Siegesbeckia Orientalis L. Extract Attenuates Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction, Systemic Inflammation, and Neuroinflammation

John Man Tak Chu,Wei Xiong,Ke Gang Linghu,Yan Liu,Yan Zhang,Guan Ding Zhao,Michael G. Irwin,Gordon Tin Chun Wong,Hua Yu 한국뇌신경과학회 2018 Experimental Neurobiology Vol.27 No.6

A proportion of patients experience acute or even prolonged cognitive impairment after surgery, a condition known as postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD). It is characterized by impairment in different cognitive domains and neuroinflammation has been implicated as one of the inciting factors as strategies targeting inflammation tend to improve cognitive performance. Siegesbeckia Orientails L. (S. Orientails) is a common Chinese medicinal herb used for managing chronic inflammatory diseases. We investigated if pretreatment with S. Orientails before surgery confers any neuroprotective effects in postoperative animals in terms of reducing inflammation and mitigating cognitive impairment. Three-month-old male C57BL/6N mice were fed different doses of S. Orientails extract for 14 days before they underwent a laparotomy. After cognitive testing they were sacrificed on postoperative day (POD) 3. Our results showed that animals with extract pretreatment demonstrated memory improvement in a dose-dependent manner compared with control. Further, evidence for the attenuation of systemic and neuroinflammation was found in the pretreated animals, along with the inhibition of inflammatory pathways and significantly reduced tau phosphorylation in the hippocampus. Taken together, these results demonstrated a neuroprotective effect of S. Orientails in postoperative animals, indicating a therapeutic potential of S. Orientails in minimizing POCD and the possibility of utilizing this traditional Chinese medicine perioperatively.

Characteristics of registered studies for Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): a systematic review

Ming Yang,Ya-xi Shang,Zi-yu Tian,Min Xiong,Chun-li Lu,Jiang Yue,Zhang Yao,Zhang Ying-ying,Jin Xin-yan,Jin Qiu-bai,Zhang Ying-ying,Willcox Merlin L.,Liu Jian-ping 한국한의학연구원 2020 Integrative Medicine Research Vol.9 No.3

Background: The World Health Organization characterized the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as a pandemic on March 11th. Many clinical trials on COVID-19 have been registered, and we aim to review the study characteristics and provide guidance for future trials to avoid duplicated effort. Methods: Studies on COVID-19 registered before March 3rd, 2020 on eight registry platforms worldwide were searched and the data of design, participants, interventions, and outcomes were extracted and analyzed. Results: Three hundred and ninety-three studies were identified and 380 (96.7%) were from mainland China, while 3 in Japan, 3 in France, 2 in the US, and 3 were international collaborative studies. Two hundred and sixty-six (67.7%) aimed at therapeutic effect, others were for prevention, diagnosis, prognosis, etc. Two hundred and two studies (51.4%) were randomized controlled trials. Two third of therapeutic studies tested Western medicines including antiviral drugs (17.7%), stem cell and cord blood therapy (10.2%), chloroquine and derivatives (8.3%), 16 (6.0%) on Chinese medicines, and 73 (27.4%) on integrated therapy of Western and Chinese medicines. Thirty-one studies among 266 therapeutic studies (11.7%) used mortality as primary outcome, while the most designed secondary outcomes were symptoms and signs (47.0%). Half of the studies (45.5%) had not started recruiting till March 3rd. Conclusion: Inappropriate outcome setting, delayed recruitment and insufficient numbers of new cases in China implied many studies may fail to complete. Strategies and protocols of the studies with robust and rapid data sharing are warranted for emergency public health events, helping the timely evidence-based decision-making.

Synthesis of g-C3N4/diatomite/MnO2 composites and their enhanced photo-catalytic activity driven by visible light

Chen Ran-Ran,Ren Qi-Fang,Liu Yu-Xin,Ding Yi,Zhu Hai-Tao,Xiong Chun-Yu,Jin Zhen,오원춘 한국세라믹학회 2021 한국세라믹학회지 Vol.58 No.5

Herein, a novel visible-light-responsive g-C 3 N 4 /diatomite/MnO 2 composite was successfully fabricated through a simple redox reaction method. The structure and morphology of the sample are mainly characterized by X-ray diff raction (XRD), photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), transmis- sion electron microscopy (TEM), and ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV–Vis). In this paper, the photo-catalytic activity of the sample was evaluated by degradation RhB under visible-light irradiation. The results shown that, compared with g-C 3 N 4 /diatomite composite, MnO 2 , g-C 3 N 4 , diatomite, the prepared g-C 3 N 4 /diatomite/2.5%MnO 2 composite exhibits bet- ter photo-catalytic activity and stability. At the same time, the eff ect of diff erent MnO 2 additions on the photo-catalytic activity of the composite material was further analyzed. The results indicated that the g-C 3 N 4 /MnO 2 /diatomite composites exhibit highest photo-catalytic activity when the adding amount of MnO 2 reached 2.5%. The degradation rate of the g-C 3 N 4 / diatomite/2.5%MnO 2 is 93% after recycling for three times, showing good stability and reusability. Moreover, the mechanism of catalytic performance enhancement also has been discussed.

Microwave absorption and photocatalytic activity of MgxZn1−x ferrite/diatomite composites

Guo Wanmi,Wang Sulei,Ren Qifang,Jin Zhen,Ding Yi,Xiong Chun-Yu,Li Jinpeng,Chen Jing,Zhu Yuelei,오원춘 한국세라믹학회 2022 한국세라믹학회지 Vol.59 No.2

Mg x Zn 1−x ferrite/diatomite composites were synthesized by a two-step combination process (hydrothermal method and mechanical mixing method). The products were characterized by X-ray diff raction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), UV–visible absorption spectrum (UV–Vis), X-ray photoelectron spectroscope (XPS), and microwave vector network analyzer. The photocatalytic results showed that the degradation rate of Rhodamine B (RhB) was 50–90% after 90 min of visible light. At 2–18 GHz frequency, when the Mg–Zn ratio increases to 0.8, the refl ection loss of a single MgxZn 1−x ferrite reaches − 7.23 dB at 8.75 GHz frequency in 3.5 mm thickness while the ratio is 0.2, the refl ection loss at 10.23 GHz reaches − 4.07 dB. The photocatalytic performance of Mgx Zn 1−x ferrite /diatomite composite for the degradation of RhB and its microwave absorption performance as absorbent are studied. The importance of developing new functional coatings to improve human environment is discussed.

Comparative Effectiveness of Risk-adapted Surveillance vs Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Dissection in Clinical Stage I Nonseminomatous Germ Cell Testicular Cancer: A Retrospective Follow-up Study of 81 Patients

Fan, Gang,Zhang, Lin,Yi, Lu,Jiang, Zhi-Qiang,Ke, Yang,Wang, Xiao-Shan,Xiong, Ying-Ying,Han, Wei-Qin,Zhou, Xiao,Liu, Chun,Yu, Xie Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2015 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.16 No.8

Purpose: To retrospective assess the potential predictors for relapse and create an effective clinical mode for surveillance after orchidectomy in clinical stage I non-seminomatous germ cell testicular tumors (CSI-NSGCTs). Materials and Methods: We analyzed data for CSI-NSGCTs patients with non-lymphatic vascular invasion, %ECa < 50% (percentage of embryonal carcinoma < 50%), and negative or declining tumor markers to their half-life following orchidectomy (defined as low-risk patients); these patients were recruited from four Chinese centers between January 1999 and October 2013. Patients were divided into active surveillance group and retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) group according to different therapeutic methods after radical orchidectomy was performed. The disease-free survival rates (DFSR) and overall survival rates (OSR) of the two groups were compared by Kaplan-Meier analysis. Results: A total of 121 patients with CSI-NSGCT were collected from four centers, and 81 low-risk patients, including 54 with active surveillance and 27 with RPLND, were enrolled at last. The median follow-up duration was 66.2 (range 6-164) months in the RPLND group and 65.9 (range 8-179) months in the surveillance group. OSR was 100% in active surveillance and RPLND groups, and DFSR was 89.8% and 87.0%, respectively. No significant difference was observed between these two groups ($X_2=0.108$, P=0.743). No significant difference was observed between the patients with a low percentage of embryonal carcinoma (<50%) and those without embryonal carcinoma (87.0% and 91.9%, $X_2=0.154$, P=0.645). No treatment-related complications were observed in the active surveillance group whereas minor and major complications were observed in 13.0% and 26.1% of the RPLND group, respectively. Conclusions: Active surveillance resulted in similar DFSR and OSR compared with RPLND in our trial. Patients with low-risk CSI-NSGCTs could benefit from risk-adapted surveillance after these patients were subjected to radical orchidectomy.