Shugan Jieyu capsule effects on peripheral blood micro-124, micro- 132, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor in patients with mild to moderate depression

BACKGROUND To assess the effectiveness of Shugan Jieyu capsules on peripheral blood miR-124,miR-132,and brain-derived neurotrophic factor(BDNF)levels in patients with mild to moderate depression following coronary artery intervention[percuta-neous coronary intervention(PCI)]for coronary heart disease.Patients with mild-to-moderate depression of the liver-qi stagnation type after PCI for coronary heart disease at the 305th Hospital of the People’s Liberation Army were enrolled from June 2022 to November 2023 and randomly assigned to two groups:Experimental(treated with Shugan Jieyu capsules)and control(tr-eated with escitalopram oxalate tablets).This study compared the antidepressant effects of these treatments using 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression(HAMD-17)scores,metabolic equivalents,low-density lipoprotein cholesterol,BDNF,high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels,miR-124 and miR-132 levels,distribution of immune-related lymphocyte subsets,and traditional Chinese me-dicine syndrome scores before and after 6 weeks of treatment.RESULTS No significant difference was observed in any index between the two groups before treatment(P>0.05).After treatment,the total efficacy rates were 93.33%and 90.00%in the experimental and control groups,respectively.Experimental group had significantly lower scores for the main and secondary syndromes compared to the control group(P<0.05).No significant difference was observed in the metabolic equivalents between the two groups be-fore and after treatment(P>0.05).The levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol,high-sensitivity C-reactive pro-tein,and miR-132 were significantly lower,whereas those of miR-124,BDNF,CD3+T lymphocytes,CD3+CD4+T helper lymphocytes,and CD3+CD4+/CD3+CD8+cells were significantly higher in the experimental group com-pared to the control group(P<0.05).The incidence of adverse reactions during experimental group was signi-ficantly lower than that in control group(P<0.05).CONCLUSION Shugan Jieyu capsules have good efficacy in patients with mild-to-moderate depression after PCI,and its me-chanism may contribute to the regulation of miR-124,miR-132,BDNF levels,and lymphoid immune cells.

Impacts of Micro- and Nano-Plastics on Soil Properties and Plant Production in Agroecosystems: A Mini-Review

Micro- and nano-plastics (MNPs) are tiny plastic particles resulting from plastic product degradation. Soil MNPs have been identified as potential influential factors affecting various soil properties and crop biomass productivity. This mini-review provides a synthesis of recent findings concerning their effects on soil physicochemical properties, microorganisms, organic carbon content, soil nutrients, greenhouse gas emissions, soil fauna, and their impacts on plant ecophysiology, growth, and production. The results indicate that MNPs may markedly impede soil aggregation ability, increase porosity, decrease soil bulk density, enhance water retention capacity, influence soil pH and electrical conductivity, and escalate soil water evaporation. Exposure to MNPs may predominantly induce changes in soil microbial composition, reducing the diversity and complexity of microbial communities and microbial activity while enhancing soil organic carbon stability, influencing soil nutrient dynamics, and stimulating organic carbon decomposition and denitrification processes, leading to elevated soil respiration and methane emissions, and potentially decreasing soil nitrous oxide emission. Additionally, MNPs may adversely affect soil fauna, diminish seed germination rates, promote plant root growth, yet impair plant photosynthetic efficacy and biomass productivity. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the impacts and mechanistic foundations of MNPs. Future research avenues are suggested to further explore the impacts and economic implications.

Validation And Reliability of Distress Thermometer in Chinese Cancer Patients

Objective：To examine the validation and reliability of the distress thermometer（DT） recommended by National Comprehensive Cancer Network（NCCN） in Chinese cancer patients.Methods：A total of 574 Chinese cancer patients from Beijing Cancer Hospital completed the detection of DT,the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale（HADS） and Symptom Checklist 90（SCL-90）,Receiver Operating Characteristic（ROC） curve and Area Under the Curve（AUC） were used to analyze the validation relative to HADS and SCL-90.The patients with DT≥4 and whose distress caused by emotional problems were interviewed with the MiNi International Neuro-psychiatric Interview（MINI）（Chinese Version 5.0）.This version was used to analyze cancer patients＇ psychological and Psychiatric symptoms during the cancer process;3.Another 106 cancer patients in rehabilitation stage and stable condition were asked to fill in DT two times,at the base time and after 7-10 days.Results：Data of ROC indicates that a DT cutoff score of 4 yielded AUC of 0.80 with a optimal sensitivity（0.80） and specificity（0.70） relative to HADS,and AUC of 0.83 with the greatest sensitivity（0.87） and specificity（0.72） against SCL-90.The DT also has acceptable test-retest reliability（r=0.800,P=0.000）;According to the interview results,the most common psychiatric problems cancer patients have adjustment disorder,depression,and anxiety.Conclusion：The data suggest that DT has acceptable overall accuracy and reliability as a screening tool for testing distress severity and specific problems causing distress in Chinese cancer patients.It is worth being used in oncology clinic,the rapid screening and interview could help caregivers to identify psychological and psychiatric problems of cancer patients and provide useful information for further treatment.

Validity of distress thermometer for screening of anxiety and depression in family caregivers of Chinese breast cancer patients receiving postoperative chemotherapy

Objective:Family caregivers(FCs)of breast cancer patients play a vital role throughout the treatment process.Psychological distress of FCs is common and often ignored.A simple and effective instrument for screening psychological distress would help in selecting those FCs requiring special attention and intervention.Here,the validity of distress thermometer(DT)in FCs of Chinese breast cancer patients receiving postoperative chemotherapy was assessed,and the prevalence of anxiety and depression was evaluated.Methods:We recruited 200 FCs of hospitalized breast cancer patients in this cross-sectional descriptive study.Before the first cycle of adjuvant chemotherapy,the levels of anxiety and depression among FCs were assessed using DT and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale(HADS).In total,191 valid cases were analyzed.HADS was used as the diagnostic standard to assess the effectiveness of DT as a screening tool for anxiety and depression as well as to analyze the diagnostic efficiency of DT at various cutoff points.Results:The definitive prevalence of both anxiety and depression was 8.90%.The mean level of anxiety and depression among FCs was 5.64±3.69 and 5.09±3.85,respectively,both of which were significantly higher than corresponding Chinese norms(P<0.01).The areas under receiver operating characteristic curves of DT for the diagnoses of FCs'anxiety and depression were 0.904 and 0.885,respectively.A cutoff value of 5 produced the best diagnostic effects of DT for anxiety and depression.Conclusions:The levels of both anxiety and depression were higher in the FCs of Chinese breast cancer patients receiving postoperative chemotherapy than the national norm.DT might be an effective tool to initially screen psychological distress among FCs.This process could be integrated into the palliative care of breast cancer patients and warrant further research.

Intestinal obstruction due to migration of a thermometer from bladder to abdominal cavity:A case report

Intraperitoneal foreign bodies such as retained surgical instruments can cause intestinal obstruction.However,intestinal obstruction due to transmural migration of foreign bodies has rarely been reported.Here,we report a case of intestinal obstruction due to a clinical thermometer which migrated from the bladder into the abdominal cavity.A 45-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with a one-year history of recurrent lower abdominal cramps.Two days before admission,the abdominal cramps aggravated.Intestinal obstruction was confirmed with upright abdominal radiography and computerized tomography scan which showed dilation of the small intestines and a thermometer in the abdominal cavity.Then laparotomy was performed.A scar was observed at the fundus of the bladder and a ther-mometer was adhering to the small bowels and mesentery which resulted in intestinal obstruction.Abdominal cramps were eliminated and defecation and flatus recovered soon after removal of the thermometer.

Does central tympanic membrane perforation affect infrared tympanic thermometer measurements in adults?

Objective: Infrared Tympanic Thermometer(ITT) is one of the most useful instruments for accurately measuring temperature. The effects of ear pathologies on ITT measurement remain unclear. The purpose of this study is to determine if tympanic membrane perforation(TMP) affects ITT measurements in adult patients.Material and methods: A total of 90 adult patients with monaural central TMP were enrolled in this study.Patients were categorized into three subgroups according to perforation size(1-3 mm, 4-7 mm, and 8-10 mm).The tympanic temperatures of the affected and unaffected sites, and subgroups were compared with each other.Results: This study contained 54(60%) males and 36(40%) females ranging from 20 to 58 years of age(mean age: 30.74 ± 9.61 years). The mean tympanic temperature of the side affected with TMP was 36.34 oC ± 0.61 oC.The mean tympanic temperature of the unaffected side with healthy and intact tympanic membrane was 36.33 oC ± 0.6 oC. The Pearson correlation score for the tympanic temperatures and the size of TMP was 0.22 which was not significant(r=-0.12).Conclusion: TMP and perforation size do not affect ITT measurements in adult patients.

Application of Distress Thermometer in Patients with Prostatic Cancer and Prostatitis

Objective: To discuss the application of distress thermometer (DT) on psychological pain in primary hospital patients with prostatic cancer (Pca) and prostatitis;and to analyze the present status and related factors of psychological pain in these patients. Methods: Questionnaire survey of DT and related problem lists were carried out in 168 patients with Pca and 226 patients with prostatitis. The data were input to EXCEL and analyzed with SPSS 18.0. The statistical description was used to analyze the graded of psychological pain. Square test and Logistic regression were used to analyze influence factors of significant psychological distress. Pearson correlation analysis was used to assess the correlation between psychological distress and related problems. Results: Psychological pain score of Pca patients and prostatitis patients were 3.42 ± 1.86 and 3.02 ± 1.75, respectively. Moderate to severe degree of pain accounted for 69.6% in Pca patients, compared to 49.1% in prostatitis patients. In Pca and prostatitis patients, marital status, age, educational backgrounds and income were associated. Physical and emotional problems were the top two items having the highest score. Psychological distress score was positively correlated with physical problems, emotional problems, practical problems and communication problems in both Pcar and prostatitis patients. Conclusion: The Distress Thermometer can be used to assess the severity and explore the causes of psychological distress in Pca patients and prostatitis patients. Our study could help detecting the degree and reason of psychological distress, and provide evidence for the possibility of future personalized intervention to treat medical mental problems in primary hospital.

Ultrafast Synthesis of Metal-Layered Hydroxides in a Dozen Seconds for High-Performance Aqueous Zn(Micro-)Battery

Efficient synthesis of transition metal hydroxides on conductive substrate is essential for enhancing their merits in industrialization of energy storage field.However,most of the synthetic routes at present mainly rely on traditional bottom-up method,which involves tedious steps,time-consuming treatments,or additional alkaline media,and is unfavorable for high-efficiency production.Herein,we present a facile,ultrafast and general avenue to synthesize transition metal hydroxides on carbon substrate within 13 s by Joule-heating method.With high reaction kinetics caused by the instantaneous high temperature,seven kinds of transition metal-layered hydroxides(TM-LDHs)are formed on carbon cloth.Therein,the fastest synthesis rate reaches~0.46 cm^(2)s^(-1).Density functional theory calculations further demonstrate the nucleation energy barriers and potential mechanism for the formation of metal-based hydroxides on carbon substrates.This efficient approach avoids the use of extra agents,multiple steps,and long production time and endows the LDHs@carbon cloth with outstanding flexibility and machinability,showing practical advantages in both common and micro-zinc ion-based energy storage devices.To prove its utility,as a cathode in rechargeable aqueous alkaline Zn(micro-)battery,the NiCo LDH@carbon cloth exhibits a high energy density,superior to most transition metal LDH materials reported so far.

Comparative Thermometery in Paediatric Age Group: Is the Non-Touch Infrared Thermometer (NTIT) Reading Comparable to Regular Mercury-in-Glass Thermometer (MIGT) Reading?

Background: Accurate temperature measurement is a critical step in evaluating health or disease especially in children and immmunocompromised subjects;inaccurate measurement may lead to improper diagnosis, wrong treatment or inappropriate intervention. Several methods of temperature measurements exist and comparing these gives room for choosing a near ideal method in terms of speed, safety and accuracy. The study aimed to compare the forehead non touch infra-red thermometer with the axilllary mercury-in-glass method of temperature measurement in the Paediatric age-group. Methods: Study was given ethical approval as part of a larger study. Four hundred and thirty seven children aged 1 to 24 months were studied at the well-baby/immunizationclinic of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital over a 6-months period. Both non-touch infrared and theregular mercury-in-glass thermometers were used to take the body temperatures. Data were analysed with SPSS version 21. Pearson correlation was used to determine the relationship between the two methods of temperature measurements, while Bland-Altman method was used to test for level of agreement between them. Results: The mean age and SD was 5.81 ± 4.04 months. Pearson correlation showed a positive correlation between the axillary mercury-in-glass and forehead non-touch infra-red thermometry readings (r = 0.281, p < 0.001). Also, Bland-Altman method revealed a good agreement between both methods of thermometry as 96% of the readings were within the limits of agreement. Mean difference was 0.09°C (95% confidence interval 0.05 - 0.13). Conclusion: Axillary mercury-in-glass thermometer and forehead non touch infra-red thermometers have a good agreement and can be used interchangeably.

Application of a Modified Distress Thermometer to Screen for Psychological Distress in 140 Patients with Malignancies,and an Analysis of Related Factors

Objective A modified Distress Thermometer(DT)was applied to explore the status of psychological distress in patients with malignant tumors and to analyze the related factors influencing psychological distress.Methods The modified DT was used to screen for psychological distress in 140 patients with malignant tumors in the Cancer Center of the First Hospital of Jilin University.Aχ2 test was used to analyze the effects of age and gender on psychological distress;risk factors associated with significant psychological distress(DT≥4)were further analyzed by Stepwise Logistics Regression.Spearman’s Correlation Analysis was used to determine the correlations among the items in the problems list(economic problems,fatigue,eating,pain,nausea,constipation,decreased memory/inattention,anxiety,tension,sleep).Results The results of the modified DT screening showed that the rate of significant psychological distress was 33.57%in patients with malignant tumors,and females and elderly patients were more likely to suffer significant psychological distress(P=0.048;P=0.002).A dry/congestive nose,depression,having to work/go to school,bathing/dressing,and nausea were significant factors or situations associated with psychological distress in patients with malignant tumors,and physical and emotional problems often appeared together in the problems list.Conclusion The modified DT reflected the degree of each symptom(to a certain extent),and could accurately and concretely identify the major cause(s)of the patients’psychological distress,so that the clinical medical care workers could target the problems and improve the patients’quality of life.

Smart Resistance Thermometer Sensor Based on C8051F350

A Smart resistance thermometer sensor is designed to overcome the shortages of the traditional ones, and Con-form to the world development trend of the sensor market.According to the constitutions of this Smart sensor and its application coverage,those parts with good -application and low-cost were chosen to constitute this sensor on the basis of full consideration of the linkage among every part.The whole testing system were controlled and processed by C8051F350 single-chip,it could measure precise temperature by PT100 resistance thermometer and circumstance temperature for temperature compensating automatically and simultane-ously,it also could amplify signals to convert analog signals to digital ones,and display results automatically by analysing and processing information.Furthermore,it could auto-compensate self-check,and spot communicate.

Trichromatic Optical Fiber Radiation Thermometer

The study on trichromatic optical fiber radiation thermometers is especially useful for the non-contact accurate temperature measurement of those materials with the emissivities changing dramatically with wavelength.On the basis of the trichromatic thermometry principle,the operation wavelengths of the thermometer are selected properly so as to compensate the emissivity influence on measurement result effectively. Using 1×3 branching fiber coupler and narrow band filter significantly improves the instrument reliability.The instrument is self-calibrated,multi -functional and easy touse due to the embodied microcontroller and some other techniques.

A Study on the Optimal Offset Distance Between a Welding Torch and the Infrared Thermometers

Detection of weld defects using real-time monitoring and controlling algorithm is of the significant task in manufacturing industries due to the increased production and liability costs that result when weld defects are not identified early in the production cycle.Monitoring and controlling for robotic arc welding process employed should be reliable,flexible and cost-effective in non-clean,high-volume production environments.Also,the robotic welding system has been utilized a complex jigging and mechanical devices to move the workpiece which related to the stationary welding head for getting higher efficiency and lower costs.To develop the fully robotic welding system,people make use of their senses of sound and/or sight to collect welding information,and take the necessary corrective measurements to ensure the weld quality after processing is satisfactory.Therefore,it is really required that the monitoring and controlling algorithm of sensors for increasing effectiveness in the robotic welding process has been developed.In this paper,bead-on-plate welding using an infrared thermography in the robotic GMA(Gas Metal Arc)welding process has been performed to study the effects of welding parameters on thermal profile characteristics and find the optimal offset distance which applied for monitoring and controlling of welding quality such as bead height.The analysis for correlation between temperature distributions at three offset distance and bead height which based on the regression analysis such as Standard Error of Estimate(SEE),the coefficient of correlation(R)and coefficient of determination(R2)and(Predictive Ability of Model)has been done.The infra-red sensor is useful for monitoring the isotherm radii that arise during the robotic welding process and identifying bead height as welding quality.

Ruby (Al_2O_3∶Cr^(3+)) Fluorescence Thermometer Using PLD-PMSR Technique

A kind of fluorescence fiber-optic thermometer is devised based on the solid-state ruby fluorescence material. The characteristics of fluorescence material absorption and emission are analyzed, and the fiber-optic temperature measurement probe in ruby is developed. This system is particularly adaptable to the temperature measurement in the range of 20℃ to 600℃. During the experiment, this method is proved to be useful to temperature measurement with high resolution and precision.

Optical Fiber Thermometer Based on the Fluorescence Life time

Anew opticalfiberfluorometricthermometerbased onthetemperature dependence ofthefluorescencelifetime of phosphoris described. The phase-locked detection (PLD) system is used to measure fluorescencelifetime. The characteristics ofthermometerare discussed and the experimentresults are given.

Unusual cervical foreign body-a neglected thermometer for 5 years:A case report

BACKGROUND Foreign body in the deep neck is mostly associated with accidental ingestion of the animal spiculate bone which penetrates the full-thickness of the aerodigestive tract into the fascial spaces of the neck.In general,perforation of the esophagus often results in periesophagitis and even fatal abscesses.The presence of a giant foreign body in the neck without obvious symptoms or complications for many years is rare.CASE SUMMARY We present the case of a 32-year-old man who intentionally swallowed a thermometer which was unable to be located by endoscopy at his initial visit.He had no remarkable symptoms for 5 years other than paresthesia and limited movement of the left neck until 7 d before this admission.The foreign body was removed successfully by the surgery.CONCLUSION The presence of a giant foreign body in the neck without obvious symptoms or complications for many years is rare.Both endoscopic and radiological examinations are essential for the diagnosis of alimentary foreign bodies.

In-situ hydrocarbon formation and accumulation mechanisms of micro- and nano-scale pore-fracture in Gulong shale, Songliao Basin, NE China

By conducting experimental analyses, including thermal pyrolysis, micro-/nano-CT, argon-ion polishing field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (2D NMR), the Gulong shale oil in the Songliao Basin was investigated with respect to formation model, pore structure and accumulation mechanism. First, in the Gulong shale, there are a large number of pico-algae, nano-algae and dinoflagellates, which were formed in brackish water environment and constituted the hydrogen-rich oil source materials of shale. Second, most of the oil-generating materials of the Qingshankou Formation shale exist in the form of organo-clay complex. During organic matter thermal evolution, clay minerals had double effects of suppression and catalytic hydrogenation, which expanded shale oil window and increased light hydrocarbon yield. Third, the formation of storage space in the Gulong Shale was related to dissolution and hydrocarbon generation. With the diagenesis, micro-/nano-pores increased, pore diameter decreased and more bedding fractures appeared, which jointly gave rise to the unique reservoir with dual media (i.e. nano-scale pores and micro-scale bedding fractures) in the Gulong shale. Fourth, the micro-/nano-scale oil storage unit in the Gulong shale exhibits independent oil/gas occurrence phase, and shows that all-size pores contain oils, which occur in condensate state in micropores or in oil-gas two phase (or liquid) state in macropores/mesopores. The understanding about Gulong shale oil formation and accumulation mechanism has theoretical and practical significance for advancing continental shale oil exploration in China.

Evaluation of Measurement Accuracy of Underground Thermometers Using Steel-Pipe Piles

For ground source heat utilization systems, pile heat exchangers are sometimes used. In order for these systems to achieve high performance, control of the system dynamics is important, and the underground temperature must he known. Typically, underground temperature is measured using a thermometer in a borehole. However, in the case of pile heat exchangers, a different method is required, making the system expensive to set up. To overcome this problem, the installation of underground thermometers in the heat exchanger piles themselves is proposed in the present study. The proposed thermometer system consists of thermocouples packed in grout such as silica sand within the piles. However, there is a possibility of measurement errors due to vertical thermal conduction in the steel pipes, and it is important to estimate the measurement accuracy before the development of this system. In the present study, the measurement accuracy is estimated using numerical simulations and then confirmed experimentally. The underground temperature profiles inside and outside the pile are compared. The results indicate that the proposed system offers sufficient accuracy for application to pile heat exchangers.

Reef coral δ^(18)O thermometer in Hainan island waters,South China Sea

An 18--year-long (1981-1998) study was conducted in Hainan Island waters (22°20’N, 110°39’E) to determine the relationship between 618O in skeletal aragonite carbonate and sea surface temperature (SST) in porites lutea of reef-building corals. 618O values in skeletal aragonite carbonate were measured by means of mass spectrometry. Coral samples grew at sin depth at Longwan Bay. Monthly measurements of the SST from 1960 to 1998 were taken at Qinglan Buy adjacent to the place of the collected samples. The thermometer shows that SST=-4.16 б~18O_PDB + 4.9 (r=0.80) and dб~18O/dT=-0.24 permil/°C. The б~18O thermometer is strongly influenced by the rainfall and runoff. Using the thermometer, the SST in the past hundred years with monthly resolution will be reconstructed and the climatic change in the northern area of South China Sea will be

不同品牌红外耳温计在儿童患者中的临床应用差异性研究

目的:探讨不同品牌红外耳温计在儿童患者中的临床应用差异性,以指导合理使用红外耳温计。方法:随机选取2023年5月至2023年7月在浙江大学医学院附属儿童医院接受治疗的164例住院及门诊患儿,采用进口(品牌A)、国产(品牌B)和合资(品牌C)3种不同品牌的红外耳温计,以同样的测量方式测量患儿耳温,比较不同品牌耳温计在不同年龄段患儿中测量的温度和时间的差异性。结果:测量温度上,A测量为(37.54±0.931)℃,B为(37.219±0.952)℃,C为(37.329±0.961)℃;测量时间上,A测量时间为(2.34±0.236)s,B为(1.314±0.269)s,C为(2.051±0.173)s。3种耳温计测量温度及时间比较,差异均有统计学意义(F=5.007,264.988,P<0.05)。且3种耳温计测量≤3个月龄患儿的温度,差异有统计学意义(F=3.868,P<0.05);在3月龄以上患儿中无差异。结论:针对不同的年龄段患儿,医疗机构可依据使用成本高低、测量时间快慢等因素综合考虑进行选择。对3个月以上年龄段患儿,选择成本更低、测量时间更快的品牌B红外耳温计;对0~3月龄患儿,建议选择温度测量值更为准确的品牌A红外耳温计。