function of HPA axis negative feed reflex in the depression rats, which may contribute to its effect in relieving depression.

Objective: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on hippocampal nitric oxide (NO)-cyclic guanosine 3,5-monophosphate (cGMP) signaling pathway in depression rats in order to explore the underlying mechanism of EA in improving depression., Methods: Thirty male SD rats were equally randomized into control, model and EA groups. Depression model was established by using chronic unpredictable mild stress stimulation (forced ice-water swimming, electric shock, tail-clamping, etc.) combined with lonely raising for 21 days. EA (2 Hz, 0.6 mA, 20 min) was applied to "Baihui" (GV 20) and "Yintang" (EX-HN 3), once daily for 21 days. The expression of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) and the content of cGMP in the hippocampus were determined by immuno-histochemistry and radioimmunoassay separately., Results: Many nNOS immuno-reaction (IR)-positive granular cells were observed in the hippocampus in control group, fewer found in EA group and fewest in model group. Image analysis showed that the grey value of model group was significantly higher than that of control group (P < 0.01), and that of EA group was obviously lower than that of model group (P < 0.01), suggesting upregulation of nNOS expression after EA. Compared with control group the content of cGMP in hippocampus in model group showed a decreasing trend, but without significant difference between two groups (P > 0.05). In comparison with model group, hippocampal cGMP content of EA group increased considerably (P < 0.01), being comparable to that of control group (P > 0.05)., Conclusion: Electroacupuncture of "Baihui" (GV 20) and "Yintang" (EX-HN 3) can upregulate the expression of nNOS and the content of cGMP in the hippocampus in depression rats, maintaining a normal activity of the NO/cGMP signaling pathway, which may contribute to its effect in relieving depression.

In order to improve the quality of acupuncture clinical trials, in view of the shortage of design and application of acupuncture clinical trials at present, the authors paper put forward concrete control measures from aspects of subjective factors, objective factors and quality monitoring of acupuncture clinical trials, which are helpful to guarantee the quality of trials and could be reference for other researchers. The results indicate that strict quality control measures are the guarantee of high-quality acupuncture clinical trials.

To investigate the effects of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway on hemodynamics, blood biochemistry, the plasma TNF-alpha level, and the nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) activation during septic shock, male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to cecal ligation and puncture (CLP, a model of polymicrobial sepsis) or sham operation. Forty-eight rats were randomly assigned into six equal groups: sham CLP group; CLP group; VGX group was subjected to bilateral cervical vagotomy after CLP; STM group was subjected to bilateral cervical vagotomy after CLP plus the left vagus nerve trunk electrical stimulation; THA group was administered tetrahydroaminoacridine after CLP and bilateral cervical vagotomy; and alpha-BGT group was administered alpha-bungarotoxin before electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve. The right carotid artery was cannulated to monitor MAP. The plasma TNF-alpha level was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The hepatic NF-kappaB activation was determined by Western blotting. Cecal ligation and puncture produced progressive hypotension. Serum aspartate transaminase and alanine transaminase levels significantly increased after CLP challenge. The plasma TNF-alpha level and the hepatic NF-kappaB activation significantly increased after CLP alone or with bilateral cervical vagotomy compared with sham-operated group. Application of constant voltage pulses to the caudal vagus trunk significantly prevented the development of CLP-induced hypotension, alleviated the hepatic damage, and reduced the plasma TNF-alpha production, but electrical stimulation had no effect on the hepatic NF-kappaB activation. Tetrahydroaminoacridine administration after bilateral cervical vagotomy reversed hypotension and attenuated the plasma TNF-alpha response; in addition, it had no effect on the hepatic NF-kappaB activation. alpha-Bungarotoxin pretreatment significantly reversed the inhibitory effect of vagal electrical stimulation, but it had no effect on the hepatic NF-kappaB activation. Our results showed that the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway might produce a potential protective effect on polymicrobial sepsis in rats.

Background: The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between 16-slice spiral CT perfusion imaging and tumor angiogenesis and VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) expression in patients with benign and malignant pulmonary nodules, and differential diagnosis between benign and malignant pulmonary nodules., Methods: Sixty-four patients with benign and malignant pulmonary nodules underwent 16-slice spiral CT perfusion imaging. The CT perfusion imaging was analyzed for TDC (time density curve), perfusion parametric maps, and the respective perfusion parameters. Immunohistochemical findings of MVD (microvessel density) measurement and VEGF expression was evaluated., Results: The shape of the TDC of peripheral lung cancer was similar to those of inflammatory nodule. PH (peak height), PHpm/PHa (peak height ratio of pulmonary nodule to aorta), BF (blood flow), BV (blood volume) value of peripheral lung cancer and inflammatory nodule were not statistically significant (all P > 0.05). Both showed significantly higher PH, PHpm/PHa, BF, BV value than those of benign nodule (all P < 0.05). Peripheral lung cancer showed significantly higher PS (permeability surface) value than that of inflammatory nodule and benign nodule (all P < 0.05). BV, BF, PS, MTT, PH, PHpm/PHa, and MVD among three groups of peripheral lung cancers were not significantly (all P > 0.05). In the case of adenocarcinoma, BV, BF, PS, PHpm/PHa, and MVD between poorly and well differentiation and between poorly and moderately differentiation were statistically significant (all P < 0.05). The peripheral lung cancers with VEGF positive expression showed significantly higher PH, PHpm/PHa, BF, BV, PS, and MVD value than those of the peripheral lung cancer with VEGF negative expression, and than those of benign nodule with VEGF positive expression (all P < 0.05). When investigating VEGF negative expression, it is found that PH, PHpm/PHa, and MVD of inflammatory nodule were significantly higher than those of peripheral lung cancer, PS of inflammatory nodule were significantly lower than that of peripheral lung cancer (all P < 0.05). PH, PHpm/PHa, BF, and BV of benign nodule were significantly lower than those of inflammatory nodule (all P < 0.05), rather than PS and MTT (mean transit time) (all P > 0.05). PH, PHpm/PHa, BV, and PS of benign nodule were significantly lower than those of peripheral lung cancer (all P < 0.05). In the case of VEGF positive expression, MVD was positively correlated with PH, PHpm/PHa, BF, BV, and PS of peripheral lung cancer and PS of benign nodule (all P < 0.05)., Conclusion: Multi-slice spiral CT perfusion imaging closely correlated with tumor angiogenesis and reflected MVD measurement and VEGF expression. It provided not only a non-invasive method of quantitative assessment for blood flow patterns of peripheral pulmonary nodules but also an applicable diagnostic method for peripheral pulmonary nodules.

Objective: To investigate the protective effect of stimulation of vagus nerve on acute lung injury in rat with sepsis., Methods: Sepsis was reproduced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). Forty male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into 4 groups (each n=10): SHAM group received performed sham surgery. In CLP group, CLP was performed. In vagotomy (VGX) group, rats were subjected to bilateral cervical VGX following CLP. In vagus stimulation (STM) group, rats were subjected to bilateral cervical VGX after CLP and the efferent end of the left vagus nerve was stimulated with electric current. The animals were sacrificed at 18 hours after production. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) level in blood was detected, arterial blood lactic acid concentration,pH, partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood (PaO2), partial pressure of carbon dioxide in arterial blood (PaCO2), base excess (BE) and lung wet/drying (W/D) ratio were determined. The histopathology and ultra-microstructure of the lung were observed., Results: The TNF-alpha and lactic acid concentrations, PaCO2 and W/D ratio were all increased, and pH, PaO2, BE all lowered in CLP group and VGX group compared with those of SHAM group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Compared with CLP group, TNF-alpha, lactic acid concentration,PaCO2,W/D ratio in STM group were decreased obviously, and pH, PaO2 and BE were all increased (P<0.05 or P<0.01). The lung tissue pathology and ultra-microstructure changes indicated that lung injury was severe in CLP group than in SHAM group and was ameliorated in STM group compared with that of CLP group and VGX group., Conclusion: The results suggest that direct electrical stimulation of the efferent end of vagus nerve can protect lung against injury induced by sepsis in rat.

Aim: To explore the effects of ketamine on hemo-dynamics, plasma proinflammatory cytokine (TNF-alpha and IL-6) levels and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappaB) activation during polymicrobial sepsis., Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) or sham operation. The rats were randomly assigned into four equal groups: sham CLP group, CLP group, ketamine (KT) I group and KT II group. Thirty minutes before CLP, ketamine (5 mg/kg per hour and 10 mg/kg per hour, respectively) was infused continuously through the left femoral vein cannula in KT I group or KT II group. Sham CLP group and CLP group received 0.9% saline only (5 mL/kg per hour). The right femoral artery was cannulated to monitor mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rates (HR),and draw blood samples. The proinflammatory cytokine (TNF-alpha and IL-6) levels of plasma were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). The hepatic NF-kappaB activation was determined by Western blot and HPIAS 2000 image analysis system. Twenty hours after CLP, the rats were killed by right femoral artery phlebotomization., Results: CLP produced progressive hypotension, and a first increase followed by a decrease in HR. The hypotension was prevented, and the HR was slightly steady in ketamine treated rats. TNF-alpha levels of plasma reached a peak value at 2 h after CLP. Ketamine (KT I group or KT II group) caused a significant decrease compared with CLP group at 2, 5 and 9 h time points after CLP (14.3 +/- 1.9 vs 4.3 +/- 0.9, 9.7 +/- 1.4 vs 4.3 +/- 0.9; 9.3 +/- 1.5 vs 4.3 +/- 0.9, 8.7 +/- 1.4 vs 4.3 +/- 0.9; 6.0 +/- 1.5 vs 5.0 +/- 1.7, 5.3 +/- 0.8 vs 5.0 +/- 1.7; P < 0.01, respectively). The IL-6 levels of plasma firstly ascended and then descended in CLP group, and reached a peak value at 9 h after CLP. Ketamine (KT I group or KT II group) caused a significant decrease compared with CLP group at 5, 9 or 20 h after CLP (135.0 +/- 52.6 vs 60.0 +/- 16.3, 112.5 +/- 52.6 vs 60.0 +/- 16.3; 410.0 +/- 68.7 vs 62.5 +/- 12.5, 250.0 +/- 28.0 vs 62.5 +/- 12.5; 320.0 +/- 25.9 vs 52.5 +/- 10.1, 215.0 +/- 44.6 vs 52.5 +/- 10.1; P < 0.05, respectively). The IL-6 levels of plasma in KT II group were lower than those of KT I group at 9 h after CLP (250.0 +/- 28.0 vs 410.0 +/- 68.7; P < 0.05). In addition, CLP increased hepatic NF-kappaB expression compared with sham CLP. Ketamine suppressed NF-kappaB activation in a dose-dependent manner at 4 h after CLP (237.7 +/- 3.5 vs 246.9 +/- 3.1; P < 0.05)., Conclusion: Ketamine stabilizes the hemodynamics, attenuates the proinflammatory cytokine responses, and inhibits hepatic NF-kappaB activation. These findings suggest that ketamine has protective effects against polymicrobial sepsis in rats.

Objective: To investigate the effect of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway on hemodynamics in hemorrhaged rats., Methods: Hemorrhagic shock was induced by modified Wiggers method until mean arterial pressure (MAP) was stabilized within the range of 35 to 40 mm Hg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa). Thirty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into six groups: sham group, hemorrhagic shock (Hem) group, vagotomy (VGX) group, vagus stimulation (STM) group, cholinergic inhibitor (THA) group and N receptor inhibitor (alpha-BGT) group. The distal end of the left vagus nerve trunk was placed on bipolar platinum electrode connected to a stimulation module and controlled by an acquisition system. Stimuli with constant voltage (5 V, 2 ms, 1 Hz) were applied to nerve for 12 minutes, starting 5 minutes after MAP stabilized at a level of 35 to 40 mmHg. Before stimulation a blood pressure transducer was implanted in the common carotid artery for continuous registration of MAP. Blood samples and liver samples were collected from animals of all groups after stimulation. Serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and liver nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-KappaB) were determined., Results: MAP was markedly lowered at the end of bleeding, and the levels of serum TNF-alpha and liver NF-KappaB markedly increased 45 minutes after the bleeding was discontinued. Bilateral cervical vagotomy did not significantly modify the changes in serum TNF-alpha, but slightly increased liver NF-KappaB activation. Application of constant electric current to the distal end of the vagus trunk significantly reduced serum TNF-alpha and blunted liver NF-KappaB activation. Tetrahydroamino-acridine (THA,1.5 mg/kg, intravenous drip administration after bilateral cervical vagotomy reversed hypotension and attenuated serum TNF-alpha and liver NF-KappaB amounts, but alpha-bungarotoxin (1.0 microg/kg intravenous drip) pretreatment reverted the inhibitory effects of vagal stimulation., Conclusion: The result suggest that direct electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve and its transmitter can significantly attenuate peak serum TNF-alpha amounts, inhibit the expression of liver NF-KappaB, and prevent the development of hypotension, thus it might produce a potential protective effect on hemorrhaged rats through acetylcholine (Ach) binds NAch receptor alpha 7 subunit which exists in the macrophage.

Objective: To investigate the effects and the mechanism of ketamine on hemodynamics and pro-inflammatory cytokine levels of plasma in septic shock rats., Methods: Cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) was used to reproduce septic shock model. Twenty healthy and male Sprague-Dawlay (SD) rats weighing (225+/-25) g were randomly divided into four equal groups: Sham CLP group, CLP group, ketamine I (KT I) and ketamine II (KT II) group. Thirty minutes before CLP, normal saline (0.9 %) was infused continuously at a rate of 5 ml.kg(-1).h(-1) through the left femoral vein cannula in sham CLP and CLP group, and ketamine (5 mg.kg(-1).h(-1) and 10 mg.kg(-1).h(-1), respectively) was infused continuously in KT I or KT II group. The right femoral artery was cannulated to monitor mean arterial pressure. The plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA)., Results: CLP produced progressive hypotension, and a large increase in the plasma TNF-alpha and IL-6 concentrations. The hemodynamic responses were reversed and the cytokine responses were suppressed in ketamine treated animals., Conclusion: Ketamine administration has protective effect against septic shock in CLP rats.

Unlabelled: The clinical study of 80 aged individuals divided into treated group (Group I) and normal control (Group II) was carried out. According to the symptoms of Kidney Deficiency the aged was subdivided into Kidney Deficiency group (KDG) and non-Kidney Deficiency group. A semi-quantitative method and some indexes about compliability were used to evaluate the symptoms., Results: After treatment the main symptoms of Kidney Deficiency such as lumbago, cold limbs, fatigue, cold aversion, feverish sensation in chest, palms and soles, etc. were significantly alleviated (P < 0.05) and the speed of reaction (SR) that reflects NS function in Group I and its KDG was also significantly improved. After exercise test, the ultrasono-cardiogram showed that in KDG of Group I, the ascending range of heart rate (HR) lessened during exercise and recovered more rapid than that before treatment. The difference was significant (P < 0.05). The HR was also significant different between the KDG groups of Group I and II during resting, exercise and recovering status (P < 0.05). Furthermore, after treatment the level of salival progesterone of the aged female was significantly. The determination of bone mineral content showed that in KDG after treatment, the density of ulnar line was remarkably elevated. These results showed that through tonifying Kidney and replenishing Qi could improve the functions of heart, brain, bone and endocrine systems of the aged persons, therefore improve their compliability.