Search

Previous studies proved the efficacy of cardiac shock wave therapy (CSWT) for coronary artery disease (CAD) patients who are not candidate for reperfusion therapy. Randomized control trials are limited. We try to explore the efficacy and safety of CSWT for patients with severe CAD.Thirty patients with severe CAD who had obvious ischemia on myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) were enrolled and randomly assigned to the CSWT group or the control group. They had received optimal medication treatment for at least three months. Nine sessions of shock wave therapy were conducted over 3 months. CSWT group received the real treatment, while the control group received the pseudo-treatment. Clinical symptom, imaging outcomes and safety parameters were compared between two groups.After treatment, regional stress score (P = .023), improvement rate (IR) of ischemic area (IA) stress (P lt; .001) and IR of IA difference (P lt; .001) were significantly favor CSWT group. The interaction of summed rest score (P lt; .001), summed stress score (P = .004), summed difference score (P = .036) were significantly improved in the CSWT group compared to the control group. Seattle angina questionnaire, quality of life (QOL) and the distance of six-minute walking test (6MWT) were improved in both groups without significant difference between them. Hemodynamic parameters were stable during procedure. Myocardial injury markers showed no changes in two groups.Our study demonstrated CSWT could effectively and safely improve myocardial perfusion in patients with severe CAD. Clinical symptom, QOL and 6MWT were all improved after treatment, but no significant difference between two groups.

The existing evidence on the relationships of serum zinc, copper, and zinc/copper ratio with sleep duration is limited and conflicting. The present cross-sectional study aimed to investigate these associations in general adults by utilizing data from the 2011-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The concentrations of zinc and copper were measured in serum samples. Sleep duration (self-reported usual sleep duration) was categorized as 7 h/night (short sleep duration), 7-8 h/night (optimal sleep duration), and 8 h/night (long sleep duration). Multinomial logistic regression models and restricted cubic splines were constructed to examine the associations of serum zinc, copper, and zinc/copper ratio with sleep duration. A total of 5067 adults were included. After multivariate adjustment, compared with the optimal sleep duration group, the odds ratios (ORs) (95% confidence intervals, CIs) in the long sleep duration group for the highest versus lowest quartile of serum zinc concentration and zinc/copper ratio were 0.61 (0.39-0.96) and 0.58 (0.38-0.89), respectively. Furthermore, among males, the OR (95% CI) of long sleep duration for the highest versus lowest quartile of serum copper concentration was 2.23 (1.15-4.32). Finally, the dose-response trends suggested that participants with optimal sleep duration had the highest serum zinc concentration and zinc/copper ratio and a slightly lower serum copper concentration. No significant association was found between serum zinc, copper concentrations and the zinc/copper ratio and short sleep duration. In conclusion, serum zinc and zinc/copper ratio were inversely related to long sleep duration in adults, while serum copper was positively associated with long sleep duration in males.

Batch SPM systems do not meet the current clean specification/requirements below 28nm. Single wafer SPM systems use a high volume of chemistry which runs to drain, while meeting the cleaning specifications below 28nm. The work in this paper describe the use of a batch SPM system and a single wafer clean in an integrated system, Ultra-C Tahoe which results in meeting the technical specification and using less that 80% of the SPM chemistry used in single wafer systems. The data collected shows this new system meet the specifications, whilst saving more than 80%of SPM chemistry.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, physicians concerned about the potential adverse effects of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs)/angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs). To explore the relationship between ACEIs/ARBs and the risk of mortality and other clinical outcomes in COVID-19 patients, the authors conducted a systemic review and meta-analysis. An electronic search was performed from inception to November 12, 2020 in PubMed, Medline, EMBASE, ClinicalTrials, TRIP, the Cochrane Library, CNKI, Wanfang, and CBM database. Risk of bias was assessed using the Risk Of Bias In Non-randomized Studies of Interventions tool. The primary outcome was in-hospital all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes included all-cause mortality measured at 30-day or longer term, mechanical ventilation, length of hospital stay, readmission, and cardiac adverse events. A total of 28 studies with 73 465 patients was included. Twenty-two studies with 19 871 patients reported the incidence of all-cause mortality. Results showed no association between using ACEIs/ARBs and risk of mortality crude odds ratio i¼ˆORi¼‰ of 1.02, 95% CI 0.71-1.46, p = .90, I2 = 88%, adjusted OR in 6260 patients of 0.96, 95% CI 0.77-1.18, p = .68, I2 = 0%. While six studies with 10 030 patients reported a lower risk of mortality in ACEIs/ARBs group hazard ratio (HR) of 0.53, 95% CI 0.34-0.84, p = .007, I2 = 68%. Similar association (for HR) was found in hypertension subgroup. There was no significant association for the secondary outcomes. Based on the available data, we concluded that ACEIs/ARBs is not associated with the risk of in-hospital all-cause mortality in COVID-19 patients, but may be associated with a decreased risk of 30-day all-cause mortality. Patients with hypertension may benefit from using ACEIs/ARBs.

The TM-doped Si-based semiconductor clusters have aroused increased attention in a lot of fields. Here, we have performed a structural search of the global minimum for neutral and anionic Sin and L...

Fibrosis is the major pathological feature of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Aloe-emodin (AE), one of the main active compounds in Rhubarb, is widely used for renal protection. However, mechanisms implied in the modulation of kidney fibrosis after AE treatment for CKD remain elusive. Here, we explored the protective effects of AE for renal fibrosis and the involved mechanisms in vivo and in vitro. The renal fibrosis mice model was established by unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO). We found that AE administration significantly ameliorated UUO-induced impairment of kidney, evidenced by improved histopathological abnormalities, body weight, and abnormal renal function in mice model. Immunohistochemical staining showed that TGF-β1 and Fibronectin expressions were significantly decreased in UUO mice compared with sham group. Meanwhile, we found that AE suppressed the activation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway induced by TGF-β1 in vivo. AE improved cell survival and decreased the level of fibrosis-related proteins under TGF-β1-induced fibrosis in HK-2 cells as well as in vitro. Furthermore, both wortmannin, an inhibitor of PI3K, and short-hairpin RNAs of PI3K knockdown abrogated TGF-β1-induced phosphorylation of Akt and mTOR, and decreased the suppression of fibrosis. These findings indicated that AE alleviated fibrosis by inhibiting PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway in vivo and in vitro, which may provide a potential therapeutic option for CKD.

The appropriate strategies are needed for stimulating the endogenous neurogenesis or introducing extrinsic neural progenitors, which could be harnessed as the regenerative resources for cueing the neurodegenerations. Adult neurogenesis is the endogenous continuing physiology in limited brain regions such as hippocampus, olfactory system, and hypothalamus. Besides adult neurogenesis, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) induced functional neurons could be another option for regenerative therapies.Current studies are trying to improve the adult neurogenesis and enable the iPSCs induced neurons into neural regeneration. Methods: Here in this review, we mainly introduced the recent progress in neural stem cell biology and its application in the treatment of the neurodegenerations. We main separated the strategy in summarizing the mediators and potential targets to promoting endogenous neural regeneration and transplantation of neural progenitors.By collecting and comparing the advantages disadvantages between above-mentioned two strategies, we will offer the insight on future development of stem cell therapy in treating neurodegenerative patients.

ObjectiveTo compare the epidemiological characteristics and transmission dynamics in relation to interventions against the COVID-19 and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak in mainland China.DesignComparative study based on a unique data set of COVID-19 and SARS.SettingOutbreak in mainland China.ParticipantsThe final database included 82 858 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 5327 cases of SARS.MethodsWe brought together all existing data sources and integrated them into a comprehensive data set. Individual information on age, sex, occupation, residence location, date of illness onset, date of diagnosis and clinical outcome was extracted. Control measures deployed in mainland China were collected. We compared the epidemiological and spatial characteristics of COVID-19 and SARS. We estimated the effective reproduction number to explore differences in transmission dynamics and intervention effects.ResultsCompared with SARS, COVID-19 affected more extensive areas (1668 vs 230 counties) within a shorter time (101 vs 193 days) and had higher attack rate (61.8 vs 4.0 per million persons). The COVID-19 outbreak had only one epidemic peak and one epicentre (Hubei Province), while the SARS outbreak resulted in two peaks and two epicentres (Guangdong Province and Beijing). SARS-CoV-2 was more likely to infect older people (median age of 52 years), while SARS-CoV tended to infect young adults (median age of 34 years). The case fatality rate (CFR) of either disease increased with age, but the CFR of COVID-19 was significantly lower than that of SARS (5.6% vs 6.4%). The trajectory of effective reproduction number dynamically changed in relation to interventions, which fell below 1 within 2 months for COVID-19 and within 5.5 months for SARS.ConclusionsChina has taken more prompt and effective responses to combat COVID-19 by learning lessons from SARS, providing us with some epidemiological clues to control the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic worldwide.

Recently, considerable efforts have been focused on intensifying the screening process for asymptomatic COVID-19 cases in the Chinese Mainland, especially for up to 10 million citizens living in Wuhan City by nucleic acid testing. However, a high percentage of domestic asymptomatic cases did not develop into symptomatic ones, which is abnormal and has drawn considerable public attention. Here, we aimed to investigate the prevalence of COVID-19 infections in the Chinese Mainland from a statistical perspective, as it is of referential significance for other regions. By conservatively assuming a development time lag from pre-symptomatic (i.e. referring to the infected cases were screened prior to the COVID-19 symptom onset) to symptomatic as an incubation time of 5.2 days, our results indicated that 92.5% of those tested in Wuhan City, China and 95.1% of those tested in the Chinese Mainland should have COVID-19 syndrome onset, which was extremely higher than their corresponding practical percentages of 0.8% and 3.0%, respectively. We propose that a certain false positive rate may exist if large-scale nucleic acid screening tests for asymptomatic cases are conducted in common communities with a low incidence rate. Despite adopting relatively high-sensitivity, high-specificity detection kits, we estimated a very low prevalence of COVID-19 infections, ranging from 10−6 to 10−4 in both Wuhan City and the Chinese Mainland. Thus, the prevalence rate of asymptomatic infections in China had been at a very low level. Further, given the lower prevalence of the infection, close examination of the data for false positive results is necessary to minimize social and economic impacts., Graphical Abstract

Background: This study will specifically investigate the effect of butylphthalide on hemodynamics in patients with watershed stroke (WS). Methods: We will search the following databases from their inceptions to the March 1, 2020: Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure. All relevant randomized controlled trials on exploring the effect of butylphthalide on hemodynamics in patients with WS will be considered for inclusion. No language limitation will be imposed to this study. All study quality will be checked using Cochrane risk of bias tool. RevMan 5.3 software will be utilized for data analysis. Results: This study will summarize the latest evidence to investigate the effect of butylphthalide on hemodynamics in patients with WS. Conclusion: Findings from this study will provide theoretical basis of butylphthalide on hemodynamics in patients with WS for clinician and future research. Dissemination and ethics: This study is carried out based on the published data, thus, no ethical approval is required. We will submit this study to a peer-reviewed journal for publication. Systematic review registration: INPLASY 202030006.

Background Human babesiosis is an emerging health problem in China. Methods Babesia were identified in ticks, sheep, and humans in northeastern China using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by genetic sequencing. We enrolled residents who experienced a viral-like illness after recent tick bite or were healthy residents. We defined a case using the definition for babesiosis developed by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Results A Babesia crassa-like agent was identified in Ixodes persulcatus and Haemaphysalis concinna ticks using PCR followed by sequencing. The agent was characterized through phylogenetic analyses of the 18S rRNA gene, the β-tubulin gene, and the internal transcribed spacer region. We tested sheep as a possible reservoir and found that 1.1% were infected with the B. crassa-like agent. We screened 1125 human participants following tick bites using B. crassa-specific PCR and identified 31 confirmed and 27 suspected cases. All the patients were previously healthy except for 1 with an ovarian tumor. Headache (74%), nausea or vomiting (52%), and fever (48%) were the most common clinical manifestations of confirmed cases. Six of 10 cases remained PCR positive for B. crassa-like infection 9 months after initial diagnosis. Asymptomatic infections were detected in 7.5% of 160 local residents. Conclusions We identified B. crassa-like infection in people in northeastern China that caused mild to moderate symptoms. The possibility of more severe disease in immunocompromised patients and of transmission through the blood supply due to asymptomatic infections justifies further investigation of this reported infection.

Background/Aims: Researches have showed that cardiac shock wave therapy (CSWT) could improve left ventricular function and attenuate LV remodeling of the ischemic heart. Apoptosis plays an important role in myocardial infarction and determines heart function and prognosis. However, it is still not clear whether CSWT is sufficient to attenuate acute myocardial infarction (AMI) induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis in vivo . In this study, we used a rat model to examine whether CSWT could attenuate cardiomyocyte apoptosis after AMI and to explore potential mechanisms. Methods: We generated an AMI rat model to investigate the function and possible regulatory mechanisms of CSWT. All rats were randomly divided into four groups: the sham-operated only group, sham-operated with SW treatment group, AMI only group, and AMI treated with SW treatment group.The rats were treated with a left anterior descending coronary artery ligation for 12h and then treated with or without CSWT (800 shots at 0.1 mJ/ mm 2 ). Cytochrome c release was measured to analyze mitochondrial function and integrity. The apoptotic cell rate was determined by TUNEL assay. Western blot was used to analyze the cell apoptosis-, inflammation-, and survival-related signaling pathways. Results: First, the methodology of CSWT in the rat model of AMI was established. Second, CSWT attenuated the cardiomyocyte apoptosis rate in the infarct border zone. Third, CSWT suppressed the expression of apoptosis and inflammation molecules after AMI. Fourth, CSWT inhibited activation of the JNK pathway, which indicated inhibition of the cell inflammatory pathways and promotion of cardiomyocyte survival after AMI. Conclusion: These results indicate that CSWT exerts a protective effect against AMI-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis, potentially by attenuating cytochrome c release from the mitochondria and inhibiting of the mitochondrial-dependent intrinsic apoptotic pathway. We also demonstrate that CSWT suppresses the JNK pathway and cardiomyocyte inflammation, which may also decrease cardiomyocyte apoptosis in vivo .

ObjectiveTo evaluate epidemiological characteristics and transmission dynamics of COVID-19 outbreak resurged in Beijing and to assess the effects of three non-pharmaceutical interventions.DesignDescriptive and modelling study based on surveillance data of COVID-19 in Beijing.SettingOutbreak in Beijing.ParticipantsThe database included 335 confirmed cases of COVID-19.MethodsTo conduct spatiotemporal analyses of the outbreak, we collected individual records on laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 from 11 June 2020 to 5 July 2020 in Beijing, and visitor flow and products transportation data of Xinfadi Wholesale Market. We also built a modified susceptible-exposed-infected-removed model to investigate the effect of interventions deployed in Beijing.ResultsWe found that the staff working in the market (52.2%) and the people around 10 km to this epicentre (72.5%) were most affected, and the population mobility entering-exiting Xinfadi Wholesale Market significantly contributed to the spread of COVID-19 (p=0.021), but goods flow of the market had little impact on the virus spread (p=0.184). The prompt identification of Xinfadi Wholesale Market as the infection source could have avoided a total of 25 708 (95% CI 13 657 to 40 625) cases if unnoticed transmission lasted for a month. Based on the model, we found that active screening on targeted population by nucleic acid testing alone had the most significant effect.ConclusionsThe non-pharmaceutical interventions deployed in Beijing, including localised lockdown, close-contact tracing and community-based testing, were proved to be effective enough to contain the outbreak. Beijing has achieved an optimal balance between epidemic containment and economic protection.

Extracorporeal cardiac shock wave therapy (CSWT) has been used to treat patients with severe coronary heart disease and cardiac failure with good results; however, the safety of this treatment is still controversial. Its safety in clinical setting and on microstructures has been confirmed, but the influence of shock wave on the ultrastructures of myocardial cells is not clear. In this study, 12 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into control (NC) and CSWT therapy (NC+SW) groups. The heart rate, blood pressure, serum troponin I (TNI), and cardiac ultrasound were evaluated, and the myocardial inflammatory responses and fibrosis changes were compared. The samples were observed by transmission electron microscopy to evaluate the changes in myocardial tissue ultrastructure. The CSWT had no significant influence on rat hemodynamics indices and serum TNI, did not affect left ventricular function, and did not cause myocardial inflammatory response and fibrosis changes. The scores of myocardial ultrastructure damage in the NC and NC+SW groups were 1.39 ± 0.982 and 2.42 ± 1.009, respectively ( P = .103). The CSWT did not cause significant additional damage to myocardial ultrastructures. The safety of CWST has been preliminarily proved at the clinical, microstructure, and ultrastructure levels, but its long-term safety needs further exploration.

The present study was conducted to determine the combined analgesic effect of alfentanil and propofol in the formalin test. Diluted formalin was injected into the dorsal surface of the right hind paw in rats. Nociceptive behavior was determined by counting the number of flinches of the injected paw for 1 h after injection; a reduction in formalin‑induced flinching was interpreted as an antinociceptive effect. Isobolographic analysis was used to determine the type of antinociceptive interaction (additivity, antagonism or synergism). Extracellular signal‑regulated kinase (ERK) and c‑fos protein levels were also detected by western blot analysis to determine the potential mechanisms of the synergistic effect. Alfentanil, propofol or an alfentanil‑propofol combination had an antinociceptive effect in the formalin test. The median effective dose (ED50), value of the individual drug was also obtained. The derived theoretical ED50 for the antinociceptive effect (4.36 mg/kg) was different from the observed experimental ED50 value (2.51 mg/kg). The interaction between alfentanil and propofol that produced the antinociceptive effect was synergistic according to isobolographic analysis. Furthermore, the combination of alfentanil and propofol treatments may produce synergistically antinociceptive effects by inhibiting the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and decreasing the expression of c‑fos in the spinal cord. These results demonstrated that combined treatment, with alfentanil and propofol, produced synergistic antinociceptive effects in the formalin test and may have therapeutic potential for the treatment of acute pain.

This paper mainly focuses on the uniaxial bias extension behaviors of quartz plain weave fabrics. A series of bias extension tests are carried out on quartz plain weave fabrics with different width...

The present study aimed to investigate the characteristics of the ambulatory central artery stiffness index (AcASI) and its related factors. The association between AcASI and the left ventricular mass index (LVMI), and other factors related to atherosclerosis were explored. Patients with primary hypertension were enrolled into this study. Ambulatory central artery blood pressure (CABP) and ambulatory brachial artery blood pressure (BABP) were assessed using a Mobil-O-Graph NG hemomanometer, whereas AcASI and the ambulatory arterial stiffness index (AASI) were determined. LVMI was assessed by echocardiography. A total of 136 patients with primary hypertension were enrolled from May 2011 to January 2013 in Beijing Hospital. AcASI was significantly associated with AASI (r = 0.879, P

The interactions between ncRNAs and proteins are critical for regulating various cellular processes in organisms, such as gene expression regulations. However, due to limitations, including financial and material consumptions in recent experimental methods for predicting ncRNA and protein interactions, it is essential to propose an innovative and practical approach with convincing performance of prediction accuracy. In this study, based on the protein sequences from a biological perspective, we put forward an effective deep learning method, named BGFE, to predict ncRNA and protein interactions. Protein sequences are represented by bi-gram probability feature extraction method from Position Specific Scoring Matrix (PSSM), and for ncRNA sequences, k-mers sparse matrices are employed to represent them. Furthermore, to extract hidden high-level feature information, a stacked auto-encoder network is employed with the stacked ensemble integration strategy. We evaluate the performance of the proposed method by using three datasets and a five-fold cross-validation after classifying the features through the random forest classifier. The experimental results clearly demonstrate the effectiveness and the prediction accuracy of our approach. In general, the proposed method is helpful for ncRNA and protein interacting predictions and it provides some serviceable guidance in future biological research.

A study is conducted with the aim of developing meso-scale voxel-based model for evaluating the compressive behaviors of warp-reinforced 2.5D woven composites. The real microstructure of warp-reinforced 2.5D woven composites is established. For the validation of this model, a series of axial (warp direction) and transverse (weft direction) compressive tests are conducted. The results show that under axial and transverse compressive loading, the calculated max stress and the final damage morphology agree well with the experimental results. Moreover, it is found that the axial compressive strength is mainly dependent on the high-crimp blinder warp, while the transverse compressive strength is significantly influenced by the warp/weft interlaced regions. It is expected that such a numerical investigation will provide useful information for understanding the strength and failure characteristic of 2.5D woven composites.

Oxidative stress is closely related to the pathogenesis of ischemic stroke. Protocatechualdehyde (PCA) is a phenolic acid compound that has the putative antioxidant activities. The present study was aimed to investigate the molecular mechanisms involved in the antioxidative effect of PCA against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. The experiment stroke model was produced in Sprague-Dawley rats via middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). To model ischemia-like conditions in vitro, differentiated SH-SY5Y cells were exposed to transient oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD). Treatment with PCA significantly improved neurologic score, reduced infarct volume and necrotic neurons, and also decreased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE), and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) contents at 24 h after reperfusion. Meanwhile, PCA significantly increased the transcription nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expressions in the ischemic cerebral cortex as shown by immunofluorescence staining and Western blot analysis. In vitro experiment showed that PCA protected differentiated SH-SY5Y cells against OGD-induced injury. Likewise, PCA also increased markedly the Nrf2 and HO-1 expressions in a dose-dependent manner. The neuroprotection effect of PCA was abolished by knockdown of Nrf2 and HO-1. Moreover, knockdown of protein kinase Cε (PKCε) also blocked PCA-induced Nfr2 nuclear translocation, HO-1 expression, and neuroprotection. Taken together, these results provide evidences that PCA can protect against cerebral ischemia-reperfusion-induced oxidative injury, and the neuroprotective effect involves the PKCε/Nrf2/HO-1 pathway.

The study of protein self-interactions (SIPs) can not only reveal the function of proteins at the molecular level, but is also crucial to understand activities such as growth, development, differentiation, and apoptosis, providing an important theoretical basis for exploring the mechanism of major diseases. With the rapid advances in biotechnology, a large number of SIPs have been discovered. However, due to the long period and high cost inherent to biological experiments, the gap between the identification of SIPs and the accumulation of data is growing. Therefore, fast and accurate computational methods are needed to effectively predict SIPs. In this study, we designed a new method, NLPEI, for predicting SIPs based on natural language understanding theory and evolutionary information. Specifically, we first understand the protein sequence as natural language and use natural language processing algorithms to extract its features. Then, we use the Position-Specific Scoring Matrix (PSSM) to represent the evolutionary information of the protein and extract its features through the Stacked Auto-Encoder (SAE) algorithm of deep learning. Finally, we fuse the natural language features of proteins with evolutionary features and make accurate predictions by Extreme Learning Machine (ELM) classifier. In the SIPs gold standard data sets of human and yeast, NLPEI achieved 94.19% and 91.29% prediction accuracy. Compared with different classifier models, different feature models, and other existing methods, NLPEI obtained the best results. These experimental results indicated that NLPEI is an effective tool for predicting SIPs and can provide reliable candidates for biological experiments.

An accurate determination of the minimum miscibility pressure (MMP) is required for the miscible gas injection project in oilfield. The experimental methods are usually considered to be an available and appropriate way to determine the MMPs, while so far few study has been found to systematically review and evaluate the experimental MMP determination methods. In this study, for the first time, ten existing experimental methods and their three important technical aspects, including the experimental design, operating procedure, and MMP criterion, are critically reviewed for determining the MMPs. Then, the three technical parts for each experimental method are specifically evaluated and scored from thirteen factors. On the basis of the evaluation results, a novel and effective screening table, which is coupled with the weight analysis, is initially developed to assist the selection of the most appropriate MMP experiment for different specific conditions. From the previously published studies, the conventional slim-tube tests, rising-bubble apparatus (RBA), and vanishing interfacial tension (VIT) technique are still the three most widely-used experimental methods for the MMP determinations. Results from this study indicate that the slim-tube and coreflood tests are the best experimental methods for the MMP determinations, which are followed by the RBA, VIT technique, and microfluidic test. Future work with respect to the experimental design, operating procedure, and MMP criteria are expected to improve the existing experimental methods and possibly initiate a completely standardized experimental method for the MMP determinations.

Inflammatory damage plays a pivotal role in ischemic stroke pathogenesis and may represent one of the therapeutic targets. Z-Guggulsterone (Z-GS), an active component derived from myrrh, has been used to treat various diseases. The traditional uses suggest that myrrh is a good candidate for anti-inflammatory damage. This study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects of Z-GS following cerebral ischemic injury, as well as the exact mechanisms behind them. Rat middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model and in vitro astrocytes oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) model were adopted to simulate ischemic stroke. Z-GS (30 or 60 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally immediately after reperfusion, while astrocytes were maintained in 30 or 60 μM Z-GS before OGD treatment. The results indicated that Z-GS significantly alleviated neurological deficits, infarct volume and histopathological damage in vivo, and increased the astrocytes viability in vitro. Moreover, the treatment of Z-GS inhibited the astrocytes activation and down-regulated the mRNA levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Furthermore, the activated TLR4-NF-κB signaling pathways induced by MCAO or OGD were significantly suppressed by Z-GS treatment, which was achieved via inhibiting the phosphorylation of JNK. Our results demonstrated that Z-GS exerted neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties through preventing activation of TLR4-mediated pathway in the activated astrocytes after ischemia injury. Therefore, Z-GS could be considered as a promising candidate for the treatment of ischemic stroke.

Refining is a critical step in the manufacturing of medium-density fiberboard (MDF). To ensure fiber quality and control of the energy consumption during refining, proper production parameters, such as feeding screw revolution speed (SR), accumulated chip height (CH), opening ratio of the discharge valve (OV), and content of Chinese poplar (CP), are vital. These parameters were monitored and recorded in an MDF mill to investigate the relationships between the parameters and the fiber quality and energy consumption. In this study, fuzzy models of the fiber quality and the energy consumption during refining were established based on subtractive clustering and an adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS). The fiber quality and energy consumption models demonstrated high prediction accuracy because their predictive mean relative errors were as low as 4.14% and 6.72%, respectively. The errors of fiber quality were optimized using the simulated annealing method, and the input parameters were obtained. Based on the energy consumption model, the minimum energy consumption was 41.51 kWh/t, on the premise of the minimum requirement of fiber quality. This study can be a guideline for MDF production management to improve fiberboard quality and reduce energy consumption.

The anesthetic propofol is thought to induce rapid hypnotic sedation by potentiating γ-aminobutyric acid receptor (GABAAR) activity. Little is known about the molecular mechanisms of propofol in modulating inhibitory synaptic transmission. We aimed to investigate the role of propofol in modulating surface expression of GABAARs.C57BL/6 mice received an intraperitoneal injection of propofol. Hippocampal pyramidal neurons were prepared from embryonic day-18 mice and were treated with propofol. Proteins on the plasma membrane were analyzed using cell surface biotinylation, immunoblotting and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Electrophysiological activities were recorded from hippocampal cells in acute brain slices of mice. The interaction between GABAARs and clathrin adaptor protein 2 was assessed by immunoprecipitation. Phosphorylation of GABAARs was shown by in vitro kinase assay.Propofol facilitated membrane accumulation of GABAARβ3 subunits. Propofol mediated phosphorylation of GABAARβ3 by protein kinase Cε which blocked the interaction between GABAARβ3 and the β-adaptin subunit of adaptor protein 2, resulting in an inhibition of the receptor endocytosis in hippocampal pyramidal neurons. Coincident with increased GABAARs surface level, propofol enhanced evoked and miniature synaptic GABA receptor currents.This study offers new insight on the regulatory mechanism of propofol in inhibiting neuronal excitability.

The aim of this study is to investigate a food effect on the single-dose pharmacokinetics and tolerability of subutinib maleate capsules in healthy Chinese volunteers. The author evaluated the effect of being under a fasting or fed state at the time of drug intake on the single-dose of subutinib maleate capsules in a randomized, balanced, single-dose, 2-treatment (fasting and fed), 2-period design with a 3-week washout period. The end points were the maximum plasma drug concentration (Cmax) and areas under the plasma-concentration curve (AUC) for 336 h exposure (AUC0-336) and total exposure (AUC0-∞). All volunteers completed the whole study without side effects being observed. For subutinib, Cmax were 6.13 and 5.04 ng·mL(-1), and AUC0-336 were 278.4 and 304.5 h·ng·mL(-1) in the fasting and the fed state, respectively. For active metabolite, Cmax were 0.90 and 0.61 ng·mL(-1), and AUC0-336 were 65.5 and 56.4 h·ng·mL(-1) in the fasting and the fed state, respectively. The authors showed that food intake was associated with a slight increase in AUC values but decrease in Cmax of subutinib, and it was associated with a decrease both in AUC and Cmax of active metabolite.

Ethnopharmacological relevance As a well-known traditional Chinese medicine the root bark of Aralia taibaiensis has traditionally been used as the medicine considered alleviating several disorders including diabetes mellitus (DM). Chikusetsu saponin IVa (CHS) has been defined as a major active ingredient of triterpenoid saponins extracted from Aralia taibaiensis. The scientific evidence of anti-diabetic effect for CHS remains unknown and the purpose of our study was to study its hypoglycemic and insulin secretagogue activities. Materials and methods In vivo studies were performed on type 2 diabetic mellitus (T2DM) rats given CHS for 28 days to test the antihyperglycemic activity. The in vitro effects and possible mechanisms of CHS on the insulin secretion in pancreatic β-cell line βTC3 were determined. Results Oral administration of CHS dose-dependently increased the level of serum insulin and decreased the rise in blood glucose level in an in vivo treatment. In vitro, CHS potently stimulated the release of insulin from βTC3 cells at both basal and stimulatory glucose concentrations, the effect which was changed by the removal of extracellular Ca2+. Two methods showed that CHS enhanced the intracellular calcium levels in βTC3 cells. CHS was capable of enhancing the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases C (PKC), which could be reversed by a PKC inhibitor (RO320432), and the insulin secretion induced by CHS was also inhibited by RO320432. Further study also showed that the insulinotropic effect, intracellular calcium levels and the phosphorylation of PKC were reduced by inhibiting G protein-coupled receptor 40 (GPR40) by a GPR40 inhibitor (DC126026). Conclusion These observations suggest that the signaling of CHS-induced insulin secretion from βTC3 cells via GPR40 mediated calcium and PKC pathways and thus CHS might be developed into a new potential for therapeutic agent used in T2DM patients.

Background Combination therapy, which provides the opportunity to achieve optimal analgesia with reduced side effects at lower drug doses, is a valid approach for the treatment of pain. The analgesic interaction between fospropofol and alfentanil has not been investigated till date. We sought to determine the nature of the interaction between fospropofol and alfentanil in mice models of the formalin test, hot-plate test and the tail-flick test. Methods The effects of fospropofol, alfentanil and their combinations were examined in the formalin-induced paw inflammatory hyperalgesia, the hot-plate test and the tail-flick test in mice. In the three models, dose–response curves were established and their respective ED 50 (50% effective dose) values were determined separately for each agent. Fixed-ratio combinations of fospropofol and alfentanil were tested for their combined antinociceptive effects, and the type of interaction was determined by the isobolographic analysis. Results Fospropofol, alfentanil and their combination produced a dose-dependent decrease in the number of flinches during phase 1 of the formalin test. In the hot-plate test and in the tail-flick test, fospropofol, alfentanil and their combination significantly and dose dependently prolonged the latency of withdrawal. In the three models, isobolographic analysis revealed a significant synergistic interaction between fospropofol and alfentanil. The ED 50 value for the drug combination was significantly lower than the theoretical additive value ( p Conclusions The results demonstrate that fospropofol and alfentanil provide synergistic antinociceptive interactions in the formalin, hot-plate, and tail-flick tests. The observed synergistic interaction between fospropofol and alfentanil are indicative of the effectiveness of the combination treatment in pain management and should be explored further in patients undergoing minor surgical procedures.

Human babesiosis is an emerging zoonosis. "Babesia venatorum" has been identified in only four asplenic men and a child so far. We aimed to describe the epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory characteristics of a series of cases with "B venatorum" infection identified in a sentinel hospital in China.We recruited participants with a recent tick bite at Mudanjiang Forestry Central Hospital, Heilongjiang province, China. Cases were diagnosed through PCR followed by sequencing, microscopic identification, or isolation by animal inoculation, or both.48 individuals (30 women or girls; median age 45 years, range 7 months to 75 years) with "B venatorum" infection were identified. 32 of these individuals were confirmed cases and 16 were probable cases. None of the 48 cases had received a blood transfusion or had a splenectomy. Geographically, cases were distributed diffusely throughout the hospital catchment area. Of the 32 confirmed cases, 21 (66%) presented with a fever, 13 (41%) with a headache, 12 (38%) with myalgia or arthralgia, and three (9%) with chills. 14 (44%) patients had fatigue, eight (25%) had dizziness, and eight (25%) had hypersomnia. Six (19%) patients had an erythematous non-pruritic rash around the tick-bite site and two (6%) had lymphadenopathy. Seven (22%) and four (13%) patients had anaemia and thrombocytopenia, respectively, and seven (50%) of 14 patients with confirmed infection had increased hepatic transaminase concentrations. In the confirmed cases, concentrations of intercellular adhesion molecule 3 (p0·001), P-selectin (p0·05), and platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule 1 (p0·001) were significantly reduced, whereas tumour necrosis factor α (p0·01) and vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (p0·001) were significantly increased."B venatorum" infection should be included in the differential diagnosis of patients with a tick-exposure history in areas where this pathogen has previously been identified in ticks or people.Natural Science Foundation of China and Mega-Project for Infectious Diseases.

Lianhua-Qingwen capsule (LQC) is a commonly used Chinese medical preparation to treat viral influenza and especially played a very important role in the fight against severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2002-2003 in China. In this paper, a rapid ultraperformance liquid chromatography coupled with diode-array detector and quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-DAD-QTOF-MS) method was established for qualitative and quantitative analysis of the major constituents of LQC. A total of 61 compounds including flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, anthraquinones, triterpenoids, iridoids, and other types of compounds were unambiguously or tentatively identified by comparing the retention times and accurate mass measurement with reference compounds or literature data. Among them, twelve representative compounds were further quantified as chemical markers in quantitative analysis, including salidroside, chlorogenic acid, forsythoside E, cryptochlorogenic acid, amygdalin, sweroside, hyperin, rutin, forsythoside A, phillyrin, rhein, and glycyrrhizic acid. The UPLC-DAD method was evaluated with linearity, limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantification (LOQ), precision, stability, repeatability, and recovery tests. The results showed that the developed quantitative method was linear, sensitive, and precise for the quality control of LQC.

Managing of neuropathic pain remains clinically challenging because the existing pharmacotherapies are either ineffective or non-specific. Therefore, developing novel alternatives is essential for better treatment. Liquiritin is an active component extracted from Glycyrrhizae radix and has potential neuroprotective action. This study aimed to investigate the protective efficacy of liquiritin on chronic constriction injury (CCI)-induced neuropathic pain in mice. Liquiritin (30, 60, and 120mg/kg) and pregabalin (40mg/kg) were administered intragastrically for 7 consecutive days starting on the 8th day post-surgery. Behavioral parameters and sciatic functional index were assessed on days 0, 7, 8, 10, 12, and 14. Electrophysiological and histopathological changes were analyzed on the 14th day. Immunofluorescence and Western blot were used to evaluate the expression of glial cells and the protein levels of inflammatory cytokines in the spinal cord, respectively. Results showed that liquiritin dose-dependently reduced hyperalgesia and allodynia and increased the sciatic functional index and motor nerve conduction velocities. Moreover, liquiritin restored the injured axon and myelin sheath, inhibited the activation of astrocyte and microglia, down-regulated the pro-inflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin (IL-6, and IL-1β), and simultaneously up-regulated the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. Our study revealed that liquiritin exerted a neuroprotective effect on CCI-induced neuropathic pain, which might be attributed to its direct protective effect on damaged nerves and its anti-inflammatory activity at the level of the spinal cord. Therefore, liquiritin shows promise as a compound for the development of novel analgesic agents that can be used to effectively treat intractable neuropathic pain.

Introduced the background of equipment Interactive Electronic Technical Manual (IETM), discussed the key standard common technology XML DTD/Schema, graphic interaction, etc. Form IETM common technology aspect, analyzed the main Characteristic, implementation scope, and advantage/disadvantage, and proposed the suggestion of technology selection. Analysis the different data model standard in the development process of IETM, put forward the basic principle of IETM standard selection, provided a useful reference of IETM project implementation.

Gas station has a potential safety hazard, which would affect lives and property security of residents around it, once an accident occurs, it needs to be rescued immediately. We focus on locating a master station of gas station from the perspective of rescue, add a class of decision points (rescue points) and take rescue costs after the accident into consideration. The model for location is established, and show genetic algorithm for computing it. This provides a theoretical basis for relevant departments planning gas stations location.

Aims To investigate the insulinogenic activities of the eleven saponins enriched traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) extracts. Main methods Radioimmunoassay and trypan blue exclusion assay were used to investigate the insulinogenic activity and cytotoxic effects respectively. Key findings The total saponin extract of Aralia taibaiensis (sAT) exhibited highest insulinogenic activity and no cytotoxicity was recorded. Twelve pure compounds from sAT stimulated insulin secretion from a mouse insulinoma βTC3 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. TA35 outperformed the other compounds which suggested that the active insulinogenic ingredient of sAT was probably TA35. In addition, both sAT and TA35 markedly potentiated glucose-induced insulin secretion. Significance Our study is the first to show that sAT dramatically stimulated insulin secretion and its antidiabetic activity may be related to its high saponin content. These findings suggested that sAT and the compound TA35 isolated from sAT may provide novel therapeutic tools for the treatment of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM).

In this paper the theoretical model of reinforced concrete frame structure is established to numerically simulate and analyze its overall morphology with the finite element analysis method. The calculation results shows that at the bottom of the structure the stress and deformation is much larger than other parts with the action of constant load, live load and wind load. And with modal analysis and buckling analysis natural frequency and vibration mode are obtained to avoid resonance and predict the buckling load.

This paper introduces ultrasonic ranging system which can be applied to avoid obstacle and navigate for mobile robot .This system is composed of AT89S51 single chip microcomputer ,ultrasonic transmitting circuit, ultrasonic receiving circuit, amplifying and filtering circuit , peak value time detecting circuit, environment temperature compensation circuit. The method of echo peak time detection point is used to eliminate the error. It is proved that The maximum range of the system is 10 meter and maximum measurement error can be controlled to± 2 cm or so. This system has such merits as rapid corresponding, high precision, high performance price rate.

Acoustic temperature measurement technology is a new temperature measuring technology which is rising in recent years. This paper discusses a kind of reconstruction method of temperature field based on acoustic pyrometer. First , acoustic sensors has been used to obtain measurement data, and the technique of wavelet has been used to denoise in order to improve the accuracy of measurement , secondly, the least-squares algorithm has been used to reconstruct temperature field. Finally, we work out our own acoustic temperature measurement system and has got the satisfying result using our own acoustic pyrometer to detect two-dimension temperature field in the laboratory.

Influenza epidemic is an important cause of severe illness in the elderly. Age-dependent morbidity of influenza in the elderly is associated with weakened immunity. The baseline age-related memory T cell activity in Chinese persons who are exposed to influenza virus through natural infection, are associated with the protective response to the virus after vaccination, thus providing important pre-vaccination information. A cohort from the general population was established at the end of an influenza season in an area where influenza occurs regularly, and followed for 24 weeks. The subjects had no vaccination history for 5 years. Memory T cell responses were evaluated using a set of peptides spanning the influenza A (H3N2) entire proteome in a gamma interferon (IFN-gamma)-enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assay, prior to the next influenza season. Changes of hemagglutination inhibition (HI) antibody titers were also evaluated. IFN-gamma(+) T cell responses against influenza peptides were significantly lower in subjects of 60 years and older. Although the age-related decline of cellular immune response was clear, no significant association of antibody titers with age was found. The pre-vaccination baseline of memory IFN-gamma(+) T cell immunity state in elderly Chinese was significantly lower than in people younger than 60 years. Measurement of the ex vivo cellular immune responses to influenza should be incorporated into the evaluation of protective immunity in elderly persons. J. Med. Virol. 81: 1471-1476, 2009. (C) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

This paper established the theoretical framework of life cycle assessment for the section of fiber preparation with end-based evaluation method, and the technology and equipment of the section of fiber preparation were considered as main research object. By using the theoretical system, an environmental impact model of the section of fiber preparation can be built, and then the parameter of main technology and key equipment can be optimized. to improve the evaluation system for wood-based panel production and thus guiding business investment, process improvement and equipment modification. Further more, it can be used to guide investment or upgrade technology and equipment.

We reported 2009 H1N1 influenza infections among healthcare workers (HCWs) and inpatients and the prevention measures instituted in a large Chinese hospital. In total, 171 HCWs and 89 inpatients tested positive for H1N1. Sixteen HCWs had known hospital exposure, among whom only 7 had working-contact exposure. There was no influenza outbreak.Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2012;33(3):295-298

Objective To investigate the pregnancy complications, perinatal outcomes, and congenital abnormalities (CAs) that occurred in Beijing, China, when pregnant women became infected with the 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) (H1N1pdm). Methods Pregnancy complications, perinatal outcomes, and CAs were compared among 3 groups of pregnant women. The 23 women in group 1 were confirmed to harbor viral RNA; the 23 in group 2 had serum levels of virus-specific antibodies against H1N1pdm, meaning that they were suspected of being infected with the virus; and the 93 in group 3 had no detectable virus-specific antibodies. Results Perinatal outcomes and pregnancy complications were not significantly different in groups 1 and 3. Higher percentages of stillbirths (12.0%) and placental disorders (13.0%) were observed in group 2 than in group 3. Many women in group 2 (62.5%) experienced symptoms of having a cold during pregnancy and most took no medication. Two cases of CA occurred in group 1, in the offspring of women infected in the second trimester. Conclusion When left untreated, infection with the 2009 H1N1pdm virus during pregnancy appears to have increased fetal mortality and morbidity. Because CAs are traumatic for all concerned, their possible association with the virus should be further evaluated.

As an important engineering work, maintainability design, analysis, evaluation and other activities runs through the entire weapon equipment development process. To solve the current maintenance puzzle in the beginning, and let the maintenance in time, economic and effective, this paper build up the weapon equipment maintain-ability lifecycle models from function view, information view and process view oriented on the concurrent engineering (CE). Accordingly, put the maintainability design, analysis and evaluation works in to practice throughout the weapon equipment system analysis, design, manufacture, test, evaluation and other engineering activities in the earlier phase of weapon equipment system demonstration, thus can make the equipment have the best maintainability character by the roots.

Aim: Emerging evidence shows that periodontal disease is associated with endothelial dysfunction. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between chronic periodontitis (CP) and circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPC). Materials and Methods: Eighty-six non-smoking subjects (36 males and 50 females, aged 35–80 years) were recruited, including 23 subjects with no or mild CP and 63 subjects with moderate to severe CP. The levels of circulating EPC were quantitatively determined by fluorescence-activated cell analysis, including CD34+/kinase insert domain-containing receptor (KDR)+ (more mature EPC) and CD133+/KDR+ (less mature EPC). Periodontal conditions, the intima–media thickness of carotid arteries and circulating biomarkers were examined. Results: Subjects with moderate to severe CP exhibited an increased risk of high EPC count, compared with those with no or mild CP: CD34+/KDR+ EPC [odds ratio (OR)=9.5, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.5–61.0, p=0.018; CD133+/KDR+ EPC, OR=4.6, 95% CI 1.1–19.5, p=0.039]. C-reactive protein was significantly associated with high CD34+/KDR+ EPC count and age was inversely related with high EPC count. Age, gender and CD34+/KDR+ EPC were independent variables of increased carotid intima–media thickness (p

Summary Objective To analyse the case fatality ratio (CFR) and its risk factors for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in mainland China by using a comprehensive dataset of all probable cases. Methods The data of all probable SARS cases were derived from the Infectious Disease Reporting System of the Center of Diseases Control and Hospital Information Systems, during the 2003 epidemic in mainland China. The definition of probable SARS case was consistent with the definition for clinically confirmed SARS issued by the Ministry of Health of the People’s Republic of China. We performed univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis to determine the association of CFR with age, sex, residence location, occupation, the period of the epidemic and the duration from symptom onset to admission into hospital. Results The overall CFR was 6.4% among 5327 probable SARS cases in mainland China. Old age, being a patient during the early period of a local outbreak, and being from Tianjin led to a relatively higher CFR than young age, late stage of a local outbreak and cases from Beijing. Guangdong Province resulted in an even lower CFR compared with Beijing. Conclusions Because of their deteriorated health status and apparent complications, SARS patients aged >60 years had a much higher risk of dying than younger patients. At the early stage of local outbreaks, lack of experience in patient care and perhaps treatment also led to a relatively higher CFR. The Tianjin SARS outbreak happened mainly within a hospital, leading to a high impact of co‐morbidity. The relatively young age of the cases partly explains the low CFR in mainland China compared with other countries and areas affected by SARS.

Object The aim of this study was to use diffusion tensor tractography (DTT) to define the 3D relationships of the uncinate fasciculus, anterior commissure, inferior occipitofrontal fasciculus, inferior thalamic peduncle, and optic radiation and to determine the positioning landmarks of these white matter tracts. Methods The anatomy was studied in 10 adult human brain specimens. Brain DTT was performed in 10 healthy volunteers. Diffusion tensor tractography images of the white matter tracts in the temporal stem were obtained using the simple single region of interest (ROI) and multi-ROIs based on the anatomical knowledge. Results The posteroinferior insular point is the anterior extremity of intersection of the Heschl gyrus and the inferior limiting sulcus. On the inferior limiting sulcus, this point is the posterior limit of the optic radiation, and the temporal stem begins at the limen insulae and ends at the posteroinferior insular point. The distance from the limen insulae to the tip of the temporal horn is just one third the length of the temporal stem. The uncinate fasciculus comprises the core of the anterior temporal stem, behind which the anterior commissure and the inferior thalamic peduncle are located, and they occupy the anterior third of the temporal stem. The inferior occipitofrontal fasciculus passes through the entire temporal stem. The most anterior extent of the Meyer loop is located between the anterior tip of the temporal horn and the limen insulae. Most of the optic radiation crosses the postmedian two thirds of the temporal stem. Conclusions On the inferior limiting sulcus, the posteroinferior insular point is a reliable landmark of the posterior limit of the optic radiations. The limen insulae, anterior tip of the temporal horn, and posteroinferior insular point may be used to localize the white matter fibers of the temporal stem in analyzing magnetic resonance imaging or during surgery.

Background The flowers of Gentiana macrophylla have been usually applied to cure the joint inflammation and rheumatoid arthritis in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Hypothesis/purpose This work aimed to investigate the anti-rheumatoid arthritic effect and possible mechanism of iridoid glycosides from G. macrophylla (GMI) using an animal model of collagen-induced rheumatoid arthritis (CIA) in rats. Study design All rats were randomly divided into five groups: normal control, CIA, dexamethasone, 15 mg/kg and 30 mg/kg GMI. Methods CIA was induced (day 0) in male Sprague-Dawley rats by intradermal injection of complete Bovine CII at the base of the tail. Dexamethasone was chosen as the positive drug. The administration of different drugs started from day 1 and continued for 28 days. Paw swelling, arthritis score and histopathological changes were examined to assess the severity of arthritis. In addition, the serum levels of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expressions in joint synovial tissues were detected. Results GMI reduced paw edema, arthritis scores and the index of spleen and thymus from day 7 to 21 after CIA compared with those in the CIA group. Our data also demonstrated that GMI inhibited pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6, regulated the expression of iNOS and COX-2 compared with those in the CIA group. We also obtained four major components from GMI, identified as loganic acid, swertamarin, gentiopicroside and sweroside, and the contents of them were also calculated respectively. Conclusion Taken together, our results shed light on the therapeutic efficacy of GMI in rats rheumatoid arthritis model by reducing the levels of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α in serum as well as down-regulating the levels of iNOS and COX-2. Therefore, GMI may be an effective therapy for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

In this letter, the ancestral rickettsial organism Candidatus Rickettsia tarasevichiae was shown to cause human infection.

This letter describes a new subspecies of Rickettsia sibirica, sibirica BJ-90, that was associated with illness in a patient in China.

Undering the background of the campus informationization construction becomes mature day after day, it is a meaningful work to design research management information system to improve the research management level and efficiency of the university. This study took college of a university for experimental object, used Visual Studio2008 for development platform, SQLServer2005 for backend database, c# as development language and used ASP.net technology, then designed Web-based research management system for college. The system mainly realized all kinds of information query, data management and scientific research statistics analysis functions. Keywords-research achievements management