Head-to-Head Comparison of Electroacupuncture and Laser Acupuncture Effects on Autonomic Regulation and Clinical Effects in Dysmenorrhea: A Randomized Crossover Clinical Trial.

Introduction: Electroacupuncture (EA) has been applied in dysmenorrhea and has shown good efficacy. The mechanisms of EA are associated with autonomic nervous system adjustments and neuroendocrine regulation. Laser acupuncture (LA), however, has been widely investigated for its noninvasiveness. However, it remains uncertain whether LA is as effective as EA. This study aimed to compare EA and LA head to head in dysmenorrhea. Methods: A crossover, randomized clinical trial was conducted. EA or LA was applied to selected acupuncture points. Participants were randomized into two sequence treatment groups who received either EA or LA twice per week in luteal phase for 3 months followed by 2-month washout, then shifted to other groups (sequence 1: EA > LA; sequence 2: LA > EA). Outcome measures were heart rate variability (HRV), prostaglandins (PGs), pain, and quality-of-life (QoL) assessment (QoL-SF12). We also compared the effect of EA and LA in low and high LF/HF (low frequency/high frequency) status. Results: Totally, 43 participants completed all treatments. Both EA and LA significantly improved HRV activity and were effective in reducing pain (Visual Analog Scale [VAS]; EA: p < 0.001 and LA: p = 0.010) and improving QoL (SF12: EA: p < 0.001, LA, p = 0.017); although without intergroup difference. EA reduced PGs significantly (p < 0.001; δ p = 0.068). In low LF/HF, EA had stronger effects than LA in increasing parasympathetic tone in respect of percentage of successive RR intervals that differ by more than 50 ms (pNN50; p = 0.053) and very low-frequency band (VLF; p = 0.035). Conclusion: There is no significant difference between EA and LA in improving autonomic nervous system dysfunction, pain, and QoL in dysmenorrhea. EA is prominent in PGs changing and preserving vagus tone in low LF/HF; yet LA is noninvasive for those who have needle phobia. Whether LA is equivalent with EA and the mechanism warrants further study. Clinical trial identification number: NCT04178226.

Microbe-induced phenotypic variation leads to overyielding in clonal plant populations.

Overyielding, the high productivity of multispecies plant communities, is commonly seen as the result of plant genetic diversity. Here we demonstrate that biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships can emerge in clonal plant populations through interaction with microorganisms. Using a model clonal plant species, we found that exposure to volatiles of certain microorganisms led to divergent plant phenotypes. Assembling communities out of plants associated with different microorganisms led to transgressive overyielding in both biomass and seed yield. Our results highlight the importance of belowground microbial diversity in plant biodiversity research and open new avenues for precision ecosystem management.

Study on nanocellulose isolated from waste chilli stems processing as dietary fiber in biscuits.

In order to expand the high added value of waste chilli stems and the recycling of green resources, cellulose in chilli stems was extracted by nitric acid-ethanol method, and nanocellulose was prepared by sulfuric acid hydrolysis method. The results showed that the cellulose content was between 15% and 34.5%. Under the optimum experimental conditions of 60% sulfuric acid concentration, 60°C reaction temperature and 120 min reaction time, the average yield of nanocellulose was 36.42% ±1.36%. Prepared cellulose and nanocellulose had been characterized using scanning electron microscopy, fourier-transform infrared, and x-ray diffraction analysis. The research indicated that the biscuits with acceptable overall quality could be prepared by using the dosage of nanocellulose (7%), and the corresponding biscuits had regular appearance and relatively smooth surface. The total dietary fiber content was positively correlated with different nanocellulose content. Through mice experiments, it was found that the consumption of biscuits containing nanocellulose could significantly reduce the food intake of mice and inhibit the weight growth of mice. Therefore, the research showed that whole wheat biscuits with nanocellulose could be regarded as food rich in dietary fiber. These results provided a basis for exploring the green resource recycling of chilli stems in food processing.