Rapid screening and evaluation of natural antioxidants from leaf, stem, and root of Artemisia argyi by online liquid microextraction combined with HPLC-based antioxidant assay system coupled with calibration quantitative analysis.

To reveal the utilization value of leaf, stem, and root of Artemisia argyi, a rapid online liquid microextraction combined with a high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with 2,2-nitrogen-di (3-ethyl-benzothiazole-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt antioxidant assay system was established for analysis of antioxidants in the leaf, stem, and root of A. argyi, and a calibration quantitative method of antioxidant activity with equivalent chlorogenic acid was proposed. Thirty-three positive peaks were identified; among them, 12 compounds were found that possess good antioxidant activity including eleven organic acids (components 2-4, 8, 11-14, 17, 19, and 21) and one flavonoids (component 22). The proposed calibration quantitative method avoided the influence of content of compound and compared the extent of radical scavenging capacity of five antioxidant compounds, which were ranked as follow: 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid > 3,4-dicaffeoylquinic acid ≈ 4,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid > 1,4-dicaffeoylquinic acid > chlorogenic acid. In conclusion, this study provided composition and biological potential for the future development of the leaf, stem, and root of A. argyi. It is believed that the online liquid microextraction combined with high-performance liquid chromatography based antioxidant assay system can be widely used for the rapid screening of natural antioxidant components in the different parts of natural products.

Online Microextraction Coupled with HPLC-ABTS for Rapid Analysis of Antioxidants from the Root of Polygonum bistorta.

The root of Polygonum bistorta (PB) is a traditional Chinese medicinal plant material widely used in China. It has been commonly used for the treatment of hemostasis, detumescence, diarrhea, snake bite, and acute gastroenteritis. However, the research on the antioxidant properties and bioactive compounds from PB is inadequate. In the current research, an online microextraction (OLME) coupled with a high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with the 2,2-nitrogen-di (3-ethyl-benzothiazole-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt antioxidant assay (HPLC-ABTS) system for rapid analysis of antioxidants from PB was proposed. The PB sample (0.17 mg) was online extracted by mobile phase (acetonitrile and 0.2% acetic acid); a Poroshell 120 SB-Aq column was used for separation; then, an online ABTS assay system was used for screening the antioxidants. Finally, ten components were found in PB, and among them, eight components possessed antioxidant activities. Furthermore, five components (gallic acid, neochlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, and an unknown compound) were proved as major antioxidants when compared with rutin as an antioxidant marker. The results showed that the developed OLME-HPLC-ABTS system was a simple, rapid, green, and efficient instrument for the screening of antioxidants from PB, which provides a powerful tool for the discovery of natural antioxidants in Chinese medicines.

Effects of natural dihydrochalcones in sweet tea (Lithocarpus polystachyus) on diabetes: a systematical review and meta-analysis of animal studies.

Sweet tea (Lithocarpus polystachyus Rehd.), a natural functional food highly rich in dihydrochalcones including trilobatin, phlorizin and phloretin, is reported to possess numerous biological activities especially for treating diabetes. Here, the aim of this systematical review and meta-analysis is to assess the effect of dihydrochalcones in sweet tea (DST) on diabetes and summarize their possible mechanisms. We searched in eight databases including Embase, PubMed, Cochrane, Web of Science, WanFang database, VIP database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure and China Biology Medicine from Jan 2000 to Nov 2021 and ultimately included 21 animal studies in this review. A total of 10 outcome measurements including blood lipid indexes, blood glucose, insulin resistance indicators and oxidative stress biomarkers were extracted for meta-analysis using RevMan 5.4 software. DST significantly decreased the levels of triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), blood glucose (BG), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and malondialdehyde (MDA), and increased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in diabetic animal models. In summary, DST could treat diabetes by regulation of blood glucose/lipid metabolism, oxidative/carbonyl stress, inflammatory response etc.

Reassessment of the Effect of Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation Using a Novel Burst Paradigm on Cardiac Autonomic Function in Healthy Young Adults.

BACKGROUND: Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) may modulate cardiac autonomic function. However, the response rate of the traditional tonic paradigm is low, and the results remain inconsistent. A recent pilot study presented a novel burst paradigm to activate the cardiac parasympathetic system, which might offer a new approach to treat cardiac autonomic function. The present study reassessed the effect of burst taVNS on modulating heart rate variability and explored the difference between burst and traditional tonic paradigms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-two young adults were recruited for this study. Each participant underwent three types of taVNS with sham (30 sec of stimulation), tonic (25 Hz, 500 µsec), and burst (five pulses at 500 Hz every 200 msec) paradigms, respectively, with simultaneous electrocardiogram recording. One-way analysis of variance, multivariate analysis of variance, and linear regression were used for analysis. Multiple testing was performed using Bonferroni correction. RESULTS: Both burst and tonic paradigms induced a significant decrease in heart rate, which continued until poststimulation, and increased cardiac parasympathetic activity. Moreover, two parasympathetic system indicators showed significant increase only in burst taVNS. The response rates during burst (35.7%) and tonic (38.1%) stimulations were both higher than that during sham stimulation (11.9%). The response to taVNS showed parameter specificity with few nonresponders to the tonic paradigm responding to the burst paradigm. The overall response rate increased from 38.1% in tonic taVNS to 54.8% in taVNS using both burst and tonic paradigms. For both burst and tonic responders, baseline cardiac parasympathetic activity was found to be significantly negatively correlated with changes during stimulation. CONCLUSION: The burst parameter could be used as an alternative strategy for regulating cardiac parasympathetic function by taVNS, which has the potential to be used as a complementary paradigm to traditional tonic taVNS for promoting clinical treatment efficacy.

A Feature Extraction Method Based on Differential Entropy and Linear Discriminant Analysis for Emotion Recognition.

Feature extraction of electroencephalography (EEG) signals plays a significant role in the wearable computing field. Due to the practical applications of EEG emotion calculation, researchers often use edge calculation to reduce data transmission times, however, as EEG involves a large amount of data, determining how to effectively extract features and reduce the amount of calculation is still the focus of abundant research. Researchers have proposed many EEG feature extraction methods. However, these methods have problems such as high time complexity and insufficient precision. The main purpose of this paper is to introduce an innovative method for obtaining reliable distinguishing features from EEG signals. This feature extraction method combines differential entropy with Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) that can be applied in feature extraction of emotional EEG signals. We use a three-category sentiment EEG dataset to conduct experiments. The experimental results show that the proposed feature extraction method can significantly improve the performance of the EEG classification: Compared with the result of the original dataset, the average accuracy increases by 68%, which is 7% higher than the result obtained when only using differential entropy in feature extraction. The total execution time shows that the proposed method has a lower time complexity.

Generation of an integration-free induced pluripotent stem cell line, FJMUi001-A, from a hereditary spastic paraplegia patient carrying compound heterozygous p.P498L and p.R618W mutations in CAPN1 (SPG76).

The human iPS cell line, hiPS-SPG76 (FJMUi001-A), derived from skin fibroblasts from a 42-year-old male hereditary spastic paraplegia patient carrying compound heterozygous p.P498L (c.1493C > T) and p.R618W (c.1852C > T) mutations in the CAPN1 gene, was generated by non-integrative reprogramming vectors encoding OCT3/4, SOX2, KLF4, and c-MYC. The established hiPS-SPG76 was free of genomically integrated reprogramming genes, had a normal karyotype, expressed pluripotency markers, and had capacity to form three germ layers in vitro and in vivo. This generated hiPS cell line offers a useful resource to study the pathogenesis of SPG76.

[Lower capsular contracture of miniprostheses as compared with the conventional silicone implant].

OBJECTIVE: To determine if miniprostheses would form a capsule of significantly different biophysical, biochemical and histologic properties than the conventional silicone implant. METHODS: Four miniprostheses (experimental group) and one big silicone implants (control 1 group) were separately implanted beneath the panniculus carnosus muscle of 30 rabbits. After 3 months, measures related to contracture and capsular histology were performed on anesthetized animals. RESULTS: Baker ranking, capsular incision width and capsular thickness of the control groups were evidently higher than that of experimental groups (P < 0.01). Implant compression of the control groups was evidently lower than that of the experimental group. Histology revealed a thinner, more flexed capsule around the miniprostheses as compared with big silicone implants. CONCLUSIONS: The miniprostheses form a looser and thinner capsule than the conventional silicone implant.

[Application of integra for reconstruction of burn scar contracture].

OBJECTIVE: Introducing a comprehensive technique to reconstruct burn scar contracture or deformities using integra (artificial dermis) with large epidermal skin grafting or ulth-thin split-skin. METHODS: The wounds following contracture scar or deformities excised or loose were covered with the integra which was flattened and fixed perfectly, after a 2 approximately 4-week period, the out layer was removed then covered with large sheets of epidermal grafts, which was of thickness from 0.0028 inc to 0.0048inc (0.07 approximately 0.12 mm), or ulth-thin split-skin of about 0.006inc (0.15 mm) thickness, harvested using the electric or air power dermatome, the edge of the graft sheet attached together with the borders of wound using nanoparticles-Ag-gauze stripe adding sutures of the 5-0 threads or the skin stapler, dressed with vaseline gauzes in the inner layer and the nano-particles Ag gauze on the outer surfaces. RESULTS: Nineteen sites of 15 cases including 5 sites in trunk and 14 sites in extremities from 1999.8 to 2003.6 were treated using this technique in this study, the wound areas following scar excised was about 10 cm x 25 cm approximately 30 cm x 75 cm, of them 12 cases covered with a large sheet of ultr-thin split-skin (in early time) and 7 cases with a large sheet of epidermal grafting and all of them was survival. The colour and texture of the reconstruction sites were very good and can be compared favorably with normal skin after a half year-four year following up period, because all donor sites healing without scarring, the appearance in the epidermal graft donor is better than that in split-thickness skin donor. CONCLUSIONS: Integra with large sheets of epidermal grafts applied for scar contracture disformities is an effective and useful method, especially the epidermal grafts offered a satisfying result in the donor healing.

[The experimental researches on the use of triamcinolone acetonide for the prevention of implant capsular contracture].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the use of triamcinolone acetonide for the prevention of implant capsular contracture. METHODS: 20 rabbits were randomly undivided into 2 groups of 10 animals each. Every 10 ml silicone implant was implanted beneath the panniculus carnosus muscle of one rabbit. At the same time, a modified expander catheter was mounted on the implant. This catheter has many lateral holes and the end was blind. Triamcinolone acetonide (10 mg/3 ml) was infused through the expander pot and catheter as the experimental groups. On the other hand, 3 ml saline was used as the control group at 1, 2, and 3 months. At 6 months, measures related to contracture and capsular histology examinations were performed on anesthetized animals. RESULTS: Baker scores, capsular incision width and capsular thickness of the saline groups were evidently higher than that of triamcinolone acetonide groups (P < 0.01). Implant compression of the saline groups was evidently lower than that of triamcinolone acetonide group. Histology revealed a thinner capsules and less fibrous tissue deposition around the triamcinolone acetonide group, as compared with saline group. CONCLUSIONS: It is effective to deliver triamcinolone acetonide to reduction of capsular contracture through the catheter and its pot.

[Preventing scarring in split-thickness skin donor sites with epidermal grafting].

OBJECTIVE: Introducing a new technique for preventing the scar growthing in split thickness skin donor sites using the great sheets of epidermis covering. METHODS: The donor sites of split thickness skin were grafting with the great sheets of the epidermis, of the thickness about 0.07 approximately 0.12 mm, harvested by electrical power dermatome and fixed the edges of the epidermal sheet with the verges of donor wound together using the nanoparticles-Ag-gauze stripes adding the sutures or skin stapler, dressing the wounds with the nanoparticles-Ag-gauze using the tie-over technique, left the dressing entire for a 5-day period. RESULTS: This method were used in a total of 209 donor sites of both the split-thickness skin and epidermis for 133 reconstructed sites of 118 cases from November 1999 to November 2003, and the smooth, near normal skin appearance without scarring were obtained in the split thickness skin donor sites, and the epidermal donor sites healed good enough 5 days after surgery, and skin appearance is near normal in 3 months later. CONCLUSIONS: Covering the donor sites of split thickness skin with the large sheets of epidermis is an effective and useful method for preventing the scarring in the split thickness skin donor sites.

[Breast reconstruction with multiple miniprostheses].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate a new technique for breast reconstruction with multiple miniprostheses, METHODS: Each silicone miniprosthesis(10 approximately 15 ml) was implanted one by one beneath the prepared muscle pocket until the desired volume was achieved. RESULTS: Seven patients were treated with the above mentioned technique, including five after gland fibroadenoma excision, one hemangioma excision and one reduction mammoplasty. The results were satisfactory. CONCLUSION: The above mentioned technique with the miniprostheses may be another good way for breast augmentation and breast reconstruction with many advantages such as smaller incision, easy intraoperative assessment of the ideal size of the breast, easy handling the technique, perhaps low incidence of capsular contracture.