Objective: To observe the clinical efficacy of electroacupuncture (EA) plus Tanbo-plucking the trigger points for scapulohumeral periarthritis (SP). Methods:A total of 80 patients with SP were randomized into an observation group and an EA group by the random number table, with 40 cases in each group. The EA group was treated with EA therapy, and the observation group was treated with EA therapy plus Tanbo-plucking the trigger points. After treatment, the visual analog scale (VAS) and Melle scores of the two groups were compared to evaluate the improvement of shoulder pain and functional activity, and meanwhile the clinical efficacy was observed. Results: After treatment, the total effective rate of the observation group was 95.0％ and the cure and markedly effective rate was 72.5％. The total effective rate of the EA group was 87.5％ and the cure and markedly effective rate was 42.5％. There was no significant difference in the total effective rate between the two groups (P>0.05). The cure and markedly effective rate of the observation group was higher than that of the EA group, and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P<0.05). After treatment, the intra-group differences in VAS and Melle scores of both groups were statistically significant (bothP<0.001). The inter-group differences in the changes of the VAS and Melle scores after treatment were statistically significant (bothP<0.001). Conclusion: EA plus Tanbo-plucking the trigger points has a better curative effect than EA therapy alone in the treatment of SP.

OBJECTIVE: People in Western Africa suffer greatly from febrile jaundice, which is caused by a variety of pathogens. However, yellow fever virus (YFV) is the only pathogen under surveillance in Sierra Leone owing to the undeveloped medical and public health system there. Most of the results of YFV identification are negative. Elucidation of the pathogen spectrum is required to reduce the prevalence of febrile jaundice. METHODS: In the present study, we used Ion Torrent semiconductor sequencing to profile the pathogen spectrum in archived YFV-negative sera from 96 patients in Sierra Leone who presented with unexplained febrile jaundice. RESULTS: The most frequently identified sequencing reads belonged to the following pathogens: cytomegalovirus (89.58%), Epstein-Barr virus (55.21%), hepatitis C virus (34.38%), rhinovirus (28.13%), hepatitis A virus (20.83%), coxsackievirus (10.42%), Ebola virus (8.33%), hepatitis E virus (8.33%), lyssavirus (4.17%), leptospirosis (4.17%), chikungunya virus (2.08%), Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (1.04%), and hepatitis B virus (1.04%). CONCLUSION The distribution of sequencing reads suggests a broader spectrum of pathogens for consideration in clinical diagnostics and epidemiological surveillance in Sierra Leone.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Fever ; epidemiology ; virology ; Humans ; Jaundice ; epidemiology ; virology ; Male ; Sequence Analysis ; Sierra Leone ; epidemiology ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE: To study the association of exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) during pregnancy and autism spectrum disorder (ASD)-related behaviors in toddlers. METHODS: A total of 348 toddlers who had accepted the measurement of PAH-DNA adduct in umbilical cord blood and evaluation of behavior problems at the age of 36 months were enrolled in this birth cohort study. Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC) were used to evaluate behavior problems at the age of 36 months. The correlation of the concentration of PAH-DNA adduct in umbilical cord blood with CBCL and ABC scores at the age of 36 months were analyzed. RESULTS: The detection rate of PAH-DNA adduct in umbilical cord blood was 52.3%, and the median concentration was 0.68 ng/mL. The median total scores of CBCL and ABC scales were 23 and 8 respectively. In children aged 36 months, the concentration of PAH-DNA adduct was positively correlated with the score of social withdrawal in the CBCL scale (r=0.205, P<0.05), the total score of the ABC scale (r=0.412, P<0.05), and the self-care score of the ABC scale (r=0.355, P<0.05). The concentration of PAH-DNA adduct was closely associated with the total score of the ABC scale in children aged 36 months (β=0.122, P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS PAH exposure during pregnancy may be a risk factor for ASD-related behaviors in toddlers. Effective reduction of PAH exposure during pregnancy and detection of PAH-DNA adduct in neonatal umbilical cord blood are of vital importance for early prevention, screening and intervention of ASD.
Autism Spectrum Disorder ; chemically induced ; Child Behavior ; Child, Preschool ; Cohort Studies ; Female ; Fetal Blood ; Humans ; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons ; adverse effects ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects ; chemically induced

OBJECTIVE: To perform genetic analysis, prenatal diagnosis and preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) in a family with a rare deletional β- thalassemia. METHODS: Hematological parameters of the peripheral blood collected from all the family members were analyzed by whole blood cell analysis and capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE). Polymerase chain reaction-reverse dot blot (PCR-RDB) was used to identify 17 common β- thalassemia gene mutations, the multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) and gap-polymerase chain reaction (gap-PCR) were used to identify β- globin gene cluster deletions. Chorionic villus sample or umbilical cord blood was obtained for prenatal diagnosis. Oligo-cells from blastocyst biopsy were collected for preimplantation genetic diagnosis by whole genome amplification and next generation sequencing. RESULTS: The proband was a carrier of Taiwanese deletion β- thalassemia, two fetuses were both thalassemia majors. The PGD results showed that 6 of 11 tested embryos could be choose for transplantation. CONCLUSION The Taiwanese deletion is a rare type deletion of β- globin gene cluster, and it can lead to thalassemia intermedia or thalassemia major when compounded with other β- globin gene mutation. PGD is another choice for thalassemia couples.
Female ; Genetic Testing ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Preimplantation Diagnosis ; Prenatal Diagnosis ; alpha-Thalassemia ; beta-Thalassemia ; genetics

OBJECTIVE: To identify potential mutations of the CLS gene in a Chinese pedigree affected with Coffin-Lowry syndrome. METHODS: Whole exome sequencing was applied to detect potential mutation in the proband, and the result was verified by Sanger sequencing. RESULTS: The proband was found to carry a c.966_967delAA (p.Arg323Thr fs*11) deletional mutation in the RPS6KA3 gene. The same mutation was also found in his mother. CONCLUSION The c.966_967delAA (p.Arg323Thr fs*11) deletional mutation of the RPS6KA3 gene probably underlies the disorder in this pedigree.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; China ; Coffin-Lowry Syndrome ; genetics ; Humans ; Mutation ; Pedigree ; Ribosomal Protein S6 Kinases, 90-kDa ; genetics ; Sequence Deletion

Exosomes are membranous vesicles that are actively secreted by cells. They can be isolated from various cell culture media and animal body fluids. Exosomes are mainly composed of lipids, proteins and nucleic acids. They have small molecular structure and high biocompatibility with size of 40-100 nm. In addition, exosomes are natural endogenous nanocarriers that can transport lipids, proteins, DNA and RNA. Studies have shown that exosomes play an important role in long-distance communication between cells, in physiological and pathological processes. This article introduces the composition and physiological functions of exosomes, and summarizes the relevant content of exosomes as drug delivery vehicles. The applications of exosomes in central nervous system diseases, especially brain diseases and tumors are summarized.

Gout is caused by the nucleation and growth of monosodium rate crystals in tissues and around joints, which is followed by long-standing hyperuricemia and serum urate of above the saturation threshold. It could cause a series of complications, such as cardiovascular, hypertension, and renal complications. Over the past two decades, the incidences of hyperuricemia and gout have been increasing due to the continuous improvement of living standards and the changes in dietary structure. The prime and most important therapy for hyperuricemia and gout is to reduce serum uric acid levels, but the western medicine for reducing uric acid in clinical application has serious toxic and side effects. With the rapid development of modern science and technology, the application and development of different screening methods for effective ingredients with a low toxicity and side effects from Chinese herbal medicines for reducing serum uric acid levels has attracted much attention in the research and development of drugs for the prevention and treatment of hyperuricemia and gout. In this study, the screening methods for extracts, fractions, active monomer components and other effective substances were reviewed and analyzed. According to the findings, the screening methods had a considerable progress both in vivo and in vitro. The results showed that the in vivo methods were mainly applied for studying the urate lowing effect and mechanisms of herbal extracts, while the studies for xanthine oxidase(XOD) inhibitors mainly depended on the in vitro methods. Molecular docking homology modeling and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry have become a new trend for screening effective substances with XOD inhibitory activities and uric acid excretion activities, while cell model will open up a new way for screening effective substances for uric acid excretion. The review provides certain reference for effective components screening of hyperuricemia and gout.

Objective:To study on the differences of profile spectra among chemical components in Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex from different varieties and habitats,and to screen and identify the characteristic components affecting the quality difference of this herb. Method:The chromatogram data sets of Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex from different varieties and habitats were obtained by liquid chromatography-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry(LC-TOF-MS).Principal component analysis,partial least squares-discriminant analysis and cluster analysis were used to compare the differences in chemical profiles among Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex from different varieties and habitats,and adopted to screen out the characteristic chemical constituents that resulted in these differences and to perform mass spectrometry analysis and comparison. Result:Eleven characteristic peaks were identified by LC-TOF-MS chromatographic data and reported in the literature.The use of chemical profile could distinguish different habitats of Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex,but could not completely distinguish different varieties of this herb. Conclusion:LC-TOF-MS can easily and quickly study on the profile differences of chemical substances in Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex from different varieties and different habitats,the results of this study can provide a theoretical basis for the quality evaluation and pharmacodynamic material basis of this herb.

Objective:To establish HPLC-UV fingerprints of Ilex pubescens pieces,and simultaneously determine two components in 46 batches of I. pubescens in pieces of I. pubescens saponin A₁ and B₁,in order to provide a reference for the quality standard of I. pubescens slices. Method:Methanol was used to extract the I. pubescens saponin samples,and the extracts were measured by HPLC-UV with the absorption wavelength at 210 nm. Kromasil C₁₈ column (4.6 mm×250 mm,5 μm) was used for determining the extracts at a flow rate of 1.0 mL·min^-1. The mobile phase condition was acetonitrile-0.1% phosphoric acid aqueous solution with gradient mode. The chromatographic fingerprint similarity evaluation system of traditional Chinese medicine (2012 edition) was used to analyze I. pubescens fingerprints. SPSS 20.0 software was used to cluster the peak area of common peaks. Principal component analysis was performed to reduce the dimension of common peaks. Result:There were great differences between the root and stem parts in I. pubescens fingerprints. The fingerprints of roots and stems of I. pubescens were established respectively,cluster results assorted the roots of I. pubescens into three categories andthe branches of I. pubescens into two categories. The integrity and difference of I. pubescens decoction pieces from different parts and places of origin were compared,and the principal component analysis was performed to screen out the common components that played a decisive role in fingerprint of I. pubescens pieces. And the common peaks were determined. The content of saponin A₁ and saponin B₁ in Radix I. pubescens were determined. Conclusion:The established I. pubescens fingerprints and content determination methods are simple and suitable. Cluster analysis and principal component analysis are used to screen out the key components of quality control of I. pubescens. The results can provide references for quality control of I. pubescens.

Objective To investigate the primary application of 3D printing technique in vascularized fibula resection and grafting for mandible ameloblastoma. Methods The data of 3 cases of unilateral mandibular ameloblastoma were retrospectively collected.The thin slice CT scan of mandible was performed before operation.The scanned original data were imported into mimics 17.0 software for 3D reconstruction.Mirror image of the healthy side mandible was generated by the mirror image tool of the software.Preoperative planning,designing transplantation of vascularized fibula bone,pre-bending and pre-shaping titanium plate,surgical simulation were done by the mirror model.Results All operations were performed successfully,and were in agreement with the preoperative planning.The facial appearance and mandible function were both satisfactory.Conclusion 3D printing technology assisting mandibular ameloblastoma resection and bone graft reconstruction is able to optimize preoperative planning,provide individualized treatment and achieve postoperative satisfaction.