New evidence of the emergence of the East Asian monsoon in the early Palaeogene.

Previous palaeoenvironmental reconstructions have implied that East Asia was dominated by a zonal climate pattern during the Eocene, with an almost latitudinal arid/semiarid band at ~ 30° N. However, this long-standing model has recently been challenged by growing body of multidisciplinary evidence. Some studies indicated that central China was characterized by climatic fluctuations between humid and drier conditions during the Early Eocene, akin to the present East Asian monsoon (EAM) regime. Using palynological assemblages in the Tantou Basin, central China, we quantitatively reconstructed climate changes from the Late Palaeocene to Early Eocene to better understand climate change in central China. Palynological assemblages revealed that the coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest in this area received no less than 800 mm of annual precipitation and experienced a climate change from warm and wet to relatively cool and dry. According to palaeoclimate curves, a sudden climate change occurred in the Early Eocene, with the mean annual temperature and precipitation decreasing by 5.1 °C and 214.8 mm, respectively, and the climate became very similar to the present climate, which is controlled by the monsoon. Therefore, this significant climate change during the Early Eocene may signal the emergence of the EAM in East Asia.

Comparative quality of the forms of decoction pieces evaluated by multidimensional chemical analysis and chemometrics: Poria cocos, a pilot study.

Many Chinese medicinal materials (CMMs) are parts of plants or fungi that have been processed into different physical forms, termed decoction pieces, that are typically boiled in water for consumption. One CMM may have several decoction pieces forms, e.g., slices, small cubes (dice), or grains. The specifications that have different morphological parameters (shape, size and thickness) for these various decoction pieces have been developed over, in some cases, centuries of practice. Nevertheless, whether and how the form of decoction pieces affects the extraction (decoction) dynamics, and quality stability during storage has not been studied. Here, we investigated Poria cocos (PC) as a pilot study; we explore how the form of PC decoction pieces affects its chemistry using multidimensional chemical evaluation such as ultra-performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-PDA-QTOF-MS/MS), ultra-performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QqQ-MS/MS) and high performance gel permeation chromatography coupled with charged aerosol detector (HPGPC-CAD), combined with analysis of variance (ANOVA), principal component analysis (PCA), factor analysis (FA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA). The results indicated that different specifications had significant differences, and these specifications could be divided into four groups. The comprehensive results of the chemical analyses undertaken here indicate that the highest potentially available quality of PC decoction pieces was in the forms of curl, ultra-small grains and small grains, followed by thin slices. This information not only is conducive to promoting the standardization of the specification/form of PC decoction pieces and maximizing the benefits from its utilization, but also provide a promising strategy for assessing other CMM decoction pieces in different forms.

The effect of long-term conventional physical therapy and independent predictive factors analysis in children with cerebral palsy.

OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated the effect of long-term conventional physical therapy (PT) on cerebral palsy (CP) children and to identify the predictors of therapy's response. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of CP children treated with PT, and their motor function was assessed every 3 months between 2008 and 2011. RESULTS: Fifty-six children with a mean age of 4.2 ± 2.8 years, gross motor function classification system (GMFCS) levels were level I (n = 14), level II (n = 20), level III (n = 5), level IV (n = 8), and level V (n = 9). In the generalized estimating equations model, there was a significant improvement in the Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM-66) score (p < 0.001); the improvement was different in five GMFCS levels (p < 0.001) and GMFCS level II had faster progression. The younger CP children had better PT efficacy, and the GMFM-66 score continued improving until 8.4 years old in the older group. CONCLUSION: The long-term conventional PT is effective even in older CP children, and PT was most efficient in younger children and GMFCS level II.

[Clinical analysis on the effects of laser-assisted subepithelial keratomileusis in treatment of super high myopia].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the clinical efficacy and safety of LASEK in the treatment of super high myopia. METHODS: It was a retrospective case series study. Fifty-six eyes of 33 cases with super high myopia were treated with LASEK. Mean spherical equivalent preoperative was (-11.70 +/- 1.59) D (range from -10.0 D to -15.13 D), mean ablation zone was (5.3 +/- 0.51) mm (range from 4.3 mm to 6.0 mm), mean ablation depth was (146.1 +/- 29.3) microm. The mean time of alcohol used treatment was (29.2 +/- 2.8) seconds. Postoperative follow-up assessments were performed at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after surgery. Postoperative measurements included slit-lamp microscopy, manifest refraction, un-corrected visual acuity (UCVA), best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure and haze, etc. The time of follow-up was more than one year. The results were analyzed with ANOVA by SPSS software. RESULTS: Fifty percent of eyes obtained UCVA of > or = 1.0, and 78.6% of eyes obtained UCVA > or = 0.6, at six months after operation. Forty-one percent eyes obtained UCVA of > or = 1.0, and 73.2% eyes obtained UCVA > or = 0.6 at one year postoperatively. The mean UCVA in Snellen chart was 0.85 +/- 0.20, 0.88 +/- 0.28, 0.84 +/- 0.26 and 0.83 +/- 0.28 at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after operation, respectively. These data were transformed into lgMAR visual acuity and analyzed statistically. There was no significant statistically difference between UCVA at different follow-up periods (F = 0.749, P = 0.518). The postoperative UCVA compared to preoperative BCVA being the same/or improved in 71.4% eyes and decreased in 28.6% eyes at six months after operation; and was 64.3%, and 35.7% at one year after operation, respectively. The effective index was 0.994 and 0.992 at six and twelve months after operation, respectively. The postoperative BCVA compared to preoperative being the same (or improved) and decreased at six and twelve months after operation was 85.3% vs. 14.7%, and 84.8% vs. 15.2%, respectively. The mean BCVA in Snellen chart was 0.90 +/- 0.17, 0.94 +/- 0.24, 0.95 +/- 0.16 and 0.96 +/- 0.16 at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after operation, respectively. These data were transformed into lgMAR visual acuity and analyzed statistically. There was no significant statistically difference between lgMAR BCVA at difference different follow-up periods (F = 1.567, P = 0.229). The safe index at 6 and 12 months were 1.009 and 1.010. The incidence of refraction regression at 3, 6 and 12 months after operation was 19.6%, 28.6% and 30.3%, respectively. Mean regressive diopter in regressed eyes at 3, 6 and 12 months after operation was (-1.20 +/- 1.08) D, (-1.23 +/- 0.75) D, (-1.49 +/- 1.04) D, respectively. Haze grade 0.5 was 21.4% at 3 months after operation; grade 0.5 and 1 were 8.9% and 5.4% at 6 months after operation, respectively, at 6 months after operation. Haze grade 0.5 was 12.5% at one year after operation. The incidence of high intraocular pressure induced by topical use of corticosteroid eye drop was 8.9%. CONCLUSIONS: LASEK is a safe and effective procedure for correction of super high myopia, though there is still some regression happened after operation and the intraocular pressure should be observed during the follow-up periods.