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License plate detection plays a significant role in intelligent transportation systems. Convolutional neural networks have shown a remarkable performance and made significant progress for the detection task. Despite these outstanding achievements, license plate detection in complex environments is still a challenging task, due to the noisy background, unpredictable environments and varying shapes and sizes of the license plates. In order to improve the performance of license plate detection in complex environments, we propose a novel approach using an attention-guided dual feature pyramid and a cascaded positioning strategy. At first, the original features of images are extracted by the residual network. In order to make sure that each feature map contains higher- and lower-level semantic information, we utilize a bottom-up and a top-down pathway, respectively. Meanwhile, the proposed attention-guided dual feature pyramid network is used to receive the extracted features for a multilevel feature fusion. Our proposed attention-guided modules contain both spatial and channel attention. Attention-guided modules deduce the attention weights according to channel and spatial dimensions and multiply the calculated result with the input to obtain the refined feature maps. Then, a region proposal network is used to generate the candidate regions for the license plates. Finally, a cascaded positioning network is utilized to obtain the final locations of the license plates. To validate the effectiveness of the proposed method, we conducted a series of experiments on different public datasets. Experiments on AOLP and CCPD validated the effectiveness of our proposed method.

Objective: Based on the quality analysis of Nauclea officinalis in different growth years and different months in the same year, the most suitable harvest year and the specific month in the same year were determined according to the evaluation of the active components in the stem of medicinal parts of Nauclea officinalis. Methods: LC-MS/MS method was used to investigate the quality of Nauclea officinalis from different growth years and different months in the same year, mainly including the content determination of the active ingredients in the medicine. Results: With the prolongation of production life, the content of active ingredients in stem of Nauclea officinalis increased continuously. After reaching a certain number of years, the content of active ingredients increased little;In the middle of the same year, from mid-October to mid- June of the next year, the content of iso-vincin lactam was relatively high, especially between the end of March and the end of May. The content was high and stable, and the highest point was the stem sample collected in May. Conclusion: The content of each component in the stem of Nauclea officinalis with a growth life of more than 5 years has reached a relatively high and stable level.Nauclea officinalis with a growth life of more than 5 years should be collected as raw materials for medicinal materials. The month with high and stable content of isocyanoside lactam, namely May of each year, was taken as the best harvest time of gallbladder in one year. The best harvest time was from mid-October to mid-June of the next year, or from March to May of each year.

Objective: To study the effect of the extracts from Callicarpa nudiflora on wound healing and the preparation of ointment. Methods: Totally 50 KM mice were randomly divided into five groups, which were negative control group ,positive control group, high, middle and low dose groups of Callicarpa nudiflora ointment. Mice ear swelling test was conducted to investigate the effect of Callicarpa nudiflora induced by xylene, Bacteriostasis experiments were conducted to observe the bacteriostasis effects of Callicarpa nudiflora on five indicator bacteria, i.e. Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans, Bacillus subtilis, and Staphylococcus aureus in vitro. A total of 30 new zealand white rabbit with half male and half female were randomly divided into five groups, which were negative control group, positive control group, high, middle and low groups of Callicarpa nudiflora ointment. The rabbits were treated with sterilizing blade and treated with external medicine to observe the effect of the extracts from Callicarpa nudiflora on wound healing. Orthogonal test was used to determine the preparation method of Callicarpa nudiflora ointment， Physical properties, centrifugal stratification test, heat and cold resistance test were conducted. Results: Bacteriostasis experiments in vitro showed high dose group of Callicarpa nudiflora extracts got 16.8 cm antimicrobial zone of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The experimental results showed that the ear swelling degree of mice induced by xylene was significantly reduced in the middle and high dose groups. All the treatment groups could promote skin healing of rabbit significantly compared with negative control group. There were significantly differences between all the treatment groups and negative control group on the wound healing rate. The optimum preparation process was determined by orthogonal screening test. The optimal formula was as follows： Twain-80 1.2 g, glycerin monostearate 4.7 g, glycerinum 0.9 g, liquid paraffin 10.8 g, Span80 1.4 g， solid paraffin 1.4 g， vaseline 0.9 g. The emulsification temperature was 65 ℃,and emulsification time was 25 min. Conclusions: The extract of Callicarpa nudiflora can be used as external preparation and the preparation is in compliance with Chinese pharmacopoeia 2015.

The mulberry leaf is a classic herb commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine. It has also been used as animal feed for livestock and its fruits have been made into a variety of food products. Traditionally, mulberry (Morus alba L.) leaf harvesting after frost is thought to have better medicinal properties, but the underlying mechanism remains largely unsolved. To elucidate the biological basis of mulberry leaves after frost, we first explored the content changes of various compounds in mulberry leaves at different harvest times. Significant enrichment of flavonoids was observed with a total of 224 differential metabolites after frost. Subsequently, we analyzed the transcriptomic data of mulberry leaves collected at different harvest times and successfully annotated 22,939 unigenes containing 1,695 new genes. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis revealed 26, 20, and 59 unigenes related to flavonoids synthesis in three different groups harvested at different times. We found that the expression levels of flavonoid biosynthesis-related unigenes also increased when harvested at a delayed time, which was consistent with the flavonoid accumulation discovered by the metabolomic analysis. The results indicated that low temperature may be a key trigger in flavonoid biosynthesis of mulberry leaves by increasing the expression of flavonoid biosynthesis-related genes. This study also provided a theoretical basis for the optimal harvest time of mulberry leaves.

Alpinia officinarum Hance, a perennial natural medicine-food herb, has been traditionally used to treat colds, stomachache, and diabetes for thousands of years. 1,7-Diphenyl-4E-en-3-heptanone (DPH5), a diarylheptanoid isolated from the rhizome of A. officinarum has been reported to be safe and to have antioxidant and hypoglycemic effects, suggesting its potential in the treatment of insulin resistance (IR).Aim of to investigate the protective effect of DPH5 on IR and elucidate its underlying mechanism of action.HepG2 cells were used as the research objects. Glucose uptake and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in high glucose-induced insulin-resistant HepG2 cells were assessed using flow cytometry. Glucose consumption and the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were analyzed using the corresponding assay kits. The expression of mRNA and proteins related to insulin signaling, glucose metabolism, and antioxidant factor, including insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS1), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), protein kinase B (AKT), translocation of glucose transporter-4, glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK3β), glucokinase (GCK), pyruvate kinase (PK), phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK), glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase), nuclear factor-erythroid 2 related factor 2 (Nrf2), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), NADPH quinoneoxidoreductase (NQO1), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) was determined using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. Furthermore, molecular docking was performed to determine the spatial mechanism of DPH5 on the key targets PI3K, AKT, Nrf2, and GSK3β.DPH5 could improve IR that manifested as increased glucose uptake and glucose consumption in insulin-resistant HepG2 cells. Moreover, DPH5 could enhance antioxidant capacity by activating Nrf2/HO-1 elements, including increasing Nrf2, HO-1, SOD, NQO1, and GSH-Px expression and reducing MDA, ROS, and JNK levels, thereby improving oxidative stress and ultimately alleviating IR. Additionally, DPH5 could promote the expression of IRS1, PI3K, AKT, GSK3β, GCK, and PK, and downregulate the expression of PEPCK and G6pase, thereby accelerating glucose utilization and enhancing insulin sensitivity. The mechanism underlying the effect of DPH5 in alleviating IR was related to the PI3K/AKT- and Nrf2/HO-1-mediated regulation of the GSK3β signaling pathway, and the results were further confirmed using the specific inhibitors LY294002 and ML385. Results from molecular docking indicated that there were different regulatory sites and interacting forces between DPH5 and PI3K, AKT, Nrf2, and GSK3β; however, the binding force was relatively strong.DPH5 improved oxidative stress and glucose metabolism via modulating the PI3K/AKT-Nrf2-GSK3β pathway, thereby ameliorating IR. Overall, our findings suggest the potential of DPH5 as a natural medicine to treat type-2 diabetes mellitus.

Background A vegetarian diet may be a risk factor for depression, but this relationship was unclear in the elderly Chinese population. Methods Self-report data were gathered from 1051 elderly persons using the Cohort of Elderly Health and Environment Controllable Factors, which was created in West Anhui, China. The depressive symptoms were set as binary, ordinal, and continuous outcomes, respectively, whereas the dietary structures were computed as an ordinal variable and a dummy variable. Multiple logistic regression, ordinal regression, and linear regression were used to assess the relationship by adjusting the potential confounding variables with p-values of Results The elderly participants who had a vegetable-based diet had the highest GDS scores of 8.78 ± 6.894 (p = 0.001) and the highest rate of depression (32.9%, p = 0.003). After adjustment for the potential confounders, elderly men who had a vegetable-based diet had a higher rate of depression (OR[95%CI]: 1.62[1.07–2.46], 4.71[1.38–16.03]), more severe symptoms of depression (OR[95%CI]: 8.85[2.94–34.12]), and higher GDS scores (β[95%CI]: 1.46[0.70–2.22], 2.97[1.28–4.67]) than male participants who had a meat-based diet, but this was not the case in women. Limitations All data were self-reported. The study lacked quantitatively evaluated dietary intake. The duration of the current dietary structures and comorbidities were not reported. The cross-sectional study made the causal role uncertain. Conclusions Vegetarian diets may pose a greater risk of depressive symptoms among the elderly Chinese population, especially elderly men. Given the cross-sectional nature of this study, the causal role was uncertain. Further prospective studies, in particular among elderly women, are needed.

The gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) diagnostic criteria recommended by the International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Group (IADPSG) were established based on the Hyperglycemia and Adverse Pregnancy Outcome (HAPO) study and have been the most commonly used criteria for determining GDM worldwide. Although individuals from mainland China were not included in the HAPO study, the IADPSG criteria have been used in China since 2011. However, the appropriateness of the criteria for evaluating maternal postpartum outcomes in mainland China are unknown. We conducted this study to determine whether the IADPSG criteria are appropriate for Chinese patients for evaluating long-term maternal postpartum outcomes. Eighty-four patients who were diagnosed with hyperglycemia during pregnancy and had delivery in Peking University First Hospital from February 2007 to December 2009 were enrolled in the study. For patients in Group A, GDM was diagnosed using both the National Diabetes Data Group (NDDG) and the IADPSG criteria, while patients in Group B, gestational impaired glucose tolerance (GIGT) was diagnosed using the NDDG criteria while GDM was diagnosed based on the IADPSG criteria. Anthropometric data, glucose metabolism, lipid profiles, β cell function, and insulin resistance index were evaluated and compared to baseline after 5- to 6-year postpartum period. Patients in group A had significantly higher oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) fasting, 2-hour and 3-hour plasma glucose levels compared to patients in group B at 24 to 28 weeks of gestation (P

A new indole alkaloid, namely naucleofficine H (

The aim of investigation is to explore the relationship between demands for lung cancer screening (LCS) and the constructs derived from the health belief model (HBM) in Hefei. The study collected data about socio-demographics, health beliefs in and demands for LCS during early June to later July 2015. By constructing a LCS demands HBM constructs, it calculated indices of demands for LCS (DSI) and HBM constructs, which include perceived risk (PR) and seriousness (PS) of the cancers; and perceived effectiveness (PE), benefits (PB) and difficulties (PD) of the screening. It also performed descriptive and multivariate regression analysis of the demands and the HBM constructs. The amount of 823 respondents participated and completed the survey. 6.4% of them had ever undertaken LCS, whereas 60.1% of them expressed willingness to accept the service of LCS if it is free. In multiple regression analysis which used weights in calculating the HBM construct indices, education displayed significant positive associations with DSI (p = .044), and most of HBM constructs indices (PSI, PRI, PBI, and PDI) were statistically significant with DSI (p .05). HBM-based constructs regarding LCS have important effects on demands for the service, and may provide effective paths to cancer screening promotion.

Objective: To study the antioxidant activities of five extracts of Amomi longiligulare (A. longiligulare) to determine the antioxidant fraction. Methods: The ethanol extract of A. longiligulare was extracted by systematic solvent extraction to obtain the petroleum ether, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, n-butanol fractions successively. The in vitro antioxidant activities of the five extracts were evaluated by 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical and hydroxyl radical (OH-) scavenging assay methods. Results: The five extracts showed different extent of antioxidant activities in vitro, especially the ethyl acetate and dichloromethane fractions. Conclusion: The difference of antioxidant activity of different extracts may be associated with the type and structure of antioxidant components in each fraction of A. longiligulare fruits.

Cardiovascular disease still remains the primary cause of death worldwide and obesity is becoming recognized as one of the most critical contributing risk factors. The increased prevalence of obesity casts a cloud over the global health and the whole societies and will still be burdened in the future. Therefore, prevention and therapy of obesity is a beneficial strategy for the prevention of chronic cardiovascular disease. Numerous studies have demonstrated that gut microbiota takes part in human health and disease including obesity. Traditional herbs hold great potential to improve people's health and wellness, particularly in the area of chronic inflammatory diseases although the mechanisms of action remain poorly understood. Emerging explorations of gut microbiotaherb interactions provide a potential to revolutionize the way we view herbal therapeutics. This review summarizes the experimental studies performed on animals and humans regarding the gut microbiota-herb interactions targeting obesity. This review also discusses the opportunity of herbs with potent activities but low oral bioavailability conundrum for prevention and therapy for obesity and related cardiovascular disease.

Objective: To explore the effect of Danshen injection on the vascular endothelial function and renal function in patients with pregnancy induced hypertension syndrome (PIH). Methods: A total of 100 patients with PIH who were admitted in our hospital from May, 2015 to May, 2016 were included in the study and randomized into the observation group and the control group. The patients in the control group were given blood pressure reduction, diuresis, spasmolysis, sedation, magnesium sulfate, and comprehensive nursing intervention. On this basis, the patients in the observation group were given additional Danshen injection (20 mL) + 5% glucose (250 mL), ivdrip, 1 time/d. After 10 d treatment, the efficacy was evaluated. The peripheral venous blood before and after treatment in the two groups was collected. The radioimmunoassay was used to detect ET-1. ELISA was used to detect Hcy. The immunoturbidimetry was used to detect vWF. The radioimmunoassay was used to detect BUN, Scr, UA, and β2-MG. The standard sphygmomanometer was used to monitor the blood pressure and MAP was calculated. The biuret colorimetry was used to determine 24 h Upro. Results: The reduced degree of ET-1, Hcy, and vWF after treatment in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group. The reduced degree of BUN, Scr, UA, and β2-MG after treatment in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group. The reduced degree of MPA and 24 h Upro after treatment in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group. Conclusions: Routine treatments, comprehensive nursing intervention, and Danshen injection in the treatment of PIH can effectively improve the vascular endothelial function and renal function in order to reduce the blood pressure and alleviate the urine protein.

Objective: To explore the effect of Danshen injection on the oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokines in patients with pregnancy-induced hypertension syndrome (PIH). Methods: A total of 100 patients with PIH who were admitted in our hospital from June, 2015 to June, 2016 were included in the study and randomized into the observation group and the control group. The patients in the control group were given blood pressure reduction, diuresis, spasmolysis, sedation, magnesium sulfate, and comprehensive nursing intervention. On this basis, the patients in the observation group were given additional Danshen injection (20 mL) + 5% glucose (250 mL), iv drip, 1 time/d. After 10-day treatment, the efficacy was evaluated. The peripheral venous blood before and after treatment in the two groups was collected. The nitric acid reduction method was used to detect the plasma NO. TBA method was used to detect MDA. XOD method was used to detect SOD. ELISA was used to detect the serum HMGB1. Immunoturbidimetric assay was used to detect the serum Cys C. The spectrophotometer was used to detect the serum Hcy. HR and MAP were monitored. Results: The improved degree of NO, SOD, and MDA after treatment in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group (P

Alpiniae oxyphyllae Fructus (Yizhi in Chinese) is commonly used for the treatment of diarrhea, intestinal disorders and urinary incontinence symptoms. To date, little information is available on the pharmacokinetic (PK) properties of this herb. We have identified the known active chemicals (including nootkatone, yakuchinone A, yakuchinone B, oxyphyllacinol, tectochrysin, chrysin, izalpinin, apigenin-4′,7-dimethylether, and kaempferide) and their metabolites (phase II metabolites and oxidized product such as kaempferol) from Yizhi extract in rat plasma using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) with selected reaction monitoring. In the present study, an LC-MS/MS-based method was developed and validated for the simultaneous quantitation of the Yizhi chemicals and their metabolites in rat plasma after enzymatic treatment. A mixture of β-glucuronidase and sulfatase was used to liberate parent chemicals from their phase II metabolites. A post-extraction spike method, as well as a post-column infusion method, was conducted to investigate matrix-effects. Particularly, the ion suppression effect for all the analytes was overcome through combining a liquid–liquid extraction method for clean-up, elution gradient optimization for separation and inclusion of very low concentration of HCOOH into the mobile phase. Mean accuracies were obtained in the range of 84.7–112% at three different quality control levels for the ten analytes, with intra- and inter-day variations within 13.6% (1.76–13.6%). This validated method was successfully applied to a PK investigation in rats after a single oral administration of Yizhi extract. These results supply a suitable reference for further PK studies of the Yizhi chemicals and their metabolites in the future.

Underwater counter-rotation propeller non-cavitation noise has an obvious modulation characteristic which is due to the interaction of flow and blade, the modulation characteristic is critical for underwater target identification. Based on generalized acoustic analogy theory, a semi-empirical modulation model has been presented in this paper to describe its non-cavitation noise characteristics. Theoretical analysis has been verified by numerical simulation and cavitation tunnel experiment results. The numerical simulation has shown the directivity characteristic of typical modulated line-spectra. The experiment results have agreed with theoretical values. The modulation model of counter-rotation propeller is beneficial to the prediction modulation characteristics and identification of underwater high-speed vehicles.

The evaluation of efficacy and safety should be paralleled with the assessment of comprehensive pharmacokinetic (PK) properties for a drug candidate, and a robust bioanalytical method is a prerequisite for obtaining PK information. α-Hederin is reported to have various in vitro and in vivo activities; however, very little is known about its PK and metabolic characteristics. In this study, we have developed an efficient LC-ESI(−)-MS/MS assay for α-hederin and its sapogenin hederagenin in rat plasma. Sample cleanup involved methanol precipitation for identification analysis and liquid–liquid extraction with ethyl acetate for quantification assay. LC analysis was performed under reversed-phase conditions in the modified “pulse gradient elution” mode. Analyte identification and quantification were conducted using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode with euscaphic acid as the internal standard. Under these conditions, deglycosylated metabolites and their sulfate conjugates were detected; however, hederagenin was not detected in rat plasma samples after both oral and intravenous treatments. The mean plasma clearance (CL), volume of distribution (VSS) and elimination half-life (t1/2) of α-hederin were 0.24 L h−1 kg−1, 0.25 L kg−1 and 2.67 h, respectively. The oral bioavailability (F) of α-hederin in rats was about 0.14%, which might result from the poor intestinal absorption and/or extensive biliary excretion. It is hoped that this validated method will be useful for future PK studies of α-hederin.

The rhizomes of Alpinia officinarum Hance (Zingiberaceae family) have been used as antiemetics, stomachics and analgesics in Asia for centuries. Unfortunately, the aerial parts were thrown away as waste whilst harvesting the rhizomes of A. officinarum. Recently, scientists reported that the ethanol extract of the aerial parts displayed anti-proliferation activity through mitochondrial pathway-induced cell apoptosis. However, the chemical composition of this extract remained largely unknown. We have identified sixteen chemicals including twelve flavonoids and four diarylheptanoids from the methanol extract of A. officinarum leaves using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). In order to better explore the potential value of the aerial parts, we need to know what the main constituents occurring in the aerial parts are and how the content of these chemicals is influenced by growing period. In the present study, a LC-MS/MS method was developed and validated for determination of seventeen compounds occurring both in the aerial parts and rhizomes sampled at different growing periods. The validation indices evaluated were satisfactory and the method was successfully employed to analyze the above-mentioned plant samples. Notably, we found that the content of these compounds, except for quercetin, was higher in rhizomes than in aerial parts. The six major constituents both in the aerial parts and rhizomes were galangin, kaempferide, hexahydrocurcumin, pinocembrin, chrysin and isorhamnetin. Moreover, the trends of change in content along with the sample period for most of the monitored phytochemicals were almost similar between the aerial parts and rhizomes. Our study should be of value in arousing everyone's interest to make the best use of the aerial parts of A. officinarum in the future.

Our aim was to investigate the expression of micro-RNA-200b (miR-200b) and cAMP-responsive element-binding protein 1 (CREB-1) in astrocytoma and its efficacy for predicting outcome. Both miR-200b and CREB-1 messenger RNA expression was measured in 122 astrocytomas and 30 nonneoplastic brain specimens by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Expression of miR-200b was significantly lower in astrocytoma than in nonneoplastic brain (P < .001), whereas CREB-1 messenger RNA expression was significantly elevated in the tumors (P < .001). Both miR-200b down-regulation and CREB-1 up-regulation were significantly associated with advanced pathologic grade (P = .002 and P = .006, respectively). Low miR-200b expression correlated negatively with Karnofsky performance score (P = .03), and high CREB-1 expression correlated positively with mean tumor diameter (P = .03). By Kaplan-Meier analysis, low miR-200b, high CREB-1, and coexistence of abnormal miR-200b and CREB-1 expression (low miR-200b/high CREB-1) were predictive of shorter progression-free survival and overall survival in both grade III and grade IV astrocytoma. By multivariate analysis, only low miR-200b/high CREB-1 expression was an independent prognostic factor for poor prognosis in astrocytoma of advanced grade. Both miR-200b and CREB-1 may play important cooperative roles in the progression of human astrocytoma. The efficacy of miR-200b and CREB-1 together as a predictor of prognosis in astrocytoma patients is shown for the first time.

Objective The study aims to investigate relationships between demands for breast and cervical cancer screening (BCS/CCS) and related health beliefs. Methods The study used cluster-randomized sampling and collected data about demands for BCS/CCS and constructs of health beliefs model (HBM). It calculated indices of perceived risk and seriousness of the cancers and perceived effectiveness, benefits and difficulties of the screening; and performed descriptive and multivariate regression analysis of the demands and the HBM constructs. Results Less than 23.7% of respondents (N = 805) had ever undertaken BCS/CCS but 62.7% reported willingness to receive the service. Demands for BCS/CCS illustrated negative associations (Beta = −0.11 and −0.10) with age but positive (Beta = 0.15 and 0.11) links with education. The absolute values of standardized regression coefficients between the demand and the HBM constructs added up to 0.69 for BCS and 0.64 for CCS respectively, being 4–40 times that of age and education. Conclusions Models incorporating all HBM constructs have substantially greater power than commonly researched single factors in explaining BCS/CCS demands. Practice implications Comprehensive BCS/CCS promotion addressing all HBM constructs in a synergetic way may prove to be more effective.

Background: Alpinia oxyphylla fruit (AOF, Yizhi in Chinese) is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine as an anti-diuretic agent and composed of two parts i.e. seed and shell. These two parts have different components, but the bioactivity differences of the two parts are not clear. This study aims to evaluate the different anti-diuretic effects of the seed and shell of AOF. Materials and Methods: The potential bioactive components were analyzed by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS. The diuretic and anti-diuretic activity was determined with saline-loads rats. Results: The results showed that the 200 mg/kg and 400mg/kg of SREAO displayed a short-time anti-diuretic activity 1h after administration and then a significant diuretic activity was being observed at 5-6 h in 400mg/kg group of SREAO. And the 400mg/kg doses of SREAO also showed a remarkable increase for electrolyte excretion of K+. Three sesquiterpene compounds, namely oxyphyllol A (1), oxyphyllol B (2), and nootkatone (3) were identified from the active SREAO fraction by UHPLC-ESI-Q-TOF/MS. Conclusion: The seed part of Alpinia oxyphylla possessed pronounced diuretic and anti-diuretic effect. The sesquiterpene components are the major constituents and possibly contributed the diuretic and anti-diuretic activity.

Alpinia oxyphylla (Yizhi) capsularfruits are commonly used in traditional medicine. Pharmacological studies have demonstrated that A. oxyphylla capsularfruits have some beneficial roles. Besides volatile oil, sesquiterpenes, diarylheptanoids and flavonoids are main bioactive constituents occurring in the Yizhi capsularfruits. The representative constituents include tectochrysin, izalpinin, chrysin, apigenin-4',7-dimethylether, kaempferide, yakuchinone A, yakuchinone B, oxyphyllacinol and nootkatone. Their content levels in the fruit and its pharmaceutical preparations have been reported by our group. The nine phytochemicals are also the major components present in the Yizhi alcoholic extracts, which have anti-diarrheal activities. However, the fates of these constituents in the body after oral or intravenous administration remain largely unknown. In the present study, we focus on these phytochemicals albeit other concomitant compounds. The chemicals and their metabolites in rat plasma were identified using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry with selected reaction monitoring mode after orally administered Yizhi extract to rats. Rat plasma samples were treated by methanol precipitation, acidic or enzymatic hydrolysis. This target analysis study revealed that: (1) low or trace plasma levels of parent chemicals were measured after p.o. administration of Yizhi extract, Suoquan capsules and pills to rats; (2) flavonoids and diarylheptanoids formed mainly monoglucuronide metabolites; however, diglucuronide metabolites for chrysin, izalpinin and kaempferide were also detected; (3) metabolic reduction of Yizhi diarylheptanoids occurred in rats. Yakuchinone B was reduced to yakuchinone A and then to oxyphyllacinol in a stepwise manner and subsequently glucuronidated by UDP-glucuronosyl transferase. Further research is needed to characterize the UDP-glucuronosyl transferase and reductase involved in the biotransformation of Yizhi chemicals.

Euscaphic acid, a triterpene acid, exists ubiquitously in medicinal plants and demonstrates various pharmacological activities. This active compound is often used as a marker compound for quality control. Hitherto, the pharmacokinetic (PK) information is relatively scarce; therefore, it remains open to question whether the euscaphic acid reaches the target sites in the body at concentrations high enough for the claimed biological effects. A robust analytical method is prerequisite for obtaining enough PK information of euscaphic acid, which is useful for interpreting its pharmacological effects. In this study, we developed and validated a rapid liquid chromatographic tandem mass spectrometric (LC-MS/MS) method for the measurement of euscaphic acid in rat plasma. The rat plasma samples were precipitated with acetonitrile and the resulting supernatants were separated by a 4 min pulse gradient method on a Synergi Fusion-RP C18 column (4 μm, 2.0 mm i.d. × 50 mm). Ursolic acid was used as an internal standard for quantification of euscaphic acid. Deprotonated euscaphic acid and its internal standard were generated in negative electrospray ionization (ESI) mode and their precursor-to-product ion pairs (m/z 487.4→469.3 and 455.5→455.4, respectively) were used for measurement. Notably, the commonly used concentration of formic acid (HCOOH; 1‰ and 5‰, v/v) in the mobile phase seriously suppressed the signal intensity, but this mobile phase additive at a much lower concentration level (0.1‰ and 0.2‰) could overcome the matrix effects and therefore increase the sensitivity of MS detection of euscaphic acid. The newly developed bioanalytical assay possessed favorable accuracy and precision with a lower limit of quantification of 2.0 ng mL−1 and was successfully applied to PK studies in rats. The experimental strategies presented herein may be helpful for measurement of other triterpene acids in biological matrices.

Rationale: Ectopic adrenal tissue is the adrenal rests along the path from gonads to adrenal glands during embryogenesis. Ectopic adrenocortical adenoma is a rare disease represented with over-production of cortisol by the ectopic adrenocortical tissue. Patient concerns: An 18-year-old Chinese female patient was presented with weight-gain for 6 months. She had elevated plasma cortisol and a solitary mass was revealed using computed tomography scan in the left renal hilum. Diagnosis: The tumor was removed and the immunohistochemical profile indicated an ectopic adrenocortical adenoma. Interventions: After the tumor was removed, the patient was under glucocorticoid replacement therapy in 6-month. Outcomes: During 6-month of follow-up, the patient showed no signs of tumor recurrence. Lessons: Ectopic adrenocortical adenoma is difficult to diagnose due to its low incidence, and the ectopic rests in renal hilum could be misdiagnosed as renal cell carcinoma. This case reminds clinicians to be aware of ectopic site in the diagnosis of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) independent Cushing's syndrome. Immunohistochemical stain may assist in evaluating the origin of the ectopic rests. A certain rate of local recurrence indicated the need of long-term follow-up.

Low density printing paper was widely used in printing best-seller at present. Besides of high bulk, good stiffness, soft color, it also had some advantages, such as reducing user’s load, protecting eyes, extending the storage time etc. Quality index of domestic low density printing paper was lower than foreign index. The gap mainly expressed on tensile index specially. This study used Aspen BECMP as main pulp, as a result of its higher strength, lower cost and other advantages comparing with PRC-APMP. Here we discussed three pulps ratio to make low density printing paper. The results of experiment indicated that using Aspen BECMP was able to make low density printing paper by adding certain amount chemistry pulp. Moreover, the best bulk value can up to 2.45cm3/g, and the tensile index was 36.08Nm/g.

Many environmental and genetic factors have been contributed to the development of systemic sclerosis (SSc). To determine whether IL-10 gene polymorphisms are associated with SSc, we conducted a meta-analysis approach. A total of eight studies involving 1,034 SSc cases and 1,815 controls were obtained by electronic database, i.e. Embase, Blackwell, Scopus, China National Knowledge Infrastructure database, Chinese Biomedical database, Google searching. We analyzed three gene polymorphisms, including IL-10 -1082G/A (rs1800896), IL-10 -819C/T (rs1800871), IL-10 -3575T/A (rs1800890). The combined odds ratio (OR) with its 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was calculated using fixed or random effect models. We found that IL-10 819C allele might contribute to SSc susceptibility by fixed effect model and IL-10 3575A allele could be an important risk factor for SSc, especially in European descent. No significant heterogeneity were observed. Under random effect model, there was no evidence of statistically significant association between IL-10 1082G/A polymorphism and SSc. Publication bias was absent in all analyses. However, larger scale primary studies are required to further evaluate the IL-10 polymorphism and SSc.

Thermal fatigue tests are carried out to the notch specimens made of particle-reinforced composites entitled SiCp/A356 between 20°C and 300°C. The thermal elastic-plastic finite element method is used to simulate the stress and strain response at the notch root of the thermal fatigue test specimen, and thus the formation mechanism of residual stress is revealed. Then according to the finite element simulation of the stress-strain, the thermal fatigue strain life curves of SiCp/A356 material are given considering the residual stress. This can give the basis for the thermal fatigue properties study of the particle reinforced composite SiCp/A356 used in high-speed train brake disc.