Liquid chromatography coupled with time-of-flight and ion trap mass spectrometry for qualitative analysis of herbal medicines

With the expansion of herbal medicine （HM） market, the issue on how to apply up-to- date analytical tools on qualitative analysis of HMs to assure their quality, safety and efficacy has been arousing great attention. Due to its inherent characteristics of accurate mass measurements and multiple stages analysis, the integrated strategy of liquid chromatography （LC） coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry （TOF-MS） and ion trap mass spectrometry （IT-MS） is well-suited to be performed as qualitative analysis tool in this field. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview on the potential of this integrated strategy, including the review of general features of LC-IT-MS and LC-TOF-MS, the advantages of their combination, the common procedures for structure elucidation, the potential of LC-hybrid-IT-TOF/MS and also the summary and discussion of the applications of the integrated strategy for HM qualitative analysis （2006-2011）. The advantages and future developments of LC coupled with IT and TOF-MS are highlighted.

结直肠加速胃肠外科伤口造口愈合效果、并发症率及自我护理能力运用延续性护理的作用影响

目的研究延续性护理对结直肠加速胃肠外科术后肠造口愈合效果、患者自我护理能力和社会功能的影响.方法选取2016-05/2017-05经浙江省诸暨市中医医院确诊为结肠直肠癌并行Miles术后永久性结直肠造口的患者纳入120例,作为本次全文的研究对象.120例随机分为观察组60例和对照组60例,对照组对60例患者应用常规护理,观察组60例在常规护理基础上应用延续性护理,应用ESCA自我护理量表对行Miles术后的两组患者进行评价,采用QLO-C30生活量表对行Miles术后的两组患者的日常生活进行评分,并对患者术后并发症、造口愈合等情况进行研究.结果观察组60例Miles术后4.5 mo显示,患者自我概念、自我护理责任感、自我护理技能、健康知识和ESCA量表的评分均优于对照组60例患者,差异具有统计学意义(所有P<0.01).对照组60例患者在造口水肿、造口狭窄、造口脱落及造口周围发生皮炎等并发症发生率显著高于观察组,差异显著(P<0.05).观察组术后4.5 mo认知功能、角色、身躯及社会功能评分显著高于对照组,差异显著(P<0.01).结论延续性护理对结肠直肠癌Miles术后造口患者的护理干预效果较好,有效提高患者自我护理能力,降低患者出院后并发症发生率,有效提升了患者的日常生活质量和社交.

Removal of the eye in a tertiary care center of China: a retrospective study on 573 cases in 20 years

AIM: To investigate the original protopathy, direct indications, clinical characteristics, complications of orbit plants and visual conditions of eye enucleation/evisceration. METHODS: A retrospective study of 573 eyes removed (573 inpatients) at Ophthalmology Department in a tertiary care center of China from January 1993 to December 2012 was completed. RESULTS: Cases underwent removal of the eye accounted for 2.15% of total ophthalmology inpatients, whose annual frequency declined from 3.80% to 0.52%. There were 167 eyes (29.14%) being enucleated and 406 (70.86%) eviscerated. Annual proportion of evisceration rose from 16.67% in 1993 to 90.48% in later years. Trauma was the top one (65.62%) in original protopathies followed by neoplasm (13.44%) and ocular infections (5.76%). Phthisis bulbi (45.20%) was the most common direct indication, succeeded by malignant tumor (12.57%), loss/unreconstructed of intraocular tissues due to trauma (11.00%), untreatable inflammation (9.60%), intractable glaucoma (8.55%) and sclerocorneal staphyloma (5.24%). Exenteration was underwent in 20 (25.97%) cases (40% for recurrent carcinoma). Following evisceration, secondary prosthesis implantation was more and earlier, implant exposure occurred in less but earlier and infection and extraction/exchange of implants were more than those following enucleation. Male, phthisis bulbi, evisceration and secondary implantation meant lower risk of implant exposure; eyes removed within 24h following trauma was an independent risk factor. There were 14.37% of eyes with vision of light perception at least as been removed. In the residual contralateral eyes, low vision accounted 5.58% and blindness 3.14%. CONCLUSION: Ocular trauma, tumor and infections were great threats to eyeball preservation. Early and effective controlling of any original protopathies was vital. Generally evisceration presented more superior and safe outcomes than enucleation did. Visual conditions of the sufferers should be focused on.

UPLC-Q-TOF/MS based metabolomic profiling of serum and urine of hyperlipidemic rats induced by high fat diet

Hyperlipidemia is considered to be a high lipid level in blood,can induce metabolic disorders and dysfunctions of the body,and results in some severe complications.Therefore,hunting for some metabolite markers and clarifying the metabolic pathways in vivo will be an important strategy in the treatment and prevention of hyperlipidemia.In this study,a rat model of hyperlipidemia was constructed according to histopathological data and biochemical parameters,and the metabolites of serum and urine were analyzed by UPLC-Q-TOF/MS.Combining pattern recognition and statistical analysis.19 candidate biomarkers were screened and identified.These changed metabolites indicated that during the development and progression of hyperlipidemia,energy metabolism,lipid metabolism,amino acid metabolism and nucleotide metabolism were mainly disturbed,which are reported to be closely related to diabetes,cardiovascular diseases,etc.This study demonstrated that a UPLC-Q-TOF/MS based metabolomic approach is useful to profile the alternation of endogenous metabolites of hyperlipidemia.

Ocular diseases: immunological and molecular mechanisms

Many factors, such as environmental, microbial and endogenous stress, antigen localization, can trigger the immunological events that affect the ending of the diverse spectrum of ocular disorders. Significant advances in understanding of immunological and molecular mechanisms have been researched to improve the diagnosis and therapy for patients with ocular inflammatory diseases. Some kinds of ocular diseases are inadequately responsive to current medications;therefore, immunotherapy may be a potential choice as an alternative or adjunctive treatment, even in the prophylactic setting. This article first provides an overview of the immunological and molecular mechanisms concerning several typical and common ocular diseases; second, the functions of immunological roles in some of systemic autoimmunity will be discussed; third, we will provide a summary of the mechanisms that dictate immune cell trafficking to ocular local microenvironment in response to inflammation.

Clinical significance of coagulation function and plasma cTnI, HCY, PCT levels in the severity and prognosis in patients with acute craniocerebral injury

Objective:To investigate the relationship between changes of coagulation function and plasma cTnI, HCY, PCT levels and cerebral trauma severity and prognosis in patients with acute craniocerebral injury.Method: A total of 80 patients with acute craniocerebral injury treated in our hospital from May 2014 to May 2017 were selected as the observation group and divided into 3 groups according to the admission GCS score: mild (27 cases), moderate (28 cases) and severe group (25 cases). 40 healthy volunteers were selected as the control group. The index of blood coagulation (APTT, PT, Fib, TT, DD) and the levels of cTnI, HCY, PCT in observation group after injury and in control group were detected and analysed comparatively. After 1 months of treatment, 80 patients were divided into the good prognosis group (54 cases) and poor prognosis group (26 cases) according to the GOS score and the levels of the parameters above were detected.Results: (1) The PT, APTT, TT and DD levels of mild, moderate and severe acute craniocerebral injury groups were higher than those of the control group, but the level of Fib was lower than that of the control group, and there was also a significant difference between any two groups respectively. (2) The cTnI, HCY and PCT levels of mild, moderate and severe acute craniocerebral injury groups were higher than those of the control group, and there was also a significant difference between any two groups respectively. (3) The indexes of PT, APTT and DD in the good prognosis group were lower than those in the poor prognosis group, while the Fib level was higher significantly. (4) The levels of cTnI, HCY and PCT in the good prognosis group were significantly lower than those in the poor prognosis group.Conclusion: The levels of coagulation function and plasma cTnI, HCY, PCT in acute craniocerebral injury patients were correlated positively with the severity and prognosis of patients with craniocerebral injury.

Research on feed-pulse collaborative control method in micro-electrical discharge machining

Reducing the short-circuit rate and increasing the effective discharge rate are important targets for improving the servo control effect of micro-electrical discharge machining(micro-EDM),as these two indicators are closely related to the machining efficiency and quality.In this study,a feed-pulse collaborative control(FPCC)method is proposed for micro-EDM based on two dimensions(space and time).In the spatial dimension,a feed control strategy with a discharge holding process is adopted.Meanwhile,in the time dimension,a forward-looking pulse control strategy is adopted,in which the pulse interval is adjusted based on a sequence analysis of feed commands and discharge states.Process experiments are carried out to determine the key parameters used in this method,including the discharge holding threshold and pulse interval adjustment value(T_(off_(adj))).The feed smoothness and discharge sufficiency analyses of the experimental results show that compared to the traditional double threshold average voltage method,the FPCC method reduces the number of long-distance retreats by 64%and improves the effective discharge time by 40%.

Consensus for criteria of running a pediatric inflammatory bowel disease center using a modified Delphi approach

Background Good quality of care for inflammatory bowel disease(IBD)depends on high-standard management and facility in the IBD center.Yet,there are no clear measures or criteria for evaluating pediatric IBD(PIBD)center in China.The aim of this study was to develop a comprehensive set of quality indicators(QIs)for evaluating PIBD center in China.Methods A modified Delphi consensus-based approach was used to identify a set of QIs of structure,process,and outcomes for defining the criteria.The process included an exhaustive search using complementary approaches to identify potential QIs,and two web-based voting rounds to select the QIs defining the criteria for PIBD center.Results A total of 101 QIs(35 structures,48 processes and 18 outcomes)were included in this consensus.Structure QIs focused on the composition of multidisciplinary team,facilities and services that PIBD center should provide.Process QIs highlight core requirements in diagnosing,evaluating,treating PIBD,and disease follow-up.Outcome QIs mainly included criteria evaluating effectiveness of various interventions in PIBD centers.Conclusion The present Delphi consensus developed a set of main QIs that may be useful for managing a PIBD center.

Establishment and validation of a predictive model for peripherally inserted central catheter-related thrombosis in patients with liver cancer

BACKGROUND Peripherally inserted central catheters(PICCs)are commonly used in hospitalized patients with liver cancer for the administration of chemotherapy,nutrition,and other medications.However,PICC-related thrombosis is a serious complication that can lead to morbidity and mortality in this patient population.Several risk factors have been identified for the development of PICC-related thrombosis,including cancer type,stage,comorbidities,and catheter characteristics.Understanding these risk factors and developing a predictive model can help healthcare providers identify high-risk patients and implement preventive measures to reduce the incidence of thrombosis.AIM To analyze the influencing factors of PICC-related thrombosis in hospitalized patients with liver cancer,construct a predictive model,and validate it.METHODS Clinical data of hospitalized patients with liver cancer admitted from January 2020 to December 2023 were collected.Thirty-five cases of PICC-related thrombosis in hospitalized patients with liver cancer were collected,and 220 patients who underwent PICC placement during the same period but did not develop PICC-related thrombosis were randomly selected as controls.A total of 255 samples were collected and used as the training set,and 77 cases were collected as the validation set in a 7:3 ratio.General patient information,case data,catheterization data,coagulation indicators,and Autar Thrombosis Risk Assessment Scale scores were analyzed.Univariate and multivariate unconditional logistic regression analyses were performed on relevant factors,and the value of combined indicators in predicting PICC-related thrombosis in hospitalized patients with liver cancer was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis.RESULTS Univariate analysis showed statistically significant differences(P<0.05)in age,sex,Karnofsky performance status score(KPS),bedridden time,activities of daily living impairment,parenteral nutrition,catheter duration,distant metastasis,and bone marrow suppression between the thrombosis group and the non-thrombosis group.Other aspects had no statistically significant differences(P>0.05).Multivariate regression analysis showed that age≥60 years,KPS score≤50 points,parenteral nutrition,stage III to IV,distant metastasis,bone marrow suppression,and activities of daily living impairment were independent risk factors for PICC-related thrombosis in hospitalized patients with liver cancer(P<0.05).Catheter duration of 1-6 months and catheter duration>6 months were protective factors for PICC-related thrombosis(P<0.05).The predictive model for PICC-related thrombosis was obtained as follows:P predictive probability=[exp(Logit P)]/[1+exp(Logit P)],where Logit P=age×1.907+KPS score×2.045+parenteral nutrition×9.467+catheter duration×0.506+tumor-node-metastasis(TNM)staging×2.844+distant metastasis×2.065+bone marrow suppression×2.082+activities of daily living impairment×13.926.ROC curve analysis showed an area under the curve(AUC)of 0.827(95%CI:0.724-0.929,P<0.001),with a corresponding optimal cut-off value of 0.612,sensitivity of 0.755,and specificity of 0.857.Calibration curve analysis showed good consistency between the predicted occurrence of PICC-related thrombosis and actual occurrence(P>0.05).ROC analysis showed AUCs of 0.888 and 0.729 for the training and validation sets,respectively.CONCLUSION Age,KPS score,parenteral nutrition,TNM staging,distant metastasis,bone marrow suppression,and activities of daily living impairment are independent risk factors for PICC-related thrombosis in hospitalized patients with liver cancer,while catheter duration is a protective factor for the disease.The predictive model has an AUC of 0.827,indicating high predictive accuracy and clinical value.

Interface characteristic and mechanical performance of TiAl/Ti_(2)AlNb diffusion bonding joint with pure Ti interlayer

Solid-state diffusion bonding(DB)of TiAl alloy and Ti2 AlNb alloy was carried out using pure Ti as an interlayer at 1000℃under 20 MPa for 60-120 min.The effects of bonding times on the interfacial microstructure and mechanical performance of the TiAl/Ti/Ti_(2)AlNb bonded joints at room temperature(RT)were investigated detailly.The results demonstrated that the diffusion layers(DLs)mainly consisted of four characteristic layers,(Ⅰ)single coarseα_(2)phase adjacent TiAl alloy,(Ⅱ)single refinedα_(2)phase at the bonding interface,(Ⅲ)equiaxed/acicularα_(2)phase embedded inβphase adjacent Ti_(2)AtNb alloy and(IV)both equiaxedα_(2)phase and acicular O phase embedded inβphase adj acent Ti_(2)AlNb alloy,respectively.The thickness of the four layers increased with the increasing of the bonding time.The growth of DLs is controlled by diffusion and the reaction rate constant k for regionⅠ,Ⅱ,ⅢandⅣare 1.22×10^(-6),1.27×10^(-6),2.6×10^(-7)and 7.7×10^(-7)m·s^(-1/2),respectively.Meanwhile,the interfaceα_(2)grain grows up without texture.The maximum tensile strength of 281 MPa was maintained at1000℃for 90 min under the pressure of 20 MPa.Consequently,the phase transformation and dynamic recrystallization behavior of the DLs were discussed.

Correlation of In Vivo and In Vitro Methods in Measuring Choroidal Vascularization Volumes Using a Subretinal Injection Induced Choroidal Neovascularization Model

Background： In vivo quantification of choroidal neovascularization （CNV） based on noninvasive optical coherence tomography （OCT） examination and in vitro choroidal flatmount immunohistochemistry stained of CNV currently were used to evaluate the process and severity of age-related macular degeneration （AMD） both in human and animal studies. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between these two methods in murine CNV models induced by subretinal injection. Methods： CNV was developed in 20 C57BL6/j mice by subretinal injection of adeno-associated viral delivery of a short hairpin RNA targeting sFLT-1 （AAV.shRNA.sFLT- 1）, as reported previously. After 4 weeks, CNV was imaged by OCT and fluorescence angiography. The scaling factors for each dimension, x, y, and z （ktm/pixel） were recorded, and the corneal curvature standard was adjusted from human （7.7） to mice （1 .4）. The volume of each OCT image stack was calculated and then normalized by multiplying the number of voxels by the scaling factors for each dimension in Seg3D software （University of Utah Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute, available at http：//www.sci.utah.edu/cibc-software/seg3d.html）. Eighteen mice were prepared for choroidal flatmounts and stained by CD31. The CNV volumes were calculated using scanning laser confocal microscopy after immunohistochemistry staining. Two mice were stained by Hematoxylin and Eosin for observing the CNV morphology. Results： The CNV volume calculated using OCT was, on average, 2.6 times larger than the volume calculated using the laser confocal microscopy. The correlation statistical analysis showed OCT measuring of CNV correlated significantly with the in vitro method （R： = 0.448, P = 0.001, n = 18）. The correlation coefficient for CNV quantification using OCT and confocal microscopy was 0.693 （n = 18, P = 0.001 ）. Conclusions： There is a fair linear correlation on CNV volumes between in vivo and in vitro methods in CNV models induced by subretinal injection. The result might provide a useful evaluation of CNV both for the studies using CNV models induced by subretinal injection and human AMD studies.