Objective To investigate the therapeutic effect of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation(taVNS)on overweight/obesity patients,and to explore its central mechanism.Methods Twenty-six overweight/obesity patients were randomly divided into two groups,12 cases in the taVNS test group(shortened as the taVNS group)and 14 cases in the lifestyle intervention control group(shortened as the control group).The patients in the control group were treated with online lifestyle intervention of calorie-restricted diet(CRD),and the patients in the taVNS group were treated with taVNS on the basis of the intervention for the control group.The taVNS was performed on unilateral acupoints of spleen and endocrine,twice(in the morning and at evening)per day,for five days a week.The treatment for the two groups covered four weeks.The obesity indicators such as body weight,body mass index(BMI)and waist circumference of the patients in the two groups were observed before and after treatment.Moreover,the resting-state cerebral functional magnetic resonance imaging(fMRI)data of the patients were collected after treatment,and then the regulatory effect of taVNS on the regional homogeneity(ReHo)of local cerebral area of the patients was observed.Results(1)During the trial,one case in each group dropped off,and a total of 24 patients(including 13 cases in the control group and 11 cases in the taVNS group)were finally included in the statistical analysis of the observation indicators.(2)After treatment,the body weight,BMI and waist circumference of patients in the taVNS group were decreased compared with those before treatment(P＜0.05),while the obesity indicators in the control group only showed a downward trend compared with those before treatment,the differences being not statistically significant(P＞0.05).The improvement of the obesity indicators of body weight,BMI,and waist circumference in the taVNS group was significantly superior to that in the control group,and there were statistically significant differences in the post-treatment indicators and in the pre-and post-treatment difference values of the indicators between the two groups(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).(3)After treatment,the taVNS group had greater ReHo values in the left prefrontal lobe and medial frontal gyrus than the control group,and the control group had greater ReHo value in the right parietal lobe than the taVNS group,which indicated that compared with the control group,the ReHo of the left prefrontal lobe and medial frontal gyrus in the taVNS group was increased and the ReHo of the right parietal lobe was decreased(Pvoxel＜0.001,Pcluster＜0.05,corrected by FWE level).Conclusion As a non-invasive treatment method,taVNS exerts certain efficacy for the treatment of overweight/obesity patients.The central response mechanism for treatment of obesity is probably related with the modulation of taVNS on the functional areas of left prefrontal lobe,medial frontal gyrus,and right parietal lobe of the patients.

Objective: To investigate the incidence and trend of short-term outcomes among preterm infants born <34 weeks' gestation. Methods: A secondary analysis of data from the standardized database established by a multicenter cluster-randomized controlled study "reduction of infection in neonatal intensive care units (NICU) using the evidence-based practice for improving quality (REIN-EPIQ) study". This study was conducted in 25 tertiary NICU. A total of 27 192 infants with gestational age <34 weeks at birth and admitted to NICU within the first 7 days of life from May 2015 to April 2018 were enrolled. Infants with severe congenital malformation were excluded. Descriptive analyses were used to describe the mortality and major morbidities of preterm infants by gestational age groups and different admission year groups. Cochran-Armitage test and Jonckheere-Terpstra test were used to analyze the trend of incidences of mortality and morbidities in 3 study-years. Multiple Logistic regression model was constructed to analyze the differences of outcomes in 3 study-years adjusting for confounders. Results: A total of 27 192 preterm infants were enrolled with gestational age of (31.3±2.0) weeks at birth and weight of (1 617±415) g at birth. Overall, 9.5% (2 594/27 192) of infants were discharged against medical advice, and the overall mortality rate was 10.7% (2 907/27 192). Mortality for infants who received complete care was 4.7% (1 147/24 598), and mortality or any major morbidity was 26.2% (6 452/24 598). The incidences of moderate to severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia, sepsis, severe intraventricular hemorrhage or periventricular leukomalacia, proven necrotizing enterocolitis, and severe retinopathy of prematurity were 16.0% (4 342/27 192), 11.9% (3 225/27 192), 6.8% (1 641/24 206), 3.6% (939/25 762) and 1.5% (214/13 868), respectively. There was a decreasing of the overall mortality (P<0.001) during the 3 years. Also, the incidences for sepsis and severe retinopathy of prematurity both decreased (both P<0.001). However, there were no significant differences in the major morbidity in preterm infants who received complete care during the 3-year study period (P=0.230). After adjusting for confounders, infants admitted during the third study year showed significantly lower risk of overall mortality (adjust OR=0.62, 95%CI 0.55-0.69, P<0.001), mortality or major morbidity, moderate to severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia, sepsis and severe retinopathy of prematurity, compared to those admitted in the first study year (all P<0.05). Conclusions: From 2015 to 2018, the mortality and major morbidities among preterm infants in Chinese NICU decreased, but there is still space for further efforts. Further targeted quality improvement is needed to improve the overall outcome of preterm infants.
Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia/epidemiology* ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant Mortality/trends* ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Infant, Premature, Diseases/epidemiology* ; Patient Discharge ; Retinopathy of Prematurity/epidemiology* ; Sepsis/epidemiology*

External apical root resorption is among the most common risks of orthodontic treatment, and it cannot be completely avoided and predicted. Risk factors causing orthodontic root resorption can generally be divided into patient- and treatment-related factors. Root resorption that occurs during orthodontic treatment is usually detected by radiographical examination. Mild or moderate root absorption usually does no obvious harm, but close attention is required. When severe root resorption occurs, it is generally recommended to suspend the treatment for 3 months for the cementum to be restored. To unify the risk factors of orthodontic root resorption and its clinical suggestions, we summarized the theoretical knowledge and clinical experience of more than 20 authoritative experts in orthodontics and related fields in China. After discussion and summarization, this consensus was made to provide reference for orthodontic clinical practice.
Humans ; Tooth Movement Techniques/adverse effects* ; Root Resorption/etiology* ; Consensus ; Dental Cementum ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical effect of acupuncture by stages on secondary dysmenorrhea of adenomyosis through prospective case-series study. METHODS: A total of 36 cases of adenomyosis patients with moderate-to-severe dysmenorrhea were treated with acupuncture by stages. The acupoints of Diji (SP 8), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Ciliao (BL 32) and Shiqizhui (EX-B 8) were selected and acupuncture was given once a day during menstrual period; the acupoints of Guanyuan (CV 4), Zigong (EX-CA1), Sanyinjiao (SP 6) and Zusanli (ST 36) ect. were selected and acupuncture was given twice per week during non-menstrual period. All the treatment was given for three menstrual cycles. The visual analogue scale (VAS), Cox menstrual symptom scale (CMSS), Endometriosis Health Profile-5 (EHP-5) scores and the menstrual blood volume of pictorial blood loss assessment chart (PBAC) were observed before treatment and at the 1st, 2nd and 3rd menstrual cycle into treatment. Before treatment and at the 3rd menstrual cycle into treatment, the volume of uterus was measured by transvaginal ultrasound and the correlation among the quality of life, the severity of pain and symptoms was analyzed. RESULTS: The VAS, CMSS and EHP-5 scores at the 1st, 2nd and 3rd menstrual cycle into treatment were lower than those before treatment (<0.01, <0.05), and the PBAC scores were reduced but without statistical different (>0.05). Compared before treatment, at the 1st, 2nd and 3rd menstrual cycle into treatment, the PBAC scores were reduced in patients with PBAC>100 points (<0.01). Compared between 2nd and 1st menstrual cycle into treatment, between 3rd and 2nd menstrual cycle into treatment, the VAS, CMSS scores were all decreased (<0.01, <0.05). There was a significant positive correlation between the severity score of CMSS and EHP-5 at the corresponding time points of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd menstrual cycle into treatment (<0.01). CONCLUSION The acupuncture by stages has significant analgesic effect in patients with secondary dysmenorrhea of adenomyosis, and has the advantages of relieving the menstruation-related symptoms, regulating menstrual blood volume and improving the quality of life.

Fourteen compounds, including rubiprasin D (1), rubiprasin B (2), rubiprasin C (3), oleanolic acid (4), methyl-5-hydroxy-dinaphtho[1, 2-2'3']furan-7, 12-dione-6-carboxylate (5), rubioncolin C (6), mollugin (7), furomollugin (8), 3-amino-2-methoxycarbonyl-1, 4-naphthoquinone (9), 1-hydroxy-2-methyl-9, 10-anthraquinone (10), 2-hydroxy-6-methyl-9, 10-anthraquinone (11), 1, 4-dihydroxy-2-hydroxymethyl-9, 10-anthraquinone (12), 2-hydroxy-1-methoxy-9, 10-anthraquinone (13), and 1-hydroxy-2-methoxy-6-methyl-9, 10-anthraquinone(14), were isolated from the methanol extract of the roots and rhizomes of Rubia oncotricha using various column chromatographies. Their structures were mainly determined on basis of NMR and MS spectroscopic data analyses. Among them, 1 is a new oleanane triterpene, and compounds 2-5, 9 and 11-13 were obtained from this plant for the first time. Cytotoxic and nematicidal activities of all these compounds were evaluated, and the results showed that only 4, 6, 11 and 12 exhibited cytotoxicities against A549, SGC-7901 and HeLa cancer cell lines. The IC₅₀ of 6 were 19.42, 2.74, 8.07 μmol·L⁻¹, respectively.
Molecular Structure ; Naphthoquinones ; Plant Extracts ; Plant Roots ; Rhizome ; Rubia

AIM: To investigate whether oxytocin has neuroprotective effects on hippocampal CA 1 pyramidal neurons from neonatal rats exposed to hypoxic-ischemic brain injury and the underlying mechanisms.METHODS:An in vitro model of hypoxic-ischemic injury was used by exposing the brain slices to oxygen-glucose deprivation(OGD)solution. Acute dissociated brain slices(6~8 slices per rat)from 8 Sprague-Dawely rats of 7~10 d old were used.The slices were randomly divided into 4 groups: control group, OGD 20 min group, OGD 40 min group and OGD +oxytocin group.The effect of oxytocin on neuronal death was evaluated by TO-PRO-3 staining.Fresh brain slices from other 20 neonatal rats were divided into OGD group,OGD+oxytocin group,OGD+dVOT(oxytocin receptor antagonist)+oxytocin group,and OGD+bicucuclline(GABAAreceptor antagonist)+oxytocin group.The onset of anoxic depolarization in the hippocampal neurons treated with different drugs was recorded by whole-cell patch-clamp techniques.RESULTS: The results of TO-PRO-3 staining showed that neuronal deaths in hippocampal CA 1 area were increased over the prolonged OGD time.Oxyto-cin significantly reduced the hypoxic-ischemic deaths.Oxytocin dramatically prolonged the onset time of anoxic depolariza-tion after the application of OGD solution.Both dVOT and bicuculline blocked this effect.CONCLUSION: Oxytocin plays a neuroprotective role in neonatal rat hippocampal CA 1 pyramidal neurons by enhancing the inhibitory synaptic trans-mission via oxytocin receptors.Therefore,oxytocin is useful as a candidate for neuroprotective treatment after neonatal hy -poxic-ischemic brain injury.

The skeletal muscle atrophy could be induced by the injury of nerve. According to the source of denervated skeletal mus-cle atrophy, it could be divided into exogenous muscle atrophy and endogenous muscle atrophy. In recent years, the ex-ogenous muscle atrophy models are mainly established by operating, physically injuring or chemically injuring, while the endogenous muscle atrophy models are mainly established by the transgenic animals of amyotrophic lateral sclero-sis. The selection and optimazation of animal models are crucial for the basic studies of denervated skeletal muscle atro-phy.

Objective To build an efficient random short hairpin RNA(shRNA)library. Methods shRNA expression vector was constructed with enhanced green fluorescent protein(EGFP)in the upstream of shRNA,driven by pol Ⅱ promoter(CMV).After the constructs were transfected into cells,the proteins were collected.The inhibition efficiency of shRNA was determined by Western blot and dual luciferase reporter system.After the shRNA expression vector was constructed with EGFP in the upstream of shRNA,driven by pol Ⅱ promoter(CMV),shRNA was further embedded into microRNA(miRNA)context.The constructs were transfected into cells,and then the inhibition efficiency of shRNA against target genes was evaluated by quantificational real-time polymerase chain reaction.According to the result of quantificational real-time polymerase chain reaction,a new random shRNA library was constructed based on miRNA context. Results shRNA downstream of a large transcript was transcripted efficiently by pol Ⅱ promoter(CMV).The efficiency of shRNA interference on target gene was improved when shRNA was embedded into miRNA context.Thus,we constructed a new random shRNA library sized 1.8×10based on miRNA context.Conclusion We successfully constructed a new large random shRNA library.

This study is to establish an HPLC fingerprint by HPLC-DAD method and simultaneous quantitative analysis of 17 components of 18 batches of Citrus aurantium and 10 batches of C. sinensis. The separation was performed on an Agilent Poroshell 120 SB-C₁₈ (4.6 mm×100 mm,2.7 μm) column with the gradient elution of methanol-0.1% formic acid water, the flow was 0.6 mL•min⁻¹. The detection wavelength was set at 318 nm. The column temperature was maintained at 30 ℃. The data calculation was performed with similarity evaluation system for chromatographic fingerprint of traditional Chinese medicine (Version 2004A) together with SIMCA-P 13.0 software to clarify the differential marker between these two different species of Aurantii Fructus Immaturus. This method has good precision stability and repeatability that could provide basis for quality control and evaluation of Aurantii Fructus Immaturus.

Sixteen compounds have been isolated from the EtOAc fraction of 95% ethanolic extract of Sophora dunnii through silica gel, Sephadex LH-20 and semi-prerarative HPLC column chromatographies. Their structures were identified on the basis of NMR and MS spectra data as phaseollidin (1), L-maackiain (2), 2-(2',4'-dihidroxyphenyl)-5,6-methylenedioxy benzofuran (3), 8-demethyl-farrerol (4), liquiritigenin (5), genistein (6), 6-methylgenistein (7), 5-O-methyl genistein (8), 7,2',4'-trihydroxys-5-methoxy-isoflavanone (9), 7, 3', 4'-trihydroxy-isoflavanone (10), erythribyssin D (11), calycosin (12), trans-resveratrol (13), cis-resveratrol (14), stigmasterol (15), β-sitosterol (16). Among these, compounds 1-14 and 16 were isolated from this plant for the first time.
Chemical Fractionation ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Molecular Structure ; Sophora ; chemistry ; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization