Synergy of metallic Co and oxygen vacancy sites in Co/Ce-MOF catalysts for efficiently promoting lignin derived phenols and macromolecular lignin hydrodeoxygenation.

The enhanced utilization of biomass-derived chemicals for the generation of high value aromatics through an advanced catalytic strategy has captured considerable attention within the realm of eco-friendly manufacturing. This work presented four innovative three-dimensional rod-shaped mesoporous Ce-based MOF materials, which were coupled with a H-donor solvent to facilitate vanillin hydrodeoxygenation and macromolecular lignin. Under the optimized conditions (30 mg CoCe@C catalyst, 2 MPa N2 pressure, 15 mL isopropanol, 190 °C, and 5 h), the CoCe@C catalyst achieved nearly complete conversion of vanillin and demonstrated 87.8 % selectivity in the hydrogen-donor solvent. The characterization findings suggested that the synergy between metallic Co and oxygen vacancy sites enabled the effective activation of CHO group in vanillin, leading to formation of reactive product MMP. In addition, the optimal CoCe@C catalyst could also achieve macromolecular lignin hydrodeoxygenation to obtain high yield of lignin oil products with narrower molecular weight distribution. This study presented a viable approach for the concurrent utilization of lignin derivatives in the generation of high value fuels and chemicals.

Converting waste tires into p-cymene through hydropyrolysis and selective gas-phase hydrogenation/dehydrogenation.

The resource utilization and valorization of waste tires (WT) are of significant importance in reducing environmental pollution. To produce high-value p-cymene from WT, we propose a catalytic cascade process combining hydropyrolysis and catalytic gas-phase hydrotreating in a two-stage fixed-bed reactor. The effect of catalysts prepared with three different acidic supports on the hydrogenation/dehydrogenation of limonene, a compound derived from the hydropyrolysis of WT, was investigated. The p-cymene formation could be controlled by optimizing process parameters, including hydropyrolysis temperature, hydrogenation temperature, and catalyst-to-feedstock ratio (C/F). Experimental results indicated that, in the absence of a catalyst, limonene was the main product of WT depolymerization. Under optimized conditions (hydropyrolysis temperature of 425 ℃, hydrotreating temperature of 400 ℃, C/F of 10:1, and reaction pressure of 0.15 MPa), the highest relative content of p-cymene (79.1%) was obtained over the Pd/SBA-15 catalyst. This demonstrates that our proposed catalytic cascade process of hydropyrolysis and selective gas-phase hydrogenation/dehydrogenation can convert WT into p-cymene with high added value.

Tannin complexation with metal ions and its implication on human health, environment and industry: An overview.

Tannins, also known as plant polyphenols (PPs), are secondary metabolites widely existing in higher plants and are a kind of natural renewable resource with wide distribution, variety and quantity. Tannin has become an important class of fine chemicals due to the easily modified molecular structure and the properties of antibacterial and antioxidant, combining with protein and complexing with metal ion. Besides being used for tanning leather, tannins are also widely used in wood adhesive, concrete water-reducing agents, oil drilling fluid viscosity-reducing agents, pharmaceutical, mineral processing, water treatment, gas desulfurization, metal anticorrosion, wood anticorrosion, printing and dyeing, liquor clarification, oil antioxidant, daily chemical products and other products preparation. There are two groups of tannins: condensed tannins (CTs) (flavonoid-derived proanthocyanidins) and hydrolysable tannins (HTs) (gallic acid ester-derived). Tannins can form complexes with metals through the ortho-dihydroxyphenolic group(s), especially with transition metals. The structure-activity relationships, stoichiometry, and origin of the insolubility of which were emphasized. Furthermore, this paper proposed an in-depth discussion of the associations of tannins-metal complexes in human health, environment and industries.

Preparation of Microporous Molding Activated Carbon Derived from Bamboo Pyrolysis Gasification Byproducts for Toluene Gas Adsorption.

The effective utilization of charcoal and tar byproducts is a challenge for pyrolysis gasification of bamboo. Herein, the bamboo tar was modified via polymerization and acted as a new adhesive for the preparation of excellent bamboo-charcoal-derived molding activated carbon (MBAC). As compared with pristine tar and other adhesives, the aromatization of tar with phenol increased its molecular weight, oxygenic functional groups, and thermal stability, leading to the decreased blocking impact of charcoal pore and improved bonding and pyrolytic crosslinking effect between charcoal particles. These further contribute to the high mechanical strength, specific surface area, pore volume, and amount of oxygenic functional groups for fabricated MBAC. Owing to the high microporous volume of MBAC, it exhibited 385 mg·g-1 toluene and 75.2% tetrachloride gas adsorption performances. Moreover, the pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, and Bangham models were used to evaluate the kinetic data. The toluene adsorption process conforms to the Bangham kinetic model, suggesting that the diffusion mechanism of toluene adsorption mainly followed intraparticle diffusion.

Isolation of Bacillus sp. with high laccase activity for green biodecolorization of synthetic textile dyes.

New Bacillus sp. strains with spore-laccase activity were isolated from rotten wood and soil samples and were identified as Bacillus sp. FM-78 and Bacillus paramycoides FM-86 by 16S rDNA gene sequence analysis. Both laccases were stable at broad pH range and high temperature. The laccase of strain FM-78 showed preferable activity and stability, with no loss of activity after 7 days incubation at pH 9.0, and 20.36% of its initial activity obtained after 10 h at 80 °C. 1 mmol/L EDTA, NaN3 and SDS resulted in about 46-59% inactivation and strongly inhibition (87.88%) was caused by 1 mmol/L L-cysteine. However, the spore laccase could tolerate towards 0.5 mol/L NaCl as well as 10% of organic solvents. Reactive black 5, reactive blue 19 and crystal violet were decolorized by the spore laccase in the absence of mediator. The decolorization process was efficiently promoted with the presence of acetosyringone, and the color removal ratio was more than 80% in 1 h with the pH values of 6.6 or 9.0. Finally, the above unusual properties of Bacillus sp. spore laccase indicated it as a potential candidate in the dye decolorization in an ecofriendly and cost-effective way.

Bioactive constituents, nutritional benefits and woody food applications of Castanea mollissima: A comprehensive review.

Castanea mollissima BL. is an outstanding species that represents a valuable woody food resource due to consumers' salient beliefs in the health benefits of chestnut consumption. Besides chestnut kernel, the discarded shells of chestnut were highlighted as remarkable sources of functional ingredients with promising applications in food, nutraceutical, pharmaceutical and industrial raw materials, mainly as natural antioxidants and effective prebiotics. Phytochemical studies reported not only antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, but also anti-inflammatory, anticancer, hypolipidemic, hypoglycemic and neuroprotective activities. This review aims to summarize the botanical characteristics, nutritional compositions, biological activities and comprehensive utilization of the whole C. mollissima, emphasizing the value of sustainable use in the recovery of bioactive compounds and their potential applications in food and other industries. It will provide a reference for the further development of C. mollissima in the field of multi-functional food and will inspiring investigations on the comprehensive utilization of chestnut and their by-products.

Breeding of a thermostable xylanase-producing strain of Myceliophthora thermophila by atmospheric room temperature plasma (ARTP) mutagenesis.

Introduction: Hemicellulose is an important component in lignocellulose materials, which is second only to cellulose, accounting for 15%-35% of the dry weight of plants. In the current situation of energy shortage, making full use of lignocellulose materials to produce fuel ethanol has become an important way to solve the energy problem. Xylanase plays a crucial role in the utilization of hemicellulose. It is a necessary means to reduce the cost of hemicellulose utilization by improving the activity of xylanase. Moreover, most naturally xylanases are mesophilic enzymes, which limits their industrial application. Methods:In this study, Myceliophthora thermophila was used to produce xylanases and a thermostable mutant M 2103 was obtained by atmospheric room temperature plasma (ARTP) mutagenesis. The research work started with exploring the effects of ARTP mutagenesis on the antioxidase system [superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), polyphenol oxidase (PPO), and antioxidant capacity (AOC)] of M. thermophile, and found that superoxide dismutase activity increased by 221.13%, and polyphenol oxidase activity increased by 486.04% as compared with the original strain when the implantation time was 300 s. So as to determine the conditions for subsequent mutagenesis. Results and Discussion:For the mutant M 2103, the reaction temperature for xylanase production remained stable in the range of 70°C-85°C. Its optimum temperature was 75°C, which was 15°C higher than that of the original strain. And its xylanase activity increased by 21.71% as compared with the original strain. M 2103 displayed a significantly higher relative xylanase activity than the original strain in the acidic (pH 4.0-7.0) range, and the xylanase activity was relatively stable in the pH range of 6.0-8.5. These results provide an alternative biocatalyst for the production of xylooligosaccharide, and a potential usage of ARTP in the mutagenesis of thermostable mutant.

Circular RNA circABCC4 acts as a ceRNA of miR-154-5p to improve cell viability, migration and invasion of breast cancer cells in vitro.

Breast cancer is one of the dominant cancers of women-related death universal. This inquiry aims to disclose the probable role of circABCC4 in breast cancer. The level of circABCC4 was discovered through qRT-PCR. The reactions of circABCC4 and miR-154-5p on the cell viability, apoptosis, migration as well as invasion were, respectively, inspected by CCK-8, flow cytometry, and transwell assays. The association betwixt circABCC4 and miR-154-5p was investigated. The accumulation of NF-κB and Wnt/ß-catenin pathway proteins was discovered through Western blot. The expression of circABCC4 was far great in tumor tissues than in normal tissues. Knockdown of circABCC4 could subdue cell viability, migration, invasion, and enhance apoptosis in breast cancer cell lines. CircABCC4 negatively regulated the manifestation of miR-154-5p and shared binding sites with the latter. Suppression of miR-154-5p expression partially conversed the repressive effect of circABCC4 knockdown on breast cancer cell viability, migration, invasion, and NF-κB and Wnt/ß-catenin pathways. CircABCC4 knockdown repressed breast cancer cells viability, migration, and invasion by up-regulating miR-154-5p via inhibiting NF-κB and Wnt/ß-catenin signal pathways.

Promoting Aromatic Hydrocarbon Formation via Catalytic Pyrolysis of Polycarbonate Wastes over Fe- and Ce-Loaded Aluminum Oxide Catalysts.

Converting polycarbonate (PC) plastic waste into value-added chemicals and/or fuel additives by catalytic pyrolysis is a promising approach to dispose of solid wastes. In this study, a series of Fe-Ce@Al2O3 metal oxides were prepared by coprecipitation, impregnation, and a direct mixing method. The synthesized catalysts were then employed to investigate the catalytic conversion of PC wastes to produce aromatic hydrocarbons. Experimental results indicated that Fe-Ce@Al2O3 prepared by coprecipitation possessed superior catalytic activity because of its high content of weak acid sites, large pore volume, high surface area, and well dispersion of Fe and Ce active species, leading to an ∼3-fold increase in targeted monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons compared to that achieved noncatalytically. Moreover, an increase in the catalyst to feedstock (C/F) mass ratio was beneficial to the production of aromatic hydrocarbons at the expense of phenolic products, and elevating the C/F ratio from 1:1 to 3:1 considerably increased the benzene formation as the enhancement factor was increased from 2.3 to 8.8.

Photocatalytic Cleavage of ß-O-4 Ether Bonds in Lignin over Ni/TiO2.

It is of great importance to explore the selective hydrogenolysis of ß-O-4 linkages, which account for 45-60% of all linkages in native lignin, to produce valued-added chemicals and fuels from biomass employing UV light as catalyst. TiO2 exhibited satisfactory catalytic performances in various photochemical reactions, due to its versatile advantages involving high catalytic activity, low cost and non-toxicity. In this work, 20 wt.% Ni/TiO2 and oxidant PCC (Pyridinium chlorochromate) were employed to promote the cleavage of ß-O-4 alcohol to obtain high value chemicals under UV irradiation at room temperature. The Ni/TiO2 photocatalyst can be magnetically recovered and efficiently reused in the following four consecutive recycling tests in the cleavage of ß-O-4 ether bond in lignin. Mechanism studies suggested that the oxidation of ß-O-4 alcohol to ß-O-4 ketone by oxidant PCC first occurred during the reaction, and was followed by the photocatalysis of the obtained ß-O-4 ketone to corresponding acetophenone and phenol derivates. Furthermore, the system was tested on a variety of lignin model substrates containing ß-O-4 linkage for the generation of fragmentation products in good to excellent results.

Synthesis of a Novel Bio-Oil-Based Hyperbranched Ester Plasticizer and Its Effects on Poly(vinyl chloride) Soft Films.

A novel hyperbranched ester plasticizer (SOHE) was synthesized from soybean oil. FTIR, 1H NMR, and 13C NMR spectroscopies were used to analyze the chemical structure of SOHE. SOHE was added into poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC). Thermal, mechanical, and dynamic mechanical properties of PVC samples were studied with thermal gravimetric analysis, dynamic mechanical analysis, and tensile tests. The results of SOHE substitution of petroleum-based dioctyl phthalate (DOP) in soft PVC samples were studied. The results indicated that PVC blends mixed with the obtained plasticizer showed higher thermal stability and flexibility. When DOP was completely replaced with SOHE, the T i, T 10, and T 50 of the films were raised to 267.5, 275.3, and 338.0 °C, respectively. The plasticizing mechanism was also investigated. The volatility resistance and extraction were studied, which results indicated that the migration stability of PVC samples was significantly enhanced with the increasing amount of SOHE.

Converting polycarbonate and polystyrene plastic wastes intoaromatic hydrocarbons via catalytic fast co-pyrolysis.

Thermochemical conversion of plastic wastes is a promising approach to produce alternative energy-based fuels. Herein, we conducted catalytic fast co-pyrolysis of polycarbonate (PC) and polystyrene (PS) to generate aromatic hydrocarbons using HZSM-5 (Zeolite Socony Mobil-5, hydrogen, Aluminosilicate) as a catalyst. The results indicated that employing HZSM-5 in the catalytic conversion of PC facilitated the synthesis of aromatic hydrocarbons in comparison to the non-catalytic run. A competitive reaction between aromatic hydrocarbons and aromatic oxygenates was observed within the studied temperature region, and catalytic degradation temperature of 700 °C maximized the competing reaction towards the formation of targeted aromatic hydrocarbons at the expense of phenolic products. Catalyst type also played a vital role in the catalytic decomposition of PC wastes, and HZSM-5 with different Si/Al molar ratios produced more aromatic hydrocarbons than HY (Zeolite Y, hydrogen, Faujasite). Regarding the effect of Si/Al molar ration in HZSM-5 on the distribution of monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (MAHs), a Si/Al molar ratio of 38 maximized benzene formation with an advanced factor of 5.1. Catalytic fast co-pyrolysis of PC with hydrogen-rich plastic wastes including polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), and polystyrene (PS) favored the production of MAHs, and PS was the most effective hydrogen donor with a ∼2.5-fold increase. The additive effect of MAHs increased at first and then decreased when the PC percentage was elevated from 30 % to 90 %, achieving the maximum value of 32.4 % at 70 % PC.

Positively charged phthalocyanine-arginine conjugates as efficient photosensitizer for photodynamic therapy.

Positively charged drugs usually have enhanced water solubility, cellular uptake efficiency and anticancer activity. However, the common quaternized and protonated cationic photosensitizers both have some drawbacks such as needing potentially dangerous agents for preparation and easily being deprotonated in alkaline circumstance. Arginine is unique among the amino acids as its guanidine group has exceptionally high basicity in aqueous solution, which may make it positively charged in a wide range of pH. In this paper, two arginine substituted zinc phthalocyanines (ArgEZnPc and ArgZnPc) were reported. They can be positively charged in the range of pH 5-9. Moreover, the photobiological, photochemical properties, subcellular localization, and in vitro anticancer activities of the them were also carried out. The results show that ArgZnPc may be not a good photosensitizer because of its poor photobiological activities though it is positively charged in a wide range of pHs. This may be attributed to the formation of inner salts between guanidine and carboxyl groups of ArgZnPc, which weakens its photobiological and in vitro anticancer activity. While in contrast, ArgEZnPc shows preferential localization in the lysosomes of HeLa cells, exhibits high water solubility, excellent 1O2 and intracellular reactive oxygen species generation efficiency as well as high in vitro anticancer activity, making it a promising photosensitizer for photodynamic therapy.

Combined Dorsal Plus Ventral Double-Graft Urethroplasty in Anterior Urethral Reconstruction.

This study aims to investigate the effect of combined dorsal plus ventral double-graft urethroplasty in anterior urethral reconstruction. Patients who underwent graft urethroplasty for anterior urethral strictures at West China Hospital from 2005 to 2010 were followed up with clinical evaluation. According to the site of graft fixed, patients were divided into single-onlay group (dorsal or ventral) and double-onlay group (dorsal plus ventral). Success rate and complications were compared between the two groups and were analyzed using t test and chi-square. A total of 77 patients completed the follow-up, 51 in single-onlay group and 26 in double group. There was no statistical difference in terms of age, length, site, stricture reason, and the type of graft used between the two groups. The mean follow-up time was 15.6 months (range from 4 to 33 months) in double group and 39.5 months (range from 15 to 59 months) in single group. The total success rate was 72.5 % in single-onlay group and 88.5 % in double-onlay group; no statistical difference existed (p > 0.05). Subgroup analysis shows the success rate was higher for double-onlay urethroplasty for the stricture of penoscrotal junction (88.9 vs 60.9 %, p < 0.05). The main postoperative complications including infection and urethrocutaneous fistula were not significant between the two groups (p > 0.05). Combined dorsal plus ventral double-graft urethroplasty showed a high success and low complication rate for anterior urethral strictures, especially for the penoscrotal junction.

[Mechanism of Yiqi Huayu Bushen recipe in treating cervical syndrome in rats with qi deficiency, blood stasis and kidney deficiency].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the mechanism of Yiqi Huayu Bushen Recipe (YHBR), a compound traditional Chinese herbal medicine, in treating cervical syndrome (CS) with qi deficiency, blood stasis and kidney deficiency in rats. METHODS: A total of 30 three-month-old female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into normal control group, untreated group and YHBR group; there were ten rats in each group. The rat model of cervical syndrome with qi deficiency, blood stasis and kidney deficiency was established by combining disease and syndrome models. After one-month YHBR treatment in YHBR group, all rats were sacrificed. Serum, plasma and cervical intervertebral discs were detected and observed by radio-immunology, histopathology, immunohistochemistry, etc. RESULTS: Compared with those in the normal control group, rats in the untreated group showed obvious signs of deficiency in vital energy, such as tiredness, ptosis, few movement, bluish-purple tongue and tail and weight loss; the weight of uterus and appendages, and the ratio of cyclic adenosine monophosphate/cyclic guanosine monophosphate were decreased; hemorheological parameters and the expression of alpha-granular membrane protein (CD62p) were increased; the content of serum estradiol was decreased. YHBR could improve the above indexes except for the weight of uterus and appendages. HE staining showed annulus fibrosus with cracks, diminish of pulposus nucleus, and decrease in the height of intervertebral disc and the thickness of end-plate in the untreated group; and YHBR could improve the changes of cervical intervertebral discs, but no obvious changes in end-plate. Type II collagen protein (Col2a1)was distributed in every part of the annulus fibrosus in normal control group, but was decreased in untreated group; YHBR could increase Col2a1 expression in annulus fibrosus as compared with the untreated group. The expressions of Col2a1 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) mRNAs were decreased in untreated group as compared with the normal control group (P<0.01); the expressions of Col2a1 and TIMP-1 mRNAs were higher and matrix metalloproteinase-13 mRNA was lower in the YHBR group than those in the untreated group (P<0.05, P<0.01). CONCLUSION: YHBR may improve the condition of cervical syndrome with qi deficiency, blood stasis and kidney deficiency by regulating immune system, coagulation system and endocrine system, and delay the degeneration of cervical intervertebral disc by regulating extracellular matrix and metalloproteases in intervertebral disc.

[Mechanism of Yiqi Huayu Bushen Recipe in treating cervical syndrome with kidney deficiency in rats].

OBJECTIVE: To research the action mechanism of Yiqi Huayu Bushen Recipe (YHBR), a compound of traditional Chinese herbal medicine, in treating cervical syndrome (CS) with kidney deficiency in rats. METHODS: A total of 30 three-month-old female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into normal control group, CS with kidney deficiency model group (untreated group) and YHBR group, with 10 rats in each group. Rats in the normal control group received no treatment, while rats of the other two groups underwent resection of both cervical muscles and ovaries to establish the model of CS with kidney deficiency. Three months after surgery, rats in the YHBR group were intragastrically administered YHBR for one month. Another one month later, all rats were sacrificed. The content of serum estradiol (E2) was detected by radio-immunoassay; contents of plasma cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) were tested, and the ratio of cAMP/cGMP was also calculated. Hemorheology was detected by Weissenberg's method; expression of alpha-granular membrane protein (CD62p) was detected by flow cytometry; HE staining was used to detect the histopathology of cervical intervertebral disc degeneration; type II collagen protein was detected by immunohistochemistry and aggrecan-1 (Agc1), type II procollagen gene, Col2a1, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) and matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13) mRNAs were detected by fluorescent quantization polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Compared with the untreated group, rats in the YHBR group showed an obvious increase in serum E2 content (P<0.05), and an increase in plasma cAMP and cGMP content without significant difference; hemorheological parameters and percentage of CD62p expression were significantly decreased in the YHBR group (P<0.05, P<0.01). YHBR could improve the degeneration of cervical intervertebral discs, decrease the Miyamoto scores (P<0.05), and increase the type II collagen. The expressions of Agc1, Col2a1 and TIMP-1 mRNAs were significantly increased and MMP-13 mRNA significantly decreased in YHBR group (P<0.05, P<0.01). CONCLUSION: YHBR may improve CS with kidney deficiency and delay the degeneration of cervical intervertebral disc by regulating the immune-metabolism system, coagulation system and endocrine system.

[Establishment of a rat model of cervical syndrome with qi deficiency, blood stasis and kidney deficiency].

OBJECTIVE: To establish a rat model of cervical syndrome with qi deficiency, blood stasis and kidney deficiency. METHODS: A total of 30 three-month-old female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into normal group, cervical syndrome group and cervical syndrome with qi deficiency, blood stasis and kidney deficiency group (combined group), with 10 rats in each group. Rats in the normal group received no treatment, rats in cervical syndrome group underwent resection of cervical muscles and ligaments as unbalanced dynamic and static animal model, and rats in combined group underwent resection of both cervical muscles and ovaries, swimming and irregular diet, and injection of adrenal cortex hormone and adrenaline two and a half months after resection as combined model. The qi deficiency, blood stasis and kidney deficiency were determined by observing behaviors and physical signs of the rats, detecting the contents of plasma cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), the hemorrheology, the expression of alpha-granular membrane protein (CD62p) and the serum estradiol (E(2)) content. The aggrecan-1, type II procollagen gene (Col2a1), matrix metalloproteinases-13 (MMP-13) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) mRNAs in cervical intervertebral discs were detected by histopathology, immunohistochemistry and real-time polymerase chain reaction. The cataplasia of the intervertebral discs was determined by detecting the histopathology, the expressions of type II collagen and type X collegen proteins, and the expressions of aggrecan-1 (Agc1), type II procollagen gene (Col2a1), matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) mRNAs. RESULTS: Compared with those in the normal group and cervical syndrome group, the rats in the combined group were noted with obvious signs of deficiency of vital energy, such as depression, tiredness, ptosis, obvious weight loss and blue tail. And the ratio of cAMP/cGMP was decreased; the reducing viscosity was significantly up-regulated; the expression of CD62p was increased; the content of serum E(2) was decreased; the intervertebral disc structure was destructed; the cervical intervertebral disc was more seriously deteriorated. There exhibited a decrease in type II collagen protein expression, an increase in type X collagen protein expression, as well as decreases of Agc1, Col2a1 and TIMP-1 mRNA expressions in intervertebral disc, and the expression of MMP-13 mRNA was noted an increase. CONCLUSION: The rat model of cervical syndrome with qi-deficiency, blood stasis and kidney deficiency is established. Qi deficiency, blood stasis and kidney deficiency can aggravate cervical intervertebral disc degeneration.