Modulatory effect of International Standard Scalp Acupuncture on brain activation in the elderly as revealed by resting-state fMRI.

The specific mechanisms by which acupuncture affects the central nervous system are unclear. In the International Standard Scalp Acupuncture system, acupuncture needles are applied at the middle line of the vertex, anterior parietal-temporal oblique line, and the posterior parietal-temporal oblique line. We conducted a single-arm prospective clinical trial in which seven healthy elderly volunteers (three men and four women; 50-70 years old) received International Standard Scalp Acupuncture at MS5 (the mid-sagittal line between Baihui (DU20) and Qianding (DU21)), the left MS6 (line joining Sishencong (EX-HN1) and Xuanli (GB6)), and the left MS7 (line joining DU20 and Qubin (GB7)). After acupuncture, resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated changes in the fractional amplitude of low frequency fluctuations and regional homogeneity in various areas, showing remarkable enhancement of regional homogeneity in the bilateral anterior cingulate, left medial frontal gyrus, supramarginal gyrus, right middle frontal gyrus, and inferior frontal gyrus. Functional connectivity based on a seed region at the right middle frontal gyrus (42, 51, 9) decreased at the bilateral medial superior frontal gyrus. Our data preliminarily indicates that the international standard scalp acupuncture in healthy elderly participants specifcally enhances the correlation between the brain regions involved in cognition and implementation of the brain network regulation system and the surrounding adjacent brain regions. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the China-Japan Union Hospital at Jilin University, China, on July 18, 2016 (approval No. 2016ks043).

Effects of Temperature on the Termination of Egg Diapause and Post-Diapause Embryonic Development of Galeruca daurica (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae).

Galeruca daurica (Joannis) is a new pest on the grasslands of Inner Mongolia, China. It is univoltine and overwinters in the egg stage. Larvae and adults feed on the foliage of Allium plants. To assess the requirements to terminate egg diapause and subsequent effects on post-diapause development rate, eggs were held at different temperature regimes. Exposure to low temperatures was required to terminate egg diapause. Prolonged exposure (2 mo vs 1 mo) to 5°C and outside ambient conditions (mean temperature: 10.5°C; range: -7.1-21.6°C) enhanced the termination of egg diapause. Prolonged exposure also reduced the time to egg hatch; e.g., eggs held for 2 mo versus 1 mo at 5°C developed more quickly when subsequently placed at warmer temperatures. Egg hatch was observed at 17, 21, 25, and 29°C, but not at 15°C. Regression analysis identified 16.2°C as the minimum temperature for post-diapause development. The temperature requirement to complete embryonic development (from diapause termination to egg hatch) was calculated to be 103.1 to 140.9 degree-days.

[Percutaneous vertebroplasty for the treatment of acute burst thoracolumbar fractures].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the feasibility of percutaneous vertebroplasty for the treatment of acute burst thoracolumbar fracture. METHODS: Fifty-eight patients (male 38 and female 20, ranging in age from 38 to 70 years, with an average of 56.8 years) with acute burst thoracolumbar fracture were treated by percutaneous vertebroplasty. The injuried vertebrae were T11 in 3 cases, T12 18 cases, L1 29 cases, L2 5 cases and L3 3 cases. All suited cases were classified into 3 types according to injuried vertebral shapes,type I (safe type 26 cases), type II (risk type 21 cases), and type III (marginal type 11 cases). RESULTS: All the patients were followed up ranging from 1 to 2.5 years (mean 1.6 years). Fifty-three patients could walk in 1 to 3 days after operation. Among 55 patients who obtained complete recovery (CR), 39 patients could do daily works and 16 patients could do houseworks. The CR rate was 95%. Three patients who obtained partial recovery (PR), could live by themselves and felt slight lumbago after movements. The PR rate was 5%. CONCLUSION: Percutaneous vertebroplasty for the treatment of acute burst thoracolumbar fracture is a feasible and effective method even for particular risks.

Xanthone glycosides from herbs of Polygala hongkongensis Hemsl and their antioxidant activities.

Two new xanthone O-glycosides, polyhongkongenosides A (1) and B (2), together with four known xanthone glycosides, were isolated from the herbs of Polygala hongkongensis Hemsl. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of UV, IR, NMR, and MS spectral data. The antioxidant in vitro activities of 1-6 were determined by the scavenging activities against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals and hydroxyl radicals and their reductive activities to Fe3+. Mangiferin, one of the four known xanthone glycosides, showed potential scavenging effect on DPPH and hydroxy radicals and reductive activity to Fe3+ with IC50 values of 4.7, 13.9, 23.7 microM, respectively.

Antioxidants and a new dihydroisocoumarins from Polygala hongkongensis Hemsl.

A new dihydroisocoumarins, 6-methoxy-8-hydroxy-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)isochroman-1-one, named as hongkongenin (1), and seven known flavonoids were isolated from the methanol extract whole plant of Polygala hongkongensis Hemsl. Their structures were established on the basis of UV, IR, NMR, and MS spectral data. It is the first report of the occurrence of isocoumarins in Polygala, and the known compounds 2-8 were isolated from this plant for the first time. Flavonoids showed potent antioxidant activities in vitro against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals, hydroxyl radicals, and reductive activity to Fe3+.

[Study on chemical constituents from rhizomes of Actaea asiatica].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the chemical constituents of the rhizomes of Actaea asiatica in order to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of its effective components. METHOD: Compounds were separated by silica gel chromatography, RP-C18 chromatography and semi-preparative high performance liquid chromatography, and their structures were established by spectral analysis and chemical evidence. RESULT: Six compounds were isolated from the ethyl acetate extract. Their structures were identified as 25-O-acetylcimigenol (1), 12beta-hydroxycimigenol (2), 23-epi-26-deoxyactein (3), 27-deoxyacetylacteol (4), 26-deoxycimicifugenin (5) and beta-sitosterol (6). CONCLUSION: All these compounds mentioned above were isolated from the plant for the first time.