Differentiating syndrome factor and forming syndrome type according to symptoms and signs are the rules and processes of syndrome differentiation in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). TCM syndrome differentiation is a nonlinear complex giant system. In order to solve the key problem of determination of diagnosing weight value for syndrome factor differentiation, a new algorithm of double levels of frequency and weight based on the analysis of frequency statistics was applied, and the accurate syndrome differentiation parameters were acquired. Therefore, based on the nonlinear and multivariate analysis, a new algorithm of calculating diagnostics for syndrome factor differentiation was established.

BACKGROUND: Recently, researchers separate neural stem cells (NSCs) from neural system. As the progenitor of nerve cell and glia cells, NSCs have strong ability of self-renewal and proliferation, and play a very important role in repair process after nerve injury. OBJECTIVE: To review the repairing effect of NSC transplantation on hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. RETRIEVAL STRATEGY: Using the "Neural stem cells, brain, hypoxic-ischemic", we searched PubMed database for related articles published in English between 1993 and 2007. 131 articles were collected, and after the first trial, only articles ① related to neural stem cell transplantation for brain injury, and ②published in recently or in authoritative journals were selected. Repetitive researches were excluded. LITERATURE EVALUATION: The articles were about the studies of NSCs and randomized and controlled experiment for hypoxic-ischemic brain injury. Thirty-three English articles were included involving the biological characteristics of NSC, distribution, separation and culture in vitro, and the basic experiment or clinical research about the repair of hypoxic-ischemic brain injury by NSC. Of these articles, there are 7 review articles, and the others were about clinic or basic experiment researches. DATA SYNTHESIS: Researches show that after transplantation NSC can survive in host, furthermore, it proliferates and differentiates to repair the configuration and function of injured brain area. Even though we have achieved much in NSC transplantation for brain injury, yet there are many problems to be resolved, such as NSC source and conservation, the control mechanism of differentiation and proliferation when NSC is cultured in vitro. In addition, the amount or functional activity of NSCs acquired is lower, and the molecular biological features of cells in repaired tissue are uncertain. CONCLUSION: As a kind of ideal seed cell, NSC provides an approach for the repair of hypoxic-ischemic brain injury, and starts a new era of clinic therapy by stem cells.

The concept of syndrome in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a nonlinear, open and complicated huge system. Syndrome differentiation in TCM belongs to cognitive and noetic science. To establish a new syndrome differentiation system based on the key elements of the syndrome is necessary for TCM practitioners to promote differentiation ability and reach consensus on differentiation method. With combination of experience and computation models, the Bayesian network was used in the study of the relationship between the key elements of syndrome and the symptoms, and the relationship among different key elements, in which the computing diagnosis result was identical to the result from an experienced TCM doctor. The study showed that Bayesian network is a good method to deal with the information of symptoms and signs for syndrome differentiation, but it is also not to reflect comprehensively the thinking ability of TCM doctors in doing syndrome differentiation.

Syndrome factors as refined diagnostic units are the base of syndrome differentiation,each syndrome factor has the relative symptom and sign.By way of epidemiology and documents investigation,as well as algorithm of double levels of frequency and weight,the symptom and sign for the syndrome factor of Qi-deficiency,Blood-deficiency,Yin-deficiency and Yang-deficiency respectively were extracted correctly,and the weight values of symptoms and signs to syndrome factors were established.

In this study, we applied generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (GARCH) model to conditional fluctuation characteristics of heart rate variation (HRV) series (congestive heart failure, Normal), with all the data from PhysioNet ECG database. Research results proved the existence of condition fluctuation characteristic in the series of changing rate of HRV. In the GARCH model family, threshold GARCH (1,1)(TGARCH (1,1)) model performs best in fitting changing rate of HRV. Although the structure of ARCH (1) model is simple, its error is the closest to that of TGARCH (1, 1) model. The results also showed that the difference was obvious between disease group and normal group. All these results provide a new method to the research and clinical application of HRV.
Cardiology ; trends ; Heart Failure ; physiopathology ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Models, Cardiovascular

Objective To investigate the correlation between the level of postprandial blood glucose (PBG)and the incidence of coronary artery disease(CAD). Methods Eighty-five patients performed coronary angiography with abnormal blood glucose levels were divided into 3 groups according the blood glucose levels: impaired fasting glucose(IFG)group(28 cases), impaired glucose tolerance(IGT)group(29cases)and diabetes mellitus(DM)group(28 cases). The detection rate and the extent of CAD were observed. The risk factors of CAD in 3 groups such as C-reactive protein(CRP),carotid artery intima-media thickness(CIMT), blood lipids, blood pressure, body mass index(BMI)and the correlation with CAD were analyzed. Results Sixty-two cases were confirmed CAD by coronary angiography. The incidence rate of CAD in IGT group[79.3%(23/29)]and DM group[85.7%(24/28)]was significantly higher than that in IFG group[53.6%(15/28)](P ＜ 0.01). The incidence rate of CAD in DM group was higher than that in IGT group, but there was no significant difference(P ＞ 0.05). The incidence rate of two-lesion and three-lesion in IGT group and DM group were significantly higher than those in IFG group(P＜ 0.01). The incidence rate of two-lesion and three-lesion in DM group were higher than those in IGT group, but there was no significant difference(P＞0.05). The levels of CRP, CIMT, BMI, triacylglycerol(TG)and systolic blood pressure(SBP)were higher and HDL-C was lower in IGT group and DM group than those in IFG group(P ＜ 0.01 or ＜ 0.05).The levels of CRP,TG and SBP were higher in DM group than those in IGT group(P＜0.05). Correlation analysis showed, in IGT group and DM group,2 h PG had significantly positive correlation with CRP, CIMT,B MI, TG(P＜0.05 or＜0.01), and had significantly negative correlation with HDL-C(P＜0.05 or ＜0.01).Conclusions PBG is closely related with the development of CAD.IGT patients should be intervened as early as possible, which can be effective in preventing cardiovascular events.

Objective To investigate the effect of irrigation with hypothermic artificial cerebral-spinal fluid (aCSF)on expression of aquaporin-4(AQP-4) in the spinal cord following spinal ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) in rabbits.Methods Fifty-four adult male New Zealand white rabbits weighing 2.0-2.5 kg were randomly divided into 3 groups (n=18 each):group sham operation(S group); group I/R and group irrigation with hypothermic aCSF (FI group). Spinal I/R was induced by clamping the abdominal aorta below renal artery for 60 min. Hypothermic aCSF(25 X.)was infused at L4,5 interspace at a rate of 30 ml/h and drained from L7,8 interspace during spinal ischemia.Neurological function was evaluated at 4, 24, 48 and 72 h of reperfusion and scored (0=no hind limb activity, 4=hind limb function completely recovered) in 6 animals in each group. Six animals were sacrificed at 4, 24 and 72 h respectively in each group.The lumbar segment (L5-8) was removed for measurement of water content and AQP-4 protein expression (by immuno-histochemistry).Results Neurological function scores were significantly lower,water content was higher and AQP-4 expression smaller in group I/R than in group S. I/R-induced effects were significantly attenuated by irrigation of hypothermic aCSF. Conclusion Irrigation with hypothermic aCSF can ameliorate the spinal cord I/R injuries by up-regulation of AQP-4 expression.

Objective To investigate the effects of recombinant human granulocyte colony stimulating factor (rhG-CSF) therapy on pulmonary hypertension,and its influence on number and functions of circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in rats.Methods Eight week old Sprague-Dawlay rats were randomized into model group,treatment group and control group (8 rats in each group).The rats in model group and treatment group were treated with single subcutaneous injection of 1％ monocrotaline (50 mg/kg) to induce pulmonary hypertension models,while the control group was treated with phosphate buffered saline.Five days later,the rats in treatment group were administrated with 50 μg/(kg· d) rhG-CSF for 3 days.On day 21,peripheral blood was collected from caudal vein in all groups,and the percentage of EPCs in 100 000 mononuclear cells was evaluated by flow cytometry.Right ventricular systolic pressure was assessed,and the pathological changes of lung tissue and pneumoangiogram were observed by HE staining.Meanwhile,peripheral mononuclear cells collected from caudal vein were separated and cultured in vitro for EPCs.The cell ffunctions as proliferation,adhesion and migration ability were assessed.ANOVA and LSD test were applied as statistical analysis methods.Results (1) The right ventricular systolic pressure of rats in model group was higher than that in the controls [(48.13 ± 2.85) mm Hg vs (27.88 ± 3.04) mm Hg,t=2.016,P＜0.01],the lesion of endothelial cells in pulmonary arteriolar was evident,and the vessel wall was thickened.The pulmonary artery pressure of rats in the treatment group [(30.38 ± 2.83) mm Hg] was lower than that in the model group and close to the level of control group (t=0.376,P＞0.05) with mild pulmonary pathological changes.(2) The percentage off peripheral blood EPCs in mononuclear cells in the model group was decreased as compared to the control group [(0.016±0.007) ％ vs (0.031±0.011) ％,t=2.617,P＜0.01].After administration ofrhG-CSF,the EPCs in treatment group [(0.042±0.013) ％] was increased evidently as compared to the model group (t=4.325,P＜0.01) and the control group (t =1.942,P＜0.05).(3) The proliferation,adhesive and migrated cells of EPCs in model group were 0.49 ± 0.04,(6.93 ± 1.47) cells/HPF and (7.22±1.53) cells/HPF,lower than those in control group [0.68±0.07,(11.05±1.73) cells/HPF and (12.58±2.15) cells/HPF] and treatment group [0.63±0.06,(12.35±1.82) cells/HPF and (12.97±2.84) cells/HPF],the differences were statistically significant(all P＜0.05).Conclusions rhG-CSF may be effective in treating pulmonary hypertension through up-regulating the number and function of circulating EPCs in rat model of pulmonary hypertension.

Objective: To investigate the influence of the closed re-infusion of intestinal juice and EN on the treatment of intestinal fistula.Methods: The study group was composed of 21 patients of intestinal fistula from October 2004 to December 2006.The fistulae was in the 50 cm of the proximate jejunum and caused by trauma and operatin.The leak amount of intestinal juice was more than 1 000 mL.The protein level in serum and the absorption rates of the glucose,fat and nitrogen after the reinfusion of the intestinal juice were measured.Resutls: The protein level in serum and the absorption rates of the glusose,fat and nitrogen was increased after the re-infusion of the intestinal juice.Conclusion: The absorption of the glucose,fat and nitrogen in EN and the protein level in serum can be increased after the closed re-infusion of the intestinal juice.

Objective To investigate the effect of Rumo Shengji San on promoting tissue regeneration of skin defect after repair with tissue-engineered skin.Methods The dermal scaffolds were reconstructed by collagen sponge in which human skin fibroblasts were transplanted inside and human keratocytes were transplanted on the surface.The tissue-engineered skin was transplanted into the wound surface of defected skin in naked mice.Rumo Shengji San was applied externally once every other day after transplantation for 2 days.The animals were randomly divided into two groups:external application group and control group,4 mice in each group.The differentiation tissue of the tissue-engineered skin was sampled 9 days after transplantation.The epidermis thickness and dermal capillary proliferation in wound of defected skin were observed with HE staining,and double-labeled immunofluorescence method was used to test dermal laminin(Ln) and typeⅠcollagen protein expression.Results Rumo Sheng Jji San promoted the development of epidermis after transplantation for 9 days.The number of capillaries in dermis was increased,and the expression of Ln and typeⅠcollagen protein was promoted in external application group than that in the control group.Conclusion Rumo Shengji San can promote tissue regeneration of skin defect after repair with tissue-engineered skin.