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Accurate identification of species from timber is an essential step to help control illegal logging and forest loss. However, current approaches to timber identification based on morphological and anatomical characteristics have limited species resolution. DNA barcoding is a proven tool for plant species identification, but there is a need to build reliable reference data across broad taxonomic and spatial scales. Here, we construct a species barcoding library consisting of 1550 taxonomically diverse timber species from 656 genera and 124 families, representing a comprehensive genetic reference data set for Chinese timber species and international commercial traded timber species, using four barcodes (rbcL, matK, trnH-psbA, and ITS2). The ITS2 fragment was found to be the most efficient locus for Chinese timber species identification among the four barcodes tested, both at the species and genus level, despite its low recovery rate. Nevertheless, the barcode combination matK+trnH-psbA+ITS2 was required as a complementary barcode to distinguish closely related species in complex data sets involving internationally traded timber species. Comparative analyses of family-level discrimination and species/genus ratios indicated that the inclusion of closely related species is an important factor affecting the resolution ability of barcodes for timber species verification. Our study indicates that although nuclear ITS2 is the most efficient single barcode for timber species authentication in China, complementary combinations like matK+trnH-psbA+ITS2 are required to provide broader discrimination power. These newly-generated sequences enrich the existing publicly available databases, especially for tropical and subtropical evergreen timber trees and this current timber species barcode reference library can serve as an important genetic resource for forestry monitoring, illegal logging prosecution and biodiversity projects.

Male infertility may be caused by genetic and/or environmental factors that impair spermatogenesis and sperm maturation. High-altitude (HA) hypoxic environments represent one of the most serious challenges faced by humans that reside in these areas. To assess the influence of the plateau environment on semen parameters, 2,798 males, including 1,111 native Tibetans and 1,687 Han Chinese individuals living in the plains (HCILP) who underwent pre-pregnancy checkups, were enrolled in this study. The semen samples of males were evaluated to determine conventional sperm parameters, sperm morphology, and sperm movement. Reproductive endocrine hormones (REHs) were detected in 474 males, including 221 Tibetans and 253 HCILP. Due to recurrent abortions in partners, the DNA fragmentation index (DFI) of 133 native Tibetans and 393 HCILP individuals was further compared. Luteinizing hormone (LH) (4.94 ± 2.12 vs. 3.29 ± 1.43 U/L), prolactin (11.34 ± 3.87 vs. 8.97 ± 3.48 nmol/L), E2/T (0.22 ± 0.11 vs 0.11 ± 0.05), median total sperm motility (61.20% vs. 51.56%), and DFI (23.11% vs. 7.22%) were higher in males from plateau areas while median progressive motility (PR) (35.60% vs. 41.12%), total number of PR sperms (51.61 vs. 59.63 mil/ejaculate), percentage of normal form sperms (3.70% vs. 6.00%), curvilinear velocity (36.10 vs. 48.97 μm/s), straight-line (rectilinear) velocity (14.70 vs. 31.52 μm/s), estradiol (103.82 ± 45.92 vs. 146.01 ± 39.73 pmol/L), progesterone (0.29 ± 0.27 vs. 2.22 ± 0.84 nmol/L), testosterone (4.90 ± 1.96 vs. 14.36 ± 5.24 nmol/L), and testosterone secretion index (ratio of testosterone to LH) (33.45 ± 22.86 vs 145.78 ± 73.41) were lower than those in males from the plains. There was no difference in median total sperm number (157.76 vs. 151.65 mil/mL), sperm concentration (52.40 vs. 51.79 mil/mL), volume (3.10 vs. 3.10 mL), total normal form sperms (5.91 vs. 6.58 mil/ejaculate, p50), and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels (4.13 ± 2.55 U/L vs 3.82 ± 2.35 U/L) between the two groups of males. The REH and sperm parameters of males from HA hypoxic environments were adaptively altered. Although the total number of PR sperm decreased and DFI increased, the Tibetan population that lives at HAs has been found to grown continuously and rapidly. These results supplement prior findings regarding the impact of HA on male reproductive function.

Three rare spirocyclohexadienone-type neolignans, magnoflorins A-C (1-3), and three known analogs (4-6), were isolated from the leaves of Magnolia liliiflora. Magnoflorin D (4) was obtained from natural resources for the first time. The chemical structures and absolute configurations of 1-4 were elucidated through detailed analysis of HR-ESI-MS, IR

The aim of DNA barcoding is to enable fast and accurate species identification. However, universal plant DNA barcodes often do not provide species-level discrimination, especially in taxonomically complex groups. Here we use Lauraceae for the design and evaluation of DNA barcoding strategies, considering: (1) the efficacy of taxon-specific DNA barcode regions compared with universal barcodes for species discrimination; and (2) how the extent of intra- and interspecific sampling affects species discrimination rates. To address these areas, we targeted the highly polymorphic, taxon-specific barcode regions ycf1 + ndhH–rps15 + trnL–ycf2 for Lauraceae and compared them against the suite of standard plastid loci used for DNA barcoding (rbcL + matK + trnH–psbA) and the standard nuclear barcode ITS. The highest discrimination success came from nrDNA ITS, whereas the plastid regions (rbcL + matK + trnH–psbA) and the taxon-specific regions (ycf1 + ndhH–rps15 + trnL–ycf2) showed limited and inconsistent resolution. These results highlight that taxon-specific plastid barcodes may provide limited gains in discriminatory power in complex, closely related groups like Lauraceae. Moreover, our study showed that species discrimination greatly depends on the taxon sampling scheme, with relatively lower species discrimination observed where there is more comprehensive intra- and interspecific sampling. The outstanding challenge for plant DNA barcoding is the development of assays that allow routine low-cost access to large numbers of nuclear markers to facilitate the sequencing of large numbers of individuals.

The seasonal variation characteristics of water-soluble organic nitrogen (WSON) in PM

BACKGROUND Systematic reviews have focused on sperm recovery and post-thaw parameters after cryopreservation, but there is no information on the associated clinical outcomes. In recent years, an increasing number of studies have reported cryopreservation of a single sperm due to the importance of fertility preservation. OBJECTIVES To assess whether the cryopreservation of single human spermatozoa improves clinical outcomes in patients with azoospermia or severe oligospermia. MATERIALS AND METHODS We conducted an extensive literature search using the following databases: CENTRAL, CNKI, Cochrane Systematic Reviews, EMBASE, MEDLINE, PUBMED, and Web of Science for relevant studies published through December 31, 2019. We calculated the pooled proportions of cryopreservation of a single human spermatozoon to assess the recovery, survival, fertilization, pregnancy, miscarriage, and delivery rates. Subgroup analyses were performed for the following covariates, (a) different carriers, (b) year of publication, and (c) source of sperm. RESULTS We included 25 studies, which included 13 carriers. The pooled proportion of recovery rate of spermatozoa cryopreserved was 92% (95% CI, 87%-96%), and the survival, fertilization, pregnancy, miscarriage, and delivery rates were 76% (95% CI, 69%-83%), 63% (95% CI, 58%-67%), 57% (95% CI, 39%-74%), 12% (95% CI, 0%-33%), and 40% (95% CI, 12%-71%), respectively. Based on the subgroup analysis, the recovery and survival rates of frozen spermatozoa in a subgroup of different carriers were statistically significant. In the past decade, frozen single human spermatozoon technology has improved the recovery rates of frozen-thawed spermatozoa. However, the differences in clinical outcomes of frozen spermatozoa in subgroups of different sources of sperm were not statistically significant. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION The techniques for single human spermatozoa are feasible and efficient and may benefit patients with severe oligospermia or azoospermia.

Using DNA barcoding for species identification remains challenging for many plant groups. New sequencing approaches such as complete plastid genome sequencing may provide some increased power and practical benefits for species identification beyond standard plant DNA barcodes. We undertook a case study comparing standard DNA barcoding to plastid genome sequencing for species discrimination in the ecologically and economically important family Lauraceae, using 191 plastid genomes for 131 species from 25 genera, representing the largest plastome data set for Lauraceae to date. We found that the plastome sequences were useful in correcting some identification errors and for finding new and cryptic species. However, plastome data overall were only able to discriminate c. 60% of the species in our sample, with this representing a modest improvement from 40 to 50% discrimination success with the standard plant DNA barcodes. Beyond species discrimination, the plastid genome sequences revealed complex relationships in the family, with 12/25 genera being non-monophyletic and with extensive incongruence relative to nuclear ribosomal DNA. These results highlight that although useful for improving phylogenetic resolution in the family and providing some species-level insights, plastome sequences only partially improve species discrimination, and this reinforces the need for large-scale nuclear data to improve discrimination among closely related species.

Background Cryopreservation of extremely few spermatozoa is still a major challenge for male fertility preservation. This study aims to evaluate the cooling rate, recovery rate, and retrieval rate, along with other parameters of spermatozoa that cryopreserved using Cryopiece, a novel carrier, for individual sperm cryopreservation. Methods Semen samples from 60 fertile donors were collected, and each semen sample was screened for motile sperm and mixed with cryoprotective agent (CPA), and then frozen using Cryopiece, micro-straw, and mini-straws. The cooling rate, retrieval rate, and recovery rate, morphology, DNA fragmentation index (DFI) and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), were compared among the un-frozen sperm and the sperm cryopreserved using these carriers. Results Cryopiece possessed the fastest cooling rate. After freeze-thaw, the average retrieval rate of sperm cryopreserved using Cryopiece was 96.25%, and the average recovery rate was 64.40%, which were higher than that of sperm cryopreserved using the other two carriers (71.42% and 54.30% for micro-straw, and 63.54% and 58.04% for mini-straw, respectively). There was no significant impact on DFI after sperm cryopreservation, and no significant difference in morphology between sperm cryopreserved using these carriers was observed. Though MMP of sperm changed significantly after cryopreservation, micro-straw maintained sperm MMP better than Cryopiece and mini-straw did, while no significant difference was observed in MMP between sperm cryopreserved using Cryopiece and mini-straw. Conclusions Cryopiece produced satisfying retrieval and recovery rates in sperm cryopreservation and should be an ideal carrier for cryopreservation of small number of sperm.

In this study, the 24-hour backward trajectories of air mass at ground level(10 m)in Nanjing were calculated by using the HYSPLIT model with the NCEP global reanalysis data from April 1st to October 31st, 2017. The backward trajectories were then combined with the hourly concentration data of O

With the constraint that all six major pollutants in Nanjing must meet the air quality standards by 2030, on the basis of the 2015 emission inventory, the CMAQ air quality model was used to conduct PM

To observe the effect of Huangjing Zanyu Capsule (HZC) on sperm mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) in asthenozoospermia patients.We assigned 70 asthenozoospermia patients to a treatment group (n = 39) and a control group (n = 31), the former treated with oral HZC at the dose of 4 capsules tid for 3 months while the latter left untreated. We obtained semen parameters from the patients and detected their sperm mitochondrial membrane potentials (MMP) by JC-1 staining and flow cytometry before and after medication, followed by comparison between the two groups.The total effectiveness rate was 71.05% in the treatment group and natural pregnancy was achieved in 3 cases during the medication. A total of 35 patients in the treatment group and 30 controls completed all the laboratory examinations after a 3-month observation. Compared with the controls, the patients treated with HZC exhibited significant improvement after medication in MMP (variation value: ［1.19 ± 10.36］% vs ［20.28 ± 14.21］%, P0.01), total sperm motility (variation value: ［3.46 ± 8.67］% vs ［20.68 ± 14.12］%, P0.01), the percentage of progressively motile sperm (variation value: ［2.26 ± 8.29］% vs ［17.58 ± 12.73］%, P0.01), and the percentage of morphologically normal sperm (variation value: ［0.23 ± 3.48］% vs ［3.37 ± 3.99］%, P0.01). MMP was significantly correlated with total sperm motility (r = 0.69, P0.01), progressive sperm motility (r = 0.75, P0.01) and normal sperm morphology (r = 0.26, P0.01).Huangjing Zanyu Capsule can enhance sperm mitochondrial membrane potential and sperm mitochondrial function, thus improving total sperm motility, progressive sperm motility and normal sperm morphology. It is safe and effective for the treatment of asthenospermia.目的： 观察黄精赞育胶囊对弱精子症患者精子线粒体膜电位的影响及临床疗效。 方法： 弱精子症患者70例分药物治疗组（n=39）和空白对照组(n=31)做队列观察研究。药物治疗组予黄精赞育胶囊口服3个月，1次4粒，每日3次。服用时可备孕，期间若配偶怀孕则停止用药。空白对照组不予药物干预。观察初次就诊和3个月后精液参数变化，及JC-1染色后流式细胞仪检测精子线粒体膜电位（MMP）值的变化。 结果： 两组各失随访1例。药物治疗组总有效率为71.05%，服药过程中3例患者女方自然妊娠。药物治疗组35例患者完成观察期结束后检查，MMP%、精子总活力、前向运动精子百分率（PR%）、精子形态均有改善，其变化值较空白对照组30例患者的测定值有显著差异（P0.01），分别为△MMP%: (20.28±14.21)% vs (1.19±10.36)%； △PR%: (17.58±12.73)% vs (2.26±8.29)%；△总活力: (20.68±14.12)% vs (3.46±8.67)%；△正常形态精子百分率: (3.37±3.99)% vs (0.23±3.48)%。MMP%与精子总活力（r=0.69）、PR%（r=0.75）、正常形态精子百分率（r=0.26）具有显著相关性(P0.01)。结论： 黄精赞育胶囊能提高精子MMP值，改善线粒体功能，从而有效增加精子活力及PR%并改善精子形态，对治疗弱精子症安全有效。.

Background Emergence agitation (EA) is a common phenomenon in preschool children during emergence from general anesthesia. This study evaluated the safety and efficacy of dezocine for emergence agitation in preschool children anesthetized with sevoflurane-remifentanil. Methods A total of 100 preschool children, scheduled for elective laparoscopic repair of an inguinal hernia by high ligation of the hernia sac under sevoflurane-remifentanil anesthesia were randomized into two groups: Group C (n = 50) received Ringer’s lactate 10 mL and Group D received Ringer’s lactate 10 mL containing dezocine 0.1 mg/kg, postoperatively. Results Incidence of EA, defined as a score ≥ 3 on Aono’s four point scale or Pediatric Anesthesia Emergence Delirium (PAED) score ≥ 10 in the PACU (10% vs. 76%) and the percentage of patients with severe EA (PAED score ≥ 13) (12% vs. 76%) were significantly lower in Group D compared to Group C (P

The quality of the base layer materials is one of the key factors that influences pavement performance and service life. The previous research and experiment results have preliminarily proved that cool regenerated materials have good road-applied properties, and verified the main technical characteristics of preliminary analysis results of cement cold regenerated. Based on experimental results and cement strength standard, road performance cold regenerated aggregates and cold regenerated lime treated soil is analyzed in this paper. The results show that the performance of cement cold regenerated materials meets the requirements. Cement cold regenerated aggregates can be used as Grade 2nd and below Grade 2nd road. Under appropriate conditions, cement cold regenerated aggregates can also be used for freeway base; Cement cold regenerated lime treated soil can be used as subbase Grade 2nd and Grade 2nd below road.

In order to study the factors which influence the inorganic binder stabilized material’s compaction test results, different recycled material content therefore different reclaimed gradation mixtures are tested while varying the amount of cement. The experiment results show that contents of the recycled base material and the recycled surface material on the compaction test results are determined by the change of their density and water absorption ratio. Dry density of the recycled mixture increases with the increase of the reclaimed base material density. Low water absorption ratio of the recycled material reduces the reclaimed mixture’s optimum moisture content. Density of the reclaimed wearing surface material reduces the maximum dry density of the reclaimed mixture because the old wearing surface material has lower density. Its low water absorption reduces the optimum moisture content of the recycled mixture. Influence of cement content on compaction test results is the increase of the cement content can enhance the maximum dry density and optimum moisture content of the recycled material. Through the analysis of the results of the compaction test, the key factors in the recycled material compaction test are unveiled.

We prospectively compared clinical response and penile color duplex ultrasound results of oral tadalafil 20 mg plus low dose intracavernous injection of vasoactive agents with those of intracavernous injection and oral tadalafil 20 mg alone. We also observed the best approach to facilitate penile color duplex ultrasound and that most preferred by patients.All 56 patients with erectile dysfunction underwent penile color duplex ultrasound 3 times at an interval of at least 1 week using different pharmacological induction methods, including tadalafil mode (20 mg tadalafil), intracavernous injection mode (30 to 60 mg papaverine) and mixed mode (15 mg papaverine plus 20 mg tadalafil). Ultrasound parameters included peak systolic and end diastolic velocity, resistance index and acceleration time. Clinical response was assessed by the erection hardness score. Patient preference was determined when all tests were finished.For penile color duplex ultrasound parameters no significant difference was observed between intracavernous injection and mixed modes. However, for tadalafil mode peak systolic velocity of the 2 cavernous arteries measured 15 minutes after induction were significantly lower than for intracavernous injection and mixed modes. Also, acceleration time of the right cavernous artery measured 5 minutes after induction and left cavernous artery measured 15 minutes after induction in tadalafil mode were significantly shorter than those in intracavernous injection and mixed modes. No severe side effect occurred in tadalafil and mixed modes but 2 patients experienced priapism in intracavernous injection mode. Of the patients 55.4% preferred tadalafil mode, an incidence significantly higher than intracavernous injection (16.1%) and mixed (28.5%) modes.Oral tadalafil plus low dose vasodilator led to a significantly better clinical response than high dose vasodilator. Penile color duplex ultrasound parameters showed no difference between the 2 modes. Thus, this mixed mode emerges as a possible alternative to high dose vasodilator injection.

Accurate estimates of ammonia (NH 3 ) emissions are needed for reliable predictions of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) by air quality models (AQMs), but the current estimates contain large uncertainties in the temporal and spatial distributions of NH 3 emissions. In this study, the US EPA Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) modeling system is applied to study the contributions of the agriculture–livestock NH 3 (AL-NH 3 ) emissions to the concentration of PM 2.5 and the uncertainties in the total amount and the temporal variations of NH 3 emissions and their impact on the formation of PM 2.5 for August and December 2002. The sensitivity simulation results show that AL-NH 3 emissions contribute significantly to the concentration of PM 2.5 , NH 4 + , and NO 3 − ; their contributions to the concentrations of SO 4 2− are relatively small. The impact of NH 3 emissions on PM 2.5 formation shows strong spatial and seasonal variations associated with the meteorological conditions and the ambient chemical conditions. Increases in NH 3 emissions in August 2002 resulted in >10% increases in the concentrations of NH 4 + and NO 3 − ; reductions in NH 3 emissions in December 2002 resulted in >20% decreases in their concentrations. The large changes in species concentrations occur downwind of the high NH 3 emissions where the ambient environment is NH 3 -poor or neutral. The adjustments in NH 3 emissions improve appreciably the model predictions of NH 4 + and NO 3 − both in August and December, but resulted in negligible improvements in PM 2.5 in August and a small improvement in December, indicating that other factors (e.g., inaccuracies in meteorological predictions, emissions of other primary species, aerosol treatments) might be responsible for model biases in PM 2.5 .

Although peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) and adenosine A2A receptor (A2AR) are reported to be anti-inflammatory factors in acute lung injury (ALI), their internal link and synergic or antagonistic effect after activation are poorly understood. Here, we found that PPARγ and A2AR could upregulate the mRNA and protein expressions of each other in lung tissues of LPS-induced mouse ALI model and murine macrophages. Further investigation demonstrated that PPARγ upregulated A2AR expression by directly binding to a DR10 response element (-218 to -197) within A2AR gene promoter region. Instead of directly interacting with PPARγ, A2AR stimulated PPARγ expression via protein kinase A (PKA)-cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) signaling by provoking the binding of CREB to a cAMP responsive element (CRE)-like site in PPARγ gene promoter region. In addition, combination of PPARγ and A2AR agonists was found to exert obviously better effect on suppressing neutrophil infiltration and inflammatory cytokine expressions, attenuating lung edema, pathological changes and improving lung function of blood gas exchange than their single application. These findings reveal a novel functional positive feedback loop between PPARγ and A2AR signaling to potentialize their effect on inhibiting inflammation and attenuating lung damages in ALI. It suggests that targeting this PPARγ-A2AR signaling rather than PPARγ or A2AR alone may be a more attractive and efficient potential therapeutic strategy for ALI.

To prospectively compare the clinical responses and penile color-duplex ultrasound (PCDU) results of oral PDE5 inhibitors (PDE5-Is) with papaverine intracavernosal injection (ICI) and to evaluate whether PDE5-Is could be used as alternatives to vasoactive agent injections, 25 ED patients underwent PCDU three times with an interval of at least 1 week, using different pharmacological induction: ICI mode (30–60 mg papaverine), sildenafil mode (100 mg sildenafil) and tadalafil mode (20 mg tadalafil). The preference of the patients was collected when all tests were completed. No significant differences were found in peak systolic velocity and acceleration time among all three modes. However for the ICI mode, end diastolic velocity of the right cavernosal artery was significantly higher than those of the sildenafil and tadalafil modes 5 min after erection induction, and at 15 min it became lower than those of two PDE5-I modes. Consequently, resistance index of the right cavernosal artery in ICI mode was reversed at 5 and 15 min. In all, 60.0 and 56.0% patients managed to reach full erection in PDE5-Is modes, which was significantly lower than in ICI mode (80.0%). Therefore, although PDE5-Is and papaverine ICI showed similar effects on PCDU parameters in detecting arterial ED, more patients had better clinical responses to ICI, and oral PDE5-Is administration still showed some pitfalls in practical use.

The antagonism or genetic deletion of adenosine A(2A) receptors has been shown to exacerbate tissue damage in acute lung injury. Caffeine, a widely consumed behavioral drug, acts as a non-selective antagonist of A(2A) receptor and also has additional pharmacological effects. Thus, the protective vs. deleterious effects of caffeine in acute lung injury should be evaluated. In a murine oleic acid-induced model of acute lung injury, we found that chronic caffeine treatment by drinking water (0.1g/l or 0.25g/l for 2 weeks before acute lung injury) or acute caffeine treatment at high dose (i.p. 50mg/kg, injection, 30min before acute lung injury) significantly attenuated the lung edema, hemorrhage, neutrophil recruitment as well as the inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1 (IL-1) expressions in both of the wild type (WT) and A(2A) receptor knockout (KO) mice. This profile was accompanied by increased cAMP levels and up-regulation of A2B receptor mRNAs in the lungs. In contrast, acute caffeine treatment at low dose (i.p. 5mg/kg or 15mg/kg, injection, 30min before acute lung injury) enhanced the inflammation and lung damage in WT mice with decreasing cAMP but not in A(2A) receptor KO mice. These results indicate that caffeine either enhances lung damage by antagonizing A(2A) receptor or exerts protection against lung damage via A(2A) receptor-independent mechanisms, depending on the timing of exposure (chronic vs. acute) and dose of administration (low vs. high). These findings provide new insight of caffeine in acute lung injury and highlight the potential benefit and strategy of caffeine intake or administration for preventing acute lung injury.

To investigate the pathological changes of tunica albuginea in erectile dysfunction (ED), the role of tunica albuginea in penis erection, and the therapeutic effect of phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor (PDE5I) on ED.Thirty 8-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 3 equal groups: (1) control group fed with normal diet for 16 weeks, (2) high-fat group fed with the diet containing 2% cholesterol and 10% pork fat, and (3) Tadalafil group fed with high-fat diet for 16 weeks and undergoing gastric perfusion of Tadalafil 2 mg/kg daily since the 13th week for 4 weeks. Sixteen weeks later, intracavernous pressure and mean arterial pressure were measured, and the ratio of maximal intracavernous pressure to mean arterial pressure (ICP/MAP) was calculated blood samples were collected. Blood samples were collected from the abdominal aorta to undergo lipid profile test. Then penis was cut. Victoria blue/ponceau red staining and color image analysis were used to observe the content of elastic fibers in the tunica albuginea.The ICP/MAP of the high-fat group was 0.49 +/- 0.05, significantly lower than that of the control group (0.82 +/- 0.06, P0.01). The ICP/MAP of the Tadalafil group was 0.60 +/- 0.02, significantly higher than that of the high-fat group (P0.05). The content of elastic fibers in tunica albuginea of the high-fat group was 468 +/- 152, significantly lower than that of the the control group (3292 +/- 1123, P0.01). The content of elastic fibers in tunica albuginea of the Tadalafil group was 2062 +/- 560, significantly higher than that of the high-fat group (P0.05).High fat diet may lead to ED and reduction of elastic fibers in tunica albuginea, and PDE-5I reverses such pathological changes.

Endothelial function plays a very important role in the process of erection. Erectile dysfunction (ED) and coronary artery disease (CAD) overlap in risk factors, aetiology and clinical outcomes. Endothelial dysfunction is considered to be their shared aetiological factor. There is growing evidence that patients presenting with ED should be investigated for CAD, even if with no symptoms of the problem. Earlier diagnosis of ED can facilitate prompt intervention, reduce long-term complications, especially the risk of CAD, and provide effective treatment for ED.

To investigate the expression of hypoxia inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha) and relationship thereof to survivin and Bax, apoptosis related proteins, in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).Immunohistochemistry was used in 52 specimens of NSCLC to detect the expression of HIF-1alpha, survivin and Bax.The positive rates of HIF-1alpha, survivin and Bax were 38.5% (20/52), 48.1% (25/52), and 42.3% (22/52) respectively. The higher the pathological stage of tumor, the higher expression rate of HIF-1alpha (chi2=8.271, P0.05). The positive rate of HIF-1alpha expression of the patients with lymph node metastasis was higher than that of the patients without lymph node metastasis (chi2=6.370, P0.05). However, HIF-1alpha expression had no relationship to the pathological type (chi2=0.561, P0.05) and differentiation degree (chi2=0.326, P0.05). Correlation analysis showed that the expression of HIF-1alpha was positively correlated with the surviving expression (gamma=0.496, P0.05) and Bax expression (gamma=0.681, P0.05).The expression of HIF-1alpha is related to the infiltration, metastasis, and apoptosis of NSCLC.

ED treatment has changed fundamentally since phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor (PDE5-I) came into clinical use. There are three kinds of PDE5-I available at present, Sildenafil, Vardenafil and Tadalafil. Tadalafil distinguishes from the other two by its uniquely long half-life, which lasts 17.5h, which a pharmacodynamic duration of 36h and not influenced by food and alcohol. Thus it may enable ED patients to accomplish a spontaneous intercourse without the need of prior preparation without, which can boost their confidence and self-esteem and, the most important, improve the relationship with their partner. To know patient preference counts quite a lot in optimizing the medication ED treatment.