Effect of Guizhi Gancao Longgu Muli Tang on sleep disturbances in menopausal women.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of Guizhi Gancao Longgu Muli Tang (GGLMT), a decoction prepared with herbal medicine of Traditional Chinese Medicine, on sleep disturbances in women with menopause. METHODS: Totally 162 participants were recruited for the treatment of sleep difficulty from February, 2012 to December, 2014. Decoction of 200 mL was taken by every participant twice daily in half an hour after lunch and dinner during two weeks. Sleep quality was assessed by Pittsburg sleep quality index (PSQI) and menopausal symptoms and quality of life were evaluated by the menopause rating scale (MRS) and the Chinese version of World Health Organization quality of life-BREF at the final fellow-up in the fourth weekend after beginning. RESULTS: The average scores of PSQI had reduced from (13.82 ± 4.97) to (8.14 ± 3.19), 95% CI (－ 4.87, － 3.05) after 2-week GGLMT treatment in the fourth week. GGLMT improved symptoms in patients with more severe conditions (MRS ≥ 16). Three adverse drug reaction, mouth ulcer, constipation, and folliculitis, might be related with GGLMT and disappeared after withdrawals of the treatment. CONCLUSION: For menopausal women suffering from chronic sleep disturbances, our findings suggest that two weeks treatment of GGLMT was safe and effective.

Effectiveness of adaptive optics system in satellite-to-ground coherent optical communication.

Adaptive optics (AO) systems can suppress the signal fade induced by atmospheric turbulence in satellite-to-ground coherent optical communication. The lower bound of the signal fade under AO compensation was investigated by analyzing the pattern of aberration modes for a one-stage imaging AO system. The distribution of the root mean square of the residual aberration is discussed on the basis of the spatial and temporal characteristics of the residual aberration of the AO system. The effectiveness of the AO system for improving the performance of coherent optical communication is presented in terms of the bit error rate and system availability.

Simultaneous derivatization and extraction of chlorophenols in water samples with up-and-down shaker-assisted dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction coupled with gas chromatography/mass spectrometric detection.

A new up-and-down shaker-assisted dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (UDSA-DLLME) for extraction and derivatization of five chlorophenols (4-chlorophenol, 4-chloro-2-methylphenol, 2,4-dichlorophenol, 2,4,6-trichloro-phenol, and pentachlorophenol) has been developed. The method requires minimal solvent usage. The relatively polar, water-soluble, and low-toxicity solvent 1-heptanol (12 µL) was selected as the extraction solvent and acetic anhydride (50 µL) as the derivatization reagent. With the use of an up-and-down shaker, the emulsification of aqueous samples was formed homogeneously and quickly. The derivatization and extraction of chlorophenols were completed simultaneously in 1 min. The common requirement of disperser solvent in DLLME could be avoided. After optimization, the linear range covered over two orders of magnitude, and the coefficient of determination (r (2)) was greater than 0.9981. The detection limit was from 0.05 to 0.2 µg L(-1), and the relative standard deviation was from 4.6 to 10.8 %. Real samples of river water and lake water had relative recoveries from 90.3 to 117.3 %. Other emulsification methods such as vortex-assisted, ultrasound-assisted, and manual shaking-enhanced ultrasound-assisted methods were also compared with the proposed UDSA-DLLME. The results revealed that UDSA-DLLME performed with higher extraction efficiency and precision compared with the other methods.

Oocyte quality is impaired in a hyperandrogenic PCOS mouse model by increased Foxo1 expression.

One of the most important characteristics of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is excess androgen, which has adverse effects on pregnancy outcomes and increases the risk of offspring developing metabolic disorders. Foxo1 has been shown to play an important role in PCOS, but whether it has an affect on oocyte's quality in PCOS remains unclear. The current research investigated the effect of excess androgen exposure on mouse oocyte quality, as well as the possible molecular mechanism. Timelapse incubator was used to culture oocytes in vitro and evaluate the maturation process. The level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondrial membrane potential were detected by laser confocal microscope. Immunofluorescence staining assays were performed to examine the expression of Foxo1 and γ-H2AX. Relative mRNA level of Foxo1 and Caspase3 were examined by RT-qPCR. Results showed Germinal vesicle breakdown and maturation rates of oocytes from hyperandrogenic PCOS mice were significantly decreased in vitro, while in vitro maturation showed a marked delay from the germinal vesicle breakdown to metaphase II stage in PCOS group. Expression levels of reactive oxygen species, Foxo1, Caspase3, and γ-H2AX were significantly increased, whereas mitochondrial membrane potential was significantly decreased in oocytes from PCOS mice. These results indicate that excess androgen exposure induced oxidative stress, which further induced high expression of Foxo1, resulting in more DNA damage and apoptosis in oocytes. The current findings provide new knowledge for exploring the mechanism of decreased oocyte quality in hyperandrogenic PCOS.

Effects of heatwave features on machine-learning-based heat-related ambulance calls prediction models in Japan.

Researchers agree that there is substantial evidence of an increasing trend in both the frequency and duration of extreme temperature events. Increasing extreme temperature events will place more pressure on public health and emergency medical resources, and societies will need to find effective and reliable solutions to adapt to hotter summers. This study developed an effective method to predict the number of daily heat-related ambulance calls. Both national- and regional-level models were developed to evaluate the performance of machine-learning-based methods on heat-related ambulance call prediction. The national model showed a high prediction accuracy and can be applied over most regions, while the regional model showed extremely high prediction accuracy in each corresponding region and reliable accuracy in special cases. We found that the introduction of heatwave features, including accumulated heat stress, heat acclimatization, and optimal temperature, significantly improved prediction accuracy. The adjusted coefficient of determination (adjusted R2) of the national model improved from 0.9061 to 0.9659 by including these features, and the adjusted R2 of the regional model also improved from 0.9102 to 0.9860. Furthermore, we used five bias-corrected global climate models (GCMs) to forecast the total number of summer heat-related ambulance calls under three different future climate scenarios nationally and regionally. Our analysis demonstrated that, at the end of the 21st century, the total number of heat-related ambulance calls in Japan will reach approximately 250,000 per year (nearly four times the current amount) under SSP-5.85. Our results suggest that disaster management agencies can use this highly accurate model to forecast potential high emergency medical resource burden caused by extreme heat events, allowing them to raise and improve public awareness and prepare countermeasures in advance. The method proposed in Japan in this paper can be applied to other countries that have relevant data and weather information systems.

Associations between renal functions and exposure of arsenic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon in adults living near a petrochemical complex.

BACKGROUND: The understanding for the impact of petrochemical pollutants exposure on renal functions is limited. OBJECTIVES: Our study examined the associations between renal functions and pollutants exposure in adult residents living in the vicinity of a petrochemical industry. METHODS: We recruited 2069 adult residents near a big petrochemical complex in Taiwan in 2009-2012, and they were categorized into high exposure (HE) and low exposure (LE) groups based on their address to source by 10 km radius. Study subjects were measured the urinary levels of arsenic, cadmium, mercury, thallium, and 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP). The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated using the Taiwanese Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration equation, and the chronic kidney disease (CKD) prevalence and risks were defined according to KDIGO 2012 guidelines. Adjusted generalized linear and logistic regression models were applied to evaluate the associations between petrochemical exposure and renal functions. RESULTS: Subjects in the HE areas had significantly lower eGFR, higher CKD prevalence, and higher levels of urinary arsenic, cadmium, mercury, thallium and 1-OHP. The closer to complex and high exposure group of study subjects were significantly associated with the decrease in eGFR, higher ORs for CKD and high-intermediate risk of CKD. In addition, the study subjects who had two-fold urinary arsenic and 1-OHP levels were significantly with decreased 0.68 and 0.49 ml/min/1.73 m2 of eGFR, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Residing closer and higher arsenic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure were associated with the renal impairment and risks of CKD among the residential population near the petrochemical industry.

Research progress on animal models of contrast-induced acute kidney injury / 中南大学学报(医学版)

Contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) refers to acute kidney injury that occurs after intravascular contrast media is applied. It is the third most common cause for acute renal failure in hospitalized patients and can cause severe renal impairment and adverse cardiovascular outcomes. In severe cases, it can even lead to the death of the patient. Due to its complicated pathogenesis, the pathogenesis of CI-AKI has not yet been elucidated. Therefore, it is of great significance to further study the pathogenesis for the prevention of CI-AKI. Moreover, a good animal model of CI-AKI is an important tool for in-depth research on the pathogenesis of acute kidney injury induced by contrast agents.

Correlation of onset time and influencing factors for ischemic stroke and myocardial infarction / 国际脑血管病杂志

Cerebrovascular diseases and cardiovascular diseases are among the top causes of death worldwide. In recent years, the concept of "brain-heart co-treatment" has gradually gained popularity. Cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases have similar pathological foundations, pathogenesis, comorbidities, and treatment methods. However, there is currently limited research on whether the two have a chronological order of the first onset and which is the index event of the other. However, elucidating the above issues is of great significance for the secondary prevention of cardiocerebrovascular diseases. This article reviews the correlation of onset time and influencing factors for ischemic stroke and myocardial infarction.

Ligands-Coordinated Zr-Based MOF for Wastewater Treatment.

Isostructural zirconium-based metal⁻organic frameworks (Zr-MOFs) have attracted the attention of researchers because of their remarkable stability at high temperatures and high pressures and their chemical stabilities against acids and bases. Due to this stability, Zr-MOFs can be utilized in adsorption research, and the adsorption performance of a Zr-MOF depends on the pore size and the surroundings of the MOF. In this study, as the dimensions changed and the adsorption was carried out, the Zr-MOF material remained stable, and the adsorption of the best state was achieved at 235 mg/g. Through the simulation of theoretical kinetic models of Zr-MOFs, we initially postulated that the adsorption capacity is proportional to the pore size and that acid orange 7 (AO7) was adsorbed by the MOFs. Afterwards, we verified our hypotheses through a series of Brunauer⁻Emmett⁻Teller (BET) data analysis; non-local density function theory (NLDFT) was mainly used to analyze the data. Moreover, we determined that physical adsorption occurs on the surface of the MOFs during the adsorption process, while chemisorption occurs in the form of dye molecules combining with active sites. Ultimately, we concluded that the larger the pore size, the stronger the adsorption capacity, and this contribution casts a new light on the issue of wastewater treatment.

Risk factors associated with the progression from keloids to severe keloids / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Keloids are benign fibrous growths that are caused by excessive tissue build-up. Severe keloids exert more significant effects on patients' quality of life than do mild keloids. We aimed to identify factors associated with the progression from mild keloids to severe keloids, as distinct from those associated with the formation of keloids.@*METHODS@#In this retrospective case-control study, 251 patients diagnosed with keloids at West China Hospital between November 2018 and April 2021 were grouped according to the severity of lesions (mild [n = 162] or severe [n = 89]). We collected their basic characteristics, living habits, incomes, comorbidities, and keloid characteristics from Electronic Medical Records in the hospital and the patients' interviews. Conditional multivariable regression was performed to identify the independent risk factors for the progression of keloids.@*RESULTS@#Eighty-nine patients (35.5%) were classified as having severe keloids. We found the distribution of severe keloids varied with sex, age, excessive scrubbing of keloids, family income, the comorbidity of rheumatism, disease duration, characteristics of the location, location in sites of high-stretch tension, the severity and frequency of pain, the severity of pruritus, and infection. Multivariable analysis revealed significant associations between severe keloids and infection (odds ratio [OR], 3.55; P = 0.005), excessive scrubbing of keloids (OR, 8.65; P = 0.001), low or middle family income (OR, 13.44; P = 0.021), comorbidity of rheumatism (OR, 18.97; P = 0.021), multiple keloids located at multiple sites (OR, 3.18; P = 0.033), and disease duration > 15 years (OR, 2.98; P = 0.046).@*CONCLUSION@#Doctors should implement more active and thorough measures to minimize the progression of mild keloids in patients who have any of the following risk factors: infection, excessive scrubbing of keloids, low or middle family income, comorbidity of rheumatism, multiple keloids located at multiple sites, and disease duration > 15 years.