Abundance of Low-Energy Oxygen Vacancy Pairs Dictates the Catalytic Performance of Cerium-Stabilized Zirconia.

Cerium-stabilized zirconia (Ce1-xZrxOy, CZO) is renowned for its superior oxygen storage capacity (OSC), a key property long believed to be beneficial to catalytic oxidation reactions. However, 50% Ce-containing CZO recorded with the highest OSC has disappointingly poor performance in catalytic oxidation reactions compared to those with higher Ce contents but lower OSC ability. Here, we employ global neural network (G-NN)-based potential energy surface exploration methods to establish the first ternary phase diagram for bulk structures of CZO, which identifies three critical compositions of CZO, namely, 50, 60, and 80% Ce-containing CZO that are thermodynamically stable under typical synthetic conditions. 50% Ce-containing CZO, although having the highest OSC, exhibits the lowest O vacancy (Ov) diffusion rate. By contrast, 60% Ce-containing CZO, despite lower OSC (33.3% OSC compared to that of 50% Ce-containing CZO), reaches the highest Ov diffusion ability and thus offers the highest CO oxidation catalytic performance. The physical origin of the high performance of 60% Ce-containing CZO is the abundance of energetically favorable Ov pairs along the ⟨110⟩ direction, which reduces the energy barrier of Ov diffusion in the bulk and promotes O2 activation on the surface. Our results clarify the long-standing puzzles on CZO and point out that 60% Ce-containing CZO is the most desirable composition for typical CZO applications.

Retrospective analysis of real-world prescribing data for managing cisplatin-based chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in China.

BACKGROUND: The current utilization of neurokinin-1 receptor antagonists (NK1RAs) and the impact of updated guidelines on prescription patterns of antiemetic drugs among Chinese patients receiving highly emetogenic chemotherapy (HEC) remain undetermined. This study aims to analyze the present situation of Chinese cancer patients using antiemetic drugs and assess the appropriateness of antiemetic regimens. METHODS: Prescription data were collected between January 2015 and December 2020 from cancer patients receiving cisplatin-based chemotherapy at 76 hospitals in six major cities in China. Trends in the use of antiemetic drugs, prescribing patterns and adherence to antiemetic guidelines were assessed. RESULTS: Among the 108,611 patients included in this study, 6 classes and 17 antiemetic drugs were identified as monotherapy or combination therapy in 93,872 patients (86.4%), whereas 14,739 patients (13.6%) were administered no antiemetic treatment. 5-hydroxytryptamine 3 receptor antagonists (5-HT3RAs) and glucocorticoids were the two most frequently used classes of antiemetics, followed by metoclopramide. NK1RAs were underused across the six cities, only 9332 (8.6%) and 1655 (1.5%) cisplatin-based treatments were prescribed aprepitant and fosaprepitant, respectively. Prescriptions of olanzapine and lorazepam were very low throughout the study period. In prescribing patterns of antiemetic drugs, dual combination regimens were the most common (40.0%), followed by triple combination therapy and monotherapy (25.8% and 15.1%, respectively). Overall, the adherence to antiemetic guidelines for patients undergoing cisplatin-based regimens was only 8.1% due to inadequate prescription of antiemetic drugs. Finally, our study also revealed that 5-HT3RAs and glucocorticoids were overprescribed in 8.8% and 1.6% of patients, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The current study reveals suboptimal utilization of recommended antiemetic drugs for managing cisplatin-based HEC-induced nausea and vomiting in China. Improving the management of CINV is crucial, and these findings provide valuable insights into optimizing antiemetic drug practices.

Comparison of clinical and economic evaluation between selected generic and original febuxostat tablets in Chinese gout patients with hyperuricemia: A real-world multicenter retrospective study.

Generic febuxostat tablets were listed in China's third-round centralized drug procurement program. However, there are no sufficient data available on the use of febuxostat in a real-world setting. This study aimed to compare the efficacy, safety, and cost of selected generic febuxostat with original febuxostat in primary gout and hyperuricemia. Medical records at 3 tertiary hospitals from January 2014 to February 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Propensity score matching was used to balance the distribution of baseline characteristics. The proportion of patients achieving target serum uric acid (SUA) levels at 12 weeks, the percent changes from baseline in SUA, adverse drug reactions, and the cost of febuxostat therapy were assessed. A total of 221 patients were recruited and 57 pairs of patients were 1:1 matched in the 2 groups. There was no statistically significant difference in the proportion of patients achieving a target SUA levels below 300 µmol/L, the percent changes of SUA decreased from baseline, and the incidence of adverse drug reactions between the 2 groups (all P > .05). The daily febuxostat cost in the generic group were significantly lower than that in original group (P < .05). Based on the results of this study, the clinical efficacy of selected generic febuxostat is comparable to that of original febuxostat for gout with hyperuricemia. No serious adverse reactions were reported in the 2 groups, and generic febuxostat is more economical than the original febuxostat.

Effects and mechanisms of anti-diabetic dietary natural products: an updated review.

Diabetes is a global public health issue, characterized by an abnormal level of blood glucose. It can be classified into type 1, type 2, gestational, and other rare diabetes. Recent studies have reported that many dietary natural products exhibit anti-diabetic activity. In this narrative review, the effects and underlying mechanisms of dietary natural products on diabetes are summarized based on the results from epidemiological, experimental, and clinical studies. Some fruits (e.g., grape, blueberry, and cherry), vegetables (e.g., bitter melon and Lycium barbarum leaves), grains (e.g., oat, rye, and brown rice), legumes (e.g., soybean and black bean), spices (e.g., cinnamon and turmeric) and medicinal herbs (e.g., Aloe vera leaf and Nigella sativa), and vitamin C and carotenoids could play important roles in the prevention and management of diabetes. Their underlying mechanisms include exerting antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-glycation effects, inhibiting carbohydrate-hydrolyzing enzymes, enhancing insulin action, alleviating insulin resistance, modulating the gut microbiota, and so on. This review can provide people with a comprehensive knowledge of anti-diabetic dietary natural products, and support their further development into functional food to prevent and manage diabetes.

Antioxidant Activities, Phenolic Compounds, and Sensory Acceptability of Kombucha-Fermented Beverages from Bamboo Leaf and Mulberry Leaf.

Kombucha is traditional drink made from the fermentation of a black tea infusion, and is believed to offer a variety of health benefits. Recently, exploring kombucha made from alternative substrates has become a research hotspot. In this paper, two novel kombucha beverages were produced with bamboo leaf or mulberry leaf for the first time. Moreover, the effects of fermentation with leaf residues (infusion plus residues) or without leaf residues (only infusion) on the antioxidant properties of kombucha were compared. The ferric-reducing antioxidant power assay, Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity assay, Folin-Ciocalteu method, and high-performance liquid chromatography were utilized to measure the antioxidant capacities, total phenolic contents, as well as some compound concentrations of the kombucha. The results showed that two types of kombucha had high antioxidant capacities. Moreover, kombucha fermented with bamboo leaf residues (infusion plus residues) significantly enhanced its antioxidant capabilities (maximum increase 83.6%), total phenolic content (maximum increase 99.2%), concentrations of some compounds (luteolin-6-C-glucoside and isovitexin), and sensory acceptability, compared to that without residues (only infusion). In addition, fermentation with leaf residues had no significant effect on mulberry leaf kombucha. Overall, the bamboo leaf was more suitable for making kombucha with residues, while the mulberry leaf kombucha was suitable for fermentation with or without residues.

Preparation, Antioxidant Activities and Bioactive Components of Kombucha Beverages from Golden-Flower Tea (Camellia petelotii) and Honeysuckle-Flower Tea (Lonicera japonica).

Kombucha is a fermented tea known for its health benefits. In this study, golden-flower tea (Camellia petelotii) and honeysuckle-flower tea (Lonicera japonica) were first used as raw materials to prepare kombucha beverages. The antioxidant activities, total phenolic contents, concentrations of bioactive components, and sensory scores of two kombucha beverages were assessed. Additionally, effects of fermentation with or without tea residues on kombucha beverages were compared. The results found that two kombucha beverages possessed strong antioxidant activities and high scores of sensory analysis. In addition, fermentation with golden-flower tea residues could remarkably enhance the antioxidant activity (maximum 2.83 times) and total phenolic contents (3.48 times), while fermentation with honeysuckle tea residues had a minor effect. Furthermore, concentrations of several bioactive compounds could be increased by fermentation with golden-flower tea residues, but fermentation with honeysuckle-flower tea residues had limited effects. Moreover, the fermentation with or without tea residues showed no significant difference on sensory scores of golden-flower tea kombucha and honeysuckle-flower tea kombucha, and golden-flower tea kombucha had higher sensory scores than honeysuckle-flower tea kombucha. Therefore, it might be a better strategy to produce golden-flower tea kombucha by fermentation with tea residues, while honeysuckle-flower tea kombucha could be prepared without tea residues.

Degradation Profiling of Nardosinone at High Temperature and in Simulated Gastric and Intestinal Fluids.

Nardosinone, a predominant bioactive product from Nardostachys jatamansi DC, is well-known for its promising therapeutic applications, such as being used as a drug on anti-inflammatory, antidepressant, cardioprotective, anti-neuroinflammatory, anti-arrhythmic, anti-periodontitis, etc. However, its stability under varying environmental conditions and its degradation products remain unclear. In this study, four main degradation products, including two previously undescribed compounds [2-deoxokanshone M (64.23%) and 2-deoxokanshone L (1.10%)] and two known compounds [desoxo-narchinol A (2.17%) and isonardosinone (3.44%)], were firstly afforded from the refluxed products of nardosinone in boiling water; their structures were identified using an analysis of the extensive NMR and X-ray diffraction data and the simulation and comparison of electronic circular dichroism spectra. Compared with nardosinone, 2-deoxokanshone M exhibited potent vasodilatory activity without any of the significant anti-neuroinflammatory activity that nardosinone contains. Secondly, UPLC-PDA and UHPLC-DAD/Q-TOF MS analyses on the degradation patterns of nardosinone revealed that nardosinone degraded more easily under high temperatures and in simulated gastric fluid compared with the simulated intestinal fluid. A plausible degradation pathway of nardosinone was finally proposed using nardosinonediol as the initial intermediate and involved multiple chemical reactions, including peroxy ring-opening, keto-enol tautomerization, oxidation, isopropyl cleavage, and pinacol rearrangement. Our findings may supply certain guidance and scientific evidence for the quality control and reasonable application of nardosinone-related products.

The Role of Gut Microbiota in Anxiety, Depression, and Other Mental Disorders as Well as the Protective Effects of Dietary Components.

The number of individuals experiencing mental disorders (e.g., anxiety and depression) has significantly risen in recent years. Therefore, it is essential to seek prevention and treatment strategies for mental disorders. Several gut microbiota, especially Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes, are demonstrated to affect mental health through microbiota-gut-brain axis, and the gut microbiota dysbiosis can be related to mental disorders, such as anxiety, depression, and other mental disorders. On the other hand, dietary components, including probiotics (e.g., Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium), prebiotics (e.g., dietary fiber and alpha-lactalbumin), synbiotics, postbiotics (e.g., short-chain fatty acids), dairy products, spices (e.g., Zanthoxylum bungeanum, curcumin, and capsaicin), fruits, vegetables, medicinal herbs, and so on, could exert protective effects against mental disorders by enhancing beneficial gut microbiota while suppressing harmful ones. In this paper, the mental disorder-associated gut microbiota are summarized. In addition, the protective effects of dietary components on mental health through targeting the gut microbiota are discussed. This paper can be helpful to develop some dietary natural products into pharmaceuticals and functional foods to prevent and treat mental disorders.

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Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is becoming increasingly common in adolescents and seriously affects their physical and mental health, and it is also a major risk factor for suicide among adolescents. NSSI has now become a public health issue of general concern; however, the identification of cognitive dysfunction in NSSI is still based on neuropsychological cognitive assessment and subjective questionnaire assessment, with a lack of objective evaluation indicators. As a method for studying the cognitive neural mechanism of NSSI, electroencephalography is a reliable tool for finding objective biomarkers of NSSI. This article reviews the recent research on electrophysiology associated with cognitive dysfunction in adolescents with NSSI.

Possible Effects and Mechanisms of Dietary Natural Products and Nutrients on Depression and Anxiety: A Narrative Review.

Depression and anxiety are severe public health problems and have attracted more and more attention from researchers of food science and nutrition. Dietary natural products and nutrients, such as fish, coffee, tea, n-3 PUFA, lycopene, and dietary fiber, could play a vital role in the prevention and management of these diseases. The potential mechanisms of action mainly include inhibiting inflammation, ameliorating oxidative stress, modulating the microbiota-gut-brain axis, suppressing hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis hyperactivity, and regulating the levels of monoamine neurotransmitters. In this narrative review, we summarize the most recent advancements regarding the effects of dietary natural products and nutrients on depression and anxiety, and their underlying mechanisms are discussed. We hope that this paper can provide a better understanding of the anti-depressive and anxiolytic action of dietary natural products, and that it is also helpful for developing dietary natural products for functional food, dietary supplements, or auxiliary agents for the prevention and management of these diseases.

Anti-Obesity Effect of Theabrownin from Dark Tea in C57BL/6J Mice Fed a High-Fat Diet by Metabolic Profiles through Gut Microbiota Using Untargeted Metabolomics.

The epidemic of obesity is a serious public health problem. In this study, the effect of theabrownin from dark tea on obesity was evaluated by biochemical tests and nuclear magnetic resonance in C57BL/6J mice fed a high-fat diet. A mixture of antibiotics was used to deplete gut microbiota and then fecal microbiota transplant was used to restore gut microbiota. Untargeted metabolomics was used to reveal the effects of theabrownin on metabolic profiles through gut microbiota. The results showed that theabrownin significantly reduced body weight gain (83.0%) and body fat accumulation (30.29%) without affecting appetite. Also, theabrownin promoted lipid clearance with a hepatoprotective effect. The extra antibiotics disrupted the regulation of theabrownin on weight control while fecal microbiota transplant restored the beneficial regulation. That is, gut microbiota was important for theabrownin to reduce body weight gain. The untargeted metabolomics indicated that 18 metabolites were related to the anti-obesity effect of theabrownin mediated by gut microbiota. Furthermore, phenylalanine metabolism, histidine metabolism, as well as protein digestion and absorption pathway played a role in the anti-obesity of theabrownin. Our findings suggested that theabrownin significantly alleviated obesity via gut microbiota-related metabolic pathways, and theabrownin could be used for the prevention and treatment of obesity.

Analysis of the Relationship between Gut Flora Levels in Childhood Obese Population and Normal Healthy Population Based on Machine Learning.

Aims: To explore the study of the relationship between the level of gut flora in childhood obese people and normal healthy people based on the analysis of machine learning. Materials and Methods: The stools of 54 normal weight, 53 overweight, and 59 obese children from May 2021 to May 2022 were selected. And DNA was extracted, and primers specific for the four bacteria were designed according to the specificity of the four bacteria to the 16 S rDNA gene sequences of the bacteria to be tested, and real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR reactions were performed to compare whether there was any difference in the number of the four bacteria between the three groups. Results. The results of agarose gel electrophoresis showed that the PCR amplification products of all four target bacteria showed clear bands at the corresponding positions, and no nonspecific bands appeared. When compared with the marker, the size matched with the target fragment, indicating good primer specificity. The comparison between normal body recombinant, super recombinant, and obese groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05) for rectal eubacteria, polymorphic anaplasma, bifidobacteria spp., and lactobacilli. The median number of bifidobacteria in the three groups was significantly higher than the median number of rectal eubacteria, polymorphomycetes, and lactobacilli. The difference in comparison was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Stratified analysis of children's age revealed that normal body composition of Lactobacillus decreased with increasing age, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusion: An increase in rectal eubacteria and a decrease in polymorphomycetes, bifidobacteria spp., and lactobacilli may be associated with the development of obesity. The numbers of rectal eubacteria, polymorphic methanobacteria, bifidobacteria spp., and lactobacilli in the intestine of normal weight and obese children were less affected by sex and age.

Antioxidant Capacities and Polyphenol Contents of Kombucha Beverages Based on Vine Tea and Sweet Tea.

Kombucha beverage is commonly prepared by black tea infusion fermentation without tea residues, and possesses various health benefits. In this paper, kombucha beverages of two non-Camellia sinensis teas, including vine tea (Ampelopsisgrossedentata) and sweet tea (Rubus suavissimus), were studied for the first time. The antioxidant activities and polyphenol contents of kombucha beverages were evaluated by ferric-reducing antioxidant power assay, Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity assay, and Folin-Ciocalteu method, respectively. In addition, effects of tea residues on antioxidant capacities of kombucha beverages were evaluated. The results showed that kombucha beverages from vine tea and sweet tea possessed strong antioxidant activities (especially vine tea kombucha), and fermentation with tea residues could significantly increase antioxidant capacities (maximum increase of 38%) and total phenolic content (maximum increase of 55%) of two kombucha beverages compared with those without tea residues. Moreover, the sensory evaluations showed that the sensory evaluation scores of kombucha with tea residues could be improved compared with those without tea residues. Furthermore, the concentrations of several bioactive components in the kombucha beverages were detected by high-performance liquid chromatography. These kombucha beverages could be used for prevention of several diseases with related of oxidative stress.

Bioactive Compounds, Health Benefits and Food Applications of Grape.

Grape (Vitis vinifera L.) is one of the most popular fruits worldwide. It contains various bioactive compounds, such as proanthocyanidins, anthocyanins, flavonols, phenolic acids and stilbenes, the contents of which could vary considerably in grape skin, pulp and seed. Many studies have revealed that grape possesses a variety of health benefits, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, gut-microbiota-modulating, anticancer and cardioprotective effects. Grape is eaten as fresh fruit and is also used as raw material to produce various products, such as wine, grape juice and raisins. Moreover, the byproducts of grape, such as grape pomace and grape seed, have many applications in the food industry. In this paper, the bioactive compounds in grape are briefly summarized based on literature published in recent years. In addition, the health benefits of grape and its bioactive components are discussed, with special attention paid to the underlying mechanisms. Furthermore, the applications of grape in the food industry are elucidated, especially the applications of grape pomace and grape seed. This paper can contribute to understanding the health benefits and mechanisms of grape and its bioactive compounds, as well as the promotion of the use of grape in the food industry.

Health Benefits and Side Effects of Short-Chain Fatty Acids.

The gut microbiota and their metabolites could play an important role in health and diseases of human beings. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are mainly produced by gut microbiome fermentation of dietary fiber and could also be produced by bacteria of the skin and vagina. Acetate, propionate, and butyrate are three major SCFAs, and their bioactivities have been widely studied. The SCFAs have many health benefits, such as anti-inflammatory, immunoregulatory, anti-obesity, anti-diabetes, anticancer, cardiovascular protective, hepatoprotective, and neuroprotective activities. This paper summarizes health benefits and side effects of SCFAs with a special attention paid to the mechanisms of action. This paper provides better support for people eating dietary fiber as well as ways for dietary fiber to be developed into functional food to prevent diseases.

Anticancer Effects and Mechanisms of Berberine from Medicinal Herbs: An Update Review.

Cancer has been a serious public health problem. Berberine is a famous natural compound from medicinal herbs and shows many bioactivities, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, anti-obesity, and antimicrobial activities. In addition, berberine shows anticancer effects on a variety of cancers, such as breast, lung, gastric, liver, colorectal, ovarian, cervical, and prostate cancers. The underlying mechanisms of action include inhibiting cancer cell proliferation, suppressing metastasis, inducing apoptosis, activating autophagy, regulating gut microbiota, and improving the effects of anticancer drugs. This paper summarizes effectiveness and mechanisms of berberine on different cancers and highlights the mechanisms of action. In addition, the nanotechnologies to improve bioavailability of berberine are included. Moreover, the side effects of berberine are also discussed. This paper is helpful for the prevention and treatment of cancers using berberine.

Effects and mechanisms of resveratrol for prevention and management of cancers: An updated review.

Cancer is a severe public health problem. Resveratrol is a famous natural compound that has various bioactivities, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic and antiaging activities. Especially, resveratrol could prevent and treat various cancers, such as oral, thyroid, breast, lung, liver, pancreatic, gastric, colorectal, bladder, prostate and ovarian cancers. The underlying mechanisms have been widely studied, such as inhibiting cell proliferation, suppressing metastasis, inducing apoptosis, stimulating autophagy, modulating immune system, attenuating inflammation, regulating gut microbiota and enhancing effects of other anticancer drugs. In this review, we summarize effects and mechanisms of resveratrol on different cancers. This paper is helpful to develop resveratrol, crude extract containing resveratrol, or foods containing resveratrol into functional food, dietary supplements or auxiliary agents for prevention and management of cancers.

Introducing electrolysis to enhance anaerobic digestion resistance to acidification.

The phenomenon that the anaerobic system is inhibited by acid has always been a bottleneck hindering the application of anaerobic digestion (AD) technology. We tried to introduce electrolysis into AD to improve the acidification resistance, and eventually the productivity of the energy. In a batch fermentation device, the ability of electrochemical anaerobic digestion (EAD) to resist acidification was evaluated in current intensity, electrode potential, AC impedance, microbial community, pH value, and volatile fatty acids (VFAs). The results showed that the average concentration of VFAs in EAD was 32.9% lower than that in AD, the energy efficiency of EAD is 53.25% higher than AD, indicating that EAD has stronger anti-acidification ability and energy conversion efficiency than AD. When the EAD reaches a steady state, the current intensity fluctuates in the range of 7-12 mA, the electrode potential difference is maintained at 600 ± 5 mV, and the internal resistance decreases from 3333.3 ± 16Ω at startup to 68.9 ± 1.4Ω at the steady state, indicating that the EAD has stronger resistance to acidification may be due to the degradation of some VFAs on the electrode surface. Furthermore, the 16S rRNA sequencing analysis showed that the dominant electricity-producing bacteria on EAD anode surface were Clostridium, Hydrogenophaga and Trichloromonas, with a relative abundance of 40.32%, while the relative abundance of electrogenic bacteria in AD bulk solution and EAD bulk solution were about 1/2 and 1/4 that of EAD anode film, suggesting that the electricity-producing bacteria on the electrode surface play an important role in the degradation of VFAs.

Efficacy and safety of standardized Ginkgo biloba L. leaves extract as an adjuvant therapy for sudden sensorineural hearing loss: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Ginkgo biloba L. has been used for medical purposes in China for centuries. Standardized Ginkgo biloba L. leaves extract (GBE) is a widely used botanical drug which displays a variety of pharmacological effects against sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL). AIM OF THE STUDY: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of GBE as an adjuvant therapy, administered with corticosteroids, for the initial management of patients with SSNHL. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We searched seven databases for randomized clinical trials (RCTs) comparing GBE plus corticosteroids with corticosteroids alone for SSNHL treatment. Data analysis was carried out by Review Manager 5.4 and Stata 16.0 software. The study was conducted in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) reporting guideline. We subsequently evaluated the certainty of evidence using the GRADE (Grading of Recommendation Assessment, Development and Evaluation) approach. RESULTS: A total of 11 RCTs involving 1069 patients were included. Meta-analysis indicated that the clinical cure rate (RR = 1.33, 95% CI = 1.12 to 1.58, P = 0.001) and total effective rate (RR = 1.24, 95%CI = 1.17 to 1.31, P < 0.001) in SSNHL patients receiving GBE plus corticosteroids was superior to patients receiving corticosteroids alone. After treatment, pure tone average (PTA) improvement of observation group was better than that in the control group (WMD = 10.33, 95%CI = 6.46 to 14.21, P < 0.001). The levels of whole blood high shear viscosity (WMD = 0.93, 95%CI = 0.28 to 1.59, P = 0.005), whole blood medium shear viscosity (WMD = 0.53, 95%CI = 0.11 to 0.95, P = 0.01), whole blood low shear viscosity (WMD = 1.26, 95%CI = 0.80 to 1.72, P < 0.001), plasma viscosity (WMD = 0.19, 95%CI = 0.09 to 0.30, P < 0.001) and fibrinogen (WMD = 0.80, 95%CI = 0.25 to 1.35, P = 0.004) were lower than those in the control group. There was no significant difference in the change of hematokrit between two groups (WMD = 4.23, 95%CI = -0.54 to 8.99, P = 0.08). GBE was generally well tolerated, and there was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between two groups (RR = 1.01, 95%CI = 0.57 to 1.79, P = 0.97). CONCLUSION: The results of the current study suggested that GBE might be effective and promising as an adjuvant to corticosteroids in the initial treatment of moderate to profound SSNHL. However, the GRADE assessment indicated that the overall strength of evidence was not high. Further studies with high methodological quality and low risk of bias are needed to confirm the positive results. PROSPERO registration No. CRD 42020190113.

Separation of chloroform from a dilute solution using a cyclic peptide nanotube: A molecular dynamics study.

This work firstly explored the potential application of a cyclic peptide nanotube (CPNT) in the separation of chloroform from a dilute solution. Four hydrophobic CPNTs of 8 × (WL)4,5 and 8 × (AL)4,5 all exhibit excellent adsorption characteristics to chloroform. The CPNT diameter, side chain structures and the concentration of chloroform in a solution all affect the adsorption characteristics of chloroform. CHCl3 molecules are overwhelmingly adsorbed on the surfaces of these CPNTs as a cluster, and sporadically reside inside the channels, consistent with the chloroform's potentials of mean force (PMFs) inside and outside the channels. The distribution characteristics, molecular orientations and interactions with the surroundings of chloroform inside and outside four CPNTs embedded in individual dilute CHCl3/water solutions were analyzed in detail, providing referable information of the adsorption characteristics of a hydrophobic CPNT to chloroform.