Low-cost and sensitive method for Pb isotope determination using a novel ß-Si3N4 emitter by thermal ionization mass spectrometry.

Thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) is the workhorse for lead isotopic ratio analysis due to its excellent precision. Silica gel as ionization activator on Re filament is proved to the best emitter that can provide excellent sensitivity even small Pb sample size. However, the price of Re filament is three times that of Ta filament that leads to high experimental cost for TIMS laboratory. Here, we first present a novel silicon nitride (ß-Si3N4) emitter on the Ta filament with good sensitivity for Pb isotopic ratio measurements. Hence, the cost of filament material is cut down ∼70%. The ß-Si3N4 emitter can yield stable and long-life Pb+ signal, about 2-3 V 208Pb and 0.65-0.90 V 208Pb for 20 ng and 5 ng NIST SRM981 sample size that is applicable to the most geological materials for bulk analysis. A suite of silicate reference materials were analyzed to verify the reliability and accuracy of our method. For 206Pb/204Pb, 207Pb/204Pb and 208Pb/204Pb isotope ratios of geological samples, excellent internal precisions (2 SE) of ±0.005%-0.013% are achieved. Replicate digestions and analyses of the basalt standard BCR-2 and coal fly ash standard GBW08401 demonstrate that good external precision is obtainable that is 0.10-0.18% (n = 6, 2 SD) for 206Pb/204Pb, 207Pb/204Pb and 208Pb/204Pb ratios.

Effects of recombinant human erythropoietin on cerebral blood flow in preterm infants: arterial spin labeling magnetic resonance imaging evaluation / 中国新生儿科杂志

Objective:To study the effects of recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) on cerebral blood flow (CBF) in preterm infants using arterial spin labeling (ASL) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).Methods:From September 2021 to June 2022, preterm infants (gestational age ≤32 weeks, birth weight ≤1 500 g) admitted to NICU of our hospital within 24 h after birth were randomly assigned into rhEPO group and control group for this prospective study. The rhEPO group was given rhEPO (500 IU/kg iv, once every other day for 2 weeks) within 72 h after birth plus symptomatic supportive treatment. The control group received same amount of normal saline injection. Both groups received brain MRI, diffusion-weighted imaging and ASL at adjusted gestational age of 35~37 weeks and CBF values of interested areas were measured.Results:A total of 85 infants were enrolled, including 40 in the rhEPO group and 45 in the control group. No significant differences existed in the incidences of periventricular-intraventricular hemorrhage, periventricular leukomalacia, focal white matter injury and extensive white matter injury between the two groups ( P>0.05). The CBF values [ml/(100 g·min)] of frontal cortex [left 15.1±3.9 vs. 17.9±3.1, right 15.9 (12.5, 17.8) vs. 18.1(16.1,20.2)], temporal cortex [left 15.8±4.3 vs. 18.6±3.8, right 16.3(13.2,19.4) vs. 18.1(15.7,19.7)], occipital cortex (left 15.8±6.1 vs. 18.8±3.3, right 16.8±5.5 vs. 19.3±4.8), basal ganglia (left 24.7±7.2 vs. 28.7±6.2, right 26.0±7.9 vs. 29.3±6.4) and thalamus (left 32.7±11.8 vs. 37.9±8.6, right 32.1±11.6 vs. 37.6±10.2) in the rhEPO group were significantly lower than the control group ( P<0.05). No significant differences existed of CBF value at the parietal cortex between the two groups ( P>0.05). Conclusions:Early application of rhEPO can reduce CBF in premature infants, which may be related to the neuro-protective effects of EPO.

Influence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia on cerebral blood flow in preterm infants: a prospective study based on arterial spin labeling / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To investigate local cerebral blood perfusion in preterm infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) based on cerebral blood flow (CBF) values of arterial spin labeling (ASL).@*METHODS@#A prospective study was conducted on 90 preterm infants with a gestational age of <32 weeks and a birth weight of <1 500 g who were born in the Department of Obstetrics and admitted to the Department of Neonatology in the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from August 2021 to June 2022. All of the infants underwent cranial MRI and ASL at the corrected gestational age of 35-40 weeks. According to the presence or absence of BPD, they were divided into a BPD group with 45 infants and a non-BPD group with 45 infants. The two groups were compared in terms of the CBF values of the same regions of interest (frontal lobe, temporal lobe, parietal lobe, occipital lobe, thalamus, and basal ganglia) on ASL image.@*RESULTS@#Compared with the non-BPD group, the BPD group had a significantly lower 1-minute Apgar score, a significantly longer duration of assisted ventilation, and a significantly higher incidence rate of fetal distress (P<0.05). After control for the confounding factors such as corrected age and age at the time of cranial MRI by multiple linear regression analysis, compared with the non-BPD group, the BPD group still had higher CBF values of the frontal lobe, temporal lobe, parietal lobe, occipital lobe, basal ganglia, and thalamus at both sides (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#BPD can increase cerebral blood perfusion in preterm infants, which might be associated with hypoxia and a long duration of assisted ventilation in the early stage.

An Acid-Based Method for Highly Effective Baddeleyite Separation from Gram-Sized Mafic Rocks.

Dating mafic igneous rocks (silica-undersaturated) is difficult for the lack of suitable minerals such as zircons (ZrSiO4) commonly found in the sialic rocks such as granites. In this regard, baddeleyite (ZrO2) has been long recognized as the most important mineral to serve as a geochronometer for dating silica-undersaturated igneous rocks. However, separating baddeleyite is difficult due to its small grain size, typical tabular morphology, and low abundance in samples. The standard water-based separation technique requires kilogram-sized samples and usually has a very low recovery rate. In this study, a new separation method based on the different solubilities of the minerals within HF + HCl + HNO3 reagents was developed to achieve a high recovery of baddeleyite. With ∼19 g of diabase powder, the new method recovers 150-160 baddeleyite grains of 10-100 µm length and 4-50 µm width, an order of magnitude improvement over the water-based separation method, which typically recovers 11-12 similarly sized baddeleyite grains out of the ∼19 g sample. Subsequent secondary ion mass spectrometry U-Pb analyses demonstrate that the baddeleyite grains recovered by the new separation method keep the U-Pb system closed, indicating no Pb loss during acid treatment. Thus, this new method enables the most efficient baddeleyite recovery from gram-sized rocks and is anticipated to greatly contribute to the geochronological study of silica-unsaturated mafic rocks.

Tea and tea drinking: China's outstanding contributions to the mankind.

BACKGROUND: Tea trees originated in southwest China 60 million or 70 million years ago. Written records show that Chinese ancestors had begun drinking tea over 3000 years ago. Nowadays, with the aging of populations worldwide and more people suffering from non-communicable diseases or poor health, tea beverages have become an inexpensive and fine complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapy. At present, there are 3 billion people who like to drink tea in the world, but few of them actually understand tea, especially on its development process and the spiritual and cultural connotations. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, CNKI, and other relevant platforms with the key word "tea", and reviewed and analyzed tea-related literatures and pictures in the past 40 years about tea's history, culture, customs, experimental studies, and markets. RESULTS: China is the hometown of tea, tea trees, tea drinking, and tea culture. China has the oldest wild and planted tea trees in the world, fossil of a tea leaf from 35,400,000 years ago, and abundant tea-related literatures and art works. Moreover, tea may be the first Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) used by Chinese people in ancient times. Tea drinking has many benefits to our physical health via its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immuno-regulatory, anticancer, cardiovascular-protective, anti-diabetic, and anti-obesity activities. At the moment, COVID-19 is wreaking havoc across the globe and causing severe damages to people's health and lives. Tea has anti-COVID-19 functions via the enhancement of the innate immune response and inhibition of viral growth. Besides, drinking tea can allow people to acquire a peaceful, relaxed, refreshed and cheerful enjoyment, and even longevity. According to the meridian theory of traditional Chinese medicine, different kinds of tea can activate different meridian systems in the human body. At present, black tea (fermented tea) and green tea (non-fermented tea) are the most popular in the world. Black tea accounts for over 90% of all teas sold in western countries. The world's top-grade black teas include Qi Men black in China, Darjeeling and Assam black tea in India, and Uva black tea in Sri Lanka. However, all top ten famous green teas in the world are produced in China, and Xi Hu Long Jing tea is the most famous among all green teas. More than 700 different kinds of components and 27 mineral elements can be found in tea. Tea polyphenols and theaflavin/thearubigins are considered to be the major bioactive components of black tea and green tea, respectively. Overly strong or overheated tea liquid should be avoided when drinking tea. CONCLUSIONS: Today, CAM provides an array of treatment modalities for the health promotion in both developed and developing countries all over the world. Tea drinking, a simple herb-based CAM therapy, has become a popular man-made non-alcoholic beverage widely consumed worldwide, and it can improve the growth of economy as well. Tea can improve our physical and mental health and promote the harmonious development of society through its chemical and cultural elements.

Ureteroscopic holmium laser to transect the greater omentum to remove an abdominal drain: Four case reports.

BACKGROUND: Drainage tube removal is difficult when the greater omentum becomes incarcerated in the drainage tube through the side holes. Currently, known removal methods are either ineffective or will cause additional damage to the patient in a secondary operation. Ureteroscopy and the holmium laser have been used in various surgical techniques in urology, and in theory, they are expected to be a good strategy for solving the problem of tissue incarceration. CASE SUMMARY: Four patients diagnosed with difficult removal of an abdominal drainage tube following abdominal surgery are reported. All patients underwent surgery to remove the incarcerated greater omentum in the drainage tube using a holmium laser and a ureteroscope, and a new 16-F drain was then placed in the abdominal or pelvic cavity. The efficacy of this technique was evaluated by intraoperative conditions, success rate, and operating time; safety was evaluated by perioperative conditions and the probability of postoperative complications. All four operations went smoothly, and the drains were successfully removed in all patients. The average operating time was 24.5 min. Intraoperatively, the average irrigation volume was 892.0 mL, the average drainage volume was 638.5 mL, and no bleeding or damage to surrounding tissues was observed. Postoperatively, the average drainage volume was 32.8 mL and the new drains were removed within 36 h. All patients were able to get out of bed and move around within 12 h. Their visual analogue pain scores were all below 3. The average follow-up duration was 12.5 mo and no complications such as fever or bleeding were noted. CONCLUSION: Ureteroscopic holmium laser surgery is an effective, safe and minimally invasive technique for removing drains where the greater omentum is incarcerated in the abdominal drain.

Evaluation of Beneficial and Adverse Effects of a Diet Supplemented with Schisandrae Fructus Seed Ethanol Extract on Lipid and Glucose Metabolism in Normal and Hypercholesterolemic/Hyperglycemic Mice.

Schisandrae Fructus (SF), the fruit of Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baillon, has been used for the treatment of liver injury and metabolism-related disorders in China. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of supplementation with ethanol extract of SF seed (EtSF-S) on serum/hepatic lipid and glucose levels as well as fecal total cholesterol (TC) contents in mice fed a normal diet (ND) or high-fat/fructose diet (HFFD) containing 15% lard oil and 15% fructose. Female ICR mice (18-20 g in body weight) were fed with ND or HFFD for 3 months, and then EtSF-S was added to both chow diets at increasing concentrations of 1, 5, and 10% (w/w). Thirty days later, serum and hepatic lipids, including TC, triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and glucose, were measured. Dietary supplementation with EtSF-S reduced hepatic TC (36 and 18%) and TG levels (38 and 28%) and increased serum HDL/LDL ratio (16 and 26%) in both ND- and HFFD-fed mice, respectively. Moreover, supplementation with EtSF-S elevated serum HDL (31%) in HFFD-fed mice and reduced serum LDL (27%) in ND-fed mice. EtSF-S treatment reduced fat mass (40%) in ND-fed mice and increased fecal TC contents (33%) in HFFD-fed mice. EtSF-S supplementation decreased hepatic glucose contents (29%) in both ND- and HFFD-fed mice. However, diet supplemented with EtSF-S elevated serum TG levels (up to 123%) and hepatic size (28%), but more importantly, suppressed the body weight gain (approximately 130%) in mice fed with HFFD. These findings suggested that dietary supplementation with EtSF-S as natural herbal function food may be a useful strategy for the treatment of patients with fatty liver disease or overweight without a high intake of sugar and fat.

Construction of early risk prediction models for bronchopulmonary dysplasia in preterm infants / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To construct risk prediction models for bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in preterm infants on postnatal days 3, 7, and 14.@*METHODS@#A retrospective analysis was performed on the medical data of 414 preterm infants, with a gestational age of <32 weeks and a birth weight (BW) of <1 500 g, who were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit from July 2019 to April 2021. According to the diagnostic criteria for BPD revised in 2018, they were divided into a BPD group with 98 infants and a non-BPD group with 316 infants. The two groups were compared in terms of general status, laboratory examination results, treatment, and complications. The logistic regression model was used to identify the variables associated with BPD. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the predictive value of models.@*RESULTS@#The logistic regression analysis showed that BW, asphyxia, grade III-IV respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), acute chorioamnionitis, interstitial pneumonia, fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO@*CONCLUSIONS@#BW, asphyxia, grade III-IV RDS, acute chorioamnionitis, interstitial pneumonia, FiO

A Chromatographic Method for Separation of Tungsten (W) from Silicate Samples for High-Precision Isotope Analysis Using Negative Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry.

A new chromatographic method for isolation of W from large masses of silicate samples (>1 g) for ultrahigh precision isotopic analysis was developed. The purification of W was achieved through two stages of rapid chromatographic separations. In the first step, Ti, Zr, Hf, and W were separated collectively from the sample matrix through an AG1-X8 (100-200 mesh) column with a 10 mL resin volume. Subsequently, W was rapidly separated from Ti and Zr-Hf with high purity by a two-step extraction chromatographic method using 0.6 and 0.3 mL TODGA resin columns (50-100 µm particle size), respectively. The total yield of W, including the anion exchange and the TODGA chromatographic separation steps, is greater than 90%. The procedure was employed to isolate W from rock reference materials GSJ JB-3 and USGS BHVO-2; the separated W was analyzed by TRITON Plus TIMS, yielding a 182W/184W of 0.864898 ± 0.000005 (n = 8, 2 SD) for JB-3 and 182W/184W of 0.864896 ± 0.000006 (n = 5, 2 SD) for BHVO-2, which are in agreement with previously reported values within analytical errors.

[Association of interleukin-10 gene polymorphism with enterovirus 71 infection in children].

OBJECTIVE: To study the association of interleukin-10 (IL-10) -1082A/G, -819C/T, and -592C/A polymorphisms with IL-10 level and the severity of enterovirus 71 (EV71) infection in children. METHODS: A total of 137 children with hand-foot-mouth disease due to EV71 infection were enrolled as EV71 infection group, which was further divided into mild group with 91 children and severe group with 46 children, and 122 healthy children who underwent physical examination were enrolled as healthy control group. Related clinical data were collected. ELISA was used to measure the serum level of IL-10, and polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism was used to analyze IL-10 -1082A/G, -819C/T and -592C/A polymorphisms. RESULTS: Compared with the healthy control group, the children with EV71 infection had significantly higher frequency of -1082 AA genotype and A allele (P<0.05). Among the children with EV71 infection, the severe group had significantly higher frequency of -1082 AA genotype and A allele than the mild group (P<0.05), while there was no significant difference in the distribution of IL-10 -819C/T and IL-10 -592C/A polymorphisms between the two groups (P>0.05). The severe group had a significantly higher serum level of IL-10 than the mild group and the healthy control group. IL-10 -1082 AA genotype, -819 TT genotype, and -592 AA genotype were associated with the low expression of IL-10 (P<0.05). As for haplotype, the EV71 infection group had a significantly lower frequency of GCC haplotype than the healthy control group (P<0.05). In the severe group, the children with ATA haplotype had a significantly lower IL-10 level than those with other haplotypes, and the children with GCC haplotype had a significantly higher IL-10 level than those with other haplotypes (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in IL-10 level between children with different haplotypes in the mild group and the healthy control group (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: IL-10 gene polymorphisms are associated with IL-10 expression and the severity of EV71 infection in children.

Sr Isotope Analysis of Picogram-Level Samples by Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry Using a Highly Sensitive Silicotungstic Acid Emitter.

Thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) has shown excellent analytical precision for Sr isotopic ratio analysis, even for small masses of material (0.5-10 ng). However, because of the sensitivity limit of TIMS, it is still not possible to obtain high precision 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratios for picogram-level sample sizes (30-100 pg) due to the lack of a highly sensitive emitter. This study is the first to employ a highly sensitive silicotungstic acid emitter to measure Sr isotopes at the picogram-level using TIMS. This emitter produces a 3-fold enhancement in the ionization efficiency of Sr and not only significantly reduces the required sample size but also has good external precision. Analyses of the NIST 987 standard yield an external reproducibility (2 RSD, n = 8) better than ±0.013% even for 30 pg of Sr. It is possible to yield an internal precision (2 RSE) of ±0.003% for 100 pg of sample using the default 1011 Ohm feedback resistors. This method was verified by using a suite of silicate reference materials. Replicate digestions and analyses ( n = 8) of the basalt standard BCR-2 (87Sr/86Sr = 0.704998 ± 0.000028, 2 SD) at the 326 ± 30 pg level demonstrates that good external reproducibility is reached on ultratrace level silicate samples. This method has a wide variety of potential applications for samples containing ultralow amounts of Sr in geoscience and archeological studies, such as single grains of mica, sphalerite, and pyrite, single mantle melt inclusions, precious extra-terrestrial materials, and human hair to name just a few.

Evaluation of optional fee structures for solid waste management in China.

A municipal solid waste fee has become an important means for the implementation of the waste management rendered by the government all around the world. Based on the ecological environmental compensation theory, this article constructs an analytical framework of waste charging from the perspective of public policy evaluation, to carry on the comprehensive comparison and analysis to the operability, feasibility, validity, rationality, and universality of the two modes of waste charging: Ration charge and unit-pricing modes. The results indicate that in the cities with large amounts of waste production, long time of waste charging, and high disposal rate, pilot projects should be carried out; and the government needs to improve the construction of associated laws and regulations.

Biochemical mechanism underlying hypertriglyceridemia and hepatic steatosis/hepatomegaly induced by acute schisandrin B treatment in mice.

BACKGROUND: It has been demonstrated that acute oral administration of schisandrin B (Sch B), an active dibenzocyclooctadiene isolated from Schisandrae Fructus (a commonly used traditional Chinese herb), increased serum and hepatic triglyceride (TG) levels and hepatic mass in mice. The present study aimed to investigate the biochemical mechanism underlying the Sch B-induced hypertriglyceridemia, hepatic steatosis and hepatomegaly. METHODS: Male ICR mice were given a single oral dose of Sch B (0.25-2 g/kg). Sch B-induced changes in serum levels of biomarkers, such as TG, total cholesterol (TC), apolipoprotein B48 (ApoB 48), very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) and hepatic growth factor (HGF), as well as hepatic lipids and mass, epididymal adipose tissue (EAT) and adipocyte size, and histological changes of the liver and EAT were examined over a period of 12-120 h after Sch B treatment. RESULTS: Serum and hepatic TG levels were increased by 1.0-4.3 fold and 40-158% at 12-72 h and 12-96 h, respectively, after Sch B administration. Sch B treatment elevated serum ApoB 48 level (up to 12%), a marker of exogenous TG, but not VLDL, as compared with the vehicle treatment. Treatment with Sch B caused a time-/dose-dependent reduction in EAT index (up to 39%) and adipocyte size (up to 67%) and elevation in serum NEFA level (up to 55%). Sch B treatment induced hepatic steatosis in a time-/dose-dependent manner, as indicated by increases in total vacuole area (up to 3.2 fold vs. the vehicle control) and lipid positive staining area (up to 17.5 × 103 µm2) in liver tissue. Hepatic index and serum HGF levels were increased by 18-60% and 42-71% at 12-120 h and 24-72 h post-Sch B dosing, respectively. In addition, ultrastructural changes, such as increase in size and disruption of cristae, in hepatic mitochondria were observed in Sch B-treated mice. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that exogenous sources of TG and the breakdown of fat storage in the body contribute to Sch B-induced hypertriglyceridemia and hepatic steatosis in mice. Hepatomegaly (a probable hepatotoxic action) caused by Sch B may result from the fat accumulation and mitochondrial damage in liver tissue.

Preoperative prognostic nutritional index predicts postoperative surgical site infections in patients with colorectal cancer / 肠外与肠内营养

Objective:The purpose of this study was to explore the predictive value of PNI in surgical site infections (SSIs) for colorectal cancer patients undergoing enterectomies.Methods:A retrospective review of 332 colorectal cancer patients who underwent colorectal surgery between 2014 and 2015 was performed.Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to identify risk factors for SSIs,and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) cure was used to quantify the effectiveness of PNI.Results:SSIs were diagnosed in 43 (12.1％) patients,with incisional infection or deep incisional infection in 36 patients and organ/space infection in 7 patients.ROC curve analysis defined a PNI cut-off level of 48 corresponding to postoperative SSIs (area under the curve [AUC] =0.763,78.1 ％ sensitivity,62.7 ％ specificity).Furthermore,a multivariate analysis indicated that operation time ≥ 3 h (OR=3.42,95 ％ CI:1.22-8.78,P =0.04) and PNI ＜ 48 (OR=2.35,95％ CI:1.20-4.53,P =0.03) were independently associated with postoperative SSIs.Conclusion:Preoperative PNI is a simple and useful marker to predict SSIs in colorectal cancer patients after enterectomies.

[Effect of tripterygium glycosides and Danshen injection on blood coagulation mechanism in children with allergic purpura nephritis].

To observe the effect of tripterygium glycosides combined with Danshen injection on blood coagulation mechanism in children with allergic purpura nephritis, and investigate its treatment efficacy through a randomized controlled study. The results showed that before treatment, there were no significant differences in levels of D-D, APTT, PT, FIB and PLT between treatment group and control group; while after treatment, there were significant differences in levels of D-D, PT, FIB and PLT between two groups, but no difference in level of APTT. The effective rate was 90.38% in treatment group, significantly higher than 79.25% in the control group. There was no significant difference in incidence of adverse reactions between two groups. The results suggested that tripterygium glycosides combined with Danshen injection can enhance treatment efficacy and improve blood coagulation mechanism of children in the treatment of purpura nephritis, with high safety and no adverse effects.

A comparative study between Wuweizi seed and its post-ethanol extraction residue in normal and hypercholesterolemic mice.

BACKGROUND: At the present, a shift from drug therapy, especially herbal therapy, to dietary supplementation is a trend in the management of dyslipidemia and related diseases. Therefore, the optimal utilization of herbal resource is important for a sustainable development of herbal medicine. Here, we compared the effects of dietary supplementation with Chinese medicine Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus seed (FSC-S) and the post-ethanol extraction residue of FSC-S (FSC-SpEt) on normal diet-fed (normal) and experimental hypercholesterolemic (HCL) mice. METHODS: Male ICR mice (n = 10 in each group), weighing 17-21 g, were fed with normal diet (ND) or high cholesterol/bile salt (1/0.3 %, w/w) diet (HCBD) with or without supplemented with FSC-S, FSC-SpEt), or lipid-lowering agent fenofibrate (FF). Ten days later, serum/hepatic lipid and glucose (GLU) levels, body weight, organ/epididymal fat masses, and food/water intake were measured. Lipid level measurements included those of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high density lipoprotein (HDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL), HDL/LDL ratio, LDL/HDL ratio, and non-HDL (N-HDL). RESULTS: Supplementation with FSC-S and FSC-SpEt increased serum TC (by 64 and 25 %, respectively) and LDL (by 60 and 27 %, respectively) in normal mice. FSC-S supplementation elevated serum TC, TG, HDL, LDL, and LDL/HDL ratio (up to 64, 118, 77, 197, and 51 %, respectively) in HCL mice. FSC-SpEt supplementation reduced serum TG (by 15 %) and LDL/HDL ratio (by 18 %), as well as increased serum HDL (by 22 %) and HDL/LDL ratio (by 21 %) in HCBD-fed mice. FSC-S decreased hepatic TC (by 19 %) contents and increased hepatic TG contents by 14 % in normal mice. FSC-S reduced hepatic GLU level in both normal and HCL mice by 24 and 22 %, respectively. Hepatic TC and TG contents were lowered in FSC-SpEt-supplemented normal mice by 16 and 20 %, respectively. The body/fatty masse and food intake were lowered, but the feed efficiency index (FEI), weight gain per unit of food ingested, was increased in FSC-S-supplemented normal and HCL mice. FF supplements reduced serum/hepatic lipids, hepatic GLU contents, and epididymal fat mass, but it induced hepatomegaly and high serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity in normal and/or HCL mice. CONCLUSION: The ensemble of results indicated that while FSC-SpEt supplementation is beneficial for the treatment of hyperlipidemia/fatty liver, FSC-S is potentially useful for the management of overweight/obesity.

High-precision measurement of (186)Os/(188)Os and (187)Os/(188)Os: isobaric oxide corrections with in-run measured oxygen isotope ratios.

We present a novel method for high precision measurement of (186)Os/(188)Os and (187)Os/(188)Os ratios, applying isobaric oxide interference correction based on in-run measurements of oxygen isotopic ratios. For this purpose, we set up a static data collection routine to measure the main Os(16)O3(-) ion beams with Faraday cups connected to conventional 10(11) amplifiers, and (192)Os(16)O2(17)O(-) and (192)Os(16)O2(18)O(-) ion beams with Faraday cups connected to 10(12) amplifiers. Because of the limited number of Faraday cups, we did not measure (184)Os(16)O3(-) and (189)Os(16)O3(-) simultaneously in-run, but the analytical setup had no significant influence on final (186)Os/(188)Os and (187)Os/(188)Os data. By analyzing UMd, DROsS, an in-house Os solution standard, and several rock reference materials, including WPR-1, WMS-1a, and Gpt-5, the in-run measured oxygen isotopic ratios were proven to present accurate Os isotopic data. However, (186)Os/(188)Os and (187)Os/(188)Os data obtained with in-run O isotopic compositions for the solution standards and rock reference materials show minimal improvement in internal and external precision, compared to the conventional oxygen correction method. We concluded that, the small variations of oxygen isotopes during OsO3(-) analytical sessions are probably not the main source of error for high precision Os isotopic analysis. Nevertheless, use of run-specific O isotopic compositions is still a better choice for Os isotopic data reduction and eliminates the requirement of extra measurements of the oxygen isotopic ratios.

Direct High-Precision Measurements of the (87)Sr/(86)Sr Isotope Ratio in Natural Water without Chemical Separation Using Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry Equipped with 10(12) Ω Resistors.

Thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) allows excellent precision for determining Sr isotope ratios in natural water samples. Traditionally, a chemical separation procedure using cation exchange resin has been employed to obtain a high purity Sr fraction from natural water, which makes sample preparation time-consuming. In this study, we present a rapid and precise method for the direct determination of the Sr isotope ratio of natural water using TIMS equipped with amplifiers with two 10(12) Ω resistors. To eliminate the (87)Rb isobaric interference, Re ribbons are used as filaments, providing a significant advantage over W ribbons in the inhibition of Rb(+) emission, based on systematically examining a series of NIST SRM987 standard doping with various amounts of Rb using Re and W ribbons. To validate the applicability of our method, twenty-two natural water samples, including different water types (rain, snow, river, lake and drinking water), that show a large range in Sr content variations (2.54-922.8 ppb), were collected and analyzed from North and South China. Analytical results show good precision (0.003-0.005%, 2 RSE) and the method was further validated by comparative analysis of the same water with and without chemical separation. The method is simple and rapid, eliminates sample preparation time, and prevents potential contamination during complicated sample-preparation procedures. Therefore, a high sample throughput inherent to the TIMS can be fully utilized.

Effects of combined dietary supplementation with fenofibrate and Schisandrae Fructus pulp on lipid and glucose levels and liver function in normal and hypercholesterolemic mice.

BACKGROUND: Currently, combined therapy using herbs and synthetic drugs has become a feasible therapeutic intervention against some diseases. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of supplementation with fenofibrate (FF), a chemical drug used for the treatment of hyperlipidemia, and the aqueous extract of Schisandrae Fructus (SF, a Chinese herb) pulp (AqSF-P) or an SF-related synthetic analog, bicyclol (BY), on serum/hepatic lipid levels and liver status in normal and hypercholesterolemic (HCL) mice. METHODS: Male mice obtained from the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) were fed on a normal diet (ND) or high cholesterol/bile salt (0.5%/0.15%, w/w) diet (HCBD) containing FF (0.03% or 0.1%, w/w) with or without AqSF-P (0.3%-9.0%, based on crude herbal material, w/w) or BY (0.025%, w/w) for 10 days. Then serum lipid levels and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity, as well as hepatic triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), and glucose levels, were measured. RESULTS: Oral supplementation with FF significantly reduced serum and hepatic TG, TC, and hepatic glucose levels (approximately 79%) in mice fed with ND or HCBD. FF supplementation combined with AqSF-P or BY increased FF-induced reduction in hepatic TC and TG contents in ND-fed mice (up to 67%) and in HCBD-fed mice (up to 54%), when compared with FF supplementation alone. Hepatic glucose-lowering effect of FF was enhanced (up to 19%) by AqSF-P cosupplementation in both normal and HCL mice. FF supplementation enhanced the excretion of fecal TC (by 75%) in mice fed with HCBD. Fecal TC contents were increased by 14%/9% in the combination therapy with FF and AqSF-P in ND-/HCBD-fed mice. Serum ALT activity was elevated by 45% in HCBD-fed mice. FF caused a significant increase in ALT activity by 198% and 120% in normal and HCL mice, respectively. BY markedly attenuated the ALT activity by 54% in mice fed with ND supplemented with 0.1% FF and by 42% in mice fed with HCBD supplemented with 0.03% FF. CONCLUSION: AqSF-P cosupplementation augmented the hepatic lipid-/glucose-lowering effects of FF. BY ameliorated FF-induced liver injury in normal and HCL mice.

Evaluating patients' perception of service quality at hospitals in nine Chinese cities by use of the ServQual scale

Objective: To investigate patients' perception of service quality at hospitals in nine Chinese cities and propose some measures for improvement. Methods: The ServQual scale method was used in a survey involving patients at outpatient and in-patient facilities in Shanghai, Chongqing, Chengdu, Nanning, Guilin and Laibin of Guangxi, Honghezhou of Yunnan, Wulumuqi of Xinjiang and Zhongshan of Guangdong. The data collected were entered and analyzed using SPSS 20.0. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, factor analyses, reliability analyses, productmoment correlations, independent-sample t-tests, One-way ANOVA and regression analyses. Results: The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin value for the factor analysis of the scale was 0.979. The Cronbach's α for the reliability analysis was 0.978. All the Pearson correlation coefficients were positive and statistically significant. Visitors to out-patient facilities reported more positive perception than visitors to in-patient facilities on tangibles (t = 4.168, P < 0.001) and reliability (t = 1.979, P < 0.05). Patients of 60 years of age and above reported more positive perception than those between 40 and 49 on reliability (F = 3.311, P = 0.010), assurances (F = 2.751, P < 0.05) and empathy (F = 4.009, P = 0.003). For the five dimensions of the scale, patients in Laibin, Guangxi reported the most positive perceived service quality, followed by patients in Shanghai. On the other hand, patients in Chongqing and Nanning and Guilin of Guangxi reported relatively poor perceptions of service quality. Standardized regression coefficients showed statistically significant (P < 0.001) positive values for all ServQual dimensions. Empathy (β = 0.267) and reliability (β = 0.239) most strongly predicted perception of service quality. Conclusions: Chinese patients perceived service quality as satisfactory. Hospitals in various regions of China should enhance their awareness and ability to serve their patients.