Objective To study the effects of the soil factors on the yield and quality of Angelica dahurica originated from Sichuan Province.Methods The yield and contents of imperatorin,isoimperatorin,and other 11 different inorganic elements of A. dahurica,gathered from 15 different habitats of Suining in Sichuan Province were determined.And the basic soil nutrients and other 11 different mineral elements of the soil were analyzed.The effects of the soil factors on the yield and quality were analyzed through correlation analysis.Results The weight,length,circumference,and the contents of imperatorin and isoimperator in the roots of A.dahurica from different habitats were different.And the basic soil nutrients and other 11 different mineral elements of soil were different.The positive correlation between root length of A.dahurica,and soil available P content,root circumference of A.dahurica,and soil organic matter content,root weight of A.dahurica,and soil available P and K contents were all significant.The soil total nitrogen content had negatively significant correlation with the content of isoimperatorin.The correlation among the imperatorin,isoimperator contents of A.dahurica,and 11 other soil inorganic elements was not significant.Conclusion The soil factors have effects on the yield and quality of A.dahurica to some degree.

Background:Of the diagnostic modalities of gastroesophageal reflux disease( GERD),radioisotopic examination is more physiological and non-invasive as compared with upper gastrointestinal endoscopy,24-hour esophageal pH monitoring and esophageal manometry. Aims:To examine the diagnostic value of 99m Tc-labeled single-photon emission-computed tomography(SPECT)for GERD. Methods:Ten erosive esophagitis(EE),10 nonerosive reflux disease(NERD)and 10 noncardiac chest pain patients were enrolled in this study. All of them had a high reflux disease questionnaire( RDQ)score (>12)and were positive for proton pump inhibitor(PPI)test. Ten volunteers without reflux symptoms served as controls. After the taking of 99mTc-labeled acidic drinks,SPECT scan was performed in esophageal region for indentifying the radioactivity at gastroesophageal junction. Through region-of-interest,the stomach and esophagus were outlined and the GERindex was calculated. Results:Radioactivity was observed in lower esophagus in 8 patients of EE group,including 6 spontaneous reflux and 2 induced reflux;in NERD group and noncardiac chest pain group,the corresponding data were 5,3, 2 and 6,2,4,respectively. No reflux was observed in control group. Positivity rates of reflux identified by SPECT in EE, NERD and noncardiac chest pain groups were all significantly higher than that in control group(80. 0%,50. 0% and 60. 0%vs. 0%,P<0. 05). Conclusions:99m Tc-labeled SPECT has clinical value for diagnosis of GERD and is potential for being used as a method of GERD examination in clinical practice.

Objective To investigate the feasibility of the lower cervical spine (C3 -C7 ) laminar screw technique for fixing adult posterior cervical spine .Methods We chose 9 formalin fixed moist adult cervical specimens ,which consist of male 6 and female 3 of the age 38 to 63 years old .The average age is 51 .9 years old and the average height is 165 .6 cm .Then we measured the thickness and heightof C3 -C7 lamina ,the lamina length of L1 ,L2 ,and the lamina of axis and the sagittal plane angle .Results The thickness and height of C3 -C7 lamina ,and the lamina length of L1 and L2 of adult male is bigger than adult women .There was statistical sig-nificance between the thickness ,height ,lamina length difference of different genders lamina (P<0 .05) ,but no significant difference between the left and the right (P> 0 .05) .The average lamina thickness of C2 ,C3 ,C4 ,C5 ,C6 ,C7 were respectively 4 .70 ,3 .87 , 3 .30 ,3 .84 and 5 .16 mm .The lamina thickness which was more than 4 .00 mm accounted for 54 .4% .The lamina thickness of C3 , C4 ,C6 ,C7 which was more than 4 .00 mm accounted respectively for 77 .8% ,61 .1% ,33 .3% ,and 88 .9% .Conclusion Crossing laminar screws in cervical spine is feasible in anatomy .The operation can make under direct vision ,and can accurately estimate the screw path length and entry angle .Patients with anatomic abnormalities can be used as an alternative fixation technique or as fixed in the fixed mode fails .So the results can provide a reference for clinical application .

Objective To explore the trend of changes of Th1 and Th2 cytokines within 6 months after adult liver transplantation (LT). Methods Twenty-three patients from Tianjin First Center Hospital were chosen as the patient group with an average age of (52.7 ± 7.6), range from 37 to 63 years old, including 21 males and 2 females. Twenty healthy staffs from Tianjin First Center Hospital formed the control group (C) with 15 males and 2 females whose average age was (31.0 ± 6.1) ranged from 22 to 24 years old. The patient group was treated with tacrolimus after LT as main immunosuppressive drug. The peripheral blood at time points before (T0) and 1 month (T1), 3 months (T3), 6 months (T6) after LT at 9:00 AM were collected. The blood sample was also collected form control group but only one time. Levels of IL-2, IFN-γ, IL-10 and TGF-βwere detected by ELISA. Results (1) The concentration of IL-2 showed a continuous up-going trend, which was not such obvious between T1 and T0, and until T3 reached a higher concentration than T0. The concentration at T6 was higher than T0 and T1. There were no significant differences in concentrations of T0 to T3 between patient group and control group, while T6 reached a higher concentration in patient group than that of the control group. (2) The concentration of IFN-γexperienced a shortly down-going trend from T0 to T3, and started rising, reached the peak at 3 months after the operation, then started its down-going trend. There were no significant differences in the concentrations of IFN-γfrom T1 to T6, and T3 reached a higher concentration than T1 while T6 was lower than T3. Only at T3, the concentration of IFN-γwas higher in patient group than that of control group. (3) There were no significant differences in the concentrations of IL-10 at various time points in patient group, and there were no significant differences in the concentrations of IL-10 at different time points between two groups (P>0.05). (4) The concentration of TGF-βshowed a gradual decline after the operation, and reached its bottom at T6, and which was lower than T0 to T3. Compared with the control group, the down-going trend was not such obviously at T0 and T1, and the concentration was down at T3 and T6(P<0.05). Conclusion Our results suggest that there is a tendency of an increasing Th1 cytokine expression at early stage in post-transplantation, while the TGF-βof Th2 cytokine is a decreasing trend. This tendency may associate with the autoimmunity response caused by LT and the immunosuppressive drugs.

Adolescent ; Alkaline Phosphatase ; metabolism ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Bleomycin ; therapeutic use ; Cisplatin ; therapeutic use ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Dysgerminoma ; pathology ; Etoposide ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Gonadoblastoma ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; methods ; Inhibins ; metabolism ; Isoenzymes ; metabolism ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo identify the correlation of the volume of residual urine (VRU) with the severity of bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) and detrusor contractility in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

METHODSA total of 152 patients with clinically diagnosed BPH underwent ultrasonography for measurement of the prostate volume and RVU, free uroflowmetry, and urodynamic examination for the severity of BOO and detrusor contractility. Using the software SPSS20. 0, we analyzed the correlation between the ultrasonographic results and urodynamic parameters and compared the two sample means by the t-test.

RESULTSThe prostate volume was correlated positively with BOO severity (r = 0.432, P < 0.01) and detrusor contractility (r = 0.343 , P < 0.01) while Qmax negatively with BOO severity (r = 0.327, P < 0.01) but not significantly with detrusor contractility (r = 0.123, P > 0.05). VRU showed a significantly negative correlation with detrusor contractility when > 150 ml (r = -0.490, P < 0.01), even more significantly when > 300 ml (r = -0.717, P < 0.01), but exhibited no significant correlation with it when ≤ 150 ml (r = 0.041, P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONVRU can somehow predict the detrusor function. For patients with VRU > 150 ml, especially for those with VRU > 300 ml, the detrusor function should be evaluated and urodynamic examination is recommended for exact assessment of BOO severity and detrusor contractility.

Aged ; Humans ; Male ; Muscle Contraction ; Muscle Hypertonia ; diagnostic imaging ; physiopathology ; Organ Size ; Prostate ; diagnostic imaging ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; diagnostic imaging ; physiopathology ; Severity of Illness Index ; Ultrasonography ; Urinary Bladder Neck Obstruction ; diagnostic imaging ; physiopathology ; Urine ; Urodynamics

OBJECTIVETo study the absorption and transformation of N, P, K and plant growth as well as the accumulation of active ingredients in Angelica dahurica var. formosana from Sichuan province and provide basis for rational fertilization.

METHODSamples were collected in different growth phrases, and correlative morphological indexes, the contents and accumulations of N, P, K and active ingredients were determined.

RESULTThe vegetative growth period of A. dahurica var. formosana sowed in autumn could be preliminarily divided into three phases: seedling period, aerial-part peak growth period and root peak growth period. With the development, the plant height and aerial part dry weight increased at the earlier stage, and then decreased. But the root length, root diameter, and root dry weight increased. The absorptive capacity of N, P and K varied among different developing stages. In general, the absorptive capacity of N and K was the higher than that of P. The order of total nutrition accumulation was N > P > K, the accumulation of N, P and K in aerial part decreased gradually during the growth period, while the accumulation of N, P and K in root increased gradually. The concentration of imperatorin and isoimperatorin showed decreasing-increasing-decreasing-increasing trend, while the accumulation of them increased gradually. And the correlation analysis results showed that the accumulation of P and K in aerial part had positive correlation with the concentration of imperatorin in root, the accumulation of N, P and K in root had positive correlation with the concentration of isoimperatorin in root.

CONCLUSIONFrom late April, A. dahurica var. formosana from Sichuan province entered root peak growth period and the accumulation of N, P, K, imperatorin and isoimperatorin in root increased rapidly. So the balanced application of fertilizer should be considered.

Angelica ; chemistry ; growth & development ; metabolism ; China ; Fertilizers ; analysis ; Nitrogen ; analysis ; metabolism ; Phosphorus ; analysis ; metabolism ; Potassium ; analysis ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the impact of in utero exposure to di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) on the apoptosis of testicular cells in the pubertal male rat offspring.

METHODSTen pregnant SD rats were randomly divided into a control and an experimental group to be treated intragastrically with olive oil (1 ml per day) and DBP (500 mg per kg of body weight per day) respectively between gestation days 12 and 19. At the pubertal age (postnatal day 45, PND 45), the testes of the male rat offspring were removed for observation of the cell structure under the transmission electron microscope and the development of different spermatogenetic cells by HE staining. The apoptosis of testicular cells was detected by the TUNEL method, the expressions of the apoptosis-regulating proteins Bcl-2, Bcl-XL, Bax and p53 were determined by immunohistochemistry and Western blot, and the data obtained were compared between the two groups by t-test.

RESULTSTransmission electron microscopy revealed increased apoptosis and vacuolization of testicular cells in the PND-45 rat offspring, HE staining showed markedly decreased numbers of different spermatogenetic cells, TUNEL manifested significantly increased apoptosis of testicular cells in the experimental group as compared with the control (12.00 ± 5. 22 vs 3.17 ± 1.47, P < 0.01), and immunohistochemistry and Western blot exhibited remarkably higher expressions of Bax and p53 in the former than in the latter group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONIn utero exposure to DBP can increase the apoptosis of germ cells and Sertoli cells, induce the vacuolization of testicular cells, and significantly elevate the expressions of the apoptosis-promoting proteins Bax and p53 in the pubertal male rat offspring.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; Body Weight ; Dibutyl Phthalate ; adverse effects ; Female ; Immunohistochemistry ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; Male ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sertoli Cells ; cytology ; pathology ; Spermatogenesis ; Testis ; cytology ; pathology ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 ; metabolism ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein ; metabolism

Objective To investigate the episodic memory monitoring in patients with white matter lesions (WML) and explore the relevance of episodic memory disorder and memory monitoring and the possible mechanism.Methods The feeling of knowing-episodic memory (FOK-EM) paradigm was adopted and subsequently administered in 30 WML patients and 30 control participants who were matched in age and educational level.Results Compared with control group (cued recall 4.37 ± 1.59;recognition 8.73 ± 1.05),the episodic memories of WML patients were significantly impaired on the cued recall performance (3.30 ± 1.51,t =2.666,P ＜ 0.05) and recognition performance (7.23 ± 0.77,t =6.306,P ＜ 0.01).Furthermore,the accuracy of FOK judgment (-0.13 ± 0.31),the correct judgment and correct recognition of FOK-EM (23.16％ ±5.96％) and the correct judgment and false recognition of FOK-EM (34.26％ ± 7.65％) in the WML patients group were significantly different compared with the control group (the accuracy of FOK judgment:0.34 ± 0.27,t =6.280,P ＜ 0.01;the correct judgment and correct recognition:35.12％ ± 6.82％,t =7.234,P ＜ 0.01;the correct judgment and false recognition:19.27％ ±6.50％,t =-8.174,P ＜ 0.01).In addition,the correct judgment and false recognition performance were positively correlated with the severity of periventricular lesions and deep white matter lesions in the WMLpatients group (r=0.716,P＜0.01;r=0.598,P＜0.01).Conclusions The WML patients demonstrated an overestimation of their recognition ability of episodic memory.Moreover,this impairment of memory monitoring was correlated with the deficit of executive function caused by the damage of the prefrontal-subcortical circuit,indicating that this mechanism could be an influential factor of episodic memory disorder in WML.

ObjectiveTo explore composition rules of suppress cough prescriptions.MethodsThe suppress cough prescriptions in “The New National Medicine” were collected to build a database based on Traditional Chinese medicine inheritance assist system. Themethods of association rules with apriori algorithm and complex system entropy cluster were used to achieve the frequency of medicines and association rules between drugs.ResultsThe data-mining results indicated that themostfrequentlyused drugs wereRadix Glycyrrhizae, Platycodon grandiflorum, Semen armeniacae amarae, Ephdra vulgaris, Dried tangerine or orange peel. The most frequent drug combinations were “Radix Glycyrrhizae, Platycodon grandiflorum”, “Radix Glycyrrhizae, Semen armeniacae amarae”, “Radix Glycyrrhizae, Dried tangerine or orange peel” and so on. The drugs with a high degree confidence coefficient of association rules include “Dried tangerine or orange peel, the root bark of white mulberry”, “Dried tangerine or orange peel, Snakegourd Seed”. The new prescription that we can get composited by Fructus AurantiiwasAngelica decursiva, Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae, Rhizoma Anemarrhenae, the root bark of white mulberry.ConclusionFrom the analysis above, we could conclude that the drugs insuppress cough prescriptions havemoreeffects ofrelieving superficies, clearing heat and drying dampness, ventilating the lung and resolving phlegm,nourishingYinand supplementingQi.