Effectiveness of a home-based, family caregiver-administered manual massage intervention in managing dementia symptoms and reducing caregiver stress: A randomized, controlled clinical trial.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effectiveness of family caregiver-administered home-based manual massages in managing dementia symptoms and reducing caregiver stress. METHODS: Thirty-eight pairs of participants-patients with dementia and their family caregivers-were randomly allocated to the experimental or the control group. The caregivers underwent 3-h-long massage training. Subsequently, the patients received a 30-min-long, home-based massage from their caregivers thrice a week for 8 consecutive weeks. The Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD), Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI), and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) were assessed before and after the interventions. RESULTS: After intervention, the experimental group exhibited significant improvements in CSDD and CMAI scores compared with the scores of the control group (all p < .001). Furthermore, the experimental group obtained more favorable PSS scores than did the control group (p = .013). CONCLUSIONS: Family caregiver-administered home-based massage therapy is recommended for managing dementia symptoms and reducing caregiver stress.

Acanthopanax senticosus extract alleviates radiation-induced learning and memory impairment based on neurotransmitter-gut microbiota communication.

BACKGROUND: Acanthopanax senticosus (AS) is a medicinal and food plant with many physiological functions, especially nerve protection. Its extract has many functional components, including polysaccharides, flavonoids, saponins, and amino acids. Our previous study indicated that AS extract protected against nerve damage caused by radiation. However, little is known about the gut-brain axis mechanism of AS and its impact on radiation-induced learning and memory impairment. METHOD: In 60 Co-γ ray-irradiated mice, we investigated the changes in behavior, neurotransmitters and gut microbiota after different days of administration of AS extract as a dietary supplement. RESULTS: The AS extract improved learning and memory ability in mice, and the neurotransmitter levels in the hippocampus and colon started to change from the 7th day, which accompanied changes of the gut microbiota, a decreased abundance of Helicobacter on the 7th day and an increased abundance of Lactobacillus on the 28th day. Among the marker bacteria, Ruminococcus and Clostridiales were associated with 5-HT synthesis, and Streptococcus were associated with 5-HT and ACH synthesis. In addition, the AS extract increased the tight junction protein, inhibited inflammation levels in colon, and even increased the relative protein expression of BDNF and NF-κB and decreased the relative protein expression of IκBα in the hippocampus of irradiated mice. CONCLUSION: These results will lay the foundation for further study on the mechanism of the gut-brain axis of AS in preventing radiation-induced learning and memory impairment.

Eleutheroside E supplementation prevents radiation-induced cognitive impairment and activates PKA signaling via gut microbiota.

Radiation affects not only cognitive function but also gut microbiota. Eleutheroside E (EE), a principal active compound of Acanthopanax senticosus, has a certain protective effect on the nervous system. Here, we find a four-week EE supplementation to the 60Co-γ ray irradiated mice improves the cognition and spatial memory impairments along with the protection of hippocampal neurons, remodels the gut microbiota, especially changes of Lactobacillus and Helicobacter, and altered the microbial metabolites including neurotransmitters (GABA, NE, ACH, 5-HT) as well as their precursors. Furthermore, the fecal transplantation of EE donors verifies that EE alleviated cognition and spatial memory impairments, and activates the PKA/CREB/BDNF signaling via gut microbiota. Our findings provide insight into the mechanism of EE effect on the gut-brain axis and underpin a proposed therapeutic value of EE in cognitive and memory impairments induced by radiation.

Effects of manual massage given by family caregivers for patients with dementia: A preliminary investigation.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the effects of a 10-week manual massage intervention given by caregivers of patients with dementia on the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) and caregiver burden. METHODS: Twelve pairs of participants-patients with dementia and their family caregivers-were recruited. Before the intervention, caregivers received a four-hour full body manual massage training course. Thereafter, the caregivers gave a 30-min massage to the patients once a week for a 10-week period. The Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia, Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory, and Zarit Burden Scale were administered pre- and post-intervention. RESULTS: Total scores on all questionnaires significantly decreased after the intervention (p < .05). Moreover, two subscale scores of the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia-behavioral disturbance and physical signs-reduced significantly (p < .05). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides preliminary evidence on the benefits of manual massage given by caregivers for the management of BPSD and caregiver burden.

Membrane contact probability: An essential and predictive character for the structural and functional studies of membrane proteins.

One of the unique traits of membrane proteins is that a significant fraction of their hydrophobic amino acids is exposed to the hydrophobic core of lipid bilayers rather than being embedded in the protein interior, which is often not explicitly considered in the protein structure and function predictions. Here, we propose a characteristic and predictive quantity, the membrane contact probability (MCP), to describe the likelihood of the amino acids of a given sequence being in direct contact with the acyl chains of lipid molecules. We show that MCP is complementary to solvent accessibility in characterizing the outer surface of membrane proteins, and it can be predicted for any given sequence with a machine learning-based method by utilizing a training dataset extracted from MemProtMD, a database generated from molecular dynamics simulations for the membrane proteins with a known structure. As the first of many potential applications, we demonstrate that MCP can be used to systematically improve the prediction precision of the protein contact maps and structures.

The Therapeutic Effect of Acanthopanax senticosus Components on Radiation-Induced Brain Injury Based on the Pharmacokinetics and Neurotransmitters.

Acanthopanax senticosus (AS) is a medicinal and food homologous plant with many biological activities. In this research, we generated a brain injury model by 60Co -γ ray radiation at 4 Gy, and gavaged adult mice with the extract with AS, Acanthopanax senticocus polysaccharides (ASPS), flavones, syringin and eleutheroside E (EE) to explore the therapeutic effect and metabolic characteristics of AS on the brain injury. Behavioral tests and pathological experiments showed that the AS prevented the irradiated mice from learning and memory ability impairment and protected the neurons of irradiated mice. Meanwhile, the functional components of AS increased the antioxidant activity of irradiated mice. Furthermore, we found the changes of neurotransmitters, especially in the EE and syringin groups. Finally, distribution and pharmacokinetic analysis of AS showed that the functional components, especially EE, could exert their therapeutic effects in brain of irradiated mice. This lays a theoretical foundation for the further research on the treatment of radiation-induced brain injury by AS.

Clinical observation on filiform-fire needling of "Biaoben acupoint combination" for 33 cases of sequelae of coronavirus disease 2019 during recovery period / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the clinical therapeutic effect of filiform-fire needling of "Biaoben acupoint combination" on the sequelae of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during the recovery period.@*METHODS@#A total of 33 patients with COVID-19 during the recovery period were treated with filiform-fire needling at the acupoints of Mingmen (GV 4), Shenzhu (GV 12), Gaohuang (BL 43), Zusanli (ST 36) and Shangjuxu (ST 37), etc., once every other day, 3 times a week, and 3 times was one course of treatment and totally 2 courses of treatment were required. The TCM symptom, Hamilton anxiety scale (HAMA) and Hamilton depression scale (HAMD) scores, pulmonary function indexes (forced vital capacity [FVC], forced expiratory volume in one second [FEV1], peak expiratory flow [PEF]) and chest CT imaging change were observed before and after treatment, and the therapeutic effect was evaluated.@*RESULTS@#After treatment, the scores of TCM symptom, HAMA and HAMD were decreased compared with those before treatment (P<0.05), and the levels of FVC, FEV1 and PEF were increased compared with those before treatment (P<0.05), and the recovery rate of 22 patients with pulmonary ventilation dysfunction was 86.4% (19/22). After treatment, the lung shadow area was smaller than that before treatment (P<0.05). The effective rate of 25 patients with lung CT abnormalities was 84.0% (21/25). After treatment, 23 cases were cured, 5 cases were markedly effective, 4 cases were effective, 1 case was ineffective, the cured and markedly effective rate was 84.8%.@*CONCLUSION@#The filiform-fire needling of "Biaoben acupoint combination" could significantly reduce the sequelae of cough, fatigue, chest tightness, etc. and mental symptoms such as anxiety and depression in patients with COVID-19 during the recovery period, and promote inflammatory exudation absorption of pulmonary lesion and improve lung ventilation function.

Thumb-tack needles based on "Biaoben acupoint compatibility" for sequela of COVID-19 during recovery period / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the effect of thumb-tack needles based on "Biaoben acupoint compatibility" on sequela symptoms, mental state and pulmonary ventilation function in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during recovery period.@*METHODS@#Fifty cases of COVID-19 during recovery period were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 25 cases in each group. The patients in the observation group were treated with thumb-tack needles at Guanyuan (CV 4), Zusanli (ST 36) and Taiyuan (LU 9). The patients in the control group were treated with sham thumb-tack needles at identical acupoints as the observation group. The treatment in the two groups was given once a day, 7-day treatment was taken as a course of treatment, and totally two courses of treatment were given. The TCM symptom score, Hamilton anxiety scale (HAMA) score, Hamilton depression scale (HAMD) score, pulmonary function (forced vital capacity [FVC], forced expiratory volume in the first second [FEV1], peak expiratory flow [PEF]), the severity of pulmonary ventilation dysfunction and pulmonary imaging changes in the two groups were compared before and after treatment.@*RESULTS@#Compared before treatment, the total scores and each item scores of TCM symptom scale, HAMA scores and HAMD scores in the two groups were reduced after treatment (P<0.05). Except for the symptom scores of dry throat and dry stool, the total score and each item score of TCM symptom scale, HAMA score and HAMD score in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). Compared before treatment, FVC, FEV1 and PEF in the two groups were increased after treatment (P<0.05), and those in the observation group were higher than the control group (P<0.05). The severity of pulmonary ventilation dysfunction in the two groups was reduced after treatment (P<0.05), and the severity in the observation group was better than that in the control group (P<0.05). After treatment, the lung shadow area in the two groups was decreased (P<0.05), and that in the observation group was smaller than the control group (P<0.05). The improvement of imaging change in the observation group was better than that in the control group (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#The thumb-tack needles based on "Biaoben acupoint compatibility" could significantly reduce the sequela symptoms, anxiety and depression in patients with COVID-19 during recovery stage, and improve the pulmonary ventilation function.

Clinical Efficacy of Modified Sanxiaoyin in Treatment of Mild or Moderate COVID-19 Patients： Based on Retrospective Analysis / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo retrospectively analyze the clinical data of 52 patients with coronavirus disease-2019 （COVID-19） and explore the clinical efficacy of modified Sanxiaoyin on mild/moderate COVID-19 patients. MethodThe propensity score matching method was used to collect the clinical data of mild or moderate COVID-19 patients enrolled in the designated hospital of the Second Hospital of Jingzhou from December 2019 to May 2020. A total of 26 eligible patients who were treated with modified Sanxiaoyin were included in the observation group， and the 26 patients treated with conventional method were the regarded as the control. The disappearance of clinical symptoms， disappearance time of main symptoms， efficacy on traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） symptoms， hospitalization duration， laboratory test indicators， and CT imaging changes in the two groups were compared. ResultThe general data in the two groups were insignificantly different and thus they were comparable. After 7 days of treatment， the disappearance rate of fever， cough， fatigue， dry throat， anorexia， poor mental state， and poor sleep quality in the observation group was higher than that in the control group （P<0.05）， and the difference in the disappearance rate of expectoration and chest distress was insignificant. For the cases with the disappearance of symptoms， the main symptoms （fever， cough， fatigue， dry throat， anorexia， chest distress） disappeared earlier in the observation group than in the control group （P<0.01）. After 7 days of treatment， the scores of the TCM symptom scale of both groups decreased （P<0.01）， and the decrease of the observation group was larger that of the control group （P<0.01）. All patients in the two groups were cured and discharged. The average hospitalization duration in the observation group ［（12.79±2.68） d］ was shorter than that in the control group ［（15.27±3.11） d］ （P<0.01）. The effective rate in the observation group （92.31%， 24/26） was higher than that in the control group （76.92%， 20/26） . After 7 days of treatment， the lymphocyte （LYM） count increased （P<0.05）， and white blood cell （WBC） count and neutrophil （NEUT） count decreased insignificantly in the two groups. Moreover， levels of C-reactive protein （CRP）， erythrocyte sedimentation rate （ESR）， and procalcitonin （PCT） reduced in the two groups after treatment （P<0.01） and the reduction in the observation group was larger than that in the control group （P<0.01）. Through 7 days of treatment， the total effective rate on pulmonary shadow in the observation group （90.00%， 18/20） was higher than that in the control group （77.27%， 17/22） （P>0.05） and the improvement of lung shadow in the observation group was better than that in the control group （P<0.01）. ConclusionModified Sanxiaoyin can significantly alleviate fever， cough， fatigue， anorexia， chest distress， poor sleep quality， and other symptoms of patients with mild or moderate COVID-19， improve biochemical indicators， and promote the recovery of lung function. This paper provides clinical evidence for the application of modified Sanxiaoyin in the treatment of mild or moderate COVID-19.

Impacts of tai chi exercise on functional fitness in community-dwelling older adults with mild degenerative knee osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Degenerative osteoarthritis (OA) often leads to pain and stiffness of the affected joints, which may affect the physical performance and decrease the quality of life of people with degenerative knee OA. Compared to traditional exercise, tai chi is a safe exercise with slow movements which can facilitate physical functioning and psychological well being, and might be suitable for improving the physical activities of older adults with knee OA. Therefore, this study investigated the impacts of tai chi exercise on the functional fitness of community-dwelling older adults with degenerative knee OA. METHODS: Sixty-eight community-dwelling older adults with knee OA were recruited from the local community to participate in this randomized controlled clinical trial. All subjects were randomly assigned to either an TCE group that practiced tai chi exercise (TCE) (n = 36) or a control group (CON) (n = 32) that received regular health education programs twice per week for 12 weeks. Outcome measurements were determined using functional fitness tests before and after the intervention, including a 30-s chair stand (number of repeats), 30-s arm-curl (number of repeats), 2-min step (number of steps), chair sit-and-reach (reaching distance, cm), back-scratch flexibility (distance between hands, cm), single-leg stand (time, s), functional reach (reaching distance, cm), 8-foot up-and-go (time, s), and 10-m walk tests (time, s). Pre-post comparisons of functional fitness were analyzed using the ANCOVA test with SPSS software version 18.0. RESULTS: Results revealed that participants' functional fitness in the TCE group had significantly higher adjusted mean post-tests scores than that in the CON group after the intervention, including the 8-foot up-and-go (s) (mean difference [MD]=-2.92 [-3.93, -1.91], p = 2.39*10- 7), 30-s arm curl (MD = 4.75 (2.76, 6.73), p = 1.11*10- 5), 2-min step (MD = 36.94 [23.53, 50.36], p = 7.08*10- 7), 30-s chair stand (MD = 4.66 [2.97, 6.36], p = 6.96*10- 7), functional-reach (MD = 5.86 [3.52, 8.20], p = 4.72*10- 6), single-leg stand with eyes closed (MD = 3.44 [1.92, 4.97], p = 2.74*10- 5), chair sit-and-reach (MD = 3.93 [1.72, 6.15], p = 0.001), and single-leg stand with eyes opened (MD = 17.07 [6.29, 27.85], p = 0.002), with large effect sizes (η²=0.14 ~ 0.34). CONCLUSIONS: Community-dwelling older adults with knee OA in the TCE group had better functional fitness performances after the 12-week tai chi intervention than those receiving only health education.

Clinical efficacy observation of 'Tong Du Yun Pi' manipulation for infantile diarrhea in autumn / 针灸推拿医学（英文版）

Objective: To observe the clinical efficacy of 'Tong Du Yun Pi' (Governor Vessel-unblocking and spleen-promoting) manipulation in treating infantile diarrhea in autumn. Methods: Eighty-four kids were divided into a control group and an observation group using the random number table method, with 42 cases in each group. The control group was intervened by oral administration of montmorillonite powder, and the observation group was given additional 'Tong Du Yun Pi' pediatric massage (tuina) treatment. After treatment, the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) symptoms scores, symptom improvement time, clinical efficacy and immune function indicators were compared between the two groups. Results: After treatment, the total effective rate was 95.2％ in the observation group versus 76.2％ in the control group, and the between-group difference was statistically significant (P<0.05); each item score in TCM symptoms was notably lower in the observation group than in the control group (all P<0.05); among the effective cases, the times to restore normal defecation, relieve abdominal bloating, arrest vomiting, and bring down the fever were markedly shorter in the observation group than in the control group, and the between-group differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05); the levels of immunoglobulin (Ig) G, IgM, CD4+ and CD4+/CD8+ were significantly higher and CD8+ was significantly lower in the observation group than in the control group (all P<0.05). Conclusion: In the treatment of infantile diarrhea in autumn, based on oral administration of montmorillonite powder, 'Tong Du Yun Pi' manipulation can notably improve diarrheal symptoms, shorten disease duration, and strengthen the immunity of kids, producing more significant efficacy than oral administration of montmorillonite powder.

The role of disulfide bonds in a Solanum tuberosum saposin-like protein investigated using molecular dynamics.

The Solanum tuberosum plant specific insert (StPSI) has a defensive role in potato plants, with the requirements of acidic pH and anionic lipids. The StPSI contains a set of three highly conserved disulfide bonds that bridge the protein's helical domains. Removal of these bonds leads to enhanced membrane interactions. This work examined the effects of their sequential removal, both individually and in combination, using all-atom molecular dynamics to elucidate the role of disulfide linkages in maintaining overall protein tertiary structure. The tertiary structure was found to remain stable at both acidic (active) and neutral (inactive) pH despite the removal of disulfide linkages. The findings include how the dimer structure is stabilized and the impact on secondary structure on a residue-basis as a function of disulfide bond removal. The StPSI possesses an extensive network of inter-monomer hydrophobic interactions and intra-monomer hydrogen bonds, which is likely the key to the stability of the StPSI by stabilizing local secondary structure and the tertiary saposin-fold, leading to a robust association between monomers, regardless of the disulfide bond state. Removal of disulfide bonds did not significantly impact secondary structure, nor lead to quaternary structural changes. Instead, disulfide bond removal induces regions of amino acids with relatively higher or lower variation in secondary structure, relative to when all the disulfide bonds are intact. Although disulfide bonds are not required to preserve overall secondary structure, they may have an important role in maintaining a less plastic structure within plant cells in order to regulate membrane affinity or targeting.

Insights into the mechanism of membrane fusion induced by the plant defense element, plant-specific insert.

In plants, many natural defense mechanisms include cellular membrane fusion as a way to resist infection by external pathogens. Several plant proteins mediate membrane fusion, but the detailed mechanism by which they promote fusion is less clear. Understanding this process could provide valuable insights into these proteins' physiological functions and guide bioengineering applications (i.e. the design of antimicrobial proteins). The plant-specific insert (PSI) from Solanum tuberosum can help reduce certain pathogen attack via membrane fusion. To gain new insights into the process of PSI-induced membrane fusion, a combined approach of NMR, FRET, and in silico studies was used. Our results indicate that (i) under acidic conditions, the PSI experiences a monomer-dimer equilibrium, and the dimeric PSI induces membrane fusion below a certain critical pH; (ii) after fusion, the PSI resides in a highly dehydrated environment with limited solvent accessibility, suggesting its capability in reducing repulsive dehydration forces between liposomes to facilitate fusion; and (iii) as shown by molecular dynamics simulations, the PSI dimer can bind stably to membrane surfaces and can bridge liposomes in close proximity, a critical step for the membrane fusion. In summary, this study provides new and unique insights into the mechanisms by which the PSI and similar proteins induce membrane fusion.

[Study on quality status of mineral medicine Calamina].

In this paper, some quality problems of mineral medicine Calamina and calcined Calamina have been discussed after determination and analysis of the quality parameters of a large number of market samples, and the countermeasures are put forward. According to the XRD results, as well as the results of tests included in Chinese Pharmacopoeia(2015 edition), the authenticity of Calamina and calcined Calamina samples were identified. The content of zinc oxide in samples were determined by the method of determination in Chinese Pharmacopoeia. Individually, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry(ICP-MS), inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry(ICP-AES) and atomic fluorescence spectrometry(AFS) methods were used for the determination of impurity elements and harmful elements in Calamina and calcined Calamina samples. Four kinds of impurity elements of magnesium(Mg), iron(Fe), aluminum(Al), calcium(Ca) and five harmful elements such as lead(Pb), cadmium(Cd), arsenic(As), copper(Cu), mercury(Hg) were measured. The study showed that: ① Fake Calamina products on the market were overflowing; ② The mineral origin of the mainstream Calamina in the market is inconsistent with that stipulated in Chinese Pharmacopoeia(2015 edition); ③ The contents of harmful elements Pb and Cd in Calamina and calcined Calamina are generally higher, while the contents of harmful elements As and Cu in some inferior Calaminae are higher; ④ Parts of calcined Calamina were improperly or inadequately processed. In view of these quality problems, the countermeasures are put forward as follows: ① It is suggested that hydrozincite should be approved as the mineral source of Calamina, and be included by Chinese Pharmacopoeia; ② Strengthen the research on the specificity of Calamina identification methods to improve the quality control level; ③ Strengthen the research on the processing of Calamina, and formulate the limit standards for the content of Pb and Cd in Calamina; ④ Carry out research on the artificial synthesis of Calamina and calcined Calamina, in order to cope with the current shortage of Calamina resources and ensure the sustainable development of Calamina medicinal materials.

Clinical efficacy comparison of moxibustion with different doses for knee osteoarthritis / 针灸推拿医学（英文版）

Objective: To compare the efficacy of moxibustion with different doses for knee osteoarthritis (KOA), and explore the correlation between moxibustion dose and clinical efficacy. Methods: Sixty-eight patients with KOA who met the inclusion criteria were randomly divided into a 20-minute moxibustion group and a 40-minute moxibustion group by the random number table method, with 34 cases in each group. Dubi (ST 35), Neixiyan (EX-LE 4) and Heding (EX-LE 2) were used for moxibustion in the two groups. Each treatment lasted 20 min or 40 min for each point in the 20-minute moxibustion group and 40-minute moxibustion group, separately; the treatment was given 3 times a week and lasted for 4 weeks. The visual analog scale (VAS), Western Ontario and McMaster University osteoarthritis index (WOMAC) and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) symptom scores were evaluated before and after treatment to compare the efficacy between different moxibustion doses for KOA. Results: After treatment, the total effective rate was 87.5％ in the 40-minute moxibustion group, versus 70.0％ in the 20-minute moxibustion group, and the difference in the total effective rate between the two groups was statistically significant (P<0.05). After treatment, the VAS scores, the total WOMAC scores and the component scores of pain, stiffness and dysfunction, and the TCM symptom scores in both groups all changed significantly when compared with those before treatment (all P<0.05). After treatment, the between-group differences in the VAS score, the total WOMAC score and the component scores of pain and dysfunction, and the TCM symptom score were statistically significant (all P<0.05), while the difference in the stiffness score in WOMAC showed no statistical significance (P>0.05). Conclusion: Either 20-minute moxibustion or 40-minute moxibustion can relieve pain, improve stiffness, dysfunction, and TCM symptoms for KOA; and 40-minute moxibustion is better in relieving pain, improving dysfunction and TCM symptoms.

Professor XUE Bo-shou's Exploration on Coronavirus Disease-2019 and Analysis of Cases / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Professor XUE Bo-shou，a master of traditional Chinese medicine（TCM），believes that coronavirus disease-2019 （COVID-19） belongs to the category of "cold epidemic" or "cold-dampness epidemic" in TCM theory. Cold-dampness obstructing the lungs is the key pathogenesis in the early stage of the disease. Exogenous pathogenic factors of cold and dampness are converted into heat in the interior. Over time，the pathogenesis is the disturbance in ascending and descending of Qi movement，loss of vital Qi， deficiency of both Qi and Yin，and even the occurrence of inner blocking causing Yang collapse. Professor XUE believes that the clinical syndrome differentiation and treatment shall be based on six meridians， and the efficacy could be improved by reference to classical prescriptions of plague in the past dynasties. To treat the disease in the early stage， the prescriptions emphasize on diffusing the lungs，inducing resuscitation and expelling pathogenic factors. He advocates the proper use of Ephedrae Herba， which can induce resuscitation of the lungs，diffuse the lungs and expel pathogenic factors，dissipate the interstitial depression and pathogenic factors in the lung interstitium. Therefore，it is considered that Ephedrae Herba is an effective medicine for diffusing the lungs，expelling pathogenic factors，inducing diuresis，eliminating dampness，promoting blood circulation and removing stasis due to cold coagulation. At the same time，the weakness of vital Qi is the root cause of the disease. The prosperity and decline of vital Qi plays a decisive role in the development， prognosis and efficacy of the disease. Professor XUE attaches importance to overall treatment，and emphasize the basis of pathogenesis， vital Qi， and stomach Qi. We shall expel pathogenic factors of disease，while protecting the vital Qi and stomach Qi. This article summarizes Professor XUE's diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19， enumerates and analyzes professor XUE's consultation cases of COVID-19 in designated hospitals in Linyi， Xinjiang and Beijing， in order to provide more ideas for the anti-epidemic effect of TCM.

Network meta-analysis on the effects of the acupuncture-related therapy on ovulation rate and pregnancy rate in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To review systematically the safety and effectiveness of acupuncture-related therapies on ovulation rate and pregnancy rate in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).@*METHODS@#From PubMed, EMbase, the Cochrane Library, China Biology Medicine disc (CBM), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang database and VIP database, the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on PCOS were retrieved in the period from the date of database establishment to January 8, 2018. Two researchers screened the articles, extracted the data and assessed the bias risk of the eligible trials independently. Using Stata 13.0 and WinBUGS 1.4.3 software, the data were analyzed.@*RESULTS@#A total of 39 RCTs were collected, including 4605 cases of PCOS and 14 kinds of acupuncture-related therapies and the comprehensive therapies. The short-term therapeutic effects were observed. The results of mesh meta-analysis showed: regarding the ovulation rate, the effects of the acupuncture-medication therapy were better than western medication. The top 6 therapeutic measures were the treatment with acupoint thread-embedding therapy and medication (93.3%), the treatment with moxibustion and Chinese herbal medicine (91.4%), moxibustion (74.5%), the treatment with acupuncture and medication (65.7%), the treatment with acupuncture-moxibustion and auricular point therapy (61.9%) and the treatment with acupuncture and auricular point therapy (49.6%). Regarding the pregnancy rate, the effects of the acupuncture-medication therapy were better than western medication. The top 6 therapeutic measures were the treatment with acupuncture and auricular point therapy (91.5%), the treatment with moxibustion and Chinese herbal medication (86.9%), the treatment with acupuncture-moxibustion and auricular point therapy (81.1%), the treatment with acupoint thread-embedding therapy and medication (69.4%), the treatment with acupuncture and medication (66.1%) and the treatment with placebo and western medication (58.7%).@*CONCLUSION@#Among acupuncture-related therapies, the combined treatment is more advantageous than single therapy and its safety is superior to western medication. The combined therapies are various in advantages. Because of the limitation of the present researches, it needs a large scale of RCTs with rational design, high quality and proper methods to verify this research conclusion.

pH dependent membrane binding of the Solanum tuberosum plant specific insert: An in silico study.

The Solanum tuberosum plant-specific insert (StPSI) has been shown to possess potent antimicrobial activity against both human and plant pathogens. Furthermore, in vitro, the StPSI is capable of fusing phospholipid vesicles, provided the conditions of net anionic vesicle charge and acidic pH are met. Constant pH replica-exchange simulations indicate several acidic residues on the dimer have highly perturbed pKas (<3.0; E15, D28, E85 & E100) due to involvement in salt bridges. After setting the pH of the system to either 3.0 or 7.4, all-atom simulations provided details of the effect of pH on secondary structural elements, particularly in the previously unresolved crystallographic structure of the loop section. Coarse-grained dimer-bilayer simulations demonstrated that at pH 7.4, the dimer had no affinity for neutral or anionic membranes over the course of 1 µs simulations. Conversely, at pH 3.0 two binding modes were observed. Mode 1 is mediated primarily via strong N-terminal interactions on one monomer only, whereas in mode 2, N- and C-terminal residues of one monomer and numerous polar and basic residues on the second monomer, particularly in the third helix, participate in membrane interactions. Mode 2 was accompanied by re-orientation of the dimer to a more vertical position with respect to helices 1 and 4, positioning the dimer for membrane interactions. These results offer the first examination at near-atomic resolution of residues mediating the StPSI-membrane interactions, and allow for the postulation of a possible fusion mechanism.

Influence of Acupuncture on Learning and Memorial Function and the Expression of BDNF in Prefrontal Cortex of Rats with Sleep Deprivation / 上海针灸杂志

Objective To investigate the influence of acupuncture on learning and memorial function and the expression of BDNF in prefrontal cortex of rats with sleep deprivation (SD), for providing theoretical evidence for treating sleep deprivation with acupuncture.Method Sixty Wistar rats were randomly divided into a control group, a model group, and an acupuncture group, 20 rats in each group. SD models were established by the modified multiple platform methods; the acupuncture group was intervened by acupuncture at Shenmen (HT 7); while the control group was left intact. Respectively after SD for 24 h and 72 h, the learning and memorial function was tested by using Morris water maze. Ten the rats were sacrificed to collect brain for detecting the expression of BDNF in prefrontal cortex via immunohistochemical method.Result The body weight, learning and memorial function, and the expression of BDNF in prefrontal cortex of the acupuncture group and model group were significantly different from those of the control group after SD for 24 h and 72 h (P<0.05). The learning and memorial function of the acupuncture group was significantly different from that of the model group after SD for 24 h and 72 h (P<0.05). The body weight and expression of BDNF in prefrontal cortex of the acupuncture group were significantly different from those of the model group after SD for 72 h (P<0.05).Conclusion Acupuncture can obviously improve the decline of the function of learning and memory of the SD rats, and also up-regulate the declined expression of BDNF in prefrontal cortex caused by SD.

Effect of Chinese Herbal Extract HNA-1 on the Thymic Output Function in Simian Immunodeficiency Virus Chronically Infected Chinese Rhesus Macaques / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the effect of Chinese herbal extract HuNan A-1 (HNA-1) on the thymic output function in Simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) chronically infected rhesus macaques.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Eight Chinese rhesus macaques had been infected by SIVmac239 for 16 to 21 months, and then they were randomly divided into the treatment group and the control group, 4 in each group. Monkeys in the treatment group were administered with HNA-1 by gastrogavage, once daily for 2 successive months, while those in the control group were administered with equal volume of normal saline by gastrogavage, once daily for 2 successive months. The general condition and body weight of monkeys were observed. Plasma viral loads were detected using real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR assay. CD4 percentages and counts, as well as naive CD subsets were detected using flow cytometry. T-cell receptor excision circles (TREC) were detected using real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR assay. The thymus tissue was pathologically observed using routine HE staining. The correlation between lesions of the thymus tissue, CD4 counts, naive CD counts, and TREC were analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There was no statistical difference in body weight, viral loads, absolute CD ratios between the two groups after treatment (P > 0.05). The altered TREC multiple showed an obvious decreasing tendency in the control group, while it showed an increasing tendency in the treatment group (P < 0.05). In both groups, destroyed structures of the thymus tissue could be seen, filled with pink unstructured material. Increased connective tissues, lowered connective cell density, and confused arrangement could also be seen in the two groups, with no obvious difference. TREC contents were positively correlated with naive CD4 counts after removing extremum (r = 0.926, P = 0.001). Naive CD4 counts were positively correlated with CD4 counts (r = 0.961, P = 0.005).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>TREC content determination, as a marker of newly thymic emigrants, could be taken as a testing method for evaluating the thymic output function. Besides, HNA-1 treatment increased the thymic output significantly in SIV chronically infected monkeys. Correlation existed among TREC contents, naive CD4 counts, and pathologies of thymus tissues, especially in late infection stage.</p>