Online water quality monitoring based on UV-Vis spectrometry and artificial neural networks in a river confluence near Sherfield-on-Loddon.

Water quality monitoring is very important in agricultural catchments. UV-Vis spectrometry is widely used in place of traditional analytical methods because it is cost effective and fast and there is no chemical waste. In recent years, artificial neural networks have been extensively studied and used in various areas. In this study, we plan to simplify water quality monitoring with UV-Vis spectrometry and artificial neural networks. Samples were collected and immediately taken back to a laboratory for analysis. The absorption spectra of the water sample were acquired within a wavelength range from 200 to 800 nm. Convolutional neural network (CNN) and partial least squares (PLS) methods are used to calculate water parameters and obtain accurate results. The experimental results of this study show that both PLS and CNN methods may obtain an accurate result: linear correlation coefficient (R2) between predicted value and true values of TOC concentrations is 0.927 with PLS model and 0.953 with CNN model, R2 between predicted value and true values of TSS concentrations is 0.827 with PLS model and 0.915 with CNN model. CNN method may obtain a better linear correlation coefficient (R2) even with small number of samples and can be used for online water quality monitoring combined with UV-Vis spectrometry in agricultural catchment.

The initial CT blend sign is not associated with poor patient outcomes after stereotactic minimally invasive surgery.

BACKGROUND: The initial CT blend sign is an imaging marker that has been used to predict haematoma expansion and poor outcomes in patients with small-volume intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH). However, the association of the blend sign with the outcomes of patients undergoing surgery remains unclear. The present study aimed to retrospectively evaluate the influence of the initial CT blend sign on short-term outcomes in patients with hypertensive ICH after stereotactic minimally invasive surgery (sMIS). METHODS: We enrolled 242 patients with spontaneous ICH. The patients were assigned to the blend sign group (91 patients) or non-blend sign (control) group (151 patients) based on the initial CT features. The NIHSS, GCS and mRS were used to assess the effects of sMIS. The rates of severe pulmonary infection and cardiac complications were also compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences in the NIHSS and GCS scores were not observed between the blend sign group and the control group. No significant differences in the proportion of patients with good outcomes during the follow-up period were observed between the two groups. A higher rate of re-haemorrhage was noted in the blend sign group. Significant differences in the rates of severe pulmonary infection and cardiac complications were not observed between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The initial CT blend sign is not associated with poor outcomes in patients with hypertensive ICH after sMIS. ICH patients with the CT blend sign should undergo sMIS if they are suitable candidates for surgery.

Regular-Shaped Hematomas Predict a Favorable Outcome in Patients with Hypertensive Intracerebral Hemorrhage Following Stereotactic Minimally Invasive Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Stereotactic minimally invasive surgery (sMIS) has been used in the treatment of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) in recent years and has obtained promising results. However, the outcomes of patients are associated with many factors. The aim of the present study was to retrospectively observe the relationship between hematoma shape features and the outcome of patients with spontaneous ICH following sMIS. METHODS: One hundred eighty-three patients with hypertensive ICH who underwent sMIS were enrolled. Based on hematoma shape features, the patients were assigned to a regular-shaped hematoma group (RSH group, including 121 patients) or an irregular-shaped hematoma group (ISH group, including 62 patients). The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score and the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score were assessed on admission and at 1 week and 2 weeks after surgery. The rates of severe pulmonary infection, cardiac complications, and postoperative rebleeding during the hospital stay were also recorded for comparison. The functional outcome assessed by using the modified Rankin scale score was determined at discharge. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed for predictors of good outcome in patients with ICH who underwent sMIS. A receiver operating characteristic curve was also used to confirm the results. RESULTS: Compared to the ISH group, the RSH group showed increased median GCS scores at one week and two weeks after surgery. The RSH group showed significantly decreased NIHSS scores at one week and two weeks after surgery compared with the ISH group at the same time point. Significant differences in the GCS score and the NIHSS score at 1 week (P < 0.05) and 2 weeks (P < 0.05) after surgery were observed between the RSH group and the ISH group. The RSH group showed lower rates of severe pulmonary infection, heart failure, and postoperative rehemorrhage than the ISH group (P < 0.05). Of the total patients with good outcomes, the RSH group accounted for 84.6%, and just 15.4% were from the ISH group. The multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that regular-shaped hematoma (P < 0.0001) was an independent predictor of good outcome. The postoperative residual hematoma volume (P < 0.05) predicted a poor outcome. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of regular-shaped hematomas for the prediction of a favorable outcome in patients were 0.667, 0.846, 0.917, and 0.542, respectively. Additionally, the Youden index was 0.513. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with regular-shaped hematomas exhibited more favorable outcomes. Irregular-shaped hematomas and postoperative residual hematoma volume predicted a poor outcome in patients with ICH following sMIS.

The association of liver fat content and serum alanine aminotransferase with bone mineral density in middle-aged and elderly Chinese men and postmenopausal women.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have linked non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) to a reduced bone mineral density (BMD). We aimed to detect the quantitative association of liver fat content (LFC) and serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) with BMD in a middle-aged and elderly Chinese population. METHODS: The lumbar spine, hip and whole body BMDs were measured using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (Lunar iDXA, GE Healthcare) in 1659 Chinese (755 men and 1028 postmenopausal women) from Shanghai Changfeng community. Liver fat content was quantified via an ultrasound quantitative method. Multivariate linear regression analyses were carried out to determine the independent association of LFC and serum ALT with BMD and bone metabolic biomarkers. We also attempted to investigate the synergistic association between LFC and ALT as risk factors for bone mineral loss in Chinese. RESULTS: Subjects with higher LFC had significantly lower BMD at all skeletal sites. Univariate correlation analysis showed that both LFC and ALT were inversely associated with BMD at the spine (r = -0.116, P < 0.001 and r = -0.102, P = 0.005), hip (r = -0.095, P = 0.014 and r = -0.075, P = 0.041) and whole body sites (r = -0.134, P < 0.001 and r = -0.164, P < 0.001) in men. After confounders were controlled for, LFC and ALT remained associated with BMD and bone formation biomarkers in men, but not postmenopausal women. When both NAFLD and elevation of ALT were present, there was a significant synergistic worsening of the BMDs at all bone sites. CONCLUSIONS: Liver fat content and serum ALT were inversely correlated with BMD in middle-aged and elderly men. The underlying mechanism might relate to a reduction in osteoblast activity. Elevation of the hepatotoxic biomarker ALT may indicate high risk for osteoporosis in patients with NAFLD.

Serum retinol binding protein 4 is associated with visceral fat in human with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease without known diabetes: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: High serum Retinol Binding Protein 4 (RBP4) levels were associated with insulin-resistant states in humans. To determine which fat compartments are associated with elevated RBP4 levels in humans, we measured serum RBP4 and hepatic fat content (HFC), visceral (VFA) and subcutaneous abdominal fat area (SFA) in 106 subjects with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) without known diabetes. METHODS: 106 patients with NAFLD (M/F: 61/45, aged 47.44±14.16 years) were enrolled. Subjects with known diabetes, chronic virus hepatitis, and those with alcohol consumption≥30 g/d in man and ≥20 g/d in woman were excluded. Anthropometrics and laboratory tests, including lipid profile, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and γ-glutamyltransferase (γ-GT) were conducted. HFC, VFA and SFA were determined by CT scan. Serum RBP4 was detected by an enzyme immunoassay kit and validated by quantitative Western blotting. RESULTS: Circulating RBP4 was negatively associated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) (r=-0.392, p<0.001), but positively with waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) (r=0.343, p=0.001), triglyceride (r=0.330, p=0.002), VFA (r=0.298, p=0.027), systolic blood pressure (r=0.247, p=0.020), diastolic blood pressure (r=0.241, p=0.023), γ-GT (r=0.239, p=0.034), waist circumference (r=0.218, p=0.040). Differently, serum RBP4 levels were not associated with HFC (r=0.199, p=0.071), SFA, age, BMI, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), ALT or AST (all p>0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that RBP4 correlated independently with VFA (Standard ß=0.357, p=0.019) and HDL-c (Standard ß=-0.345, p=0.023) in all subjects, HDL-c (Standard ß=-0.315, p=0.040) in men, VFA/SFA in women (Standard ß=0.471, p=0.049), not with HFC. However, serum RBP4 was positively correlated with HFC when HFC below 6.34% (r=0.574, p=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: RBP4 could be a marker of abdominal obesity, however, the role of RBP4 in the pathogenesis of NAFLD is not sufficiently elucidated.

Maternal dietary fat during lactation shapes single nucleus transcriptomic profile of postnatal offspring hypothalamus in a sexually dimorphic manner in mice.

Maternal overnutrition during lactation predisposes offspring to develop metabolic diseases and exacerbates the relevant syndromes in males more than females in later life. The hypothalamus is a heterogenous brain region that regulates energy balance. Here we combined metabolic trait quantification of mother and offspring mice under low and high fat diet (HFD) feeding during lactation, with single nucleus transcriptomic profiling of their offspring hypothalamus at peak lacation to understand the cellular and molecular alterations in response to maternal dietary pertubation. We found significant expansion in neuronal subpopulations including histaminergic (Hdc), arginine vasopressin/retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor ß (Avp/Rorb) and agouti-related peptide/neuropeptide Y (AgRP/Npy) in male offspring when their mothers were fed HFD, and increased Npy-astrocyte interactions in offspring responding to maternal overnutrition. Our study provides a comprehensive offspring hypothalamus map at the peak lactation and reveals how the cellular subpopulations respond to maternal dietary fat in a sex-specific manner during development.

Serum retinol binding protein 4 is negatively related to beta cell function in Chinese women with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: To observe the relationship between serum retinol binding protein 4(RBP4) and ß cell function in Chinese subjects with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and without known diabetes. METHODS: 106 patients diagnosed as fatty liver by ultrasonography (M/F: 61/45; aged 47.44 ± 14.16 years) were enrolled in our current cross-sectional study. Subjects with known diabetes, chronic virus hepatitis and excessive alcohol consumption were excluded. Serum RBP4 was detected by ELISA and validated by quantitative Western blotting. ß cell function were assessed by HOMA in all subjects and by hyperglycemic clamp in 17 normal glucose tolerance subjects (M = 6, F = 11). RESULTS: The levels of serum RBP4 in men were higher than that in women (55.96 ± 11.14 vs 45.87 ± 10.31 µg/ml, p < 0.001). Pearson's correlation analysis demonstrated that in women, serum RBP4 levels were significantly associated with fasting blood glucose (FBG), HOMA-ß, and increment of first phase insulin secretion (1PH), but not associated with age, BMI, waist circumference, WHR, systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), TC, TG, HDL-c, LDL-c, 2 h blood glucose, HOMA-IR, ALT, AST, γ-GT, hepatic fat content (HFC), and insulin sensitivity index (ISI). However, in men, serum RBP4 levels were significantly associated with HDL-c, ALT, AST, but not associated with any other parameters as mentioned above. A stepwise multiple linear regression analysis demonstrated that in women, HOMA-IR and RBP4 were significantly associated with HOMA-ß, while in men, HOMA-IR and BMI were significantly variables associated with HOMA-ß. CONCLUSIONS: Serum RBP4, secreted mainly by liver and adipose tissue, may involve in the pathogenesis of ß cell dysfunction in Chinese women patients with NAFLD.

[Progression and reflection on the mechanism study of acupuncture and moxibustion in treatment of Crohn's disease].

Crohn's disease (CD) is a common chronic non-specific gastrointestinal inflammatory disease. Studies showed that acupuncture-moxibustion (A&M) can effectively relieve the symptoms of CD and its clinical efficacy has been confirmed in patients. In this paper, by reviewing the relevant articles for the mechanism studies on CD treated with A&M in recent years, it is discovered that the effect mechanism of A&M on CD includes two aspects, i.e. the local regulation inside the intestines and the neuromodulation outside intestines. The former one refers to the regulation of intestinal microflora, intestinal epithelial cell function and the regulation of intestinal local immune cells. The latter points to the modulation of brain function effect and the modulation of "brain-gut axis" related neurotransmitters. This paper also introduces the differences in intervention modes and acupoint selection between clinical trial and animal experiment, the suggestions on elucidating the nerve-immunity mechanism for CD treatment with A&M in view of "brain-gut axis" system, and its prospects. It is anticipated that this review may be conductive to the effect mechanism research of A&M for CD so that the evidences may be provided for optimizing the clinical regimen of A&M in treatment of this disease.

Moxibustion improves experimental colitis in rats with Crohn's disease by regulating bile acid enterohepatic circulation and intestinal farnesoid X receptor.

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to explore the mechanism of intestinal inflammation and barrier repair in Crohn's disease (CD) regulated by moxibustion through bile acid (BA) enterohepatic circulation and intestinal farnesoid X receptor (FXR). METHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into control group, CD model group, mild moxibustion group and herb-partitioned moxibustion group. CD model rats induced by 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid were treated with mild moxibustion or herb-partitioned moxibustion at Tianshu (ST25) and Qihai (CV6). The changes in CD symptoms were rated according to the disease activity index score, the serum and colon tissues of rats were collected, and the pathological changes in colon tissues were observed via histopathology. Western blot, immunohistochemistry (IHC) and immunofluorescence were used to evaluate the improvement of moxibustion on intestinal inflammation and mucosal barrier in CD by the BA-FXR pathway. RESULTS: Mild moxibustion and herb-partitioned moxibustion improved the symptoms of CD, inhibited inflammation and repaired mucosal damage to the colon in CD rats. Meanwhile, moxibustion could improve the abnormal expression of BA in the colon, liver and serum, downregulate the expression of interferon-γ and upregulate the expression of FXR mRNA, and inhibit Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) mRNA. The IHC results showed that moxibustion could upregulate the expression of FXR and mucin2 and inhibit TLR4 expression. Western blot showed that moxibustion inhibited the protein expression of TLR4 and MyD88 and upregulated the expression of FXR. Immunofluorescence image analysis showed that moxibustion increased the colocalization sites and intensity of FXR with TLR4 or nuclear factor-κB p65. In particular, herb-partitioned moxibustion has more advantages in improving BA and upregulating FXR and TLR4 in the colon. CONCLUSION: Mild moxibustion and herb-partitioned moxibustion can improve CD by regulating the enterohepatic circulation stability of BA, activating colonic FXR, regulating the TLR4/MyD88 pathway, inhibiting intestinal inflammation and repairing the intestinal mucosal barrier. Herb-partitioned moxibustion seems to have more advantages in regulating BA enterohepatic circulation and FXR activation. Please cite this article as: Shen JC, Qi Q, Han D, Lu Y, Huang R, Zhu Y, Zhang LS, Qin XD, Zhang F, Wu HG, Liu HR. Moxibustion improves experimental colitis in rats with Crohn's disease by regulating bile acid enterohepatic circulation and intestinal farnesoid X receptor. J Integr Med. 2023; 21(2): 194-204.

Colorimetric detection for uranyl ions in water using vinylphosphonic acid functionalized gold nanoparticles based on smartphone.

A simple and portable colorimetric sensor for colorimetric detection of UO22+ in aqueous solution based on vinylphosphonic acid functionalized gold nanoparticles (VPA-AuNPs) has been developed. The VPA-AuNPs solution was prepared by sodium borohydride reduction in the presence of vinylphosphonic acid. The addition of UO22+ would induce aggregation of VPA-AuNPs, resulting in the color change from wine-red to blue, and red-shift of the ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectra. The UO22+ assay based on VPA-AuNPs showed good selectivity and sensitivity, with a limit of detection to be approximately 2.0 µM by naked eyes and 1.07 µM by UV-vis (S/N = 3) respectively. Additionally, a smartphone with a free application named "PhotoMetrix" was employed to estimate the color intensities (red, green, blue value) of VPA-AuNPs in the presence of UO22+ with different concentrations, and the concentration of UO22+ samples could be conveniently exported by the calculated univariate calibration curves. This method shows good feasibility for on-site UO22+ detection in an aqueous solution.

Load Transference with the Gain of Excessive Body Mass: A Two-Year Longitudinal Study.

Previous studies investigating the effect of excessive weight on the foot have commonly been cross-sectional; therefore, it is still unclear how the foot function gradually changes with the increased body mass that is physiologically gained over time. This study aimed to use a load transfer method to identify the mechanism of how the foot function changed with the increased excessive body mass over two years. Taking normal weight as the baseline, fifteen children became overweight or obese (group 1), and fifteen counterparts maintained normal weight (group 0) over the two years. Barefoot walking was assessed using a Footscan® plate system. A load transfer method was used based upon the relative force-time integral (FTI) to provide an insight into plantar load transference as children increased in weight. Significantly increased FTIs were found at the big toe (BT), medial metatarsal (MM), lateral metatarsal (LM), and lateral heel (HL) in group 1, while at BT, MM, medial heel (HM), and HL in group 0. Foot load showed a posterior to anterior transferal from midfoot (2.5%) and heel (7.0%) to metatarsal and big toe in group 1. The control group, however, shifted the loading within the metatarsal level from LM to HM (4.1%), and equally relieved weight from around the midfoot (MF) (3.0%) to BT, MM, HM and HL. Earlier weight loss intervention is required to prevent further adverse effects on foot functions caused by excessive weight-bearing.

Osteocalcin and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: Lessons From Two Population-Based Cohorts and Animal Models.

Osteocalcin regulates energy metabolism in an active undercarboxylated/uncarboxylated form. However, its role on the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is still controversial. In the current study, we investigated the causal relationship of circulating osteocalcin with NAFLD in two human cohorts and studied the effect of uncarboxylated osteocalcin on liver lipid metabolism through animal models. We analyzed the correlations of serum total/uncarboxylated osteocalcin with liver steatosis/fibrosis in a liver biopsy cohort of 196 participants, and the causal relationship between serum osteocalcin and the incidence/remission of NAFLD in a prospective community cohort of 2055 subjects from Shanghai Changfeng Study. Serum total osteocalcin was positively correlated with uncarboxylated osteocalcin (r = 0.528, p < .001). Total and uncarboxylated osteocalcin quartiles were inversely associated with liver steatosis, inflammation, ballooning, and fibrosis grades in both male and female participants (all p for trend <.05). After adjustment for confounding glucose, lipid, and bone metabolism parameters, the male and female participants with lowest quartile of osteocalcin still had more severe liver steatosis, with multivariate-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of 7.25 (1.07-49.30) and 4.44 (1.01-19.41), respectively. In the prospective community cohort, after a median of 4.2-year follow-up, the female but not male participants with lowest quartile of osteocalcin at baseline had higher risk to develop NAFLD (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.90; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.14-3.16) and lower chance to achieve NAFLD remission (HR = 0.56; 95% CI 0.31-1.00). In wild-type mice fed a Western diet, osteocalcin treatment alleviated hepatic steatosis and reduced hepatic SREBP-1 and its downstream proteins expression. In mice treated with osteocalcin for a short term, hepatic SREBP-1 expression was decreased without changes of glucose level or insulin sensitivity. When SREBP-1c was stably expressed in a human SREBP-1c transgenic rat model, the reduction of lipogenesis induced by osteocalcin treatment was abolished. In conclusion, circulating osteocalcin was inversely associated with NAFLD. Osteocalcin reduces liver lipogenesis via decreasing SREBP-1c expression. © 2020 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR).

Association between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease-associated hepatic fibrosis and bone mineral density in postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes or impaired glucose regulation.

INTRODUCTION: To evaluate the association of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)-associated hepatic fibrosis with bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) or impaired glucose regulation (IGR). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Two cohorts including 46 subjects with biopsy-proven NAFLD and 445 subjects with proton magnetic resonance spectrum-proven NAFLD were enrolled in this study. All subjects were postmenopausal women with T2DM or IGR. BMD at the lumbar spine L1-L4 and hip was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. NAFLD fibrosis stage and NAFLD fibrosis score were used to evaluate the severity of liver fibrosis. RESULTS: In subjects with liver biopsy-proven NAFLD, BMD (T-score, Z-score and BMD value) in the advanced fibrosis group were significantly lower than that in the non-advanced fibrosis group (p<0.05). Fibrosis stage was negatively associated with T-score, Z-score and BMD value after adjusting for age, body mass index (BMI) and fasting plasma glucose (FPG). Additionally, fibrosis stage was independently associated with T-score, Z-score and BMD value after adjusting for age, BMI and FPG. These results were validated in a large cohort of 445 subjects. Additionally, bone metabolism-associated factors, including calcium and phosphate, were associated with liver fibrosis, indicating that bone metabolism may play a critical role in the association between liver fibrosis and BMD. Mechanically, parathyroid hormone and biomarkers of bone formation (osteocalcin and procollagen type 1 N-terminal propeptide) and bone resorption (procollagen type I carboxy terminal peptide ß special sequence) were increased in subjects with advanced liver fibrosis than in subjects without advanced liver fibrosis, indicating that liver fibrosis decreased BMD probably via increasing bone turnover. CONCLUSIONS: NAFLD-associated hepatic fibrosis was negatively associated with decreased BMD in postmenopausal women with T2DM or IGR. Liver fibrosis decreased BMD probably via increasing bone turnover. Severe liver fibrosis may represent high risk for osteoporosis in postmenopausal women with T2DM or IGR.

Serum folic acid levels are associated with the presence and severity of liver steatosis in Chinese adults.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common and strong risk factor for cardiovascular disease and hepatocellular carcinoma. The rapid acceleration of the increase in NAFLD prevalence has exceeded the trends observed for obesity, and has been driven by multiple factors. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between the serum levels of folic acid, the endogenous source of methyl groups for DNA methylation, and NAFLD in Chinese adults. METHODS: The correlations between the serum folic acid levels and NAFLD were investigated in two independent cohorts of 70 subjects who underwent a liver biopsy and 130 subjects with varying liver fat contents, as measured using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS). Independent correlations between serum folic acid levels and liver steatosis grades were detected using a multivariate ordinal regression analysis. The diagnostic performances of serum folic acid levels alone and in combination with existing NAFLD prediction scores were compared with those of traditional NAFLD prediction parameters using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses. RESULTS: Serum folic acid concentrations were inversely correlated with liver histological steatosis grades (ρ = -0.371, P < 0.001) and the 1H-MRS-measured liver fat content (r = -0.199, P = 0.038). According to the multivariate ordinal regression analysis, serum folic acid levels were inversely correlated with liver steatosis grades (OR 0.739 [0.594-0.918], P = 0.006) independent of age, gender, BMI, components of metabolic syndrome and the serum TC, LDL-c and HOMA-IR levels. The AUROC of serum folic acid for the diagnosis of NAFLD was 0.75 (0.65-0.83), and the addition of serum folic acid to NAFLD prediction scores significantly improved the diagnostic prediction of NAFLD (AUROC = 0.88 [0.81-0.94]). CONCLUSION: Low serum folic acid levels were identified as an independent risk factor for NAFLD in the Chinese population. The addition of the serum folic acid levels to the current existing NAFLD prediction scores significantly improved the prediction of NAFLD.

[Comparison of therapeutic effects of acupuncture-cupping plus acupoint catgut embedding and electroacupuncture on simple obesity of stomach and intestine excess-heat type].

OBJECTIVE: To search for a therapy of increasing clinical therapeutic effect on simple obesity with stomach and intestine excess-heat. METHODS: Eighty-two cases of simple obesity with stomach and intestine excess-heat were randomly divided into group A (n=40) and group B (n=42). They were treated with electroacupuncture (EA), movable cupping plus acupoint catgut embedding, and simple EA, respectively. EA at Zhongwan (CV 12), Xiawan (CV 10) and Qihai (CV 6) were given in the two groups. And in the group A, acupoint catgut embedding and movable cupping at the Channels CV, GV, SP, ST and UB were added. The therapeutic effect, main symptoms, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC), and WHR were investigated. RESULTS: The total effective rate was 90.0% in the group A, significantly better than 78.6% in the group B (P< 0. 01), with significant differences in decrease of body weight, BMI, WC, HC and main symptoms between the two groups (P<0.05, P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Acupuncture, cupping plus acupoint catgut embedding therapy can increase therapeutic effect on simple obesity of stomach and intestine excess-heat type, and it is a better method for treatment of this disease.

[Controlled study of needle warming therapy and electroacupuncture on simple obesity of spleen deficiency type].

OBJECTIVE: To compare therapeutic effects of needle warming therapy and electroacupuncture on simple obesity with spleen deficiency. METHODS: Sixty-eight cases of simple obesity with spleen deficiency, including water-dampness retention due to spleen deficiency, qi-deficiency of the lung and spleen, yang-deficiency of the spleen and kidney, were randomly divided into a needle warming therapy group (n = 36) and an electroacupuncture group (n = 32). Zhongwan(CV 12), Shuifen (CV 9), Qihai (CV 6), Zhongji (CV 3), Tianshu (ST 25), Shuidao (ST 28), and so on were selected as main acupoints in the both groups. Their therapeutic effects and body mass indexes were observed. RESULTS: The total effective rate was 88.9% in the needle warming therapy group and 71.9% in the electroacupuncture group with a significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.05); and there was a significant difference between the two groups in decrease of body mass index (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Needle warming therapy has definite and long-term therapeutic effect on simple obesity with spleen deficiency.

Morphological study on colonic pathology in ulcerative colitis treated by moxibustion.

AIM:To observe the therapeutic effect of moxibustion on ulcerative colitis and its influence on the colonic mucosal morphology.METHODS:Forty-six patients with ulcerative colitis were randomly divided into the moxibustion with herbal medicine underneath group and the western medicine group. Thirty patients were treated with the above moxibustion and 16 patients with Salicylaye fapyridine (SASP).The colonic mucosa of 13 patients in the moxibustion group was observed by colonoscopy before and after the treatment. Mucin was also analyzed by H.E and AB-PAS staining.RESULTS:Seventeen patients were clinically cured,12 were improved and 1 unchanged in the moxibustion group. In the control group, 5 patients were clinically cured,7 improved and 4 unchanged. Thirteen patients with active UC were taken as the subjects for histopathologic analysis in this study. The colonic mucosal lesions were remarkably improved and the characteristic of the mucin also changed. In most sections, the chronic inflammation of mucosa was geatly ameliorated (P< 0.01). The inflammatory cell infiltratation much decreased and neutrophils, disapeared in most sections (P<0.001). The goblet cells significantly increased (P<0.001); crypt paracrypt abscess or mucosal ulceration was seen(P<0.001).CONCLUSION:The rate of cure of ulcerative colitis by moxibustion with herbal medicine beneath is superior to that by SASP. This sort of moxibustion can effectively improve the colonic mucosal lesions and restore the proportion of mucoprotein to near normal.