Cinnabar(HgS) was widely used in ancient times for medicinal purposes, religious rituals, and pigments. A group of bright red powdery clumps was excavated from Mawangdui Tomb No.3 of the Han Dynasty. Early studies considered the clumps as evidence of cinnabar's medicinal use during the Qin-Han period. This study employed a range of archaeometric techniques, including extended-depth-of-field stereo imaging, micro-CT, scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry FTIR, to systematically analyze the material composition and structural characteristics of these remains. The results revealed that the cinnabar particles were granular, finely ground, and tightly bound to silk matrix, with no detectable excipients typically associated with medicinal formulations. Micro-CT imaging indicated a well-preserved textile structure, with clear signs of sedimentary accumulation and mechanical damage. Based on historical and archaeological studies, this study suggested that these remains were more likely degraded accumulations of cinnabar-colored silk textiles rather than medicinal cinnabar. By clarifying the diversity of ancient cinnabar applications and preservation states, this study provides new insights for the archaeological identification of mineral medicinal materials and contributes to the standardized study of Chinese medicinal materials and understanding of the historical use of cinnabar.
History, Ancient ; China ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/history* ; Archaeology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/history* ; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared ; Spectrum Analysis, Raman ; Mercury Compounds

OBJECTIVE: Acupuncture therapies are known for their effectiveness in treating a variety of gastric diseases, although the mechanisms underlying these effects are not fully understood. This study tested the effectiveness of electroacupuncture (EA) at acupoints Zhongwan (RN12) and Weishu (BL21) for managing gastric motility disorder (GMD) and investigated the underlying mechanisms involved. METHODS: A GMD model was used to evaluate the impact of EA on various aspects of gastric function including the amplitude of gastric motility, electrogastrogram, food intake, and the rate of gastric emptying. Immunofluorescence techniques were used to explore the activation of spinal neurons by EA, specifically examining the presence of cholera toxin B subunit (CTB)-positive neurons and fibers emanating from acupoints RN12 and BL21. The stimulation of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic neurons in the spinal dorsal horn, the inhibition of sympathetic preganglionic neurons in the spinal lateral horn, and their collective effects on the activity of sympathetic nerves were examined. RESULTS: EA at RN12 and BL21 significantly improved gastric motility compromised by GMD. Notably, EA activated spinal neurons, with CTB-positive neurons and fibers from RN12 and BL21 being detectable in both the dorsal root ganglia and the spinal dorsal horn. Further analysis revealed that EA at these acupoints not only stimulated GABAergic neurons in the spinal dorsal horn but also suppressed sympathetic preganglionic neurons in the spinal lateral horn, effectively reducing excessive activity of sympathetic nerves triggered by GMD. CONCLUSION EA treatment at RN12 and BL21 effectively enhances gastric motility in a GMD model. The therapeutic efficacy of this approach is attributed to the activation of spinal neurons and the modulation of the spinal GABAergic-sympathetic pathway, providing a neurobiological foundation for the role of acupuncture in treating gastric disorders. Please cite this article as: Zhang MT, Liang YF, Dai Q, Gao HR, Wang H, Chen L, Huang S, Wang XY, Shen GM. A spinal neural circuit for electroacupuncture that regulates gastric functional disorders. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(1): 56-65.
Electroacupuncture ; Animals ; Male ; Acupuncture Points ; Stomach Diseases/physiopathology* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Gastrointestinal Motility ; Rats ; Gastric Emptying ; Neurons ; Spinal Cord ; Stomach/physiopathology*

OBJECTIVE: The study aim was to investigate the effects of exposure to multiple environmental organic pollutants on cardiopulmonary health with a focus on the potential mediating role of oxidative stress. METHODS: A repeated-measures randomized crossover study involving healthy college students in Beijing was conducted. Biological samples, including morning urine and venous blood, were collected to measure concentrations of 29 typical organic pollutants, including hydroxy polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (OH-PAHs), bisphenol A and its substitutes, phthalates and their metabolites, parabens, and five biomarkers of oxidative stress. Health assessments included blood pressure measurements and lung function indicators. RESULTS: Urinary concentrations of 2-hydroxyphenanthrene (2-OH-PHE) ( β = 4.35% [95% confidence interval ( CI): 0.85%, 7.97%]), 3-hydroxyphenanthrene ( β = 3.44% [95% CI: 0.19%, 6.79%]), and 4-hydroxyphenanthrene (4-OH-PHE) ( β = 5.78% [95% CI: 1.27%, 10.5%]) were significantly and positively associated with systolic blood pressure. Exposures to 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OH-PYR) ( β = 3.05% [95% CI: -4.66%, -1.41%]), 2-OH-PHE ( β = 2.68% [95% CI: -4%, -1.34%]), and 4-OH-PHE ( β = 3% [95% CI: -4.68%, -1.29%]) were negatively associated with the ratio of forced expiratory volume in the first second to forced vital capacity. These findings highlight the adverse effects of exposure to multiple pollutants on cardiopulmonary health. Biomarkers of oxidative stress, including 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine and extracellular superoxide dismutase, mediated the effects of multiple OH-PAHs on blood pressure and lung function. CONCLUSION Exposure to multiple organic pollutants can adversely affect cardiopulmonary health. Oxidative stress is a key mediator of the effects of OH-PAHs on blood pressure and lung function.
Humans ; Oxidative Stress/drug effects* ; Male ; Cross-Over Studies ; Female ; Young Adult ; Environmental Pollutants/toxicity* ; Environmental Exposure/adverse effects* ; Biomarkers/blood* ; Adult ; Blood Pressure/drug effects* ; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons/urine* ; Beijing

Objective:To evaluate the effects and underlying mechanisms of preoperative intestinal microbiota modulation on the recovery of prolonged postoperative ileus(PPOI)in gastric cancer patients with sarcopenia Methods:Skeletal muscle mass(SMM)was assessed using bioelectrical impedance analysis(BIA),and the skeletal muscle index(SMI)was calculated.A total of 156 gastric cancer patients with sarcopenia who underwent surgery at the Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery,Liyang People's Hospital,from January 2022 to December 2024 were randomly assigned to either the control group or the experimental group.The control group received conventional prehabilitation interventions,including nutritional support,respiratory function training,and physical exercise.The experimental group received probiotic-based intestinal microbiota modulation in addition to conventional prehabilitation interventions.Postoperative recovery indicators,including time to first flatus,incidence of postoperative complications,length of hospital stay,and hospitalization costs,were compared between the two groups.Results:Among the 156 sarcopenic gastric cancer patients,121 were male,and 35 were female.Statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups in terms of time to first flatus,incidence of postoperative complications,and length of hospital stay(P<0.05).Postoperative complications occurred in 38 patients(24.3%),with 10 cases(6.4%)in the experimental group and 28 cases(17.9%)in the control group.The time to first flatus in the experimental group was significantly shorter than in the control group(48.0 hours vs 72.0 hours,P<0.001).Conclusion:Preoperative intestinal microbiota modulation significantly reduces the incidence of PPOI and postoperative complications in gastric cancer patients with low SMI,thereby promoting postoperative gastrointestinal function recovery.

Objective To investigate the practical effects of pediatric rapid sequence intubation(RSI)nursing coordination training based on the LSPPDM(learn,see,practice,prove,do,maintain)framework in order to provide evidence for optimizing pediatric RSI nursing training programs.Methods Nurses from the intensive care unit(ICU)of Children's Hospital,Fudan University during Feb 2023 and Jan 2024 were divided into the experimental group(n=35)and the control group(n=35)by block randomization.The experimental group received LSPPDM framework-based training,while the control group underwent conventional training with theoretical lectures and procedural demonstrations.Outcomes included training satisfaction,theoretical knowledge and procedural skill assessment scores,team collaboration compliance and RSI procedure time were compared between the two groups.Results The experimental group demonstrated significantly higher training satisfaction(123.80±2.04 vs.117.26±9.82,P<0.05),superior post-training theoretical knowledge and procedural skills(P<0.05),enhanced team collaboration compliance(P<0.05),and shorter RSI completion time(P<0.05)compared with the control group.Conclusion Pediatric RSI nursing coordination training based on the LSPPDM framework can effectively increase training satisfaction,promote theoretical and procedural skills and reduce completion time in nurses.

OBJECTIVE To explore the distribution of pathogens isolated from the thoracoscopic lobectomy patients with postoperative pulmonary infections and observe the expressions of maternal expression gene 3(MEG3)/microribonucleic acid-223(miR-223)/nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3)axis in peripheral blood.METHODS Totally 48 lung cancer patients who underwent thoracoscopic lobec-tomy and had postoperative pulmonary infections in the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chi-nese Medicine from Jun.2021 to Jun.2024 were assigned as the infection group,meanwhile,31 lung cancer pa-tients who underwent thoracoscopic lobectomy but did not have postoperative infections were chosen as the no in-fection group.The sputum specimens were collected from the infection group,the distribution of isolated patho-gens was analyzed.The clinical data and the expression MEG3,miR-223 and NLRP3 were observed and compared between the two groups.The values of MEG3,miR-223 and NLRP3 in prediction of the postoperative infections were analyzed by receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves.RESULTS Totally 63 strains of pathogens were i-solated from the 48 thoracoscopic lobectomy patients with postoperative pulmonary infections,33(52.38％)of which were gram-negative bacteria,25(39.68％)were gram-positive bacteria,and 5(7.94％)were fungi.There were significant differences in age,diabetes mellitus,chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD),operation duration,and expression levels of MEG3,miR-223 and NLRP3 between the infection group and the no infection group(P＜0.05).ROC curve analysis showed that the areas under the curves of MEG3,miR-223 and NLRP3 and the joint detection of the three indexes were 0.861,0.760,0.912 and 0.968,respectively,in prediction of the post-operative pulmonary infections,and the predictive efficiency of the joint detection was highest(P＜0.05).CONCLUSIONS The gram-negative bacteria are dominant among the pathogens isolated from the thoracoscopic lo-bectomy patients with postoperative pulmonary infections,the occurrence and progression of the infections may be closely associated with the activation of MEG3/miR-223/NLRP3 axis.The joint detection of the three indexes can effectively predict the postoperative pulmonary infections in the thoracoscopic lobectomy patients.

Objective To investigate the practical effects of pediatric rapid sequence intubation(RSI)nursing coordination training based on the LSPPDM(learn,see,practice,prove,do,maintain)framework in order to provide evidence for optimizing pediatric RSI nursing training programs.Methods Nurses from the intensive care unit(ICU)of Children's Hospital,Fudan University during Feb 2023 and Jan 2024 were divided into the experimental group(n=35)and the control group(n=35)by block randomization.The experimental group received LSPPDM framework-based training,while the control group underwent conventional training with theoretical lectures and procedural demonstrations.Outcomes included training satisfaction,theoretical knowledge and procedural skill assessment scores,team collaboration compliance and RSI procedure time were compared between the two groups.Results The experimental group demonstrated significantly higher training satisfaction(123.80±2.04 vs.117.26±9.82,P<0.05),superior post-training theoretical knowledge and procedural skills(P<0.05),enhanced team collaboration compliance(P<0.05),and shorter RSI completion time(P<0.05)compared with the control group.Conclusion Pediatric RSI nursing coordination training based on the LSPPDM framework can effectively increase training satisfaction,promote theoretical and procedural skills and reduce completion time in nurses.

OBJECTIVE To explore the distribution of pathogens isolated from the thoracoscopic lobectomy patients with postoperative pulmonary infections and observe the expressions of maternal expression gene 3(MEG3)/microribonucleic acid-223(miR-223)/nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3)axis in peripheral blood.METHODS Totally 48 lung cancer patients who underwent thoracoscopic lobec-tomy and had postoperative pulmonary infections in the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chi-nese Medicine from Jun.2021 to Jun.2024 were assigned as the infection group,meanwhile,31 lung cancer pa-tients who underwent thoracoscopic lobectomy but did not have postoperative infections were chosen as the no in-fection group.The sputum specimens were collected from the infection group,the distribution of isolated patho-gens was analyzed.The clinical data and the expression MEG3,miR-223 and NLRP3 were observed and compared between the two groups.The values of MEG3,miR-223 and NLRP3 in prediction of the postoperative infections were analyzed by receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves.RESULTS Totally 63 strains of pathogens were i-solated from the 48 thoracoscopic lobectomy patients with postoperative pulmonary infections,33(52.38％)of which were gram-negative bacteria,25(39.68％)were gram-positive bacteria,and 5(7.94％)were fungi.There were significant differences in age,diabetes mellitus,chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD),operation duration,and expression levels of MEG3,miR-223 and NLRP3 between the infection group and the no infection group(P＜0.05).ROC curve analysis showed that the areas under the curves of MEG3,miR-223 and NLRP3 and the joint detection of the three indexes were 0.861,0.760,0.912 and 0.968,respectively,in prediction of the post-operative pulmonary infections,and the predictive efficiency of the joint detection was highest(P＜0.05).CONCLUSIONS The gram-negative bacteria are dominant among the pathogens isolated from the thoracoscopic lo-bectomy patients with postoperative pulmonary infections,the occurrence and progression of the infections may be closely associated with the activation of MEG3/miR-223/NLRP3 axis.The joint detection of the three indexes can effectively predict the postoperative pulmonary infections in the thoracoscopic lobectomy patients.