Degree-day models for predicting adult Delia platura (Diptera: Anthomyiidae) spring flight and first emergence in New York State.

The seedcorn maggot, Delia platura (Meigen), is a pest affecting many crops, including corn. The early spring emergence of adults and belowground seed damage by maggots leave no room for rescue treatments during the short growing season in New York State. Degree-day (DD) models play a crucial role in predicting insect emergence and adult peak activity and are essential for effective pest management. The current D. platura DD model was launched on the Network for Environment and Weather Applications (NEWA) in 2022, using existing scientific literature from other North American regions. The NEWA model predicted adult D. platura first emergence at an average of 471 (39°F) DD in 2022. To gain an accurate and precise understanding of D. platura adult spring emergence and activity, we used interpolated temperature data to calculate the DD for each specific location where adults were captured in the field. DD calculations were performed using the average method, setting a biofix on January 1st and a base temperature of 39°F. In 2023, overwintering adults emerged at an average of 68 DD, and in 2022, adult activity was registered at an average of 282 DD. Accurately predicting the emergence of D. platura could contribute to informing integrated pest management strategies that incorporate timing and cultural practices over chemical solutions to protect crops and the environment.

Unsteady heat transfer of long gas insulated transmission lines in tunnel: Model and analysis.

The temperature of the cable core and cable casing is crucial for the safety and efficiency of the transmission system. Accurately predicting the distribution and variation of the transmission temperature field in the gas insulated transmission lines (GIL) tunnel is essential to ensure the long GIL tunnel transmission system's safe and stable operation. This paper addresses the challenge of calculating unsteady heat transfer flow in extra-long GIL transmission tunnels. The paper proposes a model, and a rapid solution method for extra-long GIL transmission heat transfer flow. In addition, the temperature variation during the operation of 1000 kV GIL has been analyzed. The results indicated that the conductor and cable casing temperature gradually increases and tends to be relatively stable with the operation time. The research results can provide theoretical basis and data support for the regulation of GIL tunnel transmission operation.

Inflammatory marker profiles and in-hospital neurological deterioration in patients with acute minor ischemic stroke.

AIM: The aim of the study was to analyze the association between inflammatory marker profiles and in-hospital neurological deterioration (ND) in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients. METHODS: Data from patients with minor AIS from the Third China National Stroke Registry were analyzed. Inflammatory cytokine levels within 24 h of admission were measured. The primary outcome was in-hospital ND (an increase in National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score ≥4 from admission to discharge). Associations were evaluated using odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) derived from logistic regression models. Net reclassification improvement (NRI) and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) were used to evaluate incremental predictive values. RESULTS: A total of 4031 patients (1246 women, 30.9%) with a median age of 62 years were included. In-hospital ND occurred in 121 patients (3%). Each standard-deviation increase in interleukin (IL)-6 (OR, 1.17 [95% CI, 1.06-1.31]) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) (OR, 1.43 [95% CI, 1.24-1.66]) levels was associated with increased in-hospital ND risk. Incremental predictive values for adding IL-6 (IDI, 0.012; NRI, 0.329) but not hsCRP levels to the conventional risk factors were found. CONCLUSION: In minor AIS, hsCRP and IL-6 levels were associated with in-hospital ND, including IL-6 levels in prognostic models improved risk classification.

Modulating the default mode network: Antidepressant efficacy of transcutaneous electrical cranial-auricular acupoints stimulation targeting the insula.

BACKGROUND: Transcutaneous electrical cranial-auricular acupoint stimulation (TECAS) is a novel non-invasive therapy for major depressive disorder (MDD) that stimulates acupoints innervated by the trigeminal and auricular vagus nerves. However, there are few neuroimaging studies involving the TECAS for the treatment of MDD. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the treatment response and neurological effects of TECAS using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). METHOD: A total of 34 patients with mild-to-moderate MDD and 34 demographically matched healthy controls (HCs) were recruited. After an eight-week treatment the primary outcome was clinical response, defined as a baseline-to-endpoint ≥ 50 % reduction in the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17). The low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) method were used to investigate the brain abnormalities of MDD patients and HCs, and altered brain networks were analyzed between pre- and post-treatment using seed-based functional connectivity (FC) analysis. RESULTS: We found no significant differences in terms of gender, age, and years of education between the two groups. After treatment, the response rate was 58.82 %. Compared to HCs, MDD patients showed lower ALFF values in the left insula(t = -4.298,P < 0.005), the insula-based FC revealed in the right middle frontal gyrus (MFG)/ right superior frontal gyrus, orbital part (ORBsupmed) (t = -5.29,P < 0.005) and the right anterior cingulate gyrus (ACC)were decreased (t = -6.08,P < 0.005). Furthermore, Compared to pre-treatment, abnormal FC values in the ACC /orbital superior frontal gyrus (SFG) (t = 3.42,P < 0.005) and left superior frontal gyrus (SFG)/ supplement motor area (SMA) were enhanced (t = 3.34,P < 0.005). CONCLUSION: TECAS exhibits antidepressant efficacy, particularly influencing the insula-based functional connections within the Default Mode Network (DMN) related to emotion processing in individuals with MDD.

Laparoscopic total mesorectal excision versus transanal total mesorectal excision for mid and low rectal cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic total mesorectal excision (LaTME) and transanal total mesorectal excision (TaTME) are popular mid and low rectal cancer trends. However, there is currently no systematic comparison between LaTME and TaTME of mid and low rectal cancer. Therefore, we systematically study the perioperative and pathological outcomes of LaTME and TaTME in mid and low rectal cancer. METHODS: Articles included searching through the Embase, Cochrane Library, PubMed, Medline, and Web of science for articles on LaTME and TaTME. We calculated pooled standard mean difference (SMD), relative risk (RR), and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The protocol for this review has been registered on PROSPERO (CRD42022380067). RESULTS: There are 8761 participants included in 33 articles. Compared with TaTME, patients who underwent LaTME had no statistical difference in operation time (OP), estimated blood loss (EBL), postoperative hospital stay, over complications, intraoperative complications, postoperative complications, anastomotic stenosis, wound infection, circumferential resection margin, distal resection margin, major low anterior resection syndrom, lymph node yield, loop ileostomy, and diverting ileostomy. There are similarities between LaTME and TaTME for 2-year DFS rate, 2-year OS rate, distant metastasis rat, and local recurrence rate. However, patients who underwent LaTME had less anastomotic leak rates (RR 0.82; 95% CI: 0.70-0.97; I2 = 10.6%, P = .019) but TaTME had less end colostomy (RR 1.96; 95% CI: 1.19-3.23; I2 = 0%, P = .008). CONCLUSION: This study comprehensively and systematically evaluated the differences in safety and effectiveness between LaTME and TaTME in the treatment of mid and low rectal cancer through meta-analysis. Patients who underwent LaTME had less anastomotic leak rate but TaTME had less end colostomy. There is no difference in other aspects. Of course, in the future, more scientific and rigorous conclusions need to be drawn from multi-center RCT research.

Study on frailty status quo and influencing factors of elderly stroke patients in community / 重庆医学

Objective To investigate the frailty status and influencing factors of the elderly stroke pa-tients in community to provide a basis for its prevention and treatment.Methods The convenience sampling was used to select 200 elderly stroke patients as the study subjects in a community hospital in Guangzhou City from October 2020 to January 2022.The general information questionnaire,Chinese version of Tilburg frailty indicator scale,Modified Rankin Index Scale,Barthel index scale,short version of Geriatric Depression Scale and Social Support Rating Scale were used to collect the data.Results The incidence rate of frailty in 200 ca-ses of community elderly stroke was 86.0％.The results of multiple linear regression analysis showed that the degree of disability,ability of daily living,depression and social support were the influencing factors of frailty of the elderly stroke patients in community(F=71.813,P＜0.001).Conclusion The incidence rate of frailty is higher in community elderly stroke patients,the higher the degree of disability,the lower the ability of daily living,the higher the level of depression and the lower the level of social support,the higher the frailty level of community elderly stroke patients.

Clinical analysis of metagenome next-generation sequencing for diagnosing invasive fungal disease in patients with early stage of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation / 陆军军医大学学报

Objective To analyze the clinical outcomes of early invasive fungal disease(IFD)in patients after allogenetic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(allo-HCST)with metagenomic next-generation sequencing(mNGS).Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients undergoing allo-HCST in our Bone Marrow Transplantation Center between July 2021 and October 2022.These patients experienced one of the following conditions within 100 d after transplantation:① Patients with persistent fever and negative blood culture after empiric antimicrobial therapy for 72 h or longer;② Hyperpyrexia of unknown origin occurred again after effective anti-infection in the past;③ Symptoms in lower respiratory tract associated with lung lesions on CT scan,and empiric anti-infective therapy was ineffective.Peripheral blood or bronchoscopic alveolar lavage fluid were tested with mNGS,and overall survival(OS)and non-relapse mortality(NRM)were analyzed.Results There were 60 patients enrolled in this study.For the peripheral blood samples of 47 cases and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samples of 13 cases,mNGS found that 19 cases were negative to pathogens,30 cases were non-fungal positive,and 11 case were fungal positive,including 3 cases of aspergillus,5 cases of mucor,2 cases of Candida tropicalis,and 1 case of Trichosporon asahii.Of the 11 patients with fungal positive,8 achieved complete remission after antifungal therapy according to the mNGS results.The 1-year OS and NRM of the 60 patients were 70.0％(95％CI:64.1％～75.9％)and 20.0％(95％CI:11.9％～32.5％),respectively,while those of the fungal infection patients were 54.5％(95％CI:49.5％～69.5％)and 36.4％(95％ CI:15.5％～70.3％),respectively.No significant differences were seen in 1-year OS(P=0.487)and 1-year NRM(P=0.358)among the negative,fungal infection and non-fungal infection patients,neither OS(P=0.238)and NRM(P=0.154)between the fungal infection and the non-fungal infection patients.Conclusion mNGS can rapidly diagnose the early IFD after allo-HSCT,which is helpful for timely and effective treatment and improves the prognosis of patients.

Research on Influencing Factors of Medical Liability in Medical Accidents Appraisal Based on Qualitative Comparative Analysis / 中国医院管理

Objective Explore the key factors and the type of combined role path of medical accident appraisal con-clusion for the medical responsibility,and provide solution countermeasures for the reduction of medical accidents and the construction of a harmonious doctor-patient relationship.Methods Qualitative comparative analysis(QCA)was used to study 125 cases of medical accident appraisal center in a certain province from 2015 to 2019.The fsQCA software was used to detect the necessity of single factor and the configuration path of multiple factors.Results There were three solutions to the configuration of medical liability for medical accidents,with an solution consisten-cy of 0.853 659 and an overall coverage rate of 0.603 448;draw three paths for the conclusion of medical liability,and summarize three types of combined effects:medical institution management vacancy type,medical staff techni-cal negligence type,and comprehensive effect type of both doctors and patients.Conclusion Attaching importance to institutional management is the basis for evading medical liabilities,standardizing medical staff's diagnosis and treatment behavior is the core to reduce medical accidents,and strengthening humanistic concepts and doctor-pa-tient communication are the key to prevent medical accidents.

Exploring the Application of Auricular Concha Eletro-Acupuncture in Functional Dyspepsia from the"Ear-Brain-Liver-Spleen"Correlation / 世界科学技术-中医药现代化

Based on the traditional medical theory,the theory of"ear-brain-liver-spleen correlation"was proposed by linking the ear with the brain,liver and spleen.Then,by combining the Chinese medical etiology of Functional Dyspepsia(FD)and the corresponding modern medical mechanism,we realized that the close connection between the ear,brain,liver and spleen is the theoretical basis for treating FD from the ear.In recent years,a new type of vagus nerve stimulation therapy,auricular concha eletro-acupuncture(ACEA),has been developed to treat FD by regulating the liver and spleen through the regulation of the brain,relieving liver depression and strengthening spleen and qi,thus treating FD.In terms of modern medicine,this is related to its ability to reduce anxiety and depression,reduce pain perception,enhance gastrointestinal motility and reduce central and peripheral inflammation by regulating the activity of the corresponding brain functional areas.By exploring the application of auricular concha eletro-acupuncture in FD on the basis of the"ear-brain-liver-spleen correlation",we will better understand the unique role of auricular stimulation in regulating the brain and the blood of the liver and spleen,and promote the inheritance,innovation and development of TCM theory.

Forensic appraisal and prevention of common faults in medical disputes in mental hospitals / 中国法医学杂志

Objective To explore the key points of forensics appraisal of medical disputes in mental hospitals,strengthen the management of mental hospitals,prevent medical disputes and improve medical quality.Methods Using the written judgment of China Judgments Online as materials,the order multi-class Logistic regression analysis was conducted on the common faults and level of responsibility in cases of death resulting from mental hospital treatment.Results Improper nursing,improper management,insufficient knowledge of the disease,unclear information,inadequate rescue,improper medication,unclear diagnosis were the risk factors of the degree of responsibility of medical disputes,and other diseases were protective factors.Conclusion Analyzing the common faults and identification points of death disputes in mental hospitals and rectifying them from two aspects can effectively prevent the occurrence of medical disputes,improve the quality of medical treatment,and achieve a win-win situation for doctors and patients.

The predictive value of uterine artery ultrasound examination during early pregnancy for gestational hypertension / 中国基层医药

Objective:To analyze the predictive value of uterine artery ultrasound examination during early pregnancy for gestational hypertension.Methods:A total of 100 patients with gestational hypertension who received treatment in Jinhua Maternal and Child Health Hospital from January 2020 to January 2022 were included in the observation group. An additional 100 healthy pregnant women who concurrently underwent routine physical examination were included in the control group. Using the case-control study method, both groups underwent uterine artery ultrasound examination during early (7-11 gestational weeks and 6 days) pregnancy. Uterine artery ultrasound data [resistance index (RI), pulsatility index (PI), and arterial peak systolic/diastolic flow velocity (S/D)] were determined and compared between the two groups. Patients in the observation group were followed up to delivery, and the adverse maternal and infant outcomes were analyzed. Those with adverse maternal and infant outcomes were included in the poor prognosis group, while those without adverse maternal and infant outcomes were included in the good prognosis group. The ultrasound data of uterine arteries were compared between the two groups. Logistic regression analysis was performed to analyze the correlation between uterine artery ultrasound data and adverse maternal and infant outcomes.Results:The RI, PI, and S/D of pregnant women in the observation group were (0.56 ± 0.15), (1.29 ± 0.34), (3.79 ± 0.32), respectively, which were significantly greater than (0.41 ± 0.12), (0.72 ± 0.21), (2.88 ± 0.25) in the control group ( t = 7.80, 14.26, 22.40, all P < 0.001). In the observation group, there were 11 cases of premature birth, 2 cases of miscarriage, 4 cases of postpartum hemorrhage, 4 cases of premature rupture of amniotic fluid, 5 cases of fetal distress, 3 cases of neonatal asphyxia, and 1 case of neonatal growth restriction. The total incidence of adverse maternal and infant outcomes was 30.0% (30/100). The RI, PI, and S/D of pregnant women in the poor prognosis group were (0.65 ± 0.19), (1.37 ± 0.40), and (4.06 ± 0.37), respectively, which were significantly higher than (0.50 ± 0.13), (1.16 ± 0.31), and (3.35 ± 0.29) in the good prognosis group ( t = 4.57, 2.83, 10.30, all P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis was performed using adverse maternal and infant outcomes as dependent variables and RI, PI, and S/D as independent variables. Logistic regression analysis results showed that RI, PI, and S/D were the risk factors for adverse maternal and infant outcomes ( OR = 2.760, 1.832, 3.241, 95% CI = 1.209-5.985, 1.001-2.971, 2.134-10.159). Conclusion:Uterine artery ultrasound examination during early pregnancy has a certain reference value for predicting gestational hypertension and evaluating adverse maternal and infant outcomes. It can provide a reliable basis for early diagnosis and treatment of gestational hypertension and is beneficial for patient prognosis.

Evaluation on the application effect of "flipped classroom" in general surgery practice teaching / 中华医学教育探索杂志

Objective:To explore the application and practice of "flipped classroom" in the teaching of general surgery interns.Methods:A total of 20 internship groups (3 to 5 people in each group) were randomly selected from the general surgery practice group in the Department of General Surgery of the Second Clinical Medical College of North Sichuan Medical College. They were randomly divided into the flipped group (45 people) and the traditional group (40 people), with 10 subgroups in each group. The flipped group adopted the flipped classroom teaching mode (students' self-study by handing out materials before class, students and teachers' discussion in class, and students and teachers' evaluation after class), while the control group adopted the current conventional teaching mode (students' preview before class, teachers' explanation in class, and teachers' question answering after class). At the end of the teaching, a questionnaire was used to evaluate the participation and completion of each student. The teaching effect was evaluated by medical history collection and case analysis. The participation, completion, and teaching effect between the two groups were compared and analyzed. SPSS 23.0 software was used for t-test and Chi-square test. Results:The participation of the flipped group was better than that of the traditional group [(17.45±1.83) vs. (15.57±1.52)], and the difference was statistically significant ( P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between the flipped group and the traditional group. There was no significant difference in medical history collection scores between the two groups. The case analysis of the flipped group was better than that of the traditional group [(87.30±6.06) vs. (81.50±5.88), P < 0.05]. The questionnaire shows that about 90% of the students think that flipped classroom can improve their interest in learning [96% (43/45)], improve their autonomous learning ability [89% (40/45)], and have better learning effect. At the same time, 78% (35/45) of students think that learning time is too long. Conclusion:The flipped classroom teaching model can improve the teaching participation of general surgery students, improve students' interest in learning, improve their self-learning ability, and improve students' thinking ability of medical record analysis.

Clinical application of single breath-holding left ventricle artificial intelligence assisted compression sensing T 2-weighted dark blood imaging sequence / 中华放射学杂志

Objective:To explore the feasibility of cardiac T 2 weighted dark blood sequence (T 2W-DB) based on artificial intelligence assisted compression-sensing(ACS) in clinical cardiac MR examination, compared with the conventional cardiac fast spin-echo T 2W-DB sequence. Methods:A total of 38 patients referred for cardiac MR examination in Tongji Hospital were enrolled prospectively from August to December 2021. The conventional T 2W-DB scan and the single-shot ACS T 2W-DB scan were acquired at continuous short-axial slices covering the whole left ventricle in all patients, and the acquisition time of each scan was recorded. The image quality of the two sequences was evaluated by the objective quantitative parameters and the subjective scoring methods, respectively. The signal to noise ratio (SNR), the contrast to noise ratio of the interventricular septum to blood pool (CNR), and the sharpness of the images were calculated. The subjective scoring was to evaluate the overall image quality, the effect of blood pool suppression, the visibility of right ventricular free wall, left ventricular free wall, and interventricular septum with a 5-point Likert scale. The intraclass correlation coefficient and Kendall W were calculated to evaluate the interobserver agreement of the objective quantitative parameters and subjective scoring. The paired t-test or Wilcoxon test was used to compare the difference in acquisition time, objective quantitative parameters and subjective scoring between the conventional T 2W-DB and the single-shot ACS T 2W-DB. Results:The inter-observer agreement between the single-shot ACS T 2W-DB and conventional T 2W-DB was good in all the objective quantitative parameters and subjective scoring of image quality ( P<0.05 for all). Compared with conventional T 2W-DB, acquisition time of single-shot ACS T 2W-DB was remarkably shortened [(85.8±14.7) s vs. (16.9±3.0) s, t=35.42, P<0.001]. Compared with SNR (66.4±29.0) and CNR(61.8±28.6) of conventional T 2W-DB, single-shot ACS T 2W-DB had significantly higher SNR(110.8±36.8, t=-8.13, P?0.001) and CNR(88.2±31.1, t=-5.89, P?0.001). Compared with conventional T 2W-DB, single-shot ACS T 2W-DB had better blood pool inhibition effect (4.6±0.6 vs. 4.7±0.5, Z=-2.64, P=0.008). There was no significant difference in overall image quality, visibility of right ventricular free wall, left ventricular free wall, and interventricular septum between the two sequences( P>0.05 for all). Conclusions:In cardiac MR examination, compared with the conventional T 2W-DB sequence, the single-shot ACS T 2W-DB sequence can significantly shorten the acquisition time and obtain better image quality.

Preoperative prediction of risk groups for medulloblastoma in children with MRI features / 中华放射学杂志

Objective:To analyze the MRI features of medulloblastoma (MB) in children, and screen out the key signs that can predict the risk of MB before surgery.Methods:Clinical and radiological data of 62 children with MB confirmed by pathology in Shenzhen Children′s Hospital from December 2012 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the diagnosis and treatment guidelines for children with MB (2021 edition), the patients were divided into standard risk group (43 cases) and high risk group (19 cases). MRI features of MB were observed and recorded, including tumor site, location of tumor center, tumor morphology, signal intensity of T 1WI, T 2WI and diffusion weighted imaging (DWI), enhancement pattern, cystic lesion size, location and number, peritumoral edema and hydrocephalus, and the maximum diameter of tumor was measured. The χ 2 test or Fisher exact probability method was used to compare the differences in age, gender and MRI signs between the two groups. The t test of two independent samples was used to compare the differences in the maximum diameter of tumors between the two groups. The indicators with statistically significant differences were included in binary logistic regression analysis to obtain independent influencing factors associated with the risk groups. The receiver operation characteristic curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy. Results:There were significant differences in age ( P=0.026), enhancement pattern ( P=0.018), cystic lesion size ( P=0.005), location ( P=0.011) and number ( P=0.003) between standard risk group and high risk group. There were no significant differences in gender, tumor site, location of tumor center, tumor morphology, signal intensity of T 1WI, T 2WI and DWI, peritumoral edema, hydrocephalus and maximum diameter of tumor between the two groups ( P>0.05). Binary logistic regression results showed the age (OR=0.207, 95%CI 0.040-0.983, P=0.042) and the number of cystic lesions (OR=0.215, 95%CI 0.073-0.630, P=0.005) were the protective factors for MB in high risk group, the enhancement pattern Ⅲ (OR=5.226, 95%CI 1.516-52.920, P=0.048) was the dangerous factor for MB in high risk group. The area under the curve of the combined diagnosis of high risk MB was 0.845 (95%CI 0.741-0.949). Conclusions:The age and MRI signs the pattern of tumor enhancement Ⅲ and the number of cystic lesion can be used to predict the risk grouping of MB preoperatively. When the child is younger and MB enhancement pattern is mainly peripheral enhancement without obvious cystic change, it may indicate high risk MB.

Study on improvement mechanism of caudatin on liver injury in rats / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To investigate the improvement mechanism of caudatin on liver injury of rats. METHODS SD rats were randomly divided into blank group， model group， caudatin low-dose and high-dose groups （25， 50 mg/kg）， with 6 rats in each group. Diethylnitrosamine （DEN） was injected intraperitoneally three times per week for eight weeks to establish liver injury model of rats. At 5th week of modeling， the rats received relevant medicine or 0.5% sodium carboxymethylcellulose intragastrically for 4 weeks. The levels of liver function indexes [alanine transaminase （ALT）， aspartate transaminase （AST）， total protein （TP） and total bilirubin （TBI）] and inflammatory factors [interleukin （IL-6）， tumor necrosis factor α （TNF-α）， IL-1β] in serum were detected； the histopathological morphological changes of rat liver were observed； the positive protein expressions of nuclear factor κB （NF-κB） and 78 kDa glucose regulatory protein （Grp78） in liver tissue were also determined； the expressions of endoplasmic reticulum stress-related protein Grp78， C/EBP homologous protein （CHOP）， activating transcription factor 6 （ATF6） and inositol requiring enzyme 1α （IRE1α） and the level of protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase robertluoyi@126.com （PERK） in liver tissue were detected. RESULTS Compared with blank group， serum levels of ALT， AST， TBI， IL-6， TNF-α and IL-1β and positive expressions of NF-κB and Grp78 in liver tissue as well as protein expressions of Grp78， CHOP， ATF6 and IRE1α， PERK protein phosphorylation level were all increased significantly in model group （P＜0.05）， while the serum level of TP was decreased significantly （P＜0.05）. The disordered structure of liver lobule， swollen liver cells， unclear intercellular boundary were observed and accompanied by inflammatory cell infiltration. Compared with model group， most of the above indexes were significantly reversed in caudatin groups （P＜0.05）； the structure of hepatic lobule was relatively complete and clear， the cells were arranged orderly， and the infiltration of inflammatory cells was also reduced. CONCLUSIONS Caudatin has a significant improvement effect against DEN-induced liver injury in rats， the mechanism of which may be associated with inhibiting endoplasmic reticulum stress and inflammatory reaction.

Effect of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation on functional connectivity in the related brain regions of patients with depression based on the resting-state fMRI / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the brain effect mechanism and the correlation between brain functional imaging and cognitive function in treatment of depressive disorder (DD) with transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) based on the resting-state functional magenetic reasonance imaging (rs-fMRI).@*METHODS@#Thirty-two DD patients were included in a depression group and 32 subjects of healthy condition were enrolled in a normal group. In the depression group, the taVNS was applied to bilateral Xin (CO15) and Shen (CO10), at disperse-dense wave, 4 Hz/20 Hz in frequency and current intensity ≤20 mA depending on patient's tolerance, 30 min each time, twice daily. The duration of treatment consisted of 8 weeks. The patients of two groups were undertaken rs-fMRI scanning. The scores of Hamilton depression scale (HAMD), Hamilton anxiety scale (HAMA) and Wisconsin card sorting test (WCST) were observed in the normal group at baseline and the depression group before and after treatment separately. The differential brain regions were observed before and after treatment in the two groups and the value of degree centrality (DC) of fMRI was obtained. Their correlation was analyzed in terms of HAMD, HAMA and WCST scores.@*RESULTS@#The scores of HAMD and HAMA in the depression group were all higher than those in the normal group (P<0.05). After treatment, the scores of HAMD and HAMA were lower than those before treatment in the depression group; the scores of total responses, response errors and perseverative errors of WCST were all lower than those before treatment (P<0.05). The brain regions with significant differences included the left inferior temporal gyrus, the left cerebellar peduncles region 1, the left insula, the right putamen, the bilateral supplementary motor area and the right middle frontal gyrus. After treatment, the value of DC in left supplementary motor area was negatively correlated to HAMD and HAMA scores respectively (r=-0.324, P=0.012; r=-0.310, P=0.015); the value of DC in left cerebellar peduncles region 1 was negatively correlated to the total responses of WCST (r=-0.322, P=0.013), and the left insula was positively correlated to the total responses of WCST (r=0.271, P=0.036).@*CONCLUSION@#The taVNS can modulate the intensity of the functional activities of some brain regions so as to relieve depressive symptoms and improve cognitive function.

Effect of acupuncture combined with low frequency rTMS on comorbid mild-to-moderate depressive disorder and insomnia: a randomized controlled trial / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the impacts of acupuncture on depressive mood and sleep quality in patients with comorbid mild-to-moderate depressive disorder and insomnia, and explore its effect mechanism.@*METHODS@#A total of 60 patients with comorbid mild-to-moderate depressive disorder and insomnia were randomly divided into an observation group (30 cases, 1 case dropped off) and a control group (30 cases, 2 cases dropped off). In the observation group, acupuncture and low frequency repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) were combined for the intervention. Acupuncture was applied to Baihui (GV 20), Yintang (GV 24+), Neiguan (PC 6) and Yanglingquan (GB 34), etc., the needles were retained for 30 min; and the intradermal needles were embedded at Xinshu (BL 15) and Danshu (BL 19) for 2 days. After acupuncture, the rTMS was delivered at the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (R-DLPFC), with 1 Hz and 80% of movement threshold, lasting 30 min in each treatment. In the control group, the sham-acupuncture was adopted, combined with low frequency rTMS. The acupoint selection and manipulation were the same as the observation group. In the two groups, acupuncture was given once every two days, 3 times weekly; while, rTMS was operated once daily, for consecutive 5 days a week. The duration of treatment consisted of 4 weeks. Hamilton depression scale-17 (HAMD-17) and Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) scores were observed before and after treatment, as well as 1 month after the treatment completion (follow-up period) separately. Besides, the levels of nerve growth factor (BDNF) and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the serum were detected before and after treatment in the two groups.@*RESULTS@#After treatment and in follow-up, the HAMD-17 scores were lower than those before treatment in the two groups (P<0.05), and the scores in the observation group were lower than the control group (P<0.05). After treatment, the total scores and the scores of each factor of PSQI were reduced in the two groups in comparison with those before treatment except for the score of sleep efficiency in the control group (P<0.05); the total PSQI score and the scores for sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep efficiency and daytime dysfunction in the observation group were all lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). In the follow-up, except for the scores of sleep duration and sleep efficiency in the control group, the total PSQI score and the scores of all the other factors were reduced compared with those before treatment in the two groups (P<0.05); the total PSQI score and the scores of sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, sleep efficiency and daytime dysfunction in the observation group were lower than the control group (P<0.05). After treatment, the levels of serum BDNF and GABA were increased in comparison with those before treatment in the observation group (P<0.05), and the level of serum BDNF was higher than that in the control group (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Acupuncture relieves depressive mood and improves sleep quality in patients with comorbid mild-to-moderate depressive disorder and insomnia. The effect mechanism may be related to the regulation of BDNF and GABA levels and the promotion of brain neurological function recovery.

Quality evaluation of Commelina communis from different origins based on multicomponent content determination combined with chemometrics / 中国中药杂志

This research established a high-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) method for simultaneous determination of isoorientin, orientin, vitexin, and isovitexin in Commelina communis to conduct content difference analysis and quality evaluation of 62 batches of C. communis from different origins. The HPLC content determination was performed on a Dikma Platisil ODS chromatographic column(4.6 mm×250 mm, 5 μm), with acetonitrile-0.1% formic acid(14∶86) as the mobile phase. The detection wavelength was set at 348 nm, the flow rate was 1.0 mL·min~(-1), and the column temperature was 35 ℃. The differences in origins and quality of 62 batches of C. communis were studied by chemometrics. The results showed that the determination of four components mani-fested a good linear relationship in the range of mass concentration(r>0.999 9), and the average recovery rate was 96.17%-103.0%. The relative standard deviations(RSDs) of precision, stability, and repeatability were all less than 2.0%. The content of four components from high to low was isoorientin>isovitexin>orientin>vitexin. Forty-seven batches of C. communis with clear origins were classified into six categories by chemometrics. C. communis from different origins had different qualities. Generally, C. communis from Western China, Central China, and South of China had superior qualities. The HPLC method established in this study is specific, simple, and efficient, which provides references for the comprehensive evaluation of the quality of C. communis. The chemometrics shows that the qualities of C. communis from different origins are largely different. Isoorientin can be used as an index to determine the content of C. communis, and its content limit should be set no less than 0.023%.

Analysis on Quality Standard of Fraxini Cortex（Fraxinus chinensis） Dispensing Granules Based on Standard Decoction / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo establish the quality standard for Fraxini Cortex（Fraxinus chinensis） dispensing granules based on standard decoction， and to provide a basis for the quality control of this dispensing granules. MethodHigh performance liquid chromatography（HPLC） specific chromatograms of 15 batches of Fraxini Cortex（F. chinensis） standard decoctions and 3 batches of Fraxini Cortex（F. chinensis） dispensing granules were established with the mobile phase of 0.1% phosphoric acid aqueous solution（A）-acetonitrile（B） for gradient elution（0-10 min， 12%-15%B； 10-30 min， 15%-32%B） and the detection wavelength of 220 nm. And similarity evaluation， cluster analysis and principal component analysis（PCA） were also carried out. HPLC quantitative analysis of multi-components by single marker（QAMS） was established to determine the contents of the main components in the standard decoctions and dispensing granules. The contents of the corresponding components in Fraxini Cortex（F. chinensis） decoction pieces were also detected， and the transfer rates from decoction pieces to standard decoctions and dispensing granules were calculated. ResultThe similarities between specific chromatograms of 15 batches of Fraxini Cortex（F. chinensis） standard decoctions and 3 batches of Fraxini Cortex（F. chinensis） dispensing granules were all>0.9， and 7 common peaks were identified. The results of cluster analysis and PCA showed that there was some differences in the composition of different batches of standard decoctions， but did not show aggregation of origin. As the standard decoctions， the extract rate was 6.18%-11.62%， the contents of esculin， syringin， fraxin， esculetin， fraxetin， calceolarioside B were 44.92-103.51， 1.36-11.87， 33.26-90.73， 4.63-29.75， 2.40-16.86， 2.49-17.35 mg·g-1， and the transfer rates from decoction pieces to standard decoction were 25.21%-42.54%， 52.57%-88.84%， 43.43%-79.45%， 49.15%-88.27%， 49.22%-72.69%， 27.66%-47.67%， respectively. The extract rates of Fraxini Cortex（F. chinensis） dispensing granules were 10.4%-10.7%， the transfer rates of the above six components from decoction pieces to dispensing granules were 42.76%-43.17%， 80.01%-80.90%， 59.59%-59.88%， 51.35%-52.67%， 60.50%-60.93%， 37.98%-38.37%， respectively， which were generally consistent with the transfer rates from decoction pieces to standard decoctions. ConclusionThe established quality control standard of Fraxini Cortex（F. chinensis） dispensing granules based on standard decoctions is reasonable and reliable， which can provide reference for the quality control and process research of this dispensing granules.

Numerical simulation of effect of vegetation configuration on human thermal comfort / 环境与职业医学

Background The urban heat island effect has a significant negative impact on human health. Urban green space can effectively improve the urban thermal environment while enhancing human thermal comfort. Objective To investigate the effects of vegetation configuration structure on temperature and humidity and on human thermal comfort, with a view to providing reference for the landscape planning of urban reserve, preventing and reducing the impact of urban heat island effect on the health of urban residents. Methods The study was carried out on a typical clear and cloudless summer day without extreme weather in a university reserve area in Hefei. The numerical simulation accuracy of ENVI-met software was verified by measured data. Based on the quantitative definition of vegetation configuration structure scheme from vertical and horizontal perspectives, nine simulation scenarios were established based on three aspects including vegetation configuration type (grass, shrub + grass, tree + grass, tree + shrub + grass), planting layout (column planting, uniform spot planting), and planting density [the aspect ratio of trees (ART) between plants was 0.75, 1.13, 1.50, and 2.25, respectively] to quantitatively evaluate the cooling and humidifying effects and human thermal comfort [physiological equivalent temperature (PET)] of the vegetation configurations. Results The change trends of the cooling and humidifying effects of all the simulated scenarios were consistent, basically first increasing and then decreasing. Among all the simulated scenarios, the cooling and humidifying effects of scenario 8 (tree + grass, ART=2.25, uniform spot planting) were the best, with the greatest cooling of 1.36 ℃ and humidification of 6.29% in comparison to the worst scenario 1 in the reserve area. The human thermal comfort of scenario 9 (tree + shrub + grass, ART=2.25, uniform spot planting) was the best, with the PET of 35.37 ℃. The order of improvement effect of different vegetation configurations on thermal comfort from strong to weak was tree + shrub + grass structure (scenario 9) > tree + grass structure (scenario 8) > shrub + grass structure (scenario 2) > grass structure (scenario 1). At 15:00, the PET value of tree + shrub + grass structure (scenario 9) decreased by 7.44 ℃ in comparison to that of grass structure (scenario 1). The higher the planting density among trees, the higher the difference in temperature and relative humidity between the simulated and the original scenarios. In case of holding the same amount of greenery, uniform spot planting showed better human comfort when the vegetation was planted sparsely, but the difference between the PET value of scenario 3 (tree + grass, ART=0.75, uniform spot planting) and scenario 5 (tree + grass, ART=1.5, column planting) was only 0.15 ℃; when the vegetation was planted densely, column planting was more favorable to wind circulation and more effective in reducing the temperature of the site, with a lower PET value of 0.87 ℃ for scenario 7 (tree + grass, ART=2.25, column planting) than for scenario 4 (tree + grass, ART=1.13, uniform spot planting). Conclusion Urban green space has obvious cooling and humidifying effects in summer. The human comfort of tree + shrub + grass structure with uniform spot planting is optimal, and the cooling and humidifying effects of tree + grass structure with uniform spot planting are the most obvious. The optimization of vegetation configuration structure is crucial for reducing urban heat island, improving human thermal comfort, and promoting residents’ health.