[Research progress on strontium isotope-traced plant remains production areas and implications for traceability of Dao-di herbs in Forbidden City of the Qing Dynasty].

Strontium isotope(~(87)S/~(86)Sr) tracing technology has been widely used in animal remains and origin of modern food origin sources. However, due to the problems of sample contamination and cleaning, this technology has been applied less frequently in the tracing of plant remains. The Palace Museum preserves more than 1 000 relics of medicinal materials from the Forbidden City of the Qing Dynasty, which are rare precious materials for the study of Dao-di herbs. The well-preserved environment of these medicinal materials in the Forbidden City of the Qing Dynasty helps avoid external strontium contamination, making it possible to introduce strontium isotope technology in their tracing research. On this basis, this study discussed the principle of strontium isotope tracing technology and summarized the current research progress on tracing plant remains using strontium isotope. In addition, this study discussed three key problems and their respective solutions encountered when applying strontium isotope technology to the tracing research on medicinal materials from the Forbidden City of the Qing Dynasty: creating strontium isotope ratio maps, dealing with the wide range of traceable results, and addressing the sample contamination and cleaning challenges. The literature and historical materials of the Qing Dynasty are the important basis for understanding the distribution and application of Dao-di herbs in the Qing Dynasty. Based on literature research, the use of strontium isotope to trace the producing area of medicinal materials in the Forbidden City of the Qing Dynasty can provide physical evidence for relevant research. The combined evidence of historical materials and medicinal relics is expected to provide a new perspective for the study of Dao-di herbs in the Qing Dynasty and also provide a reference for the study of the revolution of Dao-di herbs producing areas.

A Quantitative Analysis of Patient-Facing Technologies for Patient Self-Reporting.

Dramatic improvements in patient-facing technologies have demonstrated the potential to transform healthcare delivery for a 360-degree holistic view of care. A key question regarding how such technologies affect patient self-reporting still needs to be answered. This study presents the technologies and their associated key variables via quantitative analysis. Associations were found between single-platform and web-based applications (apps), Android apps and physician view, mental health disease, and user feedback. The results are intended to inform future design, development, and evaluation of patient-facing technologies. More systematic, theory-driven, framework-based design and evaluation are necessary to fully characterize the effectiveness and maintenance of patient-facing technologies toward a sustainable strategy.

Initiating and Maintaining Complete Decongestive Therapy Self-Management of Lymphedema Among Breast Cancer Survivors: Descriptive Qualitative Study.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to identify determinants that promote the initiation and maintenance of complete decongestive therapy (CDT) as well as effective strategies for mitigating barriers to self-management of lymphedema among breast cancer survivors. METHODS: A descriptive and qualitative design was used. In-depth interviews were conducted with 13 breast cancer survivors who were managing breast cancer-related lymphedema. Interviews were transcribed verbatim. An iterative descriptive data analysis method was employed to examine the data, compare codes, challenge interpretations, and inductively identify themes. RESULTS: A realization that lymphedema requires daily self-management was the primary determinant leading breast cancer survivors to initiate CDT self-management. The determinants for maintaining daily CDT self-management included the perceived effectiveness of CDT, being willing to assume accountability, and perceived efficacy to undertake CDT. Developing strategies to integrate CDT regimens into daily life is key to maintaining CDT self-management of lymphedema. Three core concepts mediate initiation and maintenance of CDT self-management: understanding lymphedema as a chronic condition that can be managed with CDT self-management, being worried about lymphedema exacerbation, and having support from patient peers and family. CONCLUSIONS: Interventions should be tailored to promote the initiation and maintenance of CDT self-management. While clinicians provided knowledge-based and clinical skills-based information, patient peers provided daily life examples, and real-life implementation strategies for CDT self-management. Ongoing patient-provider and patient-peer communication functioned as effective support for maintaining CDT self-management. Reliable and realistic methods of symptom self-assessment are important for maintaining CDT at home.

Functional divergence of CYP76AKs shapes the chemodiversity of abietane-type diterpenoids in genus Salvia.

The genus Salvia L. (Lamiaceae) comprises myriad distinct medicinal herbs, with terpenoids as one of their major active chemical groups. Abietane-type diterpenoids (ATDs), such as tanshinones and carnosic acids, are specific to Salvia and exhibit taxonomic chemical diversity among lineages. To elucidate how ATD chemical diversity evolved, we carried out large-scale metabolic and phylogenetic analyses of 71 Salvia species, combined with enzyme function, ancestral sequence and chemical trait reconstruction, and comparative genomics experiments. This integrated approach showed that the lineage-wide ATD diversities in Salvia were induced by differences in the oxidation of the terpenoid skeleton at C-20, which was caused by the functional divergence of the cytochrome P450 subfamily CYP76AK. These findings present a unique pattern of chemical diversity in plants that was shaped by the loss of enzyme activity and associated catalytic pathways.

[Effect of processing with vinegar on efficacy of Curcuma longa in treatment of dysmenorrhea in rats with syndrome of liver depression and Qi stagnation].

This study compared the effects of Curcuma longa before and after processing with vinegar on the rat model of dysmenorrhea with the syndrome of liver depression and Qi stagnation to reveal the mechanism of vinegar processing in improving the role of C. longa in soothing liver and relieving pain. The rat model of dysmenorrhea with the syndrome of liver depression and Qi stagnation was established according to the Preparation of the Animal Model of Dysmenorrhea(Draft) and the chronic unpredictable stress me-thod. The changes in the body weight, organ indexes, writhing latency, writhing score, and serum levels of six liver function indicators, sex hormones, pain factors, and blood rheological indicators were measured to evaluate the efficacy of C. longa processed with vinegar or not in treating dysmenorrhea in the rats with syndrome of liver depression and qi stagnation. Compared with the model group, the C. longa group(processed with vinegar or not) showed slow weight loss, increase in writhing latency, and decrease in writhing response(P<0.05). The inhibition rates on writhing in raw C. longa, vinegar-processed C. longa, and positive groups were 33.780%, 64.611%, and 62.466%, respectively. The significantly higher inhibition rate of the vinegar processing group indicated that vinegar-processed C. longa demonstrated more significant therapeutic effect. The vinegar-processed C. longa group showed lower levels of alanine aminotransferase(ALT), alkaline phosphatase(ALP), aspartate aminotransferase(AST), direct bilirubin(DBIL), and total bilirubin(TBIL) and higher level of albumin(ALB)(P<0.05), which indicated that vinegar processing enhanced the therapeutic effect of C. longa on liver injury. The serum levels of estradiol(E_2) and oxytocin(OT) were lower in the vinegar-processed C. longa group(P<0.05), indicating that the vinegar-processed C. longa could regulate the sex hormone levels, reduce the activity of uterine smooth muscle and contraction of uterus, and alleviate the symptoms of dysmenorrhea in rats. Moreover, the vinegar-processed C. longa group showed lower interleukin-6(IL-6) and arginine vasopressin(AVP) levels and higher beta-endorphin(ß-EP) level(P<0.05), which indicated that vinegar-processed C. longa regulated the levels of pain factors to exert the pain-relieving effect. Drug intervention decreased the whole blood viscosity low-cut, medium-cut and high-cut values, plasma viscosity, whole blood reduction viscosity low-cut and high-cut values, erythrocyte cumulative pressure, and equation K value of erythrocyte sedimentation rate(P<0.05), and the vinegar-processed C. longa group outperformed other groups. This result indicated that vinegar processing enhanced the function of C. longa in improving the local blood rheology. C. longa processed with vinegar can enter the liver to relieve the da-mage to the heart, liver, kidney, and uterus, repair the liver function, and recover the sex hormone levels and immune function by regulating the levels of sex hormones and pain factors and improving the blood rheology. It activates the pain-relieving mechanism to relieve the pain, protect the liver, and fight inflammation, which is consistent with the theory that vinegar processing facilitates C. longa entering the liver to sooth liver and relieve pain.

Quantitative proteomics reveals Polygonum perfoliatum L. ameliorates hepatic steatosis by promoting PPARs/CPT1A/CPT2-mediated fatty acid ß-oxidation.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a predominant contributor to end-stage liver disease in the forthcoming decades. Polygonum perfoliatum L. (PPL) is an herbal medicine with anti-lipid peroxidation and anti-inflammatory properties. However, detailed hepatoprotective effects of PPL against NAFLD and its underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Here, we found that PPL protects against high fat diet (HFD)-induced hepatic steatosis, lipid peroxidation, and glucose-lipid metabolism dysfunction in NAFLD mice. We therefore performed a label-free quantitative proteomic profiling analysis to determine the effect of PPL treatment on liver tissue proteomics and identified that activated PPARs/CPT1A/CPT2-mediated hepatic fatty acid ß-oxidation (FAO) process was significantly altered. In vitro treatment of hepatocytes with PPL confirmed this altered process and FAO inhibitor etomoxir (ETO) attenuated the lipid-lowering activity of PPL in hepatocytes. Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography/Q Exactive-HFX (UPLC/QE-HFX) was used to determine the material basis of anti-NAFLD activity of PPL. Our results have demonstrated the efficacy and potential mechanisms of PPL as an effective pharmacological therapy of NAFLD.

[Material basis and mechanism of Curcuma longa tuberous roots with and without vinegar processing in treating primary dysmenorrhea].

Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was employed to analyze the chemical components in Curcuma longa tuberous roots(HSYJ), C. longa tuberous roots processed with vinegar(CHSYJ), and rat serum after the administration. The active components of HSYJ and CHSYJ absorbed in serum were identified based on the secondary spectrum of database and literature. The targets of primary dysmenorrhea was screened out from database. The protein-protein interaction network analysis, gene ontology(GO) functional annotation, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis were performed for the common targets shared by the drug active components in serum and primary dysmenorrhea, and the component-target-pathway network was constructed. AutoDock was used to conduct molecular docking between the core components and targets. A total of 44 chemical components were identified from HSYJ and CHSYJ, including 18 absorbed in serum. On the basis of network pharmacology, we identified 8 core components(including procurcumenol, isobutyl p-hydroxybenzoate, ferulic acid, and zedoarondiol) and 10 core targets \[including interleukin-6(IL-6), estrogen receptor 1(ESR1), and prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2(PTGS2)\]. The core targets were mainly distributed in the heart, liver, uterus, and smooth muscle. The molecular docking results showed that the core components were well bound to the core targets, indicating that HSYJ and CHSYJ may exert therapeutic effect on primary dysmenorrhea via estrogen, ovarian steroidogenesis, tumor necrosis factor(TNF), hypoxia-inducible factor-1(HIF-1), IL-17 and other signaling pathways. This study clarifies the HSYJ and CHSYJ components absorbed in serum, as well as the corresponding mechanism, providing a reference for further elucidating the therapeutic material basis and clinical application of HSYJ and CHSYJ.

Development of a Novel Real-Time Quantitative PCR Method for Detection of Ilyonectria robusta, the Predominant Species Causing Ginseng Rusty Root Rot.

Rusty root rot is the most destructive soilborne disease of ginseng caused by pathogenic Ilyonectria spp., predominantly Ilyonectria robusta, in China. However, there remains no effective strategy to control the disease. Current control of the disease requires that soil and ginseng seeds and seedlings infected with I. robusta are avoided during planting. Therefore, rapid and accurate detection of I. robusta would be indispensable in disease control programs. A one-step polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) assay was developed to detect I. robusta in ginseng seeds, roots, and soil. The species-specific primers HIS H3-F and HIS H3-R, designed based on a partial histone gene sequence of I. robusta, yielded a 268-bp product using the optimized PCR and qPCR protocol. DNA of I. robusta was detected by qPCR in all diseased soil and ginseng roots and seeds resulting from artificial inoculation and sampled from natural fields. I. robusta was detected at an abundance of 1.42 fg/µl at 12 h postinoculation and 191.31 fg/µl at 7 days postinoculation in ginseng roots that showed disease symptoms. In naturally infected soil sampled from ginseng fields, pathogen abundances ranging from 13.23 to 503.39 fg/µl were detected, which were 2.04 to 11.01 times higher than those in ginseng roots. The pathogen was first detected and was more abundant on the surface of the ginseng seed coat compared with that in the seed kernel. This study provides a high-efficiency detection technique for early diagnosis of I. robusta and real-time disease prevention and control strategies.

Guanidinoacetic acid supplementation improves intestinal morphology, mucosal barrier function of broilers subjected to chronic heat stress.

The current study is designed to investigate dietary guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) supplementation on the growth performance, intestinal histomorphology, and jejunum mucosal barrier function of broilers that are subjected to chronic heat stress (HS). A total of 192 male broilers (28-d old) were randomly allocated to four groups. A chronic HS model (at a temperature of 32 °C and 50%-60% relative humidity for 24 h daily) was applied in the experiment. Normal control (NC, ad libitum feeding, 22 °C), HS group (HS, ad libitum feeding, 32 °C), pair-fed group (PF, received food equivalent to that consumed by the HS group on the previous day, 22 °C), guanidinoacetic acid group (HG, ad libitum feeding, supplementing the basal diet with 0.6 g/kg GAA, 32 °C). The experiment lasted from 28 to 35 and 28 to 42 d of age of broilers. Our results showed that broilers subjected to HS had lower average daily feed intake and average daily gain (P < 0.05), higher feed-to-gain ratio and relative length of the small intestine (P < 0.05), as well as lower relative weight and weight per unit length of the small intestine (P < 0.05). HS damaged the small intestinal histomorphology by decreasing the small intestinal VH and the VH/CD (P < 0.05). Compared with the HS group, supplementation with 0.6 g/kg GAA increased jejunal VH and VH/CD (P < 0.05), but decreased relative weight and relative length of the small intestine (P < 0.05). Moreover, in comparison with NC, HS elevated intestinal permeability (D-Lactic acid concentration and diamine oxidase activity) and mRNA expression levels of interleukin-1ß, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α (P < 0.05), reduced jejunal mucus thickness, number of goblet cells, IgA + cell density, and mucin2 mRNA expression level of broilers (P < 0.05). Compared with the HS group, dietary GAA elevated jejunal mucus thickness, goblet cell number and IgA+ cell density (P < 0.05), and up-regulated jejunal mRNA expression of interleukin-1ß and tumor necrosis factor-α (P < 0.05). In conclusion, HS impaired growth performance, and the intestinal mucosal barrier function of broilers. Dietary supplementation with 0.6 g/kg GAA alleviated HS-induced histomorphology changes of small intestine and jejunal mucosal barrier dysfunction.

With the global warming getting worse, heat stress (HS) has been a serious problem faced by poultry industry. As one of the main target organs, the intestine is easily affected by HS. Broilers are particularly sensitive to hot temperatures, and HS occurs when temperatures rise above the optimum (16­26 °C). Moreover, ambient humidity below 40% and above 80% also affects broilers adversely. HS can impair intestinal morphology and function of the intestinal barrier. The intestinal mucosal barrier not only plays key roles in nutrient digestion and absorption but also serves as the innate defense barrier fending off noxious substances within the intestinal luminal environment. Therefore, protecting intestinal mucosal barrier from HS is important to animal health. Nutrient regulation is an economical and effective method to alleviate HS of intensively-farmed broiler chickens. The results of current study demonstrated that chronic HS impaired the growth performance and intestinal mucosal barrier function of broilers, while dietary supplementation with 0.6 g/kg guanidinoacetic acid improved intestinal histomorphology and alleviated intestinal barrier dysfunction of broilers subjected to chronic HS, which is beneficial for improving health of broilers.

Efficacy of high-dose dual therapy for Helicobacter pylori infection eradication in servicemen: a randomized controlled trial / 中华内科杂志

Objective: To assess the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of high-dose dual therapy compared with bismuth-containing quadruple therapy for treating Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori) infection in servicemen patients. Methods: A total of 160 H. pylori-infected, treatment-naive servicemen, including 74 men and 86 women, aged from 20 years to 74 years, with a mean (SD) age of 43 (13) years, tested in the First Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from March 2022 to May 2022 were enrolled in this open-label, randomized controlled clinical trial. Patients were randomly allocated into 2 groups: the 14-day high-dose dual therapy group and the bismuth-containing quadruple therapy group. Eradication rates, adverse events, patient compliance, and drug costs were compared between the two groups. The t-test was used for continuous variables, and the Chi-square test for categorical variables. Results: No significant difference in H. pylori eradication rates were found between high-dose dual therapy and bismuth-containing quadruple therapy by ITT, mITT and PP analysis[ITT:90.0% (95%CI 81.2%-95.6%) vs. 87.5% (95%CI 78.2%-93.8%), χ2=0.25, P=0.617;mITT:93.5% (95%CI 85.5%-97.9%) vs. 93.3% (95%CI 85.1%-97.8%), χ2<0.01, P=1.000; PP: 93.5% (95%CI 85.5%-97.9%) vs. 94.5% (95%CI 86.6%-98.5%), χ2<0.01, P=1.000 ]. The dual therapy group exhibited significantly less overall side effects compared with the quadruple therapy group [21.8% (17/78) vs. 38.5% (30/78), χ2=5.15,P=0.023]. There were no significant differences in the compliance rates between the two groups [98.7%(77/78) vs. 94.9%(74/78), χ2=0.83,P=0.363]. The cost of medications in the dual therapy was 32.0% lower compared with that in the quadruple therapy (472.10 RMB vs. 693.94 RMB). Conclusions: The dual regimen has a favorable effect on the eradication of H. pylori infection in servicemen patients. Based on the ITT analysis, the eradication rate of the dual regimen is grade B (90%, good). Additionally, it exhibited a lower incidence of adverse events, better compliance and significantly reduced cost. The dual regimen is expected to be a new choice for the first-line treatment of H. pylori infection in servicemen but needs further evaluation.

Using Herbal-Cake-Separated Moxibustion for the Treatment of Rats with Chronic Renal Failure.

In the process of moxibustion in clinical practice, subjects need to be in a stable mood and comfortable posture to avoid problems such as moxa ash falling, scalding skin, and poor curative effect. Such problems also exist in the rat moxibustion experiment. To simulate clinical practice, it is necessary to introduce an experimental instrument in animal experiments, that is, a moxibustion device with fixed rats and moxibustion treatment synchronization, which can make experimental rats receive moxibustion treatment quietly and comfortably under non-anesthesia. Our research group designed a rat moxibustion experimental platform. The device was framed by a wooden board with a supporting base plate, multiple fixed components, and partitioned components. The device can achieve the operation mode of moxibustion in rats without binding, avoiding anesthesia and scalding and simultaneously exposing multiple acupoints on the back. This operation can avoid physical and mental injury to rats and operators, which improves the research efficiency and further promotes the development and research of moxibustion animal experiments. The device has a simple structure, is easy to operate and popularize, is comprehensively and innovatively designed, reusable, and is suitable for rat experiments mainly based on moxibustion. This article mainly introduces the structure of the experimental platform device for rat moxibustion, the basic procedure of herbal-cake-separated-moxibustion in experimental rats using the device and describes the establishment of a rat model of chronic renal failure (CRF) and representative experimental results.

The combination of Chinese and Western Medicine in the management of rheumatoid arthritis: A real-world cohort study across China.

Objective: To investigate the efficacy of Integrative medicine (IM), compare with Western medicine (WM), in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in a cohort study. Methods: This is a cohort study with recruitment of RA patients from 10 hospitals in China. The primary outcome was change in disease activity score 28 (DAS28) during 4 follow-up visits. Generalized estimating equation (GEE) models that controlled for variables were used to investigate a time trend and assess group differences in the primary outcome and secondary outcomes after propensity score matching (PSM). Results: A total of 3195 patients with RA received IM (n = 1379, 43.2%) or WM (n = 1816, 56.8%). Following 1:1 propensity score matching, 1,331 eligible patients prescribed IM were compared to 1,331 matched patients prescribed WM. The GEE analysis with PSM showed that the IM was more beneficial to significantly decrease the levels of VAS, PGA and PhGA (VAS: odds ratio (OR), 0.76; 95% CI, 0.63-0.92; p = 0.004; PGA: OR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.64-0.92; p = 0.007; and PhGA: OR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.64, 0.93; p = 0.004), and reduce DAS28 (OR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.73-0.98; p = 0.030) in the per-protocol population. Conclusion: This study suggests that compare to WM, IM has advantages in improving RA-related outcomes. However, the statistical significance might not reveal significant clinical difference. Further studies should be focused on specific treatment strategies and/or disease stages.

Antibacterial property, corrosion and discoloration resistance of pure copper containing Zn or Ni.

This study focused on the effects of Zn and Ni addition on the antibacterial properties and corrosion resistance of copper alloys. The antimicrobial properties of copper and copper alloys were evaluated using Escherichia coli ATCC 8739 bacterial strain by employing the overlay and plate counting methods. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to analyze the surface composition of the alloy after contact with bacteria. A salt spray method was used to simulate an artificial sweat contact environment to test the discoloration and corrosion resistance of the alloy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to analyze the film layer and surface material composition of the corroded samples. The addition of Ni reduced the antibacterial performance of pure copper; however, the antibacterial performance of the alloy remained fast and efficient after the addition of Zn. Moreover, the addition of Zn and Ni significantly improved the corrosion resistance and surface discoloration of copper alloys in artificial sweat environments. This study provided support for the future application of copper alloys as antimicrobial surface-contact materials with safer public and medical environments in the face of diseases spread by large populations. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12598-022-02098-8.

China rheumatoid arthritis registry of patients with Chinese medicine (CERTAIN): Rationale, design, and baseline characteristics of the first 11,764 enrollees.

BACKGROUND: Chinese medicine (CM) has become a popular interventional treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, limited knowledge about general characteristics and long-term clinical outcomes hampers the development of CM for RA. PURPOSE: The main objectives of the China Rheumatoid Arthritis Registry of Patients with Chinese Medicine (CERTAIN) were to describe the population of RA patients receiving CM treatment in multiple centers in China using different variables and compare these findings with internationally reported data. STUDY DESIGN: The CERTAIN is a prospective, multicenter, observational disease registry. METHODS: Adult RA patients who fulfilled the 2010 American College of Rheumatology/ European League Against Rheumatism classification criteria for RA and received CM treatment were recruited into the CERTAIN by rheumatologists from 145 hospitals across 30 provinces in China. Data on demographics, disease characteristics, comorbidities, treatments, and adverse events, with a 2-year follow-up, were collected and documented using a predefined protocol. RESULTS: In the 2 years since the study began in September 2019, 11,764 patients have been enrolled (enrolment is ongoing), and 13.10% of participants have completed the 6-month follow-up. We present the baseline characteristics of the first 11,764 enrollees. CONCLUSIONS: The CERTAIN is the first nationwide registry to document comprehensive data on CM treatment in patients with RA. The development of the CERTAIN resource is a significant step forward for Chinese RA patients, herbal medicine users, and research communities and will deepen our understanding of CM for RA. REGISTRATION: The study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05219214).

[Risk Assessment Method of Non-point Source Pollution Output for Watershed Using High Resolution Data].

In recent years, non-point source pollution has become the main cause of water quality deterioration in some reservoirs in China. Taking the Panjiakou Reservoir as an example, the classical output risk model was improved by introducing a precipitation factor and terrain factor. Combined with high-resolution satellite precipitation products (GPM) and GF-6 satellite images, a high-resolution data-driven risk assessment method for non-point source pollution output was established to study the temporal and spatial distribution characteristics of non-point source pollution output risk in the Panjiakou Reservoir basin. The results showed that the non-point source pollution output risk was high in the study area in 2018. The areas with higher and highest risk of nitrogen pollution output accounted for approximately 70.6% of the total watershed area, whereas the higher risk of phosphorus pollution output accounted for approximately 21.9%. The temporal and spatial distribution characteristics of non-point source pollution output risk in the Panjiakou Reservoir basin were analyzed. It was found that the non-point source pollution output risk in the Panjiakou Reservoir basin increased first and then decreased from April to September. This was consistent with the spatial and temporal distribution of precipitation in the basin. Combined with the analysis of land use distribution characteristics, the upstream area of the basin was mainly cultivated land, whereas cities were concentrated in the downstream portion of the basin. Affected by agricultural production and human activities, the risk of non-point source pollution output was higher in these regions. In view of the temporal and spatial distribution characteristics of non-point source pollution output risk, it is necessary to formulate a reasonable agricultural fertilization method, plan the landscape layout of source-sinks, and construct vegetation buffer zones.

Different dosage regimens of nifedipine, labetalol, and hydralazine for the treatment of severe hypertension during pregnancy: a network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

OBJECTIVES: This network meta-analysis aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of intravenous (IV) hydralazine, oral nifedipine, and IV labetalol with different dosage regimens in the treatment of severe hypertension during pregnancy. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was performed on PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) exploring the effects of hydralazine, nifedipine, and labetalol in the treatment of severe hypertension during pregnancy. RESULTS: A total of 21 RCTs with 2183 patients comparing 7 regimens (oral nifedipine 50,60,90 mg; hydralazine 15,25 mg; and labetalol 220,300 mg) were identified. Compared with IV labetalol 300 mg, nifedipine 50,60, and 90 mg significantly improved the successful treatment rate of severe hypertension during pregnancy, nifedipine 50 and 90 mg and IV hydralazine 25 mg required significantly fewer doses to achieve target blood pressure (BP), and nifedipine 50 mg took significantly shorter time to achieve target BP. Subgroup analysis showed that only nifedipine 50 mg tablets, not capsules, required a significantly shorter time and fewer doses to achieve target BP than IV labetalol 300 mg. Moreover, nifedipine 60,90 mg showed superior effectiveness than IV hydralazine 15,25 mg in the successful treatment rate of severe hypertension during pregnancy. SUCRA analysis suggested that nifedipine 50,60,90 mg as the better regimens with the lower rates of overall ADR and neonatal complications. CONCLUSION: These findings demonstrated the superiority of oral nifedipine 50,60,90 mg, especially oral nifedipine 50 mg tablets, in the treatment of severe hypertension during pregnancy than IV labetalol 300 mg, while oral nifedipine 60,90 mg also showed superiority in the successful treatment rate of severe hypertension during pregnancy than IV hydralazine 15,25 mg. However, the limitations of the underlying data indicate that future large-scale and rigorous RCTs are needed to confirm such findings.

Branched-chain amino acid supplementation impairs insulin sensitivity and promotes lipogenesis during exercise in diet-induced obese mice.

OBJECTIVE: Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) are popular dietary supplements for exercise. However, increased BCAA levels positively correlate with obesity and diabetes. The metabolic impact of BCAA supplementation on insulin sensitivity during exercise is less understood. METHODS: Male C57BL/6 mice were fed for 12 weeks with a high-fat diet, normal chow diet, or BCAA-restricted high-fat diet. They were subjected to running exercise with or without BCAA treatment for another 12 weeks. RESULTS: Exercise reduced body weight, improved insulin sensitivity, lowered BCAAs in plasma, and inhibited the upregulation of BCAAs and metabolites caused by BCAA supplementation in the subcutaneous white adipose tissue (sWAT) of obese mice. BCAA supplementation reversed insulin sensitivity ameliorated by exercise. The phosphorylation of protein kinase B (Ser473 and Ser474) was decreased by BCAAs in the sWAT of obese mice. However, BCAA supplementation had no such effects in lean mice. BCAAs also increased the expression of fatty acid synthase and other lipogenesis genes in the sWAT of exercised obese mice. BCAA restriction had no effect on body weight and insulin sensitivity in obese mice. CONCLUSIONS: BCAA supplementation impaired the beneficial effect of exercise on glycolipid metabolism in obese but not lean mice. Caution should be taken regarding the use of BCAAs for individuals with obesity who exercise.

Response of Milk Performance, Rumen and Hindgut Microbiome to Dietary Supplementation with Aspergillus oryzae Fermentation Extracts in Dairy Cows.

Fungal additives had beneficial effects on milk performance in dairy cows. Previous studies investigating the effects of fungal additives mainly focused on the rumen, such influences on the hindgut remain limited. This study aimed to investigate the effects of Aspergillus oryzae fermentation extracts (AOE) on the milk performance and microbiome in the rumen and hindgut using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Twenty lactating multiparous Holstein cows were randomly assigned to control and treatment (5 g AOE per cow per day). The results showed that AOE increased the milk yield, milk protein and lactose concentration, but did not affect the milk fat concentration. Feeding AOE did not affect the ruminal VFA pattern, pH, NH3-N, and microbial cell protein production, but decreased lipopolysaccharide concentration and tended to decrease lactate concentration. The addition of AOE increased the fecal pH and the proportions of propionate, isovalerate and valerate, and decreased the acetate to propionate ratio. PCoA analysis showed that AOE did not affect the overall ruminal bacterial population composition. Only three genera changed slightly in relative abundance. In the feces, PCoA analysis showed that AOE changed the bacterial population composition. Feeding AOE increased the relative abundances of Ruminococcaceae UCG-010 and unclassified Clostridiales vadinBB60 group, and decreased Christensenellaceae R-7 group, unclassified Muribaculaceae, Prevotellaceae UCG-001 and Romboutsia. Spearman correlation showed unclassified Clostridiales vadinBB60 group was positively correlated with propionate proportion. Overall, we present that AOE not only functioned in rumen, but also in hindgut. The hindgut microbiome changes might play an important role in the milk performance improvement of dairy cows.

Assessment of heavy metals should be performed before the development of the selenium-rich soil: A case study in China.

The use of selenium (Se)-rich soils in China is an effective method for rural revitalization, but assessment of heavy metals is essential prior to the development of Se-rich soils. This study was focused on the Jiangjin district, a typical Se-rich area located in Sichuan Basin of China, to investigate contamination, influencing factors, and sources of As, Cr, Cu, Cd, Ni, Pb, Sb, and Zn based on 156 topsoil samples. This study analyzed and compared the enrichment factor (EF), Nemerow index (PN), geographical information system (GIS), and positive matrix factorization (PMF). Results demonstrate that the average values of As, Cu, Cd, Sb, and Zn in topsoil were higher than the soil background values of western Chongqing by approximately 1.75, 1.11, 1.27, 1.71, and 2.58 times, respectively, indicating that some heavy metals have been enriched in the soils. The polluted areas of As, Cu, Cd, and Zn in topsoil were mainly distributed in the northern and central Jiangjin district, whereas high-Sb soils were located in the southeast. The Cr, Cu, Cd, Pb, and Sb were concentrated in Se-rich soils, indicating that heavy metals pollution should be carefully considered for the utilization of Se-rich soils. Four potential sources of heavy metals were found in this study area: 1) the parent materials (Cr, Ni, Cu); 2) industrial activities with high coal consumption (As); 3) mechanical and chemical industrial activities (Zn, Sb); and 4) transportation and agricultural activities (Pb, Cd). These observations provide a scientific basis for the development, utilization, and protection of Se-rich soil resources.

[Two new triterpeneoids from roots of Dolomiaea souliei].

The present study analyzed the chemical constituents in dried roots of Dolomiaea souliei. Chromatographic methods, such as normal-phase, and reversed-phase column chromatography, TLC, and preparative HPLC, were applied to separate and purify the petroleum ether extract of D. souliei. The structures of the purified constituents were identified by multiple spectroscopic methods including 1 D NMR, 2 D NMR, IR, UV, and HR-ESI-MS. Fourteen triterpenoids were obtained and identified as bauer-8-ene-3,11-dione-7α-ol(1), bauer-8-ene-3-one-7α,11α-diol(2), 3-oxo-11α-hydroxy-urs-12-ene(3), 3-oxour-12-ene-1ß,11α-diol(4), 3ß,11α-dihydroxy-urs-12-ene(5), taraxast-20-ene-3ß,30-diol(6), 28-hydroxy-3-oxo-12-ursene(7), 3ß-hydroxytaraxast-20-ene-30-aldehyde(8), urs-12-ene-2α,3ß,28-triol(9), 20-hydroxylupan-3-one(10), monogynol A(11), obtusalin(12), 3-oxo, 11α-hydroxy-olean-12-ene(13), and isocabralealactone(14). Among them, compounds 1 and 2 were new compounds. Compounds 4-10, 12, and 14 were isolated from this genus for the first time. Compounds 3 and 11 were obtained from D. souliei for the first time.