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C19H20O8, triclinic, P 1 ‾ $P\overline{1}$ (no. 2), a = 7.0708(4) Å, b = 8.1261(4) Å, c = 16.1067(6) Å, α = 81.252(4)°, β = 81.500(4)°, γ = 77.890(4)°, V = 887.88(8) Å3, Z = 2, R gt (F) = 0.0418, wR ref(F 2) = 0.1158, T = 150 K.

Background Oral medication therapies are more conventional than other non-surgical therapies in the acute phase of Peyronie's disease (PD). Although the commonly used oral drugs for PD have shown poor or indeterminate outcomes, most patients prefer oral medications. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Scutellaria baicalensis extract for treating acute-phase PD patients and examine the practicality of treatment strategies for PD according to the disease course. Methods This retrospective study was performed at our institution from 2005 to 2015 and analyzed the data of 261 patients with PD. The acute-phase PD patients received Scutellaria baicalensis extract for 6 months. After oral treatment, the patients with persistent curvature underwent surgical correction during the stable phase. Results During this study period, 183 patients received oral treatment with Scutellaria baicalensis, and 78 patients did not. Compared to the untreated patients, treatment with Scutellaria baicalensis had a significant effect in improving the symptoms of acute-phase PD. The mean time required for stabilization also showed a significant statistical difference. Treatment with Scutellaria baicalensis was safe and well-tolerated. After the disease stabilized, 70 and 31 patients with significant penile curvature underwent surgical correction by 16- dot plication and great saphenous vein grafting procedures, respectively. At the one-year follow-up, complete penile straightening and penile length shortening were observed in 92.86% and 41.43% of the patients after 16-dot plication and in 87.10% and 25.81% of the patients after grafting procedures, respectively. The postoperative Erectile Function domain of the International Index of Erectile Function scales were maintained in all patients after the 16-dot plication procedure and decreased in 54.84% of the patients after the grafting procedure. Overall, 92.86% and 83.87% of the patients who received 16-dot plication and grafting procedures, respectively, were satisfied with the final surgical results. Conclusions Treatment with extract of Scutellaria baicalensis seems to be beneficial for improvements in symptoms of acute phase PD and acceleration of the disease stabilization. The 16-dot plication and great saphenous vein grafting procedure seem effective options in the surgical management of the stable phase after Scutellaria baicalensis administration in the acute phase of PD.

Objectives This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a 16-week creative expression intervention program (CrExp) on the event-related potential (ERP) and task reaction time (RT) in older individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Methods This study is a randomized controlled clinical trial conducted in the Memory Center of Fujian Provincial hospital. Thirty-six MCI patients were randomly distributed into two groups. One group underwent a 16-week creative expression program (CrExp, n = 18) and the other performed as a control group (CG, n = 18) by general social activities. The amplitude and latency of event-related potential (ERP-P300) from the central (Cz), parietal (Pz), frontal (Fz) cortices and task reaction time (RT) were assessed at baseline, post-interventi on, and 24-week follow-up. Results The CrExp group showed greater differences than CG of P300 latency in Cz (F = 4.37, P = 0.015), Pz (F = 2.78, P = 0.009), Fz (F = 6.45, P = 0.031) brain area after 16 weeks of intervention and in Fz (F = 3.23, P = 0.028), Cz (F = 3.79, P = 0.024), and Pz (F = 5.60, P = 0.036) at 24 weeks follow-up. Also, we analyzed the task reaction time between two groups and found that a shorten reaction time at post-intervention (F = 4.47, P = 0.011) and 24 weeks follow-up (F = 3.12, P = 0.007) in the CrExp group. However, there was no difference in P300 amplitude in either brain area between the two groups. Conclusion The electrophysiological results of the creative expression cognitive therapy group were more obvious than those of the general cognitive therapy group, and the latency and task reaction time may be considered as supported parameters in diagnosing the effects during non-drug therapy intervention in clinical practice.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of creative expression (CE) therapy on cognition, communication, emotion, and quality-of-life in people with dementia. Methods: One hundred individuals were included in this study, of whom 91 completed the study (mean age=84.33). The participants were randomly assigned to an intervention group (n=43) and a control group (n=48), and received the CE program or standard cognitive (SC) training twice a week for 6 weeks, respectively. Both groups were submitted to extensive neuropsychological tests, as follows - Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Quality of Life-Alzheimer's Disease (QOL-AD), Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD), Functional Assessment of Communication Skills (FACS) at baseline, 1-, and 4 -weeks post-intervention, and the Observed Emotion Rating Scale (OERS) was measured during the intervention period at weeks 3 and 6. Results: The participants demonstrated significant improvements in cognitive function, quality-of-life, depression degree, communication ability, and emotion status (P

The aim of this study was to explore differences in serum Tau protein levels and neurodevelopmental prognoses of placental abruption or umbilical cord around neck with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE).Forty neonates with moderate/severe HIE divided into placental abruption with HIE group (placental abruption with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (PA-HIE) group) (n = 18) and umbilical cord around the neck with HIE group (umbilical cord around the neck with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (UCAN-HIE) group) (n = 22). Healthy term newborns comprised the control group (n = 35). Serum Tau protein levels were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay 24 hours (3.50 hours [1.00-24.00]) after birth. Neurodevelopment outcomes were assessed based on the Gesell Developmental Scale at 9 months of age.Serum Tau protein levels were significantly higher in 40 cases (1013 pg/ml [538.04-1190.42]) than in the control group (106.41 pg/ml [64.55-154.71], p = .0001). Serum Tau protein levels in the PA-HIE group (1024.46 pg/ml [657.88-1190.42]) were significantly higher than those in the UCAN-HIE group (892.78 pg/ml [538.04-1179.50], p = .0149). The development quotient score in the PA-HIE group (67.0 [47.0-90.0]) was significantly lower than that in the UCAN-HIE group (81.5 [52.6-100.0]) (p = .0028). The component ratio of neurodevelopmental retardation in the PA-HIE group (44.45%) was significantly higher than that in the UCAN-HIE group (22.73%) (XCompared with the UCAN-HIE group, the serum Tau protein level and the component ratio of neurodevelopmental retardation were significantly higher in the PA-HIE group.

Morphology plays an important role in fungal fermentation and secondary metabolites biosynthesis. One novel technique, microparticle-enhanced cultivation was successfully utilized to control the morphology of Monascus purpureus precisely and enhance the yield of yellow pigments. The production of yellow pigments increased to 554.2 U/ml when 4 g/L 5000 mesh talc added at 24 h. Field emission scanning electron microscope observation indicated that the actual effect depends on the properties of microparticle. Sharp-edged microparticles showed better stimulatory effects than smooth, round-shaped ones. Particle size analysis, scanning electron microscope, and cell integrity evaluation proved obvious morphological changes were induced by talc addition, including smaller mycelial size, rougher hyphae, and decreased cell integrity. Furthermore, the expression levels of MrpigG, MrpigD, MrpigE, and MrpigH were significantly upregulated by the addition of talc. It indicated that the microparticle could not only affect the mycelial morphology, but also influence the expression levels of key genes in biosynthetic pathway of Monascus yellow pigments.

Objective: To study the relationship of incision infection after colorectal cancer surgery with the body's nutritional status, immune function and inflammatory factors. Methods: 146 patients who received radical operation for colorectal cancer in our hospital between June 2013 and December 2015 were selected and divided into infection group and non-infection group respectively according to the postoperative incision infection. 1 d before operation, the same day after operation and 3 d after operation, serum was collected respectively to detect nutritional indexes and inflammatory factors, and peripheral blood was collected to determine the levels of immune cells and erythrocyte immune molecules. Results: The same day after operation, serum Hb, TP, Alb, PA and Tf levels of both groups were not significantly different from those 1 d before operation, the peripheral blood CD3+CD4+, CD3+CD8+, CD16+CD56+, CD19+, CR1, CR3, CD58 and CD59 levels were significantly lower (P

A novel and high efficient PbO2 electrode has been fabricated in the present study for refractory wastewater treatment. The traditional Ti plate is made into honeycomb by electronic corrosion to be used as electrode basement. The novel surface topography improves the specific surface area of the electrode material and enhances the adhesion of surface coating. SnO2-Sb layer is deposited between basement and PbO2 layer which reduces the thermal stress and improve electrode life. Rare earth element La is doping into PbO2 layer to improve the lattice structure and the catalytic performance. Finally, F ion is adding into the catalytic layer to improve the smoothness of the material surface. Characterized by SEM and XRD, results showed that the electrode prepared has novel surface morphology. Pollutants degradation results and electrode life test showed that the PbO2 electrode investigated in the present study has great advantage compared with traditional electrodes and has good application prospect.

Monodisperse nickel phosphide (Ni5P4) nanoparticles supported on carbon (Ni5P4@C) were in situ synthesized by one step solution-phase route, in which the mixture of trioctyloxide (TOPO) and trioctylphosphine (TOP) was used as solvent, capping agent and phosphor source. Ni5P4nanocrystals were in situ coupled by active carbon simply adding the carbon to the reaction solution. The as-prepared Pt-free Ni5P4 nanocrystals exhibit the enhanced electrocatalytic activity toward hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) compared to pure commercial Ni nanoparticles. Therefore, the obtained Ni5P4@C nanocatalyst appears to be promising non precious metal electrocatalysts for HOR.

The automotive emission has become the main source of the air pollution in cities. How to remove NOx effectively is the key and difficult point in the control of automobile exhaust. In this work, sol-gel was applied to prepare NOx purification catalyst, LaCoO3 which was doped with strontium (Sr) and iron (Fe). The average particle size was less than 25 nm. The optimum composition of doped LaCoO3 was determined as La0.8Sr0.2Co0.95Fe0.05O3 with a minimum particle size, 14.3nm. The denitrification rate of La0.8Sr0.2Co0.95Fe0.05O3 increased by 27.9% compared with that of LaCoO3. It was noted that the sample powder would agglomerate when doped LaCoO3 was calcinated at 800°C, the calcination temperature of LaCoO3. Therefore the calcination temperature for double doped LaCoO3 was optimized. According to results of XRD and BET, the optimum calcination temperature of La0.8Sr0.2Co0.95Fe0.05O3 is 575°C, which not only overcame the agglomeration but also reduced the particle size to 11.2nm. The denitrification rate of La0.8Sr0.2Co0.95Fe0.05O3 calcinated at 575°C is up to 95.8% which is higher 38.7% than that of it calcinated at 800 °C.

Polyamines (putrescine, spermidine, and spermine) are essential polycations that play important roles in various physiological and pathophysiological processes in mammalian cells. The study was to investigate their role in cardioprotection against ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury and the underlying mechanism. Isolated hearts from male Sprague-Dawley rats were Langendorff-perfused and cardiac I/R was achieved by 30 min of global ischemia followed by 120 min of reperfusion. Different concentrations of polyamines (0.1, 1, 10, and 15 μmol/L of putrescine, spermidine, and spermine), cyclosporin A (0.2 μmol/L), or atractyloside (20 μmol/L) were given 10 min before the onset of reperfusion. The hemodynamics were monitored; the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels in the coronary effluent were measured spectrophotometrically; infarct size was determined by the 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining method; and mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP) opening was determined spectrophotometrically by the Ca

Swarm robotics is an approach to collective robotics that takes inspiration from the self-organized behaviors of social animals. Through simple rules and local interactions, swarm robotics aims at designing robust, scalable, and flexible collective behaviors for the coordination of large numbers of robots [1]. With the simplicity in individual robot design and flexibility in the dimension of their collectivity, swarm robot systems have received considerable attention in recent research. However, lots of previous literature has focused on collective behaviors of swarm robot systems to achieve higher capability in both communication and coordination, whereas, individuality of a specific swarm robot has been seldom addressed. Traditionally, because the design of an individual swarm robot is rather simple, using many robots is the only way to tackle complicated tasks. Considering expanding demands of robotic tasks with higher complexity, higher dimensionality, and different information density, other than employing the conventional low cost-effective approach of increasing the number of swarm, this project intends to adopt higher swarm individuality to obtain higher flexibility and re-configurability of the system. The proposed swarm design has been tested with a self-developed multi-target following system, the Auto-Cart (a new supermarket service system). In order to optimize the system performance using a simple individual robot design and a minimum number of swarm, a new navigation and communication algorithm was proposed. Simulation and experiment results verified the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed system and algorithm.

A major challenge in chemical engineering is the separation and purification of materials, especially of rare earth compounds. It has been reported that a dielectrophoretic (DEP) apparatus can be used for separating rare earth oxides. The DEP capture of REOs on screen electrode was observed with microscope. The concentration of ROEs was determined using a nephelometer and ICP-OES before and after injection into the DEP apparatus. The results show that three types of REOs, La2O3, CeO2 and Dy2O3, generate nDEP in the DEP capture apparatus. There are two factors: voltage and suspension concentration, that affect the capture rate. The capture rate increases as voltage rises within certain limits. The capture rate also increases with increase in the original suspension concentration. Different REOs show marked differences in the DEP capture conditions. Consequently, factors such as voltage and flow rate can be controlled to achieve separation of different REOs.

Objective: To investigate the influences of TimeSlips on the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD) scores of mild or moderate senile dementia patients. Methods: Forty-three cases of mild or moderate senile dementia patients were selected locally for convenience sake and given the TimeSlips intervention. The patients were assessed using the scales of CSDD and the Observed Emotion Rating Scale (OERS). Results: The differences of the patients' CSDD scores between before and after the intervention were statistically significant (P

Objective To examine how nursing aides in nursing homes perceived their caring work. Methods Twenty-four nursing aides from one public and one private nursing home in Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China were selected and interviewed in focus groups. Phenomenological analysis was performed. Results Two themes (positive and negative working experiences) and six sub-themes were drawn: companionship, happiness, trust, achievement, hard work, and grievance. Conclusion A reasonable work arrangement, positive psychological intervention, and the strengthening of professional, medical and social supports are recommended to improve the work quality and satisfaction of nursing aides in elderly homes.

The article aims to study the influencing factors of rural tourism decision-making and the correlation between the major factors. Based on the literary analysis and tentative interviews, it mainly talks about eight factors, which are the positive recommendation, marketing, price levels, environmental atmosphere, safety and sanitation, traditional psychological tendency and rural cognition of the reference groups. According to reliable evidence, there is a significant correlation among the eight factors, which can be divided into external factors and internal factors. Finally, A series of counter_measures are taken for tourists to make a better rural tourism decision-making.

Hydrogen zeolite was modified with CeO2 by impregnation - filtration - heat treatment. Hydrogen-zeolite samples before and after modification were characterized by XRD and SEM. The catalytic efficiency of modified hydrogen-zeolite was investigated. Such modification conditions were explored: as the CeO2 percentage, calcination temperature, calcination time, impregnation temperature. The results show that the optimal CeO2 percentage is 0.5%, calcination temperature is 600°C, calcination time is 2h, impregnation temperature is 75°C. The aspirin yield reaches 78.3% under the optimal conditions, compared with that (64.8%) catalyzed by sulfuric acid and that (70.4%) catalyzed by unmodified zeolite. XRD, SEM characterizations show that Ce ions can be doped into the zeolite framework. And the modification makes the zeolite particle size become smaller, which is reduced to 50.5nm from 56.76nm. A high efficient and eco-enviromently catalyst was got by modification.

In the present study, catalyst of SO42-/ZrO2-TiO2-SiO2-Al2O3 has been prepared by sol-gel method and doped by Y, La and Chitosan, respectively. The catalytic ability of modified catalysts for the synthesis of hexyl butyrate has been tested. It has been shown that the catalytic ability has been improved obviously after modification. Under the best experimental conditions, with Y doping 1%, La doped 1.5% and Chitosan doped 4%, the catalytic ability has been improved from 76.7% to 90.7%, 92.1% and 93.9%. Characterized by XRD, SEM and IR, it has been found that the grain sizes of catalysts are smaller which due to higher specific surface andimprove the catalytic ability. With abundant amino groups at the surface, the Chitosan doping improves the capacity of SO42- for catalysts.

One lanthanide nitrate (Ln = Tb) with a novel three dimensional structure have been prepared through hydrothermal method. Single crystal X-ray diffraction structures were obtained. The compound crystallizes in the orthorhombic,Pnmaspace group. The lanthanide ions are eight-coordinate with six oxygen atoms coming from nitrate ions and two from bridge oxygen atoms. If the bridge oxygen atoms could be ignored, the compound can be described as a rare microporous 3D Lanthanide nitride with the open framework.

The industry needs to constantly promote the cultural industry transformation and upgrading, and the "Internet +" era, the pace of transformation and upgrading of cultural industries to accelerate, "Internet +" has the advantage of creating more possibilities for development of cultural industry. The integration of "Internet +" and Wuhan culture industry has the inner and outer driving force of pushing. "Internet + the cultural industry”,” Internet + cultural products", "Internet + cultural consumption" and "Internet + enterprise" will become the four main development models under the background of integration of “Internet + the cultural industry” in the future.

The aim of the present study was to observe whether dopamine receptor (DR) was involved in the effects of sodium salicylate (SS) on the expressions of N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors in rat cochlear spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs). Forty-eight hours after primary culture of rat SGNs, immunofluorescence technique was applied to detect expressions of DR1 and DR2, the two subtypes of dopamine receptors. Western blot was performed to assess NMDA receptor NR1 subunit and GABA

BACKGROUND Mycelia pellet has been exploited as a biological carrier for whole-cell immobilization due to its unique structural characteristics. An innovative two-species whole-cell immobilization system was developed initially, which was achieved simply by inoculating the marine-derived fungus Pestalotiopsis sp. J63 spores into culture medium containing another fungus Penicillium janthinellum P1 pre-grown mycelia pellets for 2 days. RESULTS The resulting co-immobilization system exhibited stronger biocatalytic activity, broader spectrum of substrates and remained more stable in media when subjected to hostile environment than free mycelia. In order to examine the potential function and prospects of this co-immobilization system, the treatment of paper mill effluent was applied as a practical example. Numerous insoluble fine fibers in the wastewater were successfully and rapidly biodegraded and removed using this novel co-immobilization system. CONCLUSION Overall, the present study offers a simple and reproducible way to architect a two-species whole-cell immobilization system, which is highly promising for biochemical and industrial processes. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry

In this paper, silica microspheres and several novel μm scale DEP (dielectrophoresis) micro electrode array chips were prepared. A DEP experimental system was assembled to investigate the the DEP response of silica microspheres and micrometer particles. The effects of pattern of electrodes and frequency of AC field on the manipulation of silica microspheres were analyzed. The results showed that silica microspheres were manipulated by negative DEP (nDEP) in all types of electrodes, the position of silica microspheres in the electrodes changed when the frequency was changed and the phenomenon of nDEP was more obvious at higher frequency. A gas sensor was fabricated by dielectrophoretically assembling SiO2micrometer particles. The sensor showed good response to SO2and NH3gas. The measurement results confirmed DEP could be a quicker method for constructing gas sensor.

Silk fabric was first developed in ancient China, and Chinese silk also promoted the first world large-scale commercial exchanges between the East and the West. Digital printing is a technical breakthrough in the field of traditional printing and dyeing industry, which can also improve the value of the silk. There is a long history of making books by silk, and the recent revival of silk books also put forward new demands to digital printing. There exist two methods for printing book, both of which have their disadvantages. We propose a fast digital printing method for silk book which combines the advantages of the previous two methods. As the silk book has become a new choice for book collection, we believe that the proposed method will largely accelerate the popularity of silk book.

This paper presents a device to investigate dielectrophoresis (DEP) effects through different patterns of the electrodes. Pattern of electrodes, DEP time and voltage have been described to research the manipulation of particles by dielectrophoresis. The TiO2sample droplet was dropped onto several electrode pairs using a micro-dropper. We succeeded in manipulating TiO2particles along the electric field and deposited them across the gaps between two electrodes by modulating different factors. SEM images were used to confirm the patterns of different electrodes.

Several rare earth phosphate nanomaterials have been synthesized. It is shown that during the Micro emulsion preparation process, the size and morphology of rare earth phosphate nanomaterials could be tuned by changing the conditions of the micro emulsion system, which have a significant effect on the fluorescence properties.

Type A γ-aminobutyric acid receptors (GABAAR) and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDAR) are the major inhibitory and excitatory receptors in the central nervous system, respectively. Co-expression of the receptors in the synapse may lead to functional influence between receptors, namely receptor interaction. The interactions between GABAAR and NMDAR can be either positive or negative. However, the mechanisms of interaction between the two receptors remain poorly understood, and potential mechanisms include (1) through a second messenger; (2) by receptors trafficking; (3) by direct interaction; (4) by a third receptor-mediation. Dopamine is the most abundant catecholamine neurotransmitter in the brain, and its receptors, dopamine receptors (DR) can activate multiple signaling pathways. Earlier studies on the interaction between DR and GABAAR/NMDAR have shown some underlying mechanisms, suggesting that DR could mediate the interaction between GABAAR and NMDAR. This paper summarized some recent progresses in the studies of the interaction between DR and NMDAR/GABAAR, providing a further understanding on the interaction between NMDAR and GABAAR mediated by DR.

We report on the structural and material properties of Cu-poor CuIn1-xGax Se2 (CIGS) thin films with different gallium contents grown using the co-evaporation technique. Temperature-dependent photoluminescence (PL) and high-resolution X-ray diffraction measurements were performed. The PL emission peaks observed around 1.0-1.2 eV are attributed to donor-acceptor pair luminescence. These donor-acceptor pair emissions are considered to originate from relatively shallow acceptor and donor energy levels. In addition, the X-ray diffraction spectra of the samples are simulated using a theoretical model. From the analysis, it is found that the sample with higher gallium content exhibits smaller grain size and the microstructure size uniformity is reduced. The theoretical calculation result is consistent with the experimental results derived from the PL spectra. (© 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Panax ginseng C A Meyer (PG) is one of the most popular qi-invigorating herbal medicine and has been used to promote health, vitality, and longevity in China. Although PG has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for millennia, its qi-invigorating activities still lack convincing evidence. We investigated the effects of Panax ginseng polysaccharide (PGP) on energy metabolism and mitochondrial protection. The chronic hypoxia model was set up. Lipid peroxidation product malondialdehyde (MDA) was assayed by thiobarbituric acid (TBA) colorimetry. Mice liver mitochondria were isolated by differential centrifugation. The spectrophotometric method was used to measure the swelling of mitochondria. The levels of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and adenosine monophosphate (AMP) in liver cells were determined by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC), adenylate energy charge (AEC), total adenylate pool (TAP), ATP/ADP and ATP/AMP ratio were calculated. The creatine kinase (CK) activities in mice skeletal muscle were determined by a commercial monitoring kit. The result showed that PGP could inhibit mitochondrial injury and swelling induced by Fe2+-L-Cys in a concentration-dependent manner. PGP which was administered by oral gavage daily for 10 days could inhibit the formation of MDA in mice brain, increase levels of ATP, ADP, TAP and AEC, ratio of ATP/ADP and ATP/AMP in liver cells, increase CK activities in mice skeletal muscle under chronic hypoxia condition. These results indicate that PGP protect mitochondria by inhibiting mitochondrial swelling, and improving energy metabolism. PGP functions as a preventive antioxidant by increasing CK activities. Therefore, PGP had the pharmaceutical activities of antihypoxia, antioxidation and improving energy status.

Aims and objectives This study aimed to investigate the effects of a feeding intervention in patients with Alzheimer's disease with dysphagia. Background In patients with Alzheimer's disease, inadequate food and fluid intake can result in malnutrition, dehydration and increased morbidity and mortality. Patients may lose self-care abilities such as self-feeding. Design A prospective cohort study. Methods A three-month self-control feeding intervention was conducted prospectively in 30 nursing home residents with Alzheimer's disease with dysphagia. Pre- and post-intervention measures included the Kubota water swallow test, type and amount of food intake and assessment of nutritional status by triceps skinfold thickness, upper arm circumference, serum albumin and haemoglobin. We used the Edinburgh Feeding Evaluation in Dementia scale to evaluate eating compliance and the Mini- Mental State Examination to evaluate cognitive function. Pre- and post-intervention results were compared to evaluate the effects of nursing intervention. Results Patients’ eating/feeding abilities improved overall, including significantly increased food intake (p

Endometriosis is defined as the growth of ectopic endometrial tissue beyond the uterine cavity. The incidence of endometriosis has been reported to range from 4% to 17% in all women of reproductive age. The most commonly reported presentations of endometriosis are dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, pelvic pain, and infertility. Most endometrial deposits are confined to the pelvis but extrapelvic endometriosis has also been occasionally documented in the literature [1]. Cervical endometriosis is an uncommon and generally asymptomatic condition. We report an extremely rare case of intrapartum uterine rupture through the scar of the previously ruptured cystic cervical endometriosis. A 33-year-old nulliparous woman visited our clinic in 2003 because of lower abdominal pain. She had a history of laparoscopic cystectomy because of bilateral ovarian endometriomas in 2000. Dysmenorrhea recurred 2 years after the operation. Transvaginal sonography at our clinic revealed a homogeneous cyst measuring approximately 3 cm 4 cm over the posterior endocervix (Fig. 1). Abdominal sonography showed a fluidfilled cervical cyst. The patient presented at our emergency department a few hours after her initial visit to our clinic because of lower abdominal pain and persistent vaginal bleeding. She denied having undergone sexual intercourse or trauma before the vaginal bleeding began. Speculum examination revealed a ruptured cystic lesion approximately 2 cm 2 cm with active bleeding over the posterior lip of the cervix (5-o’clock direction) near the vaginocervical junction without extending to the external orifice of the cervix. Chocolate-like fluid also flowed out from the wound, and cervical endometriosis was suspected. We removed the fragile cyst wall