Effects of different drying methods on quality of male flowers of Eucommia ulmoides based on color and chemical composition / 中国中药杂志

To study the effects of different drying methods on the quality of male flowers of Eucommia ulmoides(MFOEU), we treated fresh MFOEU samples with drying in the shade(DS), vacuum freeze drying(VFD), high-or low-temperature hot air drying(HTHAD, LTHAD), microwave drying(MD), and vacuum drying(VD), respectively. The color, total flavonoid content, total polysaccharide content, and main active components such as geniposide, geniposidic acid, rutin, chlorogenic acid, galuteolin, pinoresinol diglucoside, and aucubin in MFOEU were taken as the evaluation indicators. The quality of MFOEU was comprehensively evaluated by entropy weight method combined with color index method, partial least squares discriminant analysis and content clustering heat map. The experimental results showed that VFD and DS basically kept the original color of MFOEU. The MFOEU treated with MD had higher content of total polysaccharides, phenylpropanoids, lignans, and iridoids. The MFOEU treated with LTHAD had higher content of total flavonoids and that treated with VD had lower content of active components. According to the results of comprehensive evaluation, the quality of MFOEU dried with different methods followed the order of MD>HTHAD>VFD>LTHAD>DS>VD. Considering the color of MFOEU, the suitable drying methods were DS and VFD. Considering the color, active components, and economic benefits of MFOEU, MD was the suitable drying method. The results of this study are of a reference value for the determination of suitable methods for MFOEU processing in the producing areas.

Advances in the establishment of rodent model of alcoholic liver disease / 中国热带医学

@#Abstract:Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is one of the most common liver diseases in the world. Long-term alcoholism causes a series of pathological changes in the liver, which eventually leads to the occurrence of liver diseases with an increasing incidence. At present, significant progress has been made in the pathogenesis and pathological development of alcoholic liver disease, but the relevant mechanism of ALD has not been thoroughly studied. It is necessary to improve the existing animal model or establish a new, more comprehensive animal ALD model to simulate human ALD. Experimental animal models of ALD, especially rodents, are often used to simulate human ALD, and the ideal rodent ALD model can effectively simulate all aspects of alcohol in human liver. But so far, the commonly used animal models all have certain defects, and there is no complete animal model that can simulate human ALD. This paper reviewed the pathogenesis of ALD, related methods and influencing factors of ALD model, and provided a theoretical basis for relevant researchers to establish the ALD rodent model. 

Recent progress on anti-Candida natural products / 中国天然药物

Candida is an intractable life-threatening pathogen. Candida infection is extremely difficult to eradicate, and thus is the major cause of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised individuals. Morevover, the rapid spread of drug-resistant fungi has led to significant decreases in the therapeutic effects of clinical drugs. New anti-Candida agents are urgently needed to solve the complicated medical problem. Natural products with intricate structures have attracted great attention of researchers who make every endeavor to discover leading compounds for antifungal agents. Their novel mechanisms and diverse modes of action expand the variety of fungistatic agents and reduce the emergence of drug resistance. In recent decades, considerable effort has been devoted to finding unique antifungal agents from nature and revealing their unusual mechanisms, which results in important progress on the development of new antifungals, such as the novel cell wall inhibitors YW3548 and SCY-078 which are being tested in clinical trials. This review will present a brief summary on the landscape of anti-Candida natural products within the last decade. We will also discuss in-depth the research progress on diverse natural fungistatic agents along with their novel mechanisms.

Effect of heavy metal lead on anticoagulant activity of leech based on label-free quantitative proteomics / 中国中药杂志

Whitmania pigra is the most widely distributed species of leeches in the market. In this study, the effect of heavy metal lead pollution on the anticoagulant activity of Wh. pigra was studied and the potential mechanism was explored. Pb(NO_3)_2 was used to contaminate the breeding soil which was then used to rear Wh. pigra for 50 days(lead-contaminated group, LC group), and meanwhile the blank control group(CG group) was set. Proteins were extracted from the obtained leech samples, and the differentially expressed proteins between LC and CG groups were analyzed by label-free proteomics technology. In this study, a total of 152 differentially expressed proteins were screened out, of which 93 proteins were up-regulated and 59 proteins were down-regulated in LC group. Bioinformatics analysis showed that the biological processes enriched with the differentially expressed proteins were mainly vesicle-mediated transport and transport positive regulation; the enriched cell components were mainly endocytosis vesicles and apical plasma membrane; the enriched molecular functions mainly included carbohydrate binding. The differentially expressed proteins were enriched in 76 KEGG pathways, which mainly involved metabolic pathways, biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, and bacterial invasion of epithelial cells. In this study, two differentially expressed proteins with Antistasin domain were presumed, which provides reference for further exploring the regulatory mechanism and signal transduction underlying the effect of lead pollution on the anticoagulant activity of leech.

Optimization of process for standardizing antimicrobial use opportunity in consecutive operations / 中国感染控制杂志

Objective To optimize antimicrobial use process,ensure the rational use of preoperative antimicrobial prophylaxis during consecutive operations.Methods Antimicrobial use process in a hospital in December 2015 was optimized,6 072 cases of consecutive operations in May-November 2015 were selected as control group,5 832 cases of consecutive operations in December 2015-May 2016 were as trial group,the qualified rate of rational use of antimicrobial agents was compared between two groups,causes for delayed/prior use was analyzed.Results Before and after the optimization of antimicrobial use process,rates of antimicrobial use were 77.16％ and 78.80％ respectively,there was significant difference between two groups(x2 =8.305,P =0.004).After the optimization of antimicrobial use process,rate of antimicrobial use within 0.5-1 hour was significantly higher than that before the optimization (82.36％ vs 41.11％);rate of antimicrobial use ＜0.5 hour before skin incision decreased from 57.11％ before optimization to 4.32％ after optimization;but rate of antimicrobial use ＞1 hour before skin incision increased from 1.78％ to 13.32％.Causes for delay/prior use of antimicrobial agents was due to the lack of effective communication between doctors and nurses,which resulted in circuit nurses' inaccurate assessment on interval of consecutive operations(62.13％),the duration of intubation or puncture was too long for anesthesiologists (13.57％).Conclusion Optimizing antimicrobial use process in consecutive operations can improve prophylactic antimicrobial use rate within 0.5-1 hour,and is helpful for ensuring the efficacy of antimicrobial prophylaxis.

Investigation of water defluoridation projects and the concentration of water fluoride / 中国地方病学杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the concentration of water fluoride and the application of water defluoridation projects in Suizhou,and to provide a basis for water improvement and prevention of the disease.MethodsCross-sectional study was carried out to investigate completely the water defluoridation projects built between 1986 and 2009 in the area under Suizhou's jurisdiction; 3 source water and terminal water samples of the projects in use were collected,respectively; 1 water sample was collected,respectively in the 3 projects with out-ofcommission or discarded water sources that used to be major water supply,for detection of fluoride,chloride,total hardness,heavy metals and other indicators.ResultsA total of 21 projects were investigated,14 projects were in normal use (66.7％),7 projects were out of order and abandoned (33.3％).Of the 14 projects normally used,13projects with water fluoride concentration ≤ 1.0 mg/L(92.9％)and 1 project with water fluoride concentration higher than 1.0 mg/L(7.1％),the concentration of water fluoride in the 7 abandoned projects was higher than 1.0 mg/L(100％).Arsenic and lead levels of all the water samples were normal.There were two water samples with iron content exceeded the standard,and one total hardness of water samples exceeded the standard in the normally used 14 peripheral water sources.One chloride content exceeded the standard,one manganese content exceeded the standard,two iron content exceeded the standard and three total hardness exceeded the standard in the seven abandoned projects.ConclusionsSome defluoridation projects are stopped using and abandoned in Suizhou,and the water fluoride exceeds the standard.

Related analysis of mental disability and retardation due to traffic brain injury / 法医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To analyze the relevant factors of determining the degree of mental disability after brain injuries in the traffic accidents.@*METHODS@#A total of 157 forensic psychiatry cases involving the assessment of mental disability caused by traffic accidents were collected and divided into three groups (mild, moderate and severe) according to the conclusion of the forensic identification. The demographic, clinical and forensic data were compared in the three groups and analyzed with ordinal logistic regression.@*RESULTS@#There was no statistically significant difference in the demographic data among three groups (P > 0.05). While there was statistically significant difference in the coma duration, severity of intracranial hemorrhage, working capacity, family duties, social functions, self care capacity and intelligence quotient (P < 0.05) among the groups. Intracranial hemorrhage, family duties, social functions and self care capacity were chosen as the factors in the logistic regression equation.@*CONCLUSION@#The degree of the brain damage influenced the mental disability. Family duties, social functions and self care capacity are the major factors for determining the degree of mental disability after injured.