The process mechanism and current application status of boron removal in reverse osmosis(RO)desalination were introduced.The characteristic and proper application range of eachboron removal process was summarized.Also,the running conditions of two practical desalination cases were analyzed and compared.Eventually,the future of application and the research direction of boron removal process in RO desalination were prospected.

BACKGROUND:Longbie Capsule has satisfactory outcomes in the treatment of osteoarthritis, but its mechanism is stil unclear.
OBJECTIVE:To study the effect of Longbie Capsule on proliferation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cel s. METHODS:The bone marrow mesenchymal stem cel s from SD rats were separated and expanded by whole adherence culture, then subcultured and confirmed by morphological observation and flow cytometry. Passage 4 cel s were cultured in complete media containing 5 g/L, 1 g/L, 250 mg/L, 50 mg/L, 10 mg/L Longbie Capsule, respectively, for 24 hours. Then, MTT assay was used to detect cel viability.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The primary cel s were adherent cel s characterized by irregular shape, passage 2 cel s were typical y fibrous-shaped, passage 3 cel s grew in long fibrous and swirl-type shape. Passage 4 cel s were strongly positive for CD29 and CD90, positive for CD44, and negative for CD34 and CD45. 5 g/L and 1 g/L Longbie Capsule promoted the proliferation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cel s. These findings indicate that Longbie Capsule may promote the proliferation and differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cel s, thereby playing a therapeutic effect on osteoarthritis.

Objective To develop an early-warning indicator system of brucellosis outbreak. Methods The methods of literature review and expert discussion were used to formulate the initiatory framework and indicators, and then Delphi method was used to filter indicators, discuss the boundary of indicators and determine the weighting coefficient. Results The average length of service provided by experts who engaged in prevention and control of brucellosis was (25.10 ± 8.80) years and the positive coefficient of the consultant experts of the two-round results were 95% and 68%, respectively. Kendall coefficients were 0.35, 0.54 and X2R value were 81.31 and 285.27, respectively and P value was all less than 0.01. Five first-level indicators(the host animal, high-risk groups,social environment, index case and the level of previous disease) and 13 secondary indicators were selected to develop the early-warning indicator system of brucellosis outbreak. The weight coefficients of the five first-level indicators were 0.21, 0.22, 0.17, 0.21 and 0.19, respectively. Conclusions The early-waming indicator system of brucellosis outbreak is initially established. We propose to develop the early-warning programs according to local conditions and the indicator system.

The herbs used as the material for traditional Chinese medicine are mostly planted at mountain areas where there is appropriate weather condition. Due to the complex terrain condition in mountain area, the planting at such places is always associated with a scattered pattern, which inevitably bring difficulty to the work of accurate measurement for the planting area. Advanced research about monitoring the planting area for medicine-herb under complex environmental condition is so critical and meaningful for developing the medicine-herb planting to a large scale and an industry. Therefore, this research, taking the planting of Herpetospermum pedunculosum in Luding county as an example, utilizes RS&GIS: using the image data from TM and ETM datum as the remote sensing information source, integrating GPS data from quadrat survey on the spots, and analyzing on a GIS platform, to extract the planting area of H. pedunculosum in Luding county. The results indicate that: (1) the method and technology used to estimate the planting area of H. pedunculosum are feasible and can be applied to monitoring the planting area of medicine-herb at mountain area under complex environmental conditions: (2) the planting area of H. pedunculosum in Luding county is estimated to be 857. 246 acres by the methods utilized in this research, which is closed to the value from local statistical data with an error range less than 5%; (3) in consideration of those inevitable errorrs generating from the procedures such as remote sensing data acquisition, data preprocessing, data interpretation, and so on, and the fact that the classification of remote sensing data, which must be implemented by those above procedures, was used directly to extract the herb type, the accuracy of area estimation for the herb is significantly influenced by the accuracy of classification for herb type, and the estimated area is inevitably associated with some error.
China ; Cucurbitaceae ; chemistry ; growth & development ; Geographic Information Systems ; Medicine, Tibetan Traditional ; Remote Sensing Technology ; methods

OBJECTIVETo investigate the efficacy and action mechanism of Shengjing Tablets in the treatment liquefaction.

METHODSWe randomly assigned 150 patients with semen non-liquefaction to receive Shengjing Tablets group, n = 100) and vitamin E capsules (control group, n = 50) for 2 courses of 45 days each, followed by observation liquefaction time and other semen parameters.

RESULTSAfter the first course, 68 of the patients in the treatment group 20 responded and 12 failed to respond; and after the second course, 84 were cured, 9 responded and 7 failed to respond, effective rate of 93.0%. In comparison, only 8 of the controls were cured, 8 responded and 34 failed to respond after medication. There were statistically significant differences between the two groups (P < 0.01). Meanwhile, the treatment showed obvious improvement in sperm motility and concentration.

CONCLUSIONShengjing Tablets may shorten the time liquefaction, and can be used as a safe and effective therapy for semen non-liquefaction.

Adult ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Male ; Phytotherapy ; Semen ; Sperm Count ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) manifestations of sellar region of children and adolescents with pituitary stalk interruption syndrome (PSIS).

METHODSThirty-one PSIS cases were selected from February 2001 to August 2010 in Peking Union Medical College Hospital. MRI images were collected to calculate the volume and coronary area of the pituitary based on its measured height, width, and anteroposterior diameter. The results of the measurement were retrospectively analyzed together with clinical data.

RESULTSThe patients in this study included 28 males and 3 females, aged 16.5∓3.8 years (range, 6~25 years). MRI images showed pituitary stalk rupture associated with ectopic posterior pituitary in 16 cases, significantly thinner or unclear pituitary stalk in 15 cases, in which 7 cases were found with vacuole turcica. All the 31 patients presented with reduced pituitary volume and dysfunction of anterior pituitary.

CONCLUSIONPSIS may show pituitary stalk interruption with ectopic posterior, thinning or unclear of pituitary stalk, and with a variety of anterior pituitary hormone deficiency.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Hypopituitarism ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Pituitary Gland ; pathology ; Retrospective Studies ; Sella Turcica ; pathology ; Young Adult

Virtual reality technology can simulate the real scene. It provides an ideal learning materials and the en-vironment as well as make up for the disadvantage of current medical education without the constraints of time and space constraints. It will not only improve clinical conditions and clinical treatment,but also promote the develop-ment of medicine. This article aims to introduce and evaluate the application and research of virtual reality in the medical field.

Objective To analyze the initial treatment strategies, blood glucose control and reaching standard status of newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in the middle-aged and elderly. Methods The 771 patients diagnosed with T2DM newly or within one year, aged 50-70 years, selected from Chinese Diabetes Complication Prevention Study (CDCPS) were enrolled in this study. The correlations of initial treatment strategies with blood glucose control (target value of glycated hemoglobin was less than 7.0%) and reaching standard status were analyzed retrospectively. Based on the same lifestyle intervention, the therapy was further divided into group A (without medication), group B (single oral hypoglycemic agent), group C (combined oral hypoglycemic agents), group D (treatment including insulin). Results Although receiving the different treatments, the 771 patients had a similar mean glycated hemoglobin level, from 7.2% to 7.7%, among the four kinds of intervention before entering the study. The increased intensity and complexity after therapy adjustment along with the increased glycated hemoglobin level was observed at baseline. The corresponding relationships between medication and HbA1c were as follow: without medication-6.1%, single oral hypoglycemic agent-7.2%, combined oral hypoglycemic agents-7.7%, treatment including insulin-9.2%. After 20 months of follow-up, the mean fasting glucose and glycated hemoglobin were 6.6 mmol/L and 6.2%, separately. According to the target glycated hemoglobin level of less than 7.0%, all four-kinds of therapies had high achievement rates, which were all above 80% except that was 63.2% in group D. Sulphonylurea and biguanide as initial single oral hypoglycemic agent therapy had the similar effectiveness on glucose control and target glycated hemoglobin achievement. Conclusions According to the levels of glucose and glycated hemoglobin, multiple individual therapies should be enacted at the beginning of treatment. The strategy mainly based on sulphanylurea and biguanide is proved to be persistently effective in newly-diagnosed middle-aged and elderly diabetic patients in China.

OBJECTIVETo observe the clinical manifestations of bullous retinal detachment and analyze the etiological factors.

METHODSA retrospective analysis of the clinical data was conducted in 22 patients with multifocal retinal pigment epitheliopathy (DRPE) and big bullous retinal detachment (BBRD), who were admitted between 2003 and 2008 in Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center with the diagnoses established by ocular fundus examination, fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA) and/or indocyanine green angiography (ICGA).

RESULTSThe patients included 15 men (68%) and 7 women (32%), with a mean age at the initial visit of 42 years, ranging from 25 to 64 years. Four patients (18%) received previously systemic corticosteroid therapy, and 2 of them used corticosteroids before retina detachment, 1 suffered progression of retinal detachment after corticosteroid therapy, and the other developed retinal detachment in the healthy eye during the therapy. Multifocal bullous retinal detachment was diagnosed as diffuse pigment epitheliopathy (DRPE) in 9 cases. Most of the 13 cases of big bullous retinal detachment had poor vision after operation and laser therapy.

CONCLUSIONBullous retinal detachment occurs most frequently in mid-life and more often in men than women. Abnormal retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and hyperpermeability of the choroid vessels are associated with its occurrence. Systemic corticosteroid therapy and mental stress may induce and aggravate this disease. Early medication and laser therapy are effective, and surgical intervention may save only part of the vision in advanced cases.

Adult ; Female ; Fundus Oculi ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retinal Detachment ; diagnosis ; etiology ; pathology ; therapy ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVETo investigate the role of the TEKT4 protein in the pathogenesis of idiopathic asthenozoospermia.

METHODSWe separated and purified the ejaculated sperm from idiopathic asthenozoospermia patients and normozoospermic men by Percoll discontinuous density gradients, and detected the distribution and the expressions of TEKT4 mRNA and TEKT4 protein by RT-PCR and Western blot.

RESULTSRT-PCR revealed that the expression of TEKT4 mRNA was significantly lower in the sperm of the idiopathic asthenozoospermia patients than in those of the normozoospermic men (0.59 +/- 0.13 vs 0.75 +/- 0.15, t = 4.325, P < 0.05), and Western blot confirmed the results of RT-PCR (0.48 +/- 0.14 vs 0.69 +/- 0.13, t = 5.939, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe expression of TEKT4 is significantly decreased in the ejaculated sperm of idiopathic asthenozoospermia patients, which might be one of the causes of idiopathic asthenozoospermia.

Adult ; Asthenozoospermia ; metabolism ; Blotting, Western ; Case-Control Studies ; Cytoskeletal Proteins ; metabolism ; Humans ; Male ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Sperm Motility ; Spermatozoa ; metabolism