Objective To explore the prognostic value of pediatric critical illness score(PCIS)and pediatric risk of mortality score(PRISMⅢ)and the accuracy for evaluating the state of children with acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS).Methods Seventy-one cases hospitalized children from 29 days to 14 years old of Hebei ARDS cooperation group were selected during the 13 months between 2005 and 2006.All cases were confirmed according to ARDS diagnostic standard.For prospective studies,the patients were scored simultaneously with PCIS and PRISMⅢ at different times:when the patients entered PICU,when the patients were in the worst situation in PICU,when the patients were diagnosed as ARDS and when ARDS was serious.The data were performed by using Logistic regression etc.Results Values of Logistic regression were P

Functional constipation (FC) is a common functional bowel disorder disease that affects life quality of a large number of people. This study aimed to explore the impact of different intensities of electro-acupuncture (EA) treatment for FC patients. Totally, 111 patients with FC meeting the Rome III criteria were randomly assigned to different intensities of EA groups (low and high intensity of EA groups) and medicine-controlled (MC) group. In EA groups, patients were treated with EA at quchi (LI11) and shangjuxu (ST37) bilaterally for 4 weeks, 5 times/week in the first 2 weeks, and 3 times/week in the last 2 weeks. In MC group, 5 mg mosapride citrate was administered orally 3 times/day for 4 weeks. Spontaneous bowel movement frequency each day was recorded using a constipation diary. Self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) and self-rating depression scale (SDS) were used to assess the patients' psychological state. Cortisol (CORT), substance P (SP), and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) were evaluated at baseline and at the end of 4 weeks after treatment. As compared with the baseline, there was statistically significant increase in stool frequency every week (P<0.01), but there was no statistically significant difference among the three groups. As compared with the baseline, after 4 weeks of EA therapy, the scores of SDS and serum levels of CORT were decreased significantly in low intensity of EA group (P<0.01), and the serum levels of SP and VIP were increased significantly (P<0.05); the scores of SAS and SDS and serum levels of CORT were decreased significantly in high intensity of EA group (P<0.05), and the serum levels of SP and VIP were increased significantly (P<0.05); the serum levels of CORT and VIP were increased significantly in MC group (P<0.05). As compared with MC group, after 4 weeks of treatment, the serum levels of SP were signifcicantly increased in low intensity of EA group (P<0.01). Low and high intensities of EA could increase the stool frequency, improve the FC patient's anxiety and depression, reduce the serum levels of CORT, and increase the serum levels of SP and VIP effectively. It is concluded that both low and high intensities of EA are effective for FC patients, but there is no significant difference between the low and high intensities of EA.

To efficiently protect the endangered traditional Chinese medicine herbs is essential for the sustainable development of traditional Chinese medicine. On the bases of present species endanger and protection levels, problems in the traditional Chinese medicine herbs are analyzed. The endangered levels of traditional Chinese medicine herbs should refer to the standard of IUCN, and the protection levels should adopt qualitative and quantitative analysis based on the characteristic of traditional Chinese medicine herbs. Some qualitative and quantitative factors are discussed, some useful information was also provided for the establishment of protection levels of traditional Chinese medicine herbs.
Conservation of Natural Resources ; Ecosystem ; Pharmacognosy ; standards ; Plants, Medicinal

OBJECTIVETo explore a new molecular method to authenticate Radix Trichosanthis.

METHODThree 20 mer primers based on the ITS sequence was designed. The PCR reaction system was optimized and applied to nineteen different sources of Radix Trichosanthis and nine adulterants and substitutes.

RESULTPolymorphic map of Radix Trichosanthis and its adulterants was obtained from primer TKS1-64. 560 bp and 960 bp bands were authentic markers for Radix Trichosanthis.

CONCLUSIONPrimer TKS1-64F possesses the advantages of good stability and reproducibility. This new method is named as anchored primer amplification polymorphism DNA(APAPD). It was a potential method to used in molecular identification of other meteria medica.

DNA Primers ; DNA, Plant ; genetics ; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer ; Drug Contamination ; prevention & control ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique ; methods ; Reproducibility of Results ; Trichosanthes ; chemistry ; classification ; genetics ; Trichosanthin ; genetics ; isolation & purification

OBJECTIVESearching and identifying SNP in Panax species and using multiplex allele-specific PCR (MAS-PCR) to authenticate P. ginseng and P. quenquefolium.

METHODBased on genbank database of Panax species, using DNAMAN to align the sequences, identify SNP of P. ginseng and P. quenquefolium. Design allele-specific primers for P. ginseng and P. quenquefolium, optimize the PCR reaction system including the usage amount of Taq, dNTP, primer, etc. Optimized system was performed with the total DNA of 20 different sources of P. ginseng and P. quenquefolium.

RESULTWhen the annealing temperature was 66 'C, the template DNA of P. ginseng could be amplified 249 bp band whereas P. quenquefolium amplified 1 049 bp band.

CONCLUSIONThe MAS-PCR have the advantages of highly specific, good reproducibility and could be identify P. ginseng and P. quenquefolium in the same PCR tube. It was a potential method to use in the molecular identification of other meteria medica.

Alleles ; DNA Primers ; DNA, Plant ; genetics ; Genetic Markers ; Panax ; classification ; genetics ; Plant Roots ; genetics ; Plants, Medicinal ; classification ; genetics ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Reproducibility of Results ; Species Specificity

OBJECTIVETo determine the genetic diversity of Eucommia ulmoides.

METHOD260 samples of 20 populations were analyzed through radom amplified polymorphic DHA (RAPD).

RESULTTotal polymorphic loci percentage was 96.36 and the average was 38.92. 110 bands were produced with 10 random primers and 106 were polymorphic. Nei's gene diversity (H) was 0.246 1, Shannon's Information index(I) was 0.386 8, Gst was 0.424 4, indicating that 42.44% of the genetic variation was distributed among populations and 57.65% within populations.

CONCLUSIONThe genetic variation was relatively high in E. ulmoides, so the genetic diversity conservation principle should mainly focus on protection of the populations.

China ; Conservation of Natural Resources ; DNA, Plant ; genetics ; Eucommiaceae ; classification ; genetics ; Genetics, Population ; Phylogeny ; Plants, Medicinal ; genetics ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique

There are dispute about the status of taxonomy among Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bge, A. membranaceus (Fisch.) Bge. var. mongholicus (Bge.) Hsiao. and A. pallidipurpureus stat. nov. The varieties and taxa of the complex are still in need of revision. With molecular biology study used trnH-psbA intergenic region, the taxonomic revision of Radix Astragali has been made. A. pallidipurpureus stat. nov is suggested as a new species.
Astragalus Plant ; classification ; genetics ; Astragalus membranaceus ; classification ; genetics ; Chloroplasts ; genetics ; DNA, Plant ; genetics ; Haplotypes ; Phylogeny ; Plant Roots ; genetics ; Plants, Medicinal ; classification ; genetics ; Species Specificity

OBJECTIVETo develop a convenient and effective method for the identification of Bungarus multicinctus.

METHODBased on the sequence of Cyt b gene fragment of B. multicinctus and its adulterants, a pair of highly specific primer (HJL- and HJH-) were designed for distinguishing B. ulticinctus from other species of snake. To establish specific PCR reaction condition, the primers were employed to amplify the DNA templates extracted from B. multicinctus and 6 other species of snake, under different annealing temperature. Using this method, B. multicinctus was identified from 18 samples bought from many drugstores.

RESULTA 230 bp DNA fragment was amplified from B. multicinctus in PCR with annealed temperature at 67 degrees C, whereas no DNA fragment was amplified from other snake samples under the same reaction condition, B. multicinctus could be clearly distinguished from others by PCR reaction with the highly specific primers. In the present study, 18 sample, bought from different drugstores, were also identified by the highly specific PCR with the primers. The results indicated that 14 samples were B. multicinctus and the other 4 were adulterant, which was consistent with the conclusion of authentication based on morphological.

CONCLUSIONThe primers designed in the present study were highly specific for B. multicinctus.

Animals ; Base Sequence ; Bungarus ; classification ; genetics ; Cytochromes b ; genetics ; DNA ; genetics ; DNA Primers ; Drug Contamination ; Materia Medica ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Snakes ; classification ; genetics ; Species Specificity

OBJECTIVETo determine the genetic diversity of natural and cultivated Cistanche tubulosa.

METHOD123 individuals of six populations of C. tubulosa, including four natural populations and two cultivated ones, were analyzed by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers to determine the genetic variations among the populations.

RESULTA total of 87 loci (including 24 polymorphic loci) were amplified using 10 random primers. The average percentage of polymorphic loci (PPL) was 27.59 in the natural populations. The PPL between natural populations are 19.54 to 25.29. Of the four natural populations, Andi' er population had highest PPL (25.29). The two cultivated populations had low PPL (13.79 and 11.49). Cluster analysis using UPGMA revealed that populations of natural and cultivated were separated into two groups, the four natural populations clustered as one group and the two cultivated populations clustered as another group, indicating that the natural and cultivated populations had obvious differentiation.

CONCLUSIONIn view of the low genetic diversity of the cultivated C. tubulosa, we strongly suggested that the natural populations should be conserved in particular.

Cistanche ; genetics ; Conservation of Natural Resources ; DNA, Plant ; genetics ; Ecosystem ; Phylogeny ; Plants, Medicinal ; genetics ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique

The transcription factor of ethylene responsive factor binding protein (ERF) is belonged to AP2/ERF superfamily, which is known to be unique in plants. AP2/ERF proteins have important functions in the transcriptional regulation of a variety of biological processes related to growth and development, as well as various responses to environmental stimuli. An ERF gene from Salvia miltiorrhiza is cloned and divided into ERF gene family group VII of Arabidopsis and Rice. It contains a MCGGAI (I/L) motif referred to as CMVII-1 and a single intron in the 5'-flanking region of the AP2/ERF domain. Sequence analysis reveals that the region of second extron has abundant polymorphism sites. There are 21 single nucleotide polymorphism sites (SNPs) in the 264 bp region, among them, 14 SNPs are synonymous substitutions and 7 SNPs are non-synonymous substitutions. Though analysis of 181 samples from Shandong, Shaanxi and Sichuan Provinces, it reveals that each production area has its own special genotypes, 5 SNPs show significant difference. Cluster based on UPGMA method reveals that different populations from specific province have clustered together. It shows that SmERF gene will be a candidate molecular marker for the identification of Salvia miltiorrhiza from different areas.
Cloning, Molecular ; DNA, Complementary ; genetics ; DNA, Plant ; genetics ; DNA-Binding Proteins ; genetics ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Gene Frequency ; Genotype ; Phylogeny ; Plant Proteins ; genetics ; Plants, Medicinal ; genetics ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Salvia miltiorrhiza ; genetics