Depressive symptoms, cognitive functions and daily activities: An extended network analysis in monozygotic and dizygotic twins.

Background: The network theory posits that depression emerges as the result of individual symptoms triggering each other. Risk factors for depression can impact these between-symptoms interactions through extended networks. The study aimed to model the extended network of depressive symptoms and known depression risk factors - objective cognitive function, intellectual, physical, and social daily activities, and then, compare the observed networks between monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) co-twins.

Profiling targets and potential target pairs of CAR-T cell therapy in clinical trials.

Since the approval of the first chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T product in 2017, the number of new CAR-T clinical trials worldwide exceeds 100 per year. 1649 clinical studies have been conducted to explore possible future clinical applications of targets or target pairs through different biotechnologies. In this study, we aim to take a data-driven analytical approach to explore potential dual-target pairs based on clinical trial information.

Mapping the regulatory effects of herbal organic compounds on gut bacteria.

Herbal organic compounds (HOCs) are bioactive natural products from medicinal plants and some traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs). Recently, ingestion of a few HOCs with low bioavailability has been associated with alterations in gut microbiota, but the extent of this phenomenon remains unclear. Here, we systematically screened 481 HOCs against 47 representative gut bacterial strains in vitro and found that almost one-third of the HOCs exhibited unique anticommensal activity.

Leocarpinolide B Attenuates Collagen Type II-Induced Arthritis by Inhibiting DNA Binding Activity of NF-κB.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease triggered by a cascading inflammatory response. Sigesbeckia Herba (SH) has long been utilized as a traditional remedy to alleviate symptoms associated with rheumatism. Our previous study found that leocarpinolide B (LB), a sesquiterpene lactone isolated from the whole plant of SH, possesses potent a anti-inflammatory effect on macrophages.

Microalgae Microneedle Supplies Oxygen for Antiphotoaging Treatment.

UV exposure often triggers photoaging of the skin. Pharmacological treatment suffers from severe side effects as well as poor efficacy because of insufficient skin penetration. Dissolved oxygen has been previously shown to reverse photoaged skin; however, the treatment is often limited by the availability of equipment (e.

A network pharmacology-based study on the quality control markers of antithrombotic herbs: Using Salvia miltiorrhiza - Ligusticum chuanxiong as an example.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Salvia miltiorrhiza (Danshen, DS), the dried root and rhizome of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge and Ligusticum chuanxiong (Chuanxiong, CX), the dried rhizomes of Ligusticum striatum DC are effective in invigorating blood circulation and eliminating stasis which is highly related with cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Aim Of Study: The identification of activity-based chemical markers is very important, but the complex mechanism of "multi-component, multi-target, and multi-effect" within traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) poses a great challenge to this work. In this study, we combined network pharmacological prediction with experimental validation of the DS and CX to explore an effective method for discovering quality control (QC) of antithrombotic herbs by clarifying the intermediate layer "module/cluster" between the whole complex system and a single component.

Field experiments of different fracturing designs in tight conglomerate oil reservoirs.

Mahu oilfield is currently the largest tight conglomerate reservoir in the world, where Ma-131 and Ma-18 plays are the first two commercially developed reservoirs. In order to reduce the cost and explore the best fracturing parameters, field experiments have been conducted in these two plays since 2017. Types of proppant and fracturing fluid, the slickwater ratio, and the fracture spacing are mainly changed for comparison, and fracturing effects are evaluated to establish a reference for developing neighboring plays in the Mahu oilfield.

Rapid Screening of Lipase Inhibitors from Ophiopogonis Radix Using High-Performance Thin Layer Chromatography by Two Step Gradient Elution Combined with Bioautographic Method.

In this study, a high-performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) method by two step gradient elution with two mobile phases was developed for the simultaneous analysis of seven constituents in Ophiopogonis Radix. The chromatography was performed on silica gel 60 F plate with dichloromethane-methanol-ethyl acetate-water (70:25:12:3, ///) and dichloromethane-methanol (300:1, /) as the mobile phase for two step gradient elution. Then, the HPTLC profiles were observed after derivatization with 10% sulfuric acid in ethanol solution.

[Traditional Chinese medicine network pharmacology: development in new era under guidance of network pharmacology evaluation method guidance].

Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) has unique advantages in the prevention and treatment of diseases owing to its holistic view and more than 2 000 years of experience in the clinical use of natural medicine. The "holistic" characteristic of TCM gives birth to a new generation of research paradigm featuring "network" and "system", which has been developing rapidly in the era of biomedical big data and artificial intelligence. Network pharmacology, a representative research field, provides new ideas and methods for the research of the interdiscipline of artificial intelligence and medicine, the analysis of massive biomedical data, and the transformation from data to knowledge.

Screening of Potential Thrombin and Factor Xa Inhibitors from the Danshen-Chuanxiong Herbal Pair through a Spectrum-Effect Relationship Analysis.

In this study; a spectrum-effect relationship analysis combined with a high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis was established to screen and identify active components that can inhibit thrombin and factor Xa (THR and FXa) in Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma-Chuanxiong Rhizoma (Danshen-Chuanxiong) herbal pair. Ten potential active compounds were predicted through a canonical correlation analysis (CCA), and eight of them were tentatively identified through an LC-MS analysis. Furthermore; the enzyme inhibitory activity of six available compounds; chlorogenic acid; -ligustilide; caffeic acid; ferulic acid; tanshinone I and tanshinone IIA; were tested to verify the feasibility of the method.

Multiscale structural changes and retrogradation effects of addition of sodium alginate to fermented and native wheat starch.

This work investigated the changes in multi-scale structure and retrogradation properties of native wheat starches (NS) modified by sodium alginate (AG) with and without fermentation. AG adhered on the surface of NS granules and fermentation promoted the adhesions. Compared with the addition of AG alone, dual modification by fermentation and AG together showed a greater effect to increase the weight-average molecular weight and reduce the relative crystallinity and double helix degree of NS.

Treatment efficacy analysis of traditional Chinese medicine for novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19): an empirical study from Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.

Background: A novel coronavirus was identified in December, 2019 in Wuhan, China, and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) played an active role in combating the novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP) caused by this fast-spreading virus COVID-19. Thus, we aimed to explore TCM characteristics of clinical efficacy to NCP, as well as to optimize Qingfei Paidu decoction (QFPDD) and the recommended formulas to NCP by National Health Commission (NHC).

Methods: Chinese medical sciences theory and clinical application of TCM were analyzed.

Translating traditional herbal formulas into modern drugs: a network-based analysis of Xiaoyao decoction.

Background: Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) encompasses numerous herbal formulas which play critical therapeutic roles through "multi-components, multi-targets and multi-pathways" mechanisms. Exploring the interaction among these mechanisms can certainly help to depict the core therapeutic function of herbal formulas. Xiaoyao decoction (XYD) is one of the most well-known traditional Chinese medicine formulas which has been widely applied to treat various diseases.