Gender Differences in the Prevalence and Clinical Correlates of Metabolic Syndrome in First-Episode and Drug-Naïve Patients With Major Depressive Disorder.

OBJECTIVE: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a severe psychiatric symptom worldwide, and the coexistence of MDD with metabolic syndrome (MetS) is common in clinical practice. However, gender differences in comorbid MetS in first-episode and drug-naïve (FEDN) MDD patients have not been reported. Here, we explored potential gender differences in the prevalence and clinical correlates of comorbid MetS in FEDN MDD patients. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of 1718 FEDN MDD patients was conducted. Demographic and clinical data were collected. The Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD), Hamilton Anxiety Scale, and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale positive subscale were used to evaluate depression, anxiety, and psychotic symptoms, respectively. RESULTS: The prevalence of MetS was 1.645-fold higher in female MDD patients (38.50%) than in male patients (26.53%). Patients with MetS had higher HAMD score, Hamilton Anxiety Scale score, and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale positive subscale score than patients without MetS (p values < .001). Furthermore, suicide attempts (male: odds ratio [OR] = 1.706, p = .034; female: OR = 1.639, p = .004) and HAMD score (male: OR = 1.251, p < .001; female: OR = 1.148, p < .001) were independently associated with MetS in male and female patients, whereas age of onset was independently associated with MetS only in female patients (OR = 1.744, p = .047). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest significant gender differences in the prevalence and clinical correlates of comorbid MetS in FEDN MDD patients. Clinical variables (suicide attempts and HAMD scores) may be independently associated with MetS in MDD patients.

Adaptive functions of structural variants in human brain development.

Quantifying the structural variants (SVs) in nonhuman primates could provide a niche to clarify the genetic backgrounds underlying human-specific traits, but such resource is largely lacking. Here, we report an accurate SV map in a population of 562 rhesus macaques, verified by in-house benchmarks of eight macaque genomes with long-read sequencing and another one with genome assembly. This map indicates stronger selective constrains on inversions at regulatory regions, suggesting a strategy for prioritizing them with the most important functions. Accordingly, we identified 75 human-specific inversions and prioritized them. The top-ranked inversions have substantially shaped the human transcriptome, through their dual effects of reconfiguring the ancestral genomic architecture and introducing regional mutation hotspots at the inverted regions. As a proof of concept, we linked APCDD1, located on one of these inversions and down-regulated specifically in humans, to neuronal maturation and cognitive ability. We thus highlight inversions in shaping the human uniqueness in brain development.

Dihydrophenanthro[b]furan derivatives from the tubers of Bletilla striata.

Two pairs of new dihydrophenanthro[b]furan enantiomers blephebibnols G-H (1-2), one new dihydrophenanthro[b]furan derivative blephebibnol I (3), along with four known analogues (4-7), were isolated from the tubers of Bletilla striata. Their structures including the absolute configurations were determined by the combination of spectroscopic data analysis, ECD and NMR calculations. Compounds 1a, 1b, and 2b showed inhibition of NO production in LPS-stimulated BV-2 cells, with IC50 values ranging from 4.11 to 14.65 µM. Further mechanistic study revealed that 1a suppressed the phosphorylation of p65 subunit to regulate the NF-κB signaling pathway. In addition, some compounds displayed selective cytotoxic activities against HCT-116, HepG2, A549, or HGC27 cancer cell lines with IC50 values ranging from 0.1 to 8.23 µM.

Hybrid architecture based intelligent diagnosis assistant for GP.

As the first point of contact for patients, General Practitioners (GPs) play a crucial role in the National Health Service (NHS). An accurate primary diagnosis from the GP can alleviate the burden on specialists and reduce the time needed to re-confirm the patient's condition, allowing for more efficient further examinations. However, GPs have broad but less specialized knowledge, which limits the accuracy of their diagnosis. Therefore, it is imperative to introduce an intelligent system to assist GPs in making decisions. This paper introduces two data augmentation methods, the Complaint Symptoms Integration Method and Symptom Dot Separating Method, to integrate essential information into the Integration dataset. Additionally, it proposes a hybrid architecture that fuses the features of words from different representation spaces. Experiments demonstrate that, compared to commonly used pre-trained attention-based models, our hybrid architecture delivers the best classification performance for four common neurological diseases on the enhanced Integration dataset. For example, the classification accuracy of the BERT+CNN hybrid architecture is 0.897, which is a 5.1% improvement over both BERT and CNN with 0.846. Finally, this paper develops an AI diagnosis assistant web application that leverages the superior performance of this architecture to help GPs complete primary diagnosis efficiently and accurately.

Prevalence and risk factors for subclinical hypothyroidism in older patients with major depressive disorder.

BACKGROUND: Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) is highly correlated with major depressive disorder (MDD). However, the prevalence and risk factors for SCH in older patients with MDD have rarely been reported in China. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 266 older MDD patients with SCH was performed. Clinical and anthropometric, biochemical, and thyroid function data were collected. Depression, anxiety, and psychotic symptoms were assessed using the Hamilton Depression Scale, the Hamilton Anxiety Scale, and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale positive subscale, respectively. RESULTS: Among older patients with MDD, the prevalence of SCH was 64.7% (172/266). Compared to patients without SCH, older MDD patients with SCH had a longer disease course and higher TSH, A-TG, A-TPO, HDL-C, LDL-C, TC, FPG, and systolic pressure levels (all P ≤ 0.002). Furthermore, disease progression (OR 1.082, 95% CI 1.020-1.147, P = 0.009), A-TG (OR 1.005, 95% CI 1.001-1.009, P = 0.017), TC (OR 2.024, 95% CI 1.213-3.377, P = 0.007), FPG (OR 2.916, 95% CI 1.637-5.194, P < 0.001), systolic pressure (OR 1.053, 95% CI 1.008-1.100, P = 0.022) were independently associated with SCH, in older patients with MDD. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest a high prevalence of SCH in older patients with MDD. Several demographic and clinical variables were independently associated with SCH in older patients with MDD.

Novel Lanthanide Complexes Synthesized from 3-Dimethylamino Benzoic Acid and 5,5'-Dimethyl-2,2' Bipyridine Ligand: Crystal Structure, Thermodynamics, and Fluorescence Properties.

Two isostructural lanthanide complexes were synthesized by solvent evaporation with 3-dimethylaminobenzoic acid and 5,5'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine as ligands. The general formula of the structure is a [Ln(3-N,N-DMBA)3(5,5'-DM-2,2'-bipy)]2·2(3-N,N-DMHBA), Ln = (Gd(1), Tb(2)), 3-N,N-DMBA = 3-Dimethylamino benzoate, 5,5'-DM-2,2'-bipy = 5,5'-dimethyl-2,2' bipyridine. Both complexes exhibited dimeric structures based on X-ray diffraction analysis. At the same time, infrared spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy were used to measure the spectra of the complex. A thermogravimetric infrared spectroscopy experiment was performed to investigate the thermal stability and decomposition mechanism of the complexes. Measurements of the low-temperature heat capacity of the complexes were obtained within the temperature range of 1.9 to 300 K. The thermodynamic function was calculated by heat capacity fitting. In addition, the fluorescence spectra of complex 2 were studied and the fluorescence lifetime values were determined, and the energy transfer mechanism of complex 2 was elucidated.

[Estimation and Critical Source Area Identification of Non-point Source Pollution Based on Improved Export Coefficient Models: A Case Study of the Upper Beiyun River Basin].

Non-point source pollution(NSP) poses a great threat to water ecosystem health. The quantitative estimation of spatial distribution characteristics and accurate identification of critical source areas(CSAs) of NSP are the basis for its efficient and accurate control. The export coefficient model(ECM) has been widely used to assess NSP, but this model should be improved because it ignores pollutant loss in transport processes. In this study, the ECM, which refines the physical transport processes of pollutants through quantifying the loss rate of pollutants in runoff, sediment, and infiltration, was improved to assess NSP and identify CSAs. The simulation accuracy among Johnes ECM, frequent ECM, and improved ECM were analyzed, and the effects of the three models on the simulation results of both spatial distribution characteristics and CSAs were explored. The study showed that:① the simulation error of the improved ECM(-6.79%) was significantly lower than that of the Johnes ECM(50.44%) and the frequent ECM(-84.01%), and this improved ECM increased the simulation accuracy of NSP. ② The spatial distribution characteristics and CSAs of NSP obtained from Johnes, frequent, and improved ECMs were significantly different, and the simulation results of improved ECM were more consistent with the spatial characteristics of NSP in the watershed. The NSP was high in the southeast and low in the northwest of the basin, and the NSP mainly came from urban and cultivated land. ③ Based on the improved ECM, the CSAs of NSP in the basin were mainly distributed in Changping, Shahe, Shigezhuang, the north of Wenquan, and the west of Malianwa Street, accounting for 6.71% of the area. This study can provide an effective tool and scientific reference for the assessment and control of NSP in data-limited regions.

Prevalence and associated clinical factors for overweight and obesity in young first-episode and drug-naïve Chinese patients with major depressive disorder.

Background: Obesity and overweight are common in young patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). However, the prevalence and associated clinical factors of obesity/overweight in young first-episode and drug-naïve (FEDN) MDD patients are rarely reported in China. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 917 young patients (aged 18-35 years) with FEDN MDD was performed. Demographic and clinical data were collected. Depression, anxiety, and psychotic symptoms were assessed using the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD), the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA), and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) positive subscale, respectively. Results: Among the young MDD patients, the prevalence of obesity and overweight was 4.14 and 52.89%, respectively. Compared to normal-weight patients, overweight patients were older, had a greater age of onset, and had higher TSH and TG levels. Male MDD patients had a higher risk of obesity than female patients. Compared to obese patients, normal-weight and overweight patients had significantly lower HAMD scores, TC levels, and rates of TSH abnormalities. Logistic regression analysis showed that age, age of onset, and sex were independently associated with obesity, and TSH was independently associated with both obesity and overweight, in young MDD patients. Conclusion: Our findings suggest a high prevalence of overweight and obesity in young FEDN MDD patients. Several demographic and clinical variables are independently associated with overweight/obesity in these young MDD patients.

A first-in-human phase I study of SHR-1906, a humanized monoclonal antibody against connective tissue growth factor, in healthy participants.

New therapeutic targets and drugs are urgently needed to halt the fibrosing process in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). SHR-1906 is a novel fully humanized monoclonal antibody against the connective tissue growth factor, which plays an essential role in the genesis of IPF. We assessed the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics (PKs), and immunogenicity of single dose SHR-1906 in healthy participants. This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-escalation, phase I study. Twelve healthy participants for each dose level were enrolled to receive single ascending doses of SHR-1906 intravenously (1.5, 6, 12, 20, 30, and 45 mg/kg) or placebo and followed for 71 days. The primary end points were safety and tolerability. Treatment-related treatment-emergent adverse events occurred in 25 participants (46.3%) in the SHR-1906 group and 11 (61.1%) in the placebo group. No serious adverse events occurred. Over the dose range investigated, the geometric mean clearance was 0.14-0.63 mL/h/kg, the geometric mean volume of distribution at steady-state was 47.4-75.5 mL/kg, and the terminal elimination half-life was 51.9-349 h. SHR-1906 showed nonlinear PKs. The peak concentration increased in a dose-proportional manner, whereas the area under the concentration-time curve showed a greater than dose-proportional increase. Anti-drug antibodies of SHR-1906 were detected in nine of 54 participants (16.7%). A single dose of SHR-1906 up to 45 mg/kg demonstrated a favorable tolerability profile in healthy participants. The PKs and immunogenicity of SHR-1906 were evaluated, supporting further clinical development.

Chemotherapy effect on myocardial fibrosis markers in patients with gynecologic cancer and low cardiovascular risk.

Background: Patients with gynecologic cancers experience side effects of chemotherapy cardiotoxicity. We aimed to quantify cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) markers of myocardial fibrosis in patients with gynecologic cancer and low cardiovascular risk who undergo chemotherapy. Methods: This study is part of a registered clinical research. CMR T1 mapping was performed in patients with gynecologic cancer and low cardiovascular risk undergoing chemotherapy. The results were compared with those of age-matched healthy control subjects. Results: 68 patients (median age = 50 years) and 30 control subjects were included. The median number of chemotherapy cycles of patients was 9.0 (interquartile range [IQR] 3.3-17.0). Extracellular volume fraction (ECV) (27.2% ± 2.7% vs. 24.5% ± 1.7%, P < 0.001) and global longitudinal strain (-16.2% ± 2.8% vs. -17.4% ± 2.0%, P = 0.040) were higher in patients compared with controls. Patients with higher chemotherapy cycles (>6 cycles) (n=41) had significantly lower intracellular mass indexed (ICMi) compared with both patients with lower chemotherapy cycles (≤6 cycles) (n=27) (median 27.44 g/m2 [IQR 24.03-31.15 g/m2] vs. median 34.30 g/m2 [IQR 29.93-39.79 g/m2]; P = 0.002) and the control group (median 27.44 g/m2 [IQR 24.03-31.15 g/m2] vs. median 32.79 g/m2 [IQR 27.74-35.76 g/m2]; P = 0.002). Patients with two or more chemotherapy regimens had significantly lower ICMi compared with both patients with one chemotherapy regimen (27.45 ± 5.16 g/m2 vs. 33.32 ± 6.42 g/m2; P < 0.001) and the control group (27.45 ± 5.16 g/m2 vs. 33.02 ± 5.52 g/m2; P < 0.001). The number of chemotherapy cycles was associated with an increase in the ECV (Standard regression coefficient [ß] = 0.383, P = 0.014) and a decrease in the ICMi (ß = -0.349, P = 0.009). Conclusion: Patients with gynecologic cancer and low cardiovascular risk who undergo chemotherapy have diffuse extracellular volume expansion, which is obvious with the increase of chemotherapy cycles. Myocyte loss may be part of the mechanism in patients with a higher chemotherapy load. Clinical trial registration: http://www.chictr.org.cn, identifier ChiCTR-DDD-17013450.

[Properties of new exotic traditional Chinese medicinal Vernonia amygdalina leaves:a literature research].

The leaves of Vernonia amygdalina Delile of the family Asteraceae(also known as "bitter leaf"), rich in biological activities, are used as both medicine and food for a long time in West tropical Africa. They have been introduced into Southeast Asia and Fujian and Guangdong provinces of China in recent years. However, little is known about the properties of the plant in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM), which limits its combination with other Chinese medicinal herbs. In this study, 473 articles on V. amygdalina leaves were selected from PubMed, Web of Science, CNKI, Wanfang Data and VIP to summarize their components, pharmacological effects and clinical research. V. amygdalina leaves presented anti-microbial, hypoglycemic, anti-hypertensive, lipid-lowering, anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and other pharmacological effects. On the basis of the theory of TCM properties, the leaves were inferred to be cold in property and bitter and sweet in flavor, acting on spleen, liver, stomach and large intestine and with the functions of clearing heat, drying dampness, purging fire, removing toxin, killing insects and preventing attack of malaria. They can be used to treat dampness-heat diarrhea, interior heat and diabetes, malaria, insect accumulation and eczema(5-10 g dry leaves by decoction per day and an appropriate amount of crushed fresh leaves applying to the affected area for external use). Due to the lack of TCM properties, V. amygdalina leaves are rarely used medicinally in China. The determination of medicinal properties of the leaves is conducive to the introduction of new exotic medicinal herbs and the development of new TCM resources, which facilitated further clinical application and research and development of Chinese medicinal herbs.

[Anti-fatigue effect of Lubian on kidney Yin deficiency and kidney Yang deficiency mice and mechanism based on PI3K-Akt pathway].

This study aimed to investigate the anti-fatigue effect and mechanism of Lubian(Cervi Penis et Testis) on kidney Yin deficiency and kidney Yang deficiency mice. After one week of adaptive feeding, 88 healthy male Kunming mice were randomly divided into a blank group, a kidney Yin deficiency model group, a kidney Yin deficiency-Panacis Quinquefolii Radix(PQR) group, kidney Yin deficiency-Lubian treatment groups, a kidney Yang deficiency model group, a kidney Yang deficiency-Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma(GR) group, and kidney Yang deficiency-Lubian treatment groups, with eight mice in each group. The kidney Yin deficiency model and kidney Yang deficiency model were prepared by daily regular oral administration of dexamethasone acetate and hydrocortisone, respectively, and meanwhile, corresponding drugs were provided. The mice in the blank group received blank reagent. The treatment lasted 14 days. The exhaustive swimming time was measured 30 min after drug administration on the 14th day. On the 15th day, blood was collected from eyeballs and the serum was separated to determine the content of lactic acid(LD), blood urea nitrogen(BUN), lactate dehydrogenase(LDH), cyclic adenosine monophosphate(cAMP), and cyclic guanosine monophosphate(cGMP). The liver was dissected to determine the content of liver glycogen and the protein expression of phosphoinositide 3-kinase(PI3K) and protein kinase B(Akt). Compared with the kidney Yang deficiency model group, the kidney Yang deficiency-Lubian treatment groups showed increased body weight(P<0.05), relieved symptoms of Yang deficiency, decreased cGMP content(P<0.01), increased cAMP/cGMP(P<0.01), prolonged exhausted swimming time(P<0.01), reduced LD(P<0.01), elevated BUN content(P<0.01), increased liver glycogen content(P<0.01), and increased protein expression of PI3K and Akt in the liver(P<0.05). Compared with the kidney Yin deficiency model group, the kidney Yin deficiency-Lubian treatment groups showed increased body weight(P<0.01), relieved symptoms of Yin deficiency, increased content of cGMP(P<0.01), decreased cAMP/cGMP(P<0.01), prolonged exhausted swimming time(P<0.01), decreased LD(P<0.01), decreased BUN content(P<0.01), increased liver glycogen content(P<0.01), and increased protein expression of PI3K(P<0.05) and Akt in the liver(P<0.05). To sum up, Lubian can regulate Yin deficiency and Yang deficiency and increase glycogen synthesis by affecting the PI3K-Akt pathway, thereby exerting an anti-fatigue role.

Chronic social comparison elicits depression- and anxiety-like behaviors and alterations in brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression in male rats.

Social comparison is a fundamental human characteristic; however, long-term social comparison may induce psychological stress and can lead to depression and anxiety. Recent studies have shown that nonhuman primates compare themselves with others; however, no studies have investigated whether social comparisons exist among rodents. In the present study, we established a rat model of social comparison. This model was subsequently used to examine the effects of the differential environment of a partner on depression- and anxiety-like behaviors in male rats, as well as to assess the changes in serum, medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and dorsal hippocampus brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels induced by long-term social comparison. Compared to rats whose partners were exposed to the same environment, rats whose partners were exposed to two combined enriched environmental stimuli for 14 days showed significantly decreased social novelty preference and sucrose consumption. No anxiety-like behaviors were observed. Rats whose partners were exposed to one enriched environment for 31 days showed significantly increased immobility time in the forced swimming test, and significantly decreased time spent in the center area in the open-field test. Further, rats whose partners were exposed to one enriched environment for 31 days showed lower BDNF levels in the mPFC and dorsal hippocampus, but not following partner exposure for 14 days. These results suggest that social comparisons exist in rats and can induce psychosocial stress and other negative affect. This model will not only provide the possibility to reveal the neurobiological basis of the emotional impact of social comparison, but could also be used to confirm the conservative evolutionary characteristics of social comparison as a behavioral attribute.

Strain-induced ordered Ge(Si) hut wires on patterned Si (001) substrates.

Ge/Si nanowires are predicted to be a promising platform for spin and even topological qubits. While for large-scale integration of these devices, nanowires with fully controlled positions and arrangements are a prerequisite. Here, we have reported ordered Ge hut wires by multilayer heteroepitaxy on patterned Si (001) substrates. Self-assembled GeSi hut wire arrays are orderly grown inside patterned trenches with post growth surface flatness. Such embedded GeSi wires induce tensile strain on the Si surface, which results in preferential nucleation of Ge nanostructures. Ordered Ge nano-dashes, disconnected wires and continuous wires are obtained correspondingly by tuning the growth conditions. These site-controlled Ge nanowires on a flattened surface lead to the ease of fabrication and large-scale integration of nanowire quantum devices.

Monolithic integration of embedded III-V lasers on SOI.

Silicon photonic integration has gained great success in many application fields owing to the excellent optical device properties and complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) compatibility. Realizing monolithic integration of III-V lasers and silicon photonic components on single silicon wafer is recognized as a long-standing obstacle for ultra-dense photonic integration, which can provide considerable economical, energy-efficient and foundry-scalable on-chip light sources, that has not been reported yet. Here, we demonstrate embedded InAs/GaAs quantum dot (QD) lasers directly grown on trenched silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate, enabling monolithic integration with butt-coupled silicon waveguides. By utilizing the patterned grating structures inside pre-defined SOI trenches and unique epitaxial method via hybrid molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), high-performance embedded InAs QD lasers with monolithically out-coupled silicon waveguide are achieved on such template. By resolving the epitaxy and fabrication challenges in such monolithic integrated architecture, embedded III-V lasers on SOI with continuous-wave lasing up to 85 °C are obtained. The maximum output power of 6.8 mW can be measured from the end tip of the butt-coupled silicon waveguides, with estimated coupling efficiency of approximately -6.7 dB. The results presented here provide a scalable and low-cost epitaxial method for the realization of on-chip light sources directly coupling to the silicon photonic components for future high-density photonic integration.

Strain Effects in Twisted Spiral Antimonene.

Van der Waals (vdW) layered materials exhibit fruitful novel physical properties. The energy band of such materials depends strongly on their structures, and a tremendous variation in their physical properties can be deduced from a tiny change in inter-layer spacing, twist angle, or in-plane strain. In this work, a kind of vdW layered material of spiral antimonene is constructed, and the strain effects in the material are studied. The spiral antimonene is grown on a germanium (Ge) substrate and is induced by a helical dislocation penetrating through few atomic-layers of antimonene (ß-phase). The as-grown spiral is intrinsically strained, and the lattice distortion is found to be pinned around the dislocation. Both spontaneous inter-layer twist and in-plane anisotropic strain are observed in scanning tunneling microscope (STM) measurements. The strain in the spiral antimonene can be significantly modified by STM tip interaction, leading to a variation in the surface electronic density of states (DOS) and a large modification in the work function of up to a few hundreds of millielectron-volts (meV). Those strain effects are expected to have potential applications in building up novel piezoelectric devices.

[Traditional Chinese medicine health care from "long term taking" drugs in Shen Nong's Classic of Materia Medica].

"Taking drugs for a long term" is a qualitative expression of medication method based on the efficacy and safety of Chinese medicine, and the study on it is conducive to the full utilization of the efficacy and rational use of drugs. There are 148 drugs that can be taken for a long time recorded in Shen Nong's Classic of Materia Medica, accounting for 41% of the total drugs. This paper analyzed three-grade classification, natural qualities, four properties and five flavors, and efficacy features of the "long-term taking" drugs(LTTD), thus exploring the herbal source of traditional Chinese medicine health care and the rationality of effect accumulation by long-term taking. It was found that there were more than 110 top-grade LTTD in Shen Nong's Classic of Materia Medica, most of which were herbs, with sweet flavor, flat property, and no toxicity. The efficacies were mainly making body feel light and agile(Qingshen) and prolonging life. Eighty-three LTTD were included in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia(2020 edition). In the modern classification, tonic LTTD accounted for the most, followed by damp-draining diuretic LTTD and exterior-releasing LTTD. Twenty LTTD were included in the "List of Medicinal and Edible Products" and 21 were in the "List of Products Used for Health-care Food", involving in various modern health care effects, such as enhancing immunity, assisting in reducing blood lipids, and anti-oxidation. Shen Nong's Classic of Materia Medica is the classic source of traditional Chinese medicine health care, and its medication thought of taking drugs for a long term to accumulate effects has guiding significance for the regulation of sub-health and chronic diseases nowadays. The efficacy and safety of LTTD have been examined in practice for a long time, and some of the drugs are edible, which is unique in the whole cycle of health-care service, especially in line with the health-care needs in the aging society under the concept of Big Health. However, some records in the book are limited by the understanding of the times, which should be scientifically studied according to the Chinese Pharmacopoeia and the related regulations and technical requirements, under the attitude of eliminating falsifications and preserving the truth and keeping the right essence, so as to achieve further improvement, innovation, and development.

Stormwater quantity and quality control performance of bioretention systems: A literature review.

Bioretention systems, as one of the most widely used modern stormwater management tools, have outstanding performance in capturing runoff, mitigating peak flow, delaying outflow occur time, and improving effluent quality. We reviewed the research of hydrologic and water quality performance of bioretention systems around the world from different perspectives, including the structure and classification of bioretention systems, the mechanisms of runoff and pollutants regulation of bioretention systems, the hydrologic and water quality performances of bioretention systems, the runoff control and water purification evaluation models of bioretention systems, as well as the influencing factors of runoff control and water purification efficiency. We proposed that future research should focus on hydrologic and water quality of bioretention systems, e.g., optimization of design configurations, revealing the mechanisms of plant action, revealing the mechanisms of microbial action, the effects of climate change on hydrologic and water quality performance, watershed/regional scale hydrologic and water quality performance, purification effect and mechanisms of emerging pollutants, maintenance methods, as well as life-cycle assessment and cost analysis. This review would provide theoretical and technical supports for research, design, construction, and maintenance of bioretention systems.

SARS-CoV-2 BA.2 (Omicron) variant infection in pediatric liver transplanted recipients and cohabitants during 2022 Shanghai outbreak: a prospective cohort.

BACKGROUND: The Omicron variant BA.2 was the dominant variant in the COVID-19 outbreak in Shanghai since March 2022. We aim to investigate the characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant infection in pediatric liver-transplanted recipients. METHODS: We conducted a single-center, prospective, observational, single-arm study. We enrolled pediatric liver-transplanted patients infected with the Omicron variant BA.2 from March 19th to October 1st, 2022 and analyzed their demographic, clinical, laboratory, and outcome data. The management of COVID-19 was conducted according to the 9th trial edition of the Chinese guideline. The immunosuppressive therapy was tailored considering the patients' infection developments and liver functions. RESULTS: Five children were included. The primary diseases included Niemann-Pick disease, propionic acidemia, decompensated cirrhosis, biliary atresia, and Crigler-Najjar syndrome type I. All of the patients were onset with fever before or when getting RNA-positive results at the age of 3 (Range: 1-13) years. The infection duration was 29 (Range: 18-40) days. Three and two children were diagnosed with mild and moderate COVID-19 respectively. Two patients were tested RNA-positive within 14 days after having been tested negative. The immunosuppressants were paused or extenuated in four patients. Eight of all nine cohabitants were injected with at least two doses of inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. The disease courses were significantly longer than the patients (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Post-transplant immunosuppression slows down the virus clearance and increases the risk of relapse but does not affect symptom duration or infection severity in pediatric patients. Patients can usually gain a favorable outcome and prognosis by extenuating immunosuppressants.

Cynanotophyllosides E-F, two minor pregnane glycosides from the roots of cultivated Cynanchum otophyllum.

Cynanotophyllosides E-F, two new minor pregnane glycosides were isolated from the antidepressant active fraction of cultivated Cynanchum otophyllum, and their structures were determined as 12-O-vanilloyl-deacetylmetaplexigenin 3-O-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-ß-D-cymaropyranosyl-(1→4)-ß-D-oleandropyranosyl-(1→4)-ß-D-digitoxopyranoside, and 12-O-nicotinoyl-deacetylmetaplexigenin 3-O-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-ß-D-cymaropyranosyl-(1→4)-ß-D-oleandropyranosyl-(1→4)-ß-D-cymaropyranoside respectively, with the combination of spectroscopic and chemical analysis.