An optimal medicinal and edible Chinese herbal formula attenuates particulate matter-induced lung injury through its anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptosis activities.

Objective: Identifying novel strategies to prevent particulate matter (PM)-induced lung injury is crucial for the reduction of the morbidity of chronic respiratory diseases. The combined intervention represented by herbal formulae for simultaneously targeting multiple pathological processes can provide a more beneficial effect than the single intervention. The aim of this paper is therefore to design a safe and effective medicinal and edible Chinese herbs (MECHs) formula against PM-induced lung injury. Methods: PM-induced oxidative stress, inflammatory response and apoptosis A549 cell model were used to screen anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic MECHs, respectively. A network pharmacology method was utilized to rationally design a novel herbal formula. Ultra performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometer was utilized to assess the quality control of MECHs formula. The excretion of magnetic iron oxide nanospheres of the MECHs formula was estimated in zebrafish. The MECH formula against PM-induced lung injury was investigated with mice experiments. Results: Five selected herbs were rationally designed to form a new MECH formula, including Citri Exocarpium Rubrum (Juhong), Lablab Semen Album (Baibiandou), Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma (Baizhu), Mori Folium (Sangye) and Polygonati Odorati Rhizoma (Yuzhu). The formula effectively promoted the magnetic iron oxide nanospheres excretion in zebrafish. The mid/high dose formula significantly prevented PM-induced lung damage in mice by enhancing the activity of SOD and GSH-Px, reducing the MDA and ROS level and attenuating the upregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokine (IL-6, IL-8, IL-1ß and TNF-α), down regulating the protein expression of NF-κB, STAT3 and Caspase-3. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the effective MECHs formula will become a novel strategy for preventing PM-induced lung injury and provide a paradigm for the development of functional foods using MECHs.

Atmospheric-Pressurized Process for Dimethyl Carbonate/Methanol Separation with and without Heat Integration: Design and Control.

Process economy and dynamic controllability are critical for DMC/MeOH separation via the PSD process. In this paper, rigorous steady-state and dynamic simulations of atmospheric-pressurized process for DMC/MeOH separation with no, partial, and full heat integration have been carried out with Aspen Plus and Aspen Dynamics. Further investigations have been conducted into the economic design and dynamic controllability of the three neat systems. Simulation results indicated that: the separation process via full and partial heat integration provided TAC savings of 39.2 and 36.2%, respectively, compared to that of no heat integration; the non-heat-integrated system displays good dynamic performance, critical dynamic penalties were demonstrated for both partial and full heat integration processes, while the partial one exhibited a more robust control except for precisely maintaining XB2(DMC); a PCTC scheme with a CC/TC cascade control was proposed to precisely maintain the product concentration for the fully heat-integrated PSD process. A comparison of the economy between atmospheric-pressurized and pressurized-atmospheric sequences indicated that the former is more energy efficient. Further, a comparison of the economy between atmospheric-pressurized and pressurized-atmospheric sequences indicated that the former is more energy efficient. This study will provide new insights into the energy efficiency and has some implications for design and control of DMC/MeOH separation in the industrialization process.

Meta-analysis of the efficacy of probiotics to treat diarrhea.

BACKGROUND: To collect the published trials of probiotics in the treatment of diarrhea and to strictly evaluate and systematically analyze the efficacy of probiotics use for the prevention and treatment of patients with diarrhea. METHODS: We searched domestic and foreign literature published between January 2016 and July 2022 to find randomized control trials that used probiotics to treat diarrhea. Only studies published in English were considered. The quality of the included literatures was assessed by using the methods provided in the Cochrane Handbook. Valid data were extracted and analyzed by meta- analysis using the Software RevMan5.2. RESULTS: Total 16 trials and 1585 patients were included. The results of the meta- analysis showed that in comparison with the simple Western medicine treatment group or placebo, the added use of probiotics could improve stool frequency, stool morphology, and related irritable bowel syndrome symptoms. CONCLUSION: The added use of probiotics can further improve clinical outcomes in the patients with diarrhea; however, the implementation of larger and higher quality clinical trials is necessary to verify this conclusion.

Method for determination of optical rotatory dispersion curve by using a polarization axis finder.

We report a new, to the best of our knowledge, measurement method of optical rotatory dispersion (ORD) based on a polarization axis finder (PAF) and digital image processing. The collimated quasi-monochromatic light is output by a monochromator and passes through a polarizer and the chiral samples, and a PAF is employed to modulate the light beam spatially to form an "hourglass" intensity pattern, which is utilized to determine the polarization direction of linearly polarized light. After being recorded by a digital camera, the modulated patterns with and without samples are analyzed by our specially designed digital image processing program to calculate the optical rotation (OR) angle of the chiral substance at a certain wavelength, and the ORD curve can be obtained by fitting a series of OR angles with different wavelengths. The ORD curves of two standard quartz plates with opposite chirality and a glucose solution with different concentrations are measured experimentally, and the fitted coefficients and measurement results agree well with their theoretical values, which indicates that the presented method is an effective and accurate way to determine the ORD of chiral substances conveniently.

Will intestinal flora therapy become a new target in type-2 diabetes mellitus? A review based on 13 clinical trials.

Introduction: Background: diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic disease and its pathogenesis is still inconclusive. Current evidence suggests an association between intestinal flora and type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). In this paper, we summarized the current research, determining whether intestinal flora may become a new method to treat T2DM, and providing a theoretical basis and literature references for the prevention of T2DM based on the regulation of intestinal flora. Method: we carried out a review based on 13 published clinical trials to determine the correlation between T2DM and intestinal flora, and between changes in clinical outcomes and in intestinal flora in the development of T2DM; to assess the pathological mechanisms; and to discuss the treatment of diabetes based on intestinal flora. Results: we found that intestinal flora is involved in the occurrence and development of T2DM. Several pathological mechanisms may be involved in the process, including improving the gut barrier, alleviating inflammation, increasing glucagon-like peptide (GLP) 1 and GLP 2, increasing the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and so on. Several measures based on intestinal flora, including exercise, food, specific diets, drugs and probiotics, would be used to treat and even prevent T2DM. Conclusions: high-quality studies are required to better understand the clinical effects of intestinal flora in T2DM.

Introducción: Antecedentes: la diabetes mellitus (DM) es una enfermedad crónica cuya patogénesis no está clara. La evidencia actual sugiere una asociación entre la flora intestinal y la diabetes mellitus de tipo 2 (DMT2). Este artículo revisa la investigación actual para determinar si la flora intestinal puede ser un nuevo método de tratamiento de la DMT2. Métodos: se revisaron 13 ensayos clínicos publicados para determinar la correlación entre la DMT2 y la flora intestinal, cambios en los resultados clínicos y en la flora intestinal durante el desarrollo de la DMT2; para resumir su mecanismo patogénico; y, desde el punto de vista de la flora intestinal, para explorar el tratamiento de la diabetes. Resultados: se encontró que la flora intestinal estaba involucrada en el desarrollo de la DMT2. Este proceso puede implicar una variedad de mecanismos patológicos: mejora de la barrera intestinal, reducción de la inflamación, aumento del péptido similar al glucagón (GLP) 1 y GLP 2, y el del rendimiento de los ácidos grasos de cadena corta. Algunas medidas basadas en la flora intestinal, como el ejercicio, los alimentos, las dietas especiales, los medicamentos y los probióticos, se utilizarán para tratar e incluso prevenir la DMT2. Conclusión: se necesitan estudios de alta calidad para comprender mejor los efectos clínicos de la flora intestinal en los pacientes con DMT2.

Status and Influential Factors of Intelligent Healthcare in Nursing Homes in China.

With the support of the Chinese government, nursing homes have increasingly adopted Internet and intelligent information technology to provide daily healthcare services to residents. However, no research has reported the status of intelligent healthcare in nursing homes. From September 2017 to May 2018, we conducted a survey of 197 nursing homes and collected information on their general characteristics, the intelligent healthcare services provided, the effectiveness of the application products used, and the attitudes of the staff and residents toward intelligent healthcare. Overall, 79.69% of the surveyed nursing homes have provided intelligent healthcare services, including medical care services (eg, chronic disease management and intelligent nursing) and daily life services (eg, fall monitoring and wireless positioning). Portable health monitoring devices and data management and service platforms are the most used healthcare products. The attitudes of staff probably affected the development of intelligent healthcare. Financial investment and the attitudes of staff and residents are factors that influence the effectiveness of the application of intelligent healthcare products in nursing homes. With the support of national policies, nursing homes have implemented primary intelligent healthcare. Stakeholders play pivotal roles in the provision of intelligent healthcare services.

Co9S8 Nanorods as an Electrocatalyst To Enhance Polysulfide Conversion and Alleviate Passivation in Li-S Batteries under Lean Electrolyte Conditions.

As a result of the high theoretical energy density of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries, they have been accepted as the next-generation energy storage system. Nevertheless, the current performance of Li-S batteries is still unsatisfactory under lean electrolyte conditions. It is because of sluggish deposition of Li2S2/Li2S passivating the sulfur/electrolyte interface, thus leading to lower sulfur use and bad rate performances of Li-S batteries. Herein, a novel Co9S8 nanorod-based catalytic interlayer placed between the cathode and separator is proposed. The interlayer possesses a three-dimensional open structure, which facilitates electrolyte infiltration but without trapping too much electrolyte. As a result, the electrocatalytic Co9S8 nanorods within the interlayer promote faster electrochemical kinetics and enhance the conversion of polysulfides, thus resulting in a higher specific discharge capacity and better rate and cycling performance. This work proves a feasible method in developing practical Li-S batteries.

Viral vectors as a novel tool for clinical and neuropsychiatric research applications.

BACKGROUND: A viral vector is a genetically modified vector produced by genetic engineering. As pathogenic genes in the virus are completely or largely eliminated, it is safe to be widely used in multidisciplinary research fields for expressing genes, such as neuroscience, metabolism, oncology and so on. Neuroscience and psychiatry are the most closely related disciplines in either basic research or clinical research, but the application of viral vectors in neuropsychiatry has not received much attention or not been widely accepted. OBJECTIVE: This article will focus on the application of viral vectors in basic and clinical neuropsychiatric research. METHODS: By using viral vectors, scientists can perform neurological labelling, gene expression regulation and physiological manipulation for investigating phenomenon from molecular mechanisms to behaviours. At the same time, to treat mental or neurological disorders, viral vectors can be designed for gene therapy, which alter gene expression levels or repair mutated genes in the brains of patients. PERSPECTIVE: Viral vectors play an important role in basic research and clinical applications. To further understand brain function and prevent mental and neurological diseases, we hypothesize that viral vectors could be used along with various advanced technologies, such as sequencing and high-throughput expression analysis in the neuroscience research field.

[Research on preprocessing method of near-infrared spectroscopy detection of coal ash calorific value].

The calorific value of coal ash is an important indicator to evaluate the coal quality. In the experiment, the effect of spectrum and processing methods such as smoothing, differential processing, multiplicative scatter correction (MSC) and standard normal variate (SNV) in improving the near-infrared diffuse reflection spectrum signal-noise ratio was analyzed first, then partial least squares (PLS) and principal component analysis (PCR) were used to establish the calorific value model of coal ash for the spectrums processed with each preprocessing method respectively. It was found that the model performance can be obviously improved with 5-point smoothing processing, MSC and SNV, in which 5-point smoothing processing has the best effect, the coefficient of association, correction standard deviation and forecast standard deviation are respectively 0.9899, 0.00049 and 0.00052, and when 25-point smoothing processing is adopted, over-smoothing occurs, which worsens the model performance, while the model established with the spectrum after differential preprocessing has no obvious change and the influence on the model is not large.

[Application of hyperspectral fluorescence image technology in detection of early rotten oranges].

Rottenness is most prevalent and devastating disease that threats citrus fruit. Automatic detection of early rottenness can enhance the competitiveness and profitability of the citrus industry. However, there is no efficient automatic detection technology at this time that could detect this disease. The navel orange was selected as research objective. Hyperspectral fluorescence imaging was used to detect early rottenness in orange. Optimum index factor (OIF) method was applied to identify the optimal band combination. 100% detection rate was achieved based on the optimal bands ratio image and two threshold values. The research showed that the proposed method can effectively overcome the affect from florescence effect because stem damage area and stem also can produce florescence under ultraviolet light. This study will lay a foundation for developing multispectral detection system used in on-line detection of early rottenness fruit.