Vitamin D supplementation and lower respiratory tract infection in infants: a nested case-control study.

PURPOSE: To assess the association between vitamin D (VD) supplementation and the risk of lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) among infants. METHODS: This is a nested case-control study from an ongoing prospective birth cohort in Wuhan from 2013. Cases were subjects free of neonatal pneumonia but later developed LRTI during infancy, who were matched with five randomly selected controls by infant sex, birth year, and birth season. We included 190 cases and 950 controls in the final analysis. The primary outcome was the first LRTI incident and the exposure was VD supplementation from birth to the index endpoint. The association between VD supplementation and LRTI risk was assessed using the Cox proportional-hazards regression model. RESULTS: Infants taking supplements had a 59% relative reduction in the hazard ratio of LRTI (HR = 0.41; 95% CI 0.26, 0.64) compared to those not supplemented. There was a linear relationship between LRTI risk and VD supplementation within range of 0-603 IU/day: for each 100 IU per day increment in VD supplementation, infants experienced a 21% lower risk of developing LRTI (adjusted HR: 0.79; 95% CI 0.71, 0.89). The linear relationship was stably observed in the sensitivity analyses as well. CONCLUSIONS: VD supplementation was associated with the reduced risk of LRTI throughout infancy, and the optimal supplementation dose for infants may be beyond the current recommendation.

Methodology for adaptive decision--making research on manufacturing process of traditional Chinese medicine based on deep reinforcement learning / 中国中药杂志

The manufacturing process of traditional Chinese medicine is subject to material fluctuation and other uncertain factors which usually cause non-optimal state and inconsistent product quality. Therefore, it is necessary to design and collect the quality-rela-ted physical parameters, process parameters, and equipment parameters in the whole manufacturing process of traditional Chinese medicine for digitization and modeling of the process. In this paper, a method for non-optimal state identification and self-recovering regulation was developed for active quality control in the manufacturing process of traditional Chinese medicine. Moreover, taking vacuum belt drying process as an example, a DQN algorithm-based intelligent decision model was established and verified and the implementation process was also discussed and studied. Thus, the process parameters-based self-optimization strategy discovery and path planning of optimal process control were rea-lized in this study. The results showed that the deep reinforcement learning-based artificial intelligence technology was helpful to improve the product quality consistency, reduce production cost, and increase benefit.

[Effect of electroacupuncture on complement C1q and microglia phagocytosis in hippocampus of SAMP8 mice].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on the expression of Iba-1, complement C1q and CD68 in hippocampus of SAMP8 mice, so as to explore its mechanisms underlying improvement of Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHODS: Twenty-four male SAMP8 mice were randomly and equally divided into model and EA groups, and 12 SAMR1 mice were used as the control group. EA (2 Hz, 1.5-2.0 mA) was applied to "Baihui" (GV20), "Dazhui"(GV14) and "Shen-shu"(BL23) for 20 min once daily in the EA group, each course of treatment was 8 days, with an interval of 2 days between two courses, and the mice were treated for 3 courses. Morris water maze test was performed to assess the learning-memory ability of mice. The positive expression levels of Iba-1 and CD68 proteins in the hippocampus CA1 region were detected by immunohistochemistry. The mRNA and protein expression levels of Iba-1,C1q and CD68 in the hippocampus were detected by real-time PCR and Western blot, separately. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the average escape latency of Morris water maze test was prolonged in the model group (P<0.01), duration of swimming in the original platform quadrant and the number of original platform crossing were significantly shorter and decreased respectively (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the average escape latency in the EA group was shortened (P<0.05, P<0.01), the duration of swimming in the original platform quadrant and the number of original platform crossing were significantly prolonged and increased (P<0.01). The immunoactivity of Iba-1 and CD68 in hippocampal CA1 region, and mRNA and protein expression levels of hippocampal Iba-1,C1q and CD68 were significantly up-regulated in the model group in contrast to the control group (P<0.01, P<0.05), and obviously down-regulated except the mRNA expression level of hippocampal Iba-1 in the EA group relevant to the model group (P<0.01, P<0.05). CONCLUSION: EA can improve the learning and memory ability of SAMP8 mice, which may be associated with its effect in inhibiting of complement C1q-dependent microglial phagocytosis in the hippocampus.

Towards high-performance sustainable polymers via isomerization-driven irreversible ring-opening polymerization of five-membered thionolactones.

The development of sustainable polymers that possess useful material properties competitive with existing petroleum-derived polymers is a crucial goal but remains a formidable challenge for polymer science. Here we demonstrate that irreversible ring-opening polymerization (IROP) of biomass-derived five-membered thionolactones is an effective and robust strategy for the polymerization of non-strained five-membered rings-these polymerizations are commonly thermodynamically forbidden under ambient conditions, at industrially relevant temperatures of 80-100 °C. Computational studies reveal that the selective IROP of these thionolactones is thermodynamically driven by S/O isomerization during the ring-opening process. IROP of γ-thionobutyrolactone, a representative non-strained thionolactone, affords a sustainable polymer from renewable resources that possesses external-stimuli-triggered degradability. This poly(thiolactone) also exhibits high performance, with its key thermal and mechanical properties comparing well to those of commercial petroleum-based low-density polyethylene. This IROP strategy will enable conversion of five-membered lactones, generally unachievable by other polymerization methods, into sustainable polymers with a range of potential applications.

Application of asthenopia survey scale in patients with accommodative asthenopia / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM: To investigate the visual fatigue of patients with accommodative asthenopia and the difference in scores before and after treatment by using the asthenopia survey scale(ASS), and to evaluate its reliability, validity and responsiveness in this population.METHODS: A total of 112 patients with accommodative asthenopia were admitted to the department of ophthalmology, Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and recruited online were investigated using the ASS questionnaire, and 48 subjects were randomly selected and retested 1wk later. A variety of reliability, validity and responsiveness indicators were used to evaluate the scale.RESULTS: The overall Cronbach's α coefficients of the scale entries was 0.91; The split-half reliability coefficients was 0.86; Repeated measurement correlation coefficient of the scale total score was 0.74, there was no significant difference before and after(P&#x003E;0.05); The results of confirmatory factor analysis showed that the absolute fit index of the three-factor structural model was χ2/df&#x003C;2.0, RMSEA=0.08; The correlation coefficients of each dimension's total score and the scale's total score were 0.92, 0.90 and 0.83 respectively; The standard association validity analysis showed statistically significant differences between groups(P&#x003C;0.01). Response analysis was statistically significant before and after treatment(P&#x003C;0.01).CONCLUSION: The ASS has high reliability, validity and responsiveness in the clinical evaluation of accommodative asthenopia, and it's an effective tool for clinical research and screening of asthenopia in this population.

Digital twin based key technologies for intelligent manufacturing of traditional Chinese medicine / 中国中药杂志

In this paper, we first introduced the concept of digital twin(DT) based key technologies for intelligent manufacturing of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) and applied DT in two case studies of novel extraction equipment for traditional Chinese medicine and drying equipment for Chinese medicine pills to illustrate the advantages of DT in development of new pharmaceutical technology and optimization of pharmaceutical equipment structure. Furthermore, we discussed the feasibility to adopt DT in the production process of TCM for formation of data-driven real-time optimization of production process and dynamic prediction `of operation and maintenance service. The "ruled" production mode based on data and driven by algorithm was constructed to realize the technical scheme of quality perception, evaluation, prediction, intelligent control and intelligent decision-making in product life cycle.

Folic Acid Supplement Use and Increased Risk of Gestational Hypertension.

Current results regarding the effect of folic acid (FA) supplement use on gestational hypertension (GH) and preeclampsia are limited and inconsistent. We aimed to investigate whether FA supplement use was associated with GH and preeclampsia. Participants from the Tongji Maternal and Child Health Cohort with information on periconceptional FA supplement use and diagnosis of GH/preeclampsia were included (n=4853). Robust Poisson regression was used to assess the association of FA supplement use and GH and preeclampsia. Among the 4853 participants in this study, 1161 (23.9%) and 161 (3.3%) women were diagnosed with GH and preeclampsia, respectively. The risk ratio of developing GH was higher in women who used ≥800 µg/d FA supplement from prepregnancy through midpregnancy than nonusers (risk ratio, 1.33 [1.08-1.65]). After adjusting for social-demographic, reproductive, lifestyle factors, family history of hypertension, other supplement use, and gestational weight gain, the adverse association remained significant (risk ratio, 1.32 [1.06-1.64]). Restricting the analysis among women with normal weight, without family history of hypertension, and without gestational diabetes mellitus, the positive FA-GH association still existed. We did not find any significant association between FA supplement use and preeclampsia regardless of adjustment. High-dose (≥800 µg/d) FA supplement use from prepregnancy through midpregnancy was associated with increased risk of GH. Attention should be given to avoid the potential risk of GH due to inappropriate FA supplement use in women who are planning or capable of pregnancy.

Association of vitamin D supplementation with respiratory tract infection in infants.

Vitamin D deficiency has been reported to be associated with respiratory tract infection (RTI). However, evidence regarding the effects of vitamin D supplementation on susceptibility of infants to RTI is limited. In this prospective birth cohort study, we examined whether vitamin D supplementation reduced RTI risk in 2,244 infants completing the follow-up from birth to 6 months of age. The outcome endpoint was the first episode of paediatrician-diagnosed RTI or 6 months of age when no RTI event occurred. Infants receiving vitamin D supplements at a daily dose of 400-600 IU from birth to the outcome endpoint were defined as vitamin D supplementation and divided into four groups according to the average frequency of supplementation: 0, 1-2, 3-4, and 5-7 days/week. We evaluated the relationship between vitamin D supplementation and time to the first episode of RTI with Kaplan-Meier plots. The associations of vitamin D supplementation with infant RTI, lower RTI (LRTI), and RTI-related hospitalization were assessed using modified Poisson regression. The median time to first RTI episode was 60 days after birth (95% CI [60, 90]) for infants without supplementation and longer than 6 months of age for infants with supplementation (p < .001). We observed inverse trends between supplementation frequency and risk of RTI, LRTI, and RTI-related hospitalization (p for trend < .001), with the risk ratios in the 5-7 days/week supplementation group of 0.46 (95% CI [0.41, 0.50]), 0.17 (95% CI [0.13, 0.24]), and 0.18 (95% CI [0.12, 0.27]), respectively. These associations were significant and consistent in a subgroup analysis stratified by infant feeding.

Green tea polyphenols attenuate hepatic steatosis, and reduce insulin resistance and inflammation in high-fat diet-induced rats.

Non­alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is characterized by hepatic steatosis, insulin resistance and inflammation; however, the exact pathogenesis of NAFLD is not fully understood. Green tea polyphenols (GTP) exhibit beneficial effects against metabolic syndrome. However, the effect of GTP on NAFLD remains largely unknown. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of GTP on NAFLD in high­fat diet (HFD)­induced rats. The NAFLD rat model was induced with a HFD for 8 weeks. A total of 30 adult male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups: i) Normal control group; ii) HFD group; and iii) HFD with GTP group. Hematoxylin and eosin and Oil Red O analyses were performed. The levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate amino-transferase (AST) and inflammatory cytokines in the serum, as well as oxidative stress markers and hepatic lipids in the liver were measured. In addition, parameters associated with glucose metabolism were also assessed. Western blotting and RT­qPCR were used to determine the expression levels of 5' adenosine monophosphate­activated protein kinase (AMPK). HFD­induced rats exhibited features associated with NAFLD. GTP intervention significantly reduced serum ALT and AST levels. Fasting serum glucose, insulin resistance and hepatic lipid levels were all decreased in the GTP­treated rats. GTP also significantly decreased the levels of TNF­α, IL­6 and malondialdehyde. In contrast, superoxide dismutase levels were increased in the liver. Furthermore, GTP also significantly increased phosphorylation of AMPK and attenuated histopathological changes indicative of injury in liver tissue. GTP has a protective effect on HFD­induced hepatic steatosis, insulin resistance and inflammation, and the underlying mechanism may involve the AMPK pathway.

Detection of Aß oligomers based on magnetic-field-assisted separation of aptamer-functionalized Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles and BaYF5:Yb,Er nanoparticles as upconversion fluorescence labels.

A sensitive and stable bioassay for the detection of Aß oligomer (Aßo), a potentially promising candidate biomarker for Alzheimer's disease (AD) diagnosis, was developed using Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) as the recognition and concentration elements and BaYF5:Yb,Er upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) as highly sensitive labels, conjugated with the Aßo aptamer (DNA1) and the complementary oligonucleotide of the Aßo aptamer (DNA2), respectively. The DNA1 hybridized with DNA2 to form the duplex structure on the surface of the MNPs/UCNPs nanocomposites probe. When the target Aßo was introduced, the aptamer DNA1 preferentially bound with Aßo and caused the dissociation of some complementary DNA2, liberating some UCNP-labeled complementary DNA2 and leading to a decreased upconversion fluorescent intensity on the surface of MNPs. The decreased fluorescence intensity of UCNPs was related to the concentration of Aßo in the range of 0.2-15nM with a detection limit of 36 pM. The developed method then was successfully applied to measure Aßo in artificial cerebrospinal fluid. Benefiting from the magnetic separation and concentration effect of MNPs, the high sensitivity of UCNPs, as well as the selectivity and stability of the aptamer, the present strategy offered valuable information related to early diagnosis of AD process.

[Effects of different amendments on contents of phenolic acids and specific microbes in rhizosphere of Pseudostellaria heterophylla.] / ä¸åŒæ”¹è‰¯æŽªæ–½å¯¹å¤ªå­å‚æ ¹é™ åœŸå£¤é šé ¸å«é‡åŠç‰¹å¼‚èŒç¾¤çš„å½±å“.

Pseudostellaria heterophylla is a perennial herbaceous plant in the family Caryophyllaceae. The tuberous roots of P. heterophylla are highly valued in traditional Chinese medicine and have a high market demand. However, extended monoculture of P. heterophylla results in a significant decline in the biomass and quality, and escalates disease and pest problems. Therefore, it is important to understand the underlying mechanism and biocontrol methods for consecutive monoculture problems. With "Zheshen 2" as an experimental material, the changes in the contents of main nutrients in soil, phenolic acids and specific microbes under monoculture and different amendments were analyzed by using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and qPCR. The results showed that consecutive monoculture of P. heterophylla led to a decrease in yield by 43.5% while the microbial fertilizer treatment and the paddy-upland rotation could relieve the consecutive monoculture problems. Available nitrogen, available phosphorus, available potassium and total potassium were significantly higher in the consecutively monocultured soils than in the newly planted soils. But consecutive monoculture resulted in soil acidification. HPLC analysis showed that conse-cutive monoculture of this plant did not lead to a consistent accumulation of soil phenolic acids. At middle stage of root expansion and at harvest stage, most of phenolic acids were even higher in the newly planted soils than in the consecutively monocultured soils. Furthermore, qPCR analysis showed that the amounts of three specific pathogens identified previously (i.e. Fusarium oxysporum, Talaromyces helicus, Kosakonia sacchari) were significantly higher in the consecutively monocultured soils than in the newly planted soils. However, the microbial fertilizer treatment and the paddy-upland rotation resulted in a significant decline in the population of these specific pathogens and improved the soil environment. In conclusion, the consecutive monoculture problems of P. heterophylla may be due to the rapid proliferation of host-specific pathogens, rather than the deficiency of soil nutrients and the autotoxicity of allelochemicals in root exudates. The results in this study could provide the theoretical basis to explore the underlying mechanism of replanting disease of P. heterophylla and its biocontrol strategies.

Potential prevention and treatment of maifanite for Alzheimer's disease based on behavior test, oxidative stress assay, and trace element analysis in hippocampus of Aß(25₋35)-induced AD rats.

This study aimed to assess whether maifanite can improve the learning and memory, and antioxidant abilities of Alzheimer's disease (AD) rats. The 70 rats were divided into seven groups: [A] normal control group, [B] AD model group, [C] sham group, [D] positive control group (donepezil), [E] low-dose maifanite group, [F] middle-dose maifanite group, [G] high-dose maifanite group. For [B], [D], [E], [F], and [G] groups, Aß(25-35) ventricle injection was carried out, then respective medicine were administered once a day for 60 consecutive days. The step-down and step-through test were used to measure learning and memory ability. The hippocampus levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and malondialdehyde (MDA) were assayed. The hippocampus contents of Al, Fe, Cu, Zn, Se, and Mn were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometer. Maifanite decreased the acquisition errors and the retention errors while prolonging the step-down latency, and decreased the number of electric shocks while prolonging the first latency of AD rats. Aß(25-35) ventricle injection initiated the decrease of SOD and GSH-Px activities and the increase of MDA content, and triggered the rise of Al, Fe, and Cu levels and the decline of Mn, Zn, and Se levels. The SOD and GSH-Px activities were enhanced followed by reduced MDA level, and the levels of Mn, Zn, and Se increased accompanied by Al, Fe, and Cu decreased in the maifanite treat groups. Maifanite could improve the learning and memory, and the antioxidant abilities of AD rats. Maifanite had the potential prevention and treatment for AD.

Treatment of constipation by intensive acupoints thread embedding combined with local anal operation / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To search for the best therapy for slow transmission constipation (STC) or mixed constipation (MC) by intensive acupoints thread embedding (IATE).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 310 patients with constipation were assigned to 5 groups using a stratification control method. The 62 patients of STC in the observation group I were treated by IATE at Dachangshu (BL 25), Tianshu (ST 25), Zhongji (CV 3) and Zusanli (ST 36) acupoints; the 62 of MC in the observation group II by IATE at the same acupoints and local anal operation; both the 62 of STC in the control group I and the 62 of MC in the control group 1I were treated by oral administration of Simo Decoction, while the 62 of MC in the control group III were treated by local anal operation alone. Conditions of defecation were recorded every day in the 6-month follow-up period. Gastrointestinal transit test (GITT) was carried out before and after treatment. One follow-up was conducted at the 1st, 3rd and 6th month.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In the 124 patients of the two observation groups, 52 (41.9%) were cured after treatment, they could normally discharge stool, 5 (4.0%) showed markedly effective with their constipation alleviated, but having occasional bowel slackened sensation. In the control group I and II, none was cured or effectively treated, while in the control group III, the efficacy in 8 patients were judged as marked effective, but none was cured.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>IATE is a convenient and effective composite therapy. It shows favorable clinical efficacy for STC, and also for MC in case of combined with local anal operation.</p>

NaFeEDTA fortified soy sauce showed higher iron absorption rate in Chinese females / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>NaFeEDTA was considered as a promising iron fortificant for controlling iron deficiency anemia. Soy sauce is a suitable food carrier for iron fortification and is a popular condiment in China. Iron absorption rates of NaFeEDTA and FeSO4 were observed and compared in adult female subjects.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The stable isotope tracer method was used in Chinese females consuming a typical Chinese diet. Ten healthy young Chinese women were selected as subjects in the 15-day study. A plant-based diet was used based on the dietary pattern of adult women in the 1992 National Nutrition Survey. Six milligram of 54Fe in 54FeSO4 soy sauce and 3 mg 58Fe in Na58FeEDTA soy sauce were given to the same subjects in two days. Food samples and fecal samples were collected and analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Iron absorption rates of NaFeEDTA and FeSO4 were 10.51% +/- 2.83 and 4.73% +/- 2.15 respectively. The 58Fe (NaFeEDTA) absorption was significantly higher than that of 54Fe (FeSO4) (P < 0.01). The iron absorption rate from NaFeEDTA was 1.2 times higher than that from FeSO4 in Chinese adult women consuming a typical Chinese diet.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The higher absorption rate of NaFeEDTA suggested that NaFeEDTA would be a better iron fortificant used in soy sauce for the controlling of iron deficiency anemia in China.</p>

[Line scanning analysis of white porcelain from Gong Kiln in early Tang dynasty by energy disperse X-ray fluorescence].

Gong kiln, for its long porcelain-firing history, was one of three representative white porcelain kilns in northern China. In order to improve the quality and whiteness of white porcelain, a decorating layer or cosmetic earth was laid on the body surface in Gong kiln during early Tang dynasty, which was able to blot out rough surface and weaken the influence of fuscous body upon surface color. In this paper the main chemical composition of the white porcelain's profile was analyzed by using energy disperse X-Ray fluorescence. The result showed that different materials were used as cosmetic earth during early Tang dynasty, in accordance with the phenomenon under optical microscope. In addition, the glaze belongs to calcium glaze in which plant ash was added.

Treatment of 58 Cases of Tonsillitis by Pricking Technique / 针灸推拿医学（英文版）

Ashi point (tonsil) in combination of the pricking and bleeding technique on Shaoshang (LU 11 )and Shangyang (LI 1) were used to treat 58 outpatients of acute tonsillitis. The results showed cure in 38 cases,remarkable effect in 17 cases and failure in 3 cases by one treatment, and the total effective rate in 95%.