Study on suitable distribution areas of Notopterygium incisum in Sichuan province based on remote sensing and GIS.

Notopterygium incisum is the important medicinal materials of the Tibetan-Qiang medical system in China, also one of the rare and endangered medicinal materials in the Plateau areas in the meantime. Taking the planting of in Sichuan province as an example, research on the N. incisum in Sichuan utilize remote sensing and GIS techniques, bind growth environment factor, including height factor, average annual precipitation, average annual temperature, forest information, were chosen according to habitat conditions. And combine field measurement to verify. The results indicate that N. incisum resources in Sichuan province were mainly distributed in the alpine valley and the northwest of the plateau, which suitability distribution areas of 4145 km2 approximately and accounting for 2% of the total area. Suitability areas accounting for more than 2% of the respective total area in Heishui county, Lixian county, Xiaojin county, Kangding county, ect. According to the field investigation and the related document information record, drawn that the suitability distribution based on RS and GIS were corresponded with the actual distribution areas of N. incisum resources. It's feasible to divide the suitability distribution area of N. incisum using RS and GIS, which will provide a scientific basis for a comprehensive investigation of the distribution as well as its rational exploitation and protection.

Elastic nails for fibular fracture in adult tibiofibular fractures.

Treatment of adult tibiofibular fractures, especially severely comminuted fractures, is technically challenging due to the lack of reduction markers and difficulty in restoring the alignment. Fixation of the fibula can facilitate reduction of the tibia fracture and restoration of the lower-extremity alignment. However, there are few literatures mentioned using intramedullary nail fixation for fibular fractures. Twenty-three cases of tibiofibular fractures were treated with elastic nails fixation fibular fractures and intramedullary nail or plate stabilization tibial fractures between January 2012 and December 2012. Adult tibiofibular fractures with fibular neck fractures or fibular fracture line apart from the ankle joint surface within 8 cm was ruled out. There were 19 males and 4 females with an average age of 41 years (range, 21-59 years). The injury causes included 11 falls and 12 traffic accidents. The left side was involved in 11 cases and the right side was involved in 12 cases. Seventeen cases were closed fractures and 6 cases were open fractures, all were Gustilo type I and II fractures. According to the AO classification, six fractures were defined as type 42A, 11 as type 42B, and 6 as type 42C. The average interval between injury and surgery was 5.8 d (range, 3-22 d). The operation time of elastic nails fixation fibular fractures was 24 minutes (range, 15-42 minutes). Primary wound healing was achieved in all patients. No complications such as infection and wound necrosis occurred. Twenty-one patients were followed up for a mean follow-up period of 16.3 months (range, 12-26 months). The mean duration of fracture healing in the radiographs was 4.1 months (range, 3-8 months). No recurrent fracture dislocation and breakage of implant were observed. At the last follow-up visit, the lower-extremity alignment was excellent. Two degrees of varus deformity was found in 3 cases, and 2 degrees of valgus deformity was observed in 2 cases, but there were no serious varus or valgus deformity affecting the lower-extremity function or causing pain. The results of Tornetta's ankle function scoring were excellent in 17 cases, good in 3 cases, and fair in 1 case; and the good-to-excellent rate was 95.2%. In the case of adult tibiofibular fractures, elastic nails fixed fibular fracture is helpful to maintain and adjust the lower limbs axis, help tibial fracture reduction, and increase stability.

Comparative study of InterTAN and Dynamic Hip Screw in treatment of femoral intertrochanteric injury and wound.

The aim of this study is to compare the effects and complications of InterTAN nail versus Dynamic Hip Screw (DHS) in treatment of femoral intertrochanteric fractures. Between January 2006 and December 2013, a total of 75 patients with femoral intertrochanteric fractures were retrospectively reviewed. There were 16 cases of type A1, 51 cases of type A2, and 8 cases of type A3. 37 patients treated with InterTAN nail, and 38 with DHS. The clinic data of surgical trauma, postoperative function and complications were statistically compared in this study. This results indicated that 31 cases by InterTAN and 30 cases by DHS had obtained follow-up with mean time (11 ± 5.6) months. Operative time of InterTAN group is (23.1 ± 9.2) min, and of DHS group is (55.2 ± 14.5) min (P < 0.05). Intra-operative active blood loss is (70.1 ± 30.7) ml in InterTAN group, and (205.7 ± 40.7) ml in DHS group (P < 0.05). Fluoroscopy frequency of InterTAN group is (16.3 ± 4.4) times, and of DHS group is (25.1 ± 3.1) times (P < 0.05). Complications occurred in 3 cases (9.7%) in InterTAN group compared 6 cases (20%) in DHS group (P < 0.05). Two cases had hip varus in InterTAN group, and three cases in DHS group. One case had deep venous thrombosis (DVT) in InterTAN group, and one case in DHS group. In conclusion, InterTAN significantly reduce the operative time, fluoroscopy frequency, intra-operative active blood loss and postoperative complications. The InterTAN technical features make it applicable to the aged patient with variety of medical basic diseases and cases of osteoporotic and unstable fracture types.

Chiral separation of ß-blockers by MEEKC using neutral microemulsion: Analysis of separation mechanism and further elucidation of resolution equation.

Based on the investigation of the effect of microemulsion charge on the chiral separation, a new chiral separation method with MEEKC employing neutral microemulsion was established. The method used a microemulsion containing 3.0% (w/v) neutral surfactant Tween 20 and 0.8% (w/v, 30 mM) dibutyl l-tartrate in 40 mM sodium tetraborate buffer to separate the enantiomers of ß-blockers. The effect of major parameters on the chiral separation was investigated. The applied voltage had little effect on the resolution, but the chiral separation could be improved by suppressing the EOF. Nine racemic ß-blockers obtained relatively good enantioseparation after appropriate concentrations of tetradecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide were added into the microemulsion to suppress the EOF. These results were explained based on the analysis of the separation mechanism of the method and deduced separation equations. The resolution equation of the method was further elucidated. It was found that the fourth term in the resolution equation, an additional term compared to the conventional resolution equation for column chromatography, represents the ratio of the relative movement distance between the analyte and microemulsion droplets relative to the effective capillary length. It can be regarded as a correction for the effective capillary length. These findings are significant for the development of the theory of MEEKC and the development of new chiral MEEKC method.

[Increased nitric oxide levels in peritoneal fluids of minor-endometriosis patients and its relation to IVF-ET outcomes].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of nitric oxide (NO) in the pathogenesis of early endometriosis-associated infertility. METHODS: The volume of peritoneal fluids was recorded and the concentration of NO in peritoneal fluid and serum was measured with a fluorescence method using 4, 5-diaminofluorescein (DAF-2) as an indicator, in 60 patients with early endometriosis-associated infertility ( endometriosis group), 60 patients with tubal infertility (tubal infertility group) and 20 patients without infertility (control group). The IVF-ET outcomes between patients with endometriosis and tubal infertility were compared. RESULT: The volume of peritoneal fluids from endometriosis group patients increased significantly compared with that in tubal infertility group patients and control groups. The concentration of NO in peritoneal fluid of the control group,the tubal infertility group and the endometriosis group was 9.98, 13.76 and 20.72, respectively (P<0.017). Furthermore the concentration of NO in serum of the patients of control group,tubal infertility group and endometriosis group was 12.25, 13.00, 13.60, respectively; there were no significant differences among these three groups. There were no significant differences in implantation rate, pregnancy rate and abortion rate of IVF-ET between endometriosis group patients and tubal infertility group patients. However, the fertilization rate was significantly lower in endometriosis group patients than that in tubal infertility group patients. CONCLUSION: Changes of nitric oxide in peritoneal fluids may play an important role in the pathogenesis of early endometriosis-associated infertility and IVF-ET may serve as an alternative method for this type of infertility.

Association of serum and follicular fluid leptin concentrations with granulosa cell phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 expression in fertile patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to evaluate whether polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)-associated infertility is related to alterations of leptin, leptin receptor (Ob-R), and the phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (p-STAT3)/suppressor of cytokine signal 3 (SOCS3) system in the ovary. DESIGN AND SETTING: A case-control study was conducted in a university hospital. PATIENTS: Thirty-one infertile PCOS women with oligoovulation plus polycystic ovarian morphology and 79 infertile women with tubal blockage (control) participated in the study. The subjects were stratified according to in vitro fertilization outcomes: successful and failed subgroups. METHODS: Serum and follicular fluid (FF) leptin levels were measured with ELISA. RT-PCR and Western blotting were performed to assess expression of mRNA encoding leptin and Ob-R and proteins of p-STAT3 and SOCS3 in granulosa cells (GCs). RESULTS: Leptin levels in serum and FF of PCOS women were significantly higher than those of control (P < 0.01). There were no significant differences in expression of leptin mRNA and short and long Ob-Rs between PCOS and control (P > 0.05). The p-STAT3 level was decreased in PCOS compared with control (P < 0.01), whereas SOCS3 remained significantly unchanged (P > 0.05). Further analysis showed that serum and FF leptin levels were significantly higher, whereas p-STAT3 in GCs was lower in the failed subgroup of PCOS than those in the successful subgroup of PCOS (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Hyperleptinemia and high FF leptin are important pathologies of PCOS with infertility. Lower levels of p-STAT3 in GCs may be related to ovarian leptin resistance and fecundity in PCOS women. Relatively high serum and FF leptin and low p-STAT3 in GCs may account for decreased fertilization, implantation, and pregnancy rates of in vitro fertilization in PCOS women.

A highly sensitive assay for protein with dibromochloro-arsenazo-Al(3+) using resonance light scattering technique and its application.

A simple, sensitive and selective method has been developed for the determination of protein using resonance light scattering (RLS) technique. The method is based on the interaction of protein and arsenazo-DBC-Al(3+) in the pH range of 5.0-7.0, which causes a substantial enhancement of the resonance scattering signal of arsenazo-DBC-Al(3+) in the wavelength range of 300-550 nm with the maximum RLS platform at 405-420 nm. With this method, 2.50-50.00 mug ml(-1) of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and 2.50-60.00 mug ml(-1) of human serum albumin (HSA) can be determined, and the detection limits, calculated three times the standard deviation (S.D.) of six blank measurements, for BSA and HSA were 123.4 and 89.6 ng ml(-1), respectively. Moreover, the method is free from interference from many amino acids and metal ions. The method, with high sensitivity, selectivity and reproducibility, was satisfactorily applied to the determination of total protein in human serum samples. Mechanism studies indicated that arsenazo-DBC-Al(3+) could bind to BSA depending mainly on electrostatic forces, which results in enhanced RLS in the arsenazo-DBC-Al(3+)-protein system.