Effect of aerosol inhalation of budesonide on respiratory symptoms and inflammatory factors in patients with asthma: a meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To review the efficacy, symptoms, inflammatory factors and pulmonary function of different doses of budesonide aerosol inhalation in the treatment of patients with asthma. METHODS: The Chinese and English literature databases were searched with "Effects of different doses of budesonide aerosol inhalation on the efficacy, lung function, inflammation, symptoms and adverse reactions in patients with asthma" as the search direction, and a Meta-analysis was performed. RESULTS: Compared with the low dose group, the efficacy, PEF and FEV1 were significantly increased and the clinical symptom score, TNF-α and IL-4 were significantly decreased in the high dose group (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in IFN-γ level and the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: High-dose budesonide aerosol inhalation therapy can improve the efficacy and lung function of patients, reduce inflammation and clinical symptoms, and does not increase the risk of adverse reactions, which is worthy of clinical promotion.

[Characteristics, Sources Apportionment, and Health Risks of PM2.5-bound PAHs and Their Derivatives Before and After Heating in Zibo City].

Atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their derivatives are a global problem that influences the environment and threatens human health. To investigate the characteristics, sources, and health risk assessment of PM2.5-bound PAHs and their derivatives, PM2.5 were collected at an urban site in Zibo from November 5 to December 26, 2020, and the concentrations of 16 conventional PAHs, nine NPAHs, and five OPAHs in PM2.5 were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Source apportionment of PAHs and their derivatives was conducted using diagnostic ratios and a PMF model, and the health risks of PAHs and their derivatives to adult men and women were evaluated using the source-dependent incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) model. The results showed that the average concentrations of ∑16pPAHs, ∑9NPAHs, and ∑5OPAHs in PM2.5 of Zibo City during the sampling period were (41.61 ± 13.40), (6.38 ± 5.70), and (53.20 ± 53.47) ng·m-3, respectively. The concentrations of the three PAHs increased significantly after heating, which were 1.31, 2.04, and 5.24 times larger than those before heating. During the sampling period, Chr, BaP, and BaA were the dominant components of pPAHs; 9N-Ant and 2N-Flt + 3N-Flt were the dominant components of NPAHs; and ATQ and BZO were the dominant components of OPAHs. Source apportionment results showed that motor vehicles were the main source of PAHs and their derivatives in PM2.5 before heating, whereas after heating, the main sources were the mixed source of coal and biomass combustion and secondary formation. The total BaP equivalent (TEQ) was 14.5 ng·m-3 during the sampling period, and the TEQ increased significantly after heating, which was approximately 1.2 times of that before heating. Assisted by the individual PAH source apportionment results, the ILCR of PM2.5-boundPAHs and NPAHs in Zibo City had a certain potential carcinogenic risk for adult males (1.06 × 10-5) and females (9.32 × 10-6). Among them, the health risks of PAHs from gasoline vehicles, diesel vehicles, and coal/biomass combustion were significantly higher than those from other emission sources.

Prognostic Nutritional Index Enhances the Discriminatory Ability of Procalcitonin for Predicting Pediatric Sepsis.

Objective. Improving diagnostic ability of pediatric sepsis is of great significance for reducing the mortality of sepsis. This study explored the discriminatory capacity of nutritional index (PNI) in pediatric sepsis. Methods. We retrospectively enrolled 134 children with suspected sepsis and collected their clinical and laboratory data. Receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC), decision curve analysis (DCA) and net reclassification improvement (NRI) were performed to compare the predictive significance of the PNI, procalcitonin (PCT) and their combination. Results. Among 134 patients, 65 children were diagnosed with sepsis and 69 children with non-sepsis. PCT and PNI were independently associated with pediatric sepsis. PCT was superior to PNI to predict pediatric sepsis. The model based on PCT + PNI improved the predictive capacity than them alone, as demonstrated by ROC, DCA and NRI, respectively. Conclusion. PNI was independently associated with pediatric sepsis, and addition of PNI could improve the capacity of PCT to predict pediatric sepsis.

Evolutionary law and regulatory technology of roof migration on gob-side entry retaining.

In order to study the evolutionary law of roof migration on Gob-Side Entry Retaining, this paper takes the gob-side entry retaining in the comprehensive mining face of the Ningtiaota coal mine as the engineering background, and analyzes the evolutionary law of the overlying rock layer on the roof at different locations during the roadway stay and the stress distribution around the roadway through numerical simulation software, which shows that there is a concentration of stress inside the Flexible formwork concrete wall, and therefore the maximum settlement of the roof on the side of Flexible formwork concrete wall is 35.35 mm, due to the existence of "arch-shaped" decompression area from the working face. Therefore, the maximum settlement of the roof slab on the side of flexible formwork concrete wall was 35.35 mm. Due to the existence of "arch-shaped" decompression area on the roof and floor of roadway, the settlement of the roof slab on both sides of the roadway gradually increased when it was from - 20 to 10 m away from the working face, and the central position had the following pattern of firstly decreasing and then gradually increasing, and then exceeding the top of the roadway. After decreasing and then gradually increasing, after 10 m ahead of the working face, the two sides of the roadway roof subsidence law and the central part of the roadway to maintain the same; the use of cutting the top of the flexible mold concrete wall support technology as a means of controlling the top of the roof along the empty roadway subsidence, the analysis shows that the roof after roof cutting of the amount of subsidence have been reduced, the maximum difference in the rate of change of the displacement is 0.011%, and the maximum difference in the amount of subsidence of 4.98 mm; through the field monitoring data analysis of the pressure of mining The peak value of the influence curve of the working face is located at 19 m of the working face, 9 m of the lagging working face and 19 m of the roadway outside the working face are less affected by the additional mining stress field, comparing the fracture brokenness of the roadway roof before and after the roof cutting, the fracture area in the uncut section is much larger than that in the section of the roof cutting.

Characteristics of surrounding rock damage and control technology of a facing-mining excavating roadway in north Shaanxi mining area.

In a coal mine in the northern region of Shaanxi Province, China, a facing-mining excavating roadway exists, which is intended to be retained for subsequent working face safety services. This paper investigates the deformation and damage characteristics of the surrounding rock in different stages using FLAC 3D numerical simulation, taking the facing-mining excavating roadway of this coal mine as the research context. At 20 m ahead of the working face, a discontinuous plastic zone appears in the surrounding rock of the roadway, a phenomenon attributed to the varying hardness of the lithologyand termed 'plastic zone jumping.' The numerical simulation results have been were verified using drill hole peeping. Real-time monitoring of the roadway's stability is conducted on-site, showing that the roadway is significantly affected by mining at the 50 m point ahead of the working face. Based on the numerical simulation and on-site monitoring results, the support strength was increased at 50 m from the working face along the roadway, and a new support scheme was adopted. In the lagging section of the roadway, where mining pressure is strongly evident, differentiated reinforcement using anchor rods, anchor ropes, and W steel belts has been employed, resulting in a satisfactory on-site effect.

20(S)-Ginsenoside Rh1 alleviates sevoflurane-induced ototoxicity by reducing oxidative stress levels.

CONTEXT: Sevoflurane is an inhalational anesthetic widely used in pediatric surgery. However, animal studies have shown that multiple sevoflurane exposures during the neonatal period led to ototoxicity. 20(S)-Ginsenoside Rh1, a ginsenoside extract, protects against cisplatin-induced ototoxicity by scavenging free radicals. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the effects of Rh1 on sevoflurane-induced ototoxicity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Neonatal cochlear explants and House Ear Institute-Organ of Corti 1 (HEI-OC1) cells were cultured and randomly divided into three groups: the control group, the sevoflurane group and the Rh1 pretreatment group. We pretreated cochlear explants or HEI-OC1 cells with 100 µM Rh1 2 hours before performing sevoflurane exposure. Immunofluorescence was used to detect hair cells and spiral ganglion neurons. Cell Counting Kit-8 assay was used to determine cell viability. Annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate and propidium iodide were used to evaluate apoptosis. CellROX-Green and MitoSOX-Red probes were used to measure the amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Tetramethylrhodamine methyl ester labeling was used to examine mitochondrial membrane potential. RESULTS: Rh1 attenuated spiral ganglion neuron nerve fibers and synapses degeneration in cochlear explants after sevoflurane exposure. Rh1 significantly increased the viability of HEI-OC1 cells, reduced reactive oxygen species accumulation in HEI-OC1 cells, and prevented mitochondrial damage in HEI-OC1 cells after sevoflurane exposure. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that Rh1 is a promising drug for preventing sevoflurane-induced ototoxicity.

Improvement in compliance of ships' ballast water discharges during commissioning tests.

The number of ships installing ballast water management systems (BWMS) has risen steeply since the Ballast Water Management Convention entered into force. Since June 2022, biological testing is required during commissioning to verify compliance with the Convention. Data from 676 tests (from 2019 to 2022) show substantial improvement over time: the failure rate decreased from ~20 % to ~6 %. Notably, nearly all failures occurred in the largest size class of organisms (≥50 µm). Interestingly, proxy measurements suggest that high concentrations of living organisms in uptake water did not cause the failures. Also, failures determined using "indicative" analysis (here, adenosine triphosphate, ATP) were typically not confirmed by "detailed" analysis (microscopy), suggesting that ATP limits are over-precautionary. Finally, discharges containing high levels of Total Residual Oxidants (TRO) decreased over time. These data highlight the need for ongoing testing-focusing at least on organisms ≥50 µm-to minimize environmental risks from organisms transported in ships' ballast water.

Comparison of lateral transperitoneal versus retroperitoneal laparoscopic adrenalectomy for pheochromocytoma: a single-centre retrospective study.

Laparoscopic adrenalectomy (LA) has became the standardized treatment for pheochromocytoma. The aim of this study was to evaluate outcomes of lateral transperitoneal and retroperitoneal LA for pheochromocytoma. Between January 2011 and December 2021, 142 patients with pheochromocytoma underwent LA via lateral transperitoneal (123 patients) or retroperitoneal (19 patients) approaches. Data of these patients were assessed to investigate the differences in perioperative outcomes and intraoperative haemodynamic parameters between the two procedures. Clinical parameters at presentation were comparable between the two groups, except for tumour size, which was larger in the transperitoneal group (50 [10-115] mm vs 35 [7-110] mm, P = 0.012). There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of operation time, estimated blood loss, intraoperative transfusion rate, incidence of complications, conversion to open surgery, postoperative analgesic requirement, time to first oral intake, or mean hospital stay. Intraoperative haemodynamic parameters of the two groups were similar. After adjusting for tumour size using propensity score matching, both perioperative outcomes and haemodynamic parameters were still comparable. Lateral transperitoneal and retroperitoneal laparoscopic adrenalectomies provide similar perioperative and haemodynamic outcomes for surgical resection of pheochromocytoma.

Artificial Intelligence and Human Psychology in Online Transaction Fraud.

Banking operations have changed due to technological advancement. On one hand, modernization in technology has facilitated the daily operation of banks; on the other hand, this has also resulted in an increase in the number of cyber-attacks. Artificial Intelligence has introduced new models to detect and prevent cybercrimes. Some fraud has also occurred due to the involvement of employees inside particular organizations. So, this study has focused on both sides: the machine as well as the human. Firstly, the research has focused on fraud diamond theory and has analyzed factors such as rationalization, capabilities, perceived pressure, and perceived opportunities to understand the psychology of the fraudster. Secondly, Artificial Intelligence characteristics, threat exposure, big data management, explainability, cost effectiveness, and risk prediction are evaluated to explore their use in fraud reduction in banks. The research data have been collected from 15 Banks in Pakistan with the help of a questionnaire using five-item Likert scales. The data have been analyzed using IBM SPSS Software. The results gained after correlation and regression analysis proved that Fraud diamond theory and AI characteristics have positive and significant effects on cybercrimes. This study is a great contribution to the banking industry of Pakistan as it provides a complete analysis to control fraud inside organizations by understanding the mindset of fraudsters with the help of fraud diamond theory. At the same time, outside fraud will be handled with the help of Artificial Intelligence. This will result in banks growth, which ultimately boosts the economy of a country.

Risk factors for hemodynamic instability during laparoscopic resection of pheochromocytoma.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic adrenalectomy for pheochromocytoma is associated with high risk of intraoperative hemodynamic instability. Our study aimed to identify predictive factors for hemodynamic instability during laparoscopic resection of pheochromocytoma. METHODS: Between January 2011 and December 2021, 136 patients underwent unilateral laparoscopic adrenalectomy for pheochromocytoma. The patients were divided into 2 groups depending on the presence or absence of hemodynamic instability during surgery. Intraoperative hemodynamic parameters were compared between the 2 groups. Patient demographic characteristics and preoperative evaluations were assessed for their prognostic relevance with respect to intraoperative hemodynamic instability via both univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: There was greater blood pressure fluctuations and higher maximum blood pressure and heart rate in the hemodynamic instability group. More patients need intraoperative administration of vasoactive drugs in the hemodynamic instability group. In the univariate analysis, presence of coronary artery disease, tumour size, and previous hypertension history were significantly associated with intraoperative hemodynamic instability. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that tumour size and previous hypertension history were independent risk factors for intraoperative hemodynamic instability. CONCLUSION: Tumour size and previous hypertension history were associated with hemodynamic instability during laparoscopic resection of pheochromocytoma.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Eristalinus viridis (Coquillett, 1898) (Diptera: Syrphidae) and its phylogenetic implications.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Eristalinus viridis (Coquillett, 1898) was obtained for the first time using Next Generation Sequencing (NGS). The mitogenome assembly of E. viridis is 15,640 bp in length and its annotation confirms the presence of 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs), two ribosomal RNA genes (rRNAs), and one putative control region. The results of the phylogenetic analyses using Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian inference recover a highly supported sister relationship between E. viridis and Mallota bellus.

Acute and chronic toxicities of prothioconazole and its metabolite prothioconazole-desthio in Daphnia magna.

Current research on prothioconazole (PTC), a broad-spectrum triazole fungicide, mainly focuses on its efficacy and residues; only a few studies have been assessing its toxicological effects. Using acute and chronic toxicity tests, we assessed the effects of PTC and its metabolite prothioconazole-desthio (PTCd) on the inhibition of the activity, growth, and reproduction of Daphnia magna. A dose-response relationship was established to determine sensitive biological indicators. In the acute and chronic toxicity tests, the 48-h EC50 (concentration for 50% of the maximal effect) of PTC and PTCd for D. magna were 2.82 and 5.19 mg/L and 0.0807 and 0.132 mg/L, respectively; in the latter test, PTC was 1.64 times more toxic than PTCd. Acute-to-chronic toxicity ratios were calculated using chronic toxicity data; the ratios were 227 and 27.5 for PTC and PTCd, respectively. Our results indicate that both PTC and PTCd affect the growth and reproduction of D. magna and that the toxicity of PTC is greater than that of PTCd. In conclusion, the metabolites of PTD are toxic to D. magna at certain concentrations, and their environmental risks should not be neglected.

Small spherical foreign bodies in the genitourinary tract and their management.

BACKGROUND: Urogenital small foreign bodies (FBs) have rarely been reported in children, and their management is still challenging. This study aimed to describe the characteristics and treatment of spherical FBs no larger than 0.6 cm in the children's genitourinary tracts.  METHODS : The clinical data of spherical FBs removed in our hospital from June 2013 to June 2020 were recorded and retrospectively analyzed, including demographics, location, symptoms, imaging examinations and treatment methods. RESULTS: A total of 10 patients were enrolled: 6 girls and 4 boys. Their ages ranged from 5.1 to 16.8 years old, with a mean age of 9.2 years. The course of the disease ranged from 3 h to 1 year, and symptoms recurred in some cases. Their imaging characteristics were reviewed and analyzed, 6 patients underwent color Doppler ultrasonography, 1 patient was suspected to have an FB in the vagina, 7 patients underwent an X-ray examination, and FBs were revealed in 6 patients. All FBs were removed under endoscopic minimally invasive surgery. Six vaginal FBs were successfully retrieved via vaginoscopy, and in the other four cases, removal by transurethral cystoscopy failed because of mutual attraction, which was eliminated by laparoscopy under pneumovesicum. Postoperative recovery was uneventful; in a follow-up of 3 months to 2 years, there was no perforation or fistula formation, and there were no urethral strictures in boys. CONCLUSION: Small spherical FBs are clinically rare; they are sometimes difficult to detect by imaging examinations and can be easily overlooked. Minimally invasive endoscopy remains the first-line approach for the diagnosis and removal of genitourinary spherical FBs.

Effective reduction of nitric oxide over a core-shell Cu-SAPO-34@Fe-MOR zeolite catalyst.

In this study, a core-shell catalyst of Cu-SAPO-34@Fe-MOR was successfully prepared through a silica-sol adhesion method, and its performance for selective catalytic reduction of nitric oxide by NH3 (NH3-SCR) was evaluated in detail. The Fe-MOR coating has not only increased the high-temperature activity and broadened the reaction temperature window of Cu-SAPO-34 to a large extent, but also increased the hydrothermal stability of Cu-SAPO-34 markedly. It is demonstrated that a strong synergistic interaction effect exists between Cu2+ and Fe3+ ions and promotes the redox cycle and oxidation-reduction ability of copper ions, which greatly accelerates the catalytic performance of the core-shell Cu-SAPO-34@Fe-MOR catalyst. Abundant isolated Cu2+ ions and Fe3+ ions on the ion exchange sites performing NO x reduction at low and high temperature region lead to the broad reaction temperature window of Cu-SAPO-34@Fe-MOR. In addition, more weakly adsorbed NO x species formed and the increased number of Lewis acid sites may also contribute to the higher catalytic performance of Cu-SAPO-34@Fe-MOR. On the other hand, the better hydrothermal ageing stability of Cu-SAPO-34@Fe-MOR is related to its lighter structural collapse, fewer acidic sites lost, more active components (Cu2+ and Fe3+) maintained, and more monodentate nitrate species formed in the core-shell catalyst after hydrothermal ageing. Last, the mechanism study has found that both Langmuir-Hinshelwood ("L-H") and Eley-Rideal ("E-R") mechanisms play an essential role in the catalytic process of Cu-SAPO-34@Fe-MOR, and constitute another reason for its higher activity compared with that of Cu-SAPO-34 (only "L-H" mechanism).

Comparison of lateral transperitoneal and retroperitoneal approaches for homolateral laparoscopic adrenalectomy.

BACKGROUND: There is a lack of data regarding the appropriateness of transperitoneal and retroperitoneal approaches for homolateral laparoscopic adrenalectomy. The aim of this study is to compare lateral transperitoneal and retroperitoneal approach for left-sided and right-sided laparoscopic adrenalectomy respectively. METHODS: Between January 2014 and December 2019, 242 patients underwent left-sided and 252 patients underwent right-sided laparoscopic adrenalectomy. For left side, transperitoneal approach was used in 132 (103 with tumors < 5 cm and 29 with tumors ≥ 5 cm) and retroperitoneal approach in 110 (102 with tumors < 5 cm and 8 with tumors ≥ 5 cm). For right side, transperitoneal approach was used in 139 (121 with tumors < 5 cm and 18 with tumors ≥ 5 cm) and retroperitoneal approach in 113 (102 with tumors < 5 cm and 11 with tumors ≥ 5 cm). Patient characteristics and perioperative outcomes were recorded. For each side, both approaches were compared for tumors < 5 cm and ≥ 5 cm respectively. RESULTS: For left-sided tumors < 5 cm, transperitoneal approach demonstrated shorter operative time, less blood loss and longer time to oral intake. For left-sided tumors ≥ 5 cm, the peri-operative data of both approaches was comparable. For right-sided tumors < 5 cm, transperitoneal approach demonstrated shorter operative time and less blood loss. For right-sided tumors ≥ 5 cm, the peri-operative data was comparable. CONCLUSIONS: Lateral transperitoneal and retroperitoneal approach are both effective for laparoscopic adrenalectomy. Lateral transperitoneal approach is faster with less blood loss for tumors < 5 cm.

Evaluating the efficacy and safety of electro-acupuncture in patients with antipsychotic-related constipation: protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Constipation is known as a common adverse effect of antipsychotics. Advice for its management remains inadequate. This study is designed to investigate the efficacy and safety of electro-acupuncture (EA) for antipsychotic-related constipation. METHODS: This is a single-centric, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial with blinded participants, outcome assessor, and statistician. One hundred twelve participants will be randomly assigned into the EA group or sham acupuncture (SA) group in a 1:1 ratio. The study will last for 22 weeks for each participant, including a 2-week baseline assessment period, an 8-week treatment period, and a follow-up for 12 weeks. The primary outcome is the change of mean weekly complete spontaneous bowel movements (CSBMs) during weeks 1 to 8 from baseline. Secondary outcomes include the change from baseline of mean weekly CSBMs during the follow-up period, mean weekly spontaneous bowel movements (SBMs), overall CSBM response rate, scores on Bristol Stool Form Scale (BSFS), straining level, Patient Assessment of Constipation Symptoms (PAC-SYM), Patient Assessment of Constipation Quality of life questionnaire (PAC-QOL), and Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS). Adverse events and medicine use will be recorded as well. DISCUSSION: The study is designed based on a rigorous methodology to evaluate the efficacy and safety of EA for antipsychotic-related constipation. The finding will be published in peer-reviewed journals as reliable evidence. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov ChiCTR2000032582. Registered May 3, 2020, with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry.

[Identification of geographical origins of Cordyceps based on data of amino acids with self-organizing map neural network].

In this study, data of amino acids of Cordyceps samples from Qinghai and Tibet was analyzed with self-organizing map neural network. A model of XY-Fused network was established with the content of 8 major amino acids and total amino acids for the identification of geographical origins of Cordyceps from Qinghai and Tibet. It had the prediction accuracy of 83.3% for the test set. In addition, data mining indicated that methionine was a special kind of amino acid in Cordyceps which could serve as a marker to identify its geographical origins. On this basis, the content ratio of methionine to total amino acids was proposed to be a quantifiable indicator to distinguish Cordyceps from Qinghai and Tibet.

ADAM10 attenuates the development of abdominal aortic aneurysms in a mouse model.

An abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a life­threatening disease associated with a high mortality rate. At present, surgery or minimally invasive interventions are used in clinical treatment, especially for small aneurysms. However, the benefits of surgical repair are not obvious, and AAA ruptures can be prevented by aneurysm therapy to inhibit the growth of small aneurysms. Therefore, evaluating effective drugs to treat small AAAs is urgently required. Chronic inflammation is the main pathological feature of aneurysmal tissues. The aim of the present study was to investigate the protective role and underlying mechanism of ADAM metallopeptidase domain 10 (ADAM10). In the present study, a mouse model of AAA was established via porcine pancreatic elastase perfusion for 5 min per day for 14 days. ADAM10 (6 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally following 3 days of porcine pancreatic elastase perfusion in the ADAM10 group and the treatment continued for 10 days. The maximum inner luminal diameters of the infrarenal abdominal aortas were measured using an animal ultrasound system. The levels of high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) and soluble receptor for advanced glycosylation end products in serum samples were measured by ELISA. Hematoxylin and eosin and elastin van Gieson staining were performed to observe morphology, integrity of the elastin layers and elastin degradation. CD68 expression was detected by immunohistochemical staining. Reverse transcription­quantitative PCR and western blotting were used for detection of mRNA and protein levels. The gelatinolytic activities of MMP­2 and MMP­9 were quantified via gelatin zymography analysis. These results showed that ADAM10 inhibited HMGB1/RAGE/NF­κB signaling and MMP activity in the pathogenesis of pancreatic elastase­induced AAA, which provide insight into the molecular mechanism of AAA and suggested that ADAM10 may be a potential therapeutic target for AAA.

Clinical Efficacy of Infantile Massage in the Treatment of Infant Functional Constipation: A Meta-Analysis.

Background: Functional constipation in children is a common disease that causes a psychological burden on infants and young children across the world. It will greatly affect infant quality of life in early childhood and even affect their psychological and physical health. At present, infant functional constipation is treated with western drugs alone, but this can produce drug dependency. In recent years, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) infant massage has been used as a complementary and alternative therapy, and its effectiveness and safety have been proven, attracting the attention of numerous researchers. Objective: Our study aimed to compare the influence of infant massage intervention on defecation frequency and consistency, determine the effectiveness, and safety of infant massage in the treatment of infant functional constipation, and obtain high-quality clinical evidence. Methods: Based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Statement, inclusion, and exclusion criteria were formulated. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on TCM infant massage for the treatment of infant functional constipation were found following a search of four mainstream medical databases. RCTs found to meet the study's requirement were included; data information was then extracted, and the quality was assessed using the Cochrane bias risk assessment tool. Through RevMan software, a meta-analysis was carried out for overall effective rate, stool form, defecation frequency, defecation difficulty, and constipation symptom scoring index. The relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were calculated, heterogeneity was tested and its source was found, and publication bias was assessed through the Egger's and Begg's tests and by means of funnel plots. Results: A total of 23 RCTs and 2,005 patients were included. The results of the meta-analysis showed that compared to drug therapy alone, TCM infant massage had a superior effect on the treatment of infant functional constipation. This difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05) and evaluated according to the overall effective rate (RR = 1.25; 95% CI = 1.17, 1.33), defecation frequency [mean difference (MD) = -0.72; 95% CI = -0.80, -0.65], and constipation symptom score (MD = -0.81; 95% CI = -1.20, -0.43), showing that TCM infant massage is indeed superior to drug therapy alone in the treatment of infant functional constipation. TCM infant massage was found to be equivalent to drug therapy alone in terms of the stool form score [-0.30 (-0.38, -0.22)] and the defecation difficulty score [-0.73 (-0.81, -0.65)], since the difference was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). The source of heterogeneity might be related to the state of patient, manipulation of the massages, efficacy of drugs in the control group, and difference in judgment criteria for efficacy. The Egger's test and Begg's test showed that publication bias did not occur in our study. Conclusion: TCM infant massage can increase defecation frequency and reduce the symptoms of constipation in children suffering from functional constipation; in addition, the clinical trial showed beneficial effects. Since some of the RCTs featured a very small sample size, the reliability and validity of our study's conclusion may have been affected as well; therefore, the explanation should be treated with some caution. In the future, a large number of higher-quality RCTs are still needed to confirm the results of our study.

Characterization and phylogenetic analysis of the complete mitochondrial genome of Lathyrophthalmus quinquestriatus (Fabricius, 1794)(Diptera, Syrphidae).

In this study, we present the complete mitogenome of Lathyrophthalmu quinquestriatus (Fabricius, 1794), which has a total length of 16,198 base pairs and includes 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes and one putative control region. Most PCGs started with ATN codons except COX1 (CAA), and ended with TAA, TAG (ND3) or single T(ND5). The results of phylogenetic tree reconstruction show that the monophyly of subfamily Eristalinae is not supported, and the closer relationship between genus Lathyrophthalmus and Eristalinus.