Clinical study of Bian-shi therapy to mitigate insomnia symptoms in young and middle-aged patients with chronic insomnia by regulating neurotransmitters

Objective To investigate the therapeutic mechanism of Bian-shi therapy in improving sleep quality in young and middle-aged patients with chronic insomnia. Methods 40 young and middle-aged patients with chronic insomnia were randomly divided into the western medicine group （n = 20） and Bian-shi group （n = 20）. In the western medicine group， patients were orally treated with zopiclone （7.5 mg， oral administration before bedtime）， and those in the Bian-shi group were treated with placebo and Bian-shi therapy （once a week， 40 min a time， 4 times in total）. The changes of Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index （PSQI）， and serum melatonin， acetylcholine and norepinephrine before and after 30 d treatment were analyzed and compared between two groups. Results After 30 d treatment， PSQI scores were significantly lower compared with those before treatment in two groups （both P < 0.05）. In the Bian-shi group， PSQI scores were more significantly decreased than those in the western medicine group （all P < 0.05）. After 30 d treatment， serum levels of melatonin and acetylcholine were significantly higher， whereas norepinephrine levels were significantly lower than those before treatment in two groups （all P < 0.05）. In the Bian-shi group， serum levels of melatonin and acetylcholine were significantly higher， whereas norepinephrine levels were significantly lower compared with those in the western medicine group （all P < 0.05）. Conclusions Bian-shi therapy can effectively improve the sleep quality of young and middle-aged patients with chronic insomnia， which yields higher clinical efficacy than that of zopiclone tablets. Multiple neurotransmitters may be involved in the mechanism of Bian-shi therapy to mitigate chronic insomnia symptoms

Selective quantum Zeno effect of ultracold atom-molecule scattering in dynamic magnetic fields

We demonstrated that final states of ultracold scattering between atom and molecule can be selectively produced using dynamic magnetic fields of multiple frequencies. The mechanism of the dynamic magnetic field control is based on a generalized quantum Zeno effect for the selected scattering channels. In particular, we use an atom-molecule spin flip scattering to show that the transition to the selected final spin projection of the molecule in the inelastic scattering can be suppressed by dynamic modulation of coupling between the Floquet engineered initial and final states

The radiative association of PO/PH+ and the photodissociation of PH+

The potential energy curves (PECs) and transition dipole moments (TDMs) of PH+ and PO are computed with the multireference configuration interaction method, and the cross-sections for the radiative association (RA) of PH+ and PO, which is the most efficient way to form the ground states, are presented via the quantum mechanical (QM) theory and computed using ab initio molecular data. The thermal rate coefficients are also expressed and fitted with the standard formula kT=AT300αe−βT in the range of 10 K–15,000 K. Meanwhile, the photodissociation, that is the inverse process of RA for PH+, is also studied, including eight photodissociation channels for the computation of state-resolved cross-sections. Careful comparisons with the Leiden Observatory database are made. Considering the cross-sections mentioned above, the local thermodynamic equilibrium cross-sections at the temperatures of 0, 500, 1,000, and 2,000 K are also shown. We expect the results to be helpful for studies of phosphorus chemistry in the interstellar medium and planetary atmospheres

The potential mechanism of Aidi injection against neuroblastoma—an investigation based on network pharmacology analysis

Background: Aidi injection, a classic traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula, has been used on a broader scale in treating a variety of cancers. In this study, we aimed to explore the potential anti-tumor effects of Aidi injection in the treatment of neuroblastoma (NB) using network pharmacology (NP).Methods: To elucidate the anti-NB mechanism of Aidi injection, an NP-based approach and molecular docking validation were employed. The compounds and target genes were collected from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology (TCMSP) database and Bioinformatics Analysis Tool for Molecular mechANism of Traditional Chinese Medicine (BATMAN-TCM) database. The protein–protein interaction network was constructed using the STRING database. clusterProfiler (R package) was utilized to annotate the bioinformatics of hub target genes. The gene survival analysis was performed on R2, a web-based genomic analysis application. iGEMDOCK was used for molecular docking validation, and GROMACS was utilized to validate molecular docking results. Furthermore, we investigated the anticancer effects of gomisin B and ginsenoside Rh2 on human NB cells using a cell viability assay. The Western blot assay was used to validate the protein levels of target genes in gomisin B- and ginsenoside Rh2-treated NB cells.Results: A total of 2 critical compounds with 16 hub target genes were identified for treating NB. All 16 hub genes could potentially influence the survival of NB patients. The top three genes (EGFR, ESR1, and MAPK1) were considered the central hub genes from the drug–compound–hub target gene–pathway network. The endocrine resistance and estrogen signaling pathways were identified as the therapeutic pathways using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis. Gomisin B and ginsenoside Rh2 showed a good binding ability to the target protein in molecular docking. The results of cell experiments showed the anti-NB effect of gomisin B and ginsenoside Rh2. In addition, the administration of gomisin B over-regulated the expression of ESR1 protein in MYCN-amplified NB cells.Conclusion: In the present study, we investigated the potential pharmacological mechanisms of Aidi against NB and revealed the anti-NB effect of gomisin B, providing clinical evidence of Aidi in treating NB and establishing baselines for further research

Development - temperature relationship and temperature dependent parameters of German cockroach, Blattella germanica L.

German cockroach, Blattella germanica L., is one of the most health pests around the world. Development-temperature relationship and temperature-dependent parameters of B. germanica were determined in present study. The experiment was conducted in the incubators with five constant air temperatures, 23, 28, 31, 36, and 40 ℃. The photoperiod of 16 h light / 8 h dark and the relative humidity of 74%-76% were fixed for all incubators. Three replicates were set for each temperature. Based on linear regression equations, the estimated starting temperature for development of 1st to 5th instar nymphs of B. germanica is 14.26±3.157, 13.70±2.284, 14.59±3.575, 16.58±2.398, and 18.47±1.442 ℃, respectively. The estimated effective accumulated temperature of 1st to 5th instar nymphs is 99.18±19.68, 97.01±13.47, 92.06±21.17, 80.26±9.784, and 64.06±9.784 d ℃ (day degrees), respectively. B. germanica had the highest survivorship and hatching rate, and the least instars for eclosion and hatching time, around 31 ℃, which is the optimum temperature range for development and survival of B. germanica. B. germanica could not survive at 40 ℃. Even at 36 ℃, all eclosed adults had vestigial wings and could not normally mate and reproduce