How do the main components influence the VOCs emission characteristics and formation pathways during moso bamboo heat treatment?

Bamboo heat treatment will cause plenty of release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the atmosphere which are important precursors for ozone (O3) formation. In this study, dewaxed bamboo was heat-treated at 180 °C for 2 h to investigate the emission characteristics and the formation pathways of VOCs during heat treatment by removing different main components. The results showed that aldehydes (22.61%-57.54%) and esters (14.64%-38.88%) are the primary VOCs released during heat treatment. These compounds mainly originate from the degradation of hemicellulose, lignin, cellulose, and the linkage bonds between them in bamboo. During the bamboo heat treatment, the degradation of CO, CH, and CO bonds in hemicellulose results in the release of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, 3-furfural, and 1-(+)-ascorbic acid 2,6-dihexadecanoate. The breakage of benzene ring group and the CO and CH bonds of lignin leading to the emission of VOCs including m-Formylphenol, Vanillin, and Syringaldehyde. The degradation of aliphatic CH, CC, and CO bonds in the amorphous region of cellulose contributes to an enhanced release of alcohols, olefins, and alkanes. It is calculated that acids (28.92%-59.47%), esters (10.10%-22.03%) and aldehydes (17.88%-39.91%) released during heat treatment contributed more to Ozone Formation Potential (OFP).

Review of rehabilitation protocols for brachial plexus injury.

Brachial plexus injury (BPI) is one of the most serious peripheral nerve injuries, resulting in severe and persistent impairments of the upper limb and disability in adults and children alike. With the relatively mature early diagnosis and surgical technique of brachial plexus injury, the demand for rehabilitation treatment after brachial plexus injury is gradually increasing. Rehabilitation intervention can be beneficial to some extent during all stages of recovery, including the spontaneous recovery period, the postoperative period, and the sequelae period. However, due to the complex composition of the brachial plexus, location of injury, and the different causes, the treatment varies. A clear rehabilitation process has not been developed yet. Rehabilitation therapy that has been widely studied focusing on exercise therapy, sensory training, neuroelectromagnetic stimulation, neurotrophic factors, acupuncture and massage therapy, etc., while interventions like hydrotherapy, phototherapy, and neural stem cell therapy are less studied. In addition, rehabilitation methods in some special condition and group often neglected, such as postoperative edema, pain, and neonates. The purpose of this article is to explore the potential contributions of various methods to brachial plexus injury rehabilitation and to provide a concise overview of the interventions that have been shown to be beneficial. The key contribution of this article is to form relatively clear rehabilitation processes based on different periods and populations, which provides an important reference for the treatment of brachial plexus injuries.

Self-Assembly of Selenium-Doped Carbon Quantum Dots as Antioxidants for Hepatic Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury Management.

Hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury (HIRI) is a critical complication after liver surgery that negatively affects surgical outcomes of patients with the end-stage liver-related disease. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are responsible for the development of ischemia-reperfusion injury and eventually lead to hepatic dysfunction. Selenium-doped carbon quantum dots (Se-CQDs) with an excellent redox-responsive property can effectively scavenge ROS and protect cells from oxidation. However, the accumulation of Se-CQDs in the liver is extremely low. To address this concern, the fabrication of Se-CQDs-lecithin nanoparticles (Se-LEC NPs) is developed through self-assembly mainly driven by the noncovalent interactions. Lecithin acting as the self-assembly building block also makes a pivotal contribution to the therapeutic performance of Se-LEC NPs due to its capability to react with ROS. The fabricated Se-LEC NPs largely accumulate in the liver, effectively scavenge ROS and inhibit the release of inflammatory cytokines, thus exerting beneficial therapeutic efficacy on HIRI. This work may open a new avenue for the design of self-assembled Se-CQDs NPs for the treatment of HIRI and other ROS-related diseases.

Wrist-ankle acupuncture and Fluoxetine in the treatment of post-stroke depression: a randomized controlled clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of WAA combined with fluoxetine in the clinical treatment of post-stroke depression (PSD) . METHODS: In this randomized, controlled and single-blind trial, 105 PSD patients who met the inclusion criteria were randomly divided into three equal groups: Thin wrist-ankle acupuncture (WAA) group (Thin WAA needle + Fluoxetine), Thick WAA group (Thick WAA needle + Fluoxetine), and Sham WAA group (sham WAA needle + Fluoxetine). In this trial, the primary outcome was Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD), while the secondary outcomes included Zung self-rating depression scale (SDS) and World Health Organization Quality of Life BREF (QQL). RESULTS: Ninety nine PSD patients completed all the treatment. The HAMD scores and SDS scores of all the three groups decreased after treatment (P < 0.05); thick WAA group and thin WAA group decreased more obviously than the sham WAA group (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference between the QQL scores of the three groups (P > 0.05). There was no significant difference in the scores of the three scales between the thick wrist ankle needles and the thin wrist ankle needles (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The present study showed that WAA combined with fluoxetine can relieve the symptoms of depression after stroke. WAA therapy could improve the antidepressant effect of fluoxetine.

Effects of Baihui electroacupuncture in a rat model of depression.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on behavior in a rat model of chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) and to explore the underlying molecular mechanisms. METHODS: A total of 45 adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups: the control, CUMS, and CUMS plus EA groups. Rats in the CUMS and EA groups were subjected to a 3-week CUMS condition, while rats in the EA group received EA at the Baihui (GV 20) acupoint (2 Hz, 0.6 mA) for 10 min once daily before being subjected to the CUMS condition. The sucrose preference test (SPT) was used as a measure to infer activation of the pleasure response to depression-like behaviour. After the behavioral test, 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) was intraperitoneally injected (100 mg/kg) and brain samples were collected 24 h later for the detection of hippocampal BrdU. Cell proliferation was determined according to the proportion of BrdU-positive cells. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression was detected. RESULTS: The severity of anhedonia, BDNF+ cells, and BrdU+ neurons in DG significantly decreased in CUMS rats, and was accompanied by a reduced BDNF and BrdU+ expression (P<0.05). After EA, the low levels of BDNF+ cells and BrdU+ expression and the depression-like behavior increased markedly (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: EA contributes to neuroprotection against CUMS by enhancing BDNF expression and improving hippocampal neurogenesis.