The chemical constituents of the petroleum ether extract derived from the 90% ethanol extract of Elephantopus scaber were investigated. By silica gel column chromatography, C_(18), MCI column chromatography and semi-preparative high performance liquid chromatography, ten compounds were isolated. Their structures were identified as 3β-hydroxy-6β,7β-epoxytaraxeran-14-ene(1), 3β-hydroxyolean-12-en-28-oic acid(2), D-friedoolean-14-ene-3β,7α-diol(3), 3β-hydroxy-11α-methoxyolean-12-ene(4), 3β-hydroxyolean-11,13(18)-diene(5), 11α-hydroxy-β-amyrin(6), betulinic acid(7), 3β-hydroxy-30-norlupan-20-one(8), 6-acetonylchelerythrine(9), and 4',5'-dehydrodiodictyonema A(10) by analysis of the 1D NMR, 2D NMR, MS, and IR spectral data. Among them, compound 1 was a new triterpene and other compounds except compounds 2 and 7 were isolated from this plant for the first time.
Triterpenes/isolation & purification* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/isolation & purification* ; Molecular Structure ; Asteraceae/chemistry* ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

BACKGROUND: The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection posed a huge threat and burden to public healthcare in late 2022. Non-drug measures of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), such as acupuncture, cupping and moxibustion, are commonly used as adjuncts in China to help in severe cases, but their effects remain unclear. OBJECTIVES: To observe the clinical effect of TCM non-drug measures in improving respiratory function and symptoms among patients with severe COVID-19. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTIONS: This study was designed as a multicenter, assessor-blind, randomized controlled trial. Hospitalized patients with COVID-19 were randomly assigned to the treatment or control group. The treatment group received individualized TCM non-drug measures in combination with prone position ventilation, while the control group received prone position ventilation only for 5 consecutive days. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome measures were the percentage of patients with improved oxygen saturation (SpO₂) at the end of the 5-day intervention, as well as changes of patients' respiratory rates. The secondary outcome measures included changes in SpO₂ and total score on the self-made respiratory symptom scale. The improvement rate, defined as a 3-day consecutive increase in SpO₂, the duration of prone positioning, and adverse events were recorded as well. RESULTS: Among the 198 patients included in the intention-to-treat analysis, 159 (80.3%) completed all assessments on day 5, and 39 (19.7%) patients withdrew from the study. At the end of the intervention, 71 (91%) patients in the treatment group had SpO₂ above 93%, while 61 (75.3%) in the control group reached this level. The proportion of participant with improved SpO₂ was significantly greater in the intervention group (mean difference [MD] = 15.7; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.4, 27.1; P = 0.008). Compared to the baseline, with daily treatment there were significant daily decreases in respiratory rates in both groups, but no statistical differences between groups were found (all P ≥ 0.05). Compared to the control group, the respiratory-related symptoms score was lower among patients in the treatment group (MD = -1.7; 95% CI: -2.8, -0.5; P = 0.008) after day 3 of treatment. A gradual decrease in the total scores of both groups was also observed. Thirty-one adverse events occurred during the intervention, and 2 patients were transferred to the intensive care unit due to deterioration of their illness. CONCLUSION: TCM non-drug measures combined with prone positioning can effectively treat patients with severe COVID-19. The combined therapy significantly increased SpO₂ and improved symptom scores compared to prone positioning alone, thus improving the patients' respiratory function to help them recover. However, the improvement rate did not differ between the two groups. TRIAL REGISTRATION Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2300068319). Please cite this article as: Yin X, Jin Z, Li F, Huang L, Hu YM, Zhu BC, Wang ZQ, Li XY, Li JP, Lao LX, Mi YQ, Xu SF. Effectiveness and safety of adjunctive non-drug measures in improving respiratory symptoms among patients with severe COVID-19: A multicenter randomized controlled trial. J Integr Med. 2024; 22(6): 637-644.
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; China ; COVID-19/complications* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods* ; Moxibustion/methods* ; Oxygen Saturation ; Prone Position ; Respiration, Artificial ; Treatment Outcome

Adolescent ; Busulfan ; therapeutic use ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cyclophosphamide ; therapeutic use ; Cyclosporine ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; methods ; Humans ; Infant ; Leukemia ; drug therapy ; mortality ; therapy ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; drug therapy ; mortality ; therapy ; Male ; Mycophenolic Acid ; therapeutic use ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; drug therapy ; mortality ; therapy ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

Objective To explore the effect of meteorological factors on the incidence of hand foot and mouth disease (HFMD) in Jiangyin City. Methods The distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM) was used to estimate the delayed and cumulative effects of meteorological factors on incidence of HFMD in Jiangyin from 2012 to 2017. Results A total of 21 791 HFMD cases were reported in Jiangyin City during 2012-2017. We observed significant correlations between the daily incidence of HFMD and daily mean temperature (rs=0.402, P<0.001), daily mean pressure (rs=-0.453, P<0.001), and daily mean relative humidity (rs=0.075, P<0.001), respectively. It was indicated that the maximum cumulative effect of daily mean temperature on the incidence of HFMD was 11 ℃ (RR=1.473, 95% CI: 1.99-1.974), and the impact on the onset of HFMD was acute and hightest at the first day (RR=1.090, 95% CI: 1.045-1.136). The cumulative effect on incidence of HFMD was highest at 85% daily relative humidity (RR=1.346, 95% CI: 1.154-1.571), and the impact on HFMD peaked on the 6th day (RR=1.023，95% CI: 1.015-1.031); The maximum cumulative effect of daily mean pressure with the incidence of HFMD was 1010.0 hpa (RR=1.221, 95% CI: 1.020-1.463), but no lag effect was observed at this level. Conclusions Meteorological factors have significant impact on the incidence of HFMD in Jiangyin City, and the effects of temperature and humidity are lagged.

OBJECTIVETo increase local blood supply of bone graft, a novel posterior lumbar spine fusion method with orthotopic paraspinal muscle-pediculated bone flaps was constructed, and the fusion rate and clinical effect.were observed.

METHODSFrom June 2007 to December 2010, 117 patients of lumbar spinal stenosis or lumbar destabilization treated with the novel posterior lumbar fusion method were studied, 49 males and 68 females, aged from 40 to 77 years, average 61.5 years. Clinical effect was evaluated by JOA and VAS score preoperatively and postoperatively, and the fusion result was evaluated by three-dimensional CT reconstruction postoperatively.

RESULTSSeventeen cases lost of follow up, the rest were followed up from 7 to 38 months, average 19 months. There was significant difference between pre- and postoperative JOA and VAS score (P < 0.01), the preoperative JOA score was 10.3 ± 1.9, and 25.4 ± 4.2 at the latest follow-up, the improvement rate was 81.0% ; the preoperative VAS score was 8.5 ± 0.8, and 2.3 ± 0.4 at the latest follow-up. The three-dimensional CT reconstruction showed that 126 of the 133 segments formed solid fusion in 100 patients who completed the follow-up, the fusion rate was 94.7%.

CONCLUSIONThe novel posterior lumbar fusion method make the bone graft position more precise, stable and increases the fusion rate, which can effectively reduce pseudarthrosis and have a promising clinical effect.

Adult ; Aged ; Bone Transplantation ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Spinal Fusion ; methods ; Spinal Stenosis ; surgery ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo explore possible interrelationships among resistance to peer pressure, risky decision-making and health risk behaviors among young adolescents.

METHODSBased on the cluster sampling method, the participants who were recruited from 5 junior middle schools in Guangzhou and 3 junior middle schools in Shenyang city on October, 2010, were administered to complete the questionnaire concerned with their experiences with drinking and smoking during the past 30 days preceding the survey, and the hours using computer daily both in weekdays and in weekend. The level of resistance to peer influence and risky decision-making were assessed by Resistance to peer influence scale (RPIS) and Youth decision-making questionnaire (YDMQ). Logistic regression was used to explore possible interrelationships among resistance to peer influence, risky decision-making and health risk behaviors among young adolescents.

RESULTSA total of 1985 questionnaires were valid, including 1001(50.4%) boys and 984 (49.6%) girls. About 27.1% (537/1985) junior middle school students reported having health risk behaviors, boys' (30.7%, 307/1001) was higher than girls' (23.4%, 230/984) with significant gender difference (P < 0.05). The prevalence of smoking, drinking during the past 30 days before the survey and using computer over 3 hours daily in weekdays and in weekend were 5.1% (102/1985), 14.3% (284/1985), 3.5% (70/1985) and 13.7% (272/1985), respectively. The rate of drinking, using computer over 3 hours daily in weekdays and in weekend were higher in males (16.4% (164/1001), 4.5% (45/1001), 16.2% (162/1001)) than those in females (12.2% (120/984), 2.5% (25/984), 11.2% (110/984)) (P < 0.05). The scores of RPIS and YDMQ of the two cities adolescents were 2.82 ± 0.39 and 1.68 ± 0.62. The students reported smoking, drinking during the past 30 days before the survey and using computer over 3 hours daily in weekend gained lower RPIS scores (2.43 ± 0.40, 2.61 ± 0.41, 2.77 ± 0.40) than their counterparts who didn't report these kind of health risk behaviors (2.84 ± 0.38, 2.85 ± 0.38, 2.82 ± 0.39)(P < 0.05). And those reported smoking, drinking during the past 30 days before the survey and using computer over 3 hours daily in weekdays and in weekend gained higher YDMQ scores (2.38 ± 0.66, 2.06 ± 0.66, 1.97 ± 0.72, 1.84 ± 0.64, respectively) than their counterparts who didn't report these kind of health risk behaviors (1.64 ± 0.38, 1.61 ± 0.58, 1.67 ± 0.61, 1.65 ± 0.61, respectively) (P < 0.05). After adjusting gender, area, parental education degree, self-reported family economic condition, multi-variant logistic regression analysis indicated that the low and middle level of resistance to peer influence (low and middle level vs high level, had odds ratios of 2.97 (1.96 - 4.50) and 1.51 (1.05 - 2.16)), and also the middle and high level of risky decision-making (middle and high level vs low level, had odds ratios of 1.62 (1.19 - 2.22) and 3.43 (2.39 - 4.90)) were all the risk factors of adolescent health risk behaviors.

CONCLUSIONAdolescents with poor ability of resistance to peer pressure and high risky decision-making were both the risk factors of adolescent health risk behaviors.

Adolescent ; Child ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Health Behavior ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Peer Group ; Risk Assessment ; Risk-Taking ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Objective To group and characterize natural plague foci in China.Methods A novel two-class typing method as well as a three-indication nomenclature method were established to group and characterize the natural plague foci,on the basis of eco-geographical landscapes of plague foci,genetics of Yersinia pestis,zoology of rodent reservoirs and the entomology of flea vectors.Results A total of 12 distinct natural plague foci (including 19 subtypes) as well as their biological features were characterized.Conclusion Natural plague foci in China were grouped and characterized in this study.

ObjectiveTo explore the effect of the calcium phosphate cement (CPC) /calcium polyphosphate fiber (CPPF) composites mixed with different proportion of minimal morselized bone on repair of bone defect in vivo. MethodsA total of 36 New Zealand white rabbits were completely randomly designed into A, B, C, D groups and their bilateral radial bone defect model was prepared. The minimal morselized bone (300-500 μm in diameter) was made from the iliac of those rats. The CPPF and CPC were evenly mixed into CPC/CPPF composites which were divided into four groups in accordance with the CPPF weight O, 10％, 30％ and 50％ in CPC/CPPF composite. The CPC/CPPF composites of the four groups was mixed with the minimal morselized bone with ratio of 6:4 and then the mixture was implanted the bone defect of the rabbits in four groups. The gross, X-ray and histological observations were done at four and eight weeks. The biomechanical test was performed at eight weeks. Results When CPPF occupies 30％ of the CPC/CPPF composite, the maximum compressive load and bending loads were better than those in the other groups ( P ＜ 0.05 ), when the histological observation showed the most tight link between the artificial composite and the bone interface and the closest similarity between material degradation rate and the ossification rate, with the best osteogenesis and the optimal ratio.ConclusionThe repair of bone defect can attain the optimal outcome through adding a certain ratio of minimal morselized bone into the CPC/CPPF to adjust the degradation rate of composites.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVEThe sensitivity and accuracy of white light bronchoscopy (WLB) in airway examination are low. Autofluorescence bronchoscope (AFB) can determine early lesions in bronchial mucosa more sensitively, but it has seldom performed in China. To assess the clinical value of the AFB in airway examination, we compared the sensitivity and specificity of the AFB and WLB in detecting cancer of the airway mucosa.

METHODSBetween September 2009 and May 2010, bronchoscope examinations using both the AFB and WLB were performed on 136 patients, 95 men and 41 women with a median age of 61.5 years (ranged from 25 to 84 years). There were 46 lesions located in the central airway, 84 in the peripheral lung parenchyma, and 6 in the mediastinal region. All patients received local and general anesthesia and were subsequently examined with the WLB and AFB in tandem. All procedures were completed safely. Abnormal visual findings were recorded, and biopsies of the affected regions were collected for pathologic examination.

RESULTSOf 241 regions sampled for biopsy, 76 sites contained malignant lesions, whereas 165 sites contained benign lesions. The AFB detected 72 of the 76 malignant lesions, but the WLB detected only 50. The sensitivities of the AFB and WLB were 94.7% and 65.8%, respectively, and the specificities were 57.0% and 83.6%, respectively. The negative predictive values of the AFB and WLB were 95.9% and 84.1%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONSThe AFB is more sensitive than the WLB in detecting cancerous lesions in the mucosa, and is an effective airway examination.

Adenocarcinoma ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Biopsy ; Bronchoscopy ; methods ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; diagnosis ; Female ; Granuloma ; diagnosis ; Humans ; Inflammation ; diagnosis ; Lung Diseases ; diagnosis ; Lung Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Small Cell Lung Carcinoma ; diagnosis

OBJECTIVETo study the protective effects of Shexiang Xingnaonin (SXN) on focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury and its mechanism.

METHODMiddle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) was used to make focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion model by in travascular nylon filament occlusion. The protective effects of SXN at different doses were evaluated by investigating neurological function score, pathomorphology of brain, the ultrastructure of neuron, expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, thrombogenesis in vitro, platelet aggregation and lysing effect of blood clot in vitro.

RESULTCompared with model group, SXN (0.08, 0.16 g x kg(-1)) could decrease the neurological score, improve pathomorphology and neuron ultrastructure of brain, inhibit the expression of TNF-alpha, decrease the length, wet weight and dry weight of thromb and inhibit platelet aggregation. And SXN (0.16, 0.32 g x L(-1)) could dissolve blood clot in vitro.

CONCLUSIONSXN has protective effects on focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury. The role of inhibit the expression of TNF-alpha, inhibit thrombogenesis and platelet aggregation might contribute to its neuroprotective effects.

Animals ; Brain ; drug effects ; ultrastructure ; Brain Ischemia ; drug therapy ; genetics ; metabolism ; prevention & control ; Disease Models, Animal ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Gene Expression ; drug effects ; Humans ; Male ; Platelet Aggregation ; drug effects ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reperfusion Injury ; drug therapy ; genetics ; metabolism ; prevention & control ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; genetics ; metabolism