Cognitive and Hippocampal Changes in Older Adults With Subjective Cognitive Decline After Acupuncture Intervention.

OBJECTIVE: Converging evidence indicates that subjective cognitive decline (SCD) could be an early indicator of dementia. The hippocampus is the earliest affected region during the progression of cognitive impairment. However, little is known about whether and how acupuncture change the hippocampal structure and function of SCD individuals. METHODS: Here, we used multi-modal MRI to reveal the mechanism of acupuncture in treating SCD. Seventy-two older participants were randomized into acupuncture or sham acupuncture group and treated for 12 weeks. RESULTS: At the end of the intervention, compared to sham acupuncture, participants with acupuncture treatment showed improvement in composite Z score from multi-domain neuropsychological tests, as well as increased hippocampal volume and functional connectivity. Moreover, the greater white matter integrity of the fornix, which is the major output tract of the hippocampus, was shown in the acupuncture group. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that acupuncture may improve the cognitive function of SCD individuals, and increase hippocampal volume on the regional level and enhance the structural and functional connectivity of hippocampus on the connective level.

Prediction for post-ERCP pancreatitis in non-elderly patients with common bile duct stones: a cross-sectional study at a major Chinese tertiary hospital (2015-2023).

BACKGROUND: Post-ERCP pancreatitis is one of the most common adverse events in ERCP-related procedures. The purpose of this study is to construct an online model to predict the risk of post-ERCP pancreatitis in non-elderly patients with common bile duct stones through screening of relevant clinical parameters. METHODS: A total of 919 cases were selected from 7154 cases from a major Chinese tertiary hospital. Multivariable logistic regression model was fitted using the variables selected by the LASSO regression from 28 potential predictor variables. The internal and external validation was assessed by evaluating the receiver operating characteristic curve and the area under curve. Restricted cubic spline modelling was used to explore non-linear associations. The interactive Web application developed for risk prediction was built using the R "shiny" package. RESULTS: The incidence of post-ERCP pancreatitis was 5.22% (48/919) and significantly higher in non-elderly patients with female, high blood pressure, the history of pancreatitis, difficult intubation, endoscopic sphincterotomy, lower alkaline phosphatase and smaller diameter of common bile duct. The predictive performance in the test and external validation set was 0.915 (95% CI, 0.858-0.972) and 0.838 (95% CI, 0.689-0.986), respectively. The multivariate restricted cubic spline results showed that the incidence of pancreatitis was increased at 33-50 years old, neutrophil percentage > 58.90%, hemoglobin > 131 g/L, platelet < 203.04 or > 241.40 × 109/L, total bilirubin > 18.39 umol / L, aspartate amino transferase < 36.56 IU / L, alkaline phosphatase < 124.92 IU / L, Albumin < 42.21 g / L and common bile duct diameter between 7.25 and 10.02 mm. In addition, a web server was developed that supports query for immediate PEP risk. CONCLUSION: The visualized networked version of the above model is able to most accurately predict the risk of PEP in non-elderly patients with choledocholithiasis and allows clinicians to assess the risk of PEP in real time and provide preventive treatment measures as early as possible.

Different Degree Centrality Changes in the Brain after Acupuncture on Contralateral or Ipsilateral Acupoint in Patients with Chronic Shoulder Pain: A Resting-State fMRI Study.

Chronic shoulder pain (CSP) is the third most common musculoskeletal problem. For maximum treatment effectiveness, most acupuncturists usually choose acupoint in the nonpainful side, to alleviate pain or improve shoulder function. This method is named opposite needling, which means acupuncture points on the right side are selected for diseases on the left side and vice versa. However, the underlying neural mechanisms related to treatment are currently unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine whether different mechanisms were observed with contralateral and ipsilateral acupuncture at Tiaokou (ST 38) in patients with unilateral CSP. Twenty-four patients were randomized to the contralateral acupuncture group (contra-group) and the ipsilateral acupuncture group (ipsi-group). The patients received one acupuncture treatment session at ST 38 on the nonpainful or painful sides, respectively. Before and after acupuncture treatment, they underwent functional magnetic resonance scanning. The treatment-related changes in degree centrality (DC) maps were compared between the two groups. We found alleviated pain and improved shoulder function in both groups, but better shoulder functional improvement was observed in the contra-group. Increased DC in the anterior/paracingulate cortex and decreased DC in bilateral postcentral gyri were found in the contra-group, while decreased DC in the bilateral cerebellum and right thalamus was observed in the ipsi-group. Furthermore, the DC value in the bilateral anterior/paracingulate cortex was positively correlated with the treatment-related change in the Constant-Murley score. The current study reveals different changes of DC patterns after acupuncture at contralateral or ipsilateral ST 38 in patients with CSP. Our findings support the hypothesis of acupoint specificity and provide the evidence for acupuncturists to select acupoints for CSP.

[Effect of Helicobacter pylori Infection on Autonomic Nervous Function and Calcitonin Gene-related Peptide in Patients with Functional Dyspepsia].

Objective To investigate the effects of Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori)infection on autonomic nervous function and calcitonin gene-related peptide in patients with functional dyspepsia(FD). Methods Thirty-one patients with FD matching Rome Ⅳ criteria were included and divided into H.pylori-positive group and H.pylori-negative group.All patients were evaluated by Symptom Index of Dyspepsia(SID),Nepean Dyspepsia Index(NDI),and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale(HADS).Their heart rate variability(HRV)and calcitonin gene-related peptide(CGRP)level were also measured. Results There were no significant differences in SID(Z=-0.858, P=0.858),NDI(Z=-1.464, P=0.143),and Hospital Depression Scale score(Z=0.699, P=0.485).However,the Hospital Anxiety Scale score was significantly higher in H.pylori-positive group than the H.pylori-negative group(Z=-2.470, P=0.014).The level of CGRP in H.pylori-positive group[(0.999±0.274)ng/ml]was significantly higher than that in the H.pylori-negative group[(0.812±0.172)ng/ml;t=2.238, P=0.033].HRV data showed no significant difference between these two groups at very low frequency(t=-1.210, P=0.236),low frequency(LF)(t=0.419, P=0.678),high frequency(HF)(t=0.612, P=0.546),LF/HF(t=-0.882, P=0.399),and total power(t=-0.963, P=0.344). Conclusion In FD patients,patients with H.pylori-positive FD patients have higher depression and CGRP levels than those without H.pylori infection,although their dyspepsia symptoms and HRV show no notable changes.

Effectiveness of acupuncture for vascular cognitive impairment no dementia: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE:: To evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture in patients with vascular cognitive impairment no dementia (VCIND) in comparison with citicoline, an agent for cognitive disturbances associated with chronic cerebral disorders. DESIGN:: A randomized controlled multicenter trial. SETTING:: In three hospitals in Beijing, China. SUBJECTS:: A total of 216 patients with VCIND were recruited. INTERVENTIONS:: Patients with VCIND (mean age of 65.4 years) were randomized to receive acupuncture (two sessions per week) or oral citicoline (100 mg three times daily) over three months. MAIN MEASURES:: The primary outcome was the change from baseline to three months in cognitive symptom, measured by Alzheimer's disease Assessment Scale, cognitive subscale (ADAS-cog). Secondary outcomes included changes from baseline to six months in ADAS-cog, executive function measured by the Clock Drawing Test (CDT), and functional disability measured by the Ability of Daily Living (ADL) scale at three and six months. RESULTS:: At three months, the acupuncture group had a greater decrease in mean ADAS-cog score (-2.33 ± 0.31) than the citicoline group (-1.38 ± 0.34) with a mean difference of -0.95 (95% CI, -1.84 to -0.07, P = 0.035). The mean change from baseline to six months in ADAS-cog also significantly favored acupuncture treatments (acupuncture change -2.61 vs citicoline -1.25, difference: -1.36 points; 95% CI, -2.20 to -0.51; P = 0.002). There was no difference between the two groups on CDT and ADL scores at either time point. CONCLUSION:: Compared with citicoline, acupuncture has comparable and even superior efficacy with improved cognitive and daily living performance as a complementary and alternative medicine treatment for VCIND.

[Research Advances in Insomnia Disorder Based on Magnetic Resonance Imaging].

As the most common sleep disorder,insomnia decreases the quality of life and is the high risk for cardiovascular disease,neurological disease,and psychiatric disease. It has become a major public health problem. In recent years,magnetic resonance imaging technology has been widely used for research on the brain structure in patients with insomnia. This article summarizes recent research findings of the abnormal brain structure and the potential neural mechanism of insomnia,with an attempt to understand the mechanisms in abnormal brain regions and thus further identify the pathophysiology of insomnia.

Acupuncture Attenuated Vascular Dementia-Induced Hippocampal Long-Term Potentiation Impairments via Activation of D1/D5 Receptors.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Emerging evidence suggests that acupuncture could improve cognitive impairment in vascular dementia by enhancing synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether dopamine, a key mediator of synaptic plasticity, is involved in this cognitive improvement. METHODS: Vascular dementia model was established by bilateral common carotid arteries occlusion in male Wistar rats. Three days after the operation, animals received acupuncture treatment for 2 weeks, once daily. The D1/D5 receptors antagonist SCH23390 was administered intraperitoneally 15 minutes before each acupuncture treatment. Morris water maze was examined after acupuncture. Long-term potentiation was studied by an electrophysiological technique. Dopamine and metabolites levels were detected by microdialysis and high-performance liquid chromatography from brain tissue. The expression of D1R and D5R was analyzed by immunofluorescence. RESULTS: Acupuncture remarkably reversed cognitive deficits in 2-vessel occlusion model (2VO) rats, and the acupuncture points Zusanli (ST36) and Baihui (GV20) were confirmed to be the most effective combination. Electrophysiological recording data showed that 2VO-induced impairments of long-term potentiation were prevented by acupuncture. In addition, acupuncture promoted the release of dopamine and its major metabolites in the hippocampus of 2VO rats. The immunofluorescence experiment showed that the decrease of D1R and D5R in hippocampal dentate gyrus region of 2VO rats was reversed by acupuncture. Furthermore, we found that the effects of acupuncture against 2VO-induced impairments in cognition and synaptic plasticity were abolished by SCH23390. CONCLUSIONS: Improvement in cognition and hippocampal synaptic plasticity induced by acupuncture was achieved via activation of D1/D5 receptors in 2VO rats.

In Vivo Pharmacodynamics of Cefquinome in a Neutropenic Mouse Thigh Model of Streptococcus suis Serotype 2 at Varied Initial Inoculum Sizes.

Streptococcus suis serotype 2 is an emerging zoonotic pathogen and causes severe disease in both pigs and human beings. Cefquinome (CEQ), a fourth-generation cephalosporin, exhibits broad-spectrum activity against Gram-positive bacteria such as S. suis. This study evaluated the in vitro and in vivo antimicrobial activities of CEQ against four strains of S. suis serotype 2 in a murine neutropenic thigh infection model. We investigated the effect of varied inoculum sizes (10(6) to 10(8) CFU/thigh) on the pharmacokinetic (PK)/pharmacodynamic (PD) indices and magnitudes of a particular PK/PD index or dose required for efficacy. Dose fractionation studies included total CEQ doses ranging from 0.625 to 640 mg/kg/24 h. Data were analyzed via a maximum effect (Emax) model using nonlinear regression. The PK/PD studies demonstrated that the percentage of time that serum drug levels were above the MIC of free drug (%ƒT>MIC) in a 24-h dosing interval was the primary index driving the efficacy of both inoculum sizes (R(2) = 91% and R(2) = 63%). CEQ doses of 2.5 and 40 mg/kg body weight produced prolonged postantibiotic effects (PAEs) of 2.45 to 8.55 h. Inoculum sizes had a significant influence on CEQ efficacy. Compared to the CEQ exposure and dosages in tests using standard inocula, a 4-fold dose (P = 0.006) and a 2-fold exposure time (P = 0.01) were required for a 1-log kill using large inocula of 10(8) CFU/thigh.

Acupuncture attenuates cognitive deficits and increases pyramidal neuron number in hippocampal CA1 area of vascular dementia rats.

BACKGROUND: Decreased cognition is recognized as one of the most severe and consistent behavioral impairments in dementia. Experimental studies have reported that acupuncture may improve cognitive deficits, relieve vascular dementia (VD) symptoms, and increase cerebral perfusion and electrical activity. METHODS: Multi-infarction dementia was modeled in rats with 3% microemboli saline suspension. Two weeks after acupuncture at Zusanli (ST36), all rats were subjected to a hidden platform trial to test their 3-day spatial memory using the Morris water maze test. To estimate the numbers of pyramidal neuron, astrocytes, and synaptic boutons in hippocampal CA1 area, we adopted an unbiased stereology method to accurately sample and measure the size of cells. RESULTS: We found that acupuncture at ST36 significantly decreased the escape latency of VD rats. In addition, acupuncture significantly increased the pyramidal neuron number in hippocampal CA1 area (P < 0.05) and tended to decrease the number of astrocytes (P = 0.063). However, there was no significant change in the synaptic bouton number of hippocampal CA1 area in any of the groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that acupuncture may improve cognitive deficits and increase pyramidal neuron number of hippocampal CA1 area in VD rats.

Acupoint massage at Shenque (CV 8) for chronic fatigue syndrome: a randomized controlled trial. / ç¥žé˜™ç©´ä½æŒ‰æ‘©æ²»ç–—æ ¢æ€§ç–²åŠ³ç»¼åˆå¾ï¼šéšæœºå¯¹ç §è¯•éªŒ.

OBJECTIVES: To observe the clinical efficacy of acupoint massage at Shenque (CV 8) for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). METHODS: A total of 71 patients with CFS were randomized into an observation group (36 cases, 2 cases were eliminated, 3 cases dropped out) and a control group (35 cases). Using a specially made massage instrument, acupoint massage was adopted at the the five points of Shenque (CV 8), i.e. the center and the upper, lower, left, and right parts of the inner wall. The manipulation was given 10 min a time, once every 2 days, 3 times a week for 4 weeks continuously. No intervention was delivered in the control group. Before and after treatment, the scores of fatigue scale-14 (FS-14) and Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) were observed, and the clinical efficacy was evaluated in the both groups. RESULTS: After treatment, the physical fatigue and mental fatigue scores, as well as the total score of FS-14 were decreased compared with those before treatment in the observation group (P<0.001); the above scores in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.001). After treatment, excepted for the sleep time and hypnotic scores, the remaining item scores and the total score of PSQI were decreased compared with those before treatment in the observation group (P<0.05); the each item score and the total score of PSQI were lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). The total effective rate in the observation group was superior to that in the control group (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Acupoint massage at Shenque (CV 8) can effectively improve the fatigue state and sleep quality in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Enhanced photo-Fenton degradation of dyes under visible light with recyclable γ-Fe2O3/CQDs: Catalyst preparation, performance and mechanism insight.

A low band gap and visible light-responsive heterogeneous Photo-Fenton catalyst of γ-Fe2O3/CQDs micron composite was prepared under the one-pot hydrothermal method. The Photo-Fenton degradation of γ-Fe2O3/CQDs towards dye solution of rhodamine B(RhB), methyl blue (MB), and methyl orange (MO) was studied comparatively with α-Fe2O3. The γ-Fe2O3/CQDs exhibited remarkable catalytic performance for various dyes and with a first-order rate (k) of 14 times higher than that of initial α-Fe2O3 with a low concentration of H2O2 of 0.049 mmol. L-1 and a wider pH range of 3.1-7.1. The microstructure of the compounds was observed by XRD, SEM, TEM, FT-IR, and XPS characterization results suggested that the γ-Fe2O3/CQDs nanocomposite was formed through the stable Fe-O-C bonds, thus, the band gap decreased, and it is more favorable for the distance of holes and electrons. The free radical trapping experiment and EPR analysis indicated that •OH and 1O2 were the major active species during the typical photo-Fenton reaction. What's more, the γ-Fe2O3/CQDs also exhibited good stability and magnetic properties. DFT conclusion shows that the mechanism of the potential determination step (PDS) on α-Fe2O3(220) is the cleavage of H2O2 with an energy barrier of only 0.08 eV, which is 0.54 eV lower than that of OH* on γ-Fe2O3(220). Thus it can be deemed that γ-Fe2O3/CQDs perform much higher catalytic activity for the dissociation of H2O2 than α-Fe2O3. This work gives a feasible and economical countermeasure of visible light Photo-Fenton dispose of dye wastewater with a recyclable magnetic γ-Fe2O3/CQDs micron catalyst.

Enhanced Cd activation by Coprinus comatus endophyte Bacillus thuringiensis and the molecular mechanism.

Fungal endophytes not only tolerate and activate Cd in soil but also promote host growth, yet its Cd activation capacity and mechanism remain unrevealed. Our previous study isolated a robust endophyte Bacillus thuringiensis L1 from Coprinus comatus fruiting body with splendid Cd resistance and activation abilities under laboratory conditions. In this study, those peculiarities were investigated in the actual soil environment. L1 could significantly increase the soil bioavailable Cd content and effectively compensate for alkali-hydro nitrogen losses and microbial inhibition caused by Cd. Furthermore, L1 inoculation improved the soil's bacterial community structure and increased the relative abundance of Cd-resistant bacteria, such as Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi, Acidobacter, and Firmicutes, closely associated with the soil enzyme activity shift. The genome sequencing analysis revealed the presence of genes related to growth promotion, resistance to Cd stress, and Cd activation, which were significantly up-regulated under Cd stress. Notably, L1 mainly activates Cd in soil by secreting citric acid, succinic acid, siderophore, and soluble phosphorus substances to chelate with Cd or dissolve bounded Cd. Meanwhile, the metal-responsive transcription repressor (CadC) and the Cd-translocating protein P-type ATPase (CadA) can help the L1 to suppress the toxicity of Cd. Those results help to unveil the possible mechanism of L1 in Cd-contaminated soil remediation, providing a clear strategy for Cd bio-extraction from soil.

Phase-transition materials derived photonic metamaterials for passively dynamic solar thermal and coldness harvesting.

The rising need for energy to actively heat and cool human-made structures is contributing to the growing energy crisis and intensifying global warming. Consequently, there's a pressing need for a sustainable approach to temperature management that minimizes energy consumption and carbon emissions. The substantial temperature differences between the Sun (approximately 5800 K), Earth (around 300 K), and outer space (about 3 K) offer a unique opportunity for passive thermal regulation on a global scale. Recent research indicates the possibility of addressing this issue through various low-carbon, passive technologies such as solar heating and radiative cooling. However, their practical application is often limited to certain seasons and climatic regions due to their static and single-function nature in managing temperature. In this context, we introduce a concept of phase-change metamaterials that provide passive, dynamic, and adjustable radiative thermal control, suitable for widespread engineering applications. Our designed metafilm comprises a Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) layer infused with vanadium dioxide (VO2) nanoparticles, backed by a layer of broadband-reflective silver (Ag). This metafilm exhibits a self-adjusting solar absorptance, shifting from 0.96 to 0.25 at a pivotal temperature while maintaining a nearly constant thermal emittance. We can finely tune the metafilm's optical characteristics by altering the VO2 nanoparticle concentration and PDMS layer thickness. To demonstrate its efficacy in solar thermal management and radiative cooling, we simulate its temperature behavior under various weather conditions.

Investigation of α-Fe2O3 catalyst structure for efficient photocatalytic fenton oxidation removal of antibiotics: preparation, performance, and mechanism.

Currently, the surface structure modification of photocatalysts is one of the effective means of enhancing their photocatalytic efficiency. Therefore, it is critically important to gain a deeper understanding of how the surface of α-Fe2O3 photocatalysts influences catalytic activity at the nanoscale. In this work, α-Fe2O3 catalysts were prepared using the solvothermal method, and four distinct morphologies were investigated: hexagonal bipyramid (THB), cube (CB), hexagonal plate (HS), and spherical (RC). The results indicate that the hexagonal bipyramid (THB) exhibits the highest degradation activity towards tetracycline (TC), with a reaction rate constant of k = 0.0969 min-1. The apparent reaction rate constants for the cube (CB), hexagonal plate (HS), and spherical (RC) morphologies are 0.0824, 0.0726, and 0.0585 min-1, respectively. In addition, it has been observed that the enhancement of photocatalytic activity is closely related to the increase in surface area, which provides more opportunities for interactions between Fe2+ and holes. The quenching experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) results indicate that the ˙O2, ˙OH and h+ contribute mainly to the degradation of TC in the system. This research contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of catalyst surface alterations and their impact on catalytic performance.

Imaging characteristics and ECG distribution of coronary fistulas: The first large-scale study.

BACKGROUND: The proportion of abnormal electrocardiogra (ECG) in patients with coronary artery fistula (CAF) is relatively high, but the correlation between CAF and arrhythmia is mostly reported in individual case studies. This paper analyzes the correlation between imaging features and ECG features. OBJECTIVE: This paper aims to analyze the incidence and distribution characteristics of abnormal ECG in patients with CAF and further explore the difference in ECG characteristics between coronary-cameral fistula (CCF) and coronary-pulmonary artery fistula (CPAF). METHOD: A total of 144,448 patients who underwent coronary computerized tomography angiography (CTA) examination from January 2016 to December 2022 were included in this study, and 284 patients with CAF (excluding coronary atherosclerosis) were selected for analysis of their ECG and image characteristics. And divided them into the CPAF (221 cases) and CCF (63 cases) groups, the differences in ECG between the two groups was compared. The changes in the ECG after the operation were analyzed. RESULTS: The incidence of abnormal ECG in patients with CAF was approximately 72.9%. There were significant differences in the proportion of ECG block, myocardial ischemia and structural ECG changes between the CPAF group and CCF group (P < 0.05). CCF was more likely to cause conduction block and ischemic and structural ECG changes. A total of 53 patients with CAF underwent surgical treatment, 28 patients with improved ECG (52%). CONCLUSION: CCF especially CCF patients often have abnormal ECG findings such as conduction block, myocardial ischemia, and structural changes, which can often be restored to normal through surgery.

Design, synthesis and antitumor activity of novel 4-methyl-(3'S,4'S)-cis-khellactone derivatives.

An asymmetric synthesis of a series of novel 4-methyl-(3'S,4'S)-cis-khellactone derivatives 3a-o is reported for the first time. Their structures were confirmed by 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR and MS. Their cytotoxic activity was evaluated by the MTT assay against three selected human cancer cell lines: HEPG-2 (human liver carcinoma), SGC-7901 (human gastric carcinoma), LS174T (human colon carcinoma). Some compounds showed high inhibitory activity against these human cancer cell lines. Among them, compound 3a exhibited strong cytotoxicity, with IC50 values ranging from 8.51 to 29.65 µM. The results showed that 4-methyl-cis-khellactone derivatives with S,S configuration could be a potential antitumor agents.

Evaluation and dynamic monitoring of ecological environment quality in mining area based on improved CRSEI index model.

Large-scale open-pit mining in mining areas will cause serious damage to the ecological environment. Building a "green mine" is an essential part of implementing sustainable development. In order to explore the changing characteristics of the environmental quality of the open-pit mining area and provide a scientific basis for improving the ecological environment of the mining area. Taking Sijiying open-pit mining area as the research area, based on four Landsat images from 2000 to 2022, the four index components of greenness, humidity, dryness and heat were integrated, and an improved remote sensing ecological index CRSEI was constructed by principal component analysis to dynamically evaluate and monitor the ecological environment quality of the mining area. The results show that the average correlation between CRSEI and the index components is higher than the average correlation between the components, indicating that it has a favorable expression effect on the ecological quality of the mining area. The ecological environmental quality of the study area experienced a shift to the poor grade, and the poor ecological quality area was mainly distributed in industrial and mining land and construction land, with the mean CRSEI of 0.668, 0.474, 0.460 and 0.494, respectively. The results of dynamic monitoring showed that the proportion of ecological improvement area (41.43 %) was greater than that of ecological deterioration area (33.29 %) in the study area in the past 22 years, and additional restoration efforts should be made to achieve sustainable development of the ecological environment.

Highly efficient catalytic ozonation degradation of levofloxacin by facile hydrogenation-modified red mud wastes.

Iron-rich red mud (RM) is a potential catalyst. However, as industrial waste, is strongly alkaline, low effectiveness, and safety concerns are problems that cannot be ignored, it is urgent to mine out a reasonable disposal and utilization technology for the waste. In this study, an effective catalyst (H-RM) was obtained by facile hydrogenation heating modification of red mud. Then above-prepared H-RM was applied in the catalytic ozonation degradation of levofloxacin (LEV). The H-RM exhibited more remarkable catalytic activities than the RM in terms of LEV degradation, and the optimal efficiency can reach over 90% within 50 min. The mechanism experiment proved that the concentration of dissolved ozone and hydroxyl radical (•OH) significantly increased, which enhanced the oxidation effect. Hydroxyl radical played a dominant role in the degradation of LEV. In the safety test, it is concluded that the concentration of total hexavalent chromium (total Cr(Ⅵ)) in the H-RM catalyst decreases and the leaching concentration of water-soluble Cr(Ⅵ) in aqueous solution is low. The results indicated that the hydrogenation technique is an available Cr (Ⅵ) detoxification method for RM. Moreover, the H-RM has excellent catalytic stability, which is beneficial to recycling and maintains high activity. This research provides an effective means to fulfill the reuse of industrial waste as an alternative to standard raw materials, and comprehensive utilization of the waste to attain the purpose of treating pollution with wastes.

Recent advances in the pharmacological applications and liver toxicity of triptolide.

Triptolide is a predominant active component of Triptergium wilfordii Hook. F, which has been used for the treatment of cancers and autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus and diabetic nephropathy. Therefore, triptolide and its derivates are considered to have promising prospects for development into drugs. However, the clinical application of triptolide is limited due to various organ toxicities, especially liver toxicity. The potential mechanism of triptolide-induced hepatotoxicity has attracted increasing attention. Over the past five years, studies have revealed that triptolide-induced liver toxicity is involved in metabolic imbalance, oxidative stress, inflammations, autophagy, apoptosis, and the regulation of cytochrome P450 (CYP450) enzymes, gut microbiota and immune cells. In this review, we summarize the pharmacological applications and hepatotoxicity mechanism of triptolide, which will provide solid theoretical evidence for further research of triptolide.

Central Mechanism of Acupuncture Treatment in Patients with Migraine: Study Protocol for Randomized Controlled Neuroimaging Trial.

Purpose: Acupuncture has been recognized as an effective and safe alternative therapy for migraine, but its central mechanism has not yet been adequately explained. Meanwhile, research into the clinical efficacy and central mechanism of true acupuncture (TA) and sham acupuncture (SA) is lacking. It is necessary to investigate whether TA has better efficacy than SA, and how they achieve different effects. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of TA and SA, observe the brain response caused by TA and SA, and further investigate the central nervous mechanism of TA and SA treatment for patients with migraine. Patients and Methods: This is a randomized controlled neuroimaging trial combining acupuncture treatment with functional magnetic resonance imaging, with patients and outcome assessors blinded. A total of 60 patients with migraine will be randomly allocated to receive 12 sessions of either TA or SA treatments (three sessions per week for 4 weeks), and 30 healthy participants will be recruited as the healthy control (HC) group. Outcome assessment and neuroimaging will be conducted before and after the entire intervention. A headache diary and questionnaires of life quality and psychological properties will be used to evaluate clinical efficacy. Multimodal magnetic resonance imagining data analysis will be used to investigate the central mechanism of TA or SA in treating migraine. Pearson's correlation analysis will be used to reveal the relationship between the brain response and clinical improvements. Conclusion: The results of this study will reveal the brain response to TA and SA in patients with migraine and contribute to further expanding the knowledge of their central mechanism. Study Registration: This trial has been approved by the ethics committee of Dongzhimen Hospital affiliated to Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (DZMEC-KY-2020-38) and registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (registration number ChiCTR2000033995).