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Purpose: To assess the memory-enhancing effect of Cistanche deserticola Ma (Orobanchaceae) extract (CDME) on normal aged mice.Methods: An open-field test was used to study the effects of various doses of CDME on mouse locomotive activity. The mice were sacrificed following the locomotor test and the brain dissected to investigate the effects of CDME on catalase (CAT) and acetyl cholinesterase (AChE) activities in mouse brain tissue.Results: Compared with the control aged group, CDME (400 mg/kg) significantly reduced the total distance traveled (3312.5 ± 119.3 cm, p < 0.05), increased brain CAT activity (107.6 ± 11.8U/mg pro, p < 0.05), and inhibited brain AChE activity (0.89 ± 0.13 U/mg pro, p < 0.05) in CDME-exposed mice.Conclusion: The results show that CDME improves memory function in mice, probably by increasing the activity of CAT and decreasing AChE activity.Keywords: Cistanche deserticola Ma, Memory function, Catalase, Acetyl cholinesterase, Open-field test

Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention, 17, 9

Quantitatively determining the sources of dune sand is one of the problems necessarily and urgently to be solved in aeolian landforms and desertification research. Based on the granulometric data of sand materials from the Hulun Buir Sandy Land, the paper employs the stepwise discriminant analysis technique (SDA) for two groups to select the principal factors determining the differences between surface loose sediments. The extent of similarity between two statistical populations can be described quantitatively by three factors such as the number of principal variables, Mahalanobis distance D2 and confidence level α for F-test. Results reveal that: 1) Aeolian dune sand in the region mainly derives from Hailar Formation (Q3), while fluvial sand and palaeosol also supply partially source sand for dunes; and 2) in the vicinity of Cuogang Town and west of the broad valley of the lower reaches of Hailar River, fluvial sand can naturally become principal supplier for dune sand.

The non-stationary natural convection problem is studied. A lowest order finite difference scheme based on mixed finite element method for non-stationary natural convection problem, by the spatial variations discreted with finite element method and time with finite difference scheme was derived, where the numerical solution of velocity, pressure, and temperature can be found together, and a numerical example to simulate the close square cavity is given, which is of practical importance.

The effects of stretching ratio and stetching temperature on phase transition of melt-spun poly (vinylidene fluoride) fibers were investigated and analyzed by using scanning electron microscopy, wide angle X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry and Fourier transfer infrared spectroscopy. The β phase exists in the as-spun fiber. The β phase content increases as the stretching ratio increases. When the stretching temperature is lower than 100°C, enhancing temperature is good for the transition of phase α to β. By contrast, when the stretching temperature is higher than 100°C, enhancing temperature is unfavourable for the transition of phase α to β. Increasing the draw temperature increases the α-phase content

The gasification process of petroleum-coke coal water slurry in a new-type coal water slurry gasification furnace has been simulated. The temperature distribution in the coal water slurry furnace and the concentration distribution of the gasified products have been studied. The simulated results showed that the gasification effect of the new-type coal water slury gasification is better than the common coal water slurry gasification. In the new-type gasification furnace the average temperature and the carbon translative ratio is slightly increased. The effective component (CO+H 2 ) in coal gas at the outlet of the furnace is increased by 7.91%, and the concentration of CO 2 and H 2 O is greatly decreased. The H 2 O dissolution ratio is greatly increased and the oxygen used for unit mass coal water slurry gasification is decreased by 6%.