Dietary therapy of the herbal porridge improves the symptoms of functional dyspepsia: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical trial.

This study (ISRCTN17174559) aimed to explore the efficacy and safety of a kind of herbal porridge (Hou Gu Mi Xi) on the clinical symptoms of functional dyspepsia (FD). This was a single-center, single-dose, prospective, double-blind, randomized controlled trial involving 64 participants with FD (35 cases and 29 controls) for 2 months of intervention and 1 month of follow-up. The 7-point Global Overall Symptom Scale (GOSS), 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36), and other indicators were assessed at baseline (day 0), at days 15, 30, and 60 of treatment, and at follow-up 1 month after the end of the intervention. Many participants with FD achieved remission of their epigastric symptoms at follow-up on the 90th day after treatment with herbal porridge compared to the placebo group (45.71% vs. 20.69%, p = .036). Furthermore, herbal porridge appeared to be effective in improving the quality of life of participants with FD, which was reflected in the rising SF-36 scores for physical role, bodily pain, emotional role, and mental health. Although adverse events were reported, there was no overall difference in the number of adverse events between the two groups (p = .578). Herbal porridge is another effective and safe method for improving the symptoms and quality of life in patients with FD.

Retrieving soil moisture using cosmic-ray neutron technology based on COSMIC model in the desert-oasis region.

Cosmic-ray neutron technology could estimate average soil moisture on scale of hectometers by monitoring the neutron intensity near the ground, which has been successfully applied in forest, grassland, farmland, and other ecosystems. To verify the reliability of Cosmic-ray Soil Moisture Interaction Code (COSMIC) model for retrieving mesoscale soil moisture in arid regions, we carried out soil moisture observation experiment by using the cosmic-ray neutron rover in the desert-oasis region of the middle reaches of Heihe River. The results showed that the fast neutron intensity in the desert-oasis region were 350-715 counts·(30 s)-1, and the calibrated high energy neutron intensity (Ncosmic) were (38.5±2.2) counts·(30 s)-1, which was affected by land surface characteristics. Both COSMIC model (root mean square error=0.019 g·g-1) and N0 equation (root mean square error=0.018 g·g-1) could well assess the mesoscale soil moisture, with the accuracy of soil moisture being higher considering soil lattice water. The average penetration depth was 19 cm in the oasis region and 36 cm in the desert region during the experiment. COSMIC model could be used to retrieve soil moisture by cosmic ray neutron in the desert-oasis regions, which had great potential to realize data assimilation of surface meteorological-hydrological-ecological variables by combining with land surface models.

Response of individual sizes and spatial patterns of Deyeuxia angustifolia to increasing water level gradient in a freshwater wetland.

The wetland plants are very sensitive to hydrological regimes. In this study, the individual sizes of a widely distributed species (i.e., Deyeuxia angustifolia) at three typical marshes with different water table depths (i.e., wet meadow (WM) marsh; seasonal inundated (SI) marsh; perennial inundated (PI) marsh) were investigated in the Sanjiang Plain of Northeast China. Concurrently, three primary point pattern processes (homogeneous Poisson (HP) process, homogeneous Thomas (HT) process, and inhomogeneous Thomas (IT) process) were used to model spatial patterns in the distribution at 0-50 cm scale for this tillering-cloning species. The plant height, diameter at breast height (d.b.h), internode number, branches number, and individual aboveground biomass of D. angustifolia decreased sharply with rising water level; however, its density and coverage increased first and then decreased as water level increases. The distribution of D. angustifolia totally diverged from the complete spatial randomness (CSR) model (i.e., HP process) suggesting strong aggregation at 0-50 cm scale in all marshes, and aggregated intensity enhanced with increasing water level. Interestingly, the spatial distribution of D. angustifolia fits better with the nested double-cluster model (i.e., IT process) at all scales in WM and SI marshes, indicating that there is a series of clustered patterns under the slight flood stress. However, the spatial pattern fits well with the Poisson cluster model (i.e., HT process) at all scales in PI marsh, implying the small-scale clustering disappeared with the intensification of flooding stress. Our results highlight that the D. angustifolia population could adapt to flooding stress in a certain degree via individual miniaturization strategies and multi-aggregation mechanisms in the freshwater wetlands.

[Soil physical characteristics of shallow vadose zone and modeling its effects on upward capillary rise of groundwater in an arid-desert area.] / è’æ¼ åŒºåŒ æ°”å¸¦åœŸå£¤ç‰©ç†ç‰¹å¾åŠå ¶å¯¹åœ°ä¸‹æ°´æ¯›ç®¡ä¸Šå‡å½±å“çš„æ¨¡æ‹Ÿ.

Two typical soil profiles of sand dune (mixed sandy loam with sandy soil; uniform sandy soil) were selected from the arid region on the edge of the Badain Jaran desert to analyze soil physical characteristics. The effects of soil physical characteristics on capillary rise were monitored and simulated. The relationship between two typical soil profiles of sand dune and capillary rise were investigated to reveal the interactive processes among groundwater, capillary water, and soil water. Results showed that capillary rise was mainly affected by soil bulk density and soil clay content in the arid-desert area. The capillary rise could reach to 152 cm above shallow layer in the profile of mixed sandy loam with sandy soils, and 120 cm in the profile of sandy soil, respectively. Soil water distribution driven by the capillary rise was more uniform in the profile of sandy soil. Soil water content showed a diminishing trend from the groundwater to the maximum distance of capillary rise. In contrast, soil water distribution was markedly varied in the profile of mixed sandy loam with sandy soil. The process of capillary movement could be well simulated with Hydrus-3D model. Soil structure above the groundwater was the critical factor, which could affect the capillary rise and soil water distribution. However, the effects of soil in-season evaporation and plant root uptake on capillary rise movement need to be explored in further studies.

Effect of the population density on belowground bud bank of a rhizomatous clonal plant Leymus secalinus in Mu Us sandy land.

Clonal propagation is the main strategy for clonal plants to adapt to wind-sand habitat, and underground bud bank could reflect the potential ability of clonal propagation. However, the effects of population density on belowground bud bank are unknown, hindering efforts in the process of dune stabilization. We investigated the horizontal density and vertical distribution of belowground bud bank of a typical rhizomatous grass Leymus secalinus, and soil water content in four dune types with different population density (dune type I: 11.2 ± 1.7 no. m-2, type II: 24.2 ± 2.6 no. m-2, type III: 40.0 ± 4.0 no. m-2, and type IV: 53.5 ± 7.2 no. m-2) in Mu Us sandy land. Our results showed that (1) total bud density of population increased markedly with increasing population density, but it did not exhibit significant difference between dune types III and IV, where density was about 130 buds m-2; and tiller bud density of population first increased, then decreased, and reached a maximum in dune type III. (2) Total bud density per individual in dune type III was significantly larger than that in other dune types (P < 0.05), whereas rhizome and tiller bud density per individual did not show significant differences in dune types II, III and IV (P > 0.05). (3) Buds tended to be concentrated at 10-30 cm soil layer in all dune types, and be buried deeper in dune types III and IV than that in dune types I and II. (4) No pronounced relationship was shown between bud density and soil water content in 10-30 cm soil layer with increasing population density. Our results suggest that moderate population density (40.0 ± 4.0 no. m-2) significantly increase the bud bank density of L. secalinus population and individual. Soil water content was not the main factor responsible for the density of L. secalinus bud bank. These results can provide important information for implementation of effective sand fixation measures and species selection for desertification control in semiarid sandy land ecosystems.

Anthocyanin Consumption and Risk of Colorectal Cancer: A Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies.

This meta-analysis aimed to summarize the association between anthocyanin consumption and the risk of colorectal cancer. All relative articles were located on online databases, including PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library as of June 11, 2018. Risk ratios (RRs) or odds ratio and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated through the STATA 12.0 software package. A total of seven studies were included in the meta-analysis. A significant inverse association was found between total anthocyanin consumption and colorectal cancer risk (RR = 0.78; 95% CI, 0.64-0.95). Likewise, there was significant evidence of a relationship between anthocyanin intake and colorectal cancer in the colon site (RR = 0.81; 95% CI, 0.71-0.92); men (RR = 0.88; 95% CI, 0.81-0.95), and case-control studies (RR = 0.69; 95% CI, 0.60-0.78). A dose-response relationship was not found in this meta-analysis. The Grades of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation quality in our study was very low. This meta-analysis indicates that anthocyanin consumption is inversely associated with the risk of colorectal cancer. Anthocyanins may play an active role in the prevention of colorectal cancer. Key teaching points: Some epidemiological studies found an inverse correlation between the high consumption of anthocyanins and low risk of colorectal cancer. Because of this structure, anthocyanins/anthocyanidins have a powerful capability of donating electrons, which can be characterized as antioxidant properties. Anthocyanins can also inhibit colon cancer by interfering in the cell cycle and inducing the effect of anti-proliferation and apoptosis. The formation of cytoplasmic vacuoles in cells also indicates that anthocyanins may induce autophagy. From the findings of nonrandomized controlled trials, anthocyanins may play an active role in the prevention of colorectal cancer.

[Water sources of Nitraria sibirica and response to precipitation in two desert habitats]. / ä¸¤ç§è’æ¼ ç”Ÿå¢ƒæ¡ä»¶ä¸‹æ³¡æ³¡åˆºæ°´åˆ†æ¥æºåŠå ¶å¯¹é™æ°´çš„å“åº”.

Nitraria sibirica usually exists in a form of nebkhas, and has strong ecological adaptability. The plant species has distinctive function for wind prevention and sand fixation, and resistance drought and salt. However, the water condition is still a limiting factor for the plant survival and development. In order to understand the water use strategy of the plant in different desert habitats, we selected the N. sibirica growing in sandy desert habitat and gravel desert habitat to study the seaso-nal variation of plant water sources and response to precipitation at the edge of the oasis of Linze in the Hexi Corridor. We measured the oxygen stable isotope of the plant stem water and the different potential water sources (precipitation, soil water and ground water), and used the IsoSource model to calculate the proportion of water sources from the potential water. The results showed that there were significant seasonal variation characteristics of δ18O value and water source of stem water for the plant in the two habitats. In the sandy habitat, the plant used more ground water in the less precipitation seasons including spring and fall, and more than 50% of the water sources absorbed from ground water. However, under the condition of gravel habitat, the plant could not achieve the ground water level depth of 11.5 m, and its water source was controlled by precipitation, which had large seasonal variability. The water sources of N. sibirica had significant responses to the change of precipitation in the two desert habitats. Following the rapid decrease of soil water content after the precipitation events, the plant in the sandy habitat turned to use the abundant ground water as the main sources of water, while the plant in the gravel habitat only used the less water from precipita-tion infiltration to the deep soil. Therefore, different water use strategies of the plant in the two habitats were the main reason for the difference in growth characteristics, and it had a strong ability of self-adjustment and adaptation.

[Effects of age classes on metabolic exponents of Salix psammophila branches.] / 沙柳丛生枝代谢指数的龄级效应.

Metabolisms are fundamental processes of organisms. They are related to carbon and water cycling of a plant. The relationship between the metabolic rate and the body size of an organism has been a hot spot in ecological research. The typical WBE model with 3/4 power has been controversial. This study tested the applicability of WBE model and examined the change of metabolic exponents with the age class at branch scale in a typical plant, Salix psammophila in the southern edge of the Mu Us desert. The results showed that the estimated metabolic exponent based on the leaf biomass and total biomass was 0.97 for all branches of the S. psammophila. This was significantly greater than the constant power of 3/4 proposed by the WBE model. The branching radius exponent and branching length exponent were 2.67 and 3.83, respectively, being significantly greater than the constant values of 2.0 and 3.0, respectively. The ranges of branching radius exponents and branching length exponents among the age classes were 2.64-3.24 and 2.86-4.30, respectively. Meanwhile, the estimated values and calculated values of metabolic exponents ranged from 1.01-1.29 and 0.94-1.13, respectively. The values of all above were statistically indistinguishable among the six age classes. The common slopes among the six age classes for estimated values and calculated values of metabolic exponents, branching radius exponents and branching length exponents were 1.08, 1.00, 2.84 and 3.35, respectively. These values were significantly greater than the constant values. The changes of the intercept at the y-axis shifted negatively at the common slope of estimated metabolic exponents with significant elevation shift between groups, and the higher age class branches had the greater shift. These indicated that the age classes did not change the metabolic exponents, but changed the metabolic constant significantly. The older branches had lower metabolic activity than the younger branches.

Nutrient Intakes of Pregnant Women and their Associated Factors in Eight Cities of China: A Cross-sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: During the last 3 decades, China has dramatic changes of the dietary pattern among its citizens, particularly in urban cities. This study aimed to determine the nutrient intake status and factors associated with nutrient intakes of urban Chinese pregnant women now-a-day. METHODS: The multistage stratified random sampling method was applied in the cross-sectional study. 479 women in three trimesters of pregnancy from eight cities of China were recruited. Nutrient intakes were evaluated with one 24 h dietary recall, and compared with the Chinese Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) 2013 for available nutrients. RESULTS: Most pregnant women had imbalanced macronutrient distribution with excessive energy derived from fat. Intakes of Vitamin A, B 6, calcium, magnesium, and selenium were below Chinese Recommended Nutrient Intake (RNI) and Estimated Average Requirements (EARs) in all trimesters. Most pregnant women took more folic acid in the first trimester with a significant decrease in the second and third trimester (P < 0.05). Shortfall in iron intake was found in the third trimester whereas some women may be at the risk of excessive iron intake. Intakes of thiamin met RNI in the first trimester but were below EAR in all trimesters. Trimester phasing was positively associated with most nutrients (P < 0.05). Prepregnancy body mass index was inversely associated with energy, fat, Vitamin C, and calcium intake (P < 0.05). Educational level and household income were positively associated with folic acid intake (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Current prenatal dietary choices of urban pregnant women in China are imbalanced in the nutrient intake when compared with national DRIs 2013, particularly in intakes of energy derived from fat and micronutrients. Appropriate dietary advice to pregnant women should promote a balanced diet with emphasis on avoidance of foods of high fat content and incorporation of foods that are good sources of the key micronutrients that are usually lacking in a regular pregnancy diet. Further research is needed to understand the eating habits and food patterns that contribute to this imbalanced diet in order to be able to effectively improve prenatal women's nutrient intake status.

[Road Extraction in Remote Sensing Images Based on Spectral and Edge Analysis].

Roads are typically man-made objects in urban areas. Road extraction from high-resolution images has important applications for urban planning and transportation development. However, due to the confusion of spectral characteristic, it is difficult to distinguish roads from other objects by merely using traditional classification methods that mainly depend on spectral information. Edge is an important feature for the identification of linear objects (e. g. , roads). The distribution patterns of edges vary greatly among different objects. It is crucial to merge edge statistical information into spectral ones. In this study, a new method that combines spectral information and edge statistical features has been proposed. First, edge detection is conducted by using self-adaptive mean-shift algorithm on the panchromatic band, which can greatly reduce pseudo-edges and noise effects. Then, edge statistical features are obtained from the edge statistical model, which measures the length and angle distribution of edges. Finally, by integrating the spectral and edge statistical features, SVM algorithm is used to classify the image and roads are ultimately extracted. A series of experiments are conducted and the results show that the overall accuracy of proposed method is 93% comparing with only 78% overall accuracy of the traditional. The results demonstrate that the proposed method is efficient and valuable for road extraction, especially on high-resolution images.

[Patterns of osteoprotegerin or nuclear factor kappa B ligand gene expression in the treatment of bone defect with bone marrow stem cell transplantation and low-frequency vibration].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of low frequency vibration (LFV)on the osteogenic differentiation regulating capability of bone marrow stromal cell (BMSC)and the expressions of OPG (osteoprotegerin) mRNA and RANKL (nuclear factor kappa B ligand) mRNA through living animal experiment. METHODS: Both BMSC transplantation and low-frequency vibration were employed to treat bone defects. The groups were randomized into non-vibration and vibration of different frequencies. The vibration group received vibrating interventions at Day 7 for 5 weeks. After vibrations, the BMSC OPG and RANKL mRNA of different frequency groups were detected. RESULTS: The BMSC OPG and RANKL gene expressions significantly increased (P < 0.05), especially at 25 Hz (P < 0.01). And for the vibration group at 100 Hz, the BMSC OPG and RANKL gene expressions decreased (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Low-frequency vibration may promote the osteogenic differentiation capability of BMSC probably through regulating the OPG/RANKL mRNA expression, directly promoting bone formation and inhibiting bone resorption.

[A study of 22 displaced intraarticular calcaneal fractures using locking plates with and without bone graft].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze locking plates with bone graft fusion in treating displaced intraarticular calcaneal fractures and determine whether it is beneficial in maintaining restoration of calcaneal height and anatomic reduction of the articular surface. METHODS: From January 2007 to January 2008, 22 patients with displaced intraarticular calcaneal fractures were treated with locking plates with and without bone graft (divided into the bone graft group and non-bone graft group). There were 17 males and 5 females, ranging in age from 18 to 59 years with the mean of 35 years. Sanders III was in 14 cases and Sanders IV in 8 cases. Autologous iliac bone filled defects with locking plates fixation for the bone graft group; just locking plates fixation were performed for non-bone graft group. The Böhler angle and Gissane angle were measured before and after operation. The foot function of two groups were compared according to Maryland standard at the 6th month, 1, 2 years after operation. RESULTS: All patients were followed up with an average of 25 months. There was no significant difference in the recovery of Böhler angle and Gissane angle between two groups (P > 0.05). After the 6 months,1, 2 years, there was no significant difference in the foot function between two groups (P > 0.05), in bone graft group, excellent result was in 6, 7 ,7 cases respectively; and in non-bone graft group, excellent results in 5, 6, 7 cases respectively. CONCLUSION: Bone graft in the surgical treatment of calcaneal fractures is not an advantage.

[Precipitation pulses and ecosystem responses in arid and semiarid regions: a review].

Precipitation events in arid/semi-arid environment are usually occurred in "pulses", with highly variable arrival time, duration, and intensity. These discrete and largely unpredictable features may lead to the pulsed availability of soil water and nutrients in space and time. Resources pulses can affect the life history traits and behaviors at individual level, numerous responses at population level, and indirect effects at community level. This paper reviewed the most recent research advances in the related fields from the aspects of the effects of resources pulses and the responses of ecosystems. It was emphasized that the following issues are still open, e.g., the effects of the pulsed features of resources availability on ecosystems, the discrepancy among the effects of resources pulses in different ecosystems, the eco-hydrological mechanisms that determine the persistence of pulsed resources effects, and the effects of the pulsed resources availability on ecosystem processes. Given the potential global climate and precipitation pattern change, an important research direction in the future is to determine how the resources pulses affect the ecosystem responses at different scales under different climate scenarios.

Adaptation of Nitraria sphaerocarpa to wind-blown sand environments at the edge of a desert oasis.

This study addresses the adaptation of Nitraria sphaerocarpa to blown sand at the edge of a desert oasis with regard to the aspects of soil seed banks, seedlings, and population. Horizontally, the total number of seeds per unit area decreased from the shrub canopy center to intershrub areas, and most seeds were found under shrub canopies. Vertically, the highest proportion of seeds was found at depths of 5-10 cm. The emergence percentage, seedling mass, and seedling height, which were significantly affected by both burial depth and seed size, were highest at the optimal burial depth of 2 cm, and decreased with increasing burial depth in each seed size-class. Although seedling mass was usually greatest for large seeds and least for small seeds at each burial depth, little difference was observed in seedling height at shallow burial depths of 0-3 cm. The population shows a patchy and discontinuous distribution pattern. Population height increases with increasing sand depth. Also the density increases with increasing depth of sand in the desert; however, there is a steady decrease when the depth of sand is more than 100 cm. This result indicates that the depth of sand that is most suitable for the growth of Nitraria sphaerocarpa is 100 cm. The size of the population is significantly correlated with the sand depth, which increases with increasing depth in the desert.

[Morphological characteristics and spatial heterogeneity of Nitraria sphaerocarp nebkhas in desert-oasis ecotone].

Taking the desert-oasis ecotone in Jinta and Linze of Gansu Province as study area, this paper studied the morphological characteristics of Nitraria sphaerocarp Nebkhas in the habitats of Gobi and desert, with the relationships among the morphological parameters, spatial pattern, and spatial heterogeneity analyzed quantitatively. The results showed that the N. sphaerocarp nebkhas was of convex and independent type, and obviously wind-eroded in Jinta. The average values of N. sphaerocarp nebkhas's height, volume, and plant canopy diameter were 1.43 m, 65.19 m3 and 94.06 m2, respectively, being larger in desert than in Gobi, and the maximum values were in Jinta's desert. The average values of the plant height and coverage in Linze desert were larger than those in Gobi, while those in Jinta were in adverse, with their maximum values being 0.48 m and 0.55, respectively. There were significant linear relationships between the long axis and short axis, and between the volume and plant canopy diameter of the nebkhas. The relationships between the height and area, and between the volume and plant canopy diameter were both linear. N. sphaerocarp nebkhas showed zonary distribution and patchy patterns along interdune. The spatial correlation of nebkhas in the Gobi of Jinta and Linze was comparatively strong, while that in Jinta's desert was moderate. There was the possibility that the spatial heterogeneity was chiefly resulted by the stochastic reason in Linze's desert. The spatial heterogeneity of N. sphaerocarp nebkhas was mostly derived from the variation formed by the structural reason. The spatial heterogeneity was the highest in Linze's Gobi and the lowest in Linze's desert, while that in Jinta's Gobi and desert was between the formers.