The Growth and Conidiation of Purpureocillium lavendulum Are Co-Regulated by Nitrogen Sources and Histone H3K14 Acetylation.

Plant-parasitic nematodes cause severe economic losses to agriculture. As important biocontrol agents, nematophagous fungi evolved the ability to obtain nitrogen sources from nematodes. However, the impact of nitrogen sources on the growth and development of these fungi is largely unknown. In this study, we aimed to better understand how nitrogen sources could influence vegetative growth and conidiation through epigenetic regulation in the nematophagous fungus, Purpureocillium lavendulum. Through nutrition screening, we found a phenomenon of the fungus, limited colony extension with a large amount of conidia production when cultured on PDA media, can be altered by adding ammonia nitrate. Characterized by site-directed mutagenesis, the histone H3K14 acetylation was found to be involved in the alternation. Furthermore, the acetyltransferase PlGCN5 was responsible for H3K14 acetylation. Knockout of Plgcn5 severely diminished conidiation in P. lavendulum. Chip-seq showed that H3K14ac distributed in conidiation regulating genes, and genes in the MAPK pathway which may be the downstream targets in the regulation. These findings suggest that histone modification and nitrogen sources coordinated lifestyle regulation in P. lavendulum, providing new insight into the mechanism of growth regulation by nutritional signals for the carnivorous fungus.

[Origin and development of HUA Tuo's acupuncturing sensation technique].

Based on HUA Tuo's personal experience, teaching experience, works as well as ancient books of similar times, this paper discusses the origin and development of HUA Tuo's acupuncturing sensation technique, and analyzes the reasons why this technology has been lost. The formation of this technique is influenced by the descriptions of "regulating qi " "arrival of qi " and "reaching qi" in Neijing (Internal Canon of Medicine) and Nanjing, and combines with the clinical summary of conduction direction and specific position of acupuncturing sensation. Due to HUA Tuo's personal experience, the inheritance characteristics of acupuncture technology and the background of his times, this technology may have been lost, but it still affects the acupuncture concept and practice of "qi reaching affected area" in later generations.

Effect of "Tonifying Kidney and Invigorating Brain" acupuncture in children with spastic cerebral palsy analyzed by multi-modality MRI combined with dynamic electroencephalogram.

INTRODUCTION: Cerebral palsy is the most common motor disability of childhood. Spastic cerebral palsy accounts for 60% to 70% of cases. Research has shown that acupuncture can improve the quality of life of children with cerebral palsy, but the mechanism of action remains unclear. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of acupuncture for treatment of children with spastic cerebral palsy and to assess the value of multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ambulatory electroencephalogram (EEG) for evaluation of treatment effect. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This randomized controlled trial will enroll a total of 72 children with CP from 2 hospitals-Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine and Nanjing State Hospital of Pediatric-with 36 participants from each hospital. Patients will be randomly assigned (1:1 ratio) to receive "Tonifying Kidney and Invigorating Brain" acupuncture treatment plus standardized physical rehabilitation treatment (treatment group) or only standardized physical rehabilitation (control group). All participants will receive 3 treatment sessions per week for 3 consecutive months; they will then be followed up for another 3 months. The primary outcome measures will include multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ambulatory electroencephalogram (EEG), and Gesell Developmental Diagnostic Schedules. The secondary outcome measures will include Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS), Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM), Functional Independence Measure (WeeFIM), and Modified Ashworth Scale score. Outcome measures (including primary and secondary outcome measures) were collected at the baseline, 3 months and 6 months prior to the intervention.Ethics and dissemination PATIENTS CONSENT:: Obtained. ETHICS APPROVAL: The central independent ethics committee of Jiangsu Province Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine approved the protocol (2017NL-115-02). SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS: Routine blood tests and liver and kidney function tests will be conducted to exclude patients with severe heart, liver, or kidney diseases. The same examinations will be performed again at the end of the study to detect any possible side effects. Possible acupuncture-related adverse events (e.g., fainting, needle stick injury, local infection, subcutaneous hematoma, and low-grade fever) will be documented. Serious adverse events will be reported to the principal investigator immediately. All unexpected and unintended responses, even those not necessarily related to the acupuncture intervention, will be documented as adverse events. CASE DROPOUT MANAGEMENT: Participants have a right to withdraw from the study at any time if they feel uncomfortable upon receiving the treatments or being diagnosed with serious complications or diseases. They will then be referred to the preferred department for further treatment and management. If cases of dropout, the researcher need to contact the participant to reason the problem out, collect and record all the necessary assessments on the last visit as well as the date of last visit. All data available until the date of withdrawal will be stored for further statistical analysis. DISCUSSION: This research is being conducted to assess the value of acupuncture as an intervention for rehabilitation of children with spastic cerebral palsy and also to evaluate the usefulness of multimodal MRI and ambulatory EEG for identifying changes in brain function. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This trial is registered with Chinese Clinical Trials Register, ChiCTR 1900024546 (registered 15 July 2019; retrospective registration, http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=35763).

[Effect of scalp acupuncture stimulation on cerebral cortex function and related mechanism].

A literature review was performed to investigate the possible mechanism of scalp acupuncture in stimulating the skin, fascia, muscle, and periosteum and thus affecting cerebral cortex function. The results of literature research show that the effect of scalp acupuncture on cerebral cortex function may be achieved by the stimulation of specific anatomical structures. Stimulation of the skin, fascia, muscle and periosteum can activate the functional areas of the cerebral cortex through the midbrain, thalamus, and brainstem. In addition, different depths of stimulation may affect the deep and shallow sensation of the brain, self-monitoring of the fascia, subcortical central compensation, and cortical discharge. Therefore, exploration of the specific rules and differences in the effect of stimulating different anatomical structures on brain function is the future focus of the clinical and basic research on scalp acupuncture.

[Definition of lost acupuncture technique: based on Dictionary of Chinese Acupuncture- Moxibustion].

OBJECTIVE: By defining the inclusion criteria of the lost acupuncture technique and sorting out the content of lost acupuncture technique (possibly lost acupuncture technique), this article aimed to provide ideas and methods of the inheritance of acupuncture technique. METHODS: The whole entries of Dictionary of Chinese Acupuncture-Moxibustion were searched. The items of acupuncture technique were screened and used as the key terms to retrieve the literature from the database of CNKI, Wanfang, VIP and SinoMed. After that, the lost acupuncture technique and the possibly lost technique were selected from included items, and the terminologies of acupuncture technique were standardized. RESULTS: A total of 364 items of acupuncture technique were retrieved, including 17 items of lost acupuncture technique and 12 items of possibly lost acupuncture technique. CONCLUSION: The lost acupuncture technique is defined as the acupuncture technique recorded in ancient classics but can not be retrieved in modern literature of clinical application or expert's experience. The change of government or alternation of dynasty, the evolution of acupuncture-moxibustion theories and education are the related causes of lost acupuncture technique.

[Regularities of application of acupoints to relieving clinical indications of Sanguan (cun, guan and chi, three places at the wrist where the pulse is usually taken) in classical book Mai Jing (Pulse Classic)].

According to indications of Sanguan (cun, guan and chi, three places at the wrist where the pulse is usually taken) described in book Mai Jing (Pulse Classic), the selection of acupoints is based on the location of problems and pulse conditions. WANG Shu-he (201-280, a well-known physician of the Wei and Jin dynasties) chose the operation method and stimulating intensity according to the nature of clinical disorders, that is, performing acupuncture or moxibusion in accordance with pulse conditions, or performing reinforcing or reducing needling manipulations based on pulse conditions. Clinical indications of Sanguan described in Mai Jing originate from Suwen: Sanbu Jiuhou Lun (Plain Questions: Discussion on Three Portions and Nine Pulse-takings) and are also influenced by Shanghan Lun (Treatise on Cold Damage Diseases) and Jingui Yao Lue (Synopsis of Prescriptions of the Golden Chamber). It inherits ZHANG Zhong-jing's clinical thinking of "pulse-syndrome-treatment" and supplements the content of acupuncture and moxibustion treatment, and also influenced the contents of indications of acupoints in book Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing (A-B Classic of Acupuncture and Moxibustion) and Qian Jin Yao Fang (Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold). For this reason, it is necessary to unscramble the Mai Jing from clinical perspective of acupuncture and moxibustion, and to explore the thinking and practice mode of clinical diagnosis and treatment of clinical conditions by acupuncture and moxibustion.

[Compliance Control Strategy in the Practical Randomized Controlled Trial Study of Electroacupuncture Combined with Behavior Control for Overweight and Simple Obesity].

Electroacupuncture (EA) has been extensively used in clinical treatment of obesity. The effectiveness relies not only on the correct diagnosis and rational treatment, but also on the voluntary cooperation of patients, that is the satisfactory compliance. The patient compliance refers to his/her submissiveness and executive ability to medical advice, which is the indispensable factor for the clinical efficacy. The strength of it depends on the patient himself/herself, and moreover is improved through some therapeutic strategies. Based on the emphasis of individual treatment in the real world, the practical randomized controlled trial (RCT) study pays attention to patient's compliance at the beginning of trial design. In this paper, in terms of the influential factors and control strategies, the compliance of simple obesity patient in the practical RCT study was summarized systematically.

Adsorption behavior of 2, 3, 7, 8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin on pristine and doped black phosphorene: A DFT study.

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) are highly toxic to humans. The search for novel and effective methods and materials for detecting or removing these gas pollutants is becoming more important and urgent. With its high specific surface area, abundance, and variety of potential applications, phosphorene has attracted much research interest. In this study, density functional theory was used to study the interactions between a doped phosphorene sheet and a tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) molecule. The initial configurations of the TCDD and metallic (Ca or Ti) or nonmetallic (S and Se) dopants were investigated during the TCDD-phosphorene interaction study. Adsorption energy, isosurface of electron density difference, and density of states analysis were utilized to explore the interactions between TCDD and phosphorene. The results indicated that Ca dopant effectively improved the interaction between TCDD and phosphorene. Se dopant reduced the interaction between TCDD and phosphorene. Combining interactions between TCDD and the pristine, Ca-doped, and Se-doped phosphorenes, phosphorene could be a promising candidate for TCDD sensing and removal.

The effect of ginger and garlic addition during cooking on the volatile profile of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) soup.

Ginger and garlic have long been used in Asian countries to enhance the flavor and to neutralize any unpleasant odors present in fish soup. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the change in the amount of volatile components present in fish soup compared to boiled water solutions of ginger and garlic. The fish soup was prepared by boiling oil-fried grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) with or without ginger and/or garlic. Generally, boiling garlic and ginger in water led to a decrease in the amount of the principal volatile constituents of these spices, together with the formation of some new volatiles such as pentanal, hexanal, and nonanal. The results showed that 16 terpenes present in raw ginger, predominantly camphene, ß-phellandrene, ß-citral, α-zingiberene, and (E)-neral, were detected in fish soup with added ginger and thus remained in the solution even after boiling. Similarly, 2-propen-1-ol and three sulfur compounds (allyl sulfide, diallyl disulfide, and diallyl trisulfide) present in raw garlic, were present in trace amounts in the boiled garlic solution, but were present in considerably larger amounts in the boiled fish solution with garlic or garlic plus ginger. In conclusion, the effect of adding spices on the volatile profile of grass carp soup can be attributed to the dissolution of flavor volatiles mainly derived from raw spices into the solution, with few additional volatiles being formed during boiling. In addition, boiling previously fried grass carp with spices led to enhanced volatile levels compared to boiled spice solutions.

Band structure of graphene modulated by Ti or N dopants and applications in gas sensoring.

The exploration of novel sensors for NO2 detection is particularly important in material and environmental sciences. In this work, the HOMO-LUMO gap of graphene, Ti- or N-doped graphene is investigated by DFT methods. The adsorption of NO2, NO, and O2 on Ti- or N-doped graphene of different sizes is also explored. Results reveal that the interactions between gases (NO2, NO, and O2) and Ti- or N-doped graphenes is not affected by the size of graphene. The doped Ti greatly improves the interactions between gases and graphene whereas the doped N has no effect on those interactions. The HOMO- LUMO gap of Ti-doped graphene can be modulated by adsorption of the gases. The cross effect of the NO and O2 is also investigated, and it is demonstrated that Ti-doped graphene has specific interactions with NO2. Thus, Ti-doped graphene can be a candidate for NO2 sensor materials. Furthermore, doping the graphene with Ti or N improves the sensitivity of the sheets toward NO2, which can be trapped and detected by the intrinsic graphene. Efficient sensors are rationally designed to diversify their applications in environmental science and engineering.

[Diagnosis and treatment of cervical ectopic pregnancy].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the diagnosis and treatment of cervical ectopic pregnancy. METHODS: The clinical data of 27 patients with cervical ectopic pregnancy who were treated in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 1990 to November 2009 were retrospectively reviewed. The clinical effectiveness of three fertility-preserved treatment modes were compared. RESULTS: Of these 27 patients,one underwent hysterectomy, while all the other 26 patients selected fertility-preserved treatment,which included curettage after uterine artery embolization (UAE) (n=14), curettage directly (n=8), and curettage after methotrexate (MTX) injection (n=4). The effectiveness rates of these three methods were 100%,75.0%,and 50.0%, respectively,which was significantly higher in curettage after UAE group than in curettage after MTX group (P=0.005). The duration of hospitalization was (17.0∓3.2) days in curettage after MTX group,which was significantly longer than that in curettage after UAE group (6.1∓2.9) d (P=0.004) and curettage directly group (4.9∓3.4) d (P=0.001). The mean hospitalization cost showed no significant difference among three groups (P=0.104). CONCLUSION: Curettage after UAE is safe and effective for patients diagnosed or highly suspicious of cervical pregnancy.

[Therapeutic effect of flavopiridol, a small molecular cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, in human ovarian carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the antitumor effect of flavopiridol in ovarian cancer. METHODS: After the treatment with flavopiridol of AO cells, cell apoptotic rate and cell cycle distribution were detected by flow cytometer and the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick-end labelling (TUNEL). Real time PCR was used to detect the expression of cyclin D and active caspase-3 in AO cells. Subcutaneous tumor models and abdominally spread tumor models of human ovarian carcinoma using AO cells in BALB/c nude mice were established. The mouse survival rates were measured for abdominally spread tumor models and the volume of tumor nodules was determined for subcutaneous tumor models following the treatments of flavopiridol. TUNEL was used to detect cell apoptosis, and immunohistochemistry was used to measure microvessel density (MVD) in tumor tissues. RESULTS: AO cells showed apoptotic rates of 4.1%, 10.7% and 7.6% following the treatments with flavopiridol at 150, 300 and 500 nmol/L respectively, accompanied by an increase in G(1) progression and a decrease in S phase progression. The level of active caspase-3 increased (2.55 vs 2.49) and the level of cyclin D expression decreased significantly (0.25 vs 0.69, P < 0.05) after treatments with flavopiridol. Flavopiridol prolonged mouse survival [mean survival time of (141 +/- 14) days] and suppressed tumor growth significantly (tumor growth suppression rate of 40%), when compared with treatment using phosphate-buffered saline [(106 +/- 11) days, P < 0.05]. Apoptosis was detected in tumor tissues treated with flavopiridol. MVD of tumor tissue was 12 +/- 5 following flavopiridol treatment, significantly higher than that of 35 +/- 10 treated with phosphate-buffered saline (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Flavopiridol results in significant suppression of ovarian carcinoma cell growth and prolongs survival of mice.