Mineral oil emulsion species and concentration prediction using multi-output neural network based on fluorescence spectra in the solar-blind UV band.

The accurate monitoring of oil spills is crucial for effective oil spill recovery, volume determination, and cleanup. Oil slicks become emulsified under the effects of wind and waves, which increases the consistency of the oil spills. This phenomenon makes oil spills more challenging to handle and exacerbates environmental pollution. In this study, the variation of the solar-blind ultraviolet (UV) fluorescence spectra obtained from simulated oil spills with different oil types and oil-water ratios was investigated. By designing and constructing a multi-angle excitation and detection system, an apparent fluorescence peak of the oil emulsions was observed at around 290 nm under 220 nm excitation. By utilizing competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS) and multi-output neural network algorithms, both the types and concentrations of the emulsified oils were obtained simultaneously. The classification accuracy for identifying the oil type exceeds 98%, and the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) for concentration regression is around 2%. The results indicate that active solar-blind UV fluorescence could become a supplementary method for on-site oil spill detection to achieve comprehensive monitoring of oil spills. This study provides potential applications for UV-induced fluorescence spectrometry in oil spill on-site monitoring during the daytime.

Effect of multicomponent intervention on malnutrition in older adults: A multicenter randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Malnutrition is a significant geriatric syndrome (GS) prevalent in older adults and seriously affects patient prognosis and quality of life. We assessed the impact of the multicomponent intervention of health education, dietary advice, and exercise with oral nutritional supplementation (ONS) on nutritional status, body composition, physical functions, and quality of life. METHODS: This multicenter randomized clinical trial (RCT) was performed from April 2021 to April 2022. The intervention lasted for 12 weeks, and 99 older adults with malnutrition or at risk of malnutrition were enrolled in six nursing homes. All participants were randomly assigned to the control (health education plus standard diet plus exercise) or research (health education plus standard diet plus exercise plus ONS) group. The research group consumed ONS (244 kcal, 9.8g protein, and 9.6g fat per time) twice a day between meals. The primary outcomes were changes in the nutritional status and body composition from baseline to 12 weeks. The secondary outcomes were changes in physical function, quality of life and nutritional associated other blood markers. RESULTS: For primary outcomes, after 12 weeks, body weight increased similarly in both treatment arms (time × treatment effect, P > 0.05). There were no between-group differences in body mass index (BMI) or mini nutritional assessment tool-short form (MNA-SF) scores (time × treatment effects, P > 0.05). The MNA-SF score from 11.0 (10.5, 12.0) to 13.0 (11.0, 13.0) in the research group and from 11.0 (10.0, 12.0) to 12.0 (11.0, 13.0) in the control group (both P < 0.05). There were no between-group differences in the skeletal muscle mass index (SMI), fat-free mass index (FFMI), appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASMM), fat mass (FAT), or leg muscle mass (LMM) (time × treatment effects, P > 0.05). Both groups showed similar and highly significant increases in SMI, FFMI, and LMM after (P < 0.05). The research group showed an increase in fat-free mass (FFM) and ASMM and a decrease in the percent of body fat (PBF) and waist circumference (WC) (P < 0.05). For secondary outcomes, There were no between-group differences in grip strength, short physical performance battery (SPPB), 6-min walking distance (6MWD), activities of daily living (ADL), instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), frailty status (FRAIL), mini-mental state examination (MMSE), Tinetti, geriatric depression scale-15 (GDS-15), or 12-item short form survey (SF-12) (time × treatment effects, P > 0.05). Although there was no significant difference, the 6MWD changed differentially between the two treatment arms during the study period in favor of the research group. Although not significant, SF-12 scores improved after 12 weeks in both groups. No between-group differences were observed in prealbumin (PRE), c-reactive protein (CRP), vitamin D (VIT-D), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), serum creatinine (Scr), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-10 (IL-10), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), insulin, and adiponectin levels (time × treatment effects, P > 0.05). Insulin and adiponectin levels were significantly higher in the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The twelve-week multicomponent intervention improved the nutritional status of older people in China at risk of malnutrition. ONS may enhance the effects of exercise on muscle mass. This clinical trial was registered (https://www. CLINICALTRIALS: gov). The trial number is ChiCTR2000040343.

Effect of vegetable oils on the thermal gel properties of PSE-like chicken breast meat protein isolate-based emulsion gels.

To enhance the gel properties of PSE (pale, soft, and exudative)-like chicken meat protein isolate (PPI), the effect of peanut, corn, soybean, and sunflower oils on the gel properties of PPI emulsion gels was investigated. Vegetable oils improved emulsion stability and gel strength and enhanced viscosity and elasticity. The gel strength of the PPI-sunflower oil emulsion gel increased by 163.30 %. The thermal denaturation temperature and enthalpy values were increased. They decreased the particle size of PPI emulsion (P < 0.05) and changed the three-dimensional network structure of PPI emulsion gels from reticular to sheet with a smooth surface and pore-reduced lamellar. They elevated the content of immobile water PPI emulsion gels, decreased the α-helix and ß-turn, and increased the ß-sheet and random coil. Vegetable oil improved the gel properties of PPI in the following order: sunflower oil > soybean oil > corn oil ≈ peanut oil > control group.

Natural compounds target programmed cell death (PCD) signaling mechanism to treat ulcerative colitis: a review.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a nonspecific inflammatory bowel disease characterized by abdominal pain, bloody diarrhea, weight loss, and colon shortening. However, UC is difficult to cure due to its high drug resistance rate and easy recurrence. Moreover, long-term inflammation and increased disease severity can lead to the development of colon cancer in some patients. Programmed cell death (PCD) is a gene-regulated cell death process that includes apoptosis, autophagy, necroptosis, ferroptosis, and pyroptosis. PCD plays a crucial role in maintaining body homeostasis and the development of organs and tissues. Abnormal PCD signaling is observed in the pathological process of UC, such as activating the apoptosis signaling pathway to promote the progression of UC. Targeting PCD may be a therapeutic strategy, and natural compounds have shown great potential in modulating key targets of PCD to treat UC. For instance, baicalin can regulate cell apoptosis to alleviate inflammatory infiltration and pathological damage. This review focuses on the specific expression of PCD and its interaction with multiple signaling pathways, such as NF-κB, Nrf2, MAPK, JAK/STAT, PI3K/AKT, NLRP3, GPX4, Bcl-2, etc., to elucidate the role of natural compounds in targeting PCD for the treatment of UC. This review used (ulcerative colitis) (programmed cell death) and (natural products) as keywords to search the related studies in PubMed and the Web of Science, and CNKI database of the past 10 years. This work retrieved 72 studies (65 from the past 5 years and 7 from the past 10 years), which aims to provide new treatment strategies for UC patients and serves as a foundation for the development of new drugs.

Multi-level chemical characterization and anti-inflammatory activity evaluation of the polysaccharides from Prunella vulgaris.

Prunella vulgaris (PV) is a medicine and food homologous plant, but its quality evaluation seldom relies on the polysaccharides (PVPs). In this work, we established the multi-level fingerprinting and in vitro anti-inflammatory evaluation approaches to characterize and compare the polysaccharides of P. vulgaris collected from the major production regions in China. PVPs prepared from 22 batches of samples gave the content variation of 5.76-24.524 mg/g, but displayed high similarity in the molecular weight distribution. Hydrolyzed oligosaccharides with degrees of polymerization 2-14 were characterized with different numbers of pentose and hexose by HILIC-MS. The tested 22 batches of oligosaccharides exhibited visible differences in peak abundance, which failed to corelate to their production regions. All the PVPs contained Gal, Xyl, and Ara, as the main monosaccharides. Eleven batches among the tested PVPs showed the significant inhibitory effects on NO production on LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells at 10 µg/mL, but the exerted efficacy did not exhibit correlation with the production regions. Conclusively, we, for the first time, investigated the chemical features of PVPs at three levels, and assessed the chemical and anti-inflammatory variations among the different regions of P. vulgaris samples.

Discovering different acupoint combinations of manual or electro-acupuncture to treat chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting based on the complex networks analysis.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this research was to find the acupoint combinations of manual and electro-acupuncture to treat chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting via the complex networks analysis. METHODS: We conducted searches using PubMed, ScienceDirect, MEDLINE, Ovid, spring, Wiley, EMBASE, the Chinese biomedicine database, VIP information network, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure from the establishment of the databases to the August, 2023. Information about titles, journals, interventions, and main acupoints was extracted using the self-established "acupoint for prevention CINV data base" powered by EpiData. According to the level of literature evidence and sample size, the clinical trials and weights of the outcome indicators including nausea/vomiting efficiency were combined. After identifying articles, literature processing and complex network analysis were conducted. The degree distribution of each node, the probability distribution of node degree, the node clustering coefficient, and the distance matrix are calculated by software. RESULTS: Of the 4001 screened publications, 489 were eligible after careful selection. Our result showed the acupoints ST36 and PC6 were the most common combination acupoints in both electro and manual acupuncture. In terms of efficiency, ST36, PC6, and CV12 are significantly effective acupoints for manual acupuncture, and the PC6 and ST36 are effective acupoint for electro-acupuncture. CONCLUSIONS: We found that the near-far collocation method has been commonly used for different types of acupuncture treatment in CINV. Zhongwan, Shangwan, and Liangmen have been mainly used as local acupoints, while Neiguan, Hegu, Quchi, Zusanli, Gongsun, TaiChong, and Neiguan have been mainly used as distal acupoints. From the effect analysis, acupuncture treatment of nausea manual acupuncture effect is better; acupuncture treatment of vomiting or electro-acupuncture effect is better.

Magnetic two-dimensional nanocomposites for multimodal antitumor therapy: a recent review.

Magnetic two-dimensional nanocomposites (M2D NCs) that synergistically combine magnetic nanomedicine and 2D nanomaterials have emerged in multimodal antitumor therapy, attracting great interest in materials science and biomedical engineering. This review provides a summary of the recent advances of M2D NCs and their multimodal antitumor applications. We first introduce the design and fabrication of M2D NCs, followed by discussing new types of M2D NCs that have been recently reported. Then, a detailed analysis and discussions about the different types of M2D NCs are presented based on the structural categories of 2D NMs, including 2D graphene, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), transition metal carbides/nitrides/carbonitrides (MXenes), black phosphorus (BP), layered double hydroxides (LDHs), metal organic frameworks (MOFs), covalent organic frameworks (COFs) and other 2D nanomaterials. In particular, we focus on the synthesis strategies, magnetic or optical responsive performance, and the versatile antitumor applications, which include magnetic hyperthermia therapy (MHT), photothermal therapy (PTT), photodynamic therapy (PDT), drug delivery, immunotherapy and multimodal imaging. We conclude the review by proposing future developments with an emphasis on the mass production and biodegradation mechanism of the M2D NCs. This work is expected to provide a comprehensive overview to researchers and engineers who are interested in such a research field and promote the clinical translation of M2D NCs in practical applications.

Tianhuang formula ameliorates liver fibrosis by inhibiting CCL2-CCR2 axis and MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: In the progression of chronic liver diseases, liver fibrosis is a reversible pathophysiologic event for liver diseases prognosis and risk of cirrhosis. Liver injury factors of different etiologies mediate this process. There is still a lack of effective medications for treating liver fibrosis. Additionally, the ameliorative effects of traditional herbs on liver fibrosis have been commonly reported. Tianhuang formula (THF) is a drug combination consisting of 2 traditional Chinese herbs, which has been showing significant improvement in metabolic liver diseases. However, the hepatoprotective effect and mechanism of THF in ameliorating liver fibrosis are still unclear. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aimed to investigate the effects of THF on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced and methionine-choline-deficient (MCD) diet-induced liver fibrosis model and to reveal the potential mechanisms. It can provide experimental evidence for THF as a therapeutic candidate for liver fibrosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, CCl4-induced mice were treated with THF (80 mg/kg, 160 mg/kg) or Fuzheng Huayu (FZHY) capsules (4.8 g/kg) for 6 weeks. MCD-induced mice received the same doses of THF or FZHY for 4 weeks. FZHY is used as a comparative study in these two models. Following that, using kit reagents detected changes in relevant serum and liver biochemical indicators. Histological changes in mouse liver were measured by staining of H&E and Sirius Red. The markers expression of liver fibrosis and inflammation were detected using qRT-PCR, western blotting and immunohistochemical staining analysis. The potential regulatory mechanism of THF to ameliorate liver fibrosis was performed by RNA-sequencing analysis. Finally, the analysis results were verified by immunofluorescence co-staining, qRT-PCR and western blotting. RESULTS: Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and hepatic triglyceride (TG) levels in CCl4 and MCD-induced liver fibrosis mice were significantly improved after THF treatment. Meanwhile, the expression of fibrosis and inflammation markers were significantly suppressed. Furthermore, THF downregulated the expression of the macrophage marker CD68. According to RNA-sequencing analysis, we found the CCL2-CCR2 axis and MAPK/NF-κB as the potential signaling pathway for THF against liver fibrosis. CONCLUSION: This study revealed that THF ameliorated liver injury, inflammation and fibrotic process by inhibiting CCL2-CCR2 axis and its downstream MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Characterization and treatment of oily sludge: A systematic review.

Oily sludge is a prevalent hazardous waste generated in the petroleum industry, and effectively treating it remains a key challenge for the petroleum and petrochemical sectors. This paper provides an introduction to the origin, properties, and hazards of oil sludge while summarizing various treatment methods focused on reduction, recycling, and harmlessness. These methods include combustion, stabilization/solidification, oxidation and biodegradation techniques, solvent extraction, centrifugation, surfactant-enhanced oil recovery processes as well as freezing-thawing procedures. Additionally discussed are pyrolysis, microwave radiation applications along with electrokinetic method utilization for oily sludge treatment. Furthermore explored are ultrasonic radiation techniques and froth flotation approaches. These technologies have been thoroughly examined through discussions that analyze their process principles while considering influencing factors as well as advantages and disadvantages associated with each method. Based on the characteristics of oily sludge properties and treatment requirements, a selection methodology for choosing appropriate oily sludge treatment technology is proposed in this study. The development direction of processing technology has also been explored to provide guidance aimed at improving efficiency by optimizing existing processing technologies. The paper presents a comprehensive treatment method for oily sludge, ensuring that all the parameters meet the standard requirements.

Gastrodin alleviates cisplatin nephrotoxicity by inhibiting ferroptosis via the SIRT1/FOXO3A/GPX4 signaling pathway.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Cisplatin (CP) results in acute kidney injury (AKI) and negatively affects patients' therapy and survival. The dried rhizome of Gastrodia elata Blume has been used to treat clinical kidney diseases. Gastrodin (GAS) is an active ingredient of the G. elata tuber. It is unknown whether GAS can alleviate CP-induced AKI. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aimed to investigate whether GAS, an active ingredient of G. elata Blume, can alleviate CP-induced AKI and to explore its underlying mechanisms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Experiments were conducted with a CP-induced AKI mouse model and an immortalized human renal tubular epithelial cell line (HK-2). Serum creatinine, Periodic acid-Schiff staining, tissue iron, glutathione, malondialdehyde, and 4-Hydroxynonenal were detected in serum and kidney samples to observe whether GAS inhibits CP-induced tubule ferroptosis. The drug target was verified by detecting the effects of GAS on sirtuin-1 (SIRT1) activity in vitro. Transcriptional regulation of glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) by forkhead box O3A (FOXO3A) was verified by siRNA knockdown, overexpression, and chromatin immunoprecipitation. The effects of FOXO3A, SIRT1, and GAS on CP-induced ferroptosis were measured with propidium iodide, dihydroethidium, monobromobimane, and dipyrromethene boron difluoride staining in HK-2 cells. The relationship between GAS and the SIRT1/FOXO3A/GPX4 pathway was studied using Western blotting. RESULTS: GAS treatment inhibited CP-induced reactive oxygen species, lipid peroxidation, and tubule death in the cell and animal models. GAS activated SIRT1 in vitro. The SIRT1 inhibitor blocked the protective role of GAS in reducing lipid peroxidation in HK-2 cells. FOXO3A transcriptionally regulated GPX4 expression and inhibited CP-induced cell ferroptosis. Compared to CP-damaged mouse kidneys, GAS-treated mice demonstrated significantly increased SIRT1 and GPX4 expression levels, decreased CP-induced acetylation of FOXO3A, and inhibited lipid peroxidation and cell death. CONCLUSIONS: GAS alleviated CP-induced AKI by inhibiting ferroptosis via the SIRT1/FOXO3A/GPX4 signaling pathway. The results offer new insights into the development of new anti-AKI drugs from traditional Chinese medicine.

Nanocodelivery of an NIR photothermal agent and an acid-responsive TLR7 agonist prodrug to enhance cancer photothermal immunotherapy and the abscopal effect.

The immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) greatly limits the actual outcome of immunotherapy. Therefore, it is urgent to develop appropriate strategies to reshape the TME and ultimately induce a strong immune response. Here, we developed a dual-functional liposome loaded with the photothermal agent IR808 near the infrared region (NIR) and Toll-like-receptor-7 (TLR7) agonist loxoribine prodrug (Lipo@IR808@Loxo) to achieve NIR light-triggered photothermal therapy (PTT) and the targeted delivery of immune adjuvants. Under NIR irradiation, Lipo@IR808@Loxo could greatly improve the efficiency of PTT to directly kill tumor cells and release tumor-associated antigens, which could work together with loaded loxoribine to relieve the immunosuppressive TME, effectively promoting the activation of antigen-presenting cells and subsequent antigen presentation. In this way, Lipo@IR808@Loxo could act as an in situ therapeutic cancer vaccine, eventually inducing a potent antitumor T-cell response. When further combined with immune checkpoint blockade, Lipo@IR808@Loxo-mediated photothermal immunotherapy could not only eliminate the primary tumors but also inhibit the growth of distant tumors, thus enhancing the abscopal effect.

[Influence of wind, cold and dampness on clinical manifestation of knee osteoarthritis patients based on the stratifications of traditional Chinese medicine constitution].

OBJECTIVE: To explore influence of external factors of wind, cold and dampness on clinical symptoms in knee osteoarthritis (KOA) patients with different constitutions of traditional Chinese medicine. METHODS: A cross-sectional stratified study was performed to select 108 patients with GradeⅡKOA in Kellgren & Lawrence (K-L) classification, including 22 males and 86 females, aged from 47 to 75 years old with an average of (60.7±6.0) years old;body mass index(BMI) ranged from 17.87 to 31.22 kg·m-2 with an average of (23.80±2.86) kg·m-2. According to Classification and Judgment of TCM Physique (ZYYXH/T157-2009), the types of TCM physique were determined and divided into 4 layers according to the deficiency and actual physique. Among them, there were 24 patients without biased physique, 12 males and 12 females, aged from 51 to 73 years old with an average of(62.8±6.0) years old, BMI ranged from 17.87 to 31.14 kg·m-2 with an average of (24.32±3.25) kg·m-2;there were 46 patients with virtual bias constitution, including 7 males and 39 females, aged from 47 to 70 years old with an average of (60.0±5.8) years old, BMI ranged from 19.38 to 31.22 kg·m-2 with an average of(23.42±2.97) kg·m-2;There were 26 patients with solid bias constitution, including 2 males and 24 females, aged from 48 to 75 years old with an average of (60.4±5.8) years old, BMI ranged from 21.16 to 30.76 kg·m-2 with an average of (24.15±2.33) kg·m-2;there were 9 patients with special constitution, 1 male and 8 female, aged from 53 to 75 years old with an average of (59.8±7.5) years old, BMI ranged from 19.26 to 26.67 kg·m-2 with an average of (23.79±2.49) kg·m-2. Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) was used to evaluate severity of clinical symptoms. The wind-cold-dampness external factor score was calculated through the questionnaire of wind-cold-dampness syndrome scale to evaluate degree of influence of wind-cold-dampness external factor. Pearson correlation analysis and partial correlation analysis were used to calculate the correlation coefficient between severity of external factors affecting wind, cold and dampness and severity of clinical symptoms in patients with different TCM constitution stratification. RESULTS: There was no statistical significance between total score of wind-cold-dampness and WOMAC score in patients with no biased constitution and special condition. Total wind-cold-dampness score of patients with virtual biased constitution was positively correlated with WOMAC stiffness score (r=0.327, P=0.032), and total wind-cold-dampness score of patients with solid biased constitution was positively correlated with WOMAC pain score (r=0.561, P=0.005) and WOMAC overall score (r=0.446, P=0.033). After further adjusting for the interaction of external factors of wind-cold-dampness, there was no statistical significance between wind-cold-dampness scores and WOMAC scores in patients with solid biased constitution. The score of dampness and pathogenic factors was positively correlated with WOMAC stiffness score (r=0.414, P=0.007). CONCLUSION: The external factors of wind-cold dampness have different effects on the clinical symptoms of KOA patients with different TCM constitutions. Compared with other constitutions, the rigid symptoms of patients with asthenic biased constitutions are more susceptible to dampness pathogenic factors.

Acupuncture for lumbar myofascial pain syndrome: systematic review and Meta-analysis. / é’ˆåˆºæ²»ç–—è °èƒŒè‚Œç­‹è†œç‚Žï¼šç³»ç»Ÿè¯„ä»·ä¸ŽMeta分析.

This study systematically reviewed the clinical efficacy of acupuncture for lumbar myofascial pain syndrome. The randomized controlled trials (RCTs) regarding acupuncture for lumbar myofascial pain syndrome were searched in PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, EMbase, Scopus, China national knowledge infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang database, VIP database, and China biomedical literature service system (SinoMed) from database inception until August 1st, 2022. The Cochrane's risk of bias assessment tool was used to assess the risk of bias in all included studies, and Review Manager 5.3 software was used for statistical analysis of the extracted data. As a result, 12 RCTs, involving 1 087 patients with lumbar myofascial pain syndrome, were ultimately included. The Meta-analysis results showed that the visual analog scale (VAS) score of pain in the observation group was lower than those in the oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication control [SMD=-1.67, 95%CI (-2.44, -0.90), Z=4.26, P<0.000 1] and other treatment control [low-frequency electrical stimulation, tuina, electromagnetic wave irradiation combined with piroxicam gel, SMD=-1.98, 95%CI (-2.48, -1.48), Z=7.74, P<0.000 01]. The pain rating index (PRI) score in the observation group was lower than those in the lidocaine injection control [MD=-2.17, 95%CI (-3.41, -0.93), Z=3.44, P=0.000 6] and other treatment control [low-frequency electrical stimulation, tuina, MD=-5.75, 95%CI (-9.97, -1.53), Z=2.67, P=0.008]. The present pain intensity (PPI) score in the observation group was lower than that in other treatment control [low-frequency electrical stimulation, tuina, MD=-1.04, 95%CI (-1.55, -0.53), Z=4.01, P<0.000 1]. In conclusion, compared with oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication, low-frequency electrical stimulation, tuina, and electromagnetic wave irradiation combined with piroxicam gel, acupuncture is more effective in reducing pain in patients with lumbar myofascial pain syndrome; acupuncture also exhibites advantage over lidocaine injection in improving PRI score and showed better outcomes over tuina and low-frequency electrical stimulation in improving PRI and PPI scores.

Effects of oxidative stress regulation in inflammation-associated gastric cancer progression treated using traditional Chinese medicines: A review.

Gastric cancer (GC) is a global public health concern that poses a serious threat to human health owing to its high morbidity and mortality rates. Due to the lack of specificity of symptoms, patients with GC tend to be diagnosed at an advanced stage with poor prognosis. Therefore, the development of new treatment methods is particularly urgent. Chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG), a precancerous GC lesion, plays a key role in its occurrence and development. Oxidative stress has been identified as an important factor driving the development and progression of the pathological processes of CAG and GC. Therefore, regulating oxidative stress pathways can not only intervene in CAG development but also prevent the occurrence and metastasis of GC and improve the prognosis of GC patients. In this study, PubMed, CNKI, and Web of Science were used to search for a large number of relevant studies. The review results suggested that the active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and TCM prescriptions could target and improve inflammation, pathological status, metastasis, and invasion of tumor cells, providing a potential new supplement for the treatment of CAG and GC.

Progress of research on organ protection of acupuncture and moxibustion in the prevention and treatment of sepsis. / é’ˆåˆºé˜²æ²»è„“æ¯’ç—‡çš„å™¨å®˜ä¿æŠ¤ä½œç”¨åŠæœºåˆ¶ç ”ç©¶è¿›å±•.

Sepsis is a major disease that threatens human life and health. Clinically, it is mainly based on supportive treatment and lacks specific treatment methods. Acupuncture has important clinical significance in the prevention and treatment of sepsis. In the present paper, we systematically searched CNKI and PubMed databases, included the clinical trials and animal experiments on the prevention and treatment of sepsis with acupuncture, summarized the clinical efficacy and the mechanism of acupuncture. Results indicate that the role of acupuncture therapies in improving sepsis involves inhibiting systemic inflammatory response, alleviating oxidative stress, regulating immune system, and resisting cell apoptosis, thus having a protective effect on multiple organs. The mechanism involves multiple signaling pathways and related factors.

[Transurethral plasma resection of the prostate for acute urinary retention in patients with advanced prostate cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the safety of transurethral plasma resection of the prostate (TuPkRP) in the treatment of advanced PCa (APC)-related acute urinary retention (AUR) with that in the treatment of BPH-related AUR and investigate the oncologic characteristics of the PCa patient after TuPkRP. METHODS: In this retrospective study, we first compared the baseline data between the patients with APC-related AUR (group A, n = 32) and those with BPH-related AUR (group B, n = 45) as well as their surgical parameters, such as the operation time, pre- and post-operative hemoglobin levels, IPSS at 3 months after TuPkRP and length of postoperative hospital stay. Then, we observed possible TuPkRP-induced tumor progression by comparing the oncologic parameters, such as the PSA level and ECT-manifested bone metastasis, between the APC-AUR patients treated by androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) + TuPkRP and those treated by ADT only (group C, n = 24). RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in the baseline data between the APC-AUR and BPH-AUR patients (P > 0.05). The operation time and postoperative hospital stay were significantly longer in the APC-AUR than in the BPH-AUR group (P < 0.05), but the decreases in the hemoglobin level and IPSS at 3 months after operation showed no significant differences between the two groups of patients (P > 0.05). Besides, no statistically significant differences were observed in the oncologic parameters between the APC-AUR patients treated by ADT + TuPkRP and those by ADT only (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The safety of TuPkRP was not significantly lower and the rates of postoperative complications and adverse events were not significantly higher in the patients with APC-related AUR than in those with BPH-related AUR. And this surgical strategy did not significantly improve the progression of APC.

Selenium intake and multiple health-related outcomes: an umbrella review of meta-analyses.

Selenium is an essential trace metalloid element that is associated with fundamental importance to human health. Our umbrella review aimed to evaluate the quality of evidence, validity, and biases in the relationship between selenium intake and health-related outcomes according to published systematic reviews with pooled data and meta-analyses. Selenium intake is associated with a decreased risk of digestive system cancers, all-cause mortality, depression, and Keshan disease, when in children reduce the risk of Kashin-Beck disease. Additionally, selenium supplementation can improve sperm quality, polycystic ovary syndrome, autoimmune thyroid disease, cardiovascular disease, and infective outcomes. Selenium supplementation also has relationship with a decreased concentration of serum lipids including total cholesterol and very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. However, no evidence has shown that selenium is associated with better outcomes among patients in intensive care units. Furthermore, selenium intake may be related with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes and non-melanoma skin cancers. Moreover, most of included studies are evaluated as low quality according to our evidence assessment. Based on our study findings and the limited advantages of selenium intake, it is not recommended to receive extra supplementary selenium for general populations, and selenium supplementation should not be continued in patients whose selenium-deficient status has been corrected.

Multi-effective characteristics and advantages of acupuncture in COVID-19 treatment.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a major disease that threatens human life and health. Its pathogenesis is complex and still not fully clarified. The clinical treatment is mainly supportive and lacks specific treatment methods. Acupuncture treatment can inhibit immune inflammatory reactions, neuroinflammatory reactions, oxidative stress levels, and hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity, improve lung function, and relieve migraine, fatigue, anxiety, and depression. However, whether acupuncture treatment is suitable for treating these symptoms in patients with COVID-19 still needs to be investigated. For this review, the literature was systematically searched for multiple databases to summarize the mechanisms of acupuncture treatment for COVID-19-related symptoms and complications. A complex network analysis of acupoints and symptoms was also performed to clarify acupoint selection in the acupuncture treatment of symptoms related to COVID-19. The evidence indicates that acupuncture can improve the respiratory, digestive, nervous, and mental and psychological symptoms related to COVID-19 by inhibiting immune inflammatory reactions, regulating intestinal flora, mitochondrial function, oxidative stress level, cardiomyocyte apoptosis, neurotransmitter release, and HPA axis activity, and alleviating basic diseases such as diseases of the vascular system. Acupuncture can improve various clinical and concomitant symptoms of COVID-19; however, its mechanism of action is complex and requires further study. Graphical abstract: http://links.lww.com/AHM/A54.

A case report of systemic lupus erythematosus and intestinal tuberculosis with lower gastrointestinal bleeding: A treatment approach utilizing parenteral nutrition.

RATIONALE: Limited literatures are available on lower gastrointestinal bleeding in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) combined with intestinal tuberculosis. Sharing the treatment experiences of a 26-year-old female patient diagnosed with this complex condition in this report may contribute valuable insights. PATIENT CONCERNS: The patient initially presented with abdominal pain and active gastrointestinal bleeding, leading to admission to the hospital. Over a 2-week period, she experienced persistent bleeding, with daily volumes ranging from 300 mL to 800 mL. DIAGNOSES: Lower gastrointestinal bleeding was diagnosed in this patient with concurrent systemic lupus erythematosus and intestinal tuberculosis. INTERVENTIONS: As her symptoms rapidly progressed, food and water intake had to be completely restricted. The parenteral nutrition was implemented. OUTCOMES: The medical team effectively controlled the bleeding, leading to a notable improvement in the patient's condition. Consequently, she was able to resume oral intake and was discharged from the hospital. LESSONS: This case highlights the significance of using parenteral nutrition in the management of lower gastrointestinal bleeding in patients with concurrent systemic lupus erythematosus and intestinal tuberculosis. Close monitoring and collaborative efforts among healthcare professionals are crucial to achieve successful outcomes in similar cases.

Revealing the biological mechanism of acupuncture in alleviating excessive inflammatory responses and organ damage in sepsis: a systematic review.

Sepsis is a systemic inflammation caused by a maladjusted host response to infection. In severe cases, it can cause multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) and even endanger life. Acupuncture is widely accepted and applied in the treatment of sepsis, and breakthroughs have been made regarding its mechanism of action in recent years. In this review, we systematically discuss the current clinical applications of acupuncture in the treatment of sepsis and focus on the mechanisms of acupuncture in animal models of systemic inflammation. In clinical research, acupuncture can not only effectively inhibit excessive inflammatory reactions but also improve the immunosuppressive state of patients with sepsis, thus maintaining immune homeostasis. Mechanistically, a change in the acupoint microenvironment is the initial response link for acupuncture to take effect, whereas PROKR2 neurons, high-threshold thin nerve fibres, cannabinoid CB2 receptor (CB2R) activation, and Ca2+ influx are the key material bases. The cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway of the vagus nervous system, the adrenal dopamine anti-inflammatory pathway, and the sympathetic nervous system are key to the transmission of acupuncture information and the inhibition of systemic inflammation. In MODS, acupuncture protects against septic organ damage by inhibiting excessive inflammatory reactions, resisting oxidative stress, protecting mitochondrial function, and reducing apoptosis and tissue or organ damage.