Abstract Aim: to investigate the effects of low sodium formula salt combined with the Chinese Modified Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet on cerebrovascular function in patients with hypertension and type 2 diabetes. Methods: an eight-week single-arm trial was conducted in 66 patients with hypertension and type 2 diabetes to investigate effects of low sodium formula salt (potassium chloride 56 %, sodium chloride 23 %, 5 g/day) combined with Chinese Modified DASH diet on cerebrovascular function (measured by transcranial Doppler sonography), indicators of chronic diseases (blood pressure, blood glucose and blood lipids) and urinary excretion. The above indicators were performed before and after intervention. Results: fifty-nine subjects completed the study. Peak systolic velocity, mean flow velocity, end-diastolic velocity, pulsatility index and resistance index of internal cerebral artery and vertebral artery decreased significantly (p < 0.05); pulsatility index and resistance index of anterior cerebral artery and middle cerebral artery decreased significantly (p < 0.05); and end-diastolic velocity and pulsatility index of basilar artery decreased significantly (p < 0.05). Systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose and postprandial blood glucose decreased significantly (p < 0.001; p < 0.001; p < 0.001; p < 0.001). Blood pressure and blood glucose control rates increased significantly (p < 0.001). Conclusions: based on the study, 23 % low-sodium formula combined with CM-DASH diet pattern can improve cerebrovascular function in community patients with hypertension complicated with diabetes and has a good short-term benefit of blood pressure and glucose control.

Resumen Objetivo: investigar los efectos de una sal baja en sodio combinada con la versión china de la dieta DASH (del inglés Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) modificada en la función cerebrovascular en pacientes con hipertensión y diabetes tipo 2. Métodos: en 66 pacientes con hipertensión y diabetes tipo 2 se llevó a cabo un ensayo de ocho semanas para investigar los efectos de la sal baja en sodio (cloruro de potasio 56 %, cloruro de sodio 23 %, 5 g/día) combinada con la dieta DASH en su versión china modificada en la función cerebrovascular (medido por sonografía Doppler transcraneal), los indicadores de enfermedades crónicas (presión arterial, glucosa sanguínea y lípidos sanguíneos) y la excreción urinaria. Los indicadores anteriores se midieron antes y después de la intervención. Resultados: cincuenta y nueve sujetos completaron el estudio. La velocidad sistólica máxima, la velocidad media del flujo, la velocidad diastólica final, el índice de pulsatilidad y el índice de resistencia de la arteria cerebral anterior y la arteria vertebral disminuyeron significativamente (p < 0,05); el índice de pulsatilidad y el índice de resistencia de la arteria cerebral anterior y la arteria media disminuyeron significativamente (p < 0,05); y la velocidad diastólica final y el índice de pulsatilidad de la arteria basilar disminuyeron significativamente (p < 0,05). La presión arterial sistémica, la presión arterial diastólica, la glucosa arterial en ayuno y la glucemia posprandial disminuyeron significativamente (p < 0,001, p < 0,001, p < 0,001, p < 0,001). La presión arterial y las tasas de control de glucosa en sangre aumentaron significativamente (p < 0,001). Conclusiones: la fórmula de sal con un 23 % de sodio combinada con la dieta DASH en su versión china modificada puede mejorar la función cerebrovascular en pacientes comunitarios con hipertensión complicada por la diabetes y es beneficiosa a corto plazo para la presión arterial y el control de la glucosa.

Abstract Objective: To investigate the optimal timing of initial intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) treatment in Kawasaki disease (KD) patients. Methods: KD patients were classified as the early group (day 1-4), conventional group (day 5-7), conventional group (day 8-10), and late group (after day 10). Differences among the groups were analyzed by ANOVA and Chi-square analysis. Predictors of IVIG resistance and the optimal cut-off value were determined by multiple logistic regression analyses and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results: There were no significant differences in IVIG resistance among the 4 groups (p = 0.335). The sensitivity analysis also confirmed no difference in the IVIG resistance between those who started the initial IVIG ≤ day 7 of illness and those who received IVIG >day 7 of illness (p = 0.761). In addition, patients who received IVIG administration more than 7 days from the onset had a higher proportion of coronary artery abnormalities (p = 0.034) and longer length of hospitalization (p = 0.033) than those who started IVIG administration less than 7 days. The optimal cut-off value of initial IVIG administration time for predicting IVIG resistance was >7 days, with a sensitivity of 75.25% and specificity of 82.41%. Conclusions: IVIG therapy within 7 days of illness is found to be more effective for reducing the risk of coronary artery abnormalities than those who received IVIG >day 7 of illness. IVIG treatment within the 7 days of illness seems to be the optimal therapeutic window of IVIG. However, further prospective studies with long-term follow-up are required.

Abstract Objective This study aims to perform a meta-analysis to figure out the efficacy of OK-432 sclerotherapy between Macrocystic (MAC) lymphangiomas and Microcystic (MIC) lymphangiomas. Methods We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to clarify the relationship between OK-432 and lymphangiomas. PubMed and ISI Web of Science were searched from inception to May 2022. Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) manual was used to evaluate the risk of bias. We calculated pooled Relative Risks (RR) and 95% Confidence Interval (95% CI) using random effects model to evaluate the relations between OK-432 and lymphangiomas. Results A total of 11 studies (including 352 cases) about OK-432 sclerotherapy for lymphangioma were included in the current meta-analyses. The results suggested that the efficacy of OK-432 was significantly in MAC lesions than in MIC (RR = 1.51, 95% CI 1.298-1.764), with significant moderate degrees of heterogeneity among 11 studies (I2 = 51.2%, p = 0.025). Subgroup analyses suggested that there was significant association in both retrospective studies (RR = 1.26, 95% CI 1.03-1.53) and classification (by 1 cm) (RR = 1.37, 95% CI 1.04-1.80) were associated with the efficacy of OK-432. Conclusion To our knowledge, our study represents the first meta-analysis examining the efficacy of OK-432 in the treatment of different types of LMs. However, the regional differences and the age differences of the subjects are the main limitations of this study and should be avoided in further research. Our results suggested that OK-432 sclerotherapy for macrocystic lymphangiomas was more effective.

ABSTRACT To mitigate the large demand for safflower picking labour and the low efficiency of manual picking, a safflower picking robot that is based on a parallel manipulator is designed. The whole robot mainly consists of a walking device, parallel manipulator device, vision device, picking device, filament collection device, control system, and motor drive system. The forward and inverse kinematics analysis of the parallel manipulator is analysed via a geometric method, the kinematics model is established, and the computational analysis of the parallel manipulator working speed is based on the Jacobi matrix. For driving angle errors of 0.001∼0.005°, the moving platform's motion accuracy is 0.2174–0.9387 mm, which meets the position accuracy requirements of the test stage. Based on MATLAB software, the Monte Carlo method is employed to solve the working space of the parallel manipulator, which is approximately an equilateral triangle with a side length of 0.35 m, which satisfies the safflower growth space picking conditions. The prototype is constructed, and safflower picking experiments are carried out under laboratory conditions. The average picking period of each flower bulb was 16 s, and the average net picking rate of the filaments was 87.91%. The experimental results verified the applicability of the safflower picking robot.

Abstract The Clerodendranthus spicatus (Thunb.) C. Y. Wu extract (CSTCYWE) was administered to D-galactose-induced aging mice to investigate the effect and mechanism of CSTCYWE on exercise endurance in aging mice. The effect of CSTCYWE on the improvement of exercise capacity in aging mice was evaluated by detecting serum biochemical indicators, pathological changes in tissues, and expression by qPCR. The composition of CSTCYWE was analyzed by HPLC. The experiment showed that CSTCYWE increased the running time and the exhaustive swimming time of aging mice to improve their exercise endurance. CSTCYWE also reduced the levels of BUN, BLA, and MDA and increased the levels of HG, MG, SOD, and GSH-Px in the serum of aging mice. Pathological observation found that CSTCYWE alleviated the liver and kidney tissue lesions and damage caused by aging. Meanwhile, CSTCYWE could down-regulate the relative mRNA expressions of nNOS, iNOS, TNF-α, and syncytin-1 and up-regulate the relative mRNA expressions of Cu/Zn-SOD, Mn-SOD, and CAT in the mouse liver tissue and skeletal muscle tissue. The results of component analysis showed that CSTCYWE contained caffeic acid, hypericin, isoquercetin, dihydroquercetin, rosmarinic acid, baicalin, luteolin, and baicalein. These active ingredients enable CSTCYWE to act on aging mice and improve their exercise capacity.

Abstract Diosgenin is a steroidal saponin isolated from dioscorea opposita, which has been proven to have anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-thrombotic and immune system modulating effects in a large number of pharmacological tests. Diosgenin is also one of the important raw materials for the synthesis of steroidal drugs, and structural modification of diosgenin to obtain diosgenin derivatives can not only improve the solubility and dissolution, but also enhance their pharmacological effects. This paper reviews the synthetic reactions, pharmacological effects of diosgenin and its derivatives, aiming to provide detailed information for the further development and application of diosgenin, which is important to improve the utilization value of diosgenin.

ABSTRACT Purpose: To investigate the active ingredients of walnut ointment (WO) and its mechanism in repairing wounds. Methods: The ingredients of WO were detected by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The effect of linoleic acid (LA) was tested by in vitro Alamar Blue (AB) reagent. Image J software, histological and immunohistochemical analysis were used to confirm the healing effect of LA in the porcine skin model. The animals were euthanized after the experiment by injection of pentobarbital sodium. Results: LA, 24% in WO, promotes keratinocytes and fibroblasts proliferation, which were 50.09% and 15.07% respectively higher than control (p < 0.05). The healing rate of the LA group (96.02% ± 2%, 98.58% ± 0.78%) was higher than the saline group (82.11% ± 3.37%, 88.72% ± 1.73%) at week 3 and week 4 (p < 0.05). The epidermal thickness of the LA was 0.16 ± 0.04 mm greater and the expression of the P63 and CK10 proteins was stronger in the LA group than the control (p < 0.05). Conclusions: LA, which is the main components in WO can promote full-thickness burning wounds (FBWs) by stimulating cell proliferation and differentiation.

The appropriate dosing regimens of secukinumab for psoriatic arthritis (PsA) are not well defined. We performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy and safety of different dosing regimens of secukinumab in the treatment of PsA. A systematic search was conducted using major electronic databases to identify relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing secukinumab 300 mg versus secukinumab 150 mg in patients with PsA. Meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager software (version 5.3). Six studies with a total of 1141 patients were included. At week 24, secukinumab 300 mg was associated with a higher American College of Rheumatology 20% response (ACR 20), ACR 50, PASI 75 response rate, and dactylitis resolution rate than secukinumab 150 mg, especially in the anti-TNF-IR subgroup. At week 52, secukinumab 300 mg was associated with a higher psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) 75 and PASI 90 response rate than secukinumab 150 mg. There was no significant difference between secukinumab 300 mg and secukinumab 150 mg in the risk of any adverse events (AEs) and serious AEs at either week 24 or week 52. Secukinumab 300 mg was significantly more effective than 150 mg, especially for patients with PsA who have failed TNF therapy, and it was well tolerated.

This study aimed to investigate the diagnostic value of heparin-binding protein (HBP) in the cerebrospinal fluid of children with purulent meningitis (PM). This study included 118 children with PM diagnosed at our hospital from January 2018 to January 2020, 110 children with viral meningitis (VM) and 80 children with suspected meningitis who were ruled out by cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis during the same period. HBP and white blood cell (WBC) count in the CSF, and inflammatory factors, including C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and procalcitonin (PCT), were measured. Receiver-operator characteristic curves were used to analyze the predictive value of HBP, CRP, PCT, and TNF-α levels in the diagnosis of PM by CSF analysis. HBP levels in the CSF of children with PM were higher, while the CRP and serum PCT and TNF-α levels were elevated in all groups (P<0.05). In addition, HBP levels in the CSF were more accurate for the diagnosis of PM than traditional diagnostic indexes. HBP levels in the CSF can be used as an important reference for early diagnosis of PM.

Abstract INTRODUCTION: Leptin (LEP) is a peptide hormone that acts via leptin receptor (LEPR) binding. Genetic evidence from different human populations has implicated LEP/LEPR in the pathogenesis of coronary artery disease (CAD), and suggests that certain LEP/LEPR gene polymorphisms may increase the risk of CAD. The aim of this study was to assess two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in LEP genes (rs2167270 and rs7799039) and two in LEPR genes (rs6588147, rs1137100) for association with CAD. METHODS: We enrolled 271 North Chinese Han CAD patients, and 113 healthy age- and sex-matched controls. Genomic DNA was extracted from whole blood, and the four SNPs were assessed using a MassArray system. RESULTS: The G allele frequency at rs2167270 was significantly higher among CAD cases than among controls. The AG genotype at rs7799039 was associated with a significantly decreased risk of CAD unlike the AA genotype used as the reference. The A allele was significantly associated with the CAD patient group. Interestingly, statistically significant differences in genotype and allele frequency at LEP rs2167270 and rs7799039 existed among females but not among males. CONCLUSIONS: The current study detected a significant association between genetic variations at LEP rs7799039 and rs2167270 and the risk of CAD in a north Chinese population, and revealed that LEP rs2167270 and rs7799039 gene polymorphisms might act as predisposing factors for CAD.

Wafer yield is a key indicator to pursuing excellence in semiconductor manufacturing. With the increased wafer size, the enhanced complexity and precision of wafer fabrication is possible. Using monitoring to improve the process by predicting the yield has become an important quality issue. Most research uses the number of wafer defects, the area of the wafer, and fixed statistical distribution to predict the yield. Such methods fail to establish a high yield model due to the random and system-wide distribution of wafer defects. This study proposes the Mahalanobis-Taguchi system (MTS) to determine the key variables from the wafer acceptance test (WAT), and establish a classification model of yield grade. The general regression neural network (GRNN) was used to build a predicted model of the wafer probe yield from selected common variables. A real case from a Taiwan manufacturer of dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) is used as an example. It can get the 82 key and significant sequence variables of the WAT, with classification precision of over 90/ and the R² of the GRNN prediction model at 0.73. Through demonstration, the result can effectively increase the yield and reduce the quality cost in DRAM manufacturing.

Flinteropbrengs is 'n sleutel indikator vir halfgeleiervervaardiging. Die toename in flintergrootte maak dit moontlik om die kompleksiteit en presisie van flintervervaardiging te verbeter. Wanneer monitering gebruik word om die opbrengsskatting te verbeter word dit 'n gehalte kwessie. Die meeste navorsing gebruik die aantal defekte, die flinteroppervlakte, en vasgestelde statistiese verdelings om die opbrengs te skat. Sulke metodes faal egter om 'n hoë-opbrengs model te bewerkstellig as gevolg van die lukrake en stelselwye verspreiding van defekte. Hierdie studie gebruik die Mahalanobis-Taguchi stelsel om die sleutel veranderlikes van die flinter aanvaardingstoets te bepaal en skep dan n klassifikasie model van die opbrengsgehalte. n Veralgemeende regressie neurale netwerk is gebruik om 'n skatting van die opbrengs te maak van gekose gemeenskaplike veranderlikes. 'n Gevallestudie van 'n Taiwannese vervaardiger van dinamies ewetoeganklike geheue word as voorbeeld gebruik. Die benadering kan twee-en-tagtig van die sleutel en noemenswaardige veranderlikes van die aanvaringstoets identifiseer met n klassifikasiepresisie van meer as negentig persent. Die R²-koëffisiënt van die neurale netwerk is 0.73. Die resultaat kan die opbrengs verhoog en die gehaltekoste van dinamies ewetoeganklike geheue vervaardiging verminder.

Icariin, a prenylated flavonol glycoside isolated from Epimedium, has been considered as a potential alternative therapy for osteoporosis. The present study aimed to clarify the detailed molecular mechanisms of action of icariin on osteoblast function, using bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs). BM-MSCs were first stimulated by icariin. Then, gene and protein expression of cAMP/PKA/CREB signaling molecules were analyzed by RT-PCR and western blotting (WB), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) was analyzed in cell lysates by ELISA. MTT assays indicated that icariin did not have significant effects on cell viability up to 1 µM. Icariin showed a dose-dependent effect on the alkaline phosphatase activity of BM-MSCs. WB analysis showed that icariin treatment of BM-MSCs significantly enhanced the protein expression of protein kinase A (PKA) and cAMP-responsive element binding protein (CREB), while RT-PCR results showed that icariin dose-dependently increased the mRNA levels of PKA and CREB. Icariin induced BM-MSC differentiation by BMP2, Smad1, and Runx2. RT-PCR and WB results indicated that icariin significantly increased the expression of BMP2, Smad1, and Runx2 in BM-MSCs. These results suggest that icariin is an agonist of the cAMP/PKA/CREB pathway in BM-MSC differentiation, raising the possibility that it could be used in the treatment of osteoporosis.

ABSTRACT Noise, especially continuous noise, is an important factor that affects the velocity dealiasing of Doppler weather radars. A challenge in the design of dealiasing algorithm is how to effectively suppress noise. Therefore, a novel anti-noise dealiasing algorithm (AND) for Doppler velocities was proposed in this paper. In comparison with traditional methods, the AND utilizes a new separation-restoration noise suppression scheme, which can significantly reduce the interference of noise on dealiasing without losing data. This algorithm utilizes three fitting curves as references to correct ambiguous echoes, and it can further suppress residual noise and dynamically match wind fields at varying scales. The AND has been applied to the CINRAD-SA network of operational radars in China, achieving a better performance on noisy echoes, isolated echoes, typhoon echoes, and tornado echoes.

RESUMEN El ruido, en especial el continuo, es un factor importante que afecta el dealiasing (supresión del solapamiento) de la velocidad en radares meteorológicos Doppler. En este trabajo se propone un novedoso algoritmo (anti-noise dealiasing algorithm, AND) para solventar este problema. En comparación con los métodos tradicionales, el AND utiliza un nuevo esquema de separación y restauración para eliminar el ruido, que puede reducir de manera significativa la interferencia de éste en el dealiasing sin pérdida de información. El algoritmo utiliza tres ajustes de curvas como referencia para corregir ecos ambiguos. Además puede eliminar el ruido residual y comparar dinámicamente campos de viento en diversas escalas. El AND se ha aplicado en los radares operativos de la red CINRAD-SA en China, con buenos resultados en cuanto a ecos de ruido, ecos aislados, ecos de tifón y ecos de tornado.

Abstract This study aimed to explore: 1) DNA methylation in the promoter regions of Wilms tumor gene 1 (WT1), NK6 transcription factor related locus 1 gene (NKX6-1) and Deleted in bladder cancer 1 (DBC1) gene in cervical cancer tissues of Uygur women in Xinjiang, and 2) the correlation of gene methylation with the infection of HPV16/18 viruses. We detected HPV16/18 infection in 43 normal cervical tissues, 30 cervical intraepithelial neoplasia lesions (CIN) and 48 cervical cancer tissues with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. Methylation in the promoter regions of the WT1, NKX6-1 and DBC1 genes in the above-mentioned tissues was measured by methylation-specific PCR (MSP) and cloning sequencing. The expression level of these three genes was measured by real-time PCR (qPCR) in 10 methylation-positive cervical cancer tissues and 10 methylation-negative normal cervical tissues. We found that the infection of HPV16 in normal cervical tissues, CIN and cervical cancer tissues was 14.0, 36.7 and 66.7%, respectively. The infection of HPV18 was 0, 6.7 and 10.4%, respectively. The methylation rates of WT1, NKX6-1 and DBC1 genes were 7.0, 11.6 and 23.3% in normal cervical tissues, 36.7, 46.7 and 30.0% in CIN tissues, and 89.6, 77.1 and 85.4% in cervical cancer tissues. Furthermore, WT1, NKX6-1 and DBC1 genes were hypermethylated in the high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (CIN2, CIN3) and in the cervical cancer tissues with infection of HPV16/18 (both P< 0.05). The expression of WT1, NKX6-1 and DBC1 was significantly lower in the methylation-positive cervical cancer tissues than in methylation-negative normal cervical tissues. Our findings indicated that methylation in the promoter regions of WT1, NKX6-1 and DBC1 is correlated with cervical cancer tumorigenesis in Uygur women. The infection of HPV16/18 might be correlated with methylation in these genes. Gene inactivation caused by methylation might be related to the incidence and development of cervical cancer.