New insights into the biological roles of immune cells in neural stem cells in post-traumatic injury of the central nervous system

Traumatic injuries in the central nervous system,such as traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury,are associated with tissue inflammation and the infiltration of immune cells,which simultaneously affect the self-renewal and differentiation of neural stem cells.Howeve r,the tissue repair process instigated by endogenous neural stem cells is incapable of restoring central nervous system injuries without external intervention.Recently,resident/peripheral immune cells have been demonstrated to exert significant effects on neural stem cells.Thus,the resto ration of traumatic injuries in the central nervous system by the immune intervention in neural stem cells represents a potential therapeutic method.In this review,we discuss the roles and possible mechanisms of immune cells on the selfrenewal and differentiation of neural stem cells along with the prognosis of central nervous system injuries based on immune intervention.Finally,we discuss remaining research challenges that need to be considered in the future.Further elucidation of these challenges will fa cilitate the successful application of neural stem cells in central nervous system injuries.

Pore pressure built-up in hydrate-bearing sediments during phase transition: A poromechanical approach

Due to the density contrast between the hydrate and methane gas,the pore pressure is accumulated in the sediment during the decomposition process of methane hydrate.This accumulation of pore pressure decreases the magnitude of effective stress,further triggering potential geological disasters such as landslide.This paper establishes a theoretical framework to investigate the evolution of fluid pressure in the hydrate-bearing sediments during the decomposition process.This model consists of two parts:an unsaturated thermo-poromechanical constitutive law as well as a phase equilibrium equation.Compared with the existing studies,the present work incorporates the effect of pore volume change into the pressure built-up model.In addition,the capillary effect is considered,which plays a nontrivial role in fine-grained sediments.Based on this model,the evolution of fluid pressure is investigated in undrained conditions.It is shown that four mechanisms mainly contribute to the pressure built-up:the density contrast between decomposing hydrate and producing fluid,the variation of pore volume,the compaction of hydrate due to variation of capillary pressure,and the thermal deformation of pore constituents induced by temperature change.Among these mechanisms,the density contrast dominates the pore pressure accumulation.Under the combined effect of these contributions,the evolution of fluid pressure exhibits a strong nonlinearity during the decomposition process and can reach up to dozens of mega Pascal.Nevertheless,this high-level pressure built-up results in a significant tensile strain,yielding potential fracturing of the sediment.

MR高清扩散加权成像在甲状腺相关性眼病诊断中的应用

目的:研究磁共振(MR)高清扩散加权成像(RESOLVE-DWI)在甲状腺相关性眼病(TAO)诊断中的应用价值及其对TAO活动性的预测价值。方法:选取2017-01/2019-12在本院收治的TAO患者82例155眼,为TAO组。另选取同期收治的无TAO的初诊Graves病患者50例100眼,为对照组。TAO组患者根据临床活动性评分(CAS)分为活动期与非活动期。纳入研究者均实施MR检查,对比TAO组与对照组的RESOLVE-DWI表观扩散系数(ADC)值差异。以受试者工作特征曲线(ROC)评价RESOLVE-DWI的ADC测量值对TAO的诊断价值。统计可能影响TAO活动性的相关因素,以Logistic回归分析明确危险因素。ROC曲线评价ADC值对TAO活动性的预测价值。结果:TAO组的ADC值大于对照组(P<0.001)。ROC曲线显示,RESOLVE-DWI的ADC值诊断TAO的最佳截断点为1.302×10^-3mm2/s,其灵敏度、特异度、曲线下面积(AUC)分别为87.10%、81.94%、0.895。TAO活动期的年龄、美国甲状腺学会颁布的分级标准(NOSPECS)、ADC值均大于非活动期(P<0.05);Logistic回归分析显示年龄、NOSPECS分级、ADC值是影响TAO活动期的危险因素(P<0.05)。ROC曲线分析,RESOLVE-DWI的ADC值预测TAO活动性的最佳截断点1.522×10^-3mm2/s,其灵敏度、特异度、AUC分别为82.58%、76.77%、0.801。结论:RESOLVE-DWI的ADC测量值诊断TAO和预测活动性的最佳截断点分别为1.302×10^-3、1.522×10^-3mm2/s,以最佳截断点进行TAO诊断和活动性预测具有较高的临床价值。

Extraordinary response of metastatic pancreatic cancer to apatinib after failed chemotherapy: A case report and literature review

Chemotherapy has limited efficacy in the treatment of advanced and metastatic pancreatic cancer(PC), and has serious side effects. The development of novel effective agents, especially targeted therapy, is essential for patients with PC. We present a 58-year-old Chinese woman initially diagnosed with locally advanced PC. As the disease progressed to Stage Ⅳ, the patient was unable to tolerate chemotherapy after the fourth-line treatment. She was then treated with apatinib, a novel and highly selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 and achieved a progression-free-survival of 7 mo. All drug-related side effects were well controlled with medication. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of PC which responded to apatinib. Considering this remarkable response, apatinib may be a promising agent in the treatment of PC. We also reviewed the literature on chemotherapy and targeted therapy, especially the anti-angiogenesis therapy for patients with PC, and investigated the effect of apatinib in other solid tumors as well.

核磁动脉自旋标记技术在脑神经胶质瘤分级中的意义

目的分析脑神经胶质瘤在核磁动脉自旋标记(ASL)技术中的特征性表现在脑神经胶质瘤分级中的临床意义。方法回顾性分析2015年1月—2017年1月湖北医药学院附属人民医院神经外科经手术病理证实的84例脑神经胶质瘤患者。所有患者均接受轴位为T1WI、T2WI、T2 FLAIR、DWI及3D ASL扫描序列,然后进行增强扫描T1WI。3D ASL扫描采用伪连续式动脉自转标记技术,收集脑血流量(CBF)值数据,计算其比值,所得值为肿瘤的相对脑血流量(rCBF),分析3D ASL灌注成像和常规序列图像。结果 84例患者均获得了清晰的3D ASL-CBF灌注图和常规MRI序列图像。神经胶质瘤的3D ASL-CBF灌注图显示,患者均为神经胶质瘤(红色区域成分较多,代表高血流灌注;蓝黑区域代表低血流灌注)。Ⅰ、Ⅱ级,Ⅲ、Ⅳ级神经胶质瘤所得的TBF/对侧白质、TBF/对侧灰质和TBF/对侧半球比值比较,差异有统计学意义(P <0.05)。病理结果检测显示,入选84例患者中有45例高级脑神经胶质瘤患者,39例低级脑神经胶质瘤。与病理检测结果进行比较,3D ASL诊断的符合率92.86%(78/84)高于常规MRI的诊断符合率82.14%(69/84)(P <0.05)。Kappa值为0.758,一致性较好。结论 3D ASL能定量反应肿瘤微循环的灌注情况,与常规MRI序列比较,对脑神经胶质瘤的定性诊断及术前分级有重要参考价值。

Suppression of colorectal cancer metastasis by nigericin through inhibition of epithelial-mesenchymal transition

AIM: To evaluate the effect of nigericin on colorectal cancer and to explore its possible mechanism. METHODS: The human colorectal cancer (CRC) cell lines HT29 and SW480 were treated with nigericin or oxaliplatin under the conditions specified. Cell viability assay and invasion and metastasis assay were performed to evaluate the effect of nigericin on CRC cells. Sphereforming assay and soft agar colony-forming assay were implemented to assess the action of nigericin on the cancer stem cell properties of CRC cells undergone epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). RESULTS: Compared with oxaliplatin, nigericin showed more toxicity for the HT29 cell line (IC50, 12.92 ± 0.25 μmol vs 37.68 ± 0.34 μmol). A similar result was also obtained with the SW116 cell line (IC50, 15.86 ± 0.18 μmol vs 41.02 ± 0.23 μmol). A Boyden chamber assay indicated that a significant decrease in the number of HT29 cells migrating through polyvinylidene fluoride membrane was observed in the nigericin-treated group, relative to the vehicle-treated group [11 ± 2 cells per high-power field (HPF) vs 19.33 ± 1.52 cells per HPF, P < 0.05]. Compared to the control group, the numbers of HT29 cells invading through the Matrigel-coated membrane also decreased in the nigericin-treated group (6.66 ± 1.52 cells per HPF vs 14.66 ± 1.52 cells per HPF, P < 0.05). Nigericin also reduced the proportion of CD133+ cells from 83.57% to 63.93%, relative to the control group (P < 0.05). Nigericin decreased the number of spheres relative to the control group (0.14 ± 0.01 vs 0.35 ± 0.01, P < 0.05), while oxaliplatin increased the number of spheres relative to the control group (0.75 ± 0.02 vs 0.35 ± 0.01; P < 0.05). Nigericin also showed a decreased ability to form colonies under anchorage-independent conditions in a standard soft agar assay after 14 d in culture, relative to the control group (1.66 ± 0.57 vs 7 ± 1.15, P < 0.05), whereas the colony numbers were higher in the oxaliplatin group relative to the vehicle-treated controls (14.33 ± 0.57 vs 7 ± 1.15, P < 0.05). We further detected the expression of E-cadherin and vimentin in cells treated with nigericin and oxaliplatin. The results showed that HT29 cells treated with nigericin induced an increase in E-cadherin expression and a decrease in the vimentin expression relative to vehicle controls. In contrast, oxaliplatin downregulated the expression of E-cadherin and upregulated the expression of vimentin in HT29 cells relative to vehicle controls. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that nigericin could partly reverse the EMT process during cell invasion and metastasis.

The coexistence of hermaphroditic and dioecious plants is associated with polyploidy and gender dimorphism in Dasiphora fruticosa

Dasiphora fruticosa comprises male,female and hermaphrodite plants,which are distributed sympatrically in some populations on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.To explore what governs the coexistence of these three sexual phenotypes,we investigated the DNA contents,pollen and ovule production,pollen deposition,and performed hand-pollination in both hermaphroditic and dioecious individuals of D.fruticosa.Flow cytometry confirmed that the DNA content of males and females were almost twice as much as that of the hermaphrodites.Male and female flowers produced more pollen grains and ovules than hermaphroditic flowers.Hand-pollinated treatments showed that unisexual flowers were sterile in one sexual function and bisexual flowers were fertile for both functions,but no sterile seeds were produced between unisexual and bisexual flowers.Our findings imply that polyploidy is related to gender dimorphism,and both are likely to play a strong role in the coexistence of two cryptic biological species of D.fruticosa(low ploidy hermaphroditic species and high ploidy dioecious species)in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Analysis of pathogenetic process of fungal rhinosinusitis: Report of two cases

BACKGROUND Fungal rhinosinusitis is an infectious and/or allergic disease caused by fungi in the sinus and nasal cavity. Due to the warm and humid climate in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the incidence of fungal rhinosinusitis is higher than that in other provinces. However, its physiological mechanism is not yet clear.Not every patient colonized by fungi develops a fungal infection. To a large extent, the immune status of the patient determines the nature of fungal disease in the nasal passages. The pathologic process of progression from harmless fungal colonization to fungal rhinosinusitis is unclear and has not been reported.CASE SUMMURY We report two patients, one who developed fungal rhinosinusitis 1.5 years after surgery performed to treat an inverted papilloma, and the other with a history of hypertension and cerebral infarction. Both patients recovered from their surgeries. An average time of 2.5 years elapsed from the development of maxillary sinus cysts to the development of fungal rhinosinusitis.CONCLUSION According to these case reports, we speculate that the progression of fungal rhinosinusitis from harmless colonization to disease onset requires approximately one to three years and that the length of the process may be related to underlying diseases, surgical treatment, deficient autoimmune status,and abuse of hormone antibiotics and hormones. Additional data are needed to conduct relevant studies to appropriately prevent and treat fungal rhinosinusitis.

Improved activity of Ni-Mo/SiO_(2) bimetallic catalyst synthesized via sol-gel method for methylcyclohexane cracking

To improve the cracking behavior of hydrocarbon,Ni-Mo/SiO_(2) bimetallic catalysts were synthesized by different preparation methods(sol-gel,co-impregnation and single-impregnation) and added the additives(citric acid,polyethylene glycol and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide) based on the most suitable method above.The cracking reaction of methylcyclohexane under supercritical conditions was performed as the probe reaction to estimate the catalytic performance,and the properties of Ni-Mo/SiO_(2) catalyst were characterized by N_(2) absorption-desorption,XRD,XPS,H_(2)-TPR,NH_(3)-TPD,in-situ IR of NH_(3) desorption,HRTEM and STEM-mapping so as to study the structure-activity relationship.The catalyst synthesized via sol-gel method showed the best conversion and heat sink,being 81.8% and 3.81 MJ/kg,which was closely related to strong mutual effect between active components and SiO_(2) as well as strong acid sites.Besides,the introduction of additives by sol-gel method has an affirmative influence on properties of Ni-Mo/SiO_(2) catalysts,being that the acidity(more L and B acid sites) was modulated and organic groups interact with metal to suppress the aggregation of metal species(Ni and Mo),thereby enhancing the catalytic activity.At 750℃,the conversion(89.3%) as well as heat sink(3.99 MJ/kg) of MCH cracking obtained an optimum over Ni-Mo/SiO_(2) catalyst with addition of citric acid.

Multiple lines of evidence supports the two varieties of Halenia elliptica(Gentianaceae)as two species

Delimiting species requires multiple sources of evidence.Here,we delimited two varieties of Halenia elliptica(Gentianaceae)using several lines of evidence,including morphological traits and mating system in a sympatric population,phylogenetic relationships based on nrITS and cpDNA(rpl16)data,and complete chloroplast genome sequences.Comparative analysis of 21 morphological traits clearly separates the two varieties of H.elliptica.Examination of the flowering process and pollination treatments indicate that H.elliptica var.grandiflora produces seeds via outcrossing,whereas H.elliptica var.elliptica produces seeds via mixed mating.Furthermore,hand-pollinated hybridization of the two varieties produced no seeds.Observations of pollinators showed that when bees began a pollination bout on H.elliptica var.grandiflora they preferred to continue pollinating this variety;however,when they began a pollination bout on H.elliptica var.elliptica,they showed no preference for either variety.Phylogenetic analysis confirmed the monophyly of H.elliptica,which was further divided into two monophyletic clades corresponding to the two varieties.A large number of variants from the chloroplast genomes reflected remarkable genetic dissimilarities between the two varieties of H.elliptica.We recommend that the two varieties of H.elliptica should be revised as two species(H.elliptica and H.grandiflora).Our findings indicate that H.elliptica varieties may have split into two separate species due to a shift in mating system,changes in flowering phenology and/or post-pollination reproductive isolation.

Evolution of donations on scale-free networks during a COVID-19 breakout

Having a large number of timely donations during the early stages of a COVID-19 breakout would normally be considered rare. Donation is a special public goods game with zero yield for donors, and it has the characteristics of the prisoners’ dilemma. This paper discusses why timely donations in the early stages of COVID-19 occurred. Based on the idea that donation is a strategy adopted by players during interconnection on account of their understanding of the environment, donation-related populations are placed on social networks and the inter-correlation structures in the population are described by scale-free networks. Players in donation-related populations are of four types: donors, illegal beneficiaries,legal beneficiaries, and inactive people. We model the evolutionary game of donation on a scale-free network. Donors,illegal beneficiaries and inactive people learn and update strategies under the Fermi update rule, whereas the conversion between legal beneficiaries and the other three types is determined by the environment surrounding the players. We study the evolution of cooperative action when the agglomeration coefficient, the parameters of the utility function, the noise intensity, the utility coefficient, the donation coefficient and the initial states of the population on the scale-free network change. For population sizes of 50, 100, 150, and 200, we give the utility functions and the agglomeration coefficients for promoting cooperation and study the corresponding steady states and structural characteristics of the population. We identify the best ranges of the noise intensity K, the donation coefficient α and the utility coefficient β for promoting cooperation at different population sizes. Furthermore, with the increase of the population size, the donor traps are found.At the same time, it is discovered that the initial states of the population have a great impact on the steady states;thus the upper and lower triangle phenomena are proposed. We also find that the population size itself is also an important factor for promoting donation, pointing out the direction of efforts to further promote donation and achieve better social homeostasis under the donation model.

Analysis of novel coronavirus pneumonia treatment with Chinese herbal compound

Objective: To analyze the prescription law of TCM compound in the treatment of new coronavirus pneumonia, and provides reference for the clinical treatment of new coronavirus pneumonia. Methods: Collected Collected 24 novel coronavirus pneumonia related diagnostic and therapeutic plans issued by the National Health Council and the Chinese medicine authority from January 26, 2020 to March 8th ,the filtered solution involved in the formula, establishing database of traditional Chinese medicine compound prescription for the treatment of new crown pneumonia, the frequency of using frequency analysis methods of analysis and clustering analysis and association rules analysis to sort out data mining analysis of traditional Chinese medicine compound. Results: In this study, a total of 159 TCM compounds were included in the treatment of new crown pneumonia from the country and 23 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions, involving 189 TCM compounds. A total of 62 high-frequency traditional Chinese medicines (frequency ≥ 11) were obtained, mainly including licorice, almond, ephedra, gypsum, Poria cocos, Huoxiang, etc The drug types are mainly heat-clearing drugs, vacuous drugs, moisture-curing drugs, and surfactant drugs. The main effect of the medicine was warm, cold, lukewarm and flat, the main effect of the medicine was bitter and bitter, and the main effect of the medicine was the lung, stomach and spleen. Cluster analysis results according to the performance of traditional Chinese medicine treatment of new crown pneumonia high frequency drugs into 7 classes;Association rule analysis results in 29 common drug pairs. Conclusion: In the treatment of pneumonia caused by new coronavirus infection with traditional Chinese medicine, the following characteristics are presented: the number of times of supplementing qi and Yin is more than that of attacking evil and maintaining health;The method of dispersing and solving the attack of wet, beneficial, wet, permeable and wet medicine fully embodies a variety of ways to drive away evil;In terms of drugs, heat-clearing drugs, deficiency drugs, dampness drugs and surface drugs are the main ones, highlighting that the basic treatment method is to dissolve dampness and detoxify, and replenish qi and Yin. In summary, this study can provide reference for guiding clinical drug use and developing new drugs.

Effects of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors on cognitive function, apoptosis and oxidative stress in brain tissue of rats with cerebral infarction

Objective:To study the effects of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor(ACEI)on cognitive function,apoptosis and oxidative stress in brain tissue of rats with cerebral infarction.Methods:Adult male SD rats were randomly divided into control group,cerebral infarction group and ACEI group.The latter two groups were used to establish cerebral infarction model by thread embolism.The ACEI group was given oral administration of fosinopril 10mg/kg,and the other two groups were given oral administration of saline.The differences of Morris water maze cognitive function,apoptotic genes and oxidative stress indexes were compared among the three groups.Results:The escape latency of rats in cerebral infarction group was significantly longer than that in control group,the number of times of platform crossing was significantly less than that in control group,the duration of platform stay was significantly shorter than that in control group,the mRNA expression levels of Bcl-2 associated X protein(Bax),factor associated suicide(Fas),Fas ligand(FasL)and Caspase-3,the protein expression levels of phosphorylated Janus kinase(p-JAK2)and phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription(p-STAT3)as well as the contents of reactive oxygen species(ROS)and malonaldehyde(MDA)in brain tissue were significantly higher than those in control group,and the mRNA expression level of B-cell lymphoma-2(Bcl-2)as well as the contents of catalase(CAT)and superoxide dismutase(SOD)in brain tissue was significantly lower than those in control group.The escape latency of rats in ACEI group was significantly shorter than that in cerebral infarction group,the number of times of platform crossing was significantly more than that in cerebral infarction group,the duration of platform stay was significantly longer than that in cerebral infarction group,the mRNA expression levels of Bax,Fas,FasL and Caspase-3,the protein expression levels of p-JAK2 and p-STAT3 as well as the contents of ROS and MDA in brain tissue were significantly lower than those in cerebral infarction group,and the mRNA expression level of Bcl-2 as well as the contents of CAT and SOD in brain tissue was significantly higher than those in cerebral infarction group.Conclusions:ACEI can improve the cognitive function of rats with cerebral infarction and inhibit the apoptosis and oxidative stress in ischemic brain tissue.

A comparative study of two CBCT images on assessing the amount of bone in the maxillary posterior region

Objective:To evaluate the accuracy of the measurement of the sinus ridge distance and the proximal and distal middle distance in the maxillary posterior missing tooth area by oral and maxillofacial conebeamCT(CBCT) panoramic view and cross section view. Methods:60 patients in CBCT database were selected to measure the available bone height (sinus ridge distance) and available bone width ( the proximal and distal middle distance) of the missing tooth area of the second premolars, the first molars and the second molars in panoramic view and cross-section view respectively, and the measurement results of different tooth positions were statistically analyzed. Results:there was significant difference in bone width (near and far middle distance) between CBCT panoramic view and cross section view, and the measured value of cross section view was smaller than that of panoramic view, but there was no significant difference in the available bone height (sinus ridge distance) and the measured values between different observers (P>0.05).There were also statistical differences among the measured values of different tooth positions (P<0.05), among which the proximal and distal middle distance of the first premolars was the smallest, the sinus ridge distance was the largest, and the sinus ridge distance of the second molars was the smallest. Conclusion:CBCT can assist in the measurement of bone mass in the area of absence of tooth,which is of great significance to the development of the treatment plan of the oral cavity.

RGFP966 inactivation of the YAP pathway attenuates cardiac dysfunction induced by prolonged hypothermic preservation

Oxidative stress and apoptosis are the key factors that limit the hypothermic preservation time of donor hearts to within 4–6 h.The aim of this study was to investigate whether the histone deacetylase 3(HDAC3)inhibitor RmGodFyPn9 a6 m6 i cc opualrda mpreotteercst daugrianing srt ecpaerrdfiuasci oinn juwreyr ei nedvuacleuda tebyd.pTrholeo nexgperde shsyipoont haenrdm pich opsrpehsoerryvlaattiioonn.leRvaet lsh eoaf rtms awmemrea lihayn-??STE20-like kinase-1(Mst1)and Yes-associated protein(YAP)were determined by western blotting.Cell apoptosis was measured by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl-transferase(TdT)-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling(TUNEL)method.Addition of RGFP966 in Celsior solution significantly inhibited cardiac dysfunction induced by hypothermic preservation.RGFP966 inhibited the hypothermic preservation-induced increase of the phosphorylated(p)-Mst1/Mst1 and p-YAP/YAP ratios,prevented a reduction in total YAP protein expression,and increased the nuclear YAP protein level.Verteporfin(VP),a small molecular inhibitor of YAP–transcriptional enhanced associate domain(TEAD)interaction,partially abolished the protective effect of RGFP966 on cardiac function,and reduced lactate dehydrogenase activity and malondialdehyde content.RGFP966 increased superoxide dismutase,catalase,and glutathione peroxidase gene and protein expression,which was abolished by VP.RGFP966 inhibited hypothermic preservation-induced overexpression of B-cell lymphoma protein 2(Bcl-2)-associated X(Bax)and cleaved caspase-3,increased Bcl-2 mRNA and protein expression,and reduced cardiomyocyte apoptosis.The antioxidant and anti-apoptotic effects of RGFP966 were cancelled by VP.The results suggest that supplementation of Celsior solution with RGFP966 attenuated prolonged hypothermic preservation-induced cardiac dysfunction.The mechanism may involve inhibition of oxidative stress and apoptosis via inactivation of the YAP pathway.

Current progress and outcomes of clinical trials on using epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy in non-small cell lung cancer patients with brain metastases

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) continues to be one of the major causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide, and brain metastases are the major cause of death in NSCLC patients. With recent advances in understanding the underlying molecular mechanism of NSCLC development and progression, mutations in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) have been recognized as a key predictor of therapeutic sensitivity to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Using EGFR-TKI alone or in combination with standard treatments such as whole-brain radiotherapy and surgery has been an effective strategy for the management of brain metastasis. Particularly, a newer generation of EGFR-TKIs, including osimertinib and AZD3759, has been developed. These new EGFR-TKIs can cross the blood-brain barrier and potentially treat EGFR-TKI resistance and improve prognosis. In this article,current progress and outcomes of clinical trials on the use of EGFR-TKIs for treating NSCLC patients with brain metastasis will be reviewed.

Anti-flu Effect of Compound Yizhihao Granule and Its Effective Components

Objective To research the anti-influenza effect of active ingredients in Compound Yizhihao Granule （CYG）. Methods The cytotoxicity and cytopathic effects （CPE） were observed under the phase-contrast microscope, besides 50% toxicity concentration （TC50） and 50% inhibitory concentration （IC50） were also calculated using Reed-Muench method, then the antiviral activity in vitro according to Selection Index （SI = TC50/IC50） was evaluated. In PR8 virus-infected mice, survival time, death rate, and lung index were observed in order to evaluate the protective effect. Besides, the effective ingredients were determined using HPLC method, and their contents were calculated by external standard method. Results CYG could inhibit the influenza virus-induced CPE, with ICso of 4.6 mg/mL （equal to herbal extracts 262.2 μg/mL）, and no direct cytotoxic effect at this concentration. PR8-infected mice were ig given CYG, the lung index and mortality were significantly reduced, and survival time was obviously prolonged. HPLC analysis indicated CYG contained many kinds of antivirus active components, including rupestonic acid, epigoitrin, and adenosine. Conclusion CYG is an effective natural anti-influenza medicine, its antiviral effect should be the synergic effect of a variety of antiviral active ingredients.

Self-Lubricating PEO Coating on an Al Alloy Produced by Vacuum Impregnation Post-treatment

The objective of this research was to develop a novel self-lubricating coating on an AA6061 aluminum alloy.Three coatings were prepared by the plasma electrolytic oxidation（PEO） process using 50-, 500-, and 1000-Hz pulsed direct current, respectively. The as-deposited coatings were then post-treated using two different methods, viz., ultrasonic vibration-aided vacuum oil impregnation（UVOI） and oil impregnation under ambient pressure（OIAP）. After posttreatment, an oil-containing, self-lubricating top layer was formed on the coatings. The effects of the coatings＇ surface morphologies and structures on their oil-holding capabilities were discussed. The results revealed that coatings prepared with higher frequency had a greater oil-holding capacity using OIAP post-treatment, while those prepared with lower frequency had a greater oil-containing capability using UVOI post-treatment. These phenomena are related to the morphologies of the coatings produced with various current modes. The tribological properties of the coatings before and after post-treatments were investigated by pin-on-disc sliding wear tests. Due to the formation of a lubricant-containing top layer, the post-treatment coatings had a lower friction coefficient and improved wear resistance compared with the asdeposited coatings. In addition, the coatings after UVOI treatment had better wear performance than those post-treated using the OIAP process. Among all coatings, the coating produced with a 50-Hz pulsed current followed by UVOI posttreatment achieved the lowest friction coefficient（0.03） and best wear resistance when sliding against a Si3N4 ceramic counterface. This study indicates that a novel self-lubricating coating can be prepared by a PEO process combined with vacuum oil impregnation post-treatment.

Differences in floral traits and flower visitation rates in mating systems in Prunella vulgaris(Lamiaceae)

Floral traits and the number of visitors are expected to change with different mating systems.We tested this hypothesis by comparing flowers of Prunella vulgaris(Lamiaceae)with inserted and exserted styles across a strongly exserted style biased,an exserted style biased,and a strongly inserted style biased subalpine population.We examined flowering phenology,floral morphology,flower visitation rate,capacity for autonomous selfpollination and visitor contribution to seed production for each style type and in each population.We also examined inbreeding depression(ID)by comparing the relative performance of progeny from self-and crosspollination.Exserted style plants had larger and more open flowers,increased pollen production,higher amounts of nectar rewards and higher visitation and outcrossing rates than inserted style plants.Similarly on the population level,the visitation rates were higher in the exserted style-biased populations than in the inserted style-biased population.Inserted style plants provided a stronger reproductive assurance(RA)through autonomous selfing than exserted style plants.RA and outcrossing rates did not differ among populations,showing low visitation rates may be sufficient for adequate seed production in P.vulgaris.Although inserted style plants had a lower ID level than exserted style plants,the ID of both was less than 0.5,suggesting that an ID should not counteract the evolution of selfing in this species.Inserted style plants provide RA through autonomous selfing,and exserted style plants ensure outcrossing through pollinator services,supporting a stable mixed mating system in this subalpine plant.

On Equilibrium in a Constant Retrial Queuing System with Reserved Time and Vacations

This paper investigates an M/M/1 constant retrial queue with reserved time and vacations.A new arriving customer will take up the server and accept service immediately if the server is idle.Otherwise,if the server is busy or on vacation,customers have to join a retrial orbit and wait for retry.Once a service is completed,the server will reserve a random time to seek a customer from the orbit at a constant retrial rate.If there is no arrivals(from the orbit or outside)during the idle period,to save energy,the server will take a vacation.This paper studies the fully unobservable case.First,the steady-state condition of the system is analyzed by using the Foster’s criterion,and the customers’expected waiting time is obtained based on the generating function technique.And then,by introducing an appropriate revenue structure,the equilibrium strategies of customers and the socially optimal strategy are all derived.Furthermore,a comparison between them is made and the effect of some main system parameters is studied.