Objective To investigate the therapeutic effect of Huatan Jieyu Anshen Decoction(mainly with the actions of resolving phlegm,relieving depression and calming mind)combined with abdominal vibration tuina manipulations on chronic insomnia in the elderly.Methods Ninety-four cases of elderly patients with chronic insomnia of phlegm-heat harassing the interior type were randomly divided into the observation group and the control group,with 47 cases in each group.The control group was given Huatan Jieyu Anshen Decoction orally,while the observation group was given oral use of Huatan Jieyu Anshen Decoction combined with abdominal vibration tuina manipulations.The course of treatment for the two groups lasted for 4 weeks.Before and after the treatment,the two groups were observed in the changes of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome scores,Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI)score,Athens Insomnia Scale(AIS)score,Fatigue Scale-14(FS-14)score,World Health Organization Quality-of-Life Brief Scale(WHOQOL-BREF)score,and the serum levels of melatonin(MT),dopamine(DA),and cortisol(CORT).After treatment,the clinical efficacy of the two groups was evaluated.Results(1)After 4 weeks of treatment,the total effective rate of the observation group was 97.88%(46/47),while that of the control group was 87.23%(41/47),and the intergroup comparison(tested by chi-square test)showed that the therapeutic efficacy of the observation group was superior to that of the control group(P＜0.01).(2)After treatment,the scores of primary and secondary TCM symptoms in the two groups were significantly decreased compared with those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the decrease of the scores of primary and secondary TCM symptoms in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P＜0.01).(3)After treatment,the PSQI scores,AIS scores,and FS-14 scores in the two groups were significantly decreased compared with those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the WHOQOL-BREF scores were significantly increased compared with those before treatment(P＜0.05).The decrease of the PSQI scores,AIS scores and FS-14 scores as well as the increase of the WHOQOL-BREF scores in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P＜0.01).(4)After treatment,the serum MT level of both groups was significantly higher than that before treatment(P＜0.05),and the serum DA and CORT levels were significantly lower than those before treatment(P＜0.05).The increase in serum MT level and the decrease in serum DA and CORT levels of the observation group were significantly superior to those of the control group(P＜0.01).Conclusion The combined therapy of Huatan Jieyu Anshen Decoction combined with vibration tuina manipulations can achieve satisfactory efficacy in the elderly patients with chronic insomnia of phlegm-heat harassing the interior syndrome.The therapy is effective on regulating the central nervous system of the patients,improving the quality of the sleep,and promoting the relief of fatigue and the enhancement of the quality of life,which has great significance to the enhancement of the overall therapeutic efficacy of insomnia.

The purpose of this study was to identify the tick species native to Xindi Township,Yumin County,Xinjiang,China.Preliminary morphological identification of parasitic ticks collected from animals in the area was conducted with an ultra-depth of field three-dimensional VHX 600 digital stereo microscope.Total DNA of the ticks was extracted,amplified by PCR based on the COI and ITS2 gene loci,and the posi-tive PCR products were sequenced.The sequence were a-ligned with reference sequences from the NCBI database were aligned with the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool.A genet-ic phylogenetic tree was generated with the neighbor-joining method of MEGA 7.0 software to determine the evolutionary biological characteristics of ticks.Morphological identification showed that the ticks collected from Xindi Township of Yu-min County were consistent with the characteristics of Hya-lomma asiaticum.An evolutionary tree based on the COI and ITS2 gene sequences showed that the ticks collected in this study were clustered with known H.asiaticum sequences.The PCR products of COI and ITS2 were sequenced and compared,which confirmed that the collected tick species were H.asiaticum,in agreement with the morphological and molecular biological results.These findings help to clarify the distribution of ticks in Xindi Township of Xinjiang,and provide basic data for the analysis of tick genetic and evolutionary characteristics,as reference for surveillance and control of ticks in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Quantity is the key factor to ensure the safety and effectiveness of medicines. It is very important to study and determine the traditional measuring units and their quantity values of Tibetan medicine. Based on the literature records of Tibetan medicine and combined with modern experimental verification and investigation research, this study determined the reference, name, and conversion rate of traditional measuring units of Tibetan medicine. Meanwhile, through large sample sampling and repeated quantification of refe-rence of basic units, its weight and volume were clarified. The modern SI volume and weight unit values corresponding to the traditional volume and weight units of Tibetan medicine were deduced, and the correctness, reliability, and practicability of these determination results were demonstrated. This study also put forward some specific suggestions and reference values for formulating the standards of measuring units of weight and volume of Tibetan medicine. It is of great significance in guiding the processing, production, and clinical treatment of Tibetan medicine, and promoting the standardization and standardized development of Tibetan medicine.
Medicine, Tibetan Traditional ; Reproducibility of Results

Objective To determine the optimal dosage and intervention duration of reserpine to establish a rat model of hypotension.Methods According to the body weight and systolic blood pressure (SBP),60 male Wistar rats were assigned to six groups (n=10),including a control group and five observation groups with different doses.The control group was administrated with 10 ml/kg 0.5% sodium carboxymethyl cellulose solution,and the observation groups with 0.016,0.032,0.064,0.128,and 0.160 mg/kg reserpine suspensions,respectively.All the groups were administrated by gavage twice a day,and the body weights of rats were monitored daily.SBP and heart rate (HR) were measured before modeling and 1-6 weeks after administration.After 6 weeks of administration,the blood samples of inner canthus were collected.The levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH),creatine kinase MB isoenzyme (CK-MB),alanine aminotransferase,aspartate aminotransferase (AST),serum creatinine,and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) were measured by an autoanalyzer.Three rats in each group were randomly selected for observation of the changes in SBP after drug withdrawal and the rest rats were sacrificed for measurement of the levels of norepinephrine and dopamine in the brain.Results Compared with the control group,different doses of reserpine lowered the SBP of rats (F=28.492,P<0.001).The decline in SBP increased in a concentration-dependent manner.SBP reached the lowest value after 1 week,rose slightly later,and was stable after 3 weeks of administration.There was no significant difference in SBP between 0.016 mg/kg reserpine group and the control group after the 5th week (P>0.05).The SBP levels of rats in 0.032,0.064,0.128,and 0.160 mg/kg reserpine groups showed no significant difference between each other (P=0.204) and were lower than that in the control group (all P<0.001).One week after drug withdrawal,the SBP of rats in the observation groups rose to the baseline level and remained stable.HR showed similar changes among groups,first increasing and then decreasing.There was no significant difference in HR among different groups at the same time point (F=0.922,P=0.475).Compared with the control group,reserpine of different doses reduced the norepinephrine content in the hippocampus (all P<0.001),and 0.128 mg/kg (P=0.045) and 0.160 mg/kg (P=0.042) reserpine lowered the dopamine level in the striatum,which showed no significant differences between different reserpine groups(P=0.343,P=0.301).The levels of LDH,CK-MB,and BUN in the serum increased with the increase in reserpine concentration,and the levels of LDH (P=0.001),CK-MB (P=0.020),AST (P=0.007),and BUN (P=0.001) in the 0.160 mg/kg reserpine group were significantly different from those in the control group.Conclusions The rat model of hypotension can be induced by gavage with reserpine.The gavage with reserpine at a dose of 0.032 mg/kg,twice a day for three consecutive weeks is the optimal scheme for the modeling.After the model establishment,continuous administration is essential to maintain the hypotension.
Male ; Rats ; Animals ; Reserpine ; Dopamine ; Rats, Wistar ; Hypotension/chemically induced* ; Norepinephrine

Adult ; COVID-19/prevention & control* ; Cross Infection/prevention & control* ; Female ; Health Personnel/statistics & numerical data* ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Respiratory Tract Diseases/virology* ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Taiwan/epidemiology*

In Taiwan, high-risk patients have been identified and tested for preventing community spread of COVID-19. Most sample collection was performed in emergency departments (EDs). Traditional sample collection requires substantial personal protective equipment (PPE), healthcare professionals, sanitation workers, and isolation space. To solve this problem, we established a multifunctional sample collection station (MSCS) for COVID-19 testing in front of our ED. The station is composed of a thick and clear acrylic board (2 cm), which completely separates the patient and medical personnel. Three pairs of gloves (length, 45 cm) are attached and fixed on the outside wall of the MSCS. The gloves are used to conduct sampling of throat/nasal swabs, sputum, and blood from patients. The gap between the board and the building is only 0.2 cm (sealed with silicone sealant). ED personnel communicate with patients using a small two-way broadcast system. Medical waste is put in specific trashcans installed in the table outside the MSCS. With full physical protection, the personnel conducting the sampling procedure need to wear only their N95 mask and gloves. After we activated the station, our PPE, sampling time, and sanitization resources were considerably conserved during the 4-week observation period. The MSCS obviously saved time and PPE. It elevated the efficiency and capacity of the ED for handling potential community infections of COVID-19.
Betacoronavirus ; Clinical Laboratory Techniques ; Coronavirus Infections ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; organization & administration ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; methods ; Pandemics ; Personal Protective Equipment ; supply & distribution ; Pneumonia, Viral ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; Taiwan ; epidemiology

Objective: To understand the consciousness of the cancer early treatment and its demographic and socioeconomic factors. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 16 provinces covered by the Cancer Screening Program in Urban China (CanSPUC) from 2015 to 2017. A total of 32 257 local residents aged ≥18 years old who could understand the investigation procedure were included in the study by using the cluster sampling method and convenient sampling method. All local residents were categorized into four groups, which contained 15 524 community residents, 8 016 cancer risk assessment/screening population, 2 289 cancer patients and 6 428 occupational population, respectively. The questionnaire collected personal information, the consciousness of the cancer early treatment and relevant factors. The Chi square test was used to compare the difference between the consciousness of the cancer early treatment and relevant factors among the four groups. The logistic regression model was used to analyze the influencing factors related to the consciousness of the cancer early treatment. Results: With the assumption of being diagnosed as precancer or cancer, 89.97% of community residents, 91.84% of cancer risk assessment/screening population, 93.00% of cancer patients and 91.52% of occupational population would accept active treatments (P<0.001). If the immediate family members were diagnosed as precancer or cancer, people who would encourage their family members to receive early treatment in the four groups accounted for 91.96%, 91.94%, 92.44% and 91.55%, respectively (P<0.001). The company employees, annual household income with 40 000 yuan and more and other three groups had a relatively better consciousness of the cancer early treatment (P<0.05). Male, widowed, unemployed and from the central and western regions had a relatively worse consciousness of the cancer early treatment (P<0.05). Conclusion Residents in urban China participants had a good consciousness of the cancer early treatment. The marital status, occupation, annual household income and residential regions were major factors related to the consciousness of the cancer early treatment.

Previous studies have reported that some important loci are missed in single-locus genome-wide association studies (GWAS), especially because of the large phenotypic error in field experiments. To solve this issue, multi-locus GWAS methods have been recommended. However, only a few software packages for multi-locus GWAS are available. Therefore, we developed an R software named mrMLM v4.0.2. This software integrates mrMLM, FASTmrMLM, FAS-TmrEMMA, pLARmEB, pKWmEB, and ISIS EM-BLASSO methods developed by our lab. There are four components in mrMLM v4.0.2, including dataset input, parameter setting, software run-ning, and result output. The fread function in data.table is used to quickly read datasets, especially big datasets, and the doParallel package is used to conduct parallel computation using multiple CPUs. In addition, the graphical user interface software mrMLM.GUI v4.0.2, built upon Shiny, is also available. To confirm the correctness of the aforementioned programs, all the methods in mrMLM v4.0.2 and three widely-used methods were used to analyze real and simulated datasets. The results confirm the superior performance of mrMLM v4.0.2 to other methods currently avail-able. False positive rates are effectively controlled, albeit with a less stringent significance threshold. mrMLM v4.0.2 is publicly available at BioCode (https://bigd.big.ac.cn/biocode/tools/BT007077) or R (https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/mrMLM.GUI/index.html) as an open-source software.

BACKGROUND: Chinese medicine is effective for preventing and treating glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis, however, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. DKK1, an inhibitor of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, can be up-regulated by glucocorticoid. Thereafter, DKK1 is an important target in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. OBJECTIVE: To explore the regulatory effect of Zuogui pill on DKK1 in the prevention and treatment of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis. METHODS: Eighteen three-month-old female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups: control group, model group and Zuogui pill group. Rats in the model and Zuogui pill groups received the subcutaneous injection of dexamethasone to establish the model of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis. The Zuogui pill group rats were administrated Zuogui pill extracts, and the control rats were given the same volume of normal saline. At 1 month after modeling, the lumbar vertebrae were removed to test the bone mass and microstructures by micro-CT scanning. The biomechanical properties were detected by compression test. The mRNA expression levels of DKK1, Runx2 and CTSK were determined by Qpcr. The serum alkaline phosphatase activity was tested. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Compared with the control group, in the model group, the volumetric bone mineral density, trabecular bone volume fraction, trabecular number, and trabecular thickness were significantly decreased (P ＜ 0.05), the trabecular separation and structure model index were significantly increased (P ＜ 0.05). The serum alkaline phosphatase activity was on a decline. The mRNA expression level of DKK1 showed a significant up-regulation (P ＜ 0.05). The mRNA expression level of Runx2 showed a down-regulated trend while mRNA expression level of CTSK showed an up-regulated trend. Compared with the model group, the Zuogui pill group showed significantly enhanced volumetric bone mineral density, trabecular bone volume fraction, and trabecular number (P ＜ 0.05); the structure model index was significantly decreased (P ＜ 0.05); the trabecular separation was reduced; the serum alkaline phosphatase activity was enhanced; the mRNA expression level of DKK1 showed a significant down-regulation (P ＜ 0.05); the mRNA expression level of Runx2 showed an up-regulated trend while mRNA expression level of CTSK showed a down-regulated trend. The vertebral compressive strength in the Zuogui pill group was significantly higher than that in the model group (P＜0.05). In summary, Zuogui pill prevents and treats glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis possibly through the down-regulation of mRNA expression of DKK1.

Safflower is a dried flower of the annual herbaceous plant safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.). As a traditional Chinese medicine, it was widely used in the regulation of blood circulation. Flavonoids are the main active ingredients in safflower. MYB transcription factors are involved in the regulation of flavonoids. The cloning and expression analysis of MYB transcription factor genes in safflower is of great significance, not only for clarifying the regulation mechanism of flavonoids biosynthesis in safflower, but also for the artificial regulation of flavonoid biosynthesis in safflower. Based on the transcriptome data, we used iTAK to annotate the MYB transcription factors in safflower. The MYB transcription factors were cloned and their sequences were analyzed. Besides, their expressions were analyzed by a Real-time PCR. In the experiment, eight long fragment MYB transcription factors were screened and six MYB transcription factors was successfully cloned, named CtMYB-TF1, CtMYB-TF2, CtMYB-TF4, CtMYB-TF5, CtMYB-TF6 and CtMYB-TF7, respectively. The six MYB transcription factors had the core domain of MYB transcription factor family, and evolutionary analysis showed that the CtMYB-TF7 transcription factor was closely related to the factors AtMYBL2 and AtMYB12. Expression analysis showed that the expression of CtMYB-TF5, CtMYB-TF6 and CtMYB-TF7 was low in roots, stems and leaves, and was high in the flower. The results provide a foundation for study of mechanism of molecular regulation of safflower flavonoids.