Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a diabetic ocular complication that can lead to poor vision and blindness. This experiment aimed to investigate the ameliorative effect and its mechanism of Panax notoginseng saponins (PNS) eye drops on streptozotocin (STZ)-induced non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) in rats. All experiments were approved by the Animal Research Committee of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Animal welfare and the animal experimental protocols were strictly consistent with related ethics regulations of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (No. PZSHUTCM 211115004). Diabetes mellitus was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of STZ into rats. Two months later, PNS solution was dropped binocular twice per day at 6 h intervals at dose of 20, 40, and 80 mg·kg^-1 continuously for 1 month. The morphological structure and activation of microglia of the retina were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining and immunohistochemical assay. The disruption of the blood-retina barrier (BRB) was conducted by the Evans blue dye leakage assay. The number of acellular capillaries in the retina was assessed by digesting and hematoxylin-eosin staining assay. The number of retinal leukocyte adhesion was observed by fluorescein isothiocyanate-coupled concanavalin A lectin labeling assay. The serum expression of inflammatory factors was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Western blot experiments were used to detect the expression of relevant proteins in retinal tissue and transcriptional activation of nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB). The results revealed that PNS eye drops significantly increased the thickness of the retina, decreased the number of acellular capillaries, and up-regulated the expression of the tight junction proteins claudin-1 and occludin, thereby alleviating BRB damage. In addition, PNS eye drops were also able to significantly reduce leukocyte adhesion and microglia activation, the expression of inflammatory factors in serum, and the nuclear translocation of retinal p65 proteins, effectively inhibiting the occurrence of retinal inflammation. The above results showed that PNS eye drops played a role in improving NPDR by inhibiting the activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway and reducing inflammation.

Objective In order to shorten the transparency time of clear,unobstructed brain imaging cocktails and computational analysis(CUBIC),improve the transparency efficiency,and explore the possibility of applying hydrophilic tissue transparency technique,this study was conducted to optimize the perfusion of CUBIC technique and compare it with four hydrophilic tissue clearing method in terms of tissue transparency effect,transparency time,area change,volume change and adeno-associated virus(AAV)fluorescence retention.Methods Brain,liver,spleen and kidney of 6 adult Institute of Cancer Research(ICR)mice were subjected to clearing treatment by SeeDB,FRUIT,ScaleS and CUBIC method,respectively.The area and gray value of the samples were measured by Image J 1.8.0,and the volume before and after transparency was measured by drainage method to compare the transparency effect,time and size deformation of each group.Perfusion optimization of the CUBIC was performed by improving the perfusion rate with the optimal perfusion dose,each group of the experimental sample size was 6.Fluorescence preservation by different techniques was evaluated by injecting AAV in the motor cortex of 16 adult mice and taking the cervical spinal segments for transparency treatment after four weeks,and the fluorescence photographs were measured by Image J 1.8.0 to measure the mean fluorescent intensity.Results The optimal perfusion rate and dose of CUBIC was 15 ml/min and 200 ml respectively.For transparency ability and speed,the perfusion CUBIC had the lowest mean gray value and took the shortest time,while CUBIC consumed the longest time,and SeeDB,FRUIT,and ScaleS did not show good transparency ability.In terms of area and volume changes,several techniques showed different degrees of expansion after transparency of tissues or organs.In terms of fluorescence retention,perfusion CUBIC showed the best retention of green fluorescent protein(GFP)fluorescence signal,followed by CUBIC,ScaleS,FRUIT,and SeeDB.Conclusion Perfusion CUBIC technique shows the best tissue transparency,the shortest transparency time,and the most AAV fluorescence retention compared with other techniques.

Objective: To understand the current status of diagnosis and treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) /small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) among hematologists, oncologists, and lymphoma physicians from hospitals of different levels in China. Methods: This multicenter questionnaire survey was conducted from March 2021 to July 2021 and included 1,000 eligible physicians. A combination of face-to-face interviews and online questionnaire surveys was used. A standardized questionnaire regarding the composition of patients treated for CLL/SLL, disease diagnosis and prognosis evaluation, concomitant diseases, organ function evaluation, treatment selection, and Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor was used. Results: ①The interviewed physicians stated that the proportion of male patients treated for CLL/SLL is higher than that of females, and the age is mainly concentrated in 61-70 years old. ②Most of the interviewed physicians conducted tests, such as bone marrow biopsies and immunohistochemistry, for patient diagnosis, in addition to the blood test. ③Only 13.7% of the interviewed physicians fully grasped the initial treatment indications recommended by the existing guidelines. ④In terms of cognition of high-risk prognostic factors, physicians' knowledge of unmutated immunoglobulin heavy-chain variable and 11q- is far inferior to that of TP53 mutation and complex karyotype, which are two high-risk prognostic factors, and only 17.1% of the interviewed physicians fully mastered CLL International Prognostic Index scoring system. ⑤Among the first-line treatment strategy, BTK inhibitors are used for different types of patients, and physicians have formed a certain understanding that BTK inhibitors should be preferentially used in patients with high-risk factors and elderly patients, but the actual use of BTK inhibitors in different types of patients is not high (31.6%-46.0%). ⑥BTK inhibitors at a reduced dose in actual clinical treatment were used by 69.0% of the physicians, and 66.8% of the physicians had interrupted the BTK inhibitor for >12 days in actual clinical treatment. The use of BTK inhibitors is reduced or interrupted mainly because of adverse reactions, such as atrial fibrillation, severe bone marrow suppression, hemorrhage, and pulmonary infection, as well as patients' payment capacity and effective disease progression control. ⑦Some differences were found in the perceptions and behaviors of hematologists and oncologists regarding the prognostic assessment of CLL/SLL, the choice of treatment options, the clinical use of BTK inhibitors, etc. Conclusion: At present, a gap remains between the diagnosis and treatment of CLL/SLL among Chinese physicians compared with the recommendations in the guidelines regarding the diagnostic criteria, treatment indications, prognosis assessment, accompanying disease assessment, treatment strategy selection, and rational BTK inhibitor use, especially the proportion of dose reduction or BTK inhibitor discontinuation due to high adverse events.
Female ; Humans ; Male ; Aged ; Middle Aged ; Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/drug therapy* ; Prognosis ; Lymphoma, B-Cell ; Immunohistochemistry ; Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains/therapeutic use*

Taking the Chinese city of Xiamen as an example, simulation and quantitative analysis were performed on the transmissions of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the influence of intervention combinations to assist policymakers in the preparation of targeted response measures. A machine learning model was built to estimate the effectiveness of interventions and simulate transmission in different scenarios. The comparison was conducted between simulated and real cases in Xiamen. A web interface with adjustable parameters, including choice of intervention measures, intervention weights, vaccination, and viral variants, was designed for users to run the simulation. The total case number was set as the outcome. The cumulative number was 4,614,641 without restrictions and 78 under the strictest intervention set. Simulation with the parameters closest to the real situation of the Xiamen outbreak was performed to verify the accuracy and reliability of the model. The simulation model generated a duration of 52 days before the daily cases dropped to zero and the final cumulative case number of 200, which were 25 more days and 36 fewer cases than the real situation, respectively. Targeted interventions could benefit the prevention and control of COVID-19 outbreak while safeguarding public health and mitigating impacts on people's livelihood.
COVID-19/prevention & control* ; China/epidemiology* ; Humans ; Machine Learning ; Pandemics/prevention & control* ; Policy ; Reproducibility of Results ; SARS-CoV-2

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical effect of acupuncture at sphenopalatine ganglion combined with conventional acupuncture for episodic cluster headache (CH). METHODS: One hundred and eighty patients with episodic CH were randomly divided into a combined group (60 cases, 3 cases dropped off)，an acupuncture group (60 cases, 2 cases dropped off) and a sphenopalatine ganglion group (60 cases, 2 cases dropped off and 1 case was removed). The patients in the acupuncture group were treated with conventional acupuncture at Touwei (ST 8), Yintang (GV 24⁺), Yangbai (GB 14), Hegu (LI 4), etc., once a day, 6 times a week. The patients in the sphenopalatine ganglion group were treated with acupuncture at sphenopalatine ganglion, once every other day, 3 times a week. On the basis of the conventional acupuncture, the combined group was treated with acupuncture at sphenopalatine ganglion once every other day. Two weeks were taken as a course of treatment, and 3 courses of treatment were required in the 3 groups. The score of visual analogue scale (VAS), the number of headache attacks per week, the duration of each headache attack and the score of migraine-specific quality of life questionnaire version 2.1 (MSQ) were observed before and after treatment and in follow-up of 3 months after treatment. The clinical efficacy of each group was compared. RESULTS: After treatment and in follow-up, the VAS score of headache, the number of headache attacks per week, the duration of each headache attack, and each various scores and the total score of MSQ of each group were lower than those before treatment (P<0.01). Except that the number of headache attacks per week in the combined group was lower than the sphenopalatine ganglion group (P<0.01), other indexes in the combined group were lower than the other two groups (P<0.05, P<0.01). The total effective rate in the combined group was 93.0% (53/57), which was higher than 75.9% (44/58) in the acupuncture group and 73.7% (42/57) in the sphenopalatine ganglion group（P<0.05, P<0.01). CONCLUSION Acupuncture at sphenopalatine ganglion combined with conventional acupuncture could reduce the degree of pain in patients with episodic CH, reduce the number and duration of headache attacks, and improve the quality of life of patients. It is more effective than simple conventional acupuncture or acupuncture at sphenopalatine ganglion alone.
Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Cluster Headache/therapy* ; Headache/therapy* ; Humans ; Quality of Life ; Treatment Outcome

The hydroponic culture test method was used to study the physiological and biochemical responses of Paulownia fortunei seedlings under Zn stress, Cd stress, and combined Zn and Cd stress as well as changes in the enrichment and transfer characteristics of heavy metals. Under single and combined heavy metal stress, the biomass, plant height, and peroxidase (POD) activity of P. fortunei decreased as the treatment concentration increased. Combined Zn and Cd affected adversely plant height and biomass. As the concentration of Zn increased when applied alone, the chlorophyll content and catalase (CAT) activity of P. fortunei first increased and then decreased, the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity increased, and the aboveground malondialdehyde (MDA) content first decreased and then increased. As the concentration of Cd increased when applied alone, chlorophyll content and CAT activity increased, and SOD activity and aboveground MDA content first increased and then decreased. Under both Cd and Zn, the physiological response was more complex. Cd in the seedlings of P. fortunei was concentrated in the root. In contrast, Zn was concentrated in the upper part of the ground, and its transfer coefficient was greater than 1.00. Thus, the addition of Zn promotes the transfer of heavy metals to the above-ground portions of plants. Generally, P. fortunei can effectively promote ecological restoration under complex forms of heavy metal pollution.
Cadmium ; Chlorophyll ; Metals, Heavy ; Plant Roots/chemistry* ; Seedlings ; Soil Pollutants ; Stress, Physiological ; Superoxide Dismutase ; Zinc

Optimal vision and ergonomics are essential factors contributing to the achievement of good results during microsurgery. The three-dimensional (3D) digital image microscope system with a better 3D depth of field can release strain on the surgeon's neck and back, which can improve outcomes in microsurgery. We report a randomized prospective study of vasoepididymostomy and vasovasostomy using a 3D digital image microscope system (3D-DIM) in rats. A total of 16 adult male rats were randomly divided into two groups of 8 each: the standard operating microscope (SOM) group and the 3D-DIM group. The outcomes measured included the operative time, real-time postoperative mechanical patency, and anastomosis leakage. Furthermore, a user-friendly microscope score was designed to evaluate the ergonomic design and equipment characteristics of the microscope. There were no differences in operative time between the two groups. The real-time postoperative mechanical patency rates were 100.0% for both groups. The percentage of vasoepididymostomy anastomosis leakage was 16.7% in the SOM group and 25.0% in the 3D-DIM group; however, no vasovasostomy anastomosis leakage was found in either group. In terms of the ergonomic design, the 3D-DIM group obtained better scores based on the surgeon's feelings; in terms of the equipment characteristics, the 3D-DIM group had lower scores for clarity and higher scores for flexibility and adaptivity. Based on our randomized prospective study in a rat model, we believe that the 3D-DIM can improve surgeon comfort without compromising outcomes in male infertility reconstructive microsurgery, so the 3D-DIM might be widely used in the future.

BACKGROUND: Shenyankangfu Tablet (SYKFT) is a Chinese patent medicine that has been used widely to decrease proteinuria and the progression of chronic kidney disease. OBJECTIVE: This trial compared the efficacy and safety of SYKFT, for the control of proteinuria in primary glomerulonephritis patients, against the standard drug, losartan potassium. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTION: This was a multicenter, double-blind, randomized, controlled clinical trial. Primary glomerulonephritis patients, aged 18-70 years, with blood pressure ≤ 140/90 mmHg, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥ 45 mL/min per 1.73 m MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was change in the 24-hour proteinuria level, after 48 weeks of treatment. RESULTS: A total of 735 participants were enrolled. The percent decline of urine protein quantification in the SYKFT group after 48 weeks was 8.78% ± 2.56% (P = 0.006) more than that in the losartan 50 mg group, which was 0.51% ± 2.54% (P = 1.000) less than that in the losartan 100 mg group. Compared with the losartan potassium 50 mg group, the SYKFT plus losartan potassium 50 mg group had a 13.39% ± 2.49% (P < 0.001) greater reduction in urine protein level. Compared with the losartan potassium 100 mg group, the SYKFT plus losartan potassium 100 mg group had a 9.77% ± 2.52% (P = 0.001) greater reduction in urine protein. With a superiority threshold of 15%, neither was statistically significant. eGFR, serum creatinine and serum albumin from the baseline did not change statistically significant. The average change in TCM syndrome score between the patients who took SYKFT (-3.00 [-6.00, -2.00]) and who did not take SYKFT (-2.00 [-5.00, 0]) was statistically significant (P = 0.003). No obvious adverse reactions were observed in any group. CONCLUSION: SYKFT decreased the proteinuria and improved the TCM syndrome scores of primary glomerulonephritis patients, with no change in the rate of decrease in the eGFR. SYKFT plus losartan potassium therapy decreased proteinuria more than losartan potassium therapy alone. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER NCT02063100 on ClinicalTrials.gov.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the influencing factors of low back pain and the relationship of the influence of bad working posture, weight load and frequency of load and the dose-response relationship among the occupational workers of key industries in China. METHODS: A total of 57 501 employees from 15 key industries in China were selected as research subjects using stratified cluster sampling method. The occurrence of low back pain in the past one year, as well as occupational factors such as job type, labor organization and work posture were investigated by using the Chinese version Musculoskeletal Disorders Questionnaire. RESULTS: The prevalence of low back pain in the occupational population of key industries in China was 16.4%(9 448/57 501). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of low back pain in females was higher than that in males(P<0.01). Married, obese, occasional and frequent smokers, and a history of lower back disease were associated with increased risk of low back pain(all P<0.05). The risk of low back pain was associated with older age, higher education level, and lower frequency of physical exercise(all P<0.01). The risk of low back pain was higher with longer working time, greater back curvature, and the high frequency of long standing and sitting position work, uncomfortable working posture, repeated operation per minute, and lifting>5 kg weight(all P<0.01). CONCLUSION: The influencing factors of low back pain in the occupational population of key industries in China include bad working posture, high frequency load, weight load and other individual factors. There is a dose-response relationship with low back posture load and frequency of load.

Air Pollution ; analysis ; Bacteria ; classification ; isolation & purification ; China ; Cities