Quinolizidine alkaloids from Sophora tonkinensis and their anti-inflammatory activities.

Two new quinolizidine-based alkaloids (2 and 12), along with ten known ones (1, 3-11) were isolated from the roots of S. tonkinensis. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic data (including NMR, MS, IR, and UV), X-ray single crystal diffraction, electronic circular dichroism analyses (ECD), and comparing with related literatures. Compounds 1, 3-12 at non-toxic concentrations exhibited potent anti-inflammatory activities according to in vitro and in vivo anti-inflammatory tests. Among them, (-)-anagyrine (4), sophocarpine (8), 14ß-hydroxymatrine (10), and 7ß-sophoramine (12) showed more potent in vitro anti-inflammatory activities, and 5α,14ß-dihydroxymatrine (2), (-)-anagyrine (4), sophocarpine (8), and 5α-hydroxymatrine (9) exhibited better in vivo anti-inflammatory effects.

Hyperpatulones A-F, polycyclic polyprenylated acylphloroglucinols from Hypericum patulum and their cytotoxic activities.

Six new compounds, hyperpatulones A-F (1-6), along with ten additional known related derivatives (7-16), were isolated from Hypericum patulum (Guttiferae). Their structures were elucidated by extensive analysis of spectroscopic data (IR, UV, HRESIMS, 1D and 2D NMR), X-ray crystallography, electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectroscopy and Rh2(OCOCF3)4-induced ECD. All compounds were tested for their cytotoxic activities on human HepG-2, HeLa, MCF-7, and A549 cell lines via 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Compound 5 exhibited significant cytotoxicities against HepG-2, HeLa and A549 cell lines with IC50 values of 9.52 ± 0.27, 11.87 ± 0.22 and 12.63 ± 0.12 µM, respectively.

Matrine-Type Alkaloids from the Roots of Sophora flavescens and Their Antiviral Activities against the Hepatitis B Virus.

Eight new matrine-type alkaloids, flavesines G-J (1-4), alopecurine B (5), 7,11-dehydro-oxymatrine (6), 10-oxy-5,6-dehydromatrine (7), and 10-oxysophoridine (8), along with nine known analogues (9-17) were isolated from the roots of Sophora flavescens. Compounds 1-3 are the first natural matrine-type alkaloids with an open-loop ring D, while compound 4 represents an unprecedented dimerization pattern constructed from matrine and piperidine, and 5 is the first example of a matrine-type alkaloid with cleavage of the C-5-C-6 bond. The new structures were elucidated by means of spectroscopic data analysis (including NMR, MS, IR, and UV), and the absolute configurations were determined using single-crystal X-ray diffraction and ECD data. The isolated alkaloids were evaluated for their antiviral activity against hepatitis B virus, and compounds 1, 4, 5, 10, and 14 exhibited comparable antiviral potencies to matrine.

Terpenoids from the stems of Celastrus hindsii and their anti-RSV activities.

Two new oleanane-type triterpenoids (1-2), a new ursane-type triterpenoid (3), and a new podocarpane-type diterpenoid (4), together with 20 known compounds (5-24) were isolated from the stems of Celastrus hindsii Benth. Their structures were identified on the basis of the spectral data (HRESIMS, IR, UV, 1D, and 2D NMR) and the absolute configurations were determined by comparison of experimental and calculated ECD data. The structures of 1 and 4 were further confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. In addition, all compounds were evaluated for their in vitro antiviral activities against respiratory syncytium virus (RSV) using cytopathic effect (CPE) reduction assay. Compounds 7, 10, 11, 19 and 24 exhibited obvious anti-RSV activity with IC50 values from 1.55 to 6.25 µM.

3D thickness distributions of plano lenses as a means of cavity pressure characterization in microinjection molding.

This work presents a novel nondestructive cavity pressure characterization approach in microinjection molding (µIM) through measuring 3D part thickness distributions. For this purpose, a plano lens was designed and experiments based on Taguchi method were conducted. Both overall and local lens thickness distributions under various process conditions were analyzed in terms of their relevance with the cavity pressure during molding. Unexpectedly, a reliable linear regression model was developed fulfilling nondestructive multi-point or even continuous cavity pressure characterization with the overall lens thickness distribution. Furthermore, the topography of the constructed 3D thickness surface was found to depend on both process condition and measuring position. Finally, the process conditions were optimized for obtaining uniform distributions of both 3D thickness and cavity pressure.

Prevalence and risk factors of intestinal protozoan and helminth infections among pulmonary tuberculosis patients without HIV infection in a rural county in P. R. China.

Although co-infection of tuberculosis (TB) and intestinal parasites, including protozoa and helminths, in humans has been widely studied globally, very little of this phenomenon is known in China. Therefore, a cross-sectional study was conducted in a rural county of China to investigate such co-infections. Patients with pulmonary TB (PTB) undergoing anti-Mycobacterium tuberculosis (anti-MTB) treatment were surveyed by questionnaires, and their feces and blood specimens were collected for detection of intestinal protozoa and helminths, routine blood examination and HIV detection. The χ(2) test and multivariate logistic regression model were used to identify risk factors. A total of 369 patients with PTB were included and all of them were HIV negative. Overall, only 7.3% of participants were infected with intestinal protozoa, among which prevalence of Blastocystis hominis, Entamoeba spp. and Trichomonas hominis were 6.0%, 1.1% and 0.3%, respectively; 7.0% were infected with intestinal helminths, among which prevalence of hookworm, Trichuris trichiura, Ascaris lumbricoides and Clonorchis sinensis were 4.3%, 1.9%, 0.5% and 0.3%, respectively; and 0.5% were simultaneously infected with intestinal protozoa and helminths. Among patients with PTB, body mass index (BMI)≤18 (OR=3.30, 95% CI=1.44-7.54) and raised poultry or livestock (e.g., chicken, duck, pig) (OR=3.96, 95% CI=1.32-11.89) were significantly associated with harboring intestinal protozoan infection, while BMI≤18 (OR=3.32, 95% CI=1.39-7.91), anemia (OR=3.40, 95% CI=1.44-8.02) and laboring barefoot in farmlands (OR=4.54, 95% CI=1.88-10.92) were significantly associated with having intestinal helminth infection. Additionally, there was no significant relationship between duration of anti-MTB treatment and infection rates of intestinal parasites including protozoa and helminths. Therefore, preventing malnutrition, avoiding unprotected contact with reservoirs of protozoa, and improving health education for good hygiene habits, particularly wearing shoes while outdoors, are beneficial in the prevention of intestinal protozoan and helminth infection among patients with PTB.

[Assessment of malaria knowledge and capability on Plasmodium detection among professionals from class III malaria-endemic counties of Henan Province in 2012].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the capability of malaria parasite detection among professionals from Class III malaria endemic counties of Henan Province in 2012. METHEDS: The capacity assessment of professionals from the Centres for Disease Control and the medical institutions was done in September to December 2012. The content of the assessment included malaria knowledge (including malaria etiology, clinical manifestation, diagnosis, treatment and epidemiology and so on, 100 scores as full marks and 60 as passing score), making blood slides of Plasmodium (4 slides in 1 hour, including Giemsa staining, 40 scores as full marks and 24 as passing score) and identification of species with microscopy (6 slides, 8 min per slide 60 scores as full marks and 36 as passing score). All the participanats were grouped by gender, age, professional title, level and type of institution. Their scores were statistically analyzed by SSPS 17.0 software. RESULTS: The average total score in 891 participants was 162.1, the highest was 200 (full markers), and the lowest was 96, and 871 (97.8%) participants passed the test (> or = 120 scores). There were no significant differences for the scores of blood slide making among gender, age, professional title and level of institution (P > 0.05). No significant differences in the scores of malaria knowledge and blood slide reading among gender female participants (162.97 +/- 17.64) was higher than that of males (159.01 +/- 20.33) (P < 0.05). The film-reading and total scores of 50-plus age group (34.62 +/- 14.82, 144.62 +/- 20.33) was significantly lower than the other three groups (under age 30 group: 45.75 +/- 13.58 and 162.50 +/- 18.90, age 31-40 group: 46.53 +/- 12.72 and 163.51 +/- 17.77, age 41-50 group: 46.22 +/- 13.38 and 159.80 +/- 17.32) (P < 0.05). The scores of malaria knowledge in 50-plus age group (84.38 +/- 9.41) was lower than that of under age 30 group (89.91 +/- 7.81), age 31-40 group (89.96 +/- 7.74) (P < 0.05). The scores of malaria knowledge (88.33 +/- 8.23, 90.00 +/- 7.76, 92.37 +/- 7.29), film-reading (44.88 +/- 13.62, 46.59 +/- 12.88, 49.57 +/- 11.98) and total scores (159.61 +/- 18.37, 163.81 +/- 18.03, 169.15 +/- 16.38) of primary, intermediate and senior groups was proportional to the level of the titles, and the difference between the groups was statistically significant (P< 0.05). The theory (88.28 +/- 8.30, 90.84 +/- 7.32, 93.54 +/- 6.10), film-reading (44.54 +/- 13.14, 47.69 +/- 13.40, 52.62 +/- 11.04) and total scores (159.48 +/- 18.33, 165.92 +/- 17.31, 171.97 +/- 15.53) of the three institution level groups (township, county and province) were proportional to their level, and the difference between the groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05). There was no significant differences for the scores between the CDCs and hospitals (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The capabilities of malaria parasite detection in Class III malaria endemic counties of Henan Province is balanced. It needs to strengthen the skills training for the professionals of the junior, intermediate and primary care units.

Intestinal parasite co-infection among pulmonary tuberculosis cases without human immunodeficiency virus infection in a rural county in China.

Epidemiologic studies of co-infection with tuberculosis (TB) and intestinal parasites in humans have not been extensively investigated in China. A cross-section study was conducted in a rural county of Henan Province, China. Pulmonary TB (PTB) case-patients receiving treatment for infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis and healthy controls matched for geographic area, age, and sex were surveyed by using questionnaires. Fecal and blood specimens were collected for detection of intestinal parasites, routine blood examination, and infection with human immunodeficiency virus. The chi-square test was used for univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression models were used to adjust for potential confounding factors. A total of 369 persons with PTB and 366 healthy controls were included; all participants were negative for human immunodeficiency virus. The overall prevalence of intestinal parasites in persons with PTB was 14.9%, including intestinal protozoa (7.9%) and helminthes (7.6%). The infection spectrum of intestinal parasites was Entamoeba spp. (1.4%), Blastocystis hominis (6.2%), Trichomonas hominis (0.3%), Clonorchis sinensis (0.3%), Ascaris lumbricoides (0.5%), Trichuris trichiura (2.2%), and hookworm (4.6%). The prevalence of intestinal parasites showed no significant difference between persons with PTB and healthy controls after adjusting for potential confounding factors. There was no factor that affected infection rates for intestinal parasites between the two groups. Infection with intestinal parasites of persons with PTB was associated with female sex (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.05, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.01-4.17), body mass index ≤ 19 (AOR = 3.02, 95% CI = 1.47-6.20), and anemia (AOR = 2.43, 95% CI = 1.17-5.03). Infection of healthy controls was only associated with an annual labor time in farmlands > 2 months (AOR = 4.50, 95% CI = 2.03-10.00). In addition, there was no significant trend between rates of infection with intestinal parasites and duration of receiving treatment for infection with M. tuberculosis in persons with PTB. The prevalence of intestinal parasites was not higher in persons with PTB, and there was no evidence that PTB increased susceptibility to intestinal parasites in this study. However, for patients with PTB, women and patients with comorbidities were more likely to be infected with intestinal parasites.

Association of depression/anxiety with lower urinary tract symptoms and erectile dysfunction in Chinese men aged from 22 to 50 years.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationships among lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), erectile dysfunction (ED) and mental health in Chinese men aged from 22 to 50. METHODS: The subjects were 907 men aged between 22 and 50 years. The symptoms of mental distress were evaluated by the Zung Self-rating Depression Scale questionnaires and Zung Self-rating Anxiety Scale questionnaires. The symptoms of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS), LUTS and ED were assessed by the US National Institutes of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI), the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and the International Index of Erectile Function 5 (IIEF-5) score. RESULTS: In the study, 894 subjects had their complete data. Their mean NIH-CPSI score was higher for the men with depression and anxiety than for those without (6.2±6.2 vs. 5.0±5.8, P=0.015; 8.7±8.1 vs. 4.7± 5.3, P<0.001), with the mean IPSS score (5.9±6.6 vs. 4.7±5.8, P=0.029; 8.4±8.0 vs. 4.4±5.5, P<0.001). The mean IIEF-5 score was lower for the men with depression and anxiety than for those without (18.3±4.4 vs. 20.2±3.5; 17.2±4.1 vs. 20.1±3.6, both P<0.001). The proportion of total ED was higher for the men with depression and anxiety than for those without (69.7% vs. 57.8%, P=0.002; 81.1% vs. 57.0%, P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Our study reveals associations among depression, anxiety, and CPPS, LUTS and ED in Chinese men aged 50 years and younger.

A simple 2D non-parametric resampling statistical approach to assess confidence in species identification in DNA barcoding--an alternative to likelihood and bayesian approaches.

In the recent worldwide campaign for the global biodiversity inventory via DNA barcoding, a simple and easily used measure of confidence for assigning sequences to species in DNA barcoding has not been established so far, although the likelihood ratio test and the bayesian approach had been proposed to address this issue from a statistical point of view. The TDR (Two Dimensional non-parametric Resampling) measure newly proposed in this study offers users a simple and easy approach to evaluate the confidence of species membership in DNA barcoding projects. We assessed the validity and robustness of the TDR approach using datasets simulated under coalescent models, and an empirical dataset, and found that TDR measure is very robust in assessing species membership of DNA barcoding. In contrast to the likelihood ratio test and bayesian approach, the TDR method stands out due to simplicity in both concepts and calculations, with little in the way of restrictive population genetic assumptions. To implement this approach we have developed a computer program package (TDR1.0beta) freely available from ftp://202.204.209.200/education/video/TDR1.0beta.rar.

[Investigation on prevalence of Spirometra mansoni sparganum infection in frogs from Henan Province].

OBJECTIVE: To understand the prevalence of Spirometra mansoni sparganum infection in frogs from Henan Province and analyze the risk of people suffering from sparganum infection. METHODS: The spargana were examined in the muscle of frogs collected from 12 sites of 5 regions in Henan Province, and the amount of spargana and their location were recorded. RESULTS: The natural infection rate of Spirometra mansoni spargana in frogs was 26.63% (306/1 149). There were totally 1 897 spargana found in those frogs, and the average was 6.2 per frog. The infection rate of pond frogs was higher than that of toad, the difference was statically significant (chi2 = 30.42, P < 0.01). The natural infection rate of pond frogs in the nearby patients' residence was higher than that of pond frogs collected from the other sites, and the natural infection rate of frogs was lower in the west region of Henan than that in the other areas. The muscles of hind legs of the frogs was the most common parasitic location compared with other parts of the frogs, and the ratio was 73.74% (1 365/1 851). CONCLUSION: The frogs living in the nature are widely infected with Spirometra mansoni spargana in Henan Province, and the comprehensive measures should be taken for the prevention and control of sparganosis mansoni.

[Treatment studies of industrial rainoff with a new type of constructed wetland].

According to water characteristics of industrial rain runoff in a catchment of Tongsha reservoir, Dongguan city, an improved baffled constructed wetland (BCW) was used for purification experiment study of simulated and on-the-spot rain runoff. The purification effects of simulated rain runoff were compared in different operated phases of BCW. Meanwhile, the variation of the pollutants (COD, SS, TN, TP, NH4(+) -N, Pb, Zn, Cu) along the BCW and their removal mechanism were analyzed and discussed, respectively. In the simulated experiment, the effluent water quality of BCW system met the needs of Environmental Quality Standard for Surface Water( GB 3838-2002) III, besides TN met IV, and most of the pollutants were removed in the front of the BCW. In the purification study of on-the-spot rain runoff, removal rate of COD, SS, TN, TP and NH4(+) -N were 90.9%, 97.0%, 83.4%, 92.2% and 90.0%, respectively; removal rate of Pb, Zn and Cu were 98.4%, 94.1% and 93.6%, respectively. The effluent met the grade III. Results showed that there was remarkable treatment performance of industrial catchment rain runoff when BCW system was used, which also can withstand strong shock load. Moreover, a modest variation of temperature affected the removal of pollutants in the BCW insignificantly.

[Urologic and reproductive health status of 30 - 60 years old males: investigation among 1006 men in Shijingshan District of Beijing].

OBJECTIVE: To know and find some evidence for the improvement of the urologic and reproductive health of men between 30 and 60 years old. METHODS: Using stratified random sampling, we conducted a questionnaire investigation on the urologic and reproductive health status of 1 006 men aged from 30 to 60 years old in the Shijingshan District of Beijing, including the unemployed, taxi drivers and office workers. RESULTS: Of the 1006 males investigated, BMI > or = 24 kg/m2 was found in 72.7%, hypertension in 40.0%, abnormal IPSS in 85.5%, abnormal NIH-CPSI in 75.6%, abnormal IIEF-5 in 66.3%, aging male symptoms (AMS) in 10.7%, anxiety in 17.1%, depression in 25.1%, fasting blood-glucose >6.1 mmol/L in 34.9%, total cholesterol >5.07 mmol/L in 44.3% and triglyceride > 1.71 mmol/L in 46.6%; the level of total testosterone was (17.9 +/- 7.2) nmol/L, < 12 nmol/L in 21.3% and <8 nmol/L in 3.4%, and the level of free testosterone was (6.5 +/- 15.1) pmol/L. CONCLUSION: The urologic and reproductive health status of 30 to 60 years old males in Beijing deserves serious attention from medical workers.

Impact of benazepril on contrast-induced acute kidney injury for patients with mild to moderate renal insufficiency undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.

BACKGROUND: The role of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) in contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) is controversial. Some studies pointed out that it was effective in the prevention of CI-AKI, while some concluded that it was one risk for CI-AKI, especially for patients with pre-existing renal impairment. The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of benazepril administration on the development of CI-AKI in patients with mild to moderate renal insufficiency undergoing coronary intervention. METHODS: One hundred and fourteen patients with mild to moderate impairment of renal function were enrolled before coronary angioplasty, who were randomly assigned to benazepril group (n = 52) and control group (n = 62). In the benazepril group, the patients received benazepril tablets 10 mg per day at least for 3 days before procedure. CI-AKI was defined as an increase of ≥ 25% in creatinine over the baseline value or increase of 0.5 mg/L within 72 hours of angioplasty. RESULTS: Patients were well matched with no significant differences at baseline in all measured parameters between two groups. The incidence of CI-AKI was lower by 64% in the benazepril group compared with control group but without statistical significance (3.45% vs. 9.68%, P = 0.506). Compared with benazepril group, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) level significantly decreased from (70.64 ± 16.38) ml · min⁻¹·1.73 m⁻² to (67.30 ± 11.99) ml · min⁻¹·1.73 m⁻² in control group (P = 0.038). There was no significant difference for the post-procedure decreased eGFR from baseline (ΔeGFR) between two groups (benazepril group (0.67 ± 12.67) ml · min⁻¹·1.73 m⁻² vs. control group (-3.33 ± 12.39) ml · min⁻¹·1.73 m⁻², P = 0.092). In diabetic subgroup analysis, ΔeGFR in benazepril group was slightly lower than that in the control group, but the difference was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Benazepril has a protective effect on mild to moderate impairment of renal function during coronary angioplasty. It is safe to use benazepril for treatment of patients with mild to moderate impairment of renal function before coronary intervention.

[Correlation analysis of prostate volume with body mass index, blood pressure, blood lipid and glucose in 30-50 year-old men].

OBJECTIVE: To study the correlation between prostate volume and body mass index, blood pressure, blood lipid and glucose in 30-50 year-old males. METHODS: Prostate volume (PV), body mass index (BMI), blood pressure(BP), blood glucose (BG), blood cholesterol (CHOL), triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein (LDL) and high density lipoprotein (HDL) were measured in 1 002 30-50 year-old males. The correlation of PV with BMI, BP, BG, CHOL, TG, LDL, and HDL were analyzed with SPSS 13.0 statistical software. RESULTS: The subjects' average age was (43.66 ± 0.17) years, and their mean prostate volume (14.28±0.02) mL. The statistical analyses regarding the age (P=0.000, r=0.62), BMI (P=0.013,r=0.57), BG (P=0.032, r=0.52), CHOL (P=0.040,r=0.51), LDL (P=0.032, r=-0.50), HDL (P=0.017,r=-0.48) were significantly associated with PV. Adjusted for age factors, PV still had a strong correlation with BMI and LDL, P values were 0.029, 0.001, r values were 0.53, -0.49. CONCLUSION: In the 30-50 year-old males, BMI and dyslipidemia could be risk factors in the way of the enlargement of prostate volume. Weight control and therapy of blood lipid abnormalities may delay the increase of prostate volume.

[Epidemiological investigation on sparganosis mansoni and animal experiments].

The investigation was made in Luohe City of Henan Province from April to November, 2008. Cyclops were collected and plerocercoids of Spirometra mansoni were examined by microscope. Skin, muscle and internal organs of frogs and tadpoles were checked to detect spargana by naked eye and/or anatomical microscope. Feces of cats and dogs were collected to examine eggs after washing and precipitation. Spargana from tadpoles were collected to infect cats by oral inoculation. Results showed that the infection rate of plerocercoids in cyclops was 3.5% (3/85) and that of spagarna in tadpoles and frogs was 35.9% (120/334) and 16.8% (75/446), respectively. Among 3 cats and 31 dogs investigated, 1 and 6 (19.4%) were found infected respectively. Eggs of Spirometra mansoni were found in feces of cats 12 days after infection. 17 adult worms were found in the intestine of the cat on the 25th day. The habit of eating live tadpoles was found in local residents. The investigation reveals a high prevalence of Spirometra mansoni in the intermediate and final hosts. Eating live tadpoles seems a main reason of getting sparganosis mansoni.

[Correlation of lower urinary tract symptoms with erectile dysfunction in men aged 50 years and above].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the incidence of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and erectile dysfunction (ED) in men aged > or = 50 years and to achieve the correlation between LUTS (obstructive symptoms and stimulant symptoms) and ED. METHODS: We investigated 245 men aged > or = 50 years and with regular sex mates using International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5), designed diagnostic interrogation and medical examination, and statistically analyzed the results of IPSS, IIEF-5, LUTS and their correlation with erectile function. RESULTS: The incidence of ED was 81.9% (140/171) among the men with LUTS, 73.1% (38/52), 82.1% (46/56) and 88.9% (56/63) respectively in the 50-59, 60-69 and > or = 70 age groups, with significant differences in IPSS, IIEF-5 (P < 0.01) and the severity of ED (P < 0.01) among different age groups. ED incidence was found significantly correlated with the severity of LUTS (r = 0.52, P < 0.01), 71.3% (57/80), 89.6% (60/67) and 95.8% (23/24) respectively in the groups of mild, moderate and severe LUTS. The mean scores on obstructive and stimulant symptoms were (3.1 +/- 3.6) and (6.8 +/- 4.9), and their correlation coefficients with IIEF-5 were r = -0.41 (P < 0.01) and r = -0.59 (P < 0.01), respectively. CONCLUSION: The incidence of ED is high in men with LUTS and positively correlated with the severity of LUTS. Stimulant symptoms have greater influence than obstructive symptoms on the sexual life of old and middle-aged males.

[Investigation on the quality indicators of beers using NIR].

Near infrared spectroscopy (NIR) has been used to determine important indicators of the quality of undeaired beers by a partial least squares (PLS) regression and stepwise multiple linear regression (SMLR). The indicators are original, real extract and alcohol contents. Absorbance spectra in transmission mode of 83 samples were obtained with 1 mm and 5 mm path-length quartz cell. The selected resolving powers are 8, 16 and 32 cm(-1). Air and water were used as background respectively. It was concluded that the calibration and prediction results are similar with different background, pathlength and resolving power. The SMLR method seems to be better than PLS method. The results of this paper provide a foundation for the application and further development of NIR on-line beer analyzer.

[Impact of blastocystis hominis infection on ultrastructure of intestinal mucosa in mice].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the ultrastructural change ot intestinal mucosa in mice infected with Blastocystis hominis, and to study the pathogenic mechanism of B. hominis infection. METHODS: 20 Kunming mice were randomly divided into 4 groups: group A treated with immunosuppressant (dexamethasone), group B without immunosuppressant, group C as normal control and group D as immunosuppressant control. Groups A and B were then orally infected with 20(4) cysts of B. hominis. Groups C and D were treated as control by infusing same volume of Locke's solution. Six days after inoculation, mice in each group were killed and mucosa of ileocecum was observed by transmission electron microscope (TEM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). RESULTS: Under SEM, B. hominis located in enteric cavity and on the surface of ileocecum mucosa. Individual parasites also invaded into mucosa and its fold. Partial destruction of microvilli on the mucosa was observed. TEM observation indicated a reduction of microvilli on the surface of absorptive cells. Mitochondrial edema, rough endoplasmic reticulum dilatation and degranulation were found on absorptive cells and goblet cells. Lymphocyte infiltration and eosinophilia were found in intercellular stroma. Pathological changes in group A were more serious than that of group B. No abnormal change on the mucosal ultrastructure was found in groups C and D. CONCLUSIONS: B. hominis infection causes significant ultrastructural lesion on the ileocecal mucosa in mice. Immune status of the mice can affect the degree of the lesion due to infection.

[Study on number and mature rate of eggs in gravid proglottids of Taenia solium].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the number and mature rate of eggs in gravid proglottids of Taenia solium. METHODS: Ten worms of Taenia solium, expelled from patients, were detected. Eggs were collected from the last 10 gravid proglottids of each worm. RESULTS & CONCLUSION: The egg number in each mature proglottids varied from 3,900 to 126,520, and the mean number was 28,332. The mature rate of eggs was from 7.00% to 36.00% with an average of 29.12%, which was lower than that in proglottids naturally excreted with feces. With suitable temperature and humidity, the proglottids developed continually after excreted out of host body. Two to three days later, the mature rate of their eggs increased to 85%-90%.