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Objective·To study the effect of rhubarb administration on the balance between intestinal flora and the body.Methods·Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups (n=8), which were given extractions of rhubarb 0.1 g/kg (low dose group), 2.5 g/kg (medium dose group), 4.5 g/kg (high dose group) and normal saline (control group) by intragastric administration for 5 d, and the daily change of fecal water content of rats was observed. Gas chromatography/time of flight mass spectrometry (GC/TOFMS) approach was used to detect the metabolites in serum, colon tissue and fecal of rats on the 5th day of administration. Principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares discrimination analysis (PLS-DA) were used to analyze the differences of metabolites between different dose groups and the control group. The metabolites with statistical significance were obtained by t-test.Results·The water content of rat feces in the dose group gradually increased with the time and dose after rhubarb administration. Compared with the control group, 28, 18 and 20 differential metabolites were obtained in serum, colon tissue and fecal samples from different dose groups, which showed significant changes (P

Objective During object tracking, motion information can predict the location of the object. If motion information is ignored or motion is inaccurately modeled, then tracking may fail. To deal with this issue, we introduce visual saliency, which can quickly capture the interesting object, in tracking. Furthermore, we propose a tracking algorithm based on spatio-temporal motion saliency. Method First, we propose a bottom-up computational model for spatio-temporal motion saliency according to the hierarchical motion processing in the visual cortex. We adopt 3D spatio-temporal filters for the coding of underlying motion signals and max-pooling operation for the coding of local features. Considering the temporal relationship between the spatio-temporal motion features in the historical and current frames, we construct the spatio-temporal motion saliency map by measuring the difference between consecutive frames. Second, in the frame of particle filter, we measure the correlation between the predictive state and the observation by combining spatio-temporal motion saliency with color histogram. The object state can then be determined and tracked. Result Compared with other methods, our approach can stably track the objects under unfavorable situations, such as variable lighting, background clutter, motion blurs, occlusion, and deformation. We can improve the tracking performance in terms of central position error, precision, and success rate. In addition, we integrate the spatio-temporal motion saliency into other tracking methods and achieve better results, which demonstrates the effectiveness of the spatio-temporal motion saliency for object tracking. Conclusion The spatio-temporal motion saliency can improve tracking performance as it measures motion information effectively, thereby enhancing the salient area and suppressing interference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most salt lakes of Chaidamu circular economy pilot area in Qinghai Province are chloride-type lakes, and many chlorine-contained by-products will be formed during the developing process. How to utilize and transform these by-products has an important significance for the chlorine balance in industry chain of salt lake area. The industrial metabolism process of chlorine element is analyzed from the main planed products in Chaidamu circular economy pilot area master plan. Two main problems that affect the utilization of chlorine element are chlorine element balance and potential pollution to the salt lake caused by calcium chloride. Three transforming and converting approaches are put forward, which are immobilization process that converts chlorine to solid products, transformation process that transforms chlorine to organic products and clean storage of calcium chlorine. If the above approaches can be put into practice, the balance of chlorine element will be achieved in the pilot area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of sulfur recovery catalysts CT6--4B and CT6--5B in Anqing Petrochemical Company is summarized and analyzed. Operation and calibration of the unit show that the series catalysts have good activity, thermal stability, anti-sulfation property and hydrolysis resistance aging performances, which can keep high total sulfur conversion of the sulfur recovery unit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the combined effect of evodiamine (EVO) and norcantharidin (NCTD) on HepG2 cells., Methods: HepG2 cells were treated with EVO or/and NCTD at different concentrations in vitro, with blank culture medium as the negative control. The inhibitory effect of EVO or/and NCTD was determined by MTT assay. Cell cycle and cell apoptosis were assessed by flow cytometry (FCM) combined with PI staining and annexin V-FITC/PI, respectively. The expressions of Bax and Bcl-2 were examined by Western blotting. RESULTS MTT assay showed that NCTD and EVO had restraining effect on the growth of HepG2 cells. The combination of NCTD and EVO had significant synergistic inhibition effect (CI<1). The arrest rate of G2/M phase was (36.13±1.63)% in the EVO induced group and (10.67±0.89)% in the NCTD induced group, and the combination of EVO and NCTD up-regulated the rate to (73.42±1.92)% (P<0.05). In addition, the apoptosis rate of HepG2 cells treated by two-drug combination increased significantly from (15.78 ± 3.08)% in the EVO group and (11.47 ± 1.60)% in the NCTD group to (21.86±2.70)% in the EVO combined with NCTD group (P<0.05). Western blotting demonstrated that the expression level of Bax protein went up significantly (P<0.05), meanwhile Bcl-2 protein dropped significantly (P<0.05) in the combined induced group., Conclusion: EVO combined with NCTD showed synergetic effect on anti-proliferation and pro-apoptosis in HepG2 cells.

Objective: To explore the clinical features of patients with vertebrobasilar dolichoectasia (VBD)., Methods: Patients diagnosed with posterior circulation ischemia in our hospital from October 2008 to January 2012 were consecutively collected and were divided into the VBD group and the non-VBD (NVBD) group. Clinical manifestations, risk factors, hemodynamic parameters and neuroimaging features were collected., Results: (1) Statistical difference was observed in dyslipidemia, hypertension and the history of diabetes in the two groups (P < 0.05). (2) The cerebral hemodynamic features of the VBD patients were as the following: decreased peak systolic velocity of vertebral artery and basilar artery and decreased systolic/diastolic ratio. Statistical difference was showed in the average peak flow velocity (Vm), pulsatility index (PI) and resistance index (RI) (P = 0.036, 0.032, 0.032, respectively). (3) The main clinical manifestations of VBD were ischemic cerebrovascular disease, hemorrhagic cerebrovascular disease, oppression, brain damage symptoms and hydrocephalus. (4) The diagnosis in most of the VBD patients was confirmed by neural imaging and MRI was the first choice., Conclusion: The VBD patients have relative unique clinical features. MRI should be the first choice for neuroimaging.

Objective: To investigate the influencing factors for daily water intake of Beijing residents., Methods: A multi-stage sampling method was constructed to interview 270 Beijing residents in the winter of 2009 and in the summer of 2010 by using a questionnaire to collect data on daily drinking water consumption. Multilevel models were used to analyze the variation and influencing factors for the amount of water intake., Results: Multilevel model results showed that the average daily water intake of residents living in different villages or neighborhood committees was statistically significant (sigma2 mu0 = = 0.030 (0.009), P < 0.05). The individual variation in the same village or neighborhood committee was also significant (sigma2 e0 = 0.157 (0.010), P < 0.05). Season, gender, and body weight affected the daily water intake (P < 0.05). There were interaction between season and source of water supply., Conclusion: The average daily water intake of residents was affected by several factors. In the health risk assessment of drinking water, it needs considering not only the individual characteristics but also the differences of villages/neighborhood committees and the seasonal variation.

A method for the simultaneous determination of 7 arsenic species was developed with high performance liquid chromatography and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HPLC-ICP-MS). The sample was extracted with artificial gastric juice. The HPLC separation was performed on an anion analytical column utilizing a gradient elution program of ammonium carbonate and water as the mobile phase. Identification and quantification were achieved by ICP-MS. Good linearities of 7 arsenic species were observed in the range from 1 microg/kg to 50 microg/kg with the correlation coefficients greater than 0.999. The average recoveries of 7 arsenic species spiked at the three levels of 1, 2 and 10 microg/kg ranged from 84.3% to 106.6% with the relative standard deviations of 1.4%-4.2%. The quantification limits of 7 arsenic species were 1 microg/kg. The method was proved to be good reproducibility, high sensitivity and simple preprocessing. This method is suitable for the simultaneous determination of 7 arsenic species in chicken muscle and chicken liver.

Objective: To investigate the effect of salvianolic acid B (SA-B) on renal interstitial fibrosis due to unilateral ureteral obstruction., Method: Thirty-six SD male rats were randomly divided into 3 groups, 12 in each group, the sham-operated group, the model group and the SA-B treated group. The rat model of renal interstitial fibrosis was successfully established by unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO). Rats in the SA-B treated group was intragastrically administrated with SA-B (12.5 mg x kg(-1)) daily after modeling. Rats of each group were killed respectively at day 14 and day 21 after UUO. Pathological changes of renal tissue were observed by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. The expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) in kidney was determined with immunohistochemistry. And the expressions of cytokeratinl9 (ck19) mRNA in renal tissue were detected using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)., Result: Renal interstitial fibrosis was obviously ameliorate in SA-B treated group. The expression of alpha-SMA was significantly decreased in SA-B treated group as compared with that in model group at day 14. And the expression of ck19 was significantly lower than that determined in model group at day 21., Conclusion: SA-B could ameliorate renal interstial fibrosis due to UUO, probable by inhibiting epithelial-to-myofibroblast transdifferentiation and the activation of myofibroblast.

Objective: To study effect and mechanisms of tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) on renal interstitial fibrosis induced by unilateral ureteral obstruction in rats., Method: Eighteen male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into sham-operated group, model group and TMP group, 6 in each group. The model of renal interstitial fibrosisi was established in rats by unilateral ureteral obstruction. All rats were killed at the end of the 3rd week after treatment. Pathological change and collagen deposition of the kidneys in rats were observed with HE staining and Masson's collagen staining, respectively. The contents of procollagen III N-terminal peptide and TGF-beta 1 in renal tissue homogenates were tested by radioimmunoassay and ELISA, respective. Protein expression levels of Smad 7 and the Smad transcriptional corepressors SnoN in the obstructed kidney were analyzed by Western blotting., Result: Pathological examination of the kidneys in the model group showed renal tubule atrophied and lumens expanded, tubular interstitium broadened, large amount of collagen interstitial deposited. The contents of procollagen III N-terminal peptide and TGF-beta 1 were higher and the protein expression levels of Smad7 and SnoN were significantly lower than those in the sham-operated group. Compared with the model group, TMP ameliorated the pathological lesion of the obstructed kidney, decreased the procollagen III N-terminal peptide and TGF-beta 1 contents, significantly increased the expression levels of Smad7 and SnoN protein., Conclusion: TMP can evidently resist renal interstitial fibrosis induced by UUO in rats, which might be related with down-regulation of the contents of TGF-beta 1, which is a potent profibrosis cytokine, meanwhile up-regulation of the protein expression levels of Smad7 and SnoN in renal tissue.

Objective: To investigate the indoor air concentration of particulate matter in residential house and its relationship with ambient pollution level., Methods: Indoor and outdoor air level of PM2.5 and PM10 were monitored in 10 residential houses in downtown area., Results: In the non-heating period, the indoor air level of PM2.5 and PM10 were 27.0 - 272.9 microg/m3 and 42.9 - 309.6 microg/m3, respectively. In the heating period, PM2.5 and PM10 were 20.7 - 251.4 microg/m3 and 34.0 - 283.9 microg/m3, respectively. There were good correlation between the indoor air concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10. The relationships between the indoor and outdoor air concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10, however, were not clear., Conclusion: Our results showed that there were serious indoor air pollution of particulate matter in residential house. Further research will be needed to clarify the characteristics of indoor air particulate matter pollution and its influence on resident.

The volatile flavor compounds in Agaricus blazei fruit bodies and mycelia were analyzed by head space analysis GC-MS. 7 kinds of volatile flavor compounds were identified in fruit bodies, and 16 in mycelia. Benzaldehyde and benzyl alcohol are main compounds in fruit bodies, their contents are 43.20% and 28.98% respectively. Benzaldehyde is the main compound in the mycelia and its content is 38.50%. Benzaldehyde and benzyl alcohol are main volatile flavor compounds in Agaricus blazei.

To design an ozone disinfection apparatus which is inexpensive and to practical for small drinking water supply system in rural areas. And test its effectiveness. Designed apparatus must be rapid, low cost, high automatic and easy for operation. The key technologies are to create ozone of high concentration and to mix it with water very well, and add it into main water pipe automatically. The results showed: In laboratory, at the condition of ozone of 0.2 mg/l for 3 minutes, all germs and bacteria coli were killed. In the field study, the water samples from three villages met the standard for drinking water very well., The Conclusions: The apparatus reached the design requirement. An innovative part of the study is that we have improved a device for mixture of ozone with water. The laboratory and field study have proved the apparatus is low cost, high effectiveness, and easy to operate u. It is very useful for small drinking water supply system in rural areas.