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AIMS To evaluate the changes of serum cytokines levels after fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) in patients with active ulcerative colitis (UC) and the correlation with UC disease activity. METHODS Patients with active UC who meet the inclusion and exclusion criteria were recruited, and received FMT from a single donor for three times with an interval of 2-3 months. Serum samples were collected before every FMT. Clinical responses to FMT were assessed according to the criteria of Mayo score. 41 serum cytokines, C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) were quantitatively detected. Changes in serum cytokines levels after FMT and their correlation with CRP, ESR and Mayo scores were investigated. RESULTS 16 active UC patients were enrolled, and 14(87.5%) patients achieved clinical response to FMT. Compared with those before FMT, serum concentrations of IL-1Ra, IL-6, IP-10 and ENA-78 decreased significantly after the second FMT (P

BACKGROUND This study aimed to discover the common cause of non-variceal upper-gastrointestinal bleeding (NVUGIB) by conducting a multi-center retrospective study from 2008 to 2012. MATERIAL AND METHODS Hospitalized patients ages ≥18 years old, from 8 hospitals in China, diagnosed with NVUGIB by endoscopy from 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2012 were enrolled. Questionnaires were developed and a data-entry graphical user interface was designed by using EpiData software. RESULTS Total of 2977 hospitalized patients from 8 medical centers were included. A total of 95.47% (2842/2977) of patients were admitted to a general ward, 3.53% (105/2977) were admitted to an emergency ward, and 1.00% (31/2977) were admitted to an intensive care unit. Peptic ulcer remained the most common cause of NVUGIB (73.26%), but there was a declining trend in its constituent ratio, from 2008 to 2012. A total of 14.41% (429/2977) of patients had co-morbid conditions, 92.85% (2764/2977) used proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) prior to endoscopic treatment, 19.65% (585/2977) underwent emergency endoscopy, and 23.45% (698/2977) received a transfusion of red blood cell suspensions. A total of 5.34% (159/2977) underwent endoscopic therapy, with a treatment rate of 16.9% in high-risk peptic ulcer patients (96/568). A total of 7.69% (237/2977) were administered aspirin, of whom 32.50% (77/237) resumed aspirin intake after gastrointestinal bleeding was controlled. The median length of hospitalization was 8 days (IQR, 5-11) and the mortality rate was 1.71% (51/2977). CONCLUSIONS Peptic ulcer was still the most common cause of NVUGIB in China. The proportion of patients with high-risk peptic ulcer bleeding who received endoscopic therapy was 16.9%. Only 19.65% of NVUGIB patients underwent emergency endoscopy.

BACKGROUND Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) causes joint pain and limited mobility, which affects the quality of life. The use of Chinese herbal medicine to treat KOA has achieved certain effects, and Wutou decoction (WTD) is one of them. But there is no high-level evidence to support this result. The purpose of this work is to evaluate WTD's efficacy and safety in the management of KOA. METHODS We will search articles in 7 electronic databases including Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Data (WF), Chinese Scientific Journals Database (VIP), Chinese databases SinoMed (CBM), PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases. All the publications, with no time restrictions, will be searched without any restriction of language and status, the time from the establishment of the database to September 2020. Two reviewers will independently assess the quality of the selected studies, NoteExpress and Excel software will be used to extract data, and the content will be stored in an electronic chart. Different researchers will separately screen the titles and abstracts of records acquired potential eligibility which comes from the electronic databases. Full-text screening and data extraction will be conducted afterward independently. Statistical analysis will be conducted using RevMan 5.4 software. RESULTS This study will evaluate the current efficacy and safety of WTD in the treatment of KOA, to provide high-quality, evidence-based clinical recommendations. CONCLUSION This study will provide reliable evidence on whether WTD is safe and effective in treating KOA. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER INPLASY202090022.

Hypoglycemic activity-guided separation of ethanol extracts from the fruits of Cornus officinalis Sieb. et Zucc (CO) led to the isolation of loganin, morroniside, and ursolic acid. The antidiabetic capacity of CO extracts and related compounds was further investigated in diabetes mellitus mice. The results suggested that both CO extracts and pure compounds could ameliorate diabetes-associated damages and complications. Oral administration of loganin and morroniside decreased fasting blood glucose levels in diabetes mellitus mice. Ursolic acid exhibited the highest reactive oxygen species scavenging activity and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. Notably, we noticed an interesting synergistic effect between loganin and ursolic acid. Given these favorable hypoglycemic properties, C. officinalis, a food and medicinal plant in China, may be used as a valuable food supplement for the treatment of diabetes mellitus.

We present the design and fabrication approach of a rugate narrow band minus filter. A method for the fabrication of graded-index coatings by rapidly alternating deposition of low (SiO2) and high (Al2O3) refractive index materials is introduced, and this technology was used to fabricate a rugate structure. This paper mainly discusses about rugate narrow band minus filter design and fabrication approach. The experimental results show the measured transmittance spectra are in good agreement with the designed value. The laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT) of the narrow band rugate minus filter is measured.

A fully integrated cross-coupled digital controlled LC tank voltage-controlled oscillator (LC-VCO) is proposed to achieve a low phase noise, the LC_VCO receives the external n-bits control words FTRIM to control the capacitors switches and change LC-tank shunt capacitors, thus changes the tuning range of LC_VCO. Meanwhile the LC_VCO receives the external k-bits control words KVCO to control the varactors switches and led to the change of voltage control sensitivity. The digital controlled oscillator based on the proposed topology is simulated and verified by the standard SMIC 0.13um CMOS technology. The simulation gave a phase noise of -125.3dBc/Hz at 1 MHz, the entire circuit consumes the current is only 2.98mA under a 1.2 V supply.

We analyze consumer upgrade behavior through the theories of inertia and learning effect. The mobile usage behavior from 3G upgrade to 4G in Taiwan is suitable for our study and we obtain the real data set from one telecom service provider in Taiwan. We find the impact of inertia makes consumer keep same behavior in voice usage. The learning effect lead consumer gradually used more data usage and decrease voice usage.

Background. To demonstrate the clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug- (NSAID-) induced diaphragm disease (DD).Methods. A literature search between January 1973 and August 2015 was undertaken. The clinical data of patients with NSAID-induced DD were recorded and analyzed.Results. 159 patients were included. The ratio of male to female was 1 : 2.3; the mean age was65±11years. The most common clinical manifestations were gastrointestinal bleeding and obstruction. 121 (84%) patients took traditional NSAIDs. The durations of NSAIDs use ranged from 2 to 300 months. A majority (59.7%) of DD were seen in the small bowel, were seen secondly in the colon (30.2%), and were mainly located in the ileum (57.9%) and right colon (91.7%), respectively. 80% of patients had multiple diaphragms. 41.5% of small bowel DD were diagnosed preoperatively by capsule endoscopy and/or double-balloon enteroscopy, 52.1% at laparotomy. Nearly 75% of patients underwent surgery, endoscopic balloon dilation was performed in 22 patients, and NSAIDs were withdrawn in 53 patients.Conclusions. NSAID-induced DD is relatively rare. The small bowel is most commonly involved. Preoperative diagnosis of small bowel DD is relatively difficult. Discontinuation of the NSAIDs is recommended, surgical resection is the main treatment presently, and endoscopic balloon dilation should be considered as an alternative therapy.

In order to properly simulate bolted joints and make the numerical modes as accurate as possible, this paper is focused on modeling methods for dealing with bolt connection structures composed of two sheets. Six methods are presented to establish the FE models using different element types(8-node brick elements and 4-node shell elements) and different constraints (such as contact interaction and coupling constraint). The models are solved in ABAQUS software and natural frequencies and vibration shapes are obtained. Then, the experiments of bolt fastening structures are performed and FE simulation results are compared with the experimental ones. Moreover, the methods which agree well with the experiments are selected as the FE model of bolted connection. Finally, the element layers in the through-thickness direction are discussed. FE models built in this paper can reflect the real situation of bolted joints and provide significant reference to FE analysis for the complex system connected by bolts.

This study compared proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and histamine H2 receptor antagonists (H2RAs) for prevention of low-dose aspirin (LDA)-related gastrointestinal (GI) erosion, ulcer and bleeding. Electronic databases including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, and WanFang Data were searched from the date of their establishment to December 31, 2013. Randomized controlled trials comparing PPIs and H2RAs for prevention of GI injury associated with low-dose aspirin (LDA) were collected. Two reviewers independently abstracted studies and patient characteristics and appraised study quality using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.1 software. We included nine RCTs involving 1047 patients. The meta-analysis showed that PPIs were superior to H2RAs for prevention of LDA-associated GI erosion/ulcer [odds ratio (OR=0.28, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.16-0.50] and bleeding (OR=0.28, 95% CI: 0.14-0.59). In conclusion, PPIs were superior to H2RAs for prevention of LDA-related GI erosion/ulcer and bleeding. Higher quality, large, multicenter RCTs are needed to demonstrate the preventive effect of the two acid-suppressive drugs.

AIM: To determine the preventive effect and safety of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) in low-dose aspirin (LDA)-associated gastrointestinal (GI) ulcers and bleeding. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register from inception to December 2013, and checked conference abstracts of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the effect of PPIs in reducing adverse GI events (hemorrhage, ulcer, perforation, or obstruction) in patients taking LDA. The preventive effects of PPIs were compared with the control group [taking placebo, a cytoprotective agent, or an H2 receptor antagonist (H2RA)] in LDA-associated upper GI injuries. The meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.1 software. RESULTS: We evaluated 8780 participants in 10 RCTs. The meta-analysis showed that PPIs decreased the risk of LDA-associated upper GI ulcers (OR = 0.16; 95%CI: 0.12-0.23) and bleeding (OR = 0.27; 95%CI: 0.16-0.43) compared with control. For patients treated with dual anti-platelet therapy of LDA and clopidogrel, PPIs were able to prevent the LDA-associated GI bleeding (OR = 0.36; 95%CI: 0.15-0.87) without increasing the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) (OR = 1.00; 95%CI: 0.76-1.31). PPIs were superior to H2RA in prevention of LDA-associated GI ulcers (OR = 0.12; 95%CI: 0.02-0.65) and bleeding (OR = 0.32; 95%CI: 0.13-0.79). CONCLUSION: PPIs are effective in preventing LDA-associated upper GI ulcers and bleeding. Concomitant use of PPI, LDA and clopidogrel did not increase the risk of MACE.

The aim of this study was to investigated the pharmacological activities and safety of fibrous root of Rhizoma Coptidis (FRC). FRC not only protected Kunming mice from the minimal lethal dose of Escherichia coli, but also protected rabbits from hyperpyrexia induced by lipopolysaccharid (LPS). The acute toxicity study showed that oral medial lethal dose (LD50) of FRC was greater than 7000mg/kg body weight in Kunming mice. The sub-chronic toxicity study showed that the no-observed-adverse effect level (NOAEL) of FRC was 1.88g/kg body weight in Sprague-Dawley rats, whereas FRC at higher dose (3.76g/kg body weight) resulted in damage to liver and lung. Negative results were present in Ames test, mouse micronucleus test and mouse sperm abnormality test. These finding support the use of FRC in veterinary medicine.