Clinical study on tube moxibustion plus point-toward-point needling method in treating refractory facial paralysis / 针灸推拿医学（英文版）

Objective: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of tube moxibustion plus point-toward-point needling method for refractory facial paralysis. Methods: A total of 100 patients with refractory facial paralysis who met the inclusion criteria were randomized into an observation group and a control group, with 50 cases in each group. Both groups were treated with acupuncture by point-toward-point needling method, mainly in the affected eye, cheek and mouth areas. The observation group was given additional tube moxibustion after receiving the point-toward-point needling method, which inserted a tube moxibustion device into the external acoustic meatus 1 cm on the affected side for 20 min. Both groups were treated once a day, 6 times a week, for 4 consecutive weeks. The House-Brackmann scale was scored before and after treatment, and the facial nerve electromyogram data were collected. Results: The total effective rate of the observation group was 93.6％, which was higher than 64.6％ of the control group, and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P<0.05). The proportion of new-onset facial paralysis complications (facial synkinesis, facial spasm, facial paralysis perversion, and crocodile tears) in the observation group was 6.4％, which was lower than 35.4％ in the control group. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P<0.05). In the observation group, the numbers of cases after treatment with the ratio of action potential amplitude between the affected side and the healthy side increased by 10％-30％ and over 30％ were more than those in the control group. And the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusion: Tube moxibustion plus point-toward-point needling method has a better effect in improving symptoms of refractory facial paralysis, decreasing the incidence of sequelae, and increasing clinical efficacy than the point-toward- point needling method alone.

Ultrasonic imaging research atpoints in neck-type cervical spondylosis / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To conduct the preliminary positioning and qualitative research of high-frequency ultrasonic imaging atpoints (including tender points and trigger points) in neck-type cervical spondylosis and explore the relevant law so as to provide the evidence for the selection of acupuncture scheme.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty patients in compliance with the diagnostic criteria of neck-type cervical spondylosis were selected. The trigger points, tender points and placebo points were positioned on any of the three available oriented lines. The point-to-point high-frequency real-time dynamic ultrasonic imaging technology was used to scan and position each point and record the changes in ultrasound gradation anatomy and two-dimensional ultrasound in perimysium, two-dimensional and color Doppler ultrasonography and blood flow. The ultrasound characteristics were analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>①Regarding the changes in ultrasound gradation anatomy and two-dimensional ultrasound in perimysium, the anatomic gradation at trigger points and tender points was in the sequence as cutaneous layer, subcutaneous fat layer, shallow muscular tissue layer, deep muscular tissue layer and vertebrae. The linear high echo presented in cutaneous layer; the low echo in subcutaneous fat layer; the linear high echo in muscular fasciae; the low echo in muscular layer and the clear linear echo in its perimysium; the high echo and declined posterior echo in vertebrae. Compared with the placebo points, 93.3% of trigger points (28/30) presented enhanced or thickened perimysium echo (<0.05), and 96.7% of tender points (29/30) presented enhanced or thickened perimysium echo (<0.05). The differences were not significant between the trigger points and the tender points (>0.05). ②In the two-dimensional ultrasonography, the clear linear echo presented in perimysium, the enhanced or thickened echo in perimysium of trigger points and tender points. In the color Doppler ultrasonography, the blinking unstable dotted blood flow signal or stable short rod-like blood flow signal presented in the trigger points and tender points. ③Regarding the condition of blood flow, 56.7% of trigger points (17/30) presented Ⅱ degree of color blood flow signal and 83.3% of tender points (25/30) presented Ⅱ degree of color blood flow signal; 0% of placebo points presented Ⅱ degree of color blood flow signal. Compared with the placebo points, the differences in the rate of Ⅱ degree of color blood flow signal were significant statistically at both the trigger points and the tender points (both<0.05). The difference was not significant between the trigger points and tender points (>0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>In the high-frequency ultrasound imaging at trigger points and tender points in neck-type cervical spondylosis, the ultrasound imaging characteristics present, which are similar between the trigger points and the tender points. The high-frequency ultrasound imaging is valuable in positioning and quantitative research ofpoints in cervical spondylosis and has a certain significance to guide treatment.</p>

Randomized Controlled Trial on Siege Scheme of Traditional Chinese Medicine to Treat Excess Syndrome of Stroke with Bowel and Visceral Strike / 中国中医药信息杂志

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of siege scheme of TCM for acute cerebral infarction bowel and visceral strike (block pattern). Methods Totally 110 patients were randomly divided into TCM siege scheme group (55 cases) and control group (55 cases) by randomized parallel controlled study with foresight and multicenter. The control group was treated with the standardized treatment, and TCM siege scheme group was treated with TCM siege scheme, including mild hypothermia TCM pillow therapy, TCM rectal enema, and other multiple treatments based on the standardized treatment. The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), the time of pulling out urine tube and nasal feeding tube, and the number of tracheotomy caused by illness changes of the two groups were compared. Results The baseline data of two groups have good comparability (P>0.05). On 10, 15 d of treatment, the number of lucid people in the TCM siege scheme group was significantly more than that in the control group (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, treatment group had less number of tracheotomy, and shorter time of success pulling out urine tube and nasogastric feeding tube (P<0.05). Conclusion TCM siege scheme can improve the consciousness of ischemic stroke in patients with acute cerebral infarction bowel and visceral strike, reduce complications, shows shorter successful pull urine tube and nasogastric feeding, and provides guarantee conditions for further rehabilitation treatment.

Expression and characterization of a new class IIa bacteriocin / 生物工程学报

NB-Cl gene is a potential class IIa bacteriocin gene. To obtain its soluble expression, NB-C1 was fused with the green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene and a recombinant expression vector plVEX 2.4d-GFP-NB-C1 was constructed, which was transformed into Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) pLysS. The expressed fusion protein GFP-NB-CI was purified by Ni-NTA affinity chromatography and the bioactivity was examined using Listeria monocytogenes as the indicator bacteria. The results showed that the expressed fusion protein GFP-NB-C1 was soluble and the final concentration of the purified fusion protein was 36.1 mg/L E. coli culture and had the purity above 95%. The antimicrobial assay of GFP-NB-C1 was analyzed and showed its high activity against Listeria monocytogenes.

Characterization of protein secretion based on structural fusion degree / 生物工程学报

Selection of suitable signal peptides is an important factor for efficient secretion of heterologous proteins. We defined structural fusion degree (SFD) as the compatibility degree of target proteins and signal peptides by a bioinformatics approach. We mathematically analyzed the interaction of fused signal peptides and adjacent residues of proteins, and proposed a mathematical model of extended signal region and the protein. SFD Features was extracted from this model to characterize the secretability of heterologous proteins. Simulation tests showed that SFD features can effectively discriminate high secretory proteins from poor ones in the host Bacillus subtilis. Results from this research will be useful in signal peptide selection and have a better guiding significance for the optimization of heterologous protein secretion.