Mind In Vitro Platforms: Versatile, Scalable, Robust, and Open Solutions to Interfacing with Living Neurons.

Motivated by the unexplored potential of in vitro neural systems for computing and by the corresponding need of versatile, scalable interfaces for multimodal interaction, an accurate, modular, fully customizable, and portable recording/stimulation solution that can be easily fabricated, robustly operated, and broadly disseminated is presented. This approach entails a reconfigurable platform that works across multiple industry standards and that enables a complete signal chain, from neural substrates sampled through micro-electrode arrays (MEAs) to data acquisition, downstream analysis, and cloud storage. Built-in modularity supports the seamless integration of electrical/optical stimulation and fluidic interfaces. Custom MEA fabrication leverages maskless photolithography, favoring the rapid prototyping of a variety of configurations, spatial topologies, and constitutive materials. Through a dedicated analysis and management software suite, the utility and robustness of this system are demonstrated across neural cultures and applications, including embryonic stem cell-derived and primary neurons, organotypic brain slices, 3D engineered tissue mimics, concurrent calcium imaging, and long-term recording. Overall, this technology, termed "mind in vitro" to underscore the computing inspiration, provides an end-to-end solution that can be widely deployed due to its affordable (>10× cost reduction) and open-source nature, catering to the expanding needs of both conventional and unconventional electrophysiology.

Clinical study of acupuncture combined with surface anesthesia using proparacaine in geriatric cataract phacoemulsification.

BACKGROUND: During anesthesia administration for cataract surgery, low pH of proparacaine may induce pain or complications such as corneal damage and poor wound healing, with the use of additional drops intraoperatively increasing the risk of complications. Accordingly, there is a clinical need for adjuncts to local anesthesia needs to improve the efficiency of anesthesia and reduce the required amount of intraoperative proparacaine. AIM: To identify a method of anesthesia for geriatric cataract phacoemulsification that provides more efficient analgesia and improves clinical efficacy. METHODS: A total of 130 geriatric patients with cataracts who attended Hebei Eye Hospital from December 2020 to December 2022 were included in the present study. Patients were divided into the proparacaine surface anesthesia (SA) group (65 cases) and the compound acupuncture-medicine anesthesia group (CAMA group, 65 cases). Patients in the CAMA group were provided acupuncture analgesia in addition to SA. Preoperative anxiety [Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) score and state anxiety inventory (SAI) score], intraoperative stress, vital signs, analgesia, and cooperation, as well as postoperative adverse events, were compared between groups. RESULTS: More marked reductions in anxiety were observed among patients in the CAMA group, with corresponding reductions in SAS and SAI scores. During the operation, no change in the secretion of E, NE, or Cor group compared to the preoperative period was observed in the CAMA, which was markedly lower than that in the SA group. Heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory rate were more stable intraoperatively in the CAMA group. In addition, the incidence of intraoperative pain and the number of additional doses of anesthesia required in the CAMA group were markedly lower than in the SA group. Accordingly, patients in the CAMA group were able to avoid eye movements and eyelid closing leading to greater cooperation with surgeons during surgery. Furthermore, marked reductions in intraoperative adverse effects were observed in the CAMA group, indicating greater overall safety. CONCLUSION: Proparacaine SA combined with acupuncture as an analgesic provides improved analgesia with greater safety compared to surface anesthesia with proparacaine during geriatric cataract phacoemulsification.

Volatilization behavior of diesel oil-water-glass bead system exposed to freeze-thaw cycles.

Volatilization plays an important role in the attenuation and redistribution of petroleum products in contaminated porous media. However, the volatilization behavior of petroleum products exposed to freeze-thaw cycles is not well understood. In this study, we investigated the volatilization behavior of diesel oil-water-glass bead systems under different freeze-thaw cycles. Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) was used to quantitatively and spatially monitor the mass loss of the diesel oil-water-glass bead system during volatilization. The mechanism of the influence of freeze-thaw cycles on volatilization in the diesel oil-water-glass bead system was analyzed. The results show that the freeze-thaw cycles have a significant effect on the volatilization rate of diesel oil and water. As the number of freeze-thaw cycles increases, the volatilization rate of diesel oil shows an overall downward trend while the volatilization rate of water shows an overall upward trend. The volatilization loss of the liquids (both diesel oil and water) is mainly due to the volatilization loss of water, indicating that water is more volatile than diesel oil in the diesel oil-water system. The spatial distribution of the diesel oil signal monitored by LF-NMR showed that diesel oil volatilizes mainly in the upper layer of the sample, associating with the preferential volatilization loss in the large pores. The lumped parameter λ related to the characteristic volatilization length LV was introduced to characterize the volatilization rate of diesel oil and water with the increase of volatilization time. For a diesel oil-water-glass bead system exposed to freeze-thaw cycles, the 1/ LV of diesel oil decreases exponentially and rapidly with increasing volatilization time, while the 1/ LV of water decreases almost linearly and slowly with increasing volatilization time. This different dependence of 1/ LV on volatilization time leads to the individual volatilization behavior of diesel oil and water.

[Applicability of odor analyzer based on study of processed ginger products and GC-MS validation].

Heracles Ⅱ rapid electronic odor analyzer has been gradually applied in the study on the "odor" of Chinese medicine because of its ability to associate volatile substances in the sample with "odor", but its applicability is not clear. In this article, processed ginger products--dried ginger, roasted ginger, and carbonized ginger were chosen as examples to study the volatile chemical components, and the applied scope and accuracy of Heracles Ⅱ rapid electronic odor analyzer were verified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS). Components in ten batches of ginger from different producing places were detected by GC-MS and Heracles Ⅱ rapid electronic odor analyzer. Principal component analysis(PCA) and discriminant factor analysis(DFA) were performed to investigate the effects of producing place and processing degree on dried ginger, roasted ginger, and carbonized ginger. The results showed that the processing degree had significant impact on the processed ginger products, while producing place was not significant to the processed ginger products. At the same time, 42 and 45 compounds were detected by Heracles Ⅱ rapid electronic odor analyzer and GC-MS, respectively, of which 29 compounds were common detected, with a coincidence rate of 64.4%. This result indicated that compared with GC-MS, Heracles Ⅱ rapid electronic odor analyzer had certain referential value in the qualitative analysis. Heracles Ⅱ rapid electronic odor analyzer, with the characteristics of convenience, high efficiency, and accuracy in processing data, has certain advantages in the "odor" research aiming to comprehensively evaluate volatile substances, and has a good application prospect in the quality control of Chinese medicine and its processed products.

[Filtration of active fractions with function of expelling water retention with drastic purgative from Kansui Radix stir-baked with vinegar].

To study the function of expelling water retention with drastic purgative of different polarities of Kansui Radix stir-baked with vinegar on the cancerous ascites model rats, the furosemide was taken as positive control drug, and the cancerous ascites model rats were respectively orally administered with different polarities of Kansui Radix stir-baked with vinegar for 7 d. The amount of urine and ascites, the level of urinary sodium, potassium, chloride ion and pH, and the content of PRL1, AII, ALD in serum were investigated. Compared with model groups, ethyl acetate extract group showed a decreasing trend in ascites; the amount of urine of showed a significant increase (P < 0.05); the level of urinary sodium, potassium, chloride ion (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), pH (P < 0.05), and the content of PRL1, AII, ALD in serum all showed a significant decrease (P < 0.01). The effects of petroleum ether extract and n-butanol extract were weaker than that of ethyl acetate extract. The water exact was the weakest. The results showed that ethyl acetate extract is the active part of Kansui Radix stir-baked with vinegar on the function of expelling water retention with drastic purgative on the cancerous ascites model rats, alleviating the water-electrolyte disorder and body fluid acid-base imbalance, regulating the renin angiotensin aldosterone system.

[Study on toxicity of vinegar-processed Kansui Radix on basis of symptom-based prescription theory].

OBJECTIVE: To study the differences in the toxicity of vinegar-processed Kansui Radix on normal and cancerous ascites model rats. METHOD: Normal and cancerous ascites model rats were taken as the research objects and orally administered with different doses of vinegar-processed Kansui Radix for 7 d. Pathological sections were prepared to observe the damages in liver, stomach, intestinal tissues in rats and detect the impacts on serum, liver, stomach and intestinal tissues and the oxidative damage index. RESULT: Compared with the blank group, all of normal administration groups and model groups showed significant damages in liver, stomach and intestinal tissues. Compared with the model groups, all of normal administration groups revealed notable alleviation in damages. Compared with the blank group, the model groups showed significant increases in AST, ALT and MDA in serum and liver (P < 0.01) and a significant decrease in GSH in serum and liver, stomach, intestinal tissues (P < 0.01). Compared with the blank group, the results showed significant decreases in ALT, AST in serum and ALT in liver in model low, medium and high dose groups and AST activity in liver tissues in the normal high dose group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01); significant decreases in GSH in serum and stomach tissues in normal low, medium and high dose groups and GSH content in liver and intestinal tissues in normal medium and high dose groups (P < 0.05, P < 0.01); notable rises in MDA in liver tissues in normal low, medium and high dose groups and MDA content in serum and stomach and intestinal tissues in normal medium and high dose groups (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Compared with model groups, data revealed significant decreases in ALT, AST in serum in model low, medium and high dose groups, AST in liver tissues of model medium and high dose groups and ALT activity in liver in the model high dose group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01); significant increases in GSH content in serum and stomach tissues of model low, medium and high dose groups, GSH in liver tissues in model medium and high dose groups and GSH in intestinal tissues in the high dose groups (P < 0.05, P < 0.01); and notable declines in MDA content in serum in model low, medium and high dose groups, MDA in liver tissues of model medium and high dose groups and MDA in stomach and intestinal tissues the high dose group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: According to the study, vinegar-processed Kansui Radix showed a significant lower toxicity liver, stomach, and intestines of cancerous ascites model rats, which provided a basis for clinical safe application of vinegar-processed Kansui Radix based on symptom-based prescription theory.

[Purification of total paeony glycoside by macroporous resin with double indices of albiflorin and paeoniflorin].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the purification process of total paeony glycoside (TPG) from Radix Paeoniae Rubra by macroporous resin with double indices of albiflorin and paeoniflorin. METHODS: HPLC was used for simultaneous determination of albiflorin and paeoniflorin and the results were used as main indices to investigate the technological parameters for purifying TPG by D101 macroporous resin. Then the result was verified by ampliate test. RESULTS: The applicable technological conditions of purification for TPG by D101 macroporous resin were as follows: the concentrations of albiflorin and paeoniflorin in original solution were 0.12 mg/mL, 2.58 mg/mL with a flow rate of 3.6 BV/h, and the adsorption capacity were 0.71 mg/mL, 15.43 mg/mL, respectively. The eluant was 20% alcohol with 8 times of resin volume, and the elution ratio were 72.18%, 90.84%, respectively. The result of ampliate test accorded with that of small test. CONCLUSION: D101 macroporous adsorption resin can be used to purify TPG from crude extracts of Radix Paeoniae Rubra.

[Preventive effect of integrative medical therapy on children Henoch-Schonleln purpura with renal impairment].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical effect of integrative medicinal therapy in treating children Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP) and its preventive effect on complicated renal impairment. METHODS: One hundred and twenty children with HSP were equally randomized into two groups, the treated group and the control group. Both were treated with conventional Western medical therapy, but Sanhuang Qingxue Yin (SQY, a Chinese herbal drug) was given additionally to the treated group. Besides, a group consisted of 30 healthy children was set up as a normal control. Changes of symptoms, physical signs, routine urine, plasma endothelin-1 (ET-1) and urinary levels of beta2-microglobulin (beta2-MG), albumin (ALB) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) before and after treatment were observed, and the recurrence was monitored. RESULTS: The cure rate and the total effective rate in the treated group were 80.0% and 98.3%, while those in the control group were 61.7% and 88.3%, showing significant differences between groups (P < 0.05); the disappearance time of clinical symptoms was shorter in the treated group than in the control group, also showing a significant difference (P < 0.01); after 1-month treatment, levels of plasma ET-1, and urinary beta2-MG, ALB and IgG were improved in the treated group, reaching the levels opproximate to those in the normal control (P > 0.05), significant difference was shown as compared with those in the control group and with those before treatment respectively (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). The recurrent rate was 13.33% in the treated group and 30.0% in the control group, and they were statistically different (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The integrative medicinal therapy is good for treating HSP in children, it could not only obviously relieve clinical symptoms, shorten the illness course and reduce the recurrent rate, but also effectively prevent the occurrence of renal impairment.

[Comparison of pharmacokinetics of tetrahydropalmatine monomer and extractive of corydalis and corydalis processed with vinegar].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the pharmacokinetics of tetrahydropalmatine monomer and extractive of corydalis and corydalis processed with vinegar in rats. METHODS: The plasma concentrations of tetrahydropalmatine were determined by a reversed phase high performance liquid chromatographic. The plasma concentrations-time data were calculated with 3p97 program. RESULTS: The main pharmacokinetic parameters of tetrahydropalmatine monomer and extractive of corydalis and corydalis processesd with vinegar as follows: T(1/2) was (5.66 +/- 1.92), (4.24 +/- l1.54), (4.35 +/- 1.34) h, Tmax was (1.5 +/- 0.5), (1.0 +/- 0.55), (0.5 +/- 0.68) h, Cmax was (0.71 +/- 0.29), (0.37 +/- 0.11), (0.67 +/- 0.35) microg/ml,AUC(o-t), was (2.58 +/- 0.85), (1.96 +/- 0.69), (2.95 +/- 1.61) microg/ml. CONCLUSION: The T(1/2) of corydalis and corydalis processesd with vinegar is more shorter than tetrahydropalmatine monome, the effect of preventing pain is promoted in rats.

[The development of the cognition and treatment of apoplexy in traditional Chinese medicine].

Surveying the developmental history of the cognition and treatment of apoplexy in traditional Chinese medicine, it could be divided into 3 phases, viz. the phase of "exogenous wind" before the Tang and Song dynasties, the phase of contention of "endogenous wind" during the Jin, Yuan and Ming dynasties, and the phase of compromising of traditional Chinese and consulting of western medicine of "equal importance of exogenous and endogenous wind" after the Qing dynasty. Through the development of these three phases, the cognition of cause of disease and pathogenesis of apoplexy was deepened continuously, and the method of treatment, prescription and materia medica were enriched further. Especially, with the introduction and usage of modern scientific technology, the diagnosis and treatment of apoplexy were more standardized, and the effect was improved constantly, reflecting the characteristic and superiority of traditional Chinese medicine.