Ni-Co hexacyanoferrate hollow nanoprism with CN vacancy for electrocatalytic benzyl alcohol oxidation.

An innovative method to improve the oxidation efficiency of benzyl alcohol utilizes Ni-Co hexacyanoferrate hollow nanoprisms. Synthesized via a gentle self-sacrificial template method, this catalyst exhibits substantial catalytic activity and selectivity towards benzyl alcohol oxidation, facilitated by the strategic incorporation of Co to modulate CN vacancy density. Impressively, it achieves a current density of 10 mA cm-2 at 1.33 V and a remarkable 98% efficiency in benzyl alcohol conversion at 1.4 V.

CsPM5.2, a phosphate transporter protein-like gene, promotes powdery mildew resistance in cucumber.

Powdery mildew (PM) is one of the most serious fungal diseases affecting cucumbers (Cucumis sativus L.). The mechanism of PM resistance in cucumber is intricate and remains fragmentary as it is controlled by several genes. In this study, we detected the major-effect Quantitative Trait Locus (QTL), PM5.2, involved in PM resistance by QTL mapping. Through fine mapping, the dominant PM resistance gene, CsPM5.2, was cloned and its function was confirmed by transgenic complementation and natural variation identification. In cultivar 9930, a dysfunctional CsPM5.2 mutant resulted from a single nucleotide polymorphism in the coding region and endowed susceptibility to PM. CsPM5.2 encodes a phosphate transporter-like protein PHO1; H3. The expression of CsPM5.2 is ubiquitous and induced by the PM pathogen. In cucumber, both CsPM5.2 and Cspm5.1 (Csmlo1) are required for PM resistance. Transcriptome analysis suggested that the salicylic acid (SA) pathway may play an important role in CsPM5.2-mediated PM resistance. Our findings help parse the mechanisms of PM resistance and provide strategies for breeding PM-resistant cucumber cultivars.

Preparation of Cu7.2S4@N, S co-doped carbon honeycomb-like composite structure for high-rate and high-stability sodium-ion storage.

Sodium ion batteries (SIBs) attract most of the attention as alterative secondary battery systems for future large-scale energy storage and power batteries due to abundance resource and low cost. However, the lack of anode materials with high-rate performance and high cycling-stability has limited the commercial application of SIBs. In this paper, Cu7.2S4@N, S co-doped carbon (Cu7.2S4@NSC) honeycomb-like composite structure was designed and prepared by a one-step high-temperature chemical blowing process. As an anode material for SIBs, Cu7.2S4@NSC electrode exhibited an ultra-high initial Coulomb efficiency (94.9%) and an excellent electrochemical property including a high reversible capacity of 441.3 mAh g-1 after 100 cycles at 0.2 A g-1, an excellent rate performance of 380.4 mAh g-1 even at 5 A g-1, and a superior long-cycle stability with a capacity retention rate of approximately 100% after 700 cycles at 1A g-1.

Carbon nanotube-embedded hollow carbon nanofibers as efficient hosts for advanced lithium-sulfur batteries.

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries have attracted great research attention because of their high energy density and low cost. However, shuttling effects of polysulfides and insulation from elemental sulfur hinder their practical application. Herein, we report hollow carbon nanofibers filled with carbon nanotubes (denoted as HCNF/CNT) as host materials for sulfur to mitigate the shuttling behavior and improve the kinetics of insulative sulfur. The as-prepared HCNF/CNT with nano-conductive domains in the hollow carbon nanofibers enables high loading and efficient utilization of sulfur. Owing to their unique structural superiority, the sulfur-encapsulated HCNF/CNT cathode materials for Li-S batteries deliver excellent electrochemical performance, including high specific capacity of 1156 mA h g-1 at 0.2 C, good rate performance and cycling stability with a capacity retention of 77.2% after 200 cycles at 2 C. Such a unique structure can provide inspiration for the rational structural design of carbon materials as hosts for high performance Li-S batteries.

Multiplex quantitation of 17 drug-derived components in human plasma after administration of a fixed herbal preparation of Sailuotong using combined online SPE-LC-MS/MS methods.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Sailuotong (SLT) is a standardized herbal medicine formula made from extracts of ginseng (the dried root and rhizome of Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer), ginkgo (the leaves of Ginkgo biloba L.), and saffron (the stigma of Crocus sativus L.). It is prescribed compatibly for the treatment of vascular dementia (VaD) following the TCM principle of Qi-invigorating and Blood-activating. Ginseng is widely used as a tonic for the restoration of strength in China. Ginkgo and saffron have been traditionally used for a long time as medicines with the main effect of promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis. AIM OF THE STUDY: SLT has been proven to be a promising medicine for VaD by existing pharmacological and clinical evidence. To understand how the formula herbs and their active ingredients cooperate to produce comprehensive effects, the present study aimed to establish a highly sensitive and accurate quantitative method to reveal the plasma exposure profile of SLT in humans. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Multiplex quantitation of a total of 17 SLT-derived components in human plasma was fulfilled by using online SPE for sample extractions followed by LC-MS/MS determinations. Among them, 8 ginsenoside (Rg1, Re, F1, Rf, Rb1, Rb2, Rc and Rd) were determined in ESI+ mode, and ginkgo flavonoids of quercetin, kaempferol, isorhamnetin were in ESI- mode. Improved sensitivity was achieved through optimizing the condition of sample extraction and LC separation, as well as mass parameters. 4 ginkgolides, including ginkgolide A, B, C and bilobalide, and 2 crocins of crocin-1 and its metabolite crocetin, were analyzed concurrently in negative ion mode, and their stability was ensured by a series of protective solutions. RESULTS: The lower limit of quantitation was achieved to be extremely sensitive at 0.078 ng/mL for all ginsenosides, 0.033 ‒ 0.2 ng/mL for ginkgo flavonoids, 0.75 or 1.5 ng/mL for ginkgolides and 3 ng/mL for crocins. The methods were fully validated to be accurate and precise, and applicability was demonstrated by the analysis of clinical samples from 2 healthy volunteers. CONCLUSION: The developed methods should be useful in further detailed clinical pharmacokinetic research for clarifying the effect mechanism of SLT and formulating its rational therapeutic regimens.

Efficacy and Safety of Jianpi Jieyu Decoction for Patients with Mild-to-Moderate Depression of Xin (Heart)-Pi (Spleen) Deficiency Syndrome: A Multi-centre Randomized Controlled Study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Jianpi Jieyu Decoction (JJD) for treating patients with mild-to-moderate depression of Xin (Heart)-Pi (Spleen) deficiency (XPD) syndrome. METHODS: In this multi-center, randomized, controlled study, 140 patients with mild-to-moderate depression of XPD syndrome were included from Xiyuan Hospital of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences and Botou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from December 2017 to December 2019. They were randomly divided into JJD group and paroxetine group by using a random number table, with 70 cases in each group. The patients in the JJD group were given JJD one dose per day (twice daily at morning and evening, 100 mL each time), and the patients in the paroxetine group were given paroxetine (10 mg/d in week 1; 20 mg/d in weeks 2-6), both orally administration for a total of 6 weeks. The primary outcome was the change of 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17) score at week 6 from baseline. The secondary outcomes included the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) score, Traditional Chinese Medicine Symptom Scale (TCMSS), and Clinlcal Global Impression (CGI) scores at the 2nd, 4th, and 6th weekends of treatment, HAMD-17 response (defined as a reduction in score of >50%) and HAMD-17 remission (defined as a score of ⩽7) at the end of the 6th week of treatment. Adverse events (AEs) were also recorded. RESULTS: From baseline to week 6, the HAMD-17 scores decreased 10.2 ± 4.0 and 9.1 ± 4.9 points in the JJD and paroxetine groups, respectively (P=0.689). The HAMD-17 response occurred in 60% of patients in the JJD group and in 50% of those in the paroxetine group (P=0.292); HAMD-17 remission occurred in 45.7% and 30% of patients, respectively (P=0.128). The differences of CGI scores at the 6th week were not statistically significant (P>0.05). There were significant differences in HAMD-17 scores between the two groups at 2nd and 4th week (P=0.001 and P=0.014). The HAMA scores declined 8.1 ± 3.0 and 6.9 ± 4.3 points from baseline to week 6 in the JJD and paroxetine groups, respectively (P=0.905 between groups). At 4th week of treatment, there was a significant difference in HAMA between the two groups (P=0.037). TCMSS decreased 11.4 ± 5.1, and 10.1 ± 6.8 points in the JJD and paroxetine groups, respectively (P=0.080 between groups). At the 6th week, the incidence of AEs in the JJD group was significantly lower than that in the paroxetine group (7.14% vs. 22.86%, P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Compared with paroxetine, JJD was associated with a significantly lower incidence of AEs in patients with mild-to-moderate depression of XPD syndrome, with no difference in efficacy at 6 weeks. (Trial registration No. ChiCTR2000040922).

rs144012689 is a highly specific representative marker of HLA-B*15:02 in the Chinese population.

Objective: To develop an accurate and rapid real-time PCR technique for HLA-B*15:02 genotyping and investigate HLA-B*15:02 allele frequency in four ethnic populations in China. Materials & methods: Based on the highly specific representative markers, a real-time PCR assay was developed for HLA-B*15:02 genotyping, and HLA-B*15:02 allele frequencies were screened in four ethnic populations of China. Sequence-based typing was used to validate the accuracy of the assay. Results: The sensitivity and specificity of the assay were 100%, and the detection limit was 0.2 ng. The frequency of HLA-B*15:02 alleles distributed in the Bouyei population was significantly higher than in the Han group (p < 0.01). Neither the Tibetan nor the Uyghur population carried the HLA-B*15:02 haplotype. Conclusion: The authors developed an accurate HLA-B*15:02 genotyping method for evaluating the risk of adverse drug reactions induced by carbamazepine in various ethnic populations in China.

Determining the origin of poor electronic conductivity and ultrafast ionic conductivity in Na3V2(PO4)2FO2 based on first principles and ab initio molecular dynamics methods.

Sodium ion technology is increasingly investigated as a low-cost solution for grid storage applications. Among the reported cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries, Na3V2(PO4)2FO2 is considered as one of the most promising materials due to its high operation voltage and good cyclability. Here, the de-sodiumization process of Na3V2(PO4)2FO2 has been systematically examined using first-principles calculations to uncover the fundamental questions at the atomic level. Four stable intermediate products during the de-sodiumization process are firstly determined based on the convex hull, and three voltage platforms are then predicted. Except for two voltage platforms (3.37 V and 3.75 V) close to the experimental values, the platform up to 5.28 V exceeds the stability window (4.8 V) of a typical electrolyte, which was not observed experimentally. Excitingly, the change of volume is only 2% during the sodiumization process, which should be the reason for the good cycling stability of this material. Electronic structure analysis also reveals that the valence states of V ions will be changed from V5+ to V4+ during the sodiumization process, resulting in a weak Jahn-Teller distortion in VO5F octahedra, and then making the lattice-constants asymmetrically change. More seriously, combined with a bandgap of 2.0 eV, the conduction band minimum mainly composed of V-t2g non-bonding orbitals has strong localized characteristics, which should be the intrinsic origin of poor electron transport properties for NaxV2(PO4)2FO2. Nonetheless, benefiting from the layer-like structure features with F-segmentation, this material has an ultrafast sodium ionic conductivity comparable to that of NASICON, with an activation energy of only 82 meV. Therefore, our results indicate that maintaining layer-like features and regulating V atoms will be important directions to improve the performance of NaxV2(PO4)2FO2.

Construction of CoMo2 S4 Nanorods/Nanosheets Electrodes with Enhanced Electrochemical Properties for Asymmetric Pseudocapacitors.

The construction of hierarchical nanostructures and the synergistic effect of bimetal compounds provide effective strategies to address the low energy density of supercapacitors. Herein, CoMo2 S4 (CMS) nanosheets anchored on homogeneous nanorods vertically distributed on nickel foam (NF) were fabricated using a two-step hydrothermal method. The hierarchical homostructure CMS materials heavily depend on the vulcanization parameter of the second step synthesis. As an electrode of supercapacitors, CoMo2 S4 exhibits a large specific capacity of 1992.85 F g-1 at 2 mA cm-2 , and specific capacity retention of 106 % through 8000 cycles when sulfurization condition was at 120 °C for 6 h (CMS/NF-120). Such excellent performances benefit from hierarchical homostructure, which can provide a large reaction surface area, fast ion/electron diffusion channels and rich active sites. Furthermore, the asymmetric pseudocapacitors device constructed with CMS/NF-120 and active carbon exhibits a maximum energy density of 39.8 Wh kg-1 , and good long-term stability (80.1 % capacitance retention after 10,000 cycles).

Registration of intervention trials of Traditional Chinese Medicine for four neurological diseases on Chinese Clinical Trial Registry and ClinicalTrials.gov: a narrative review.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the current status of clinical trial registration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for the treatment of neurological diseases. METHODS: Interventional clinical trials of TCM treatment for ischemic stroke, hemorrhagic stroke, vascular cognitive impairment, tension-type headache before September 22, 2020 on the platform of Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR), and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched. Two researchers independently selected the literature and extracted data. RESULTS: A total of 180 interventional clinical trials were included for analysis. Out of 180 trials, 127 were from ChiCTR and 53 from ClinicalTrials.gov. The countries primary sponsoring the included trials were China (176, 97.8%), and the common categories of primary sponsors were hospital (131, 72.8%). Among the study design, the largest proportion of allocation was randomized (172, 95.6%), interventional model assignment was parallel (163, 90.6%), masking was double blind 49 (27.2%), and the sample size was ≤ 400 (144, 80.0%). The trials were most carried out at a single center (102, 56.7%). Among the included studies, 112 (62.2%) registered on ChiCTR attached the ethical approval documents. In terms of trial stages, 50 (27.7%) studies were in phase IV. The mostly used intervention was Chinese herbal medicines (99, 55%), acupuncture (68, 37.8%) was the second. By searching the registration number on China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database and PubMed, 38 (21.1%) registered trials were published, including 25 protocol studies and 14 research results with one (NCT02275949) published both the protocol and the results. CONCLUSIONS: Irregular and inadequate reporting, untimely update and publication, insufficient information on traditional medicine unique characteristics, and lack of international collaborations are the problems existing in the interventional clinical registration trials of traditional medicine treatment on neurological diseases. More efforts need to be made from the above aspects to standardize and improve the registration of traditional medicine trials.

Correlation of the Chinese velopharyngeal insufficiency-related quality of life instrument and speech in subjects with cleft palate.

OBJECTIVE: Assessment of the hypothesized correlation between the Chinese Velopharyngeal Insufficiency (VPI) Effects on Life Outcomes (VELO) instrument and measured speech parameters. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Oral Clefts Center of West China Hospital of Stomatology between January 2019 and December 2019. Speech parameters including speech intelligibility deficit, VPI severity, VP gap, and need for speech therapy were evaluated by speech-language pathologists. All patients and their parents completed the VELO instrument. The correlation between aforementioned speech parameters and VELO scores was examined utilizing Spearman correlation coefficients. The reliability of VELO test-retest and parent proxy assessment was estimated utilizing intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). A receiver operating characteristic curve was used to calculate the cutoff VELO score. RESULTS: One hundred and forty patients with their parents were enrolled. The mean age was 12.58 ± 3.72 years. Both parent and youth VELO total and domain scores recorded moderate to strong correlations with all speech parameters (r > -.40, P ˂ .001) except the swallowing domain. Most VELO domain items have shown significant correlations with at least one speech parameter. Moreover, the scales of all speech parameters showed different VELO scores (P Ë‚ .001). The ICC reported test-retest correlation >.73 in all domains, and parent proxy correlation >.63 in most domains except the emotional and perception domains. The cutoff VELO score was 79.04 in parent version and 85.77 in youth version. CONCLUSIONS: The correlations between VELO scores and measured speech parameters have provided evidence for test-retest and parent proxy reliability and criterion and construct validity of the Chinese version of the VELO instrument. A VELO score ≥79.04 (in parent version) or ≥85.77 (in youth version) mostly reflects proper speech-related quality of life. Hence, this instrument could serve as a simple tool to help clinicians understand the social, emotional, and physical influences of VPI.

Preoperative pharyngeal depth is associated with postoperative velopharyngeal function following primary cleft palate repair at the age of five and above.

To determine prognostic factors for postoperative velopharyngeal function following the primary cleft palate repair at the age of five and above. This study reviewed patients with cleft palate who had undergone Furlow palatoplasty at age 5 or older from 2009 to 2014. We obtained intraoperative measurements, including velar length, pharyngeal depth, cleft width, maxillary width, cleft palate index (cleft width/maxillary width) and palatopharyngeal ratio (velar length/pharyngeal depth), as well as speech evaluation results at least 1 year after surgery. Logistic regression and retrospective analyses were performed to determine factors associated with speech performance after the primary cleft palate repair. Among the six intraoperative measurements of velopharyngeal morphology, only pharyngeal depth was incorporated into the regression model, and was found to have an inverse association with postoperative velopharyngeal function, Exp (B) 0.883 (95% CI 0.798-0.976). Moreover, a pharyngeal depth greater than 16 mm was significantly associated with a higher risk of postoperative velopharyngeal insufficiency (P < 0.01). Pharyngeal depth is potentially a prognostic indicator for the primary management of cleft palate in older patients. Pharyngoplasty may need to be considered when the pharyngeal depth is large and the patient's access to surgery is limited.

Attractiveness consumption, personality traits and sustainability: Construction and empirical application of evaluation indicators for attractive attributes of China-chic T-shirt products.

Background: The rapid development of China's cultural and creative industries has given cultural fashion products, represented by China-chic () T-shirts, vitality. In recent years, with the arrival of the era of design-led emotional sensory, products with attractive and qualia characteristics have become an important tool to attract consumers and create a competitive brand. Objective: Therefore, this study aimed to build an evaluation index of the attractive attributes of China-chic T-shirt products from the perspective of attractive consumption to serve as an important basis for improving product development and thus promoting the sustainable development of China-chic T-shirt products. Methods: Firstly, a three-level hierarchical model was established for the sustainable development of China-chic T-shirt products based on literature research. Secondly, through the evaluation grid method and factor analysis method, we extracted the attractive elements and factors associated with China-chic T-shirt products and established an objective evaluation index for the attractive attributes of China-chic T-shirt products. Twenty-five participants with different decision-making personalities tested three products with expert validity. The weights of the evaluation indexes of the attractive attributes of China-chic T-shirt products were evaluated using the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process. Finally, a two-factor mixed design ANOVA was conducted to check the practical value of the evaluation index of the attractive attributes of China-chic T-shirt products. Results: The results show that the evaluation indexes of the attractive attributes of China-chic T-shirt products include 7 attractive factors, including the brand image feature, perceptual association feature, beauty feature, delicacy feature, creativity feature, engineering feature, and green feature, as well as 32 attractive elements. Through an empirical application analysis, it was found that the index has an excellent ability to differentiate between the attractive characteristics of different styles of products and test participants with different decision-making personalities.

The Papain-like Cysteine Protease HpXBCP3 from Haematococcus pluvialis Involved in the Regulation of Growth, Salt Stress Tolerance and Chlorophyll Synthesis in Microalgae.

The papain-like cysteine proteases (PLCPs), the most important group of cysteine proteases, have been reported to participate in the regulation of growth, senescence, and abiotic stresses in plants. However, the functions of PLCPs and their roles in stress response in microalgae was rarely reported. The responses to different abiotic stresses in Haematococcus pluvialis were often observed, including growth regulation and astaxanthin accumulation. In this study, the cDNA of HpXBCP3 containing 1515 bp open reading frame (ORF) was firstly cloned from H. pluvialis by RT-PCR. The analysis of protein domains and molecular evolution showed that HpXBCP3 was closely related to AtXBCP3 from Arabidopsis. The expression pattern analysis revealed that it significantly responds to NaCl stress in H. pluvialis. Subsequently, transformants expressing HpXBCP3 in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii were obtained and subjected to transcriptomic analysis. Results showed that HpXBCP3 might affect the cell cycle regulation and DNA replication in transgenic Chlamydomonas, resulting in abnormal growth of transformants. Moreover, the expression of HpXBCP3 might increase the sensitivity to NaCl stress by regulating ubiquitin and the expression of WD40 proteins in microalgae. Furthermore, the expression of HpXBCP3 might improve chlorophyll content by up-regulating the expression of NADH-dependent glutamate synthases in C. reinhardtii. This study indicated for the first time that HpXBCP3 was involved in the regulation of cell growth, salt stress response, and chlorophyll synthesis in microalgae. Results in this study might enrich the understanding of PLCPs in microalgae and provide a novel perspective for studying the mechanism of environmental stress responses in H. pluvialis.

The Functionally Characterization of Putative Genes Involved in the Formation of Mannose in the Aplanospore Cell Wall of Haematococcus pluvialis (Volvocales, Chlorophyta).

Unicellular volvocalean green algal Haematococcus pluvialis, known as astaxanthin rich microalgae, transforms into aplanospore stage from the flagellate stage when exposed to the stress environments. However, the mechanism of the formation of aplanospore cell wall, which hinders the extraction of astaxanthin and the genetic manipulation is still unclear. In this study, the cell wall components under salicylic acid and high light stresses were explored, and cellulose was considered the main component in the flagellates, which changed gradually into mannose in the aplanospore stages. During the period, the genes related to the cellulose and mannose metabolisms were identified based on the RNA-seq data, which presented a similar expression pattern. The positive correlations were observed among these studied genes by Pearson Correlation (PC) analysis, indicating the coordination between pathways of cellulose and mannose metabolism. The study firstly explored the formation mechanism of aplanospore cell wall, which might be of scientific significance in the study of H. pluvialis.

[Outcome indicators in randomized controlled trials on traditional Chinese medicine intervention for tension-type headache in recent five years].

To evaluate the application of outcome indicators in randomized controlled trials(RCTs) concerning the treatment of tension-type headache(TTH) with traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) in recent five years, so as to provide a basis for the study of core outcome set(COS) for TCM intervention in TTH. The RCTs on TCM treatment of TTH in recent five years were systematically retrieved from CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, CBM, EMbase, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, ClinicalTrials.gov and China Clinical Trial Registry. After literature screening, data extraction and evaluation of the risk of bias, the outcome indicators in the included RCTs were subjected to qualitative analysis. The preliminary search yielded 19 042 articles, and 10 983 were left after the elimination of duplication. Finally, 52 RCTs(48 in Chinese and 4 in English) were included for qualitative analysis. The outcome indicators of RCTs included in this study were classified into seven domains: TCM syndrome, symptom and sign, physical and chemical detection, quality of life, long-term prognosis, economic evaluation, and safety event. The findings demonstrated that headache characteristic index in the symptom and sign domain was the index with the highest reporting frequency and reporting rate. Seventeen RCTs used TCM syndrome score as the outcome indicator. Further analysis revealed that there existed such problems in research design as non-distinction between primary and secondary outcome indicators, great difference in the adopted measurement tools for outcome indicators, and the neglect of measurement time of outcome indicators. Moreover, the syndrome indicators reflecting TCM advantages, objective evaluation indicators, safety and health-economic indicators were lacking. These limitations have affected the quality and reliability of RCTs on TTH treatment with TCM. It is suggested that the efficacy and characteristics of TCM should be combined into current clinical research, and the COS in RCTs regarding TCM treatment of TTH should be established according to internationally recognized standard procedures.

[Systematic review and Meta-analysis of efficacy and safety of gastrodin in treatment of tension-type headache].

The efficacy of gastrodin as a Chinese herbal medicine extract in the treatment of tension-type headache has been confirmed. This paper systematically reviewed the efficacy and safety of gastrodin in the treatment of tension-type headache, aiming to provide a new choice for the treatment of this disease. In this study, four Chinese databases, four English databases and two trial registries were searched from the date of establishment to September 2020. The related randomized controlled trials(RCTs) were screened out according to the predetermined criteria. The bias risk assessment tool developed by Cochrane collaboration was used to evaluate the quality of the reports. RevMan 5.4.1 was used for Meta-analysis, and GRADE system for the evidence-based evaluation on the quality of outcome indicators. A total of 177 articles were retrieved and 8 articles were finally included for analysis, with a total sample size of 1 091 cases, which included 565 cases in the treatment group and 526 cases in the control group. The overall quality of included stu-dies was not high. The results of Meta-analysis are as follows:(1)In terms of headache frequency, gastrodin group was better than wes-tern medicine group(MD=-2.90, 95%CI[-3.76,-2.03], P<0.000 01).(2)In terms of number of abnormal blood vessels in TCD, gastrodin group was better than western medicine group(MD=-88.96, 95%CI[-102.36,-75.55], P<0.000 01).(3)In terms of effective rate, gastrodin group was better than western medicine group(RR=1.47, 95%CI[1.29, 1.68], P<0.000 01). The results of subgroup analysis are as follows:(1)Effective rate based on age, for the patients upper age limit 40-46 years old, gastro-din group was better than western medicine group(RR=1.69, 95%CI[1.50, 1.90], P<0.000 01); for the patients upper age limit 55-60 years old, gastrodin group was better than western medicine group(RR=1.27, 95%CI[1.16, 1.38], P<0.000 01).(2)Effective rate based on dosage form, both the gastrodin capsules and injection groups were better than western medicine group(RR_(capsules)=1.42, 95%CI[1.08, 1.88], P=0.01; RR_(injection)=1.50, 95%CI[1.26, 1.77], P<0.000 01). GRADE evaluation showed that the above outcomes had low quality of evidence. Only one article detailed the occurrence of adverse reactions and thus the present study cannot make a positive conclusion on the safety of gastrodin in the treatment of tension-type headache. The small number and low quality of the included reports affected the reliability of the results. In the future, more high-quality randomized controlled trails are needed to improve the evaluation on the efficacy and safety of gastrodin in the treatment of tension-type headache.

[Systematic review and Meta-analysis of efficacy and safety of Toutongning Capsules in treatment of tension-type headache].

This study aims to systematically evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of Toutongning Capsules in the treatment of tension-type headache(TTH), so as to provide a corresponding basis for clinical treatment. Eight commonly used medical research databases and two clinical trial registration systems were retrieved with the time interval from the establishment of the database or system to November 2020. The randomized controlled trials of Toutongning Capsules in the treatment of TTH were screened out according to the pre-set criteria. The quality of the included papers was evaluated by the bias risk assessment tool in Cochrane Reviewers Handbook 6.1 and the data were statistically analyzed by RevMan v5.4 provided by Cochrane collaboration. A total of 13 studies were included and the quality of methodology was generally low. Meta-analysis showed that Toutongning Capsules assisted with western medicine therapy can effectively reduce the pain intensity(MD_(VAS)=-1.94,95%CI[-2.50,-1.38],P<0.000 01;MD_(NRS)=-0.83,95%CI[-0.86,-0.80],P<0.000 01), headache duration(SMD=-0.98,95%CI[-1.17,-0.79],P<0.000 01), headache frequency(MD=-1.01,95%CI[-1.16,-0.85],P<0.000 01), headache index(MD=-11.13,95%CI[-12.10,-10.16],P<0.000 01), anxiety and depression scale score(MD_(HAMA)=-4.02,95%CI[-6.58,-1.46],P=0.002;MD_(HAMD)=-2.67,95%CI[-4.04,-1.29],P=0.000 1), while Toutongning Capsules as monotherapy only reduced the headache score(MD=-2.24,95%CI[-2.97,-1.51],P<0.000 01). The available clinical studies demonstrate that Toutongning Capsules combined with western medicine in the treatment of TTH can improve the related outcome indicators, but the clinical safety and efficacy of Toutongning Capsules alone remain unclear. Due to the small number and low quality of the included studies, large-sample, multi-center, high-quality and strictly designed randomized controlled trials are still needed to verify the clinical efficacy in the future.

Evaluation of Velopharyngeal Closure Ratio by a New Semi-Automatic Detection Method Based on Nasopharyngoscopy With Image Processing Method.

ABSTRACT: The goal of this study is to develop and validate a novel semi-automatic detection method (SADM) under nasopharyngoscopy based on the image processing technique, which can assist the evaluation of the velar closure ratio (VCR). After the development of the SADM, 72 patients were enrolled. The reliability of SADM was evaluated by repeated measurements. Velar closure ratio are given by conventional nasopharyngoscopy method and SADM were compared. Velar closure ratios given by SADM were further translated into a trichotomous classification for velopharyngeal function diagnosis, that is, velopharyngeal closure (VPC), marginal VPC (MVPC), and velopharyngeal incomplete. The 2 VCR-thresholds used for the translation were explored and validated. As results shown, SADM was proved to be reliable with an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.996 (95% confidence interval: 0.993-0.997, P < 0.001). Intraclass correlation coefficient between conventional nasopharyngoscopy method and SADM was 0.954 (95% confidence interval: 0.927- 0.971, P < 0.001). Velar closure ratio-thresholds were set at 0.82 and 0.92 according to the ROC curve. Diagnostic sensitivity and specificity for velopharyngeal incomplete were 1.00 and 1.00. MVPC had 0.58 sensitivity and 0.96 specificities while VPC had 0.92 and 0.79, respectively. No statistically significant difference was found between the diagnosis of SADM and speech pathologists (P > 0.1). In conclusion, this study successfully developed an accurate and reliable semi-automatic method to evaluate VCR, which could help improve the efficacy of VCR evaluation and velopharyngeal function diagnosis.

[Velopharyngeal closure pattern and speech characteristics of patients congenital velopharyngeal insufficiency].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze velopharyngeal closure patterns and speech characteristics of patients with congenital velopharyngeal insufficiency. METHODS: Patients visiting the Department of Cleft Lip and Palate Surgery, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University between 2009 and 2017 were reviewed. Outcomes of subjective speech evaluation, including resonance, consonant articulation, and correction rate, were analyzed. Furthermore, the mobility of soft palate and pharyngeal walls under nasopharyngeal fiberscope were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: A total of 47 cases were retrieved and subjected to nasopharyngeal fiberscopic examination. Among them, 29 (61.7%) demonstrated a circular closure pattern, 16 (34.0%) showed a coronal pattern, and 2 (4.3%) had a sagittal pattern. Furthermore, 25 (53.2%) presented medium soft-palate mobility, 22 (46.8%) had weak lateral pharyngeal wall mobility, and 41 (87.2%) had no posterior pharyngeal wall mobility. Among all of the patients, 23 (48.9%) presented medium hypernasality, accounting for the highest proportion. Consonant misarticulation occurred in 89.4% of the cases. The articulation manners with the highest correction rate were in the following order: nasal, lateral, fricatives, stops, and affricates. The articulation places with the highest correction rate were in the following order: bilabial, alveolar, velar, and linguadental. CONCLUSIONS: Circular closure was the most prevalent velopharyngeal closure pattern among patients with congenital velopharyngeal insufficiency, and consonant omission was the most common articulation abnormality.