GPR39 regulated spinal glycinergic inhibition and mechanical inflammatory pain.

G protein-coupled receptor 39 (GPR39) senses the change of extracellular divalent zinc ion and signals through multiple G proteins to a broad spectrum of downstream effectors. Here, we found that GPR39 was prevalent at inhibitory synapses of spinal cord somatostatin-positive (SOM+) interneurons, a mechanosensitive subpopulation that is critical for the conveyance of mechanical pain. GPR39 complexed specifically with inhibitory glycine receptors (GlyRs) and helped maintain glycinergic transmission in a manner independent of G protein signalings. Targeted knockdown of GPR39 in SOM+ interneurons reduced the glycinergic inhibition and facilitated the excitatory output from SOM+ interneurons to spinoparabrachial neurons that engaged superspinal neural circuits encoding both the sensory discriminative and affective motivational domains of pain experience. Our data showed that pharmacological activation of GPR39 or augmenting GPR39 interaction with GlyRs at the spinal level effectively alleviated the sensory and affective pain induced by complete Freund's adjuvant and implicated GPR39 as a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of inflammatory mechanical pain.

Coagulation as an effective method for cyanobacterial bloom control: A review.

Eutrophication, the over-enrichment with nutrients, for example, nitrogen and phosphorus, of ponds, reservoirs and lakes, is an urgent water quality issue. The most notorious symptom of eutrophication is a massive proliferation of cyanobacteria, which cause aquatic organism death, impair ecosystem and harm human health. The method considered to be most effective to counteract eutrophication is to reduce external nutrient inputs. However, merely controlling external nutrient load is insufficient to mitigate eutrophication. Consequently, a rapid diminishing of cyanobacterial blooms is relied on in-lake intervention, which may encompass a great variety of different approaches. Coagulation/flocculation is the most used and important water purification unit. Since cyanobacterial cells generally carry negative charges, coagulants are added to water to neutralize the negative charges on the surface of cyanobacteria, causing them to destabilize and precipitate. Most of cyanobacteria and their metabolites can be removed simultaneously. However, when cyanobacterial density is high, sticky secretions distribute outside cells because of the small size of cyanobacteria. The sticky secretions are easily to form complex colloids with coagulants, making it difficult for cyanobacteria to destabilize and resulting in unsatisfactory treatment effects of coagulation on cyanobacteria. Therefore, various coagulants and coagulation methods were developed. In this paper, the focus is on the coagulation of cyanobacteria as a promising tool to manage eutrophication. Basic principles, applications, pros and cons of chemical, physical and biological coagulation are reviewed. In addition, the application of coagulation in water treatment is discussed. It is the aim of this review article to provide a significant reference for large-scale governance of cyanobacterial blooms. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Flocculation was a promising tool for controlling cyanobacteria blooms. Basic principles of four kinds of flocculation methods were elucidated. Flocculant was important in the flocculation process.

Selenium Nanoparticles Mitigate Cadmium Stress in Tomato through Enhanced Accumulation and Transport of Sulfate/Selenite and Polyamines.

Accumulation of cadmium (Cd) ions in soil is an increasingly acute ecological problem in agriculture production. Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) can mediate Cd tolerance in plants; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Herein, we show that the foliar application of SeNPs improved the adaptive capacity of tomato plants to decrease Cd-induced damage. SeNPs induced more Cd in roots but not in shoots despite greater accumulation of selenium and sulfur in both tissues and high selenate influx. Additionally, SeNPs significantly increased thiol compounds, including glutathione, cysteine, and phytochelatins, contributing to enhanced Cd detoxification. Importantly, SeNPs induced the expression of sulfate transporters 1:3, S-adenosylmethionine 1 and polyamine transporter 3. Then, experiments with mutants of these genes showed that SeNP-reduced Cd stress largely relies on the levels and shoot-to-root transport of selenium/sulfur and polyamines. These findings highlight the potential of SeNPs to improve crop production and phytoremediation in heavy metal-contaminated soils.

Potential nutritional strategies to prevent and reverse sarcopenia in aging process: Role of fish oil-derived ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, wheat oligopeptide and their combined intervention.

INTRODUCTION: Nutritional support is potentially considered an essential step to prevent muscle loss and enhance physical function in older adults. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess the role of potential nutritional strategies, i.e., fish oil-derived ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), wheat oligopeptide and their combined intervention, in preventing and reversing sarcopenia in aging process. METHODS: One hundred 25-month-old Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 10 groups, and 10 newly purchased 6-month-old rats were included in young control group (n = 10). Fish oil (200, 400 or 800 mg/kg body weight), wheat oligopeptide (100, 200 or 400 mg/kg body weight), fish oil + wheat oligopeptide (800 + 100, 400 + 200 or 200 + 400 mg/kg body weight) or the equal volume of solvent were administered daily by gavage for 10 weeks. The effects of these interventions on natural aging rats were evaluated. RESULTS: All intervention groups had a significant increase in muscle mass and grip strength and reduction in perirenal fat weight when compared to the aged control group (P < 0.05). The results of biochemical parameters, magnetic resonance imaging, proteomics and western blot suggested that the combination of wheat oligopeptide and fish oil-derived ω-3 PUFA, especially group WFM 2 (400 + 200 mg/kg body weight fish oil + wheat oligopeptide), was found to be more effective against aging-associated muscle loss than single intervention. Additionally, the interventions ameliorated fatty infiltration, muscle atrophy, and congestion in the intercellular matrix, and inflammatory cell infiltration in muscle tissue. The interventions also improved oxidative stress, anabolism, hormone levels, and inflammatory levels of skeletal muscle. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of fish oil-derived ω-3 PUFA and wheat oligopeptide was found to be a promising nutritional support to prevent and reverse sarcopenia. The potential mechanism involved the promotion of protein synthesis and muscle regeneration, as well as the enhancement of muscle strength.

Unambiguous discrimination of all 20 proteinogenic amino acids and their modifications by nanopore.

Natural proteins are composed of 20 proteinogenic amino acids and their post-translational modifications (PTMs). However, due to the lack of a suitable nanopore sensor that can simultaneously discriminate between all 20 amino acids and their PTMs, direct sequencing of protein with nanopores has not yet been realized. Here, we present an engineered hetero-octameric Mycobacterium smegmatis porin A (MspA) nanopore containing a sole Ni2+ modification. It enables full discrimination of all 20 proteinogenic amino acids and 4 representative modified amino acids, Nω,N'ω-dimethyl-arginine (Me-R), O-acetyl-threonine (Ac-T), N4-(ß-N-acetyl-D-glucosaminyl)-asparagine (GlcNAc-N) and O-phosphoserine (P-S). Assisted by machine learning, an accuracy of 98.6% was achieved. Amino acid supplement tablets and peptidase-digested amino acids from peptides were also analyzed using this strategy. This capacity for simultaneous discrimination of all 20 proteinogenic amino acids and their PTMs suggests the potential to achieve protein sequencing using this nanopore-based strategy.

Persistent clinical symptoms and their association with CM syndromes in post-COVID-19 rehabilitation patients in Hong Kong.

Background: Heterogeneous clinical conditions were observed in individuals who had recovered from COVID-19 and some symptoms were found to persist for an extended period post-COVID. Given the non-specific nature of the symptoms, Chinese medicine (CM) is advantageous in providing holistic medical assessment for individuals experiencing persisting problems. Chinese medicine is a type of treatment that involves prescribing regimens based on CM Syndromes diagnosed by CM practitioners. However, inadequate research on CM elements behind the practice has faced scrutiny. Methods: This study analysed 1058 CM medical records from 150 post-COVID-19 individuals via a semi-text-mining approach. A logistic model with MCMCglmm was then utilised to analyse the associations between the indicated factors and identified conditions. Calculations were performed using R Studio and related libraries. Results: With the semi-text-mining approach, three common CM Syndromes (Qi and Yin Deficiency, Lung and Spleen Deficiency, Qi Deficiency of both Spleen and Lung) and nine clinical conditions (fatigue, poor sleep, dry mouth, shortness of breath, cough, headache, tiredness, sweating, coughing phlegm) were identified in the CM clinical records. Analysis via MCMCglmm revealed that the occurrence of persisting clinical conditions was significantly associated with female gender, existing chronic conditions (hypertension, high cholesterol, and diabetes mellitus), and the three persisting CM Syndromes. The current study triangulated the findings from our previous observational study, further showing that patients with certain post-COVID CM Syndromes had significantly increased log-odds of having persisting clinical conditions. Furthermore, this study elucidated that the presence of chronic conditions in the patients would also significantly increase the log-odds of having persistent post-COVID clinical conditions. Conclusion: This study provided insights on mining text-based CM clinical records to identify persistent post-COVID clinical conditions and the factors associated with their occurrence. Future studies could examine the integration of integrating exercise modules, such as health qigong Liuzijue, into multidisciplinary rehabilitation programmes.

Effects of rotted corn straw on soil environment, yield, and quality of cucumber.

Aiming at solving the problems of soil environment deterioration and the decline of both yield and quality caused by excessive application of chemical fertilizer, we investigated the effects of rotted corn straw on the soil environment of root zone, yield and quality of cucumber with 'Jinyou 35' cucumber as the experimental material. There were three treatments, namely, combined application of rotted corn straw and chemical fertilizer (T1, the total nitrogen fertilizer application were 450 kg N·hm-2, of which 9000 kg·hm-2 rotted corn straw was used as the subsoil fertilizer, and the rest was supplemented with chemical fertilizer), pure chemical fertilizer (T2, the total nitrogen fertilizer application was the same as T1) and no fertilization (control). The results showed that the content of soil organic matter in root zone soil in T1 treatment was much higher, but no difference between T2 treatment and the control, after two continuous plantings in one year. The concentrations of soil alkaline nitrogen, available phosphorus, available potassium of T1 and T2 in cucumber root zone were higher than that in the control. T1 treatment had lower bulk density, but markedly higher porosity and respiratory rate than T2 treatment and the control in root zone soil. The electric conductivity of T1 treatment was higher than that of the control, but significantly lower than T2 treatment. There was no significant difference in pH among the three treatments. The quantity of bacteria and actinomycetes in cucumber rhizosphere soil were the highest in T1, and the lowest in the control. However, the highest quantity of fungi was found in T2. The enzyme activities of rhizosphere soil in T1 treatment were markedly higher than those of the control, whereas those of T2 treatment were significantly lower or had no significant difference relative to the control. The cucumber root dry weight and root activity of T1 were significantly higher than that of the control. The yield of T1 treatment increased by 10.1%, and fruit quality improved obviously. The root activity of T2 treatment was also significantly higher than that in the control. There was no significant difference in root dry weight and yield between T2 treatment and the control. Furthermore, T2 treatment revealed a decrease in fruit quality relative to T1 treatment. These results suggested that the combined application of rotted corn straw and chemical fertilizer could improve soil environment, promote root growth, enhance root activity and improve yield and quality of cucumber in solar-greenhouse, which could be popularized and applied in protected cucumber production.

Effects of fish oil-derived n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid on body composition, muscle strength and physical performance in older people: a secondary analysis of a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: the effects regarding n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA) supplementation on sarcopenia have been explored by several clinical trials. Nonetheless, the use of n-3 PUFA for improving body composition, muscle strength and physical performance in older people is conflicting. OBJECTIVES: our aim was to perform a randomised, double-blind, controlled trial to evaluate the effects of 6-month n-3 PUFA supplementation on body composition, muscle strength and physical performance in older Chinese people. METHODS: in this double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 200 eligible subjects were randomly assigned to receive 4 g/day fish oil capsules (1.34 g eicosapentaenoic [EPA] + 1.07 docosahexaenoic [DHA]) or 4 g/day corn oil capsules (EPA + DHA <0.05 g) for 6 months. The primary outcomes were the changes of body composition, muscle strength (hand grip strength) and physical performance (Timed Up and Go time). Secondary outcomes were the changes in serum lipid profiles. RESULTS: compared with control group, fish oil-derived n-3 PUFA supplementation resulted in significant increases in thigh circumference (interaction time × group effect P < 0.001), total skeletal muscle mass (interaction time × group effect P < 0.001) and appendicular skeletal muscle mass (interaction time × group effect P < 0.001); the differences were still significant even after height correction. Muscle strength and physical performance including hand grip strength (interaction time × group effect P < 0.001) and Timed Up and Go time (interaction time × group effect P < 0.001) were also improved after a 6-month fish oil-derived n-3 PUFA intervention. In terms of serum lipid profiles, fish oil-derived n-3 PUFA supplementation could significantly reduce serum level of triglyceride (interaction time × group effect P = 0.012) and increase high density lipoprotein cholesterol (interaction time × group effect P < 0.001); while no significant improvement was found in serum concentrations of total cholesterol (interaction time × group effect P = 0.413) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (interaction time × group effect P = 0.089). CONCLUSIONS: our present trial demonstrated that a 6-month fish oil-derived n-3 PUFA supplementation could beneficially affect the body composition, muscle strength, physical performance and serum lipid profiles in older people, which could be into considerations when making strategies aiming to the primary prevention of sarcopenia.

Nitrogen enrichment alters multiple dimensions of grassland functional stability via changing compositional stability.

Anthropogenic nutrient enrichment is known to alter the composition and functioning of plant communities. However, how nutrient enrichment influences multiple dimensions of community- and ecosystem-level stability remains poorly understood. Using data from a nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) addition experiment in a temperate semi-arid grassland that experienced a natural drought, we show that N enrichment, not P enrichment, decreased grassland functional and compositional temporal stability, resistance and recovery but increased functional and compositional resilience. Compositional stability and species asynchrony, rather than species diversity, were identified as key determinants of all dimensions of grassland functional stability, except for recovery. Whereas grassland functional recovery was decoupled from compositional recovery, N enrichment altered other dimensions of functional stability primarily through changing their corresponding compositional stability dimensions. Our findings highlight the need to examine ecological stability at the community level for a more mechanistic understanding of ecosystem dynamics in the face of environmental change.

Effects of exogenous sucrose and selenium on plant growth, quality, and sugar metabolism of pea sprouts.

BACKGROUND: Pea sprouts are considered a healthy food. Sucrose is a key nutritional factor affecting taste and flavor. Meanwhile, selenium (Se) is an essential micronutrient that plays multiple roles in wide variety of physiological processes and improves crop quality and nutritional value. Nonetheless, the effects of the combination of sucrose and Se treatment on growth, quality, and sugar metabolism of pea sprouts have not been explored. RESULTS: The results revealed that sucrose at 10 mg L-1 obviously increased fresh weight, vitamin C, soluble protein, soluble sugar, fructose, glucose, and sucrose contents. Se treatments also improved nutritional quality, but higher Se (2.5 mg L-1 ) significantly inhibited the growth of seedlings. Interestingly, the combined application of sucrose (10 mg L-1 ) and Se (1.25 mg L-1 ) could effectively promote vitamin C, sucrose, and fructose contents, especially the Se content, compared with Se application alone. Additionally, there were significant differences in the regulation of sugar metabolism between Se alone and combined application of sucrose and Se. Acid invertase and neutral invertase play a pivotal role in the accumulation of soluble sugar under Se treatments alone, and acid invertase might be the key enzyme to limit sugar accumulation under combined application of sucrose and Se. CONCLUSION: The moderate combined application of sucrose (10 mg L-1 ) and Se (1.25 mg L-1 ) more effectively regulated sugar metabolism and improved nutritional quality than Se application alone did. © 2021 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Active Components from Cassia abbreviata Prevent HIV-1 Entry by Distinct Mechanisms of Action.

Cassia abbreviata is widely used in Sub-Saharan Africa for treating many diseases, including HIV-1 infection. We have recently described the chemical structures of 28 compounds isolated from an alcoholic crude extract of barks and roots of C. abbreviata, and showed that six bioactive compounds inhibit HIV-1 infection. In the present study, we demonstrate that the six compounds block HIV-1 entry into cells: oleanolic acid, palmitic acid, taxifolin, piceatannol, guibourtinidol-(4α→8)-epiafzelechin, and a novel compound named as cassiabrevone. We report, for the first time, that guibourtinidol-(4α→8)-epiafzelechin and cassiabrevone inhibit HIV-1 entry (IC50 of 42.47 µM and 30.96 µM, respectively), as well as that piceatannol interacts with cellular membranes. Piceatannol inhibits HIV-1 infection in a dual-chamber assay mimicking the female genital tract, as well as HSV infection, emphasizing its potential as a microbicide. Structure-activity relationships (SAR) showed that pharmacophoric groups of piceatannol are strictly required to inhibit HIV-1 entry. By a ligand-based in silico study, we speculated that piceatannol and norartocarpetin may have a very similar mechanism of action and efficacy because of the highly comparable pharmacophoric and 3D space, while guibourtinidol-(4α→8)-epiafzelechin and cassiabrevone may display a different mechanism. We finally show that cassiabrevone plays a major role of the crude extract of CA by blocking the binding activity of HIV-1 gp120 and CD4.

MyD88 determines the protective effects of fish oil and perilla oil against metabolic disorders and inflammation in adipose tissue from mice fed a high-fat diet.

BACKGROUND: The beneficial effects of ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) vary between different sources. However, there is a paucity of comparative studies regarding the effects and mechanisms of marine and plant ω-3 PUFA on obesity. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of fish oil (FO) and perilla oil (PO) on glucolipid metabolism, inflammation, and adipokine in mice fed a high-fat (HF) diet in association with the contribution of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/myeloid differentiation primary response 88 (MyD88) pathway. METHODS: C57BL/6J mice and MyD88-/- mice were randomly divided into 4 groups: normal chow diet, HF diet, HF diet accompanied by daily gavage with either FO or PO. After 4 weeks, blood biochemistries, adipocyte histology, mRNA, and protein expression of MyD88-dependent and -independent pathways of TLR4 signaling in epididymal adipose tissue were measured. RESULTS: In C57BL/6J mice, there were no statistical differences between FO and PO in decreasing body weight, glucose, insulin, triglyceride, total cholesterol, interleukin-6, and increasing adipocyte counts. FO and PO decreased mRNA and protein expression of TLR4, MyD88, tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6, inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa B kinase beta and nuclear factor-kappa B p65. In MyD88-/- mice, the beneficial effects of FO and PO on HF diet-induced metabolism abnormalities and inflammation were abolished. FO and PO had no impacts on mRNA and protein expression of receptor-interacting protein-1, interferon regulate factor 3, and nuclear factor-kappa B p65. CONCLUSION: FO and PO exhibit similar protective effects on metabolic disorders and inflammation through inhibiting TLR4 signaling in a manner dependent on MyD88. These findings highlight plant ω-3 PUFA as an attractive alternative source of marine ω-3 PUFA and reveal a mechanistic insight for preventive benefits of ω-3 PUFA in obesity and related metabolic diseases.

[Research progress in mechanism of berberine's antitumor action].

Malignant tumor, an important factor threatening human life and health, brings huge economic burden to patients. At present, chemoradiotherapy is still the main treatment method for tumor diseases, but there are also great side effects when it plays a therapeutic role. Traditional Chinese medicine in the prevention and treatment of tumor diseases has many advantages such as few side effects, improving the physiological state of patients, and slowing down the side effects of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Berberine is an effective component of rhizoma coptidis, with a very good antitumor effect. It can inhibit tumor cell proliferation, promote tumor cell apoptosis, inhibit tumor metastasis and angiogenesis, regulate tumor autophagy, reverse multi-drug resistance of tumor, regulate the body immunity, and affect tumor metabolic reprogramming to play its role. Compared with chemical preparations, berberine has a wide range of sources, with high safety and easy access, and has great potential in the prevention and treatment of malignant tumors. In this article, we would mainly review the research progress on the antitumor mechanism of berberine in recent years.

COVID-19 Rehabilitation With Herbal Medicine and Cardiorespiratory Exercise: Protocol for a Clinical Study.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have revealed that many discharged patients with COVID-19 experience ongoing symptoms months later. Rehabilitation interventions can help address the consequences of COVID-19, including medical, physical, cognitive, and psychological problems. To our knowledge, no studies have investigated the effects of rehabilitation following discharge from hospital for patients with COVID-19. OBJECTIVE: The specific aims of this project are to investigate the effects of a 12-week exercise program on pulmonary fibrosis in patients recovering from COVID-19. A further aim will be to examine how Chinese herbal medicines as well as the gut microbiome and its metabolites regulate immune function and possibly autoimmune deficiency in the rehabilitation process. METHODS: In this triple-blinded, randomized, parallel-group, controlled clinical trial, we will recruit adult patients with COVID-19 who have been discharged from hospital in Hong Kong and are experiencing impaired lung function and pulmonary function. A total of 172 eligible patients will be randomized into four equal groups: (1) cardiorespiratory exercise plus Chinese herbal medicines group, (2) cardiorespiratory exercise only group, (3) Chinese herbal medicines only group, and (4) waiting list group (in which participants will receive Chinese herbal medicines after 24 weeks). These treatments will be administered for 12 weeks, with a 12-week follow-up period. Primary outcomes include dyspnea, fatigue, lung function, pulmonary function, blood oxygen levels, immune function, blood coagulation, and related blood biochemistry. Measurements will be recorded prior to initiating the above treatments and repeated at the 13th and 25th weeks of the study. The primary analysis is aimed at comparing the outcomes between groups throughout the study period with an α level of .05 (two-tailed). RESULTS: The trial has been approved by the university ethics committee following the Declaration of Helsinki (approval number: REC/19-20/0504) in 2020. The trial has been recruiting patients. The data collection will be completed in 24 months, from January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2022. CONCLUSIONS: Given that COVID-19 and its sequelae would persist in human populations, important findings from this study would provide valuable insights into the mechanisms and processes of COVID-19 rehabilitation. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04572360; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04572360. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): PRR1-10.2196/25556.

[Research progress of effect of berberine in treatment of ulcerative colitis based on cell signaling pathway].

Berberine is the main extract of Coptis chinensis, and its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial and immunomodulatory effects have been confirmed by modern studies. Ulcerative colitis(UC) is a chronic, idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease with unknown etiology. Its causes involve genetics, intestinal microecology and mucosal immune system disorders. In this paper, literatures on relevant pathways and mechanism of berberine on ulcerative colitis in recent years were consulted and summarized to provide me-thods and ideas for developing berberine in the treatment of UC and exploring the mechanisms. The results showed that berberine protects the intestinal mucosal barrier, restores the body's normal immune response, and improves oxidative stress by regulating multiple signaling pathways, such as JAK-STAT, NK-κB, PI3 K-AKT, MAPK, Nrf2, ERS, and MLCK-MLC, so as to treat UC.

Efficacy of High-Dose Vitamin D Supplementation as an Adjuvant Treatment on Pneumonia: Systematic Review and a Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Studies.

The purpose of this meta-analysis was to summarize randomized controlled trial (RCT) evidence and evaluate the efficacy and safety of vitamin D (VD) supplementation as an adjunct to antibiotics for the treatment of pneumonia. Data sources published from the inception dates up to January 2020 were searched. RCTs of VD supplementation of any duration, age, and dosing regimen type were eligible for inclusion if data on pneumonia were collected. Thirteen studies (4786 randomized participants) fulfilled eligibility criteria. VD supplementation significantly increased levels of serum 25(OH)D (mean difference = 15.97; 95% CI, 7.49-24.44; P = .002) and reduced incidence of repeat episodes of pneumonia (risk ratio [RR] = 0.68; 95% CI, 0.50-0.93; P = .02). Subgroup analysis revealed VD supplementation had more reducing effects on repeat episodes of pneumonia among participants in trials in which the population were children (RR = 0.66; 95% CI, 0.48-0.90), duration <3 months (RR = 0.55; 95% CI, 0.33-0.91), or dose of VD <300,000 IU (RR = 0.51; 95% CI, 0.29-0.89). Although our results suggested that VD supplementation had a positive effect on recovery rate of pneumonia (RR = 1.28; 95% CI, 0.94-1.74; I2 = 13%), there was no statistical difference (P = .12). High-dose VD intervention may have an effect on reducing the incidence rate of repeat episodes of pneumonia by enhancing immune efficacy, although more population studies are needed to support that VD supplementation has therapeutic effects on pneumonia itself.

Overview of five-element acupuncture development after returning China / 中国针灸

To introduce the historical origin of five element acupuncture and its development after returning to China, including the domestic inheritance mode, the clinical application, the establishment and operation of the Society of Five Element Acupuncture. This paper analyzed the challenges and opportunities faced by the development of five element acupuncture in China, which provides reference for the further development and expansion of the five element acupuncture.

Asperochratides A-J, Ten new polyketides from the deep-sea-derived Aspergillus ochraceus.

Ten new C9 polyketides (asperochratides A-J, 1-10) and 14 known miscellaneous compounds (11-24) were isolated from the deep-sea-derived fungus Aspergillus ochraceus. Structures of the new compounds were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analyses, modified Mosher's method, Mo2(OAc)4 induced circular dichroism (ICD) experiments, and ECD calculations. Structurally, compounds 1-11 and 16-18 share the same polyketide origin of the skeleton and belong to aspyrone co-metabolites. All isolates were tested for cytotoxic, anti-food allergic, anti-H1N1 virus, anti-microbe, and anti-inflammatory activities in vitro. Results showed that compounds 5-8 and 13-17 exerted significant cytotoxic effects on BV-2 cell line, and compound 16 showed the potential of anti-inflammatory activities.

Integrative Nutrition CARE in the Community-Starting with Pharmacists.

Dietary supplementation is increasingly sought after by consumers looking to meet the demands of a modern lifestyle. Effective supplementation requires knowledge of the purpose and proper use of nutritional supplements. Unverified or inadequate guidance on supplementation can propagate misconceptions and increase undue fears of side effects. Community pharmacists are best placed to guide consumers on nutritional supplement use. In this review, a panel comprised of community pharmacists, pharmacy academia, and dietitians (n = 6) convened to provide an experience- and evidence-based guidance on rational drug use, patient education, and integrated and personalized nutrition care in both community and hospital pharmacy settings. A novel framework to guide community pharmacist-led consultations on supplementation is proposed. The four-step CARE (Categorize, Assess, Recommend, Empower) guide was developed to facilitate and optimize outcomes of pharmacist-led nutritional supplement consultation. Telehealth advancements in the form of digital health applications and personalized nutrigenomic DNA testing support Integrative Nutrition Care, and will further promote appropriate supplementation use to improve overall well-being in the community. Practical implementation of the CARE guide is necessary to ascertain its applicability for optimizing outcomes of pharmacist-led consultation and the recommendation of nutritional supplements.

Comprehensive analysis of the chemical constituents in sulfur-fumigated Lonicerae Japonicae Flos using UHPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap mass spectrometry.

Lonicerae Japonicae Flos (LJF), a kind of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs), has functions of detoxifying and evacuating heat. In the study, a method based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with linear ion trap-Orbitrap mass spectrometry (UHPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap MS) was developed for the chemical constituent analysis of organic acids, flavonoids, iridoids and new-generated compounds in sulfur-fumigated LJF (SF-LJF). Based on the accurate mass measurement (< ± 5 ppm), chromatographic behavior and diagnostic product ions (DPIs), 113 constituents were unambiguously or tentatively characterized from SF-LJF extract, including 46 chlorogenic acids, 19 flavonoids, 29 iridoid glycosides and 19 newly-generated compounds (including 17 sulfur-containing derivatives). In addition, 5-CQA (5-caffeoylquinic acid, chlorogenic acid) was chosen to be sulfur-fumigated for the result validation. It was found that the most significant change of LJF after sulfur fumigation was the occurrence of sulfate or sulfite esterification reactions, which resulted in the emergence of many new sulfur-containing components. Our results demonstrated that the established method was a useful and efficient analytical tool to comprehensively characterize the material basis of SF-LJF, and also an excellent guidance of quality control about LJF.