Investigation of pharmacodynamic material basis of Schisandra chinensis in the treatment of allergic asthma / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To study the pharmacological basis of Schisandra chinensis in the treatment of allergic asthma. METHODS The common components of 10 batches of S. chinensis from different habitats were analyzed by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS. Furthermore， the allergic asthma model was established by intraperitoneal injection of ovalbumin （OVA） and aluminum hydroxide for stimulation combined with atomization exitation； general behavioral observation and the contents of interferon γ （IFN-γ）， interleukin-4 （IL-4） and immunoglobulin E （IgE） in serum were taken as criteria for evaluating the therapeutic effect of S. chinensis from different habitats in the treatment of allergic asthma. Correlation coefficients between common peak area and efficacy evaluation index of each batch of medicinal material were analyzed through grey correlation degree and Pearson correlation analysis. RESULTS A total of 21 common components were identified in 10 batches of S. chinensis from different habitats. After administration of S. chinensis， symptoms such as shortness of breath， sneezing and curling of rats were alleviated. In addition， the content of IFN-γ was significantly increased while the contents of IL-4 and IgE in serum were distinctly decreased （P＜0.01）. Grey correlation analysis showed that 11 common components had high correlation coefficients with IFN-γ， IL-4 and IgE （rˉ＞0.8）. Pearson correlation analysis showed that 8 components were significantly positively correlated with the content of IFN-γ （P＜ 0.05）， and 9， 8 components were significantly negatively correlated with the content of IL-4 and IgE （P＜0.05）. Based on the results of grey correlation degree and Pearson correlation analysis， 7 components such as peak 3， 4， 6， 7， 9， 19 and 20， were highly related to S. chinensis in the treatment of allergic asthma. CONCLUSIONS Schisandrol A， schisandrin B， schisandrin C， gomisin M2， gomisin J， pregomisin and angeloylgomisin H are the potential pharmacodynamic substance basis of S. chinensis in the treatment of allergic asthma.

The effect of smoking in the development of stroke in young patients 19 to 45 years old: A case-control study

Introduction@#The increasing incidence of stroke in young adults has been a growing concern, which is why research studies were generated to find out the risk factors contributing to the development of this disease. This study investigated the dose-dependent effect of smoking in the development of stroke in the young ages (19-45 years).@*Methods@#A case-control retrospective study was conducted using electronic and printed records of the patients admitted to Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center last 2017-2018. There were 275 patients included in the study. The smoking status and pack-years cigarette smoking of the subjects were recorded and were correlated with the duration of hospitalization and the Modified Rankin Scale (MRS). Results were analyzed using student’s t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson’s Correlation.@*Result@#The prevalence of stroke was higher in men than in women. The ORs (95% CI) of stroke were significant in current cigarette smoking at 2.71 (CI: 1.6398 to 4.4943). Compared with non-smokers and those who smoked 1 to 9 pack years, the OR of stroke was significantly increased for those who smoked 10 to 19, and ≥ 20 cigarettes per day with OR of 14.0765 (4.10 to 48.35), and 31.5854 (1.82 to 548.97), respectively (p= 0.032 for linear trends). There was a weak positive linear correlation between pack years of cigarette smoking (1-9, 10-19, >20 pack years) and days of hospitalization (r= 0.28; p for trend = 0.0168). There was also a strong positive linear correlation between stroke outcome using the Modified Rankin Scale and pack years of cigarette smoking (r = 0.72; P for trend = 0.001). This study shows an increase in the odds of stroke in current cigarette smokers with a dose-dependent relationship in its outcome.@*Conclusion@#Smoking is a significant risk factor for stroke with a dose-dependent effect on its outcome. Furthermore, quitting smoking significantly decreases the risk of developing stroke.

Câncer de colo de útero e componentes de saneamento nos municípios do estado do Mato Grosso do Sul: seria uma questão de má qualidade da água? / Cervical cancer and sanitation components in the municipalities of the state of Mato Grosso do Sul: would it be a question of poor water quality?

Resumo Este artigo investiga relações entre a incidência de câncer de colo de útero (ICC) e os componentes e indicadores de qualidade da água nos municípios do Mato Grosso do Sul, entre 2014 e 2017, por correlação estatística (Determinante de Pearson) e espacial (agrupamentos por k-médias). Houve maior resposta estatística de ICC em relação à tarifa média dos serviços de abastecimento praticado (-36,28%) e de água (-34,15%); à quantidade de suas interrupções sistemáticas (28,3%) e paralizações (22,28%); ao consumo médio per capita de água (20,74%) e à quantidade de serviços executados (-17,98%), todas as respostas sob p-valor ≤ 0,001. Em Costa Rica, cidade sob maior ICC média, os agrupamentos espaciais identificaram maior efeito daquelas interrupções (z-valor = 8,741) e das paralizações (z = 7,6097); enquanto em Rochedo, também sob alta ICC, houve maior efeito à incidência de análises com resultados fora do padrão para coliformes totais (z = 8,6803) e turbidez (z = 5,7427), sob correlação estatística de 12,05% (p-valor = 0,032) e 15,18% (p-valor = 0,007), respectivamente. Dados do SISAGUA revelaram a presença de coliformes e de altos níveis de turbidez, por exemplo, em Antônio João e Tacuru, cidades sob altas ICC médias. Recomenda-se maiores investigações sobre as relações aqui apresentadas entre ICC e água.

Abstratct This article investigates relationships between the incidence of cervical cancer (CCI) and the water components and quality indicators, in the municipalities of Mato Grosso do Sul, between 2014 and 2017, by statistical (Pearson's Determinant) and spatial (k-means Clustering) correlation. There was a greater statistical response of CCI in relation to the average tariff of the practiced supply (−36.28%) and water (−34.15%) services; the number of their systematic interruptions (28.3%) and outages (22.28%); the average per capita consumption of water (20.74%); and the number of services performed (−17.98%), all answers under p-value ≤ 0.001. In Costa Rica, city with the highest average CCI, the spatial clustering identified a greater effect of those interruptions (z-value = 8.741) and outages (z = 7.6097); whereas, in Rochedo, also under high CCI, the analyses showed greater effect with non-standard results for total coliforms (z = 8.6803) and turbidity (z = 5.7427), under a statistical correlation of 12.05% (p-value = 0.032) and 15.18% (p-value = 0.007), respectively. Data from SISAGUA revealed the presence of coliforms and high levels of turbidity, for example, in Antônio João and Tacuru, cities with high average ICC. We recommend further investigation into the relationships presented here between CCI and water.

Assessing compatibility of excipients selected for a sustained release formulation of bilberry leaf extract

Abstract The study is aimed to assess the compatibility of bilberry leaf powder extract (BLPE) with six excipients selected for sustained-release (SR) tablet formulation. The BLPE was obtained with the addition of L-arginine and Myo-inositol as the carriers. Thermogravimetric (TG-DTG) analysis and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), supported by Pearson correlation analysis, were applied to detect possible interactions in the binary mixtures (1:1) of the BLPE with each excipient. The TG-DTG showed some deviations in the thermal behavior of the BLPE / excipient mixtures. However, only the thermal behavior of magnesium stearate in the mixture significantly differed from individual samples, which suggested chemical interaction for this excipient. The FTIR analysis confirmed that the BLPE is compatible with Eudragit L100, Methocel K4M, Methocel K100LV, Avicel PH-101, and Plasdone S-630. Whereas it undergoes solid-state chemical interaction in the binary mixture with magnesium stearate. According to the FTIR-spectra, it is suggested that this interaction results in the formation of stearic acid and alkalization of the medium. These findings evidence for the possibility of using TG-DTG analysis as an independent thermal technique for compatibility studies and also confirm the earlier reported interaction of basic lubricants, e.g., stearic salts, with active ingredients containing amino groups.

Parameter transfer learning based on shallow visual geometry group network and its application in motor imagery classification / 生物医学工程学杂志

Transfer learning is provided with potential research value and application prospect in motor imagery electroencephalography (MI-EEG)-based brain-computer interface (BCI) rehabilitation system, and the source domain classification model and transfer strategy are the two important aspects that directly affect the performance and transfer efficiency of the target domain model. Therefore, we propose a parameter transfer learning method based on shallow visual geometry group network (PTL-sVGG). First, Pearson correlation coefficient is used to screen the subjects of the source domain, and the short-time Fourier transform is performed on the MI-EEG data of each selected subject to acquire the time-frequency spectrogram images (TFSI). Then, the architecture of VGG-16 is simplified and the block design is carried out, and the modified sVGG model is pre-trained with TFSI of source domain. Furthermore, a block-based frozen-fine-tuning transfer strategy is designed to quickly find and freeze the block with the greatest contribution to sVGG model, and the remaining blocks are fine-tuned by using TFSI of target subjects to obtain the target domain classification model. Extensive experiments are conducted based on public MI-EEG datasets, the average recognition rate and Kappa value of PTL-sVGG are 94.9% and 0.898, respectively. The results show that the subjects' optimization is beneficial to improve the model performance in source domain, and the block-based transfer strategy can enhance the transfer efficiency, realizing the rapid and effective transfer of model parameters across subjects on the datasets with different number of channels. It is beneficial to reduce the calibration time of BCI system, which promote the application of BCI technology in rehabilitation engineering.

Analysis on Difference of Medicinal Properties Between Atractylodes lancea and A. chinensis Based on Correlation of Energy Metabolism and Dryness / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo explore the correlation between dryness and energy metabolism of Atractylodis Rhizoma， and to analyze the difference of medicinal properties between Atractylodes lancea and A. chinensis. MethodA total of 110 healthy SD rats were randomly divided into 11 groups， including normal group， volatile oil of A. lancea 1-5 group （S1-S5 group， doses of 447， 473， 442， 489， 496 mg·kg-1） and volatile oil of A. chinensis 1-5 group （N1-N5 group， doses of 197， 118， 281， 222， 185 mg·kg-1）， the administration volume was 0.01 mL·g-1 with intragastric administration for 21 days. Dryness effect of A. lancea and A. chinensis on rats was evaluated by comparing the body weight， drinking water volume， urine volume， whole blood viscosity and pathological sections of submandibular gland stained with hematoxylin-eosin （HE）. The expression of aquaporin 2 （AQP2） in rat kidney was measured by immunohistochemistry， the mRNA expressions of cytochrome C oxidase subunit 7A2 （COX7A2） and succinate dehydrogenase （SDH） complex subunit D （SDHD） in liver tissue were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）. The contents of SDH， lactate dehydrogenase （LDH） and sodium ion-potassium ion-adenosine triphosphatase （Na+-K+-ATPase） in rat plasma were determined by colorimetry. The quality of A. lancea and A. chinensis was evaluated by coefficient of variation method， and Pearson correlation coefficient was used to analyze the correlation between dryness and energy metabolism. ResultCompared with the normal group， the amounts of drinking water and urine in volatile oil of A. lancea group and volatile oil of A. chinensis group increased， and the submandibular gland acini atrophied， the whole blood viscosity of rats in the volatile oil of A. lancea group increased significantly （P<0.01）， the expression levels of COX7A2 and SDHD mRNA， the activities of SDH， LDH and Na+-K+-ATPase increased significantly （P<0.01）， and the expression of AQP2 in kidney decreased significantly （P<0.01）. Compared with the normal group， the expression level of COX7A2 mRNA， SDH activity and whole blood viscosity in the volatile oil of A. chinensis group increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）， the AQP2 and SDH mRNA expression levels， LDH and Na+-K+-ATPase activities had no significant difference. The comprehensive score analysis of each index showed that the effect of volatile oil of A. lancea on dryness and energy metabolism was stronger than that of volatile oil of A. chinensis， and there was a positive correlation between dryness index and energy metabolism index. ConclusionThe two indexes show that medicinal properties of A. lancea is stronger than that of A. chinensis， and energy metabolism is closely related to the dryness of Atractylodis Rhizoma. It is suggested that it is reasonable to evaluate the dryness effect of Atractylodis Rhizoma from the perspective of energy metabolism， which can further enrich the evaluation indexes of medicinal properties.

Analysis on Difference of Medicinal Properties Between Atractylodes lancea and A. chinensis Based on Correlation of Energy Metabolism and Dryness / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo explore the correlation between dryness and energy metabolism of Atractylodis Rhizoma， and to analyze the difference of medicinal properties between Atractylodes lancea and A. chinensis. MethodA total of 110 healthy SD rats were randomly divided into 11 groups， including normal group， volatile oil of A. lancea 1-5 group （S1-S5 group， doses of 447， 473， 442， 489， 496 mg·kg-1） and volatile oil of A. chinensis 1-5 group （N1-N5 group， doses of 197， 118， 281， 222， 185 mg·kg-1）， the administration volume was 0.01 mL·g-1 with intragastric administration for 21 days. Dryness effect of A. lancea and A. chinensis on rats was evaluated by comparing the body weight， drinking water volume， urine volume， whole blood viscosity and pathological sections of submandibular gland stained with hematoxylin-eosin （HE）. The expression of aquaporin 2 （AQP2） in rat kidney was measured by immunohistochemistry， the mRNA expressions of cytochrome C oxidase subunit 7A2 （COX7A2） and succinate dehydrogenase （SDH） complex subunit D （SDHD） in liver tissue were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）. The contents of SDH， lactate dehydrogenase （LDH） and sodium ion-potassium ion-adenosine triphosphatase （Na+-K+-ATPase） in rat plasma were determined by colorimetry. The quality of A. lancea and A. chinensis was evaluated by coefficient of variation method， and Pearson correlation coefficient was used to analyze the correlation between dryness and energy metabolism. ResultCompared with the normal group， the amounts of drinking water and urine in volatile oil of A. lancea group and volatile oil of A. chinensis group increased， and the submandibular gland acini atrophied， the whole blood viscosity of rats in the volatile oil of A. lancea group increased significantly （P<0.01）， the expression levels of COX7A2 and SDHD mRNA， the activities of SDH， LDH and Na+-K+-ATPase increased significantly （P<0.01）， and the expression of AQP2 in kidney decreased significantly （P<0.01）. Compared with the normal group， the expression level of COX7A2 mRNA， SDH activity and whole blood viscosity in the volatile oil of A. chinensis group increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）， the AQP2 and SDH mRNA expression levels， LDH and Na+-K+-ATPase activities had no significant difference. The comprehensive score analysis of each index showed that the effect of volatile oil of A. lancea on dryness and energy metabolism was stronger than that of volatile oil of A. chinensis， and there was a positive correlation between dryness index and energy metabolism index. ConclusionThe two indexes show that medicinal properties of A. lancea is stronger than that of A. chinensis， and energy metabolism is closely related to the dryness of Atractylodis Rhizoma. It is suggested that it is reasonable to evaluate the dryness effect of Atractylodis Rhizoma from the perspective of energy metabolism， which can further enrich the evaluation indexes of medicinal properties.

Correlation between heart rate variability and symptom severity in patients with somatic symptom disorder / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective:To investigate the correlation between heart rate variability (HRV) and symptom severity in patients with somatic symptom disorder (SSD).Methods:Thirty-three patients with somatic symptom disorder (SSD group) who were outpatients or inpatients in Sichuan Provincial People′s Hospital from May 2020 to December 2020 and thirty-three gender-and age-matched healthy controls (HC group) were selected. The patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9), generalized anxiety disorder scale (GAD-7), patient health questionnaire PHQ-15 were applied to assess the severity of depression, anxiety and somatic symptoms in both groups. The somatic system disorder-B criteria scale (SSD-12) and the Whiteley-8 Scale (WI-8) were selected to assess the severity of symptom in SSD. All subjects underwent HRV measurement within one week of enrollment. The differences of HRV between the two groups were compared and the correlation between HRV and symptom severity were analyzed. Independent samples t-test was used for comparison between groups, and Pearson correlation analysis was used for correlation analysis between HRV index and symptom severity. Results:The levels of GAD-7, PHQ-9 and PHQ-15 in SSD group(5.0(2.0, 10.5), 8.0(3.5, 13.0), 11.0(8.0, 15.0)) were significantly higher than those in HC group (1.0(0, 2.0), 0(0, 2.0), 3(0, 6.0)), and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). The SDNN ((25.41±11.24)ms), lnLF ((1.91±0.50)ms 2) and lnTP ((2.65±0.43)ms 2) in the SSD group were lower than those in the HC group ((32.87±12.01)ms, (2.27±0.43)ms 2, (2.93±0.32)ms 2), and the differences were statistically significant( t=-2.605, -3.160, -2.883, all P<0.05). RMSSD of SSD patients was negatively correlated with GAD-7, PHQ-9, and behavioral and cognitive factor scores of SSD-12 ( r=-0.360--0.404, P<0.05), lnHF was negatively correlated with GAD-7, PHQ-9 and behavioral factor scores of SSD-12 scores ( r=-0.491--0.402, all P<0.05), and lnLF/HF was positively correlated with PHQ-9 ( r=0.413, P<0.05) and lnTP was positively correlated with GAD-7 ( r=0.383, P<0.05). Conclusion:HRV is reduced in SSD patients and correlated with symptom severity, indicating the clinical potential of HRV index as a biological marker of SSD.

Correlation between recovery of motor function and regional glucose metabolism induced by CIMT in rats with cerebral ischemia / 复旦学报（医学版）

Objective To study the correlation between regional cerebral glucose metabolism and behavioral scores in middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAO)model rats before and after the intervention of constraint induced movement therapy(CIMT),and the correlation between the natural recovery processand motor function recovery in MCAO model rats and the brain activation after CIMT intervention,and to further explore the mechanism of CIMT. Methods Twenty-two adult male Sprague-Dawley(SD)rats were randomly divided into an ischemic group treated with CIMT (CIMT,n=6),an ischemic group (Control,n=6),a sham-operated group(Sham,n=6),and a blank control group(Normal,n=4). The MCAO models of rats in the CIMT group and Control group were established by thread embolism method. The middle cerebral artery was not blocked during the operation for the Sham group,and the Normal group was not given any special treatment. After operation,rats in the CIMT group and Sham group were treated with CIMT. On the 7th day(d7)and the 22nd day(d22)after surgery,foot-fault test(FFT)and the beam balance and walking (BBW) test were used to evaluate the forelimb motor;micro positron emission tomography-computed tomography (micro PET/CT) imaging with fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) was used to scan the glucose metabolism in different brain regions of rats;Pearson correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between behavioral scores and glucose metabolism level in the CIMT group and Control group. Results On d7,the BBW score in the CIMT group and Control group was negatively correlated with glucose metabolism in the left insular cortex and the auditory cortex,and positively correlated with glucose metabolism in the right posterior hippocampus,superior colliculus,and inferior colliculus,with statistically significant differences;the FFT score was negatively correlated with glucose metabolism in the left somatosensory cortex, insular cortex and orbitofrontal cortex, and positively correlated with glucose metabolism in the right midbrain,with statistically significant differences. On d22, the BBW score in the CIMT group and Control group was positively correlated with glucose metabolism in the amygdala,caudate putamen,insular cortex and entorhinal cortex,and negatively correlated with glucose metabolism in the nucleus accumbens (Acb) core shell and caudate putamen in the right brain region,with statistically significant differences;the FFT score was negatively correlated with the entorhinal cortex in the right hemisphere and the difference was statistically significant. Conclusion The recovery of motor function promoted by CIMT was associated with the activation of both cerebral hemispheres in rats. The improvement of balance function promoted by CIMT in rats with cerebral ischemia was mainly related to the activation of Acb core shell in the right hemisphere. The recovery of fine grasping function promoted by CIMT may be related to the activation of the right entorhinal cortex.

Correlations between content of linarin in Chrysanthemum indicum and climatic factors in habitats / 中国中药杂志

Chrysanthemi Indici Flos(CIF), the capitulum of Chrysanthemum indicum, is widely used in proprietary Chinese medicine and daily chemical products. At present, CIF is mainly produced from wild resources and rarely cultivated. This study aims to reveal the correlations between linarin content in CIF and climatic factors in different habitats, and provide a theoretical basis for suitable zoning and rational production of medicinal materials. The content of linarin in CIF was determined by HPLC. Grey relational analysis and Pearson correlation analysis were carried out for linarin content with climatic factors. The results showed that the content of linarin in CIF was significantly different among different habitats. The grey relational degrees of climatic factors with linarin content was in an order of average annual precipitation>annual average sunshine hours>annual average temperature>longitude>annual frost-free period>latitude>altitude. Longitude, annual average temperature and average annual precipitation had significantly positive correlations with the content of linarin in CIF, whereas latitude and altitude showed negative correlations with it. The annual frost-free period and annual average sunshine hours had no significant correlation with the content of linarin in CIF. The content of linarin in CIF varied significantly in different habitats. High longitude, low latitude, low altitude, high annual average temperature and high annual average precipitation could be used as indicators for the habitats of high-quality Ch. indicum. This study provides a reference for selecting suitable producing areas of Ch. indicum and establishing artificial cultivation system.

Analysis of spectrum-activity relationship among antioxidant parts of Lycii Fructus using three different chemometrics methods / 中国中药杂志

The chemical components of Lycii Fructus were analyzed by liquid chromatography( LC) and mass spectrometry( MS for the establishment of spectrum-activity relationship,on the basis of which its antioxidant active ingredients were determined. In this experiment,Lycii Fructus was extracted with different solvents and then separated into 80 samples by macroporous adsorption resin and reversed-phase chromatography,respectively. The antioxidant components were enriched into 11 samples and their scavenging abilities against DPPH free radical and ferric ion reducing antioxidant power( FRAP) were significantly stronger than those before the treatment( P<0. 05). The spectrum-activity relationship regarding the antioxidant activity in vitro of Lycii Fructus was established by Pearson correlation analysis,orthogonal partial least squares( OPLS) and elastic net regression. Six chromatographic peaks greatly contributing to the antioxidant activity in vitro of Lycii Fructus were identified as rutin( P6),quercetin( P35),scopoletin( P14),N-cis-feruloyl-4-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-tyramine or N-( 4-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-trans-feruloyl)-tyramine( P8), ferulic acid( P13) and1,3,5-dihydroxy-2-isoprenyl-3-xanthone( P23). The active components associated with free radical scavenging were rutin and quercetin both belonging to flavonoids. The reduction of Fe3+was based on phenylpropanoids such as ferulic acid,scopoletin,xanthone and phenolic amides. These results indicated that the antioxidant activity of Lycii Fructus was ascribed to the synergistic action of different products through different ways. Besides,the data analysis model should be chosen carefully for the establishment of spectrum-activity relationship,thus ensuring the reliability of results.

An Assessment of Eating Disorder among Adolescents and Young Adults

Young males and females are highly concerned about their body image and physical appearance. They refrain themselves from eating that effect the physical and social well-being. This study aims at identifying the presence of eating disorder and to explore as well as confirm four factor solution of eating disorder among adolescents and adults. The study is conducted obtaining data from a sample of 600 adolescents and young adults studying in private and public educational institutions using EDE-Q questionnaire. Chi-square test has revealed the relationship between age and eating concern scores. Pearson correlation test suggested that age is related with global score whereas all the eating disorder scores are inter-related. No gender-wise difference between shape concern and global score is found whereas the global scores and shape concern scores are significantly different with respect to type of institution. Global score and shape concern scores are same for adolescents and young adults. Mean ranks are higher for males compared to females whereas there is significant difference among restraint scores gender-wise however shape concern, weight concern and restraint scores were significantly different in private and public institutions. Mean ranks for young adults are higher for restraint, shape concern, weight concern and eating concern scores compared to adolescents whereas the significant difference was observed between young adults and adolescents for restraint scores. EFA has identified four-factor solution for the EDE-Q subscales whereas CFA has also confirmed it. The four factor solution is weight and shape concern, fear of gaining weight, restraint and eating concern.

Study on peak expiratory flow rate and its influencing factors in healthy school children in Kancheepuram district of Tamil Nadu, India

Background: The Peak Expiratory Flow Rate (PEFR) is useful to screen and monitor the severity of asthma in children. Many studies have documented that age, height and weight are some of the main factors that affect the PEFR. Thus, the present study was done to find the PEFR values among the school children and to find the factors that influences the PEFR values in our geographical area.Methods: It was a cross sectional study conducted in school children belong the rural area of Kancheepuram district, Tamil Nadu, India. A total of 378 students of both the gender at the age group of 5-10 years were selected for the study. The PEFR was measured by making the participant seated comfortably. One peak flow meter was used for 25 children and mouthpiece was changed for each student.Results: The PEFR value among and male and female participants was analyzed statistically (Table 2). The mean value of male and female study population was 169.53'37.38 and 146.24'33.01 respectively. The difference in the mean values were statistically significant (p=0.001) and found to be high in male participants. The Pearson correlation r between PEFR with height is 0.463, thus showing a positive correlation with the p?0.001 which is statistically significant. The Pearson correlation r between PEFR and chest circumference is 0.335 thus indicating a positive correlation between PEFR and chest circumference.Conclusions: From the present study, the normal values of PEFR has been deduced for the healthy school children in our geographical area. Further, it was found that the height and chest circumference are influencing factors for PEFR. Further regression equation has been derived that can help us to find the approximate PEFR values with the help of height and chest circumference of the children.

Analysis on Chemical Characteristics of Lycii Fructus in Qinghai Province Based on 1H-NMR Plant Metabolomics / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:The chemical differences of Lycii Fructus samples from Qinghai, Ningxia, Gansu, Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia provinces were compared based on proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) plant metabolomics. Method:A total of 97 Lycii Fructus samples from five provinces were collected, including 61 samples in Qinghai, and extracted by 50% methanol for detecting. 1H-NMR spectra were obtained and compared by multivariate statistical analysis for investigating the chemical differences of samples from Qinghai and other production areas. And the content of Lycii Fructus polysaccharides in all samples was determined with the wavelength of 490 nm (calculated by anhydrous glucose). Result:A total of 32 chemical components were detected in the Lycii Fructus extract by 1H-NMR. The multivariate statistical analysis revealed that there was no significant difference among the samples from five provinces. The difference between Lycii Fructus from Qinghai and Ningxia, as well as the samples among the six regions of Qinghai province were relatively small. The similarity values of the majority of samples were >0.85. Univariate analysis showed that no significant difference was observed for the most metabolites in Lycii Fructus collected from five provinces, except for sucrose, glucose, proline and so on. There was no significant difference in the content of Lycii Fructus polysaccharides between Qinghai and other provinces. And the correlation coefficient between the content of Lycii Fructus polysaccharides and the small molecular compounds identified by 1H-NMR was -0.2-0.4. Conclusion:In this study, chemical characteristics of Lycii Fructus in Qinghai province are analyzed from the holistic view by 1H-NMR plant metabolomics, in combination of polysaccharide determination, and the results show that there is no significant difference between samples from Qinghai and other four provinces. The quality evaluation method based on 1H-NMR established in this study can provide scientific basis for improving quality control level and selecting planting areas of Lycii Fructus.

Effect of meteorological elements on the content and composition of Aloysia triphylla (L´Hérit) Britton essential oil / Efecto de los elementos meteorológicos sobre el contenido y la composición del aceite esencial de Aloysia triphylla (L´Hérit) Britton

The concentration and composition of an essential oil can vary according to environmental variations and seasonal periods. The objective of this study was to correlate meteorological elements with the content and concentration of components of Aloysia triphylla essential oil, for the four seasons of the year. The experiment was conducted in a plastic greenhouse of the UFSM, Frederico Westphalen campus ­ RS, Brazil, in a complete randomized blocks design during the four seasons, with three repetitions. The meteorological data were collected with the aid of a compact meteorological station, in order to characterize the environment in which the species was conducted. The evaluations were carried out at the middle date of each season. It was observed a correlation between the meteorological variables with the essential oil production and its components. According to the analysis, there influence of the temperature on the essential oil contents, considering that the maximum temperature shows a direct positive influence on the concentration of limonene and negative for spathulenol.

El contenido y la composición de un aceite esencial pueden variar según las variaciones ambientales y los períodos estacionales. El objetivo de este estudio fue correlacionar los elementos meteorológicos con el contenido y la concentración de los componentes del aceite esencial de Aloysia triphylla, para las cuatro estaciones del año. El experimento se realizó en un invernadero de plástico de la UFSM, campus de Frederico Westphalen - RS, Brasil, en un diseño completo de bloques al azar durante las cuatro estaciones, con tres repeticiones. Los datos meteorológicos se recopilaron con la ayuda de una estación meteorológica compacta, para caracterizar el entorno en el que se realizó la especie. Las evaluaciones se llevaron a cabo en la fecha media de cada temporada. Se observó una correlación entre las variables meteorológicas con la producción de aceites esenciales y sus componentes. De acuerdo con el análisis, existe una influencia de la temperatura en los contenidos de aceites esenciales, considerando que la temperatura máxima muestra una influencia positiva directa sobre la concentración de limoneno y negativa para el espatulenol.

Correlation between lipid-lowering efficacy and components of Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae / 中国中药杂志

Based on pharmacodynamics-component correlation analysis,the best effective part of hyperlipidemia of Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae( PCR) was screened out to confirm the possible constituents with the lipid regulating effect,in order to provide a basis for the development of new drugs. Hyperlipidemia rats induced by fat emulsion were used to screen out the best hypolipidemic parts of PCR with TC,LDL-c as the index. HPLC-ESI-MS were used to analyze common constituents of the different solvent extracts from PCR. The constituents were classified and identified based on the retention time,m/z and UV spectra. And the HPLC-DAD were used to determine the contents of flavonoids( narirutin,hesperidin,didymin,nobiletin,tangeretin,3,5,6,7,8,3',4'-heptemthoxyflavone).Correlation analysis was conducted on the constituents and efficacy with the method of SPSS ANOVA bivariate correlation. Five extracts could significantly decrease the content of TC,LDL-c of hyperlipemia rats induced by fat emulsion,and the best effective part were95% ethanol and ethyl acetate. There were 19 common peaks in five different solvent extracts from PCR,and 17 flavonoids were identified and classified,including 10 polymethoxyflavonoids and 7 other flavonoids. According to the raw material quantity,the order of content of flavonones arranged from high to low: n-butyl alcohol part> 95% ethanol part> water part> ethyl acetate part> petroleum ether part; and the order of PMFs arranged from high to low: n-butyl alcohol part≈95% ethanol part≈ethyl acetate part > petroleum ether part > water part. The decreased percentage of TC,LDL-c was positively correlated with 10 common PMFs constituents,which suggested that PMFs may be the effective components for reducing blood lipid.

Qualidade da água de nascentes do Assentamento Paraíso / Quality of the water from the springs of the Paraíso settlement

RESUMO Este estudo teve por objetivo avaliar a influência de diferentes usos do solo no entorno de nascentes sobre alguns parâmetros de qualidade das águas de oito nascentes localizadas no Assentamento Paraíso, Alegre, Espírito Santo. As nascentes avaliadas consistiram em uma em meio à floresta remanescente de Mata Atlântica; seis cercadas e em diferentes estágios de recomposição florestal; e uma sem cerca e com acesso livre dos animais de criação. Três amostras de água foram coletadas em cada nascente entre 2011 e 2012, sendo analisados 17 parâmetros. Os valores determinados foram comparados com os padrões normativos para qualidade da água e correlacionados linearmente por meio do coeficiente de correlação. As águas das nascentes se mostraram aptas para o consumo, desde que previamente tratadas, e, quanto maior foram os trabalhos de proteção às nascentes, melhores foram os valores de qualidade de água.

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of land use in the surrounding of the springs on some of the parameters of water quality in eight springs located in the Paraíso settlement in the city of Alegre, Espírito Santo, Brazil. The springs evaluated were: one in the Atlantic forest remnant; six fenced ones and in different stages of forest recovery; and one without a fence and with free livestock access. Three samples of water were collected in each spring in 2011 and 2012, and 17 parameters were analyzed. The determined values were compared to the normative standards for water quality and linearly correlated through the correlation coefficient. Water from the springs showed to be consumable, if previously treated, and the more protected the springs, the better the water quality values.

Partial correlation analysis in the study of morphogenesis and herbage accumulation in Panicum maximum cv. 'Tanzânia' / Análise de correlação parcial no estudo da morfogênese e do acúmulo de forragem de Panicum maximum cv. 'Tanzânia'

ABSTRACT: The objective of this study was to evaluate, through partial correlation analysis, the degree of association between herbage accumulation and morphogenetic traits of 'Tanzania' grass (Panicum maximum Jacq.) defoliated with 95% of light interception and fertilized with nitrogen, under different planting densities. The experiment was carried out in a randomized complete design with 12 treatments and two replicates, in a 4 × 3 factorial arrangement consisting of four nitrogen rates (0, 80, 160, and 320kg ha-1 Yr-1) and three planting densities (9, 25, and 49 plants m-2). Harvests were performed at 25cm above the soil, when the plots intercepted 95% of the incident light. The simple correlation coefficients between herbage accumulation and leaf and stem elongation rates and leaf appearance rate were high and positive. Correlation between herbage accumulation and leaf lifespan; however, was high and negative. The study of partial correlation coefficients revealed considerable changes in the correlation structure, whereby the association with stem elongation had a negative value statistically equal to zero, indicating no relationship between these variables. A similar result was observed for the correlations between herbage accumulation and leaf appearance and leaf lifespan. The partial correlation between accumulation and leaf elongation was different from zero and positive indicating a strong association. In Guinea grass cv. 'Tanzania' canopies defoliated at 95% light interception, leaf elongation is the morphogenetic variable with the highest strength of association with herbage accumulation.

RESUMO: Objetivou-se avaliar, por meio de correlação parcial, o grau de associação entre o acúmulo de forragem e as características morfogênicas do capim-tanzânia (Panicum maximum Jacq.) desfolhado com 95% de interceptação luminosa e adubado com nitrogênio em diferentes densidades de planta. O delineamento foi em blocos completos casualizados, com 12 tratamentos e duas repetições em esquema fatorial 4 × 3, constituído por 4 doses de nitrogênio (0, 80, 160 e 320kg ha-1 ano-1) e três densidades de plantas (9, 25 e 49 plantas m-2). As colheitas foram realizadas a 25cm do nível do solo quando as parcelas interceptavam 95% da luz incidente. Os coeficientes de correlação simples foram altos e positivos, entre o acúmulo de forragem e as taxas de alongamento de folha e de colmo e aparecimento de folha. Já a associação do acúmulo com a duração da vida das folhas foi alta e negativa. O estudo dos coeficientes de correlação parcial implicou em mudanças consideráveis na estrutura da correlação, onde a associação com o alongamento de colmos assumiu valor negativo e estatisticamente igual a zero, indicando não haver relação de causa e efeito entre estas variáveis. Resultado semelhante foi observado para a associação entre o acúmulo de forragem e o aparecimento de folhas e a duração da vida da folha. á a correlação parcial entre o acúmulo e o alongamento de folhas foi diferente de zero e positiva. Nesse contexto, em dosséis forrageiros de capim-tanzânia desfolhados com 95% de interceptação de luz, a taxa de alongamento foliar é a variável morfogênica que apresenta maior grau de associação com o acúmulo de forragem.

Temporal patterns of dengue epidemics: The case of recent outbreaks in Kaohsiung

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate whether major dengue outbreaks in the last two decades in Kaohsiung follow a precise temporal pattern.@*METHODS@#Government daily lab-confirmed dengue case data from three major dengue outbreaks occurring during the last two decades in Kaohsiung in 2002, 2014 and 2015, is utilized to compute the corresponding weekly cumulative percentage of total case numbers. We divide each of the three time series data into two periods to examine the corresponding weekly cumulative percentages of case numbers for each period. Pearson's correlation coefficient was calculated to compare quantitatively the similarity between the temporal patterns of these three years.@*RESULTS@#Three cutoff points produce the most interesting comparisons and the most different outcomes. Pearson's correlation coefficient indicates quantitative discrepancies in the similarity between temporal patterns of the three years when using different cutoff points.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Temporal patterns in 2002 and 2014 are comparatively more similar in early stage. The 2015 outbreak started late in the year, but ended more like the outbreak in 2014, both with record-breaking number of cases. The retrospective analysis shows that the temporal dynamics of dengue outbreaks in Kaohsiung can strongly vary from one year to another, making it difficult to identify any common predictor.

Temporal patterns of dengue epidemics: The case of recent outbreaks in Kaohsiung

Objective To investigate whether major dengue outbreaks in the last two decades in Kaohsiung follow a precise temporal pattern. Methods Government daily lab-confirmed dengue case data from three major dengue outbreaks occurring during the last two decades in Kaohsiung in 2002, 2014 and 2015, is utilized to compute the corresponding weekly cumulative percentage of total case numbers. We divide each of the three time series data into two periods to examine the corresponding weekly cumulative percentages of case numbers for each period. Pearson's correlation coefficient was calculated to compare quantitatively the similarity between the temporal patterns of these three years. Results Three cutoff points produce the most interesting comparisons and the most different outcomes. Pearson's correlation coefficient indicates quantitative discrepancies in the similarity between temporal patterns of the three years when using different cutoff points. Conclusions Temporal patterns in 2002 and 2014 are comparatively more similar in early stage. The 2015 outbreak started late in the year, but ended more like the outbreak in 2014, both with record-breaking number of cases. The retrospective analysis shows that the temporal dynamics of dengue outbreaks in Kaohsiung can strongly vary from one year to another, making it difficult to identify any common predictor.