A combination of microbial electrolysis cells and bioaugmentation can effectively treat synthetic wastewater containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon.

The anaerobic biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is challenging due to its toxic effect on the microbes. Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs), with their excellent characteristics of anodic and cathodic biofilms, can be a viable way to enhance the biodegradation of PAHs. This work assessed different cathode materials (carbon brush and nickel foam) combined with bioaugmentation on typical PAHs-naphthalene biodegradation and analyzed the inhibition amendment mechanism of microbial biofilms in MECs. Compared with the control, the degradation efficiency of naphthalene with the nickel foam cathode supplied with bioaugmentation dosage realized a maximum removal rate of 94.5 ± 3.2%. The highest daily recovered methane yield (227 ± 2 mL/gCOD) was also found in the nickel foam cathode supplied with bioaugmentation. Moreover, the microbial analysis demonstrated the significant switch of predominant PAH-degrading microorganisms from Pseudomonas in control to norank_f_Prolixibacteraceae in MECs. Furthermore, hydrogentrophic methanogenesis prevailed in MEC reactors, which is responsible for methane production. This study proved that MEC combined with bioaugmentation could effectively alleviate the inhibition of PAH, with the nickel foam cathode obtaining the fastest recovery rate in terms of methane yield.

Association between social withdrawal and suicidal ideation in patients with major depressive disorder: The mediational role of emotional symptoms.

BACKGROUND: The study was designed to investigate the associations between social withdrawal, emotional symptoms, and suicide ideation in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 2678 MDD patients from the National Survey on Symptomatology of Depression (NSSD). Differences in the sociodemographic factors, clinical characteristics, suicide ideation, and emotional symptoms were compared in patients with different frequencies of social withdrawal. Pearson correlation, multiple linear regression analysis, and mediation analysis were employed to assess the contribution of social withdrawal to suicide ideation. RESULTS: MDD patients with a higher frequency of social withdrawal were prone to have a higher frequency of suicide ideation (p for trend <0.001) and history of suicide behavior (p for trend <0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that there was a dose-response relationship between social withdrawal and suicide ideation in MDD patients, but this association became insignificant after adjusting for emotional symptoms. Mediation analysis suggested that all of the emotional symptoms had significant mediating effects on the association between social withdrawal and suicide ideation in MDD patients (p < 0.05). The magnitude of mediation varied between 4.3 % and 64.3 %, with the largest mediating effect in the feeling of despair (64.3 %), helplessness (41.2 %), and loneliness (40.0 %). CONCLUSION: Our study provides evidence that social withdrawal was a common clinical presentation and it may increase the risk for suicide through emotional symptoms in MDD patients. LIMITATIONS: Causal conclusions could not be drawn between social withdrawal, emotional symptoms, and suicide ideation because of the cross-sectional design of the study.

Research progress on the manifestations and prognosis of neonatal lupus erythematosus in various systems / 中国当代儿科杂志

Neonatal lupus erythematosus (NLE) is caused by the transmission of maternal anti-Ro/SSA antibodies, anti-La/SSB antibodies, and other autoantibodies to the fetus through the placenta. Usually, with the disappearance of autoantibodies in the children's body, abnormal changes in the mucocutaneous, blood system, and digestive system can spontaneously subside, but the damage to various systems caused by autoantibodies may persist for a long time. This article provides a comprehensive review of the manifestations and prognosis of NLE in various systems, including mucocutaneous, blood system, circulatory system, nervous system, digestive system, respiratory system, aiming to provide reference for clinical work.

Effect of Acupuncture on Endometrial Blood Flow in Women Undergoing in vitro Fertilization Embryo Transfer: A Single Blind, Randomized Controlled Trial / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the effect of manual acupuncture on endometrial blood flow parameters by three-dimensional (3D) power Doppler ultrasound in women undergoing in vitro fertilization embryo transfer (IVF-ET).@*METHODS@#Seventy patients undergoing IVF-ET were equally randomized into traditional or sham acupuncture treatment group for totally 4 days (from the day of oocyte aspiration to the day of embryo transfer) of treatment by random envelope method at the Reproductive Medicine Center and Outpatient Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medicine College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology from January 2013 to December 2015. Patients in the traditional acupuncture group accepted traditional acupuncture methods with manual acupuncture, and Zhongji (CV3), Qihai (CV 6), Sanyinjiao (SP6), Taichong (LR 3), Tianshu (ST 25), Guilai (ST 29) and Zusanli (ST 36) were chosen. Patients at the sham acupuncture group accepted shallow acupuncture methods at 4 non-meridian points at each shoulder and upper arm. Outcome measures included endometrial ultrasonic indices such as vascularization index (VI), flow index (FI) and vascularization flow index (VFI), endometrial thickness and volume, subendometrial VI (sVI), subendometrial FI (sFI), subendometrial VFI (sVFI), implantation rate, clinical pregnancy rate, abortion rate, live birth rate and number of live births.@*RESULTS@#Finally, 34 patients in the traditional acupuncture group and 35 in the sham acupuncture group completed this trial. VI, FI and VFI of the traditional acupuncture group were significantly higher than those in the sham acupuncture group (P<0.05). No significant differences were found in endometrial thickness, endometrial volume, sVI, sFI, sVFI, implantation rate, clinical pregnancy rate, abortion rate, live birth rate and number of live births (P>0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Manual acupuncture performed after oocyte aspiration and before transplantation improved the endometrial blood flow parameters VI, RI and VFI in women who underwent IVF-ET, instead of sVI, sFI and sVFI. Therefore, acupuncture might be beneficial in women undergoing IVF-ET by increasing endometrial blood flow and endometrial receptivity. (Registration No. ChiCTR2100053354).

Correlation between clinical distribution characteristics of streptococcal pharyngitis in children and seasonal variations in Ziyang Area> / 公共卫生与预防医学

Objective To explore the correlation between clinical distribution characteristics of streptococcal pharyngitis in children and seasonal variations in Ziyang area, so as to provide basis for disease prevention and control. Methods A multistage and stratified random sampling technique was used to investigate 583 children with streptococcal pharyngitis attending Ziyang first people's Hospital from January 2022 to January 2023. The clinical data were recorded. The pharyngeal specimens were cultured for streptococci test. The number of streptococcal pharyngitis cases per season was counted. The metereological conditions (average barometric pressure, temperature, rainfall, and wind speed) were recorded. Pearson method was used to discuss the correlation between metereological factors and streptococcal pharyngitis onset. Results A total of the 583 children, 329 were male and 254 were female. The main age of onset was 7-12 years old, with a total of 227 cases (38.94%), followed by 199 cases (34.13%) aged 3-6 years old, 126 cases (21.61%) aged 1-2 years old, and 31 cases (5.32%) under 1 year old. A total of 614 strains of pathogenic bacteria were detected, of which 479 strains of Streptococcus hemolyticus were dominant, accounting for 78.01%, followed by 175 strains of Streptococcus pyogenes, accounting for 28.50%. Seasonally, 192 cases of streptococcal pharyngitis occurred in spring, 51 in summer, 72 in autumn and 268 in winter. In Ziyang, spring and winter were characterized by high mean wind speeds and barometric pressure, while summer and autumn were characterized by high mean temperatures and heavy rainfall. Pearson correlation analysis revealed that the prevalence rate streptococcal pharyngitis was positively correlated with average wind speed and barometric pressure (P<0.05), and negatively correlated with mean temperature and rainfall (P<0.05). Conclusion In Ziyang, streptococcal pharyngitis occurs mostly in children over 5 years old, and the main pathogen is Streptococcus hemolyticus. The onset of the disease is mostly in spring and winter, which is closely related to the seasonal variations of the region.

Intervention effect and mechanism of breviscapine on hepatic fibrosis in rats / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To investigate the intervention effect and potential mechanism of breviscapine on hepatic fibrosis （HF） in rats based on the transforming growth factor-β（1 TGF-β1）/Smad2/extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase 1（ERK1） and Kelch-like epichlorohydrin-associated protein 1（Keap1）/nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2（Nrf2）/heme oxygenase-1（HO-1） pathways. METHODS Totally 60 rats were randomly divided into normal control group， model group， breviscapine low-dose， medium-dose and high-dose groups （5.4， 10.8， 21.6 mg/kg）， and colchicine group （positive control， 0.45 mg/kg）， with 10 rats in each group， half male and half female. Except for the normal control group， HF model of the other groups was induced by carbon tetrachloride. Subsequently， each drug group was given corresponding medicine by gavage once a day for 28 days. The liver appearance of rats in each group was observed and their liver coefficients were calculated. The levels of alanineaminotransferase （ALT） and aspartate aminotransferase （AST）in serum， those of ALT， AST， superoxide dismutase （SOD），malondialdehyde （MDA） and glutathione peroxidase （GSH- Px） in liver tissue were detected. The liver tissue inflammatory and fibrotic changes were observed. The protein and mRNA expressions of TGF-β1， Smad2， ERK1， Nrf2， Keap1 and HO-in liver tissue were detected. RESULTS Compared with the normal control group， the model group showed large areas of white nodular lesions in the liver， obvious inflammatory cell infiltration and collagen fiber deposition. The body weight， the levels of SOD and GSH-Px in liver tissue， the protein and mRNA expressions of Nrf2 and HO-1 were significantly lowered in the model group （P＜0.05）； the liver coefficient， the percentage of Masson staining positive area， ALT and AST levels of serum and liver tissue， MDA level of liver tissue， the protein and mRNA expressions of TGF-β1， Smad2， ERK1 and Keap1 were significantly increased （P＜0.05）. Compared with the model group， the liver lesions of rats in each drug group were improved， and the above quantitative indexes were generally reversed （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Breviscapine has a good intervention effect on HF rats， which may be related to inhibiting TGF-β1/Smad2/ERK1 pathway for anti-fibrosis and regulating Keap1/Nrf2/HO-1 pathway to inhibit oxidative stress.

Effects of fractionated low-dose ionizing radiation in the induction of EA.hy926 cell senescence / 中国辐射卫生

Objective To investigate the mechanism of fractionated low-dose ionizing radiation (LDIR) in the induction of EA.hy926 cell senescence. Methods EA.hy926 cells were irradiated with X-ray at 0, 50, 100, and 200 mGy × 4, respectively, and cultured for 24, 48, and 72 h. Several indicators were measured, including the levels of cellular senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) staining, mRNA levels of senescence-associated cell cycle protein-dependent kinase inhibitor genes CDKN1A and CDKN2A, reactive oxygen species (ROS), total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), and phosphorylated H2A histone family member X (γ-H2AX). Results After 4 fractionated LDIR, compared with the control group, the treatment groups showed increased nucleus area, blurred cell edge, and increased SA-β-gal positive area (P < 0.05) at 24, 48 and 72 h. After 4 fractionated LDIR, the mRNA level of CDKN1A increased in the 100 and 200 mGy × 4 groups at 24 and 48 h (P < 0.05), and CDKN2A mRNA level increased in the 100 and 200 mGy × 4 groups at 48 and 72 h (P < 0.05). The fluorescence intensity of ROS increased in treatment groups at 24, 48, and 72 h after 4 fractionated LDIR (P < 0.05). After 4 fractionated LDIR, the T-AOC level increased in the 100 and 200 mGy × 4 groups at 24 h (P < 0.05), and T-AOC level increased in all treatment groups at 48 and 72 h (P < 0.05). After 4 fractionated LDIR, γ-H2AX fluorescence intensity increased in all treatment groups at 24 h (P < 0.05), and the fluorescence intensity increased in the 100 and 200 mGy × 4 groups at 48 and 72 h (P < 0.05). Conclusion Fractionated LDIR can induce cellular senescence in EA.hy926 cells by impacting the cellular oxidation-antioxidation and oxidative damage levels, and the effects were relatively evident at 100 and 200 mGy.

Separation of spring viraemia of carp virus from large-volume samples using immunomagnetic beads.

A method for separation of spring viraemia of carp virus (SVCV) from large-volume samples using immunomagnetic beads (IMBs) coated with a polyclonal antibody against SVCV was developed. The optimum amount of IMBs was 2 mg in 100 mL. After IMB treatment, the detection limit of SVCV in reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) was 103 times the 50% tissue culture infectious dose per mL in 100-mL samples. The concentration of viral RNA extracted from SVCV that had been separated using IMBs was 5.18 × 103-fold higher than that of the unseparated SVCV. When fish samples were tested, the concordance rates of the IMBs/RT-qPCR and RT-qPCR were 100% and 67.5%, respectively.

The influence of home isolation during COVID-19 on the physical fitness development of college students: a study utilizing repeated measures analysis of variance.

BACKGROUND: Research on the impact of COVID-19-induced home isolation on the physical fitness of college students is limited. This study aims to compare and analyze the physical fitness test scores of college students in two groups: those who experienced home isolation and those who did not, over three consecutive years after enrolment, to investigate the effects of home isolation on the physical fitness development of Chinese college students. METHODS: This comparative study included two longitudinal surveys conducted among medical college students. The participants were divided into an experimental group and a control group. The physical fitness indicators measured included body mass index (BMI), vital capacity (VC), 50-metre run, sit-and-reach, standing long jump, 1000/800-metre runs (males/females), pull-ups (males) and sit-ups (females). Repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was employed, and the Greenhouse-Geisser correction was applied when Mauchly's assumption of sphericity was violated. Pairwise comparisons were conducted using the Bonferroni method. RESULTS: A total of 6580 students participated in the study, with 3360 students (1490 males, 1870 females) enrolled in 2019 as the experimental group and 3220 students (1326 males, 1894 females) enrolled in 2017 as the control group. All participants completed the physical fitness tests for three consecutive years. The results showed that the experimental group exhibited decreased performance in the 1000-metre and 800-metre runs, and improved performance in the sit-and-reach test. After the end of home isolation, there was an improvement in the performance of the 1000-metre run and 800-metre run, while no significant differences were observed in the trends of the other tested indicators. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study indicate that the home isolation environment during COVID-19 had a significant impact on the physical fitness of college students, specifically in terms of endurance and flexibility qualities, as well as male BMI. To better prepare for future public health emergencies and mitigate the effects of isolation, teaching students endurance exercises that can be performed at home should be prioritized. Furthermore, physical education programs should be improved to enhance student flexibility.

Purification of Galacto-oligosaccharide (GOS) by fermentation with Kluyveromyces lactis and Interaction between GOS and casein under simulated acidic fermentation conditions.

In the enzymatic synthesis of galacto-oligosaccharide (GOS), the primary by-products include glucose, galactose and unreacted lactose. This This study was aimed to provide a method to to purify GOS by yeat fermentation and explore the interaction between GOS and CAS with a view for expanding the prospects of GOS application in the food industry. The crude GOS(25.70 g/L) was purified in this study using the fermentation method with Kluyveromyces lactis CICC 1773. Optimal conditions for purification with the yeast were 75 g/L of the yeast inoculation rate and 50 g/L of the initial crude GOS concentration for 12 h of incubation. After removing ethanol produced by yeast by low-temperature distillation, GOS content could reach 90.17%. A study of the interaction between GOS and casein (CAS) in a simulated acidic fermentation system by D-(+)-gluconic acid δ-lactone (GDL) showed that the GOS/CAS complexes with higher GOS concentrations, e.g., 4% and 6% (w/v), was more viscoelastic with higher water-holding capacity, but decreased hardness, elasticity, and cohesiveness at 6% (w/v) of GOS. The addition of GOS to CAS suspension significantly caused (p<0.05) decreased particle sizes of the formed GOS/CAS complexes, and the suspension system became more stable. FT-IR spectra confirmed the existence of different forms of molecular interactions between CAS and GOS, e.g., hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interaction, and the change of secondary structure after CAS binding to GOS.

Assessment of potential ecological risk based on the vertical characteristics of potential toxic elements in sediments from a high-density cage culture reservoir in China.

The pollution of sediments around Lu Ban Island is a serious environmental issue that is threatening human health. The concentration of As, Cd, Cu, Cr, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn at 73 layer points were investigated, vertical distribution characteristics, correlation among potential toxic elements and potential ecological risks of sediments at different depth were analyzed. The following results were obtained, (1) the hypothesis that there was a linear relationship between concentration of potential toxic elements and the reciprocal of deep was reasonable. Based on hypothesis, the ultimate value of concentration by making depth go to infinity was regarded as the background concentration. The background concentration of As, Cd, Cu, Cr, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn are respectively 4.94 mg/kg, 0.20 mg/kg, 15.48 mg/kg, 58.41 mg/kg, 0.062 mg/kg, 26.96 mg/kg, 20.29 mg/kg, and 53.31 mg/kg. (2) But correlation between Ni and As was relatively weak, high degree of correlation among other potential toxic elements were found. Based on their correlation, eight potential toxic elements were classified into three groups. First group included Ni and Cr, mainly releasing by coal burning; Cu, Pb, Zn, Hg, and Cd were grouped together, possibly due to their shared source of fish cage culture; Arsenic with relatively weak correlation with other potential toxic elements was classified as a separate class, which was usually one important mineral resource associated with phosphate. (3) Potential ecological risk index (PERI) of sediment above - 0.40 m belonged to moderate risk, the PERI of sediment in - 0.10 m, - 0.20 m, and - 0.40 m were 289.06, 254.33, and 201.44, respectively. Sediment below - 0.40 m belonged to low risk with average PERI value 112.82, with no significant changes in PERI values. The order of contribution to PERI was Hg > Cd > As > Cu > Pb > Ni > Cr > Zn. (4) According to result of cluster analysis and potential ecological risk, the potential ecological risk of sediment above - 0.40 m mainly contributed by potential toxic elements of Cu, Cd, Hg, Pb, and Zn sharing source of fish cage culture.

Single-cell protein activity analysis reveals a novel subpopulation of chondrocytes and the corresponding key master regulator proteins associated with anti-senescence and OA progression.

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent senescence-related disease with substantial joint pain, loss of joint function, and cartilage degeneration. Because of the paucity of single-cell studies of OA and the gene dropout problem of single-cell RNA sequencing, it is difficult to acquire an in-depth understanding of the molecular characteristics of various chondrocyte clusters. Methods: Here, we aimed to provide new insights into chondrocyte senescence and a rationale for the development of effective intervention strategies for OA by using published single-cell RNA-sequencing data sets and the metaVIPER algorithm (Virtual Inference of Protein activity by Enriched Regulon). This algorithm was employed to present a proteome catalog of 62,449 chondrocytes from the cartilage of healthy individuals and OA patients at single-cell resolution. Furthermore, histopathologic analysis was carried out in cartilage samples from clinical patients and experimental mouse models of OA to validate above results. Results: We identified 16 protein-activity-based chondrocyte clusters as well as the underlying master regulators in each cluster. By assessing the enrichment score of each cluster in bulk RNA-sequencing data, followed by gene-set variation analysis, we preliminarily identified a novel subpopulation of chondrocytes (cluster 3). This clinically relevant cluster was predicted to be the main chondrocyte cluster responsible for maintaining cellular homeostasis and anti-senescence. Specifically, we uncovered a set of the key leading-edge proteins of cluster 3 by validating the robustness of the above results using another human chondrocyte single-cell RNA-sequencing data set, consisting of 24,675 chondrocytes. Furthermore, cartilage samples from clinical patients and experimental mouse models of OA were used to evaluate the expression patterns of these leading-edge proteins, and the results indicated that NDRG2, TSPYL2, JMJD6 and HMGB2 are closely associated with OA pathogenesis and might play critical roles in modulating cellular homeostasis and anti-senescence in chondrocytes. Conclusion: Our study revealed a novel subpopulation of chondrocytes that are critical for anti-progression of OA and the corresponding master regulator proteins, which might serve as therapeutic targets in OA.

How does multiple substrate binding lead to substrate inhibition of CYP2D6 metabolizing dextromethorphan? A theoretical study.

CYP2D6 is one of the most important metalloenzymes involved in the biodegradation of many drug molecules in the human body. It has been found that multiple substrate binding can lead to substrate inhibition of CYP2D6 metabolizing dextromethorphan (DM), but the corresponding theoretical mechanism is rarely reported. Therefore, we chose DM as the probe and performed molecular dynamics simulations and quantum mechanical calculations on CYP2D6-DM systems to investigate the mechanism of how the multiple substrate binding leads to the substrate inhibition of CYP2D6 metabolizing substrates. According to our results, three gate residues (Arg221, Val374, and Phe483) for the catalytic pocket are determined. We also found that the multiple substrate binding can lead to substrate inhibition by reducing the stability of CYP2D6 binding DM and increasing the reactive activation energy of the rate-determining step. Our findings would help to understand the substrate inhibition of CYP2D6 metabolizing the DM and enrich the knowledge of the drug-drug interactions for the cytochrome P450 superfamily.

Screening new breeding japonica rice varieties by rice quality, three processing characteristics, and odor characteristics.

Rice's yield, cooking, and sensory quality are primary considerations in selecting new breeding rice varieties, which are determined by the rice eating quality such as processing and flavor characteristics. Thus, in this study, to advance the breed of new superior japonica rice varieties, the differences in the rice quality, processing characteristics, and flavor characteristics between 12 newly-bred varieties (H2-36, H2-42, H2-53, H2-59, H2-63, H2-73, H2-74, H2-79, H2-81, H2-82, H2-89, and H2-91) and 1 commercial variety (Kenyu38) were analyzed. The results indicated that H2-42 has a reasonable length-to-width ratio (1.51), high rice yield, good color, reasonable amylose, protein content, excellent water existence index, accessible storage, and the highest taste value. Electronic nose results showed significant differences in aldehydes, ketones, and alcohols among 13 rice varieties. Aroma analysis results showed that H2-42 had the highest n-hexanal (14.63 µg/kg), (E,E)-2,4-nonadienal (37.24 µg/kg), nonanal (19.93 µg/kg), and decanal (4.81 µg/kg); those were important aroma components in cooked rice. The Pearson correlation analysis showed that hardness, springiness, cohesiveness, trough viscosity, peak time, and pasting temperature were the crucial factors that affected rice quality. According to partial least squares regression analysis, total color change, final viscosity, setback, (E)-2-heptenal, and 2-methyl-undecanol were the most important factors that distinguished the rice quality. In conclusion, H2-42 rice was better apparent quality, processing characteristics, and aroma compounds. Therefore, H2-42 has the potential for identification and promotion. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The results from this study will provide data support for the cultivation, application, and quality improvement of high-quality rice varieties. In addition, it gives new ideas and methods for studying rice eating quality.

The influence of NOS1AP gene polymorphisms and childhood abuse on antisocial personality disorder in Chinese male violent inmates.

Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) is a common behavioral pattern that causes sufferers to ignore or violate the rights of others. Though its cause is still unclear, previous studies have shown that childhood maltreatment is closely related to ASPD. The NOS1AP gene is associated with various neuropsychiatric diseases, but a linkage between it and ASPD has not yet been discovered. This study recruited ASPD and non-ASPD male subjects who had committed violent crimes from a prison in Nanjing, China. By comparing the two groups' genotypes, allele frequencies, and histories of childhood abuse, we explored the interaction between the NOS1AP gene and childhood maltreatment on the pathogenesis of ASPD. The results showed that polymorphism rs945713 in the NOS1AP gene was associated with ASPD and furthermore that this SNP may be involved in regulating the effect of childhood abuse on ASPD. This study found that childhood trauma increases the risk of ASPD in violent adult male inmates; for prisoners with ASPD, it is critical to pay attention to their childhood trauma and take early psychological intervention.

Discussion on discipline of herbalism / 中国中药杂志

Since the emergence of the term "materia medica", scholars have proposed different opinions on its concept. This term has been used to refer to traditional Chinese medicines, or medical books, or traditional pharmacology. Due to the differences in the concept of materia medica, scholars also have controversies about the concept of herbalism. Herbalism is usually understood as traditional Chinese pharmacology. After years of evolution, the term "herbalism" has now possessed the characteristics of an independent discipline, which can be defined as an applied basic discipline that comprehensively utilizes traditional and modern technological methods to study the formation, development, and changes of traditional pharmacology and reveal the basic theories and application laws of traditional medicine. At present, the research content of herbalism mainly includes three aspects: materia medica history, materia medica literature, and traditional pharmacology. This study explores the disciplinary concepts and main research content of herbalism based on a systematic review of the literature about the concepts of materia medica and herbalism, with the aim of attracting more attention to promote the establishment and development of the discipline of herbalism.

Research progress in pharmacotherapy of insomnia / 中国中药杂志

Insomnia is extremely common and is a risk factor for a variety of physical and psychological disorders in addition to contributing to the reduced quality of life of patients and the burden of healthcare costs. Although cognitive behavioral therapy is the first-line treatment for insomnia, its difficulty of access and high cost have hindered its application. Therefore, pharmacotherapy remains the common treatment choice for patients and clinicians. Existing chemical drugs including benzodiazepine receptor agonists, dual orexin receptor antagonists, melatonin and its receptor agonists, histamine antagonists, antidepressants, and antipsychotics are able to induce and/or maintain sleep and have good therapeutic effects on acute insomnia, but their efficacy on chronic insomnia is indefinite. Furthermore, they have several side effects and affect sleep structure and physiological function. Under the guiding principle of holistic view and treatment based on syndrome differentiation, traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) has shown a good effect in clinical practice, but with little high-grade clinical evidence. The mechanism, dose, half-life period, adjustment of sleep structure, and side effects of hypnotic drugs are key factors to be considered for clinical use. This paper analyzed and summarized the drugs for insomnia from the above aspects, and is expected to provide references for the application and development of sedative and hypnotic drugs.

Associations of mobile phone use with male semen quality and sex hormones / 环境与职业医学

Background Experimental studies have shown that radiofrequency electromagnetic waves emitted by mobile phones can cause adverse effects on male reproductive health, including decreased semen quality and altered sex hormones. However, the results of epidemiological studies on the relationship between mobile phone use and male semen quality are inconsistent. Furthermore, there are few epidemiological studies on the association of mobile phone use with sex hormones. Objective To explore the associations of mobile phone use with male semen quality and sex hormones. Methods A total of 2045 men visited the reproductive medicine center of a hospital in Wuhan and ordered infertility examination were recruited from December 2018 to January 2020. Information on mobile phone use was obtained using a questionnaire. Among them, 1232 and 1694 men were eligible for semen quality analyses and sex hormone analyses, respectively. Multiple linear and logistic regression models were used to analyze the associations of mobile phone use with male semen quality and sex hormones. Results After adjusting for potential confounders, there was no statistically significant associations of mobile phone use with sperm progressive motility, sperm total motility, sperm concentration, sperm count, or serum luteinizing hormone (P>0.05). However, serum total testosterone showed a declined tendency with increasing daily duration of mobile phone use (Ptrend=0.08). Compared with men with daily mobile phone use of 0-2 h, men with daily mobile phone use of 2.1-5, 5.1-8, and >8 h showed decreased serum total testosterone concentrations by 6.29% (95%CI: 0.40%-11.84%), 6.01% (95%CI: 0.60%-12.19%), and 7.87% (95%CI: 0.40%-14.79%), respectively. Conclusion Mobile phone use is not associated with male semen quality and serum luteinizing hormone, but increasing daily duration of mobile phone use is potentially associated with a tendency to lower male serum total testosterone.