Analysis of the Constituents in the Chinese Drug Notoginseng by Liquid Chromatography-Electrospray Mass Spectrometry

To develop a HPIX-UV-MS method for identifying the constituents in theChinese drug Notoginseng (the root of Panax notoginseng). Methods A Phenomenex Luna C_(18) column(250 mm x 4.6 mm ID, 5 μm) was utilized. Water containing 0.005% formic acid (A) and acetonitrilecontaining 0.005% formic acid (B) were used as gradient eluents. UV spectra were recorded in range195 - 400 nm. Both positive and negative ion ESI modes were used. Results The constituents inNotoginseng were well separated and detected. Fourteen compounds were identified by comparing theirretention time and ESI-MS data with those obtained from the reference compounds. Forty-one compoundswere deduced by data analysis of MS and literature; among them, yesanchinosides-H and -E,chikusetsusaponin-L_5, malonyl-ginsenoside-R_(g_1), the isomers of notoginsenosides-J, -A, -R_1, -G,-R_2, and ginsenoside-Rh_3 were discovered in Notoginseng for the first time. Conclusion Thismethod gives high sensitivity and good separation, and is suitable for identifying the constituentsin Notoginseng. This result is helpful for further phytochemical research on Notoginseng. Based onthis result, further quality control can be studied.

Two Minor Saponins from Leaves of Panax ginseng C. A.Meyer

Two minor saponins were isolated from the leaves of P. ginseng and their struc-tures were elucidated as 3β,12β, 20(S)-trihydroxyl-dammar-24(25)-ene-(20-O-α-L-arabinofurano-syl(1→6)-β-D-glucopyranosyl)-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (1),and 3β,12β, 20(S)-trihydroxyl-dam-mar-24(25)-ene-(20-O-α-L-arabinopyranosyl(1→6)-β-D-glucopyranosyl)-3-O-β-glucopyranoside(2),respectively The fonner corresponds to notoginsenoside-Fe which is isolated for the first time from the title plant The latter is a new natural product and named as ginsenoside-Rd2.

母乳钙与新生儿尿钙检测结果分析

目的:通过对乳钙和婴儿尿钙检测了解婴儿食物内钙的含量和婴儿体内钙的含量。方法:采用邻甲酚酞络酮合法对我院2007-06/2007-11足月产妇进行母乳钙和婴儿尿钙检测。结果:平均低钙率为24.7%,同时对初乳钙含量与分娩方式的关系进行比较,初乳与成熟乳、初乳与过渡乳、顺产与剖宫产有显著差异。对85例婴儿尿钙检测低钙率为11.7%。结论:乳钙和尿钙检测可以较早提示婴儿体内钙含量及早给婴儿补钙,剖宫产乳钙含量低。

INTEGRATED DESIGN OF AN ELECTRIC POWERED UNMANNED AIR VEHICLE USING CONCURRENT SUBSPACE DESIGN

The concurrent subspace design (CSD) framework has been used to conduct a preliminary design optimization of an electric powered, unmanned air vehicle (EPUAV) operating at a low Reynolds number. A multidisciplinary system analysis that includes aerodynamics, weights, propulsion, performance and stability and control has been developed for this class of vehicles. The CSD framework employs artificial neural network based response surfaces to provide approximations to the design space. The EPUAV system includes 25 continuous and 4 discrete design variables. The CSD framework was able to identify feasible designs with significant weight reductions relative to any previously considered (i.e. initial database) designs. This was accomplished with a limited number of system analyses. The results also demonstrate the nature of this design framework adaptive to changes in design requirements.

Preliminary Studies on High-performance Liquid Chro-matography Chemiluminescence Determination of theSaturated Fatty Acids(C_(16) C_(18))in Human Serum

The peroxyoxalate chemiluminescence(CL)detection of fatty acids in human se- rum combined with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)is described.Some fatty acids in serum were extracted with a 1 :1(v/v)mixture of chloroform-n-heptane.2-(4-Hydrazinocarbonyl- phenyl)-4,5-diphenylimidazole (HCPI) was used as a fluorescent labelling reagent of the fatty acids. The labelling reaction was carried out at 30℃ for 1 h at pH 6.5 and the resulting reaction mixture was sudjected to HPLC. The labelled fatty acid C_(17)(P-C_(17))was used as the internal standard. The la- belled fatty acids C_(16) and C_(18) were separated within 18 min on an ODS-8OTM column (150 mm× 6 mm ID,5μm,Tosoh Japan).The calibrlation curves of fatty acids from the spiked control serum were Y_1=-0.003 7 + 0.0028X_1,r=0.994 for FA C_( 16) and Y_2=0.00 1 2 + 0.00098X_2,r=0.999 for FA C_( 18),respectively.The average recoveries of facids from the spiked contrl serum were 107.2%(n=8,RSD=4.3%)for FA C_(16) and 97.35%(n=8, RSD=4.0%)for FA C_(18),respectively.The lower detection limits of fatty acids after reaction were 12μmol per 20μl injection for FA C_(16) and 18 μmol per 20μl injection for FA C_(18),respectively(signal to noise ratio, S/N=2).The HPLC/CL method was applied to the determination of FA C_(16) and FA C_(18) in normal human serum and the results showed that the concentrations of fatty acids in normal human serum were 0.134 ± 0.009 μ mol/ml serum(n=5) for FA C_(16) and 0.052±0.028 μmol/ml serum(n=5)for FA C_(18),respectively.

On educational system of legal translation course in colleges of China

With the broadening of economic and commercial communication between China and the outside world, the market of legal and contract document translation job is blooming harshly in both China and abroad. Accompanying this tendency, the professionalizing forensic development of translation is booming up as well. The request for higher education institutions to establish the education system of forensic translation is shining in human＇s eyes, and the cultivating system for the future, the world and profession is highly regarded. So comprehensive profession-cultivating, socialization and economy-serving should be the direction of the education of foreign languages department, related foreign forensic document translation and professional direction of public foreign language teaching as well are the aims of this reform of education. So the aim of this new education system should be the establishing the system of professional translation, forensic translation, cross-subject education and the cultivation of multi-professionals.

Principal Chemical Properties of Artificial Soil Composed of Fly Ash and Furfural Residue

To solve soil shortage in reclaiming subsided land of coal mines, the principal chemical properties of artificial soil formed by mixing organic furfural residue and inorganic fly ash were examined. The results indicated that the artificial soil was suitable for agriculture use after irrigation and desalination, the available nutrients in the artificial soil could satisfy the growth demand of plants, and the pH tended to the neutrality.

Role of chemotherapy and novel biological agents in the treatment of elderly patients with colorectal cancer

Patients older than 65 years are the fastest growing segment of the cancer population. It is estimated that within 20 years over 75% of cases and 85% of deaths from colorectal cancer (CRC) will be in this setting. Concerns about cancer treatment in the elderly relate to comorbidities, which increase proportionally with age, physiological changes associated with aging which may influence drug metabolism and toxicity, and diminishing life expectancy, which particularly impacts decisions surrounding the benefits of adjuvant therapies. Over the last 10 years, significant improvements in the treatment of advanced CRC with combination therapy have been made. The randomized trials which have defined these improvements did not exclude elderly patients. However, the median age of patients in these trials has generally been approximately 60 years. Thus, it appears that some degree of selection is involved with younger and presumably fitter patients being the subjects in most of the pivotal trials. The availability of new molecularly targeted agents and newly improved existing agents has expanded the range of treatment options available. This variety gives greater flexibility in dealing with different subsets of patients, such as the elderly. However, some fit elderly patients seem to tolerate combination therapy reasonably well, while studies on unfit elderly subjects are needed.

Relationship between angiotensin-(1-7) and angiotensin Ⅱ correlates with hemodynamic changes in human liver cirrhosis

AIM： To measure circulating angiotensins at different stages of human cirrhosis and to further evaluate a possible relationship between renin angiotensin system （RAS） components and hemodynamic changes. METHODS： Patients were allocated into 4 groups： mild-to-moderate liver disease （MLD）, advanced liver disease （ALD）, patients undergoing liver transplantation, and healthy controls. Blood was collected to determine plasma renin activity （PRA）, angiotensin （Ang） Ⅰ, Ang Ⅱ, and Ang-（1-7） levels using radioimmunoassays. During liver transplantation, hemodynamic parameters were determined and blood was simultaneously obtained from the portal vein and radial artery in order to measure RAS components. RESULTS： PRA and angiotensins were elevated in ALD when compared to MLD and controls （P 〈 0.05）. In contrast, Ang Ⅱ was significantly reduced in MLD. Ang-（1-7）/Ang Ⅱ ratios were increased in MLD when compared to controls and ALD. During transplantation, Ang Ⅱ levels were lower and Ang-（1-7）/Ang Ⅱ ratios were higher in the splanchnic circulation than in the peripheral circulation （0.52 ± 0.08 vs 0.38 ±0.04, P 〈 0.02）, whereas the peripheral circulating Ang Ⅱ/Ang Ⅰ ratio was elevated in comparison to splanchnic levels （0.18 ±0.02 vs 0.13 ±0.02, P 〈 0.04）. Ang-（1-7）/ Ang Ⅱ ratios positively correlated with cardiac output （r = 0.66） and negatively correlated with systemic vascular resistance （r = -0.70）. CONCLUSION： Our findings suggest that the relationship between Ang-（1-7） and Ang Ⅱ may play a role in the hemodynamic changes of human cirrhosis.

New Constituents from the Fresh Stems of Opuntia Dillenii

Aim To study the chemical composition of Opuntia dillenii Haw. Methods Manykinds of chromatogra-phy methods were used in the isolation procedure, while the structures ofisolated compounds were determined on the aids of NMR and MS spectral analysis. Result Three newcompounds, together with 14 known compounds, were isolated form the 80% ethanolic extract of itsstems. Conclusion The three new compounds, opuntioside Ⅰ (2), 4-ethoxyl-6-hydroxymethyl-α-pyrone(3) and kaempferol 7-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl (1→4)-β-D-glucopyranoside (4), were characterized.

HPLC Determination of Captopril in Human Plasma with Pre-column Derivation and Solid-phase Extraction and Studies on Its Pharmacokinetic and Relative Bioavailability

A new pre-column derivation HPLC method with solid-phase extraction to determine captopril in human plasma was established. Derivation products were extracted by a solid-phase extraction method after the reagent, p-a-dibromoacetophenone(p-BPB), was added in the plasma samples. The samples were analyzed in a VP-ODS column with UV-detector. The calibration curve of captopril was linear within the range of 5~1000 ngmL-1 with r=0.9987, the recovery of this method was 98.652.04%, within day and between day RSD were no more than 3.4% and 8.4% respectively. To study the pharmacokinetics and the relative bioavailability of captopril tablets, two formulations of captopril tablets were given to 18 healthy male volunteers according to a randomized 2-way cross-over design with a 1-week washout period. The respective AUC0~6 , Cmax and Tmax values of the two formulations were 424.5125.7 and 439.4113.3 mghL-1; 505.9244.6 and 504.8172.2 mgL-1; 0.6620.181 and 0.5280.176 h. Results from statistics analysis showed that there were no significant difference between the AUC0~6 , Cmax and Tmax values of the two formulations, The relative bioavailability of tablets I with respect to II was 96.114.6% from AUC0~6 measurement. Bioequivalance was observed between the two tablets.

Alteration of certain soil microbiological and biochemical indices of a paddy soil under anthropogenic stress

A 21-day laboratory incubation experiment was conducted to investigate the impact of pesticides (insecticide, herbicide, fungicide) on paddy field soil health under controlled moisture (flooded soil) and temperature (25 ℃) environment. The electron transport system (ETS)/Dehydrogenase activity showed negative correlation with pesticides concentrations, decreased with increase of pesticide concentration. The higher doses(5 to 10 times field rates) of pesticides significantly inhibited ETS activity, while lower rates failed to produce any significant reducing effect on the control. The toxicity of pesticides in decreasing the ETS activity was in the order: insecticide > fungicide > herbicide, irrespective of their rates of application. The pesticides increased the soil phenol content, which increased with increasing concentration of agrochemicals. The pesticide application did not produce any significant change in soil protein content. The response of biomass phospholipid content was nearly similar to that of ETS activity. The phospholipid content decreased with the addition of pesticides in the order insecticide > fungicide > herbicide and the toxicity was in the order: 10 FR (field rate) > 5 FR > 1.0 FR > 0.5 FR > control.

Promoting human embryonic stem cell renewal or differentiation by modulating Wnt signal and culture conditions

We previously showed that Wnt3a could stimulate human embryonic stem （hES） cell proliferation and affect cell fate determination. In the absence of feeder cell--derived factors, hES cells cultured under a feeder-free condition survived and proliferated poorly. Adding recombinant Wnt3a in the absence of feeder cell derived-factors stimulated hES cell proliferation but also differentiation. In the present study, we further extended our analysis to other Wnt ligands such as Wntl and Wnt5a. While Wntl displayed a similar effect on hES cells as Wnt3a, Wnt5a had little effect in this system. Wnt3a and Wntl enhanced proliferation of undifferentiated hES cells when feeder-derived self-renewal factors and bFGF are also present. To explore the possibility to promote the proliferation of undifferentiated hES cells by activating the Wnt signaling, we overexpressed Wnt3a or Wntl gene in immortalized human adult fibroblast （HAFi） cells that are superior in supporting long-term growth of undifferentiated hES cells than primary mouse embryonic fibroblasts. HAFi cells with or without a Wnt tmnsgene can be propagated indefinitely. Over-expression of the Wnt3a gene significantly enhanced the ability of HAFi feeder cells to support the undifferentiated growth of 3 different hES cell lines we tested. Co-expression of three commonly-used drug selection genes in Wnt3a-overpressing HAFi cells further enabled us to select rare hES clones after stable transfection or transduction. These immortalized engineered feeder cells （W3R） that co-express growth-promoting genes such as Wnt3a and three drug selection genes should empower us to efficiently make genetic modified hES cell lines for basic and translational research.

Automated bolting and meshing on a continuous miner for roadway development

Automated installation of primary roof support material can potentially increase productivity and operator safety in the roadway development process within underground coal mining. Although the broader manufacturing sector has benefited from automation, several challenges exist within the Australian underground coal industry which makes it difficult to fully exploit these technologies. At the University of Wollongong a series of reprogrammable electromechanical manipulators have been designed to overcome these challenges and automatically handle the installation of roof and rib containment consumables on a continuous miner. The automated manipulation removes personnel from hazards in the immediate face area, particularly those associated with working in a confined and unstable working environment in close proximity to rotating and moving equipment. In a series of above ground trials the automated system was successfully demonstrated without human intervention and proven to be capable of achieving cycle times at a rate of 10 m per operating hour, consistent with that required to support high capacity longwall mines. The trials also identified a number of refinements which could further improve both cycle times and system reliability when considering the technology for underground use. The results have concluded that conventional manual handling practices on a continuous miner can be eliminated, and that the prototypes have significantly reduced the technical risk in proceeding to a full underground trial.

Pedogeochemical Environments and Peoples Health in China

It has long been recognized that pedogeochemistry is closely related with human health. Based on analytical data, the weathering or soil forming processes fall into four stages and China is divided into four geochemical regions: saline soil region, carbonate soil region, siallitic soil region and ferrallitic soil region. Moreover, some endemic diseases in relation to the deficit or excess of some elements are discussed in the viewpoint of pedogeochemistry.

Optimization of assembly line balancing using genetic algorithm

In a manufacturing industry, mixed model assembly line(MMAL) is preferred in order to meet the variety in product demand. MMAL balancing helps in assembling products with similar characteristics in a random fashion. The objective of this work aims in reducing the number of workstations, work load index between stations and within each station. As manual contribution of workers in final assembly line is more, ergonomics is taken as an additional objective function. Ergonomic risk level of a workstation is evaluated using a parameter called accumulated risk posture(ARP), which is calculated using rapid upper limb assessment(RULA) check sheet. This work is based on the case study of an MMAL problem in Rane(Madras) Ltd.(India), in which a problem based genetic algorithm(GA) has been proposed to minimize the mentioned objectives. The working of the genetic operators such as selection, crossover and mutation has been modified with respect to the addressed MMAL problem. The results show that there is a significant impact over productivity and the process time of the final assembled product, i.e., the rate of production is increased by 39.5% and the assembly time for one particular model is reduced to 13 min from existing 18 min. Also, the space required using the proposed assembly line is only 200 m2 against existing 350 m2. Further, the algorithm helps in reducing workers fatigue(i.e., ergonomic friendly).

Graduation is the Hallmark of Excellence How Colleges Can Achieve High Rates

Fine facilities, adequate financial aid, and sufficient resources are crucial elements for a university to be successful. But unless students graduate at an appropriate rate, the university will ultimately be considered ineffective. Students who exit the university without a degree will have their dreams deferred and often struggle to lead a life of any quality. Among those who fail to graduate are a disproportionate number of African Americans and other minorities; this of which must change for a country to thrive and be respected as an exemplary democracy. However, those who do graduate are prepared and financially compensated to lead and make a positive impact in education, politics, science and technology, and human-service areas. This manuscript provides findings from a thorough review of literature on graduation issues and concerns to support development of a framework of tenets to increase graduation rates, especially for African Americans. Further, it highlights specific efforts of a particular college to enhance its graduation rates and provides implications for future directions.

Science and the practice of cardiovascular medicine in the geriatric population

1 Why is the demograpy important? In the half century 2000-2050,there will be a virtual tsunami of aging in the United States.The anticipated increase in the population older than age 65 is 140%,and for the population older than age 85,389%.More than half of the current U.S.population can anticipate living to age 80,with a contemporary life expectancy at age 75 of 11 years,and at age 85 of 6 years.

Asymptomatic lymphangioma involving the spleen and retroperitoneum in adults

Lymphangioma, a benign neoplasm of the lymphatic system, is common in children but rare in adults. Its clinical manifestations include abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and a palpable mass. However, abdominal sonography or abdominal computed tomography （CT） scan can also incidentally reveal lymphangioma. A larger or symptomatic lymphangioma is treated with total resection to prevent recurrence, infection, torsion and enlargement. Although lymphangioma rarely becomes malignant, its prognosis is generally good. We report a cystic lymphangioma of the spleen and retroperitoneum, which was incidentally found in a 56-year-old man who was hospitalized due to a colon mass. Physical examination showed no specific findings. Abdominal CT revealed a 5.7 cm, non-enhanced multilobulated cystic mass with multiple sepia in the spleen and a 10 cm lobulated cystic mass in the paraaortic area. Splenectomy and retroperitoneal resection of the cystic mass were conducted. The endothelium of splenic and retroperitoneal cyst was immunohistochemically stained with D2-40 antibody. The patient was finally diagnosed with splenic cystic and retroperitoneal cavernous lymphangioma.

Shrinking and Drying up of Baiyangdian Lake Wetland:A Natural or Human Cause?

The shrinking and drying up of wetlands in arid and semiarid areas of China have been widely observed in the recent years, but there has been no consensus on whether the aggravation is caused by human activities or by global climate warming. For a better understanding of the cause, this study investigates the dynamic changes of Baiyangdian Lake wetland over the last 40 years. It is shown that since the 1980s, Baiyangdian Lake has suffered from an insufficient water input and shrunk considerably. By using SPSS 11.0, this study urines a detailed Analysis on the signifficance of the effects of the possible driving factors for the degradation. It is identified that the North China Plain has been warrnin~ up significantly in recent years, which causes a significant reduction in the precipitation and inflow to the lake. Although human disturbances such as the irrigation and storage of water in reservoirs do not play a decisive role, they accelerate the degradation and their effects should be minimized.