Comparison of Ba-Hao burn ointment gauze and petrolatum gauze in split graft donor site healing: A randomized, prospective, and self-control study.

Background and Aims: To assess patient comfort, wound healing, and scarring at the 6-month follow-up of split-skin graft donor sites treated with Ba-Hao burn ointment (BHBO) gauze, a compound preparation of traditional Chinese medicine since 1970s, compared with petrolatum gauze. Methods: Thirty patients admitted to the Department of Burns of the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University between September 2021 and September 2022 participated in this randomized, prospective, self-control clinical study. After harvesting the split skin, donor sites were divided into two parts along the midline. BHBO gauze was applied to half of the donor wounds, and petrolatum gauze was applied to the other half. The wound healing time, pain scores on the postoperative Days 3, 6, and 9, and Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS) score at the 6-month follow-up were assessed. Results: The wound healing time was significantly shorter in the BHBO group than in the control group (10.07 ± 1.48 days vs. 11.50 ± 1.74 days, p < 0.001). On postoperative Days 3 and 6, the pain scores quantified by visual analog scores were significantly lower in the BHBO group than in the control group (5.33 ± 1.54 and 4.17 ± 1.51, respectively vs. 7.57 ± 1.41 and 5.20 ± 1.47, respectively). The difference in the visual analog scale score on postoperative Day 9 between the groups was not significant (p > 0.05). Microbiological assessment revealed the absence of bacterial contamination in both groups. At the 6-month follow up, the VSS score was significantly lower in the BHBO group (6.67 ± 1.92) than in the control group (9.57 ± 1.55). Conclusion: BHBO resulted in faster donor-site healing, reduced postoperative pain, and improved scar quality at the 6-month follow-up than petrolatum gauze alone.

Relationship between the natural cessation time of umbilical cord pulsation in full-term newborns delivered vaginally and maternal-neonatal outcomes: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: To analyze the impact of the time of natural cessation of the umbilical cord on maternal and infant outcomes in order to explore the time of clamping that would be beneficial to maternal and infant outcomes. METHODS: The study was a cohort study and pregnant women who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria at the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department of Qilu Hospital of Shandong University from September 2020 to September 2021. Analysis using Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test, Pearson's Chi-squared test, generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) and repeated measures ANOVA. If the difference between groups was statistically significant, the Bonferroni test was then performed. A two-sided test of P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: A total of 345 pregnants were included in this study. The subjects were divided into the ≤60 seconds group (n = 134), the 61-89 seconds group (n = 106) and the ≥90 seconds group (n = 105) according to the time of natural arrest of the umbilical cord. There was no statistically significant difference in the amount of postpartum hemorrhage and the need for iron, medication, or supplements in the postpartum period between the different cord spontaneous arrest time groups for mothers (P > 0.05). The weight of the newborns in the three groups was (3316.27 ± 356.70) g, (3387.26 ± 379.20) g, and (3455.52 ± 363.78) g, respectively, and the number of days of cord detachment was 12.00 (8.00, 15.75) days, 10.00 (7.00, 15.00) days and 9.00 (7.00, 13.00) days, respectively, as the time of natural cessation of the cord increased. The neonatal lymphocyte ratio, erythrocyte pressure, and hemoglobin reached a maximum in the 61-89 s group at (7.41 ± 2.16) %, (61.77 ± 8.17) % and (194.52 ± 25.84) g/L, respectively. Lower incidence of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia in the 61-89 s group compared to the ≥90s group 0 vs 4.8 (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In full-term singleton vaginal births, maternal and infant outcomes are better when waiting for 61-89 s after birth for the cord to stop pulsating naturally, suggesting that we can wait up to 90s for the cord to stop pulsating naturally, and if the cord does not stop pulsating after 90s, artificial weaning may be more beneficial to maternal and infant outcomes.

Differentiation of isomeric chalcone and dihydroflavone using liquid chromatography coupled with hydrogen-deuterium exchange tandem mass spectrometry (HDX-MS/MS): An application for flavonoids-focused characterization of Snow chrysanthemum.

Although the co-occurrences of isomeric chalcones and dihydroflavones widely appear in medicinal plants, the differentiation of such isomerism seldom succeeds using MS/MS, attributing to totally identical MS/MS spectra. Here, efforts were paid to pursue an eligible tool allowing to address the technical challenge. Being inspired by that one more proton signal is observed in 1H NMR spectrum of isoliquiritigenin than liquiritigenin when employing DMSO­d6 as solvent, hydrogen-deuterium exchange (HDX)-MS/MS was evaluated towards differentiating isomeric chalcones and dihydroflavones through replacing H2O with D2O to prepare the mobile phase. As a result, differences were observed for either MS1 or MS2 spectrum when comparing two pairs of isomers, such as liquiritigenin vs. isoliquiritigenin and liquiritin vs. isoliquiritin, because the isomeric precursor and fragment ion species owned different amounts of hydroxyl protons and those reactive protons could be partially or completely substituted by deuterium protons at the exposure in D2O to result in n × 1.006 mass increments. Moreover, utmost four hydrogen/deuterium exchanges occurred for a single glucosyl moiety. Thereafter, HDX-MS/MS was applied to characterize the flavonoids of Snow chrysanthemum, a precious edible herbal medicine that is rich in isomeric chalcones and dihydroflavones. Through paying special attention to the deuterium labeling styles of (de)protonated molecules as well as those featured fragment ions, five pairs of isomeric chalcones and dihydroflavones were confirmatively differentiated, in addition to that 28 flavonoids were structurally annotated by applying those well-defined mass fragmentation rules. Hence, this study offered an in-depth insight towards the flavonoids-focused characterization of Snow chrysanthemum, and more importantly, HDX-MS/MS is a superior tool to differentiate, but not limited to, isomeric chalcones and dihydroflavones.

Efficient removal of phosphorus and nitrogen from aquatic environment using sepiolite-MgO nanocomposites: preparation, characterization, removal performance, and mechanism.

Excessive phosphorus will lead to eutrophication in aquatic environment; the efficient removal of phosphorus is crucial for wastewater engineering and surface water management. This study aimed to fabricate a nanorod-like sepiolite-supported MgO (S-MgO) nanocomposite with high specific surface area for efficient phosphate removal using a facile microwave-assisted method and calcining processes. The impact of solution pH, adsorbent dosage, contact time, initial phosphate concentrations, Ca2+ addition, and N/P ratio on the phosphate removal was extensively examined by the batch experiments. The findings demonstrated that the S-MgO nanocomposite exhibited effective removal performance for low-level phosphate (0 ~ 2.0 mM) within the pH range of 3.0 ~ 10.0. Additionally, the nanocomposite can synchronously remove phosphate and ammonium in high-level nutrient conditions (> 2.0 mM), with the maximum removal capacities of 188.49 mg P/g and 89.78 mg N/g. Quantitative and qualitative analyses confirmed the successful harvesting of struvite in effluent with high-phosphate concentrations, with the mechanisms involved attributed to a synergistic combination of sorption and struvite crystallization. Due to its proficient phosphate removal efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and substantial removal capacity, the developed S-MgO nanocomposite exhibits promising potential for application in phosphorus removal from aquatic environments.

[DNA barcode screening, identification of germplasm resources, and analysis of genetic diversity of Anemarrhena asphodeloides].

Anemarrhena asphodeloides is a common medicinal material used in clinical prescriptions and Chinese patent medicine. In this study, the Illumina platform was used to obtain the chloroplast genome sequences of seven kinds of A. asphodeloides from different areas. The specific DNA barcodes were screened by comparative genomics analysis, and the DNA barcodes were used to identify the germplasm resources and analyze the genetic diversity of A. asphodeloides samples from different areas in China. All the seven chloroplast genomes had a ring structure. The total length was 156 801-156 930 bp, and 113 genes were annotated, including 79 protein-coding genes, 30 tRNA genes, and four rRNA genes. The comparative genomics analysis showed that rps16, trnG-GCC, atpF, rpoB, ycf3, rpl16, ndhF, trnS-GCU＿trnG-GCC, petN-psbM, and ndhF-rpl32 were potential candidates for specific DNA barcodes of A. asphodeloides. In this study, the second intron of ycf3 and atpF intron sequences with a sequence length of 700-800 bp and easy amplification were selected for polymerase chain reaction(PCR) amplification and sequencing of 594 samples from 26 areas. The sequence analysis showed that six and eight haplotypes of ycf3 and atpF sequences could be identified, respectively, and 17 haplotypes could be identified by combined analysis of the two sequences, which were named Hap1-Hap17. The haplotype diversity(H_d), nucleotide diversity(P_i), and genetic distance of A. asphodeloides in 26 populations were 0.68, 0.93×10~(-3), and 0-0.003 1, respectively, indicating that the genetic diversity within the species of A. asphodeloides is rich. The intermediary adjacent network analysis showed that Hap5 was the oldest haplotype, which was mainly distributed in Yixian county of Baoding, Hebei province, Hequ county of Xinzhou, Shanxi province, and Xiangfen county of Linfen, Shanxi province. This study has important guiding significance for the identification of A. asphodeloides species, the protection and development of germplasm resources, and the identification of production areas, and it provides a research basis for further revealing the genetic evolution law of A. asphodeloides.

Carboxymethylated Abrus cantoniensis polysaccharide prevents CTX-induced immunosuppression and intestinal damage by regulating intestinal flora and butyric acid content.

As a Chinese folk health product, Abrus cantoniensis exhibits good immunomodulatory activity because of its polysaccharide components (ACP), and carboxymethylation of polysaccharides can often further improve the biological activity of polysaccharides. In this study, we explored the impact of prophylactic administration of carboxymethylated Abrus cantoniensis polysaccharide (CM-ACP) on immunosuppression and intestinal damage induced by cyclophosphamide (CTX) in mice. Our findings demonstrated that CM-ACP exhibited a more potent immunomodulatory activity compared to ACP. Additionally, CM-ACP effectively enhanced the abundance of short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producing bacteria in immunosuppressed mice and regulated the gene expression of STAT6 and STAT3 mediated pathway signals. In order to further explore the relationship among polysaccharides, intestinal immunity and intestinal flora, we performed a pseudo-sterile mouse validation experiment and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) experiment. The findings suggest that CM-FMT and butyrate attenuate CTX-induced immunosuppression and intestinal injury. CM-FMT and butyrate show superior immunomodulatory ability, and may effectively regulate intestinal cell metabolism and repair the damaged intestine by activating STAT6 and STAT3-mediated pathways. These findings offer new insights into the mechanisms by which CM-ACP functions as functional food or drug, facilitating immune response regulation and maintaining intestinal health.

Effect of family integrated care on stress in mothers of preterm infants: A multicenter cluster randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Reducing mother-infant separation in early life is a key breakthrough in the care improvement model in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Previously, we reported effect of family integrated care (FICare) on clinical outcomes of preterm infants. We further clarify effect of FICare on maternal stress. METHODS: Mothers of preterm infants at eleven NICUs were randomized to the FICare group and the control group. The primary outcome was the reduction in Parental Stress Scale: NICU (PSS:NICU) score from enrollment to discharge. RESULTS: Total of 601 mothers (298 in FICare and 303 in control groups) enrolled. There was no significant difference in PSS:NICU score between the 2 groups at enrollment (P = 0.824), and the FICare group had lower scores at discharge (P < 0.001). PSS:NICU scores of both groups were significantly decreased at discharge compared to at enrollment (P < 0.001), and the reduction was greater in the FICare group (P < 0.001). After applying linear regressions to adjust for potential confounders, results remained unchanged (adjusted P < 0.001). PSS:NICU score reductions from enrollment to discharge were positively correlated with maternal age in the control group (ρ = 0.147, P = 0.011). LIMITATIONS: This study was limited to post-hoc analyses and did not include follow-up to evaluate long-term effects. CONCLUSIONS: FICare is helpful for reducing maternal stress in preterm infants in the NICU. Older mothers tend to have limited improvements in stress after traditional nonparent care, which suggests that they may benefit more from the FICare model.

Uncertainties in the Analysis of Heart Rate Variability: A Systematic Review.

Heart rate variability (HRV) is an important metric with a variety of applications in clinical situations such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, and mental health. HRV data can be potentially obtained from electrocardiography and photoplethysmography signals, then computational techniques such as signal filtering and data segmentation are used to process the sampled data for calculating HRV measures. However, uncertainties arising from data acquisition, computational models, and physiological factors can lead to degraded signal quality and affect HRV analysis. Therefore, it is crucial to address these uncertainties and develop advanced models for HRV analysis. Although several reviews of HRV analysis exist, they primarily focus on clinical applications, trends in HRV methods, or specific aspects of uncertainties such as measurement noise. This paper provides a comprehensive review of uncertainties in HRV analysis, quantifies their impacts, and outlines potential solutions. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that presents a holistic review of uncertainties in HRV methods and quantifies their impacts on HRV measures from an engineer's perspective. This review is essential for developing robust and reliable models, and could serve as a valuable future reference in the field, particularly for dealing with uncertainties in HRV analysis.

Reconfigurable Cascaded Thermal Neuristors for Neuromorphic Computing.

While the complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology is the mainstream for the hardware implementation of neural networks, an alternative route is explored based on a new class of spiking oscillators called "thermal neuristors", which operate and interact solely via thermal processes. Utilizing the insulator-to-metal transition (IMT) in vanadium dioxide, a wide variety of reconfigurable electrical dynamics mirroring biological neurons is demonstrated. Notably, inhibitory functionality is achieved just in a single oxide device, and cascaded information flow is realized exclusively through thermal interactions. To elucidate the underlying mechanisms of the neuristors, a detailed theoretical model is developed, which accurately reflects the experimental results. This study establishes the foundation for scalable and energy-efficient thermal neural networks, fostering progress in brain-inspired computing.

Osteoclast Cancer Cell Metabolic Cross-talk Confers PARP Inhibitor Resistance in Bone Metastatic Breast Cancer.

The majority of patients with late-stage breast cancer develop distal bone metastases. The bone microenvironment can affect response to therapy, and uncovering the underlying mechanisms could help identify improved strategies for treating bone metastatic breast cancer. Here, we observed that osteoclasts reduced the sensitivity of breast cancer cells to DNA damaging agents, including cisplatin and the PARP inhibitor (PARPi) olaparib. Metabolic profiling identified elevated glutamine production by osteoclasts. Glutamine supplementation enhanced the survival of breast cancer cells treated with DNA damaging agents, while blocking glutamine uptake increased sensitivity and suppressed bone metastasis. GPX4, the critical enzyme responsible for glutathione oxidation, was upregulated in cancer cells following PARPi treatment through stress-induced ATF4-dependent transcriptional programming. Increased glutamine uptake and GPX4 upregulation concertedly enhanced glutathione metabolism in cancer cells to help neutralize oxidative stress and generate PARPi resistance. Analysis of paired patient samples of primary breast tumors and bone metastases revealed significant induction of GPX4 in bone metastases. Combination therapy utilizing PARPi and zoledronate, which blocks osteoclast activity and thereby reduces the microenvironmental glutamine supply, generated a synergistic effect in reducing bone metastasis. These results identify a role for glutamine production by bone-resident cells in supporting metastatic cancer cells to overcome oxidative stress and develop resistance to DNA-damaging therapies. SIGNIFICANCE: Metabolic interaction between osteoclasts and tumor cells contributes to resistance to DNA-damaging agents, which can be blocked by combination treatment with PARP and osteoclast inhibitors to reduce bone metastatic burden.

Increased functional connectivity between the midbrain and frontal cortex following bright light therapy in subthreshold depression: A randomized clinical trial.

The underlying mechanisms of bright light therapy (BLT) in the prevention of individuals with subthreshold depression symptoms are yet to be elucidated. The goal of the study was to assess the correlation between midbrain monoamine-producing nuclei treatment-related functional connectivity (FC) changes and depressive symptom improvements in subthreshold depression. This double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted between March 2020 and June 2022. A total of 74 young adults with subthreshold depression were randomly assigned to receive 8-week BLT (N = 38) or placebo (N = 36). Depression severity was measured using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS). The participants underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging at baseline and after treatment. The dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN), ventral tegmental area (VTA), and habenula seed-based whole-brain FC were analyzed. A multivariate regression model examined whether baseline brain FC was associated with changes in scores on HDRS during BLT treatment. BLT group displayed significantly decreased HDRS scores from pre- to posttreatment compared to the placebo group. BLT increased the FC between the DRN and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and between the left VTA and right superior frontal gyrus (SFG). Altered VTA-SFG connectivity was associated with HDRS changes in the BLT group. Moreover, the baseline FC between DRN and mPFC could predict HDRS changes in BLT. These results suggested that BLT improves depressive symptoms and increases midbrain monoamine-producing nuclei and frontal cortex connectivity in subthreshold depression, which raises the possibility that pretreatment FC of DRN-mPFC could be used as a biomarker for improved BLT treatment in depression. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

A study on molecular mechanism of Xihuang pill in the treatment of glioblastoma based on network pharmacology and validation in vitro and in vivo.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Xihuang pill has been utilized to treat cancer for more than three hundred years in China. The molecular mechanisms of Xihuang pill in treating glioblastoma remains unclear. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aimed to explore the core molecular mechanisms of Xihuang pill in treating glioblastoma by an integrative pharmacology-based investigation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The main active compounds of Xihuang pill were identified from TCMSP, BATMAN-TCM, TCMID and CNKI. Glioblastoma-related therapeutic targets were retrieved from GeneCards and UniProt. Subsequently, a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis was constructed using STRING. GO and KEGG enrichment were performed to analyze the intersection targets between the active compounds of Xihuang pill and glioblastoma. Based on the above analysis, we built a CTP network. The in vitro and in vivo experiments were further performed to validate the crucial molecular targets of Xihuang pill for the treatment of glioblastoma. RESULTS: A total of sixty active compounds of Xihuang pill and ten potential targets related to glioblastoma were found. Based on topological analysis, fourteen ingredients were selected as the main active compounds, and MY11 might be the most important metabolite in Xihuang pill. PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and receptor tyrosine kinases were considered as crucial targets for Xihuang pill against glioblastoma through KEGG enrichment and CTP analysis. The present experiments indicated that Xihuang pill suppressed the activation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway in glioblastoma cells and mouse xenografts via modulating the expression of PTEN and Rheb proteins, the interaction between TSC2 and Rheb, and the production of PIP3. Meanwhile, after glioblastoma cells treatment with Xihuang pil, the release of IL-1ß, INF-γ was increased and the production of IL-10, TGF-ß1 was decreased in glioblastoma cells after incubated with Xihuang pill. In addition, the activation of the upstream positive modulators of PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway including PDGF/PDGFR and FGF/FGFR signaling were down-regulated in glioblastoma cells and mouse xenografts after treatment with Xihuang pill. CONCLUSION: Taken together, Xihuang pill inhibiting glioblastoma cell growth might be partly through down-regulating the activation of PDGF/PDGFR or FGF/FGFR-PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling axis and improving immuno-suppressive micro-environment of glioblastoma.

"Listen to your heart": A novel interoceptive strategy for real-time fMRI neurofeedback training of anterior insula activity.

Real-time fMRI (rt-fMRI) neurofeedback (NF) training is a novel non-invasive technique for volitional brain modulation. Given the important role of the anterior insula (AI) in human cognitive and affective processes, it has become one of the most investigated regions in rt-fMRI studies. Most rt-fMRI insula studies employed emotional recall/imagery as the regulation strategy, which may be less effective for psychiatric disorders characterized by altered emotional processing. The present study thus aimed to examine the feasibility of a novel interoceptive strategy based on heartbeat detection in rt-fMRI guided AI regulation and its associated behavioral changes using a randomized double-blind, sham feedback-controlled between-subject design. 66 participants were recruited and randomly assigned to receive either NF from the left AI (LAI) or sham feedback from a control region while using the interoceptive strategy. N = 57 participants were included in the final data analyses. Empathic and interoceptive pre-post training changes were collected as behavioral measures of NF training effects. Results showed that participants in the NF group exhibited stronger LAI activity than the control group with LAI activity being positively correlated with interoceptive accuracy following NF training, although there were no significant increases of LAI activity over training sessions. Importantly, ability of LAI regulation could be maintained in a transfer session without feedback. Successful LAI regulation was associated with strengthened functional connectivity of the LAI with cognitive control, memory and learning, and salience/interoceptive networks. The present study demonstrated for the first time the efficacy of a novel regulation strategy based on interoceptive processing in up-regulating LAI activity. Our findings also provide proof of concept for the translational potential of this strategy in rt-fMRI AI regulation of psychiatric disorders characterized by altered emotional processing.

Enhancement and contextual modulation of visuospatial processing by thalamocollicular projections from ventral lateral geniculate nucleus.

In the mammalian visual system, the ventral lateral geniculate nucleus (vLGN) of the thalamus receives salient visual input from the retina and sends prominent GABAergic axons to the superior colliculus (SC). However, whether and how vLGN contributes to fundamental visual information processing remains largely unclear. Here, we report in mice that vLGN facilitates visually-guided approaching behavior mediated by the lateral SC and enhances the sensitivity of visual object detection. This can be attributed to the extremely broad spatial integration of vLGN neurons, as reflected in their much lower preferred spatial frequencies and broader spatial receptive fields than SC neurons. Through GABAergic thalamocollicular projections, vLGN specifically exerts prominent surround suppression of visuospatial processing in SC, leading to a fine tuning of SC preferences to higher spatial frequencies and smaller objects in a context-dependent manner. Thus, as an essential component of the central visual processing pathway, vLGN serves to refine and contextually modulate visuospatial processing in SC-mediated visuomotor behaviors via visually-driven long-range feedforward inhibition.

π Bridge Engineering-Boosted Dual Enhancement of Type-I Photodynamic and Photothermal Performance for Mitochondria-Targeting Multimodal Phototheranostics of Tumor.

Designing mitochondria-targeting phototheranostic agents (PTAs), which can simultaneously possess exceptional and balanced type-I photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT) performance, still remains challenging. Herein, benzene, furan, and thiophene were utilized as π bridges to develop multifunctional PTAs. STB with thiophene as a π bridge, in particular, benefiting from stronger donor-accepter (D-A) interactions, reduced the singlet-triplet energy gap (ΔES1-T1), allowed more free intramolecular rotation, and exhibited outstanding near-infrared (NIR) emission, effective type-I reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and relatively high photothermal conversion efficiency (PCE) of 51.9%. In vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated that positive-charged STB not only can actively target the mitochondria of tumor cells but also displayed strong antitumor effects and excellent in vivo imaging ability. This work subtly established a win-win strategy by π bridge engineering, breaking the barrier of making a balance between ROS generation and photothermal conversion, boosting a dual enhancement of PDT and PTT performance, and stimulating the development of multimodal imaging-guided precise cancer phototherapy.

Anaerobic pathogens associated with OSA may contribute to pathophysiology via amino-acid depletion.

BACKGROUND: The human microbiome is linked to multiple metabolic disorders such as obesity and diabetes. Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a common sleep disorder with several metabolic risk factors. We investigated the associations between the gut microbiome composition and function, and measures of OSA severity in participants from a prospective community-based cohort study: the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL). METHODS: Bacterial-Wide Association Analysis (BWAS) of gut microbiome measured via metagenomics with OSA measures was performed adjusting for clinical, lifestyle and co-morbidities. This was followed by functional analysis of the OSA-enriched bacteria. We utilized additional metabolomic and transcriptomic associations to suggest possible mechanisms explaining the microbiome effects on OSA. FINDINGS: Several uncommon anaerobic human pathogens were associated with OSA severity. These belong to the Lachnospira, Actinomyces, Kingella and Eubacterium genera. Functional analysis revealed enrichment in 49 processes including many anaerobic-related ones. Severe OSA was associated with the depletion of the amino acids glycine and glutamine in the blood, yet neither diet nor gene expression revealed any changes in the production or consumption of these amino acids. INTERPRETATION: We show anaerobic bacterial communities to be a novel component of OSA pathophysiology. These are established in the oxygen-poor environments characteristic of OSA. We hypothesize that these bacteria deplete certain amino acids required for normal human homeostasis and muscle tone, contributing to OSA phenotypes. Future work should test this hypothesis as well as consider diagnostics via anaerobic bacteria detection and possible interventions via antibiotics and amino-acid supplementation. FUNDING: Described in methods.

Repeated Low-Level Red-Light Therapy for Controlling Onset and Progression of Myopia-a Review.

Repeated low-level red-light (RLRL), characterized by increased energy supply and cellular metabolism, thus enhancing metabolic repair processes, has gained persistent worldwide attention in recent years as a new novel scientific approach for therapeutic application in myopia. This therapeutic revolution led by RLRL therapy is due to significant advances in bioenergetics and photobiology, for instance, enormous progresses in photobiomodulation regulated by cytochrome c oxidase, the primary photoreceptor of the light in the red to near infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum, as the primary mechanism of action in RLRL therapy. This oxidase is also a key mitochondrial enzyme for cellular bioenergetics, especially for the nerve cells in the retina and brain. In addition, dopamine (DA)-enhanced release of nitric oxide may also be involved in controlling myopia by activation of nitric oxide synthase, enhancing cGMP signaling. Recent evidence has also suggested that RLRL may inhibit myopia progression by inhibiting spherical equivalent refraction (SER) progression and axial elongation without adverse effects. In this review, we provide scientific evidence for RLRL therapy as a unique paradigm to control myopia and support the theory that targeting neuronal energy metabolism may constitute a major target for the neurotherapeutics of myopia, with emphasis on its molecular, cellular, and nervous tissue levels, and the potential benefits of RLRL therapy for myopia.

[Quality of moxa with different leaf-to-moxa ratios based on correlation analysis of thermogravimetric properties, cellulose content, and microscopic characteristics of non-secretory trichomes].

The quality of moxa is a key factor affecting the efficacy of moxibustion. Traditional moxa grades are evaluated by the leaf-to-moxa ratio, but there is a lack of support from scientific data. Scanning electron microscopy(SEM), Image Pro Plus, Van Soest method, and stimultaneous thermal analysis(TGA/DSC) were used to characterize the scientific implication of the combustion differences between moxa with different leaf-to-moxa ratios(processed by crusher). The results showed that the median lengths from non-secretory trichomes(NSTs) of natural NSTs and moxa with leaf-to-moxa ratios of 3∶1, 5∶1, 10∶1, and 15∶1 were 542.46, 303.24, 291.18, 220.69, and 170.61 µm, respectively. The cellulose content of moxa increased significantly(P<0.05) with the increase in leaf-to-moxa ratio and the combustion parameters(T_i, t_i, D_i, C,-R_p,-R_v, S, D_b, and J_(total)) all showed an increasing trend. The correlation results showed that the burning properties of moxa(T_i,-R_v, t_i, and J_2) were significantly and positively correlated with cellulose content. NSTs with a length of 1-200 µm were significantly and positively correlated with J_2. NSTs with a length of 200-600 µm were significantly and positively correlated with J_1, T_(peak2), T_(peak1), and-R_v, and negatively correlated with J_(total), T_b, and t_b. As the leaf-to-moxa ratio increases, the NSTs in the moxa become shorter and the cellulose content increases, which is more conducive to ignition performance, heat release, and a milder, longer-lasting burn. The "NSTs-cellulose-TGA/DSC" quantitative evaluation method scientifically reveals the scientific connotation of the combustion of moxa with different leaf-to-moxa ratios and provides a scientific basis for the establishment of quality evaluation methods for moxa with different leaf-to-moxa ratios.

Interventions to improve the sleep of nurses: A systematic review.

Nurses are at a high risk for short sleep duration and poor sleep quality due to irregular work schedules and high occupational stress. Considering the effect of nurses' sleep on the safety and health of themselves and their patients, it is important to promote healthy sleep for nurses. We sought to synthesize the published experimental and quasi-experimental studies that address interventions to improve sleep in nurses. A systematic search was conducted for studies published in English up until May 15, 2023, using the databases PubMed, CINAHL, Academic Search Ultimate, and PsycINFO. In total, 38 articles were included, covering 22 experimental and 16 quasi-experimental studies with sample sizes ranging from 9 to 207. Studies were assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool and considered as low to medium quality. Thirty-six of the 38 studies reported positive findings for at least one sleep outcome. Intervention types included aroma therapy, dietary supplements, cognitive behavioral therapy, light therapy, mind-body therapy, sleep education, exercise, napping, shift schedule modification, and multicomponent intervention, all of which showed moderate effectiveness in promoting sleep outcomes of nurses. Comparing and contrasting studies on specific interventions for improving sleep in nurses is sparse and often equivocal. With the variations of research methodology and outcome measures, it is difficult to make a conclusion about each intervention's effectiveness on specific sleep outcomes. Additional high-quality research, including randomized controlled trials, is needed to evaluate strategies for improving sleep in this unique, safety-sensitive occupational group.

Exploring the efficacy of herbal medicinal products as oral therapy for inflammatory bowel disease.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) encompasses a collection of idiopathic diseases characterized by chronic inflammation in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Patients diagnosed with IBD often experience necessitate long-term pharmacological interventions. Among the multitude of administration routes available for treating IBD, oral administration has gained significant popularity owing to its convenience and widespread utilization. In recent years, there has been extensive evaluation of the efficacy of orally administered herbal medicinal products and their extracts as a means of treating IBD. Consequently, substantial evidence has emerged, supporting their effectiveness in IBD treatment. This review aimed to provide a comprehensive summary of recent studies evaluating the effects of herbal medicinal products in the treatment of IBD. We delved into the regulatory role of these products in modulating immunity and maintaining the integrity of the intestinal epithelial barrier. Additionally, we examined their impact on antioxidant activity, anti-inflammatory properties, and the modulation of intestinal flora. By exploring these aspects, we aimed to emphasize the significant advantages associated with the use of oral herbal medicinal products in the treatment of IBD. Of particular note, this review introduced the concept of herbal plant-derived exosome-like nanoparticles (PDENs) as the active ingredient in herbal medicinal products for the treatment of IBD. The inclusion of PDENs offers distinct advantages, including enhanced tissue penetration and improved physical and chemical stability. These unique attributes not only demonstrate the potential of PDENs but also pave the way for the modernization of herbal medicinal products in IBD treatment.