Analysis on Seed Quality Grading Standard of Belamcanda chinensis / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To study the quality inspection standard of seeds of <italic>Belamcanda chinensis</italic> and establish the quality grading standard of seeds of <italic>B. chinensis</italic>. Method:The purity of seeds of <italic>B. chinensis</italic> from different producing areas was analyzed，and the 1 000-grain weight，water content，viability and germination rate of seeds of <italic>B. chinensis</italic> with different diameters were determined after diameter classification. K-means was used for cluster analysis to preliminarily formulate the quality grading standard of seeds of <italic>B. chinensis</italic>. Result:There were obvious regional differences in the size of seeds of <italic>B. chinensis</italic>. The particle size of seeds of <italic>B. chinensis</italic> of Xiaochang，Dawu and Huanggang Academy of Agricultural Sciences in Hubei Province was larger and mostly between 4.5 mm to 5.5 mm. The seeds of<italic> B. chinensis </italic>from Tuanfeng，Qujing，Yunnan，and Anguo，Hebei province had smaller particle sizes than those from the other three producing areas，which were mostly between 3.5 mm to 5.0 mm. Arils in seeds of <italic>B. chinensis</italic> were removed by 10% NaClO to effectively break seed dormancy and significantly improve the seed germination rate. On this basis，the seed diameter was taken as the main grading index，and the seed moisture content，viability，germination rate and purity were taken as important reference indexes. The quality of seeds of <italic>B. chinensis</italic> was preliminarily divided into three grades，grade Ⅰ：seed diameter≥5.5 mm，moisture content≤10%，viability≥94%，germination rate≥60%，and cleanliness≥93%；grade Ⅱ：seed diameter≥4.5 mm，moisture content≤10%，viability≥90%，germination rate≥55%，and cleanliness≥85%；and grade Ⅲ：seed diameter≥3.5 mm，moisture content≤10%，viability≥84%，germination rate≥45%，cleanliness≥80%. Conclusion:In this study，the quality grading standard of seeds of <italic>B. chinensis</italic> was preliminarily established to provide reference for the quality evaluation of seeds of <italic>B. chinensis</italic> and the breeding of improved varieties. In addition，the maturity and the storage time of seeds of <italic>B. chinensis</italic> have a greater impact on the quality of seeds，so it is recommended to select fully mature（dark black） seeds and new seeds for production.

Effect of different drying methods on drying characteristics, appearance and active components of Belamcandae Rhizoma / 中国中药杂志

In order to explore the effect of different drying methods(drying-in-the-shade, sun-drying, and hot air drying) on appearance characteristics, internal structure and composition of Belamcandae Rhizoma, so as to provide a theoretical basis for screening out suitable drying methods for primary processing. In this study, the Belamcandae Rhizoma's dynamic changes of the moisture content ratio and drying rate with different drying time under different drying methods, as well as the effects of different drying methods on the appearance, drying rate, density, ash, extractives and the contents of six flavonoids(mangiferin, tectoridin, iridin, tectorigenin, irigenin, irisflorentin) were compared. The results showed that fresh Belamcandae Rhizoma consumed the longest time to reach the water balance point by traditional dry drying in the shade, whiche was about 311 h; that by sun drying was 19.3%, which was shorter than drying in the shade; both drying curves were smoother. The section color of the sun drying samples was the closest to that of fresh samples, but the interior is full of holes, with a low density and loose structure. Hot air drying(40, 60, 80 ℃) could save about 27% to 88% of the drying time, which was greatly shorter, with less pores, a larger density and compact structure. Compared with the traditional drying method, the drying rate of hot air drying was reduced by 13.7%. Ash was affected by temperature, the drying conditions under 40 ℃ and below were not significantly different from those of conventional drying. The ash content decreased by 7.73% to 18.5% compared with conventional drying at 60,80 ℃. After conventional drying and 40 ℃ hot air drying, the contents of tectoridin and iridin(glycosides) in the samples were significantly higher than those in 60,80 ℃ hot air drying, while the contents of tectorigenin, irigenin and irisflorentin(aglycones) dried at 60 ℃ were the best. Therefore, considering comprehensive appearance characteristics and content of medicinal ingredients, traditional Chinese medicinal materials after 60 ℃ hot air drying show a solid texture, tight internal structure, good appearance, appropriate reduction of toxic parasides and higher aglycone content.

Identification and biological characteristics of southern blight causing root rot on three medicine plants of Iridaceae in Dabie Mountains / 中国中药杂志

In order to identify the species and biological characteristics of the pathogen of southern blight from three kinds of Chinese medicine of Iridaceae(Belamcanda chinensis, Iris tectorum and I. japonica) in Dabie Mountains, the isolation, identification, pathogenicity and biological characteristics of the pathogens were studied according to Koch's postulates. In addition, 9 chemical fungicides, 3 botanical fungicides and 5 microbial fungicides were used to evaluate their inhibition to the isolates in vitro. The results showed that all the strains(SG-Q, YW-Q, and HDH-Q) isolated and purified from the diseased plants of B. chinensis, I. tectorum and I. japonica, respectively, were identified as Sclerotium rolfsii through morphological observation and sequence aligement of 18 S rDNA, rDNA-ITS and TEF. Field observations showed that the intensity of the disease incidence of three Iridaceae plants was B. chinensis>I. japonica> I. tectorum, and the pathogenicity of the strains was SG-Q>YW-Q>HDH-Q. For biological characteristics, SG-Q strain was suitable for growth under the 12 h light/12 h dark cycle, with the optimal growth temperature of 30 ℃ and pH of 5. Among the 9 tested chemical fungicides, 29% lime sulphure and 10% flusilazole had stronger inhibitory effect on mycelia growth of SG-Q. For 3 botanical fungicides, 1% osthol, 20% eugenol and 0.5% berberine could effectively inhibt the mycelial growth of SG-Q and cause the morphological variation of the pathogen. For 5 microbial fungicides, Trichoderma harzianum and Bacillus subtilis had better inhibition on the mycelium growth of SG-Q.

Content characteristics of mineral elements and its correlation with soil nutrients and effective components in Chrysanthemum morifolium from different producing areas in Macheng / 中国中药杂志

In this study, 24 copies of samples of Chrysanthemum morifolium and soil from two main production towns in Macheng city were collected, and the contents of 13 mineral elements, 5 effective components and 14 soil nutrient factors in Ch. morifolium were determined. The enrichment characteristics of available soil nutrients by mineral elements were analyzed and the dominant factors affecting the effective components of Ch. morifolium were screened. The results showed that the content of mineral elements and soil nutrients and effective components are very different, and variation of soil fertility was much greater than that of inorganic elements in chrysanthemum plants. In general, the level of element content in Ch. morifolium from different producing areas is K>N>P>Mg>Ca>Fe>Mn>Zn>Cu>Ni>Cr>Pb>Cd. The content of K, N and Mg is higher than that of common crops, and the content of Cu, Cd and Pb in Ch. morifolium from various producing areas does not exceed the relevant standards. The N, P and K enrichment capacity in soil was stronger than that of other elements, and the Ca enrichment ability was the worst. The content of AvCu in the soil was positively correlated with the contents of N, Mg, K, Fe and Cu elements in Ch. morifolium. The contents of chlorogenic acid, luteolin, 3,5-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid reached the pharmacopoeia standard. The percentage of chlorogenic acid and 3,5-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid in Ch. morifolium that from Huangtugang town in the active components were generally higher than that from Futianhe town, and the diffe-rences of luteolin contents in the two producing areas were relatively small. The correlation and regression analysis showed that the contents of Cu, Zn and Cr in Ch. morifolium were positively correlated with the active components, while the contents of Fe, Mn and Ni were negatively correlated with the contents of AvP, AvK, TK, AvMn and AvCu in soil. In general, Zn and Ca fertilizer should be added to the ecological planting of Ch. morifolium, K fertilizer should be added, and N and P fertilizer should be applied appropriately.

Effects of CYP2C9*3 Gene Polymorphism on Therapeutic Efficacy of Benzbromarone in Lowering Uric Acid and Its Hepatotoxicity / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE：To study the effects o f CYP2C9*3 gene polymorphism on therapeutic efficacy of benzbromarone in lowering uric acid and its hepatotoxicity. METHODS ：A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the relevant clinical indicators and genotypes of 196 gout patients who received benzbromarone and CYP2C9*3 gene polymorphism test in Wuhan third hospital from Jan. 2018 to Sept. 2019. RESULTS ：Among 196 patients，179，15 and 2 patients with CYP2C9*3 genotypes * 1/*1， *1/*3 and * 3/*3 genotypes were found ，respectively，and the distribution of each genotype was in line with Hardy-Weinberg balance（P＞0.05）. Before treatment ，there were no significant differences in the levels of UA ，Scr，ALT，AST and CRP between *1/*1 genotype and * 1/*3+*3/*3 genotype（P＞0.05）. After 4 weeks of treatment ，the UA ，Scr，CRP levels of patients with * 1/*1 genotype as well as the UA and CRP levels of patients with * 1/*3+*3/*3 genotype were significantly reduced ，the UA level of patients with * 1/*1 genotype was significantly lower than that of patients with * 1/*3+*3/*3 genotype（P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. The ALT and AST levels had no obvious changes in patients with different genotype before and after treatment ，and they were in the normal range. No serious abnormal liver function was observed during the treatment. CONCLUSIONS ：Therapeutic efficacy of benzbromarone in lowering uric acid in gout patients with CYP2C9*3 genotypes * 1/*1 genotype is better than that of * 1/*3 and * 3/*3 genotypes. However ，the gene polymorphism may be not associated with its hepatotoxicity.

Active fractions of Camellia nitidissima inhibit non-small cell lung cancer via suppressing epidermal growth factor receptor / 中国中药杂志

The present study explored the effects and its underlying mechanisms of four active fractions of Camellia nitidissima(leaf polyphenols, leaf saponins, flower polyphenols, and flower saponins in C. nitidissima) in inhibiting the proliferation and migration of non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC) by suppressing the epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR). MTT assay was used to detect the effect of four active fractions on the proliferation of NCI-H1975 and HCC827 cells. Wound healing assay and Transwell assay were adopted to evaluate the effect of four active fractions on the migration of NSCLC. The effect of four active fractions on the enzyme activity of EGFR was detected. Molecular docking was carried out to explore the direct action capacity and action sites between representative components of the four active fractions and EGPR. Western blot assay was employed to investigate the effect of four active fractions on the protein expression in EGFR downstream signaling pathways. The results of the MTT assay indicated that the cell viability of NCI-H1975 and HCC827 cells was significantly inhibited by four active fractions at 50, 100, 150, and 200 μg·mL~(-1) in a dose-dependent manner. Wound healing assay and Transwell assay revealed that the migration of NCI-H1975 and HCC827 cells was significantly suppressed by four active fractions. In addition, the results of the protein activity assay showed that the enzyme activity of EGFR was significantly inhibited by four active fractions. The molecular docking results confirmed that various components in four active fractions possessed strong binding activity to EGFR enzymes. Western blot assay revealed that four active fractions down-regulated the protein expression of EGFR and its downstream signaling pathways. It is concluded that the four active fractions of C. nitidissima can inhibit NSCLC. The mechanism may be related to EGFR and its downstream signaling pathways. This study provides a new scientific basis for the clinical treatment of NSCLC with active fractions of C. nitidissima, which is of reference significance for further research on the anti-tumor mechanism of C. nitidissima.

Clinical Efficacy of Shufeng Jiedu Capsule Combined with Western Medicine in Treatment of Common COVID-19 Patients by Retrospective Analysis / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To analyze the clinical efficacy of Shufeng Jiedu Capsule (SFJD capsule) combined with western medicine in the treatment of common coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). Method:By the usage propensity score matching, the clinical data of COVID-19 patients with common COVID-19 admitted to Wuhan third hospital from January 27, 2020 (solstice) to March 5, 2020, were screened out. Thirty-four patients with SFJD capsule combined with conventional therapy according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria were enrolled in treatment group, and 34 patients treated with conventional therapy were enrolled in control group. The disappearance rate of main symptoms (fever, cough, expectoration and fatigue), days of syndrome disappearance, effective rate and disappearance rate of other symptoms, laboratory indexes before treatment and after 7 days′ treatment, effective rate of computed tomography (CT) of the lungs, rate of COVID-19 severe transformation and hospitalization time between the two groups were compared. Result:The baseline data between the two groups showed no statistically significant difference, and was comparable. After 7 days of treatment, the symptom disappearance rate of cough, sputum, fatigue, chest tightness and panting in treatment group was significantly higher than that in control group (P<0.05). The average days of disappearance of main symptoms in treatment group was significantly less than that in control group (P<0.05). The effective rate of main symptom was significantly higher than control group (P<0.05). In treatment group, 8.8%（3/34） of the patients were transferred to severe disease, while 26.5%（9/34） of the patients in control group were transferred to severe disease, with statistically significant differences. After treatment for 7 days, lymphocytes in treatment group significantly increased (P<0.05), C-reactive protein significantly decreased (P<0.05), procalcitonin level significantly decreased (P<0.05), and D-dimer level significantly decreased (P<0.05), while lymphocytes in control group significantly increased (P<0.05), and c-reactive protein significantly decreased (P<0.05). The improvement rate of pulmonary CT in treatment group was 91.2%（31/34）, which was significantly higher than 70.6%（24/34） in control group (P<0.05). After treatment, both groups were cured and discharged, the average length of stay in treatment group was (15.53±2.63) d, which was (16.35±4.98) d in control group，with no statistically significant difference. No adverse events occurred in treatment group, but 3 cases occurred in control group. Conclusion:SFJD capsule combined with western medicine can significantly improve the clinical symptoms of normal COVID-19 patients, such as cough, sputum, fatigue, chest distress and shortness of breath, alleviate the main symptoms effectively, regulate the expressions of relevant peripheral inflammation, promote the absorption of lung inflammation, and improve the cure rate, which indicates that SFJD capsule can be effectively in the treatment of patients with common COVID-19.

Retrospective Analysis on Clinical Efficacy of Ganlu Xiaodu Decoction Combined with Western Medicine in Treatment of Common COVID-19 Patients / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To analyze the clinical efficacy of Ganlu Xiaodu decoction combined with western medicine in the treatment of common coronavirus disease-2019（COVID-19）. Method:With the propensity score matching method，the clinical data of patients with common COVID-19 admitted to Wuhan Third Hospital from January 25，2020 to March 18，2020，were screened out. 115 patients with Ganlu Xiaodu decoction combined with conventional therapy were enrolled in the treatment group according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria，and 115 patients treated with conventional therapy were enrolled in the control group. The disappearance rate of main symptoms（fever，cough，expectoration，chest tightness，fatigue and panting），days of syndrome disappearance，effective rate and disappearance rate of other symptoms，laboratory indexes before treatment and after 7 days' treatment，effective rate in computed tomography（CT） of the lungs，rate of conversion to severe illness and total hospitalization time were compared between the two groups. Result:The baseline data between the two groups showed no statistically significant difference，but were comparable. After 7 days of treatment，the symptom disappearance rate of fever，cough，expectoration，chest tightness，fatigue and panting in the treatment group was significantly higher than that in the control group（P<0.01）.The average number of days to disappearance of main symptoms in treatment group was significantly less than that in the control group（P<0.01）. The effective rate of main symptoms was 93.9%（108/115）in treatment group, significantly higher than 75.7%（87/115，P<0.01）in control group. In the treatment group，the rate of conversion to severe illness was 0, significantly lower than 16.5% (19/115) in the control group (P<0.01). After treatment for 7 days，the white blood cell count，red blood cell count，c-reactive protein，calcitonin，and D-dimer in treatment group were significantly reduced（P<0.05），while lymphocyte count was significantly increased as compared with those before treatment（P<0.01）, the lymphocyte count in control group was also increased significantly in control group（P<0.01），while C-reactive protein，calcitonin and D-dimer were significantly reduced（P<0.05）. As compared with the control group，C-reactive protein and calcitonin levels in the treatment group were significantly down-regulated（P<0.01），and lymphocyte count rose significantly（P<0.05）.The improvement rate of pulmonary CT in the treatment group was 93.9%（108/115），which was significantly higher than 75.7%（87/115）in the control group（P<0.001）. After treatment，the patients in both groups were cured and discharged，and the average length of stay in the treatment group was（14.70±2.76） d，significantly less than（15.80±4.37） d in the control group （P<0.05）. No adverse events occurred in the treatment group but 6 cases occurred in the control group. Conclusion:Ganlu Xiaodu decoction combined with western medicine can significantly improve the clinical symptoms of common COVID-19 patients such as fever，cough，expectoration，chest tightness，fatigue, panting and shortness of breath，alleviate the main symptoms effectively，reduce the rate of conversion from common to serious COVID-19，regulate the expressions of relevant peripheral inflammation factors，promote absorption of lung inflammation，shorten hospitalization time，and improve the cure rate，indicating that Ganlu Xiaodu decoction can be effective in the treatment of patients with common COVID-19.

Systematic Identification and Quality Evaluation of Anemonis Flaccidae Rhizoma from 16 Different Places of Origin / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To construct a systematic identification system of Anemonis Flaccidae Rhizoma, and to evaluate the comprehensive quality of Anemonis Flaccidae Rhizoma from 16 regions in China, so as to lay a foundation for its origin selection and clinical medication safety. Method:The authenticity of Anemonis Flaccidae Rhizoma was quickly identified by traditional identification method and DNA barcode molecular identification technology, and HPLC-UV was used to determine the contents of 5 active ingredients in Anemonis Flaccidae Rhizoma. All high pressure chromatographic separations were performed with a Welch Ultimate XB-C18 column (4.6 mm×250 mm, 5 μm), the mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile-0.01% trifluoroacetic acid aqueous solution (30∶70) at a flow rate of 1.0 mL·min-1. The detection wavelength was set at 210 nm and the column temperature was maintained at 30 ℃. Result:The authenticity of Anemonis Flaccidae Rhizoma could be precisely and rapidly identified by ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) sequence and traditional identification methods. BLAST comparative analysis found that medicinal materials from 16 areas were all Anemone flaccida. Based on the contents of multi-index components, it was shown that the total content of 5 triterpenoid saponins in Anemonis Flaccidae Rhizoma from Banqiao, Enshi, Hubei was the highest (10.59%), followed by Hezhang, Bijie, Guizhou (6.28%) and Duzhenwan, Changyang, Hubei (5.64%). Conclusion:DNA barcoding can be used as an effective supplement to the traditional identification technology, it can ensure the authenticity of Anemonis Flaccidae Rhizoma and the safety of clinical use. The comprehensive evaluation of multi-index components of HPLC and cluster analysis show that the quality of medicinal materials in Enshi, Changyang, Wufeng of Hubei, Bijie of Guizhou and Jinfoshan of Chongqing is superior, which can be considered as important origin of Anemonis Flaccidae Rhizoma.

Performance of Hepatitis B Core-Related Antigen Versus Hepatitis B Surface Antigen and Hepatitis B Virus DNA in Predicting HBeAg-positive and HBeAg-negative Chronic Hepatitis

BACKGROUND: We examined changes in hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg) during the four sequential phases of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection: hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive chronic infection (EPCI) and hepatitis (EPCH), followed by HBeAg-negative chronic infection (ENCI) and hepatitis (ENCH). We compared the performance of serum HBcrAg, hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), and HBV DNA in predicting EPCH and ENCH. METHODS: We enrolled 492 consecutive patients: 49 with EPCI, 243 with EPCH, 101 with ENCI, and 99 with ENCH. HBcrAg was detected by chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassays. HBsAg and HBeAg were detected by chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassays. HBV DNA was detected by real-time PCR. Predictive performance of HBcrAg, HBsAg, and HBV DNA was evaluated using ROC curves. RESULTS: Areas under ROC curves (AUCs) of HBcrAg, HBsAg, and HBV DNA for predicting EPCH were 0.738, 0.812, and 0.717, respectively; optimal cutoffs were ≤1.43×105 kU/mL, ≤1.89×104 IU/mL, and ≤3.97×107 IU/mL, with sensitivities and specificities of 66.3% and 77.6%, 65.0% and 93.9%, and 60.5% and 79.6%, respectively. AUCs of HBcrAg, HBsAg, and HBV DNA for predicting ENCH were 0.887, 0.581, and 0.978, respectively; optimal cutoffs were >26.8 kU/mL, >2.29×102 IU/mL, and >8.75×103 IU/mL, with sensitivities and specificities of 72.7% and 95.1%, 86.9% and 39.6%, and 89.9% and 92.1%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: HBsAg and HBV DNA were the best predictors of EPCH and ENCH, respectively. HBcrAg is an important surrogate marker for predicting EPCH and ENCH.

Study on formation and changes of Dao-di herbs production origin of Gastrodia elata / 中国中药杂志

Gastrodia elata has been used in China for more than 2 000 years and it is a kind of valuable traditional Chinese medicine. The originrecords of G. elata were Mount Tai of Shandong and and Mount Song of Henan, which began in Wupu Bencao of Wei Jin Dynasties, and Tai'an and its surrounding areas had been the Do-di herbs production areas. But from the beginning of the Republic of China, G. elata origin has undergone major changes, Do-di herbs production areas moved westward to the southwest.In this paper,through literature research and field visits, we studied the formation and changes of Do-di herbs production areas of G. elata. The cultivation history and current main producing area of G. elata was also introduced. On this basis, we profoundly summarized the reasons of Do-di herbs production areas formation and changes from the nature, society, transportation, humanities and germplasm resources.Combining the ancient herbal medicine and the characteristics of modern producing areas, the planting strength of G. elata could be strengthened in the hope of providing reference for the quality evaluation and cultivation of G. elata.

MicroRNA-98 inhibits the cell proliferation of human hypertrophic scar fibroblasts via targeting Col1A1

BACKGROUND: Hypertrophic scarring (HS) is a severe disease, and results from unusual wound healing. Col1A1 could promote the hypertrophic scar formation, and the expression of Col1A1 in HS tissue was markedly higher than that in the normal. In present study, we aimed to identify miRNAs as post-transcriptional regulators of Col1A1 in HS. METHODS: MicroRNA-98 was selected as the key miRNA comprised in HS. The mRNA levels of miR-98 in HS tissues and the matched normal skin tissues were determined by qRT-PCR. MTT and flow cytometry were used to determine the influence of miR-98 on cell proliferation and apoptosis of HSFBs, respectively. Col1A1 was found to be the target gene of miR-98 using luciferase reporter assay. Luciferase assay was performed to determine the relative luciferase activity in mimic NC, miR-98 mimic, inhibitor NC and miR-98 inhibitor with Col1A13'-UTR wt or Col1A13'-UTR mt reporter plasmids. The protein expression of Col1A1 in HSFBs after transfection with mimic NC, miR-98 mimic, inhibitor NC and miR-98 inhibitor were determined by western blotting. RESULTS: The mRNA level of miR-98 in HS tissues was much lower than that in the control. Transfection of HSFBs with a miR-98 mimic reduced the cell viability of HSFBs and increased the apoptosis portion of HSFBs, while inhibition of miR-98 increased cell viability and decreased apoptosis portion of HSFBs. miR-98 inhibitor increased the relative luciferase activity significantly when cotransfected with the Col1A1-UTR reporter plasmid, while the mutant reporter plasmid abolished the miR-98 inhibitor-mediated increase in luciferase activity. Western blotting revealed that overex-pression of miR-98 decreased the expression of Col1A1. CONCLUSIONS: Overexpression of miR-98 repressed the proliferation of HSFBs by targeting Col1A1.

Study on identification of traditional Chinese medicine Yangqishi and Yinqishi by X-ray diffraction / 中国中药杂志

The aim of this paper is to clarify the mineral origin of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) Yangqishi and Yinqishi and guide identification of the both, by X-ray diffraction (XRD) Fourier patterns. Morphological identification and conventional physical and chemical analysis wee used to identify 22 batches of Yangqishi and Yinqishi. It used XRD Fourier patterns which has been collected from sample powders to analyze phase composition. It has been found experimentally that the mineral origin of Yinqishi is Talc schist and the mineral origin of Yangqishi is tremolite and actinolite. The results also showed that the method using XRD can get not only an accurate but also rapid identification of Yangqishi and Yinqishi. There are many differences in medicinal properties, efficacy, indications and composition of Yangqishi and Yinqishi, so be careful not to mix them up.

Quantitative models of Raman spectroscopy for five kinds of traditional Chinese medicine containing CaCO3 based on an improved siPLS / 中国中药杂志

The aim of this paper is to apply Raman spectroscopy technique to develop rapid quantitative models for five kinds of Traditional Chinese Medicine containing CaCO3. In the experiment, Raman spectras of 67 batch of sample including Otolithum Sciaenae, Galaxeae Os, Ophicalcitum, Calcite, Stalactite and their mixture which had different content of CaCO3 were collected, and the quantitative models were established by using an improved siPLS to optimize the characteristic spectral bands and using the CaCO3 contents which were measured by EDTA titration method as references. Compared with the results by EDTA titration, the established quantitative model for CaCO, content showed a prediction result that the average relative deviation of the prediction results is 2. 71% and the average recovery rate was 100.46%, when the content is between 0.465 4-0.999 7, and when the characteristic spectral bands of 1 290-1 280, 730-714, 700-690, 660-650, 465-460, 455-445, 405-385 cm(-1) had been optimized. The result also showed that the model using Raman spectroscopy and based on an improved siPLS can get a rapid determination for contents of 5 kinds of Traditional Chinese Medicine containing CaCO3.

A NIR qualitative and quantitative model of 8 kinds of carbonate-containing mineral Chinese medicines / 中国中药杂志

The aim of this paper is to apply near infrared spectroscopy techniques to construct a rapid identification method for 8 kinds of mineral Chinese Medicines containing carbonates. The qualitative model using clustering analysis method in OPUS software can identify accurately 8 kinds of carbonate-containing mineral Chinese medicines. The near-infrared quantitative model was established by using partial least squares method (PLS) for 7 mineral Chinese Medicines in which main component is calcium carbonate. Compared with the results by EDTA titration, the established quantitative analysis model for calcium carbonate content showed a good prediction result that when the content is between 47.61% -99.17%, the average relative deviation of the prediction result is 0.24% and the average recovery rate was 100.3%. The results also showed that the model using near infrared spectroscopy can get not only a rapid identification of the 8 mineral Chinese medicines containing carbonates, but also an accurate and reliabe content determination of calcium carbonate for the 7 mineral Chinese medicines which contain the component.

Influence of different processed methods on 10 kinds of ginsensides in Panacis Quinquefolii Radix / 中国中药杂志

The influence on 10 kinds of ginsensides of different processed methods of Panacis Quinquefolii Radix was discussed. White Panacis Quinquefolii Radix (sliced and dried at -80 °C), red Panacis Quinquefolii Radix( steamed, sliced and dried at -80 °C) and commercial Radix Panacis Quinquefolii (dried by electric blast air) processed by different methods. HPLC-PDA-ESI- MS method was established before by our team. Ten kinds of ginsenosides of them were determined. The content of total ginsenosides were as follow: commercial Panacis Quinquefolii Radix > white Panacis Quinquefolii Radix > red Panacis Quinquefolii Radix. Compared with white Panacis Quinquefolii Radix, the content of Re, Rc, Rb3 and Rb2 of Red Radix Panacis Quinquefolii decreased but increased that of Rg,, Rb1. Both Rg2 and Rg, were not found in white Panacis Quinquefolii Radix and commercial Panacis Quinquefolii Radix by PDA detector, and low response in ESI-MS, while red Panacis Quinquefolii Radix was to the high content that of 0. 027% and 0.040 1%. The constituent of RA0 of red Panacis Quinquefolii Radix was higher than the other two. After Panacis Quinquefolii Radix processed, the kind and content of ginsensides were significantly changed. The constituent of some kinds of ginsensides was increased and some decreased. Rf was not found in all Panacis Quinquefolii Radix samples which were consistent with the former documents.

Effects of female diet and age on offspring sex ratio of the solitary parasitoid Pachycrepoideus vindemmiae (Rondani) (Hymenoptera, Pteromalidae) / Efeitos da dieta e idade da fêmea em relação à prole e à razão sexual do parasitoide solitário Pachycrepoideus vindemmiae (Rondani) (Hymenoptera, Pteromalidae)

Effects of female diet and age on offspring sex ratio of the solitary parasitoid Pachycrepoideus vindemmiae (Rondani) (Hymenoptera, Pteromalidae). Theories predict that females of parasitoid wasps would adjust the offspring sex ratio to environmental conditions in the oviposition patch, but the diet and age of females would also affect the sex ratio adjustment. Our focus was to test the effects of female diet and age on offspring sex ratio of the solitary parasitoid wasp, Pachycrepoideus vindemmiae (Rondani, 1875). Our results showed that females fed with honey had significantly less female biased offspring sex ratio than those fed only with water. Offspring sex ratio (male percentage) decreased with female age or female longevity at the beginning of oviposition but increased at the end. There should be a sperm limitation in P. vindemmiae females at the end of oviposition, and a higher frequency of unfertilized eggs were laid then. Females also laid more unfertilized eggs at the beginning of oviposition, which would be necessary to insure the mating among offspring. Male offspring developed faster and emerged earlier, which would also reduce the risk of virginity in offspring with female-biased sex ratio.

Efeitos da dieta e idade da fêmea em relação à prole e à razão sexual do parasitoide solitário Pachycrepoideus vindemmiae (Rondani) (Hymenoptera, Pteromalidae). As teorias predizem que as fêmeas parasitoides de vespas ajustam a relação razão sexual dos descendentes, de acordo com condições ambientais, em cada oviposição. Entretanto, a dieta e idade das fêmeas também podem afetar o ajuste da razão sexual. Nosso foco foi testar os efeitos da dieta e idade da fêmeas em relação a razão sexual da prole da vespa parasitoide Pachycrepoideus vindemmiae (Rondani, 1875). Nossos resultados mostraram que as fêmeas alimentadas com mel apresentaram uma razão sexual significativa menor de fêmeas, do que aquelas alimentadas apenas com água. A razão sexual (percentagem dos machos) diminuiu com a idade ou longevidade das fêmeas no início da oviposição, mas com aumento no final. Deve haver uma limitação de esperma nas fêmeas de P. vindemmiae no final da oviposição e uma maior frequência de posturas de ovos infertilizados. As fêmeas também fazem posturas de um número maior de ovos infertilizados no início da oviposição, que seria necessário para assegurar o acasalamento entre os descendentes. A prole masculina desenvolverá mais rapidamente e emergirá mais cedo, o que também reduziria o risco de virgindade da prole, com a tendenciosa proporção de razão sexual maior das fêmeas.

Mini-incision posterior laminectomy by fenestration in the treatment of huge lumbar disc herniation / 中国骨伤

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To discuss clinical effects and methods of mini-incision posterior laminectomy by fenestration in the treatment of huge lumbar disc herniation.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From 1999 to 2008,107 patients with huge protruded lumbar intervertebral disc were retrospectively analyzed including 78 males and 29 females with an average age of 38.5 years ranging from 26 to 59 years. The patients were operated with mini-incision posterior laminectomy by fenestration. The affected region of patients were L4.5 (36 cases), L5S1 (71 cases). The herniation rate of nucleus was more than 40%. The patient's scores based on low back pain improved JOA standard were retrospectively analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The 107 patients were followed-up for from 0.5 to 4 years with an average of 1.75 years. The scores by low back pain improved JOA standard were improved from (1.500 +/- 1.200) before operation to (12.700 +/- 0.950) after operation. The average improvement rate was (82.96 +/- 6.85)%.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>It is a reliable method in the treatment of huge lumbar disc herniation with mini-incision posterior laminectomy by fenestration. The treatment method have advantage with less trauma, good spinal stability, conducive to patient recovery and maintain clinical efficacy.</p>

An efficient tool for the construction of multiple-cistronic vectors: FMDV 2A / 生物工程学报

Recently, cancer therapy with mutiple genes has been attached with great attention. However, at present there is no efficient tool to construct multiple-cistrons. The large sizes and the imbalance in expression of most traditional tools, such as ribosome entry sites (IRESes),greatly block their wide employment in the construction of multiple cistronic gene therapy vectors. The self-cleaving peptide 2A from foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) has a very small size, and more importantly, high cleavage activity in artifical bicistron, which bring new hope for mutiple genes therapy stategy. In this article, the characteristics and cleavage activities of FMDV 2A will be elucidated,and we further outline its applications in cancer gene therapy.