Huang‐Qi (Astragali Radix) is an herbal tonic widely used in China and many other countries. It is derived from the roots of Astragalus membranaceus and A. membranaceus var. mongholicus and shows ...potent cardiovascular protective effects. In this article, we comprehensively reviewed 189 small molecules isolated from the two Astragalus species and discussed the interspecies chemical differences. Moreover, we summarized the pharmacological activities and mechanisms of action of Huang‐Qi and its major bioactive compounds for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. This review covers 171 references published between February 1983 and March 2020.
In the paper, the authors survey integral representations of the Catalan numbers and the Catalan–Qi function, discuss equivalent relations between these integral representations, supply alternative ...and new proofs of several integral representations, collect applications of some integral representations, and present sums of several power series whose coefficients involve the Catalan numbers.
Picolinamide fungicides, structurally related to UK-2A and antimycin-A, bind into the Qi-site in the bc1 complex. However, the detailed binding mode of picolinamide fungicides remains unknown. In the ...present study, antimycin-A and UK-2A were selected to study the binding mode of picolinamide inhibitors with four protonation states in the Qi-site by integrating molecular dynamics simulation, molecular docking, and molecular mechanics Generalized Born surface area (MM/GBSA) calculations. Subsequently, a series of new picolinamide derivatives were designed and synthesized to further understand the effects of substituents on the tail phenyl ring. The computational results indicated that the substituted aromatic rings in antimycin-A and UK-2A were the pharmacophore fragments and made the primary contribution when bound to a protein. Compound 9g-hydrolysis formed H-bonds with Hie201 and Ash228 and showed an IC50 value of 6.05 ± 0.24 μM against the porcine bc1 complex. Compound 9c, with a simpler chemical structure, showed higher control effects than florylpicoxamid against cucumber downy mildew and expanded the fungicidal spectrum of picolinamide fungicides. The structural and mechanistic insights obtained from the present study will provide a valuable clue for the future designing of new promising Qi-site inhibitors.
In elderly people, physical activity and cognitive function deteriorate due to events such as cerebrocardiovascular disease, infectious diseases, and bone fractures, resulting in decreased quality ...of life (QOL) and increased burden on caregivers. This time, hochuekkito was administered to 5 elderly patients who were at risk of worsening sarcopenia frail due to various events, and rehabilitation was used as appropriate, and the course was observed for about 3 years. In all cases, physical activity was improved, maintained, and cognitive decline was suppressed, and a healthy life was possible. From the viewpoint of improving health and longevity, the usefulness of hochuekkito for the elderly was suggested in the future.
This book focuses on the work of Qi Gong, Lectures of Master Qi Gong on Literature; it presents, for the first time in English translation, important lectures on Chinese literature by the master, ...translated by XIANG Dong. This book presents fifteen lectures, ranging across Chinese literature. It covers literature of the Tang Dynasty, eight-part essays, composition in classical poetry, verse and prose of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and Shu Mu Wen Da or Questions and Answers about Reading
Surgeons play a crucial role in preventing harm and contributing to the safety culture of their institutions. External safety data programs are designed to review adverse events and provide ...performance benchmarks to ameliorate future adverse events. The extent to which pediatric surgeons are aware of these programs, utilize data from these programs, and believe that they improve patient safety, is unknown.
A cross-sectional survey of the American Pediatric Surgical Association membership was conducted to evaluate participation in and attitudes toward national safety benchmark programs (eg, National Surgical Quality Improvement Program). Surgeons' perceptions of these activities, including barriers to participation and utilization of safety data, were measured. We performed standard frequency analyses and tests of associations between surgeon characteristics and the likelihood of utilizing safety data.
The response rate was 38% (353/928). Seventy-two percentage of respondents reported institutional participation in external safety benchmark programs. Of those, only 68% utilized data to improve or monitor patient safety. Surgeon-reported barriers to this process included lack of knowledge, time, and institutional resources.
Many pediatric surgeons are aware of institutional participation in external safety data programs, but only a portion are involved in the utilization of these data. We have identified several barriers to participation and data utilization. These findings can help direct educational efforts to optimize our ability to learn from adverse event benchmarking and improve pediatric surgical care.
Bu-Zhong-Yi-Qi-Tang is a famous traditional Chinese medicine formula that has been prevalent in China for over 700 years to treat spleen-qi deficiency related diseases, such as gastrointestinal and ...respiratory disorders. However, the bioactive components responsible for regulating spleen-qi deficiency remain unclear and have puzzled many researchers.
The current study focuses on efficacy evaluation of regulating spleen-qi deficiency and screening the bioactive components of Bu-Zhong-Yi-Qi-Tang.
The effects of Bu-Zhong-Yi-Qi-Tang were evaluated through blood routine examination, immune organ index, and biochemical analysis. Metabolomics was utilized to analyze the potential endogenous biomarkers (endobiotics) in the plasma, and the prototypes (xenobiotics) of Bu-Zhong-Yi-Qi-Tang in the bio-samples were characterized using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry. Then, these endobiotics were used as “bait” to predict targets based on network pharmacology and to screen potential bioactive components from the absorbed prototypes in the plasma by constructing an “endobiotics-targets-xenobiotics” association network. Further, the anti-inflammatory activities of representative compounds (calycosin and nobiletin) were validated through poly(I:C)-induced pulmonary inflammation mice model.
Bu-Zhong-Yi-Qi-Tang exhibited immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory activities in spleen-qi deficiency rat, as supported by the observation of increased levels of D-xylose and gastrin in serum, an increase in the thymus index and number of lymphocytes in blood, as well as a reduction in the level of IL-6 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Furthermore, plasma metabolomic analysis revealed a total of 36 Bu-Zhong-Yi-Qi-Tang related endobiotics, which were mainly enriched in primary bile acids biosynthesis, the metabolism of linoleic acid, and the metabolism of phenylalanine pathways. Meanwhile, 95 xenobiotics were characterized in plasma, urine, small intestinal contents, and tissues of spleen-qi deficiency rat after Bu-Zhong-Yi-Qi-Tang treatment. Using an integrated association network, six potential bioactive components of Bu-Zhong-Yi-Qi-Tang were screened. Among them, calycosin was found to significantly reduce the levels of IL-6 and TNF-α in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, increase the number of lymphocytes, while nobiletin dramatically decreased the levels of CXCL10, TNF-α, GM-CSF, and IL-6.
Our study proposed an available strategy for screening bioactive components of BYZQT regulating spleen-qi deficiency based on “endobiotics-targets-xenobiotics” association network.
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•A strategy was proposed for screening bioactive components of Bu-Zhong-Yi-Qi-Tang.•Bu-Zhong-Yi-Qi-Tang showed restorative effect on spleen-qi deficiency rat.•Six potential bioactive components of Bu-Zhong-Yi-Qi-Tang were screened out.•Nobiletin and calycosin have been verified with in vivo activity.
Three south-London hospital trusts undertook a feasibility study, comparing data from 93 patients who received the 14-day adhesive ambulatory electrocardiography (ECG) patch Zio XT with retrospective ...data from 125 patients referred for 24-hour Holter for cryptogenic stroke and transient ischaemic attack following negative 12-lead ECG. As the ECG patch was fitted the same day as the clinical decision for ambulatory ECG monitoring was made, median time to the patient having the monitor fitted was significantly reduced in all three hospital trusts compared with 24-hour Holter being ordered and fitted. Hospital visits reduced by a median of two for patients receiving Zio XT. This project supports that it is feasible to use a patch as part of routine clinical care with a positive impact on care pathways.
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