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Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a progressive disease that is often accompanied by metabolic syndrome and poses a high risk of severe liver damage. However, no effective pharmacological treatment is currently available for NASH. Here we report that CASP8 and FADD-like apoptosis regulator (CFLAR) is a key suppressor of steatohepatitis and its metabolic disorders. We provide mechanistic evidence that CFLAR directly targets the kinase MAP3K5 (also known as ASK1) and interrupts its N-terminus-mediated dimerization, thereby blocking signaling involving ASK1 and the kinase MAPK8 (also known as JNK1). Furthermore, we identified a small peptide segment in CFLAR that effectively attenuates the progression of steatohepatitis and metabolic disorders in both mice and monkeys by disrupting the N-terminus-mediated dimerization of ASK1 when the peptide is expressed from an injected adenovirus-associated virus 8-based vector. Taken together, these findings establish CFLAR as a key suppressor of steatohepatitis and indicate that the development of CFLAR-peptide-mimicking drugs and the screening of small-molecular inhibitors that specifically block ASK1 dimerization are new and feasible approaches for NASH treatment.

Large-conductance Ca 2+ - and voltage-activated potassium (MaxiK or BK) channels are composed of a pore-forming α subunit (Slo) and 4 types of auxiliary β subunits or just a pore-forming α subunit. Although multiple N-linked glycosylation sites in the extracellular loop of β subunits have been identified, very little is known about how glycosylation influences the structure and function of BK channels. Using a combination of site-directed mutagenesis, western blot and patch-clamp recordings, we demonstrated that 3 sites in the extracellular loop of β2 subunit are N-glycosylated (N-X-T/S at N88, N96 and N119). Glycosylation of these sites strongly and differentially regulate gating kinetics, outward rectification, toxin sensitivity and physical association between the α and β2 subunits. We constructed a model and used molecular dynamics (MD) to simulate how the glycosylation facilitates the association of α/β2 subunits and modulates the dimension of the extracellular cavum above the pore of the channel, ultimately to modify biophysical and pharmacological properties of BK channels. Our results suggest that N-glycosylation of β2 subunits plays crucial roles in imparting functional heterogeneity of BK channels, and is potentially involved in the pathological phenotypes of carbohydrate metabolic diseases.

We demonstrate coherent microwave control of rotational and hyperfine states of trapped, ultracold, and chemically stable ^{23}Na^{40}K molecules. Starting with all molecules in the absolute rovibrational and hyperfine ground state, we study rotational transitions in combined magnetic and electric fields and explain the rich hyperfine structure. Following the transfer of the entire molecular ensemble into a single hyperfine level of the first rotationally excited state, J=1, we observe lifetimes of more than 3 s, comparable to those in the rovibrational ground state, J=0. Long-lived ensembles and full quantum state control are prerequisites for the use of ultracold molecules in quantum simulation, precision measurements, and quantum information processing.

According to the interpreted results of three satellite images of Dongzhai Harbour obtained in 1988, 1998 and 2009, the changes of landscape pattern and the differences of its driving forces of mangrove forest in Dongzhai Harbour were analyzed with a patch-based method on spatial distribution dynamics. The results showed that the areas of mangrove forest in 1988, 1998 and 2009 were 1809.4, 1738.7 and 1608.2 hm2 respectively, which presented a trend of decrease with enhanced degree of landscape fragmentation. The transformations among different landscape types indicated that the mangrove, agricultural land and forest land were mainly changed into built-up land and aquaculture pond. The statistical results obtained from three different methods, i.e., accumulative counting, percentage counting and main transformation route counting, showed that natural factors were the main reason for the changes of patch number, responsible for 58.6%, 72.2% and 72.1% of patch number change, respectively, while the percentages of patch area change induced by human activities were 70.4%, 70.3% and 76.4%, respectively, indicating that human activities were the primary factors of the change of patch areas.

Solid complexes of lanthanide nitrates with an novel multipodal ligand, 1,2,4,5-tetramethyl-3,6-bis{N,N-bis[((2'-furfurylaminoformyl)phenoxyl)ethyl]-aminomethyl}-benzene (L) have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, infrared spectra and molar conductivity measurements. At the same time, the luminescent properties of the Sm(III), Eu(III), Tb(III) and Dy(III) nitrate complexes in solid state were investigated. Under the excitation of UV light, these complexes exhibited characteristic emission of central metal ions. The lowest triplet state energy level of the ligand indicates that the triplet state energy level (T1) of the ligand matches better the resonance level of Tb(III) than other lanthanide ions., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To study the effect and potential mechanism of Modified Cangfu Daotan Decoction (MCDD) on endometrial receptivity in infertility patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)., Methods: Totally 298 women having normal ovulation who underwent artificial insemination were recruited as the control group, and they received no drug therapy. Another 355 infertility patients with PCOS who received ovarian stimulation therapy were recruited as the treatment group. Then they were further assigned to the treatment group I (195 cases) and the treatment group II (160 cases) according to random digit table. Patients in the treatment group I received clomiphene (CC) + human menopause gonadotropin (HMG) +human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), while those in the treatment group II received CC + HMG + HCG and additionally took modified MCDD. The therapeutic course for all was three menstrual cycles. The pregnancy ratio, the endometrial thickness, and spiral artery pulsatility index (PI), resistance index (RI), and homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were measured. Furthermore, the uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) level was tested by Western blot., Results: Compared with the control group, the endometrial thickness decreased and PI and RI increased in the treatment group I (all P < 0.05). Compared with the treatment group I , the endometrial thickness increased and PI and RI decreased in the treatment group II (all P < 0.05). Compared with before treatment, HOMA-IR levels were significantly decreased in the treatment group II after treatment (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group before treatment, the HOMA-IR level increased in the treatment group I and the treatment group II before treatment (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group after treatment, the HOMA-IR level increased in the treatment group I (P < 0.05). But there was no statistical difference in the post-treatment HOMA-IR level between the control group and the treatment group II (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the post-treatment UCP2 level was increased in the treatment group II (P < 0.05). After one year follow-up, the pregnancy rate was 16.1% (48/298) in the control group, 23.1% (37/160) in the treatment group I, and 33.8% (66/195) in the treatment group II. Compared with the control group, the pregnancy rate was significantly increased in the treatment group II (P < 0.05)., Conclusion: MCDD was found to be capable of increasing the pregnancy rate of infertility patients with PCOS, which might be associated with improving endometrial blood flow and insulin resistance, increasing the UCP2 expression, and finally improving the endometrial receptivity.

By the methods of field survey and laboratory analysis, an investigation was conducted on the seasonal dynamics of biomass and carbon storage of Phragmites australis and Spartina alterniflora dominated vegetation belts in the Jiuduan Shoal Wetland of Yangtze Estuary, East China in 2010-2012. The organic carbon storage of the biomass (including aboveground part, underground part, and standing litter) of the two plants was the highest in autumn and the lowest in spring. The average carbon storage of the biomass of S. alterniflora per unit area (445.81 g x m(-2)) was much higher than that of P. australis (285.52 g x m(-2)), and the average carbon storage of the standing litter of S. alterniflora (315.28 g x m(-2)) was also higher than that of P. australia (203.15 g x m(-2)). However, the organic carbon storage in the surface soil (0-30 cm) under P. australis community (1048.62 g x m(-2)) was almost as twice times as that under S. alterniflora community (583.33 g x m(-2)). Overall, the carbon accumulation ability of P. australis community (3212.96 g x m(-2)) was stronger than that of the S. alterniflora community (2730.42 g x m(-2)). Therefore, it is of significance to protect the P. australis community in terms of carbon sequestration at the salt marsh.

Objective: To investigate whether overproduction of reactive oxygen species after testicular torsion-detorsion injures testicular spermatogenesis by regulating expression of TATA box-binding protein-related factor 2 (TRF2), which is an essential transcription factor for spermatogenesis. Testicular torsion-detorsion causes overproduction of reactive oxygen species, which contributes to testicular injury and regulates many genes whose expression affects cell cycle regulation, cell proliferation, and apoptosis., Materials and Methods: A total of 60 adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 3 groups of 20 rats each. The control group underwent a sham operation of the left testicle. The torsion-detorsion group received 1 hour of left testicular torsion. The scavenging reactive oxygen species group underwent the same surgical operation as the torsion-detorsion group, but superoxide dismutase and catalase, 2 well-known reactive oxygen species scavengers, were given intravenously at detorsion. The testicles were harvested 4 hours or 3 months after detorsion to measure the malondialdehyde level (a marker of reactive oxygen species), TRF2 expression, and spermatogenesis., Results: Unilateral testicular torsion-detorsion significantly increased the malondialdehyde level and reduced TRF2 expression and spermatogenesis in ipsilateral testicles, suggesting that overgeneration of reactive oxygen species after testicular torsion-detorsion might downregulate TRF2 expression, leading to spermatogenic damage. In contrast, administration of superoxide dismutase and catalase significantly decreased the malondialdehyde level and increased TRF2 expression and spermatogenesis in ipsilateral testicles. These results supported the above suggestion., Conclusion: These findings have indicated that overproduction of reactive oxygen species after testicular torsion-detorsion can damage testicular spermatogenesis by downregulation of TRF2 expression., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The localization properties of in-plane elastic waves propagating in two-dimensional porous phononic crystals with one-dimensional aperiodicity are initially analyzed by introducing the concept of the localization factor that is calculated by the plane-wave-based transfer-matrix method in this paper. The band structures characterized by using localization factors are calculated for different phononic crystals by altering matrix material properties and geometric structure parameters. Numerical results show that the effect of matrix material properties on wave localization can be ignored, while the effect of geometric structure parameters is obvious. For comparison, the periodic porous system and Fibonacci system with rigid inclusion are also analyzed. It is found that the band gaps are easily formed in aperiodic porous system, but hard for periodic porous system. Moreover, compared with aperiodic system with rigid inclusion, the wider low-frequency band gaps appear in the aperiodic porous system., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: The pathophysiology of testicular torsion-detorsion is ischemia-reperfusion injury of the testis. In the course of testicular ischemia and reperfusion, overgeneration of reactive oxygen species is a major initiating component of the testicular spermatogenic injury. Reactive oxygen species regulate many genes whose expression affects cell-cycle regulation, cell proliferation, and apoptosis. The transcription factor cAMP-responsive element modulator-τ (CREMτ) plays an essential role in spermatogenesis. Psoralea corylifolia, a medicinal herb with anti-oxidative activity, has been used to treat male reproductive dysfunction in traditional Chinese medicine. In this study, we investigated the effect of Psoralea corylifolia on testicular torsion/detorsion-induced injury., Materials and Methods: Sixty adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 3 groups, each containing 20 rats. Rats in the control group underwent a sham operation of the left testis. In the torsion-detorsion group, the left testis was rotated 720° for 2h. Rats in the treatment group received the same surgical procedure as the torsion-detorsion group, but Psoralea corylifolia was administered orally. Bilateral orchiectomy was performed on half of the rats in each experimental group at 4h after detorsion for measurement of malondialdehyde which is an indicator of intratesticular reactive oxygen species content. Orchiectomy was performed on the remaining rats at 3 months after detorsion for analysis of testicular CREMτ expression and spermatogenesis., Results: Unilateral testicular torsion-detorsion caused a significant increase in malondialdehyde level and caused significant decreases in CREMτ expression and spermatogenesis in ipsilateral testes. Psoralea corylifolia treatment significantly decreased malondialdehyde level and significantly increased CREMτ expression and spermatogenesis in ipsilateral testes, compared with torsion-detorsion group., Conclusions: These results suggest that Psoralea corylifolia may protect testicular spermatogenesis by enhancing CREMτ expression by scavenging reactive oxygen species., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: The pathophysiology of testicular torsion-detorsion is an ischemia-reperfusion injury caused by overgeneration of reactive oxygen species (ROS). This study aimed to investigate the effect of rutin, a well-known antioxidant, on testicular ischemia-reperfusion injury., Methods: Sixty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 3 groups, each containing 20 rats. Rats in the control group underwent a sham operation of the left testis. In the torsion-detorsion group, the left testis was rotated 720° for 2 hours. Rats in the treatment group received the same surgical procedure as the torsion-detorsion group, but rutin was administered intravenously at the time of detorsion. Bilateral orchiectomy was performed on half of the rats in each experimental group at 4 hours after detorsion for measurement of malondialdehyde, an indicator of intratesticular ROS content, and for evaluation of superoxide dismutase and catalase, which are endogenous antioxidant enzymes. Orchiectomy was performed on the remaining rats at 3 months after detorsion for analysis of testicular spermatogenesis., Results: Unilateral testicular torsion-detorsion caused a significant increase in malondialdehyde level and caused significant decreases in superoxide dismutase, catalase activities, and spermatogenesis in ipsilateral testes. The rats treated with rutin had a significant decrease in malondialdehyde level and had significant increases in superoxide dismutase, catalase activities, and spermatogenesis in ipsilateral testes, compared with torsion-detorsion group., Conclusions: Rutin protects testes from ischemia-reperfusion injury. The protective effect of rutin may be caused by scavenging ROS by increasing superoxide dismutase and catalase activities., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Solid complexes of lanthanide nitrates with an novel unsymmetrical tripodal ligand, butyl-N,N-bis[((2'-benzylaminofomyl)phenoxyl)ethyl]-amine (L) have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, infrared spectra and molar conductivity measurements. At the same time, the luminescent properties of the Sm(III), Eu(III), Tb(III) and Dy(III) nitrate complexes in solid state were also investigated. Under the excitation of UV light, these complexes exhibited characteristic emission of central metal ions., (Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

The temporal responses of peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), total polyphenols (TP), extractable condensed tannins (ECT) to different levels of lead (Pb) or manganese (Mn) stress, as well as the metal accumulation, in seedlings of Kandelia obovata were investigated. Both stress time and stress intensity had significant effects with significant accumulation of Pb and Mn in roots at Day 1. Pb and Mn showed no significant effects on root or leaf TP and ECT at Day 1. Prolonged exposure to metals caused significant drops of root TP and ECT but increased in leaves at Days 7 and 49. POD activities decreased in both roots and leaves at Day 1, while POD and SOD both increased under moderate levels of Pb and Mn at Day 7. The present study showed that antioxidative enzyme activities were more sensitive indicators to Pb or Mn stresses than phenolic compounds., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In the structure of the title compound, C(12)H(11)N(3)O(3)·H(2)O, the dihedral angle formed by the benzene and isoxazole rings is 2.03 (8)°. The mol-ecular conformation is stabilized by an intra-molecular O-H⋯N hydrogen bond. In the crystal structure, mol-ecules are linked into a three-dimesional network by inter-molecular N-H⋯O, O-H⋯N and O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds, and by π-π stacking inter-actions involving adjacent benzene and isoxazole rings [centroid-centroid separation = 3.663 (2) Å].

This paper presents a medical electronic endoscopy real-time image acquisition and control system which consists of video codec chip, flash memory and FPGA. The hardware scheme and circuit design of the system is figured out, and the principle of ping-pong operation and the implementation of FPGA program is introduced. Experimental tests show that the designed system performs steadily, is easy to maintain, and reduces the cost greatly. The higher performance price ratio makes it have good application prospect in medical endoscopy.

This paper presents the design of smart data collection system to deal with the drawbacks like EHR data second hand input which is time-consuming and EHR's poor usability. The system comprises security certification, information management and data transmission modules. Through WLAN, EHR data can transmit between smart terminals and server. Also it provides a real-time communication platform for both terminal users and medical care personnel.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of curcumin, a potent antioxidant, on testicular ischemia-reperfusion injury caused by overgeneration of reactive oxygen species (ROS) after testicular torsion-detorsion., Design: Controlled experimental study using rats., Setting: Research laboratory., Animal(s): Sixty adult male Sprague-Dawley rats., Intervention(s): Rats in the control group underwent a sham operation of the left testis. In the torsion-detorsion group, the left testis was rotated 720 degrees for 2 hours. Rats in treatment group received the same surgical procedure as the torsion-detorsion group, but curcumin was administered IV at repair of testicular torsion., Main Outcome Measure(s): Testicular activity of xanthine oxidase, which catalyzes production of ROS; malondialdehyde level (an indicator of ROS content); protein expression level of heme oxygenase-1, which catalyzes antioxidant generation; and spermatogenesis., Result(s): Unilateral testicular torsion-detorsion caused significant increases in xanthine oxidase activity, malondialdehyde level, and heme oxygenase-1 protein expression level and caused a significant decrease in testicular spermatogenesis in ipsilateral testes. The rats treated with curcumin had significant decreases in xanthine oxidase activity and malondialdehyde level and had significant increases in heme oxygenase-1 protein expression level and testicular spermatogenesis in ipsilateral testes, compared with the torsion-detorsion group., Conclusion(s): The curcumin exerts a protective effect on testicular ischemia-reperfusion injury.

In this study, a platform for long-term and non-invasive blood pressure monitoring is proposed, Its software system and the functions of different program modules in the software system are introduced together with the development methods of the main modules.

A new interactive image segmentation method used in the multiple myeloma cloning spots image segmentation is presented in the paper. Based on the theory of graph cuts, some pixels are selected as the front object and the background seeds, and the other parts are treated as the unknown region. Then, an energy function is constructed and initialized through K-means, and the minimum cut method is used in the segmentation by energy minimization. Last, the image is eroded and dilated, and the cloning separate parts could be got effectively. For the pixels which may be partitioned wrongly, we use a tool similar to a brush to re-mark the front object or the background, and divide once again. Both subjective the evaluation criteria and the RUMA, evaluation criteria are used to evaluate the method, and the experiment results are satisfactory.

Objective: To investigate the role of cAMP-responsive element modulator-tau (CREMtau), an essential transcription factor for spermatogenesis, in ipsilateral testicular injury after unilateral testicular torsion-detorsion., Design: Controlled experimental study using rats., Setting: Research laboratory., Animal(s): Twenty adult male Sprague-Dawley rats., Intervention(s): Ten rats in the control group underwent a sham operation of the left testes. Ten rats in the torsion-detorsion group received 1 hour of left testicular torsion. Orchiectomy was performed on all rats 3 months after detorsion., Main Outcome Measure(s): Testicular spermatogenesis was evaluated by measuring testicular weight, mean seminiferous tubular diameter, number of germ cell layers, and mean testicular biopsy score. The expressions of CREMtau mRNA and protein in testes were detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot, respectively., Result(s): Unilateral testicular torsion-detorsion caused significant spermatogenic damage in the ipsilateral testes, including reductions in testicular weight, mean seminiferous tubular diameter, number of germ cell layers, and mean testicular biopsy score. In ipsilateral testes with spermatogenic damage, the expressions of CREMtau mRNA and protein were also significantly reduced., Conclusion(s): Reduction in testicular CREMtau expression may be one of the mechanisms responsible for impairment of spermatogenesis in ipsilateral testes after unilateral testicular torsion-detorsion.

Solid complexes of lanthanide nitrates, picrates and perchlorates with a novel multipodal ligand, 1,2,4,5-tetramethyl-3,6-bis{N,N-bis[((2'-benzylaminoformyl)phenoxyl)ethyl]-aminomethyl}-benzene (L) have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, infrared spectra and molar conductivity measurements. At the same time, the luminescent properties of the Eu and Tb complexes in solid state were investigated. Under the excitation of UV light, these complexes exhibited characteristic emission of central metal ions. The lowest triplet state energy level T(1) of this ligand matches better to the lowest resonance energy level of Tb(III) than to Eu(III) ion. The influence of the counter anion on the luminescent intensity was also discussed.

In this paper, we discuss the meaning, advantages and methods of applying the point of care testing (POCT) and medical digital assistant (MDA) to primary healthcare services. We also introduce the development of the POCT and MDA based on the electronic health record(EHR) system.

Objectives: To evaluate the effect of taurine, a potent antioxidant, on testicular ischemia-reperfusion injury due to excess reactive oxygen species produced by neutrophils after testicular torsion-detorsion., Methods: A total of 60 adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups, each containing 20 rats. The control group underwent a sham operation of the left testis. In the torsion-detorsion group, the left testis was rotated 720 degrees counterclockwise for 2 hours. The treatment group underwent the same surgical procedure as the torsion-detorsion group, but taurine was administered intravenously at repair of the testicular torsion. One half of the rats in each group underwent orchiectomy 4 hours after detorsion for measurement of myeloperoxidase activity, an indicator of neutrophil accumulation in the testis, and for evaluation of tissue malondialdehyde, an indicator of intratesticular reactive oxygen species content. The remainder were killed at orchiectomy 3 months after detorsion for analysis of testicular spermatogenesis., Results: Unilateral testicular torsion-detorsion caused a significant increase in myeloperoxidase activity and the malondialdehyde level and a significant decrease in testicular spermatogenesis in the ipsilateral testes. The decrease in ipsilateral testicular spermatogenesis involved a reduction in testicular weight, mean seminiferous tubular diameter, number of germ cell layers, and mean testicular biopsy score. The rats treated with taurine had a significant decrease in myeloperoxidase activity and malondialdehyde level and a significant increase in testicular spermatogenesis in the ipsilateral testes compared with the torsion-detorsion group., Conclusions: The results of our study have shown that the administration of taurine exerts a beneficial effect on testicular ischemia-reperfusion injury. This effect might be partly the result of a reduction in reactive oxygen species generation by diminishing neutrophil recruitment to the testis.

This paper introduces the design of the wireless medical information management system based on PDA and its model whose experiment results show that it can realize the functional requirements of the design.

Objective: Characters of stem epidermis, leaf epidermis and stoma could be used as important microcosmic morphological characteristic when inheritance trend is studied in Ephedra breeding and identification., Method: The stomatic density, stoma major axis and mimor axis, stomatic morphylogy, characters of leaf and stem epidermis of 6 Ephedra plants' stems were examined by SEM., Result: The stomatic density and characteristic of leaf epidermis and stem epidermis in six Ephedra species was differenc, there were no obvious morphological differences in stoma shape and size. The guard cells were covered with heavy cuticle and sunken stomata, which were the typical characteristics of xerophytes. The stomas of leaf lower epidermis were oblong or hexagon, but the stomas of steam epidermis were narrowed-oblong or dumbbell-shape, they all belonged to anomalous type., Conclusion: The stoma type and characters of Ephedra plants is stable and conservative, there was no obvious morphological differences in stoma shape and size between species, so it is difficult to distinguish different species by the variance of stomas, but that can be applyed to distinguish Ephedra from others at plant taxonomy.

Objective: To explore the ultrastructure and function of mitochondria in idiopathic asthenospermia and the role thereof in the sperm activity., Methods: Samples of sperm were collected from 151 idiopathic asthenospermia patients, 25% of whose sperms were classified as lower than grade A, were subdivided into 3 groups: Group A with the proportion of grade A sperms between 15% and 25%, Group B, with the proportion of grade A sperm between 15% and 5%, and Group C with the proportion of grade A sperm < 5%. Transmission electron microscopy was used to observe the ultrastructure of the mitochondria in the sperms. Samples of sperm were collected from 53 normal patients as control group. The levels of succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) were detected., Results: The expression rates of SDH and MMP were decreased according to the sequence of the control group, group A, Group B, and Group C with significant between any two groups (all P < 0.01). Various mitochondrial pathological changes (MPCs) emerged in Groups A, B and C, however with different frequencies of occurrence for specific MPC in specific group (chi2 = 60.85, P < 0.01). The amount of abnormal mitochondria increased significantly according to the sequence of the control group, Groups A, B and C (chi2 = 479.72, b = 0.86, P < 0.01). The severity degree of MPC increased along with the decrease of sperm viability (chi2 = 435.89, b = 0.80, P < 0.01)., Conclusion: Various MPCs exist in idiopathic asthenospermia. There is a close association between the sperm viability and mitochondrial ultrastructure and mitochondrial function.

This paper describes a web service for biomedical image mosaicing. A web site based on CGI (Common Gateway Interface) is implemented. The system is based on Browser/Server model and is tested in www. Finally implementation examples and experiment results are provided.

Objective: To study the intervention of Morindae officinalis extract in human sperm membrane, and to study the treatment of male infertility and asthenoospermia by M. officinalis., Method: To select sperm with normal physiological function using the Percoll gradient centrifugation for the normal sperm model. Then separating the sperm suspension into the normal, model, and control group (Vitamin C group), and the large, medium and small dose of M. officinalis. The ROS was made from hypoxanthine-xanzine xanzine (HX-XO), and ROS, different concentrations (0.125, 0.25, 0.5 mg x mL(-1) of the extract were hatched with sperm in the oxygen environment, the sperm membrane Lipid peroxide injury were analyzed, and the function of sperm membrane were analyzed by sperm Hypoosmoticswelling (HOS) and compared with the controlled group., Result: In the same conditions, all the small, medium and large extracts of M. officinalis (0.125, 0.25, 0.5 g x mL(-1)) improved SOD vitality of sperm suspension, reduced the content of MDA, intervened in the injury of sperm membrane by ROS to some extent and protected some function of sperm membrane. The 0.125 mg x mL(-1) extract had no obvious difference (P > 0.05) with Vitamin C in it, but the (0.25, 0.5 mg x mL(-1)) concentration of the extract is significantly better than control Vitamin-C (P < 0.01, P < 0.001). Furthermore, there was a dependence on the dosage, the large dose (0.5 mg x mL(-1)) of M. officinalis especially protected the function of sperm membrane., Conclusion: The extract from M. officinalis can significantly intervene in lipin peroxidation in sperm membrane by guarding against oxidation, and protect the structure and function of sperm membrane, that is one of the mechanisms for treating male's infertility and asthenoospermia with M. officinalis.

Wireless medical monitoring overcomes the limitations of conventional wired-monitoring, enabling people to get their physiological and pathological informations anytime and anywhere. This review summarizes the basic components and principles of wireless medical monitoring, including the techniques for measuring and transmitting vital signs. Its status,developments in R&D and applications are presented with a series of examples. Limitations and potential uses of wireless medical monitoring are also discussed.

To meet the challenges such as raising the efficiency of medical resources, slowing the fastly-increasing medical costs and keeping the sustainability of the aging society and chronic diseases, this paper introduces a Medical Digital Assistant system for "BOP", which includes a mobile monitoring unit,a data transferring unit, and a managing unit, and presents the system's evaluating method. In addition, a new application model and the service workflow are discussed.

Serum antibody of schistosomiasis patients was detected by dot immunogold filtration method (DIGFA) in laboratory and field, and F-ELISA was used as control. The results showed that there was no significant difference between these two assays in sensitivity and specificity (P > 0.05), with a high coincidence. DIGFA is easy to operate and may deserve a wide application in the diagnosis of schistosomiasis.

Objective: To study the oxidation damage of active oxygen (ROS) to human sperm acrosome and ultrastructure, and study the function mechanism about Cuscuta japonica treating male's infertility and asthenoospermia., Method: By using the Percoll gradient centrifugation, the sperm with normal physiological function were selected for the normal sperm model, and the sperm suspension were divided into the normal group, the model group, the positive control group (Vitamin C group), and the lugh, the median and the low dose gvoups of C. japonica. The ROS made from hypoxanthine-xanzine xanzine(HX-XO) and different content (0.125, 0.25, 0.5 g x mL(-1)) of extract were incubated with sperm in the oxygen environment. The acrosomic integrity rate were calculated and the sperm acrosome and ultrastructure were observed., Result: The content (0.125, 0.5 g x mL(-1)) of extract had no obvious difference as compared with Vitamin C (0.25 mg x mL(-1)) in protecting the acrosome and ultrastructure, but the content (0.25 mg x mL(-1)) of extract was significantly better than Vit C (P < 0.001)., Conclusion: The suitable content of extract from C. japonica can significantly protect the sperm membrane, the acosomic structure and the mitochondrion function from the damage caused by ROS.

China has a large population under the average economy. This group of people is often referred to those at the Bottom of the Pyramid (BOP). In order to meet their special medical needs, this paper is to discuss a topic on how to create medical products for the "BOP" in China, especially under sustainable developments based on the investigation and analysis in Shanghai. Also, a new possible development model including the government's support, knowledge exchange and communication is introduced.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a novel technique for noninvasive imaging based on the use of a low-coherence interferometer. Conventionally, obtaining high-resolution images requires the use of high-precision sample and scanning stages and a stage controller for simultaneous measurement of the refractive index and the thickness of an optical sample. However, in this study a novel optical-fiber-type OCT system is developed that does not need both a high-precision scanning stage and a stage controller. Additionally, two signal demodulation processes are described. Compared with that of conventional OCT systems, the current configuration eliminates the high-precision scanning stage and stage controller and is therefore cheaper and less complex. Also, this new technique could be applied to conventional OCTs in biotissue scanning.

Objective: To explore egg mimotope of Schistosoma japonicum that can be used in the development of diagnostic reagents for schistosomiasis., Methods: By performing three rounds of biopanning in the affinity selection before picking out single clones for identification, target specific phages were effectively enriched from a random 15-peptides phage library with an immobilized mAb 6B12 which is specific to egg antigen of S. japonicum as a bait. By using ELISA, competitive ELISA with natural egg antigen as competitor, and Western blotting, 13 phage clones with high affinity and specificity to 6B12 were obtained and amplified from 400 single clones., Results: DNA sequencing revealed that all the 13 selected single clones were identical in displaying gene sequence. Serum samples were tested by ELISA for the presence of IgG antibodies to the phages with mimic epitope, and showed that there was a significant difference between healthy volunteers and schistosomiasis patients., Conclusion: It is possible that the phage display peptide antigen, egg mimotope of S. japonicum may be a replacement of natural egg antigen for the diagnosis of schistosomiasis.

Objective: To screen and characterize immunodominant antigen epitopes on the soluble antigens of Trichinella spiralis (T.s.)., Methods: 15 monoclonal antibodies (McAbs) against T.s. muscle larva(ML) soluble antigens were obtained by using hybridoma technique. The reactivity of monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies were tested by ELISA, Western blotting and indirect immunofluorescence assay(IFA)., Results: The Western blotting result showed that of the 15 McAbs, 6 could bind to the T.s. ML antigens displaying molecular weights of 40-70 kDa. Polyclonal sera could react with more than 10 bands having molecular weights of 20-200 kDa. Among the 6 McAbs, 4 could recognize epitopes on the cuticle surface and the other two could recognize epitopes on both the cuticle surface and the stichosome., Conclusion: The antigen epitopes of T.s. recognized by 6 McAbs had been characterized.

Changes in ultraviolet absorbance and intrinsic protein fluorescence of 1,4-alpha-D-glucan maltotetrahydrolase (EC 3.2.1.60) from an Alcaligenes sp. (Gram-negative bacteria 537.1) and D-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (EC 1.2.1.12) have been compared with their inactivation during denaturation in guanidinium-Cl solutions. The two enzymes were completely inactivated at GuHCl concentrations less than 0.6 M and this was accompanied by marked absorbance and intrinsic fluorescence changes suggesting exposure of aromatic residues. The changes of the intrinsic fluorescence of the amylase have a relatively constant plateau in emission intensities and maxima at GuHCl concentrations from 0.8-2.0 M, similar to that of muscle GAPDH. The relative activity of the enzyme increased markedly in dilute GuHCl solutions accompanied by very little change of its intrinsic fluorescence at 8 degrees C. The kinetic decrease in emission intensities, excited respectively by 230 nm and 292 nm, was different for the two enzymes. The inactivation was a biphasic process with a fast phase faster than the unfolding rate as measured by fluorescence changes in 0.5 M GuHCl solution. Similar to the inactivation process, changes in intensity of 410 nm NAD fluorescent derivative of GAPDH which is in situ at the active site is also a biphasic process under the same condition. It appears that there may be an unfolding intermediate state of the enzymes and an asynchronous unfolding process among the different regions in the molecules during GuHCl denaturation, this may be due to differences in their flexibility.

Data from the Chinese Birth Defects Monitoring Program (CBDMP) over the period of October 1986 to September 1987 were analysed to study the descriptive epidemiology of congenital malformations of the central nervous system (CNS), especially neural tube defects (NTDs) in China. A total of 4628 CNS congenital malformations were recorded within seven days of delivery among 1,243,284 live and stillbirths of 28 or more weeks gestation in 945 hospitals from all 29 provinces, metropolitan cities and autonomous regions of China. Neural tube defects account for 73.55% of these cases, hydrocephaly for 24.63% and microcephaly for 1.82%. The prevalence rates at birth of NTDs and congenital malformations of the CNS in China were 27.37 and 37.22 per 10,000 respectively. More NTDs were observed in females (35.68 per 10,000 female births) as compared to males (19.23 per 10,000 male births). The prevalence of NTDs in rural areas (51.69 per 10,000 births) was higher than that in urban areas (15.45 per 10,000 births).

Fusions between spleen cells from BALB/c mice infected with Schistosoma japonicum or mansoni cercariae and SP2/0 myeloma were carried out. More than 30 hybridoma cell lines secreting monoclonal antibodies were obtained. Their target antigens were integument, gut and egg respectively. The preliminary tests showed that the antibody against gut-associated polysaccharide antigen had the highest activity of all antibodies obtained. This antibody can be used in the sandwich ELISA to detect trichloroacetic acid soluble antigen at a level of less than 1 ng/ml, A positive reaction was found in a group of infected rabbits, negative in normal and the circulating antigen level correlated with the number of infecting cercariae. Three months after treatment antigen titers of 6/8 rabbits became negative. This report shows that the McAb sandwich ELISA for the detection of circulating antigen is better than other antibody detecting methods. It is also a potential immunodiagnostic method.

About 1200 strains of microorganisms were screened including fungi, actinomyces, and bacteria, in which 237 strains producing the enzyme desired. The results showed that the beta-GlcNAcase and beta-GalNAcase always co-existed in one strain, though may be in different ratio. From strains mentioned above the authors screened out a potent beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase producing strain, Aspergillus tamarii S215, from the soil sample. The optimal conditions for enzyme production were as follows: the microorganisms was inoculated in a 5% wheat bran suspension, cultured at 28-30 degrees C on shaker for 5-6 days. The productivity can be moderately enhanced by the addition of cellobiose or glucosamine or galactosamine or by the extra supplement of (NH4)2SO4 and NH4NO3 as N sources. In the culture filtrate of Asp. tamarii, the alpha, (beta)-galactosidase, beta-glucosidase, alpha-mannosidase and beta-fucosidase were also found.

Circulating antigen in sera from acute, chronic and late stages of schistosomiasis patients was detected by direct dot-ELISA with monoclonal antibody 3D8A against schistosome gut-associated cathodic antigen linked with peroxidase, the positive rates being 90.6%, 83.2% and 30.7%, respectively. No positive reactions were found with sera from patients of clonorchiasis, malaria and non-parasitic diseases. The positive rate and the circulating antigen level in EPG greater than 100 group of patients were found to be higher than those in EPG less than 100 group. Circulating antigen became negative one year after praziquantel treatment in 84.0% of patients who showed negative fecal examination, while the other patients remained positive with decreasing titers. The results indicated that the circulating antigen in sera from schistosomiasis patients of various stages can be detected by dot-ELISA with monoclonal antibody 3D8A against circulating schistosome gut-associated cathodic antigen. The authors concluded that the circulating antigen level was correlated with the intensity of infection and the efficacy of treatment.