Characteristics and efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine in the therapeutic strategy of chronic coronary syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Chronic coronary syndrome (CCS) has always been controversial in its therapeutic strategy. Although invasive treatment and optimal medication therapy (OMT) are the most commonly used treatments, doctors continue to debate the best strategy. However, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for CCS is effective clinically. METHODS: To identify potentially eligible observational and experimental studies, we searched Pubmed, the Web of Science, and the China National Knowledge Internet. To be eligible, studies had to report with end-of treatment outcomes, such as major adverse cardiac events (MACE), deaths from myocardial infarctions (MI), all-cause mortality, angina, cardiac mortality, the effectiveness rate of electrocardiographs, and the reduction rate of the Nitroglycerin tablets. Risk differences (RDs) and 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CIs) were calculated based on random-effects models or fixed-effects models. Citation screening, data abstraction, risk assessment, and strength-of-evidence grading were completed by 2 independent reviewers. RESULTS: In Section 1 (13 studies, involving 17,287 patients), showed no significant difference between invasive treatment and medication treatment in MACE (RD = -0.04, 95% CI = -0.08 to 0.00, I2 = 76.4 %), all-cause mortality (RD = -0.01, 95%CI = -0.022 to 0.01, I2 = 73.44 %), MI (RD = 0.00, 95%CI = -0.00 to 0.01, I2 = 0.00 %) and cardiac mortality (RD = 0.00, 95 %CI = -0.01 to 0.01, I2 = 34.9 %). In Section 2 (21 studies, including 1820 patients), compared with WM treatment, TCM + WM treatment increased ECG effectiveness by 18 %, angina effectiveness by 20 %, and stopping or reducing Nitroglycerin tablets by 20 %. In Section 3 (25 studies, including 2859 patients) showed that TCM revealed a better electrocardiogram effective rate (RD = 0.10, 95 %CI = 0.05 to 0.14, I2 = 44.7 %) and angina effective rate (RD = 0.12, 95 %CI = 0.09 to 0.15, I2 = 44.9 %). We identified that TCM treatment properties of "Circulating blood and transforming stasis" and application of warm/heat-properties medicines were frequently used in CCS treatment. CONCLUSIONS: TCM treatment has shown superior beneficial cardioprotective in CCS therapy strategy, among which "Circulating blood and transforming stasis" and the application of warm/heat-properties medicine are its characteristics.

Classification of Camellia oleifera Diseases in Complex Environments by Attention and Multi-Dimensional Feature Fusion Neural Network.

The use of neural networks for plant disease identification is a hot topic of current research. However, unlike the classification of ordinary objects, the features of plant diseases frequently vary, resulting in substantial intra-class variation; in addition, the complex environmental noise makes it more challenging for the model to categorize the diseases. In this paper, an attention and multidimensional feature fusion neural network (AMDFNet) is proposed for Camellia oleifera disease classification network based on multidimensional feature fusion and attentional mechanism, which improves the classification ability of the model by fusing features to each layer of the Inception structure and enhancing the fused features with attentional enhancement. The model was compared with the classical convolutional neural networks GoogLeNet, Inception V3, ResNet50, and DenseNet121 and the latest disease image classification network DICNN in a self-built camellia disease dataset. The experimental results show that the recognition accuracy of the new model reaches 86.78% under the same experimental conditions, which is 2.3% higher than that of GoogLeNet with a simple Inception structure, and the number of parameters is reduced to one-fourth compared to large models such as ResNet50. The method proposed in this paper can be run on mobile with higher identification accuracy and a smaller model parameter number.

Machine learning and bioinformatics to identify 8 autophagy-related biomarkers and construct gene regulatory networks in dilated cardiomyopathy.

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a condition of impaired ventricular remodeling and systolic diastole that is often complicated by arrhythmias and heart failure with a poor prognosis. This study attempted to identify autophagy-related genes (ARGs) with diagnostic biomarkers of DCM using machine learning and bioinformatics approaches. Differential analysis of whole gene microarray data of DCM from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database was performed using the NetworkAnalyst 3.0 platform. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) matching (|log2FoldChange ≥ 0.8, p value < 0.05|) were obtained in the GSE4172 dataset by merging ARGs from the autophagy gene libraries, HADb and HAMdb, to obtain autophagy-related differentially expressed genes (AR-DEGs) in DCM. The correlation analysis of AR-DEGs and their visualization were performed using R language. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis and combined multi-database pathway analysis were served by the Enrichr online enrichment analysis platform. We used machine learning to screen the diagnostic biomarkers of DCM. The transcription factors gene regulatory network was constructed by the JASPAR database of the NetworkAnalyst 3.0 platform. We also used the drug Signatures database (DSigDB) drug database of the Enrichr platform to screen the gene target drugs for DCM. Finally, we used the DisGeNET database to analyze the comorbidities associated with DCM. In the present study, we identified 23 AR-DEGs of DCM. Eight (PLEKHF1, HSPG2, HSF1, TRIM65, DICER1, VDAC1, BAD, TFEB) molecular markers of DCM were obtained by two machine learning algorithms. Transcription factors gene regulatory network was established. Finally, 10 gene-targeted drugs and complications for DCM were identified.

[The Development of an Intelligent Long-Term Care Services System That Integrates Innovative Information and Communication Technologies].

Rapid progress in information and communication technologies and the increasing popularity of healthcare-related applications has increased interest in the topic of intelligent medical care. This topic emphasizes the use of information and communication technologies to collect and analyze a variety of data in order to provide physicians and other healthcare professionals with clinical decision support. At present, so-called smart hospitals are the focal point of most intelligent-systems development activity, with little attention currently being focused on long-term care needs. The present article discusses the application of intelligent systems in the field of long-term care, especially in community and home-based models of care. System-implementation components such as the data entry interface components of mobile devices, the data transmission and synchronization components between the mobile device and file server, the data presentation, and the statistics analysis components are also introduced. These components have been used to develop long-term care service-related applications, including home health nursing, home-care services, meals on wheels, and assistive devices rental. We believe that the findings will be useful for the promotion of innovative long-term care services as well as the improvement of healthcare quality and efficiency.

A first insight into temperature stress-induced neuroendocrine and immunological changes in giant freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii.

Haemolymph norepinephrine (NE); total haemocyte count (THC); respiratory bursts (RBs); superoxide dismutase (SOD), phenoloxidase (PO), and phagocytic activity; and prophenoloxidase (proPO)-system-related genes (lipopolysaccharide- and ß-1,3-glucan-binding protein: LGBP, proPO, peroxinectin: PE, and α2-macroglobulin: α2-M) in haemocytes of Macrobrachium rosenbergii were investigated after transferring them from 28 °C to 22 °C, 28 °C, and 34 °C respectively. The results revealed that haemolymph NE, hyaline cells (HCs), and PO activity per granulocyte increased from 30 to 120 min of exposure, and however, RBs and phagocytic activity significantly decreased from 30 to 120 min of exposure as well as granular cells (GCs), semigranular cells (SGCs), and SOD activity decreased from 60 to 120 min of exposure for the prawns subjected to temperature stress. The proPO-system-related gene expression markedly increased with 60-120 min of exposure for the prawns transferred from 28 °C to 22 °C and 34 °C, except α2M at 120 min. These results provide a first insight into the effects of temperature stress on haemolymph NE level and immune functions in prawns and suggest that temperature-stress-induced acute modulation in immunity is associated with the release of haemolymph NE in M. rosenbergii.

The acute modulation of norepinephrine on immune responses and genes expressions via adrenergic receptors in the giant freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii.

Norepinephrine (NE), immunocompetent parameters (total haemocyte count (THC), phenoloxidase (PO) activity, respiratory burst (RB), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, phagocytic activity and clearance efficiency to Lactococcus garvieae), and prophenoloxidase (proPO) system-related genes (lipopolysaccharide- and ß-1,3-glucan-binding protein, LGBP; prophenoloxidase, proPO; peroxinectin, PE; α2-macroglobulin, α2-M) expressions were investigated in Macrobrachium rosenbergii received NE through injection at 50 pmol/prawn after 0, 30, 60, and 120 min. Furthermore, the PO activity, RB, SOD activity, phagocytic activity and proPO system-related genes expressions were determined in haemocytes incubated with cacodylate buffer (CAC), NE, and NE co-treated with various adrenergic receptor (AR) antagonists in vitro. Results showed that NE, THC, granular cells, PO activity, SOD activity, proPO system-related genes expressions, and phagocytic activity and clearance efficiency to L. garvieae increased; PO activity per granulocyte and RB per haemocyte decreased from 30 to 120 min; semigranular cells and RB increased in the initial 30 min, and then decreased at 120 min when the prawns received NE by injection. In vitro studies, all the determined immune parameters and genes expressions were significantly decreased in haemocytes incubated with NE after 30 min. The negative effects of NE were prevented on the PO activity and phagocytic activity by the ß-AR antagonist of metoprolol (Met), on the SOD activity by the ß-AR antagonist of propranolol (Pro), on the RB by the ß-AR antagonist of Met and prazosin (Pra), and on the proPO system-related genes expressions by α-AR antagonist of Pra. These results show that NE modulates prawn haemocytes proPO system-related genes expressions via α1-AR, PO activity and phagocytosis via ß1-AR, respiratory burst via α1-and ß1-ARs, and SOD activity via ß2-AR. It is concluded that NE stimulates the regulation of immunocompetence parameters and proPO system-related genes expressions in an acute response to maintain homeostasis of M. rosenbergii, which is primarily mediated through α1-, ß1-and ß2-ARs.

Preparation of needle trap samplers to extract air compounds from indoor electric-vaporizing sources.

UNLABELLED: In this study, gaseous benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and o-xylene (BTEX) were extracted by passive needle trap samplers (NTS) using divinylbenzene (DVB) particles (mesh sizes 60-80, 80-100, and 100-120, respectively) as packed sorbents. An aspirating pump measured sampling flow rates of NTS, and the relations between BTEX mass and sampling flow rates were sufficient to maintain the extraction performance of these self-designed DVB-NTS. Furthermore, this investigation compared the extraction efficiency of NTS with that of the 100-microm polydimethylsiloxane solid-phase microextration (PDMS SPME) fiber when applied to sample heating products from electric-vaporization anti-mosquito mats, and the experimental results indicated that NTS effectiveness increased with decreasing adsorbent particle diameter. Substantially less mass of gaseous BTEX was extracted using 100-microm PDMS SPME fiber than with NTS of 100-120 mesh DVB for 60-min TWA sampling of anti-mosquito mats. The 100-120 mesh DVB-NTS primarily adsorbed 4.2 ng acetone, 13.3 ng dichloromethane, and 4.5-25.3 ng C10-C12 alkanes. IMPLICATIONS: The needle trap sampler (NTS) has been evaluated to be a device for sampling heating products from electric-vaporization anti-mosquito mats. Based on the experimental results, this investigation assessed NTS as suitable for occupational and environmental health applications.

Breakthrough indicator for aromatic VOCs using needle trap samplers for activated carbon adsorbent.

Internal circulation cabinets equipped with granular activated carbon (GAC) for adsorbing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are widely used to store bottles containing organic solvents in universities, colleges, and hospital laboratories throughout Taiwan. This work evaluates the VOC adsorption capacities of GAC using various adsorption times for gas stream mixtures of 100 ppm toluene and 100 ppm o-xylene. Additionally, needle trap sampling (NTS) technology was used to indicate the time for renewing the GAC to avoid VOC breakthrough from adsorbents. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed models can linearly express toluene and o-xylene adsorption capacities as the natural logarithm of adsorption time (ln(t)) and can accurately simulate the equilibrium adsorption capacities (Qe, g VOCs/g GAC) for gaseous toluene and o-xylene. The NTS, packed with 60-80 mesh divinylbenzene (DVB) particles, was compared in terms of extraction efficiency by simultaneously using the 75-microm Carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane-solid-phase microextraction (Carboxen/PDMS-SPME) fiber for time-weighted average (TWA) sampling, and experimental results indicated that the packed DVB-NTS achieved higher toluene extraction rates. Additionally, the NTS installed in the outlet air stream for adsorbing toluene and o-xylene exhausted through GAC accurately indicated toluene and o-xylene breakthrough times of 4700-5000 min. The GAC-NTS operational instructions to indicate the replacing time of adsorbent in the internal circulation cabinets are also included in this paper.