OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical efficacy of acupuncture combined with thunder-fire moxibustion in treating low back pain with cold-damp. METHODS: Seventy-two patients of low back pain with cold-damp were randomly divided into an observation group (36 cases, 1 case was eliminated) and a control group (36 cases, 1 case dropped out). The control group received acupuncture at Jizhong (GV6), Yaoyangguan (GV3), ashi points, bilateral Shenshu (BL23), Dachangshu (BL25), and Weizhong (BL40) for 30 min daily. The observation group was treated with thunder-fire moxibustion in addition to the same acupuncture regimen as the control group, once daily. Both groups were treated for 6 consecutive days followed by one rest day, for a total duration of 4 weeks. The visual analog scale (VAS) score, Oswestry disability index (ODI) score, Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score, present pain intensity (PPI) score, and serum levels of β-endorphin (β-EP), 5-hydroxytryp tamin (5-HT), and substance P (SP) were compared before and after treatment, and the clinical efficacy was also compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Compared before treatment, the VAS scores, ODI scores, PPI scores, and serum levels of 5-HT and SP were decreased (P<0.01), while JOA scores and serum levels of β-EP were increased (P<0.01) in both groups after treatment. The observation group showed lower VAS, ODI, and PPI scores and serum levels of 5-HT and SP than those in the control group (P<0.05), as well as higher JOA score and serum level of β-EP (P<0.05). The total effective rate in the observation group was 94.3% (33/35), higher than 82.9% (29/35) in the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Acupuncture combined with thunder-fire moxibustion could effectively alleviate pain and improve lumbar function in patients of low back pain with cold-damp, possibly by regulating β-EP, 5-HT, and SP levels.
Humans ; Moxibustion ; Low Back Pain/blood* ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Acupuncture Points ; Treatment Outcome ; Combined Modality Therapy ; beta-Endorphin/blood* ; Young Adult ; Aged

Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is a naturally occurring, low-toxicity, and hydrophilic bile acid (BA) in the human body that is converted by intestinal flora using primary BA. Solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11) functions to uptake extracellular cystine in exchange for glutamate, and is highly expressed in a variety of human cancers. Retroperitoneal liposarcoma (RLPS) refers to liposarcoma originating from the retroperitoneal area. Lipidomics analysis revealed that UDCA was one of the most significantly downregulated metabolites in sera of RLPS patients compared with healthy subjects. The augmentation of UDCA concentration (≥25 μg/mL) demonstrated a suppressive effect on the proliferation of liposarcoma cells. [¹⁵N₂]-cystine and [¹³C₅]-glutamine isotope tracing revealed that UDCA impairs cystine uptake and glutathione (GSH) synthesis. Mechanistically, UDCA binds to the cystine transporter SLC7A11 to inhibit cystine uptake and impair GSH de novo synthesis, leading to reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and mitochondrial oxidative damage. Furthermore, UDCA can promote the anti-cancer effects of ferroptosis inducers (Erastin, RSL3), the murine double minute 2 (MDM2) inhibitors (Nutlin 3a, RG7112), cyclin dependent kinase 4 (CDK4) inhibitor (Abemaciclib), and glutaminase inhibitor (CB839). Together, UDCA functions as a cystine exchange factor that binds to SLC7A11 for antitumor activity, and SLC7A11 is not only a new transporter for BA but also a clinically applicable target for UDCA. More importantly, in combination with other antitumor chemotherapy or physiotherapy treatments, UDCA may provide effective and promising treatment strategies for RLPS or other types of tumors in a ROS-dependent manner.

Oral diseases concern almost every individual and are a serious health risk to the popula-tion.The restorative treatment of tooth and jaw defects is an important means to achieve oral function and support the appearance of the contour.Based on the principle of"learning from the nature",Deng Xu-liang's group of Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology has proposed a new concept of"microstructural biomimetic design and tissue adaptation of tooth/jaw materials"to address the worldwide problems of difficulty in treating dentine hypersensitivity,poor prognosis of restoration of tooth defects,and vertical bone augmentation of alveolar bone after tooth loss.The group has broken through the bottle-neck of multi-stage biomimetic technology from the design of microscopic features to the enhancement of macroscopic effects,and invented key technologies such as crystalline/amorphous multi-level assembly,ion-transportation blocking,and multi-physical properties of the micro-environment reconstruction,etc.The group also pioneered the cationic-hydrogel desensitizer,digital stump and core integrated restora-tions,and developed new crown and bridge restorative materials,gradient functionalisation guided tissue regeneration membrane,and electrically responsive alveolar bone augmentation restorative membranes,etc.These products have established new clinical strategies for tooth/jaw defect repair and achieved inno-vative results.In conclusion,the research results of our group have strongly supported the theoretical im-provement of stomatology,developed the technical system of oral hard tissue restoration,innovated the clinical treatment strategy,and led the progress of the stomatology industry.

Objective To compare the contents variation of six flavonoids includingdaidzin，glycitin, genistin, daidzein, glycitein and genisteinin black beans, semifinished and finished Sojae Semen Praeparatum．Methods The contents of flavonoids were determined by HPLC，the condition were Diamonsil C₁₈ column (4.6×250 mm, 5 μm) , column temperature 30 ℃, detection wavelength 260 nm, mobile phase 0.2% acetic acid water (A) - methanol (B), gradient elution, flow rate 1.0 ml/min．Results The linearity of this method to determine 6 isoflavones was good (r≥0.9993) within the determination range, and the recovery rate met the requirements. The RSD of precision, repeatability and stability experiment was less than 4%, 3%and 3%. The results of HPLC showed that the contents of six flavonoidsin Sojae Semen Praeparatum increased significantly compared with black beans. And, the contents of six flavonoids in finished Sojae Semen Praeparatum were slightly more than those in semifinished Sojae Semen Praeparatum. Conclusion The HPLC method established in this study could accurately determine the content of 6 isoflavones in Sojae Semen Praeparatum. The content of six isoflavones in black beans could be increased by the fermentation, and the combined isoflavones were transformed into free isoflavones during the fermentation process.

Consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) is a multi-step process in a bioreactor, which completes hydrolase production, enzymatic hydrolysis, and microbial fermentation. It is considered to be the most promising process for the production of second-generation biofuels because of its simple steps and low cost. Due to the complexity of lignocellulose degradation and the butanol synthesis pathway, few wild microorganisms can directly utilize lignocellulose to synthesize butanol. With the development of synthetic biology, single-bacterium directly synthesizes butanol using lignocellulose by introducing a butanol synthesis pathway in the cellulolytic Clostridium. However, there are still some problems such as heavy metabolic load of single bacterium and low butanol yield. Co-culture can relieve the metabolic burden of single bacterium through the division of labor in different strains and can further improve the efficiency of butanol synthesis. This review analyzes the recent research progress in the synthesis of biobutanol using lignocellulose by consolidated bioprocessing from both the single-bacterium strategy and co-culture strategy, to provide a reference for the research of butanol and other biofuels.
1-Butanol ; Biofuels ; Butanols ; Fermentation ; Lignin/metabolism*

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of high-fat (HF) diet and exercise on the expressions of asprosin and CTRP6 in adipose tissues in different regions of rats during mid-gestation. METHODS: Pregnant SD rats were fed on a standard chow diet or a high-fat (60% fat content) diet for 14 days starting on gestation day (GD) 1. Starting from GD3, the rats fed either on normal or high-fat diet in the exercise groups (CH-RW and HF-RW groups) were allowed access to the running wheels for voluntary running, and those in sedentary groups (CH-SD and HF-SD groups) remained sedentary. At the end of the 14 days, adipose tissues were sampled from different regions of the rats for detecting the mRNA and protein expressions of asprosin and CTRP6 using RT-qPCR and Western blotting. RESULTS: The mRNA expression of asprosin in retroperitoneal adipose tissues was significantly higher in HF-RW group than in the other 3 groups ( CONCLUSIONS High-fat diet and exercise during mid-gedtation can affect the expression levels of asprosin and CTRP6 in adipose tissues of rats in a site-specific manner.
Adipokines ; Animals ; Blood Glucose ; Diet, High-Fat/adverse effects* ; Female ; Intra-Abdominal Fat ; Pregnancy ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

With the wide application of digital technology in the field of stomatology, the acquisition of three-dimensional tooth and dentition information through three-dimensional (3D) image data and optical scan data has become an indispensable process in clinical diagnosis and analysis. Cone-beam CT images and optical scanning images have their own characteristics in terms of data acquisition range and the accuracy of data. Single data source is not accurate enough or complete in the delivery of tooth and dental information. At present, two data sources are used to construct a 3D crown root model with high-precision crown and complete root information to meet the requirement of clinical orthodontic functional setup and implant surgical guide design. The integration of tooth crown and root is one of the focused topics of clinical research. This review will summarize the research progress of 3D crown root model construction method, introduce the application of various algorithms, and analyze the characteristics of these approaches, in order to provide reference for clinical application and scientific research.

Objective:To systematically review the risk factors of delayed healing of venous leg ulcer (VLU) so as to provide a guide for developing the personalized nursing strategies.Methods:The Cochrane Library, PubMed, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, Clinicaltrials.gov, ProQuest and Open Grey was retrieved with the English keywords of "varicose ulcer/venous ulcer, non-healing/delayed healing/poor healing, factor/risk factor/influence factor"; the China Biological Medicine (CBM) , Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) , WanFang Data and VIP was retrieved with the English keywords of "venous leg ulcer/venous ulcer, delayed healing/refractory, risk factors/influencing factors"; the retrieval time ranged from building database to 1st April 2019. Two researchers independently screened literatures, extracted data and assessed the quality of included literatures. The RevMan 5.3 was used to the meta-analysis.Results:Finally, a total of 11 literatures were included and involved 3 894 subjects, 520 cases lost to follow up, 914 cases in case group and 2 460 in control group. Meta-analysis showed that there were 7 risk factors related to delayed healing of VLU including the ages [ OR=1.02, 95% CI (1.01, 1.03) , P<0.01], range of motion of ankle [ OR=4.77, 95% CI (1.79, 12.73) , P<0.01], size of ulcer [ OR=1.27, 95% CI (1.10, 1.47) , P<0.01], duration of ulcer [ OR=1.08, 95% CI (1.01, 1.16) , P=0.03], history of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) [ OR=2.21, 95% CI (1.06, 4.63) , P=0.03], ankle-brachial index<0.8 [ OR=8.71, 95% CI (4.22, 17.99) , P<0.01]and rheumatoid arthritis [ OR=1.37, 95% CI (1.08, 1.73) , P<0.01]with statistical differences, and factors irrelevant to delayed healing of VLU including the body mass index (BMI) [ OR=0.98, 95% CI (0.83, 1.16) , P=0.82], >50% wound covered with fibrin [ OR=1.88, 95% CI (0.99, 3.57) , P=0.06], diabetes mellitus [ OR=1.10, 95% CI (0.70, 1.75) , P=0.67], history of hip or knee replacement [ OR=1.73, 95% CI (0.50, 6.00) , P=0.39]. Conclusions:Evidence shows that the independent risk factors of delayed healing of VLU include the ages, range of motion of ankle, size of ulcer, duration of ulcer, history of DVT, ankle-brachial index<0.8 and rheumatoid arthritis. Those evidences can help to identify the clinical high-risk population of delayed healing of VLU and provide targeted nursing intervention to reduce the healing time of VLU and improve patients' quality of life.

Objective: To reveal the clinical and genetic features of neonatal/infantile epileptic disorders caused by KCNQ2 mutations and to provide a clue for the treatment and prognosis evaluation. Methods: Twenty-two patients were collected in the Department of Pediatrics, Peking University First Hospital from April 2007 to July 2016.The phenotype-genotype analysis was conducted of the neonatal/infantile epileptic patients in whom a KCNQ2 mutation was identified by the targeted next generation sequencing. Results: Twenty-two de novo KCNQ2 missense mutations from 22 patients with neonatal/infantile epileptic disorders were found.These patients had an onset of epilepsy in early infancy (median age: 2 days). The seizure type of the first onset was mainly focal seizure.Atypical absence epilepsy, a novel phenotype of KCNQ2 mutation-induced epilepsies was found.The mortality of these patients was high, as 5 patients of the 22 patients died in the follow-up period, 4 of which might result from sudden unexpected death in epilepsy.In the 22 patients, 8 patients with anti-epileptic monotherapy became seizure-free.Of the 8 patients with a monotherapy, 3 patients were treated with valproic acid and no clinical onset was observed. Conclusions This study expands the phenotype of KCNQ2-related epileptic disorders.These patients have high mortality.Valproate acid is the potentially effective monotherapy for these patients.

Objective To evaluate the protective effect of apneic oxygen insufflation on the operated lung of patients undergoing one-lung ventilation (OLV).Methods Fifty-four American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status Ⅱ or Ⅲ patients of both sexes,aged 50-75 yr,scheduled for elective pulmonary tumorectomy,were divided into 2 groups using a random number table method:conventional group (group C,n=27) and apneic oxygen insufflation group (group A,n=27).The patients were intubated with a double-lumen tube after induction of anesthesia.Apneic oxygen insufflation was performed on the operated lung immediately after OLV by continuously administrating oxygen at 5 L/min with inspiratory oxygen fraction of 100％.Blood samples were taken from the radial artery at 1 min before OLV (T1) and 3 and 33 min after OLV (T2,3) for blood gas analysis,pulmonary oxygenation index and intrapulmonary shunt rate were calculated,and the occurrence of oxygen index less than 200 and 300 mmHg was recorded.Blood samples of the internal jugular vein were collected to detect the concentrations of surfactant protein B (SPB) and surfactant protein C (SP-C) in serum.The lung on the operated side was lavaged at T3,and the broncho-alveolar lavage fluid was collected for determination of the concentrations of SP-B and SP-C by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Results Compared with group C,the oxygenation index was significantly increased at T2,3,the intrapulmonary shunt rate was decreased,the concentrations of SP-B and SPC in serum were decreased,and the concentrations of SP-B and SP-C in broncho-alveolar lavage fluid were increased in group A (P＜0.05).Conclusion Giving apneic oxygen insufflation 5 L/min to the operated lung during OLV can reduce the damage to the operated lung.