ObjectiveA qualitative analysis method was established for the composition of Astragali Radix（AR） before and after rice stir-frying. On the basis of systematic characterization of the chemical compositions in AR and stir-fried AR with rice（ARR）， the structures of their major compounds were deduced and identified， and the differential compositions between them were analyzed. MethodsUltra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS） was used to detect the samples of AR and ARR in positive and negative ion modes， respectively. The compounds were analyzed and identified through self-constructed databases， literature， and reference standards， etc. And the data were analyzed by chemometrics， in order to screen for the differential components between AR and ARR. ResultsA total of 123 compounds were identified in AR and ARR， including 41 flavonoids， 19 terpenoids， 26 organic acids， 8 amino acids， 5 nucleotides， 5 carbohydrates and 19 other compounds. Among them， there were 95 common components in both， 18 unique components in AR， and 10 unique components in ARR. Principal component analysis（PCA） and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis（OPLS-DA） results both showed that there were significant differences in the chemical constituents of AR before and after rice stir-frying， and a total of 26 constituents with differences in the content were screened out， including L-canavanine， L-pyroglutamic acid， L-phenylalanine， cis-caffeic acid， and malonylastragaloside Ⅰ. Among them， 19 constituents of ARR were down-regulated and 7 constituents were up-regulated by comparing with AR. ConclusionThis study clarifies that the chemical composition of AR and ARR is mainly composed of flavonoids， terpenoids， and organic acids， and analyzes the components with significant differences in content between the two in combination with chemometrics， and the differential components are dominated by amino acids， organic acids and terpenoids， which can provide reference for the subsequent quality control and material basis research.

Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) is an important sugar crop. Biotic and abiotic stresses such as diseases, cold, and drought are major factors limiting sugarcane production. β-1,3-glucanase (EC 3.2.1.39), a member of the pathogenesis-related protein family, plays an essential role not only in the plant defenses against pathogens but also in plant growth, development, and abiotic stress responses. To systematically investigate the sugarcane β-1,3-glucanase gene family, 132 glycoside hydrolase (GH) 17 family members were identified in the genomes of the sugarcane wild species Saccharum spontaneum 'Np-X', the tropical species S. officinarum 'LA-Purple', and the Saccharum spp. hybrid cultivar 'R570'. The results of the phylogenetic analysis categorized them into four subfamilies, of which subfamily Ⅳ had the largest proportion of members (102). The members of the sugarcane GH17 gene family contained five conserved motifs and 0-16 introns. The majority of the GH17 genes exhibited a genome-wide replication pattern, with 89.50% originating from S. spontaneum 'Np-X' and S. officinarum 'LA-Purple', while 58.10% of them in the Saccharum spp. hybrid cultivar 'R570' belonged to the discrete replication type. Four major classes of cis-acting elements were identified in the promoters, including the elements related to plant growth, development, and tissue-specific expression (14.21%), light-responsive elements (38.24%), biotic or abiotic stress-responsive elements (9.18%), and hormone-responsive elements (38.37%), which suggested that this gene family was involved in plant growth, development, hormone responses, and stress responses. Transcriptome and quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) analyses showed that the sugarcane GH17 genes exhibited tissue-specific expression and were differentially expressed under low temperature, drought, and hormone treatments, as well as during the interactions between different sugarcane genotypes and Sporisorium scitamineum, suggesting their potential roles in plant defenses. In addition, some SsGlu genes (SsGlu5, SsGlu20, SsGlu21, SsGlu25, SsGlu28, and SsGlu39) were expected to serve as candidate stress-related genes. This study lays a foundation for further revealing the molecular mechanisms of the stress resistance of sugarcane via β-1,3-glucanase genes.
Saccharum/physiology* ; Stress, Physiological/genetics* ; Glucan 1,3-beta-Glucosidase/metabolism* ; Multigene Family ; Phylogeny ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Plant Proteins/genetics*

OBJECTIVE To explore the safety， effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a multimodal analgesic regimen in patients who underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy under the guidance of enhanced recovery after surgery principles. METHODS Data from weight loss patients who underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy at our hospital were retrospectively collected. The trial group patients received a multimodal analgesic regimen， which included the use of 0.375% ropivacaine for local infiltration of the surgical incision before the end of surgery； intravenous infusion of flurbiprofen axetil 50 mg twice daily； intravenous infusion of methylprednisolone 40 mg once daily and oral administration of extended-release hydrocodone hydrochloride tablets 10 mg twice daily after surgery. The control group patients received a conventional analgesic regimen， which included intravenous infusion of flurbiprofen axetil 100 mg twice daily， with a daily dose twice that of the trial group； and intravenous injection of dexamethasone 5 mg once daily. Propensity score matching was used to balance the baseline data between the two groups. Then the pain scores during movement and at rest at 2， 12， 24 and 36 hours postoperatively， as well as the length of postoperative hospital stay， total length of hospital stay， time to first ambulation after surgery， adverse reactions during hospitalization， total drug costs， and costs of antimicrobial drugs during hospitalization were compared between the two groups. RESULTS The trial group had significantly lower pain scores during movement at 2， 24 and 36 hours postoperatively， and at rest at 2， 12 and 24 hours postoperatively compared to the control group （P＜0.05）. The time to first ambulation after surgery， total length of hospital stay， and length of postoperative hospital stay were significantly shorter in the trial group compared to the control group （P＜0.05）. The incidence of shoulder and back soreness， and costs of antimicrobial drugs were significantly lower in the trial group compared to the control group （P＜0.05）. No statistically significant differences were observed in the total incidence of drug-related adverse reactions and total drug costs during hospitalization between the two groups （P＞0.05）. CONCLUSIONS The multimodal analgesic regimen provides marked pain relief， demonstrates good safety profiles， and has a more economic advantage than the conventional analgesic regimen.

Objective:To understand the pathogen distributions of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in children, and to provide evidence for clinical diagnosis and treatment.Methods:The hospitalized children with CAP in Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine from January to December 2022 were selected as the research subjects. They were divided into infant group (28 d to less than one year), toddler group (one year to less than three years), preschool age group (three years to less than six years), and school age group (not less than six years) by age. According to the onset season, they were divided into spring group (February to April), summer group (May to July), autumn group (August to October), and winter group (January, November to December). Deep airway sputum samples were collected from all patients for bacterial culture identification. Respiratory viruses (influenza A virus (IVA), influenza B virus (IVB), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), adenovirus, parainfluenza virus type 1 (PIV1), parainfluenza virus type 2 (PIV2), parainfluenza virus type 3 (PIV3)) were detected using direct immunofluorescence assay. Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) DNA was detected using fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and particle agglutination was used to detect serum MP antibodies. Statistical analysis was performed using the chi-square test. Results:Among the 397 cases of CAP in children, pathogens were detected in 269 cases, with a positivity rate of 67.8%. A total of 309 pathogens were identified, including 204 strains of MP (66.0%), 60 strains of bacteria (19.4%), 42 strains of viruses (13.6%), and three strains of fungi (1.0%). Staphylococcus aureus (19 strains), Haemophilus influenzae (15 strains) and Streptococcus pneumoniae (five strains) were the predominant bacteria, while RSV (19 strains) and PIV3 (nine strains) were the main viruses. The distribution rates of MP, bacteria, and viruses showed statistically significant differences among different age groups ( χ2=99.82, 24.71 and 17.40, respectively, all P<0.05). MP infection was mainly observed in the preschool age group and school age group, and bacterial infection predominantly occurred in the infant group, and viral infection was most common in the toddler group. Among virus infected patients, RSV was detected in the toddler group and the preschool age group, while three cases of PIV3 cases were found in children over five years old. The distribution differences of MP, bacterial and viral infections between different seasons were statistically significant ( χ2=141.65, 20.44 and 31.87, respectively, all P<0.001), with a higher prevalence in winter. RSV infections demonstrated a clear seasonal trend, with 16 cases of RSV infections occurring in winter and spring. Conclusions:MP is the most frequently detected pathogen in children with CAP. Bacterial infection is the most common pathogen in infants with CAP. RSV is the most common viral pathogen, with infections concentrated in the toddler group and the preschool age group, and prevalence in winter and spring. Attention should be paid to PIV3 pneumonia in children over five years old. Rational drug use should be based on the pathogen spectrum characteristics of different seasons and age groups before selecting empirical treatment combinations.

Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy of fluoroscopy-guided posterior medial branch release of lumbar spinal nerves in the treatment of facet articular low back pain in the elderly patients.Methods A total of 102 elderly patients with facet articular low back pain,who were admitted to the Department of Pain,Wuhan Municipal First Hospital of China from January 2017 to December 2018,were randomly divided into release group and conservative group.The patients of release group was treated with fluoroscopy-guided posterior medial branch release of lumbar spinal nerves,and the patients of conservative group was treated with analgesic drugs combined with physiotherapy.The preoperative and the postoperative one-week,one-month,3-month,6-month,12-month,24-month low back pain scores as well as the improvement of lumbar spine function were compared between the two groups.Results In the release group,the postoperative one-week,one-month,3-month,6-month,12-month,24-month visual analogue scores(VAS)were significantly decreased,and the differences were statistically significant(all P＜0.05),which were significantly lower than those in the conservative group,and the differences were statistically significant(all P＜0.05).In the release group,the postoperative one-week,one-month,3-month,6-month,12-month,24-month RM Q scores and Oswestry dysfunction indexes were strikingly decreased,and the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05),which were significantly lower than those in the conservative group(P＜0.05).No procedure-related complications occurred in both groups.Conclusion For the treatment of facet articular low back pain in the elderly patients,fluoroscopy-guided posterior medial branch release of lumbar spinal nerves is clinically safe and feasible with excellent short-term and medium-long-term effect.

Gelsemium elegans, a vine plant of Loganiaceae, has both medicinal and forage values. However, it is susceptible to low temperatures during growth. Exploring low temperature response genes is of great significance for cold resistance breeding of G. elegans. Ethylene response factors (ERFs) are the transcription factors of the AP2/ERF superfamily and play a crucial role in plant stress response. In this study, based on the unigene GeERF involved in the response to low temperature stress in the transcriptome of G. elegans, a full-length cDNA sequence of the transcription factor GeERF4B-1 was cloned from the leaves of G. elegans by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Bioinformatics analysis showed that GeERF4B-1 had an open reading frame of 759 bp, encoding a protein composed of 252 amino acid residues and with a relative molecular weight of 27 kDa. The deduced protein was predicted to be an unstable, alkaline, and hydrophilic protein. The phylogenetic tree showed that GeERF4B-1 was in the same clade as the B-4 subfamily of the ERF family. The results of the subcellular localization experiment revealed that GeERF4B-1 was located in the nucleus. Real time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) analysis indicated that GeERF4B-1 was expressed in the root, stem, and leaf of G. elegans, with the highest expression level in the root. Compared with the control, the treatments with a low temperature (4 ℃), methyl jasmonate (MeJA), and abscisic acid (ABA) up-regulated the expression level of GeERF4B-1, which reached the peak at 24-48 h. This result revealed that GeERF4B-1 actively responded to low temperature, MeJA, and ABA stresses. However, both sodium chloride (NaCl) and drought treatments down-regulated the expression of GeERF4B-1. In addition, a prokaryotic expression vector of GeERF4B-1 was constructed, and a fusion protein of approximately 52 kDa was yielded after induced expression. The results of the plate stress assay showed that compared with the control, the prokaryotic strain expressing GeERF4B-1 demonstrated enhanced tolerance to low temperatures and sensitivity to salt and mannitol stresses. This study provides theoretical references and potential genetic resources for breeding G. elegans varieties with stress resistance.
Transcription Factors/metabolism* ; Plant Proteins/metabolism* ; Gelsemium/metabolism* ; Acetates/pharmacology* ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Phylogeny ; Cold Temperature ; Amino Acid Sequence ; Cyclopentanes/metabolism* ; Oxylipins/metabolism* ; Stress, Physiological/genetics* ; Abscisic Acid/metabolism* ; Cloning, Molecular

OBJECTIVE To study the mechanism of Compound zaoren granule in improving insomnia. METHODS Forty-nine mice were divided into blank group， model group， positive control group 1 （Estazolam tablets 0.5 mg/kg），control group 2 （Shumian capsule 0.6 g/kg）， Compound zaoren granule low-dose， medium-dose and high-dose groups （2.5， 5， 10 g/kg）， with 7 mice in each group. The insomnia model was established by chronic unpredictable mild stress combined with 4-chloro-DL- phenylacetic acid. The behavioral changes of mice were investigated through open field test and pentobarbital sodium synergistic hypnosis experiment， as well as the pathomorphology of mice hypothalamus tissue was observed by HE staining. The metabonomics analysis and multivariate statistical analysis of serum in mice were performed by UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS， and the differential metabolites were screened out； the metabolic pathway analysis was conducted based on MetaboAnalyst 5.0 database. RESULTS Compared with blank group， the total travelling distance， the number of entering the central region and the moving distance in the central region of the model group were significantly reduced （P＜0.05）， the proportion of total rest time was significantly increased （P＜0.05）， the sleep duration of mice was significantly shortened （P＜0.05）， and hypothalamic nerve cells damaged and severely vacuolated. Compared with model group， the total travelling distance of Compound zaoren granule low-dose and medium-dose groups were increased significantly and the proportions of total rest time of those groups were decreased significantly （P＜0.05）， and the sleep duration of mice in Compound zaoren granule high-dose group was prolonged significantly （P＜0.05）； the hypothalamic nerve cells of mice in each administration group recovered to varying degrees， and the hypothalamus histiocytes of mice in the Compound zaoren granules high-dose group were closer to those in the blank group. A total of 18 differential metabolites （such as phenylalanine， taurine， norvaline， methionine） and 4 important amino acid metabolic pathways （L-phenylalanine， tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis； taurine and hypotaurine metabolism； L-phenylalanine metabolism； cysteine and methionine metabolism） were identified through metabolomics analysis. CONCLUSIONS Compound zaoren granules can normalize the disordered metabolism in vivo by regulating differential metabolites such as phenylalanine， taurine， and four amino acid metabolic pathways， so as to improve insomnia.

OBJECTIVE To explore the mechanism of Kuaisong yin in the prevention and treatment of constipation. METHODS Slow transit constipation （STC） model was established with Compound difenoxylate tablet in mice and rats. Two batches of mice were divided into blank group， model group， positive control group （Maren soft capsule， 0.64 g/kg）， Kuaisong yin low-dose， medium-dose and high-dose groups （3.2， 6.4， 12.8 g/kg）， with 10 mice in each group. The effect of Kuaisong yin on constipation in mice was evaluated by intestinal propulsion experiment and defecation experiment. Rats were divided into blank group， model group， positive control group （Maren soft capsule，0.36 g/kg）， Kuaisong yin low-dose and high-dose groups （2.4， 4.8 g/kg）， with 7 or 8 rats in each group. They were given relevant medicine once a day for 1 week. The metabonomics of serum and urine of rats were analyzed by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS technology. RESULTS Compared with model group， the ink propulsion rate and 5 h defecation volume of mice in Kuaisong yin high-dose group were significantly increased （P＜0.05）； the first defecation time of mice in Kuaisong yin medium-dose and high-dose groups was significantly shortened， and the quality of defecation was significantly reduced within 5 h （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Serum metabonomics screened 16 compounds （such as proline， propionylcarnitine， hemolytic phosphatidylcholine， etc.） and 6 metabolic pathways （such as sphingomyelin metabolism， arginine and proline metabolism， sphingolipid biosynthesis-lactose and neolactone series）. Urine metabonomics screened 20 different metabolites （such as prostaglandin A2， L-valine， phosphatidylcholine， sphingomyelin， etc.） and 8 metabolic pathways （such as valine， leucine and isoleucine biosynthesis， sphingomyelin metabolism， pyruvate metabolism， etc.）. CONCLUSIONS Kuaisong yin can play a role in improving constipation by regulating different metabolites such as hemolytic phosphatidylcholine， phosphatidylcholine， prostaglandin A2， L-valine， proline， and regulating metabolic pathways such as multiple amino acid metabolism， sphingomyelin metabolism， etc.

【Objective】 To investigate the profiles of RhC, c, E, and e antigens and phenotypes in 4 704 inpatients from multiple regions, i. e. Nanning, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, and provide data information for compatibility blood transfusion of Rh blood group. 【Methods】 The Rh blood group antigens were detected by microcolumn gel cards from three manufactures. If the test and the control results are inconsistent, a third-party reagent would be used, and traditional tube method for confirmation if needed. The Chi-square test and Fisher's exact test were used to analyze antigen frequency and Rh phenotypes in each region. 【Results】 Among the 4 704 inpatients, the frequency of C, c, E, and e antigen was e(91.77%)>C(85.64%)>c(49.62%)>E(41.60%), and Rh phenotypes distribution was CCee(49.40%)>CcEe(27.53%)>Ccee(8.16%)>ccEE(7.74%)>ccEe(4.89%)>CCEe(0.96%)>ccee(0.83%)>CcEE(0.47%)>CCEE(0.02%). There were significant differences in Rh blood type distribution among Nanning, Guangzhou and Shenzhen(P<0.05). Differences in Rh phenotype distribution between male and female were noticed in Shenzhen(P< 0.05), but not in Nanning or Guangzhou. 【Conclusion】 The distribution of Rh blood group in Shenzhen, Nanning and Guangzhou were significantly different from each other, therefore regional characteristics should be considered when carrying out Rh-compatible blood transfusion, so as to guarantee the security of transfusion and reduce the incidence of unexpected antibodies.

Objective:To analyze factors related to rheumatoid arthritis and anemia in elderly people.Methods:Clinical data of 58 elderly patients with rheumatoid arthritis(RA)admitted to the Department of Rheumatology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University from May 2019 to May 2020 were retrospectively analyzed.Patients were divided into the anemia group and the non-anemia group based on the hemoglobin(Hb)index.Laboratory test results and general clinical data were compared between the two groups.Factors related to RA with concurrent anemia were analyzed by binary Logistic regression analysis.Association rules analysis was conducted using SPSS Clementine to identify strong correlations between red blood cells(RBC)and objective clinical parameters.Results:There was no significant difference in general clinical data between the two groups(all P>0.05). There were significant differences between the two groups in laboratory test results of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein(hs-CRP), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio(PLR), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C), total cholesterol(TC), apolipoprotein B(ApoB), albumin(Alb), superoxide dismutases(SOD), erythrocyte sedimentation rate(ESR), Fe, mean corpuscular hemoglobin(MCH)and mean hemoglobin concentration(MCHC)(all P<0.05). Binary Logistic regression analysis showed that PLR( OR=3.718, 95% CI: 1.119-8.742, P=0.022)and LDL-C( OR=2.319, 95% CI: 1.026-3.061, P=0.038)were independent risk factors for RA with concurrent anemia.Association rules analysis showed that decline in RBC was strongly correlated with changes in PLR, hs-CRP and LDL-C. Conclusions:RA with concurrent anemia in elderly patients is closely correlated with levels of molecules related to lipid metabolism and the inflammatory response.Close monitoring of lipid metabolism and inflammation is recommended during clinical treatment.