Iron-based magnetic superconductorsAEuFe4As4(A=Rb, Cs): natural superconductor-ferromagnet hybrids.

Superconductivity (SC) and ferromagnetism (FM) are normally antagonistic, and their coexistence in a single crystalline material appears to be very rare. Over a decade ago, the iron-based pnictides of doped EuFe2As2were found to render such a coexistence, primarily because of the Fe-3dmulti-orbitals which simultaneously satisfy the superconducting pairing and the ferromagnetic exchange interaction among Eu local spins. In 2016, the discovery of the iron-based superconductorsAEuFe4As4(A= Rb, Cs) provided an additional and complementary material basis for the study of the coexistence and the interplay between SC and FM. The two sibling compounds, which can be viewed as an intergrowth or a hybrid betweenAFe2As2and EuFe2As2, show SC in the FeAs bilayers atTc= 35-37 K and magnetic ordering atTm∼ 15 K in the sandwiched Eu2+-ion sheets. BelowTm, the Eu2+spins align ferromagnetically within each Eu plane, making the system as a natural atomic-thick superconductor-ferromagnet superlattice. This paper reviews the main research progress in the emerging topic during the past five years. An outlook for the future research opportunities is also presented.

Effects of Baduanjin exercise for knee osteoarthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Baduanjin is a Chinese form of low-intensity aerobic exercise that consists of eight movements. It is one of the most common forms of Chinese Qigong exercise, which originated during the Song dynasty and has a history of more than 1000 years. The aim of this research was to assess the efficacy of Baduanjin exercise for knee osteoarthritis (KOA). METHODS: A literature search was conducted of 10 databases (Web of Science, AMED, Scopus, CINAHL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, KoreaMed Synapse, Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System, Chinese Wan Fang and China National Knowledge Infrastructure) from their inception to June 2019. We included eligible randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in which Baduanjin was employed either alone or as an adjuvant treatment for baseline interventions in patients with KOA. The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC), Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and response rate were used as important outcomes in this research. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration tool. Two reviewers independently selected studies, extracted data and assessed risk of bias. Meta-analysis was applied to quantitative data. RESULTS: Seven RCTs totalling 424 participants were included. Overall, only three studies (43 %) reported adequate random sequence generation, allocation concealment, blinding of outcome assessment and accounting for incomplete outcome data. The results showed a statistically significant mean difference (MD) between Baduanjin exercise and waiting list control on three domains of WOMAC scores [MD=-4.40 (95 % CI: -7.16, -1.64), p < 0.01 in pain; MD=-1.34 (95 % CI: -1.64, -1.04), p < 0.01 in stiffness; MD=-2.44 (95 % CI: -4.33,-0.55), p < 0.01 in physical function] and the response rate [RR = 1.18 (95 % CI: 1.01, 1.37), p = 0.04]. Moreover, when used alone, Baduanjin exercise demonstrated a statistically significant improvement on three domains of WOMAC scores [MD=-1.69 (95 % CI: -2.03, -1.35), p < 0.01 in pain; MD=-0.86 (95 % CI: -1.13, -0.58), p < 0.01 in stiffness; MD=-2.23 (95 % CI: -3.65,-0.82), p < 0.01 in physical function] compared to health education. Furthermore, Baduanjin exercise plus NSAID therapies significantly improved total WOMAC score [MD=-10.26 (95 % CI: -13.41, -7.11), p < 0.01] and reduced VAS [MD=-1.65 (95 % CI: -1.83,-1.48), p < 0.01] compared to NSAID therapies alone. CONCLUSION: The existing weak evidence suggests that Baduanjin exercise may have favourable effects for KOA patients. However, further rigorously designed RCTs are warranted before it can be recommended.

Acetylbritannilactone suppresses growth via upregulation of krüppel-like transcription factor 4 expression in HT-29 colorectal cancer cells.

Acetylbritannilactone (ABL) is a new active compound isolated from Inula Britannica L, a traditional Chinese medicinal herb. It has been reported that ABL can inhibit the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and neointima formation after balloon injury in rats. ABL also shows chemopreventive properties by inducing cell apoptosis in breast and ovarian cancers, but the antitumor activity and the molecular targets of ABL in colon cancer cells have not been determined. In this study, we showed that ABL inhibits the growth in dose- and time-dependent manners by inducing cell cycle arrest in G0/G1 phase of HT-29 human colon cancer cells. This suppression was accompanied by a strong decrease of cyclin E and CDK4 protein levels, and an increase in p21 protein expression in HT-29 cells. We also show that ABL-induced growth inhibition is associated with the upregulation of KLF4 expression. The overexpression of KLF4 by infection with pAd-KLF4 resulted in growth inhibition, with decrease in the protein levels of cyclin E and CDK4, and increase in the expression of p21, similarly to the effects of ABL. Conversely, knockdown of KLF4 using a specific siRNA impaired the ABL-induced growth inhibition in HT-29 cells. These results suggest that KLF4 as an important cellular target of ABL mediates the growth inhibition of HT-29 cells induced by ABL via upregulation of p21 expression.

[Clinical observation on auricular point sticking for treatment of 25 children of semiluxation of circo-axis vertebrae].

OBJECTIVE: To search for the best method for child semiluxation of circo-axis vertebrae. METHODS: Fifty cases were randomly divided into a treatment group of 25 cases treated with auricular point sticking, and a control group of 25 cases treated with normal acupuncture. RESULTS: The total effective rate was 92.0% in the treatment group and 64.0% in the control group with a significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Auricular point sticking has a good effect on child semiluxation of circo-axis vertebrae.