Aesthetic Concerns of Chin Augmentation With Hyaluronic Acid Soft Tissue Filler in Chinese: A Prospective, Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: The chin is an important facial structure that directly affects the overall contour of the face. The key to achieving a beautiful, effective, and safe chin injection is to make a good facial assessment and use an appropriate injection technique to achieve the best injection effect. OBJECTIVE: In this article, the authors will discuss cosmetic concepts for the chin area and verify the effectiveness of chin augmentation techniques. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Chin volume injections were performed on 23 Asian female subjects and 15 Asian male subjects. Demographic and imaging data were collected, and the facial aesthetic length was calculated. The authors also measured the length of beautiful chins, as evaluated by 2 plastic surgeons, and the ratios of chins from "The 100 Most Beautiful/Handsome Faces in China" published by TCC Asia in 2020. RESULTS: The mean volume of chin filling was 1.89 ± 0.74 mL in female subjects and 2.68 ± 1.28 mL in male subjects. The ideal length of the chin was equal to that of the nasal dorsum in male subjects, and the ideal chin-to-nasal dorsum ratio was 0.9 in female subjects. CONCLUSION: In this study, the authors investigate sex differences in chin aesthetics among the Chinese population and introduce an aesthetic and anatomical approach to chin injection.

Clinical Anatomy of the Chin Evaluated by 3-Dimensional Tomography and Cadaveric Dissection: Implications for Safety and Optimal Injection Techniques in Chinese.

BACKGROUND: Soft tissue fillers have been widely used for the correction of chin volume loss because of congenital conditions and aging. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to discuss anatomical concerns for chin filler injections, which may help to reduce the incidence of severe intravascular embolization complications and improve patient satisfaction. METHODS AND MATERIALS: We scanned 40 cadaveric heads with a contrast agent using a 64-row spiral computed tomography scanner. The scan was visualized by a Philips IntelliSpace workstation and analyzed by Materialise's interactive m image control system software to measure and quantify the arterial data. Twenty of 40 cadavers were dissected to define the layers of tissue. RESULTS: In total, 221 arteries passed through the sagittal plane of 40 specimens. The number of superficial arteries (163 of 221) was much greater than the number of deep arteries (58 of 221). The number of arteries gradually decreased with distance from the lower lip vermilion border plane, which formed the lower third of the face. CONCLUSION: This study introduces a safe and effective technique for administering chin filler injections that minimizes risks and improves patient satisfaction.

Negative Design Margin Realization through Deep Path Activity Detection Combined with Dynamic Voltage Scaling in a 55 nm Near-Threshold 32-Bit Microcontroller.

This paper presents an innovative approach for predicting timing errors tailored to near-/sub-threshold operations, addressing the energy-efficient requirements of digital circuits in applications, such as IoT devices and wearables. The method involves assessing deep path activity within an adjustable window prior to the root clock's rising edge. By dynamically adapting the prediction window and supply voltage based on error detection outcomes, the approach effectively mitigates false predictions-an essential concern in low-voltage prediction techniques. The efficacy of this strategy is demonstrated through its implementation in a near-/sub-threshold 32-bit microprocessor system. The approach incurs only a modest 6.84% area overhead attributed to well-engineered lightweight design methodologies. Furthermore, with the integration of clock gating, the system functions seamlessly across a voltage range of 0.4 V-1.2 V (5-100 MHz), effectively catering to adaptive energy efficiency. Empirical results highlight the potential of the proposed strategy, achieving a significant 46.95% energy reduction at the Minimum Energy Point (MEP, 15 MHz) compared to signoff margins. Additionally, a 19.75% energy decrease is observed compared to the zero-margin operation, demonstrating successful realization of negative margins.

Three-dimensional Evaluation of Results After Dual-Plane Breast Augmentation with and Without Internal Suture Mastopexy.

BACKGROUND: In patients with breast atrophy and ptosis, it is necessary to correct both problems simultaneously. This study aimed to analyze breast morphological changes with a three-dimensional (3D) scanning technique to demonstrate the improvement effect of dual-plane breast augmentation combined with internal suture mastopexy. METHODS: 3D breast surface scans were performed preoperatively and postoperatively in 24 patients (n = 35 breasts) undergoing internal suture mastopexy combined with prosthetic augmentation through the periareolar approach and 24 patients (48 breasts) undergoing simple dual-plane breast augmentation. Changes in linear distance, breast volume and volume distribution, breast projection, and nipple position were analyzed to assess the breast morphology. RESULTS: Compared with simple breast augmentation, augmentation combined with internal suture mastopexy was associated with a higher upper pole volume increase and greater medial and upward nipple displacement. After the surgery, the upper pole volume increased by an average of 10.6% in combined augmentation group and decreased by an average of 2.2% in the simple breast augmentation group. The measured breast projections were 24.8 ± 2.2% lower than expected in the combined group and 23.1 ± 4.1% lower than expected in the simple group, based on implant parameters recorded by the manufacturer. The nipple moved 0.2 ± 0.5 cm laterally, 1.6 ± 0.6 cm upward, and 2.8 ± 0.7 cm anteriorly in the combined group and 0.9 ± 0.5 cm laterally, 0.7 ± 0.6 cm upward, and 3.0 ± 0.6 cm anteriorly in the simple group. CONCLUSIONS: Dual-plane breast augmentation in addition to internal suture mastopexy appears to reposition breast tissue from the lower pole to fill in the deficient upper breast, pull the nipple medially and superiorly, and ultimately correct mild to moderate breast ptosis. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE III: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Age-Related Changes of the Zygomatic Ligament: An Experimental Animal Study.

BACKGROUND: Facial aging is a multifactorial process involving the skin, fat, muscles, bones, and ligaments. The role of facial ligaments in the facial aging process remains elusive. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to identify whether age-related changes in facial ligaments exist and how to best quantify such changes when investigating the zygomatic ligament in the rat. METHODS: A total of 30 male Sprague-Dawley rats (10 young, 10 middle-aged, 10 mature) were investigated to visualize the zygomatic ligament. Samples of the ligaments spanning the zygomatic arch and the skin were taken and histologically examined with hematoxylin-eosin, Masson, Verhoeff's elastic, and picrosirius red staining. Quantification of the Type I/III collagen ratio and collagen content was performed by color deconvolution and electron microscopic imaging. RESULTS: With increasing age, collagen fibers inside of the examined ligaments appeared thicker and more closely arranged. The Type I/III collagen ratio was measured to be 1.74 in young animals, 3.93 in middle-aged animals, and 5.58 in mature animals. The ultra-microstructure of the ligament was less coordinated in direction and orientation in young and middle-aged animals than in mature animals, in which collagen fibers were bundled together in a strong and oriented mesh. CONCLUSIONS: Ligaments appeared thinner, transparent, more elastic, and less robust in young animals, whereas ligaments in mature animals appeared thicker, more fascia-like, less elastic, and more robust. An increase in the Type I/III collagen ratio, indicating greater stiffness and reduced elasticity, was observed with higher age of the investigated animals. These findings indicate that ligaments might increase in stiffness and rigidity with age.

[Lean strategy for data mining and continuous improvement of Chinese pharmaceutical process: a case study of sporoderm-removal Ganoderma lucidum spore powder].

In the digital transformation of Chinese pharmaceutical industry, how to efficiently govern and analyze industrial data and excavate the valuable information contained therein to guide the production of drug products has always been a research hotspot and application difficulty. Generally, the Chinese pharmaceutical technique is relatively extensive, and the consistency of drug quality needs to be improved. To address this problem, we proposed an optimization method combining advanced calculation tools(e.g., Bayesian network, convolutional neural network, and Pareto multi-objective optimization algorithm) with lean six sigma tools(e.g., Shewhart control chart and process performance index) to dig deeply into historical industrial data and guide the continuous improvement of pharmaceutical processes. Further, we employed this strategy to optimize the manufacturing process of sporoderm-removal Ganoderma lucidum spore powder. After optimization, we preliminarily obtained the possible interval combination of critical parameters to ensure the P_(pk) values of the critical quality properties including moisture, fineness, crude polysaccharide, and total triterpenes of the sporoderm-removal G. lucidum spore powder to be no less than 1.33. The results indicate that the proposed strategy has an industrial application value.

Upper Facial Anastomoses Between the External and Internal Carotid Vascular Territories - A 3D Computed Tomographic Investigation.

BACKGROUND: Facial regions with a high risk for causing injection-related visual comprise are dual-supply vascular areas such as the nose, glabella, and forehead. These regions have in common that they receive arterial blood supply both by branches of the internal (ICA) and the external carotid artery (ECA). OBJECTIVE: The authors sought to investigate the anastomotic pathways between ICA and ECA branches in the upper face. METHODS: Postmortem computed tomographic angiographic scans of n = 38 Chinese non-embalmed hemifaces (25 males, 13 females; mean age, 37.79 [11.8] years; mean BMI, 21.90 [2.3] kg/m2) were conducted. Data analysis relied on the calculation of depth, distances, and pathways of forehead and temporal arteries to investigate the number of anastomotic connections, the connecting branches, and the layer of connection between ICA and ECA territories. RESULTS: Between ICA and ECA territories, only 1 connection in 57.9%, 2 connections in 31.6%, 3 connections in 5.3%, and 4 and 5 connections in 2.6% each were identified. A superficial connection was observed in 15.8% whereas in 84.2% the anastomotic connection was identified to be both superficial and deep. CONCLUSIONS: Adverse events following facial minimally invasive soft-tissue filler injections for aesthetic purposes are not frequent but devastating if they occur. Anatomic knowledge as presented in this study can help to increase awareness of 3-dimensional vascular anastomotic pathways and identify safer injection zones and safer fascial planes. Evidence-based injection techniques should be followed, and safety aspects should be placed over the aesthetic outcome.

[UPLC fingerprint combined with quantitative analysis of multi-components by single marker for quality assessment of Danshen Injection].

Testing and analysis of chemical markers is currently the prevailing approach for quality assessment of traditional Chinese medicines. However,several important issues remain to be addressed,including the trade-off between accuracy and coverage. In this study,in order to give full play to the advantages of their respective methods and provide technical support for more comprehensively and rapidly evaluate the quality of Danshen Injection products,a fingerprint method was coupled with quantitative analysis of multicomponents by single marker( QAMS),with Danshen Injection as the carrier. Ultra performance liquid chromatography( UPLC) was used to establish the quantitative fingerprint. The UPLC fingerprints contained 13 common peaks,11 of which were identified by using ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry( UPLC-QTOF-MS). Furthermore,with sodium danshensu as the internal reference substance,relative correction factors( RCFs) of protocatechuic aldehyde,caffeic acid,rosmarinic acid,lithospermic acid,and salvianolic acid B were calculated through slope analysis method,and the QAMS method was adopted to determine the contents of these 6 components. The UPLC fingerprint was employed to assess the consistency of 12 batches of Danshen Injection,which showed good batch-to-batch consistency with similarity higher than 0. 99. In the comparison of contents of the six constituents obtained by QAMS and external standard method( ESM),RSD was all less than 4. 3%,indicating the good accuracy of the QAMS method. The QAMS method developed in this study combined with UPLC fingerprint can comprehensively reflect the internal quality of Danshen Injection when only the reference substance sodium danshensu is consumed,with greatly reduced detection cost and time. It provides a technical basis for further improving the quality standard of Danshen Injection.

[Situation analysis and standard formulation of pesticide residues in traditional Chinese medicines].

Chinese Pharmacopoeia provides nine pesticide Maximum Residual Limits(MRLs) of traditional Chinese medicines(TCMs), The number of pesticides used in production are far more than those listed in pharmacopoeia. The lack of the standards make it's hard to reflect the real situation of pesticide residues in TCMs correctly. The paper is aimed to analyze the data of pesticide residues in TCMs from 7 089 items in 140 reports, and judging the exceedance rate of pesticides in TCMs using the MRLs of European pharmacopoeia，which is widely accepted in many countries. The results show that：①Pesticide residues in 18 kinds of TCMs are higher than MRLs，while in 137 kinds are below MRLs, such as Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma, Menthae Haplocalycis Herba and Fritillariae Thunbergii Bulbus. The average exceedance rate of all TCMs is 1.72%. The average exceedance rates of organochlorine, organophosphorus and pyrethroid are 2.26%, 1.51%, 0.37%，respectively. ②The average exceedance rate of pesticides is 2.00%, and the exceedance rate is more than 5%, accounting for 8.33%, the exceedance rate is between 1%-5%, accounting for 18.75%. the exceedance rate is between 0%-1%, accounting for 18.75%. The remaining 29 kinds of pesticides were not exceeded, accounting for 60.42%.Some reports like Greenpeace's organization exaggerated the pesticide residues in TCMs.But the pesticide residue question is still worthy of attention, so we proposed to amend the Chinese Pharmacopoeia pesticide residues standards, to increase the pesticide species of traditional Chinese medicine in production on the basis of retaining the existing types of pesticide residues, to strengthen the system research of pesticide residues in TCMs, providing a basis for making standard and promoting import and export trade in TCMs.

[Effects of different penetration enhancers on pharmacokinetics of active components in Xiangfu Siwu transdermal patches].

To study the effect of different penetration enhancers on the pharmacokinetic characters of six active components in Xiangfu Siwu transdermal patch (XBW) and optimize the best penetration enhancers. During the experiment, the patches containing different penetration enhancers were stuck on the rat's skin, and then the blood samples were acquired at different time points. Six active components in plasma were determined by UPLC-MS/MS. The main pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated with DAS software package. The total factor scores (F) of the plasma concentrations of six components at every time point in different groups were calculated using principle component analysis, and the areas under F versus time curves (AUCF-t) were employed to be the indexes for selecting penetration enhancers. The results demonstrated that compared with the control group, the AUCF-t from other groups increased prominently and furthermore, 5% menthol manifested the best effect. In this research, 5% menthol could remarkably promote the percutaneous penetration effect of the six active compounds in XBW, and it could provide a scientific basis for the preparation research of XBW.

[The technological innovation strategy for quality control of Chinese medicine based on Big Data].

The evolution of the quality control concepts of medical products within the global context and the development of the quality control technology of Chinese medicine are briefly described. Aimed at the bottlenecks in the regulation and quality control of Chinese medicine, using Big Data technology to address the significant challenges in Chinese medicine industry is proposed. For quality standard refinements and internationalization of Chinese medicine, a technological innovation strategy encompassing its methodology, and the R&D direction of the subsequent core technology are also presented.

Estimating the Change in Facial Subunits During Positive and Negative Facial Expression Using Three-Dimensional Stereophotogrammetry Facial Analysis.

Background: A more refined and clinically related facial expression analysis is required for patients who wish to be perceived more emotionally positive. Objective: To measure the change in skin vector and volume in facial subunits when expressing positive expression (happiness) compared with negative expressions (sadness, fear, disgust, and anger), using three-dimensional (3D) stereophotogrammetry analysis. Methods: This study took 3D photographs of 20 volunteers' face at rest and during positive and negative expression. The directions of skin vector and volume changes in each facial subregion were recorded and calculated. Results: In the positive expression, 78.3% (95% confidence interval [CI] 66.8-89.9) of the medial midfacial subregions presented superolateral vector and volume increase, whereas volume decrease in 82.5% (95% CI 78.5-86.5) of the lip subregions could be observed. In the negative expression, the vector changes were predominantly inferomedial in 26.0% (95% CI 15.4-36.5) of the forehead and 36.8% (95% CI 33.2-40.3) of the upper eyelid subregions, whereas volume increases in 34.0% (95% CI 30.4-37.7) of the upper eyelid subregions were observed. Conclusions: This 3D stereophotogrammetry analysis presents the morphological difference between the positive and negative expression.

Ganoderma lucidum spore extract improves sleep disturbances in a rat model of sporadic Alzheimer's disease.

Introduction: Ganoderma lucidum (G. lucidum, Lingzhi) has long been listed as a premium tonic that can be used to improve restlessness, insomnia, and forgetfulness. We previously reported that a rat model of sporadic Alzheimer's disease (sAD) that was induced by an intracerebroventricular injection of streptozotocin (ICV-STZ) showed significant learning and cognitive deficits and sleep disturbances. Treatment with a G. lucidum spore extract with the sporoderm removed (RGLS) prevented learning and memory impairments in sAD model rats. Method: The present study was conducted to further elucidate the preventive action of RGLS on sleep disturbances in sAD rats by EEG analysis, immunofluorescence staining, HPLC-MS/MS and Western blot. Results: Treatment with 720 mg/kg RGLS for 14 days significantly improved the reduction of total sleep time, rapid eye movement (REM) sleep time, and non-REM sleep time in sAD rats. The novelty recognition experiment further confirmed that RGLS prevented cognitive impairments in sAD rats. We also found that RGLS inhibited the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB)/Nod-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammatory pathway in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in sAD rats and ameliorated the lower activity of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic neurons in the parabrachial nucleus (PBN). Discussion: These results suggest that inhibiting the neuroinflammatory response in the mPFC may be a mechanism by which RGLS improves cognitive impairment. Additionally, improvements in PBN-GABAergic activity and the suppression of neuroinflammation in the mPFC in sAD rats might be a critical pathway to explain the preventive effects of RGLS on sleep disturbances in sAD.

Sporoderm-removed Ganoderma lucidum spores ameliorated early depression-like behavior in a rat model of sporadic Alzheimer's disease.

Introduction: Ganoderma lucidum: (G. lucidum, Lingzhi) is a medicinal and edible homologous traditional Chinese medicine that is used to treat various diseases, including Alzheimer's disease and mood disorders. We previously reported that the sporoderm-removed G. lucidum spore extract (RGLS) prevented learning and memory impairments in a rat model of sporadic Alzheimer's disease (sAD), but the effect of RGLS on depression-like behaviors in this model and its underlying molecular mechanisms of action remain unclear. Method: The present study investigated protective effects of RGLS against intracerebroventricular streptozotocin (ICV-STZ)-induced depression in a rat model of sAD and its underlying mechanism. Effects of RGLS on depression- and anxiety-like behaviors in ICV-STZ rats were assessed in the forced swim test, sucrose preference test, novelty-suppressed feeding test, and open field test. Results: Behavioral tests demonstrated that RGLS (360 and 720 mg/kg) significantly ameliorated ICV-STZ-induced depression- and anxiety-like behaviors. Immunofluorescence, Western blot and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay results further demonstrated that ICV-STZ rats exhibited microglia activation and neuroinflammatory response in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and RGLS treatment reversed these changes, reflected by the normalization of morphological changes in microglia and the expression of NF-κB, NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1 and proinflammatory cytokines. Golgi staining revealed that treatment with RGLS increased the density of mushroom spines in neurons. This increase was associated with elevated expression of brain-derived neurotrophic protein in the mPFC. Discussion: In a rat model of ICV-STZ-induced sAD, RGLS exhibits antidepressant-like effects, the mechanism of which may be related to suppression of the inflammatory response modulated by the NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway and enhancement of synaptic plasticity in the mPFC.

Dynamic changes in body composition during XELOX/SOX chemotherapy in patients with gastric cancer.

Objectives: In this study, we compared the dynamic changes in body composition during XELOX/SOX chemotherapy in patients with gastric cancer. Furthermore, we investigated the potential impact of these changes on the occurrence of toxic side effects. Methods: Patients with gastric cancer who received adjuvant or first-line XELOX/SOX chemotherapy between January 2020 and June 2023 were enrolled. The Brief Conghua Scale was used to assess energy intake, and nutritional management was carried out with reference to the Chinese Guidelines for Nutritional Therapy of Cancer 2020. The NRS 2002 Nutritional Risk Screening Scale, PG-SGA scale, bioelectrical impedance analysis, and dynamic changes in lumbar 3 vertebral skeletal muscle index were compared between baseline and post-chemotherapy in the study. The neutropenia was evaluated using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events V.5.0, developed by the National Institutes of Health. Results: Dynamic follow-up was completed in 39 cases, with a mean follow-up time of 117.62 ± 43.38 days. The incidence of sarcopenia increased significantly after chemotherapy, escalating from 46.2% to 51.3%. After chemotherapy, the mean L3SMI decreased from 36.00 cm2/m2 to 34.99 cm2/m2. Furthermore, when compared to pre-chemotherapy values, the body composition indexes body mass index (BMI), SL3, fat mass free index (FFMI), lean body mass (LBM), and body surface area (BSA) were significantly reduced after chemotherapy. Regardless of baseline or post-chemotherapy status, the incidence of grade ≥ 3 neutropenia was significantly higher in the sarcopenia group than in the non-sarcopenia group. Furthermore, when the skeletal muscle index decreased during chemotherapy, the incidence of grade ≥ 3 neutropenia was significantly higher in both the sarcopenia and non-sarcopenia groups compared to baseline. When the incidence of grade ≥ 3 neutropenia in the post-chemotherapy sarcopenia group was compared to baseline status, the increase was significantly higher in the sarcopenia group than in the maintenance/increase group. Conclusions: Skeletal muscle mass decreased progressively during XELOX/SOX chemotherapy in gastric cancer patients, followed by a higher incidence of grade ≥ 3 neutropenia.

Extracellular vesicles derived from mesenchymal stem cells mediate extracellular matrix remodeling in osteoarthritis through the transport of microRNA-29a.

BACKGROUND: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a common orthopedic condition with an uncertain etiology, possibly involving genetics and biomechanics. Factors like changes in chondrocyte microenvironment, oxidative stress, inflammation, and immune responses affect KOA development. Early-stage treatment options primarily target symptom relief. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) show promise for treatment, despite challenges. Recent research highlights microRNAs (miRNAs) within MSC-released extracellular vesicles that can potentially promote cartilage regeneration and hinder KOA progression. This suggests exosomes (Exos) as a promising avenue for future treatment. While these findings emphasize the need for effective KOA progression management, further safety and efficacy validation for Exos is essential. AIM: To explore miR-29a's role in KOA, we'll create miR-29a-loaded vesicles, testing for early treatment in rat models. METHODS: Extraction of bone marrow MSC-derived extracellular vesicles, preparation of engineered vesicles loaded with miR-29a using ultrasonication, and identification using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction; after establishing a rat model of KOA, rats were randomly divided into three groups: Blank control group injected with saline, normal extracellular vesicle group injected with normal extracellular vesicle suspension, and engineered extracellular vesicle group injected with engineered extracellular vesicle suspension. The three groups were subjected to general behavioral observation analysis, imaging evaluation, gross histological observation evaluation, histological detection, and immunohistochemical detection to compare and evaluate the progress of various forms of arthritis. RESULTS: General behavioral observation results showed that the extracellular vesicle group and engineered extracellular vesicle group had better performance in all four indicators of pain, gait, joint mobility, and swelling compared to the blank control group. Additionally, the engineered extracellular vesicle group had better pain relief at 4 wk and better knee joint mobility at 8 wk compared to the normal extracellular vesicle group. Imaging examination results showed that the blank control group had the fastest progression of arthritis, the normal extracellular vesicle group had a relatively slower progression, and the engineered extracellular vesicle group had the slowest progression. Gross histological observation results showed that the blank control group had the most obvious signs of arthritis, the normal extracellular vesicle group showed signs of arthritis, and the engineered extracellular vesicle group showed no significant signs of arthritis. Using the Pelletier gross score evaluation, the engineered extracellular vesicle group had the slowest progression of arthritis. Results from two types of staining showed that the articular cartilage of rats in the normal extracellular vesicle and engineered extracellular vesicle groups was significantly better than that of the blank control group, and the engineered extracellular vesicle group had the best cartilage cell and joint surface condition. Immunohistochemical detection of type II collagen and proteoglycan showed that the extracellular matrix of cartilage cells in the normal extracellular vesicle and engineered extracellular vesicle groups was better than that of the blank control group. Compared to the normal extracellular vesicle group, the engineered extracellular vesicle group had a better regulatory effect on the extracellular matrix of cartilage cells. CONCLUSION: Engineered Exos loaded with miR-29a can exert anti-inflammatory effects and maintain extracellular matrix stability, thereby protecting articular cartilage, and slowing the progression of KOA.

[In vitro transdermal delivery of the active fraction of xiangfusiwu decoction based on principal component analysis].

The objective of the present study was to establish a method based on principal component analysis (PCA) for the study of transdermal delivery of multiple components in Chinese medicine, and to choose the best penetration enhancers for the active fraction of Xiangfusiwu decoction (BW) with this method. Improved Franz diffusion cells with isolated rat abdomen skins were carried out to experiment on the transdermal delivery of six active components, including ferulic acid, paeoniflorin, albiflorin, protopine, tetrahydropalmatine and tetrahydrocolumbamine. The concentrations of these components were determined by LC-MS/MS, then the total factor scores of the concentrations at different times were calculated using PCA and were employed instead of the concentrations to compute the cumulative amounts and steady fluxes, the latter of which were considered as the indexes for optimizing penetration enhancers. The results showed that compared to the control group, the steady fluxes of the other groups increased significantly and furthermore, 4% azone with 1% propylene glycol manifested the best effect. The six components could penetrate through skin well under the action of penetration enhancers. The method established in this study has been proved to be suitable for the study of transdermal delivery of multiple components, and it provided a scientific basis for preparation research of Xiangfusiwu decoction and moreover, it could be a reference for Chinese medicine research.

[Study on evaluation system for gynecological disease model characterized by Qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome with female SD rats].

OBJECTIVE: To establish an evaluation system for animal model with gynecological disease characterized by Qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome, in order to disprove syndrome characteristics of the model by classic clinical prescriptions, and evaluate the specificity and reliability of the model with macroscopic biological signs and symptoms. METHOD: The model characterized by Qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome was established by injecting adrenaline into female SD rats and conducting unpredictable chronic stimulus such as reversal of day and night, swimming in cold water, thermal stimulation in oven, noise and tail suspension for two weeks. They were also orally administered with Xiangfu Siwu Tang, Shaofu Zhuyu Tang and positive control drug aspirin in groups. A comprehensive evaluation was conducted for the model on the basis of haemorheology, four blood coagulation indexes, four diagnostic information (digital imaging of tongue, paw and tail, temperature, weight, ingestion, electrocardiograph, and open filed test), and syndrome rating. RESULT: Compared with the normal group, the model group showed obvious changes in haemorheology, four blood coagulation indexes, animal behavior, weight, ingestion, syndrome rating and heart rate. Their tongue and paw pictures were analyzed with Photoshop 7.0, showing significant difference in red, green and blue percentage composition from the normal group. Groups given aspirin and Xiangfu Siwu Tang showed notable changes in haemorheology, four blood coagulation indexes, animal behavior, weight, ingestion, heart rate, syndrome rating, and red, green and blue percentage composition in tongue and paw pictures, whereas the group given Shaofu Zhuyu Tang showed no remarkable improvement. CONCLUSION: The evaluation system for the animal model with gynecological disease characterized by Qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome is established to provide reference for studies on the evaluation system for qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome models.

Serratus Plane Block in Breast Cancer Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The serratus plane block is a regional anesthesia technique awaiting efficacy and safety evaluation in breast cancer surgery, but evidence is unclear. This meta-analysis evaluates the analgesic effectiveness of serratus plane block vis-à-vis general anesthesia and paravertebral block for breast cancer surgery. We searched for randomized controlled trials in PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science with no language limitation, comparing the serratus plane block with multimodal analgesia or the thoracic paravertebral block in breast cancer surgery. The Hartung-Knapp-Sidik-Jonkman method in combination with a random-effects model was used to pool data. We included 12 randomized controlled trials (799 patients). Compared with multimodal analgesia, pooled outcomes favored the use of serratus plane block for effectively alleviating acute postoperative pain severity at multiple time points. The serratus plane block also resulted in decreased postoperative analgesic consumption of 28.81mg (95% confidence interval [CI]: -51.20, -6.43), decreased intraoperative fentanyl consumption of -56.46 mg (95% CI: -79.61, -33.30), increased duration of postoperative anesthesia of 243.85 min (95% CI: 104.38, 383.31), and reduced postoperative nausea and vomiting with a log relative risk of -1.07 (95% CI: -1.90, -0.24). Compared with the thoracic paravertebral block, the serratus plane block was not statically worse for all of the outcomes assessed. No adverse effects were reported. The serratus plane block effectively alleviates acute postoperative pain, reduces the rate of postoperative nausea and vomiting, and improves perioperative anesthesia outcomes in breast cancer surgery, and it may represent an alternative to thoracic paravertebral block.

Heterogeneous Integration of Atomically-Thin Indium Tungsten Oxide Transistors for Low-Power 3D Monolithic Complementary Inverter.

In this work, the authors demonstrate a novel vertically-stacked thin film transistor (TFT) architecture for heterogeneously complementary inverter applications, composed of p-channel polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) and n-channel amorphous indium tungsten oxide (a-IWO), with a low footprint than planar structure. The a-IWO TFT with channel thickness of approximately 3-4 atomic layers exhibits high mobility of 24 cm2 V-1 s-1 , near ideally subthreshold swing of 63 mV dec-1 , low leakage current below 10-13 A, high on/off current ratio of larger than 109 , extremely small hysteresis of 0 mV, low contact resistance of 0.44 kΩ-µm, and high stability after encapsulating a passivation layer. The electrical characteristics of n-channel a-IWO TFT are well-matched with p-channel poly-Si TFT for superior complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor technology applications. The inverter can exhibit a high voltage gain of 152 V V-1 at low supply voltage of 1.5 V. The noise margin can be up to 80% of supply voltage and perform the symmetrical window. The pico-watt static power consumption inverter is achieved by the wide energy bandgap of a-IWO channel and atomically-thin channel. The vertically-stacked complementary field-effect transistors (CFET) with high energy-efficiency can increase the circuit density in a chip to conform the development of next-generation semiconductor technology.