OBJECTIVETo investigate a new method for the analysis of IR fingerprint spectra of Radix Glycyrrhizae.

METHODTwo indexes, common peak ratio and variation peak ratio, are used to compare the IR spectra of various Radix Glycyrrhizae samples, and the values are calculated by means of sequent analysis.

RESULT AND CONCLUSIONThe dual-index sequence method provides a good approach to discriminate Radix Glycyrrhizae samples of different species and geographical origins.

China ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; isolation & purification ; Ecosystem ; Glycyrrhiza ; chemistry ; classification ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Quality Control ; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared ; methods

OBJECTIVETo provide evidence for more accurate diagnosis of birth defects based on the pathoanatomy of congenital malformations.

METHODSData used in this study were obtained from Luliang City Hospital and three county hospitals of Shanxi province between February 2004 and March 2006. Autopsy and pathological examination of 160 dead fetuses and stillbirths were performed. Photos of dead fetuses and stillbirths were taken, tissues were cut into sections for pathological examination under microscope, all pathological information was recorded, and percentage of birth defects was calculated.

RESULTSThe proportion of dead fetuses and stillbirths with or without congenital malformations was 84.4% (135/160) and 15.6% (25/160), respectively. There were 16 categories of major external and internal birth defects in 135 cases of such defects. Congenital heart defects, anencephaly and spina bifida had a higher prevalence rate in the study period. The prevalence rate of non-malformation death and birth defects < 28 gestational weeks and internal anomalies > or = 28 gestational weeks was 14.61% (61/4175) and 17.25% (72/4175), respectively. A total of 413 in situ anomalies were found in 135 cases of autopsy. Spina bifida, anencephaly, congenital heart defects, aplasia or accessory lobe of lung, renal agenesis and dysplasis and congenital hydrocephaly were more closely associated with severe malformations than with mitis malformations. The cases of dead fetuses and stillbirths with multiple malformations (> or = 2 in situ anomalies) had a higher proportion (74.1%), whereas those with isolated malformations had a lower proportion (25.93%).

CONCLUSIONThe occurrence of congenital malformations in different embryonic developmental stages affects multiple organs. Postmortem examination of internal and multiple malformations of fetal deaths and stillbirths can provide more accurate diagnostic information for birth defects.

Cause of Death ; China ; epidemiology ; Congenital Abnormalities ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Population Surveillance ; Pregnancy ; Stillbirth

OBJECTIVE: To explore the application of imaging techniques in determining the death cause and injury manner. METHODS: One case due to high fall was fully examined using multi-slice spiral computed tomography (MSCT), 3-D imaging creation and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The systemic and detailed autopsy was subsequently performed to compare with the results from imaging studies. The advantages and disadvantages of autopsy and imaging studies were then analyzed. RESULTS: Most of the important information such as trauma, fracture and hemorrhage could be obtained by imaging techniques. Furthermore, imaging methods can predict injuries in internal body before autopsy and be minimal or non-invasive to the cadaver. However, the imaging techniques probably also can not find some details in comparison to autopsy in forensic practice and need to improve in their future application. CONCLUSION Application of imaging techniques can be used as the guidance and complimentary for the forensic autopsy in the identification of injury manner. In addition, the application can even be used to replace autopsy in some special circumstances.
Autopsy ; Cervical Vertebrae/pathology* ; Craniocerebral Trauma/pathology* ; Forensic Pathology ; Humans ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Spinal Fractures/pathology* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed/methods* ; Wounds and Injuries/pathology*

OBJECTIVE: To study the application value of multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT) and 3D reconstruction in biomechanical analysis of traffic accidents in forensic medicine. METHODS: Based on a real case, the tomoscan images were obtained from a corpse by MSCT scanning. The 3D images were reconstructed. The biomechanic process of injury manners of impacting, rolling and crushing in traffic accidents was analyzed together with autopsy, vehicle inspection, etc. The MSCT results were compared with the autopsy results. RESULTS: Some characters in situ including the part of fracture on different site that suffered by force from different directions, trends of fracture line, and status of smash inner bones were obtained trough MSCT and 3D reconstruction. Some details like fracture were even better than those from autopsy. CONCLUSION MSCT and 3D reconstruction have some advantages such as in situ reconstruction, easily controlled image and fully conserved evidence. It may be a supplementary method and have a directive function for the biomechanical analysis of traffic accidents.
Accidents, Traffic ; Adult ; Automobiles ; Autopsy/methods* ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Bone and Bones/injuries* ; Craniocerebral Trauma/pathology* ; Female ; Forensic Pathology ; Fractures, Bone/diagnostic imaging* ; Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional/methods* ; Tomography, Spiral Computed/methods* ; Wounds and Injuries/pathology*

ObjectiveTo investigate the therapeutic effect of antidiabetic drug canagliflozin （CGLZ） on adriamycin-induced nephrotic syndrome （NS） in rats， and the evaluation of contrast-enhanced ultrasound （CEUS） combined with color Doppler flow imaging （CDFI） during the treatment. MethodsA total of 56 male SD rats were randomly divided into normal group （NG）， model group （MG）， prednisone （PAT） group （PG）， low-dose single CGLZ group （LSCG）， high-dose single CGLZ group （HSCG）， low-dose CGLZ + PAT group （LUCG） and high-dose CGLZ + PAT group （HUCG）， with 8 rats in each group. The NS model in rats was induced by injecting adriamycin twice into the tail vein， and then the NS rats were treated by intragastric administration daily for 6 weeks with reference of PAT. Twenty-four hour urine total protein （24 h-UTP） was assessed one day before the start of oral administration and at the end of 2， 4 and 6 weeks after oral administration， respectively. CDFI and CEUS were performed on the right renal artery at the end of 6 weeks after oral administration， and the blood of abdominal aorta was taken for serological test the next day. ResultsCompared with those detection index of NG rats， the 24-hour UTP of MG rats increased （P＜0.01）， the serum ALB decreased and TG， TC， LDL increased （P＜0.01）， and CDFI shows that RRCT was thinner （P＜0.01） and the renal artery blood flow indicators RA-PI， RA-RI， RA-S/D all increased （P＜0.05）， and CEUS image shows that the TIC curve parameters TTP， AT， AUC all increased and DPI decrease in MG rats （P＜0.01）. After drug treatment， compared with those detection index of MG rats， 24 h-UTP decrease in LSCG after 2 weeks （P＜0.01）， and decrease significantly in all drug groups after 6 weeks （P＜0.01）； the serological test results show that the serum ALB in all CGLZ groups increased （P＜0.05）， TG decrease in LSCG （P＜0.01）， TC and LDL also decrease in LUCG after 6 weeks （P＜0.05）； CDFI shows that the RRCT thinning degree in all CGLZ is reduced （P＜0.01）， and the RA-PI in LSCG， RA-RI in PG， and RA-S/D in PG， LSCG， HSCG and LUCG rats all decreased （P＜0.05）； CEUS shows that the TTP， AT and AUC of renal TIC curve in drug treatment groups all decreased （P＜0.01）， and the DPI in PG， HSCG， LUCG and HUCG rats increased （P＜0.01）. ConclusionsCGLZ has the effect of treating NS， and the small dose is the best. CEUS combined with CDFI can be used to evaluate the renal morphology and hemodynamic changes of NS model rats before and after drug treatment， which is helpful to guide clinical application.