Bimetallic Sulfide Sb2S3/FeS2 Heterostructure Anchored in a Carbon Skeleton for Fast and Stable Sodium Storage.

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) are a promising substitute for lithium batteries due to their abundant resources and low cost. Metal sulfides are regarded as highly attractive anode materials due to their superior mechanical stability and high theoretical specific capacity. Guided by the density functional theory (DFT) calculations, 3D porous network shaped Sb2S3/FeS2 composite materials with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) through a simple solvothermal and calcination method, which is predicted to facilitate favorable Na+ ion diffusion, is synthesized. Benefiting from the well-designed structure, the resulting Sb2S3/FeS2 exhibit a remarkable reversible capacity of 536 mAh g-1 after 2000 cycles at a current density of 5 A g-1 and long high-rate cycle life of 3000 cycles at a current density of 30 A g-1 as SIBs anode. In situ and ex situ analyses are carried out to gain further insights into the storage mechanisms and processes of sodium ions in Sb2S3/FeS2@rGO composites. The significantly enhanced sodium storage capacity is attributed to the unique structure and the heterogeneous interface between Sb2S3 and FeS2. This study illustrates that combining rGO with heterogeneous engineering can provide an ideal strategy for the synthesis of new hetero-structured anode materials with outstanding battery performance for SIBs.

Outcomes of patients in nasopharyngeal adenoid cystic carcinoma in the IMRT era: a single-center experience.

OBJECTIVE: Nasopharyngeal adenoid cystic carcinoma (NACC) is a rare malignancy with special biological features. Controversies exist regarding the treatment approach and prognostic factors in the IMRT era. This study aimed to evaluate the long-term outcomes and management approaches in NACC. METHODS: Fifty patients with NACC at our institution between 2010 and 2020 were reviewed. Sixteen patients received primary radiotherapy (RT), and 34 patients underwent primary surgery. RESULTS: Between January 2010 and October 2020, a total of 50 patients with pathologically proven NACC were included in our analysis. The median follow-up time was 58.5 months (range: 6.0-151.0 months). The 5-year overall survival rate (OS) and progression-free survival rate (PFS) were 83.9% and 67.5%, respectively. The 5-year OS rates of patients whose primary treatment was surgery and RT were 90.0% and 67.3%, respectively (log-rank P = 0.028). The 5-year PFS rates of patients whose primary treatment was surgery or RT were 80.8% and 40.7%, respectively (log-rank P = 0.024). Multivariate analyses showed that nerve invasion and the pattern of primary treatment were independent factors associated with PFS. CONCLUSIONS: Due to the relative insensitivity to radiation, primary surgery seemed to provide a better chance of disease control and improved survival in NACC. Meanwhile, postoperative radiotherapy should be performed for advanced stage or residual tumours. Cranial nerve invasion and treatment pattern might be important factors affecting the prognosis of patients with NACC.

Signal enhancement ratio of multi-phase contrast-enhanced MRI: an imaging biomarker for survival in pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate signal enhancement ratio (SER) for tissue characterization and prognosis stratification in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC), with quantitative histopathological analysis (QHA) as the reference standard. METHODS: This retrospective study included 277 PDAC patients who underwent multi-phase contrast-enhanced (CE) MRI and whole-slide imaging (WSI) from three centers (2015-2021). SER is defined as (SIlt - SIpre)/(SIea - SIpre), where SIpre, SIea, and SIlt represent the signal intensity of the tumor in pre-contrast, early-, and late post-contrast images, respectively. Deep-learning algorithms were implemented to quantify the stroma, epithelium, and lumen of PDAC on WSIs. Correlation, regression, and Bland-Altman analyses were utilized to investigate the associations between SER and QHA. The prognostic significance of SER on overall survival (OS) was evaluated using Cox regression analysis and Kaplan-Meier curves. RESULTS: The internal dataset comprised 159 patients, which was further divided into training, validation, and internal test datasets (n = 60, 41, and 58, respectively). Sixty-five and 53 patients were included in two external test datasets. Excluding lumen, SER demonstrated significant correlations with stroma (r = 0.29-0.74, all p < 0.001) and epithelium (r = -0.23 to -0.71, all p < 0.001) across a wide post-injection time window (range, 25-300 s). Bland-Altman analysis revealed a small bias between SER and QHA for quantifying stroma/epithelium in individual training, validation (all within ± 2%), and three test datasets (all within ± 4%). Moreover, SER-predicted low stromal proportion was independently associated with worse OS (HR = 1.84 (1.17-2.91), p = 0.009) in training and validation datasets, which remained significant across three combined test datasets (HR = 1.73 (1.25-2.41), p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: SER of multi-phase CE-MRI allows for tissue characterization and prognosis stratification in PDAC. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: The signal enhancement ratio of multi-phase CE-MRI can serve as a novel imaging biomarker for characterizing tissue composition and holds the potential for improving patient stratification and therapy in PDAC. KEY POINTS: Imaging biomarkers are needed to better characterize tumor tissue in pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Signal enhancement ratio (SER)-predicted stromal/epithelial proportion showed good agreement with histopathology measurements across three distinct centers. Signal enhancement ratio (SER)-predicted stromal proportion was demonstrated to be an independent prognostic factor for OS in PDAC.

Associations between earlobe creases and MRI SVD markers in a Chinese cohort of patients with ischemic stroke.

BACKGROUND: The association between earlobe crease (ELC) and cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD), including white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) and brain atrophy, is unclear, especially in the setting of acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Here, we aimed to investigate the association between ELC and WMHs as well as brain atrophy among AIS patients. METHODS: A total of 730 AIS patients from China were enrolled. Patients were divided into groups without and with ELC, unilateral and bilateral ELC according to pictures of bilateral ears. Logistic regression models were employed to assess the impact of ELC, bilateral ELC on WMHs, periventricular hyperintensities (PVH), deep white matter hyperintensities (DWMH), and brain atrophy, as measured by the Fazekas scale and global cortical atrophy scale, in brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). RESULTS: There were 520 (71.2%) AIS patients with WMHs, 445 (61.0%) with PVH, 462 (63.3%) with DWMH and 586 (80.3%) with brain atrophy. Compared to those without ELC, patients with ELC were significant associated with an increased risk of PVH (odds ratio [OR] 1.79; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.15-2.77) and brain atrophy (OR 6.18; 95% CI, 3.60-10.63), but not WMHs and DWMH. The presence of bilateral ELC significantly increased the odds of WMHs (OR 1.60; 95% CI, 1.00-2.56), PVH (OR 1.87; 95% CI, 1.18-2.96), and brain atrophy (OR 8.50; 95% CI, 4.62-15.66) when compared to individuals without ELC. Furthermore, we discovered that the association between bilateral ELC and WMHs, PVH, and DWMH was significant only among individuals aged ≤68 (median age) years (all P trend ≤0.041). However, this association was not observed in patients older than 68 years. CONCLUSIONS: In Chinese AIS patients, the presence of the visible aging sign, ELC, especially bilateral ELC, showed independent associations with both white matter hyperintensities and brain atrophy, particularly among those younger than 68 years old.

Gd-EOB-DTPA enhanced MRI nomogram model to differentiate hepatocellular carcinoma and focal nodular hyperplasia both showing iso- or hyperintensity in the hepatobiliary phase.

BACKGROUND: To develop and validate a nomogram model based on Gd-EOB-DTPA enhanced MRI for differentiation between hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) showing iso- or hyperintensity in the hepatobiliary phase (HBP). METHODS: A total of 75 patients with 49 HCCs and 26 FNHs randomly divided into a training cohort (n = 52: 34 HCC; 18 FNH) and an internal validation cohort (n = 23: 15 HCC; 8 FNH). A total of 37 patients (n = 37: 25 HCC; 12 FNH) acted as an external test cohort. The clinical and imaging characteristics between HCC and FNH groups in the training cohort were compared. The statistically significant parameters were included into the FAE software, and a multivariate logistic regression classifier was used to identify independent predictors and establish a nomogram model. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to evaluate the prediction ability of the model, while the calibration and decision curves were used for model validation. Subanalysis was used to compare qualitative and quantitative characteristics of patients with chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis between the HCC and FNH groups. RESULTS: In the training cohort, gender, age, enhancement rate in the arterial phase (AP), focal defects in uptake were significant predictors for HCC showing iso- or hyperintensity in the HBP. In the training cohort, area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity and specificity of the nomogram model were 0.989(95%CI: 0.967-1.000), 97.1% and 94.4%. In the internal validation cohort, the above three indicators were 0.917(95%CI: 0.782-1.000), 93.3% and 87.5%. In the external test cohort, the above three indicators were 0.960(95%CI: 0.905-1.000), 84.0% and 100.0%. The results of subanalysis showed that age was the independent predictor in the patients with chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis between HCC and FNH groups. CONCLUSIONS: Gd-EOB-DTPA enhanced MRI nomogram model may be useful for discriminating HCC and FNH showing iso- or hyperintensity in the HBP before surgery.

A Combined Method of Seismic Monitoring and Transient Electromagnetic Detection for the Evaluation of Hydraulic Fracturing Effect in Coal Burst Prevention.

In order to mitigate the risk of roof-dominated coal burst in underground coal mining, horizontal long borehole staged hydraulic fracturing technology has been prevailingly employed to facilitate the weakening treatment of the hard roof in advance. Such weakening effect, however, can hardly be evaluated, which leads to a lack of a basis in which to design the schemes and parameters of hydraulic fracturing. In this study, a combined underground-ground integrated microseismic monitoring and transient electromagnetic detection method was utilized to carry out simultaneous evaluations of the seismic responses to each staged fracturing and the apparent resistivity changes before and after all finished fracturing. On this basis, the comparable and applicable fracturing effects on coal burst prevention were evaluated and validated by the distribution of microseismic events and their energy magnitude during the mining process. Results show that the observed mining-induced seismic events are consistent with the evaluation results obtained from the combined seismic-electromagnetic detection method. However, there is a limited reduction effect on resistivity near the fractured section that induces far-field seismic events. Mining-induced seismic events are concentrated primarily within specific areas, while microseismic events in the fractured area exhibit high frequency but low energy overall. This study validates the rationality of combined seismic-electromagnetic detection results and provides valuable insights for optimizing fracturing construction schemes as well as comprehensively evaluating outcomes associated with underground directional long borehole staged hydraulic fracturing.

Energy spectrum CT index-based machine learning model predicts the effect of intravenous thrombolysis in lower limbs.

To develop a noninvasive machine learning (ML) model based on energy spectrum computed tomography venography (CTV) indices for preoperatively predicting the effect of intravenous thrombolytic treatment in lower limbs. A total of 3492 slices containing thrombus regions from 58 veins in lower limbs in a cohort of 18 patients, divided in good and poor thrombolysis prognosis groups, were analyzed. Key indices were selected by univariate analysis and Pearson correlation coefficient test. A support vector machine classifier-based model was developed through ten-fold cross validation. Model performance was assessed in terms of discrimination, calibration, and clinical usefulness at both per-slice and per-vessel levels. Continuous variables and categorical variables were compared between good and poor thrombolysis prognosis group by Mann-Whitney U-test and chi-square test, respectively. A nomogram was built by integrating clinical factors and the energy spectrum CTV index-based score calculated by the model. Six indices selected from 192 indices were used to build the predictive model. The ML model achieved area under the curves (AUCs) of 0.838 and 0.767 [95% CI (confidence interval), 0.825-0.850, 0.752-0.781] in the training and validation datasets at the per-slice level, and the per-vessel level AUCs were 0.945 and 0.876 (95% CI, 0.852-0.988, 0.763-0.948) in the training and validation datasets, respectively. The nomogram showed better performance with the per-vessel level AUC, accuracy, sensitivity and specificity, yielding 0.901(95% CI, 0.793-0.964), 86.2%, 87.9% and 84.0% in the validation dataset, respectively. There was no significant difference in the vessel distribution between good and poor thrombolysis prognosis groups (chi-square test, p = 0.671). The energy spectrum CTV index-based ML model achieved favorable effectiveness in predicting the outcome of vessel-level intravenous thrombolysis. A nomogram integrating clinical factors, and risk score calculated by the developed model showed improved performance and had potential to be used as a noninvasive preoperative tool for clinicians.

Evaluation of Anti-Burst Performance in Mining Roadway Support System.

The hazardous effect of a mine earthquake on a roadway is not only related to its energy scale but also to its distance from the roadway. In this study, a signal attenuation model and a disaster-causing model were established to evaluate the mine earthquake effects based on peak particle velocity (PPV) data recorded for 37221-1 upper roadway of the Dongxia Coal Mine, China. The characteristic of dynamic loads due to mine earthquake propagation to roadway surfaces was researched, and critical PPV values were identified using FLAC3D numerical simulation, which can be used to evaluate the roadway anti-burst performance under the existing support system. The results show that the support system is able to resist a mine earthquake with energy below 2.33 × 103 J; however, considering the energy accumulation volume of surrounding rocks and the range of source fracture, the maximum resistible mine earthquake energy can be up to 7.09 × 106 J when the roadway is 50 m away from the source. The validity and applicability of the disaster-causing models was verified by two rockburst cases that occurred during the excavation of the working face.

Mid-infrared spectrally-uncorrelated biphotons generation from doped PPLN: a theoretical investigation.

We theoretically investigate the preparation of mid-infrared (MIR) spectrally-uncorrelated biphotons from a spontaneous parametric down-conversion process using doped LN crystals, including MgO doped LN, ZnO doped LN, and In2O3 doped ZnLN with doping ratio from 0 to 7 mol%. The tilt angle of the phase-matching function and the corresponding poling period are calculated under type-II, type-I, and type-0 phase-matching conditions. We also calculate the thermal properties of the doped LN crystals and their performance in Hong-Ou-Mandel interference. It is found that the doping ratio has a substantial impact on the group-velocity-matching (GVM) wavelengths. Especially, the GVM2 wavelength of co-doped InZnLN crystal has a tunable range of 678.7 nm, which is much broader than the tunable range of less than 100 nm achieved by the conventional method of adjusting the temperature. It can be concluded that the doping ratio can be utilized as a degree of freedom to manipulate the biphoton state. The spectrally uncorrelated biphotons can be used to prepare pure single-photon source and entangled photon source, which may have promising applications for quantum-enhanced sensing, imaging, and communications at the MIR range.

Conjugation of ferulic acid onto pectin affected the physicochemical, functional and antioxidant properties.

BACKGROUND: Pectin, as a functional ingredient, is best known as a gelling and thickening agent, stabilizer, and fat substitute in processed foods. The synthesis of pectin graft copolymers is considered one of the most fascinating ways to improve its physicochemical and functional properties. In this study, therefore, water-soluble pectin or ultrasound-treated pectins (UP30 and UP60) grafted with ferulic acid (FA) conjugates, pectin-g-FA, UP30-g-FA and UP60-g-FA, were synthesized via a free radical-mediated grafting procedure, and their physicochemical, structural, and functional characteristics were investigated. Moreover, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH)-radical scavenging activity, Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) assay and ferric-reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) assay were used to evaluate their antioxidant activities in vitro. RESULTS: Results showed that FA was covalently grafted onto pectin or ultrasound-treated pectins, and the grafting ratios of pectin-g-FA, UP30-g-FA and UP60-g-FA were 65.43 ± 1.30, 82.55 ± 1.71 and 75.82 ± 0.89 mg FA/g, respectively. Although the molecular weights, apparent viscosities, and thermal stabilities of the three FA-grafted pectin conjugates decreased and their surface morphologies were different from those of native pectin and ultrasound-treated pectins, they possessed prominent DPPH-radical scavenging ability [half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50 ) of 0.32 to 0.89 mg mL-1 ) and antioxidant capacity (TEAC of 100.02 to 153.42 µmol Trolox/g sample; FRAP: 166.41 to 270.27 µmol FeSO4 /g sample). Their antioxidant potentials were positively correlated with the grafting ratio. CONCLUSION: This study provided a promising strategy for the functionalization of pectin, and the prepared FA-grafted pectin conjugates could be explored as functional ingredients that showed potential for applications in food and agriculture systems. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

[Whole genome sequencing reveals the distribution of resistance and virulence genes of pathogenic Escherichia coli CCHTP from giant panda].

Pathogenic Escherichia coli (E. coli) is the most common pathogen causing urinary tract infection in animals. We investigated the antibiotic resistance and virulence genes of pathogenic E. coli CCHTP derived from urine with occult blood of the giant panda by whole genome sequencing. The flanking sequencing of resistance and virulence genes in genomic islands were also analyzed. Our results demonstrate that E. coli CCHTP contains different families of antibiotic resistance genes, most of which are efflux pump related genes, including multiple drug resistance efflux pump genes mdfA, emrE, and mdtN. A total of 166 virulence factors and 563 virulence genes were identified, and the most virulence factors and related genes are involved in host cell attachment and invasion processes. Furthermore, sequence analysis of 19 genomic islands revealed that antibiotic and virulence genes are associated with mobile genetic elements (transposon and insertion sequence) in GIs011 and GIs017. These structures can mediate horizontal transfer of antibiotic and virulence genes. Our work described the distribution of antibiotic resistance genes and virulence genes in E. coli CCHTP, which may provide an important guidance for treatment and rational drug use of E. coli CCHTP infection in the giant panda.

[Typical Medicinal Plants Community and Diversity Research in Altay Region of Xinjiang].

Objective: To investigate typical medicinal plants of Rheum altaicum, Glycyrrhiza uralensis, Ferula sinkiangensis, Paeonia sinjiangensis, Ephedra equisetina, and Origanum vulgare in Altay region of Xinjiang, and to clarify their current existing situation under natural condition. Methods: Based on the 30 sample plots, ecological methods were used for investigating the community structure and species diversity of local medicinal plants. Results: 39 species belonging to 20 families,36 genera were recorded in the area. Xerophytic shrubs, half shrubs and herbs were dominant plants. The important values of six typical medicinal plants were 0. 32,0. 37,0. 42,0. 50,0. 49 and 0. 34,respectively. Six indexes of species diversity were generally low( 0. 63 ~ 0. 80),in which the species diversity indexes of Paeonia sinjiangensis, Ferula sinkiangensis, and Rheum altaicum were the highest( 0. 80,0. 80 and 0. 76),the species diversity indexes of Ephedra equisetina and Origanum vulgare were lower( 0. 74 and 0. 64),and the species diversity index of Glycyrrhiza uralensis was the lowest( 0. 63). Conclusion: Composition and community structure of medicinal plant species in Altay region of Xinjiang were relatively simple, which need to be protected urgently.

[Correlation Between Index Components and Climatic Factors of Pseudostellariae Radix].

Objective: To analyze the correlation between index components and climatic factors of Pseudostellariae Radix. Methods: Correlation analysis ( CA), partial least square (PLS) and PCA ordination were applied to analyze the correlation of index components in Pseudostellariae Radix and climatic factors, and to explore the main climatic factors affecting the accumulation of index components in Pseudostellariae Radix. Results: The origin and harvest time had influence on index components. The monthly minimum temperature, monthly average humidity, monthly precipitation and the annual precipitation were the dominant factors influencing the content of index components. Conclusion: Through the positive and negative correlation between climatic factors and index components, it could explain the rationality of traditional harvest time and the reason of high content of heterophyllin B in Pseudostellariae Radix from Jiangsu Jurong.

[Simultaneous determination of thirteen components in Polygoni Multifori Caulis by UPLC-MS/MS].

A comprehensive analytical method based on UPLC-MS/MS was developed for the simultaneous determination of thirteen components including three stilbenes (stilbeneglucoside, polydatin, resveratrol), four anthraquinones (emodin, physcion, emodin-8-ß-D-glucopyranoside, aloe-emodin), five flavonoids (epicatechin, rutin, hyperoside, astragalin,quercetin) and one phenolic acid (gallic acid) in Polygoni Multifori Caulis.The separation was carried out on a Waters BEH C18 column（2.1 mm×100 mm,1.7 µm）with gradient elution of acetonitrile-water (0.1% acetic acid) at a flow rate of 0.25 mL•min⁻¹, and column temperature was 35 ℃. The target compounds were analyzed by multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. TOPSIS analysis ware performed to evaluate the samples from different areas and commercial herbs according to the contents of thirteen components. The correlation coefficients of all the calibration curves were higher than 0.991 5. The average recoveries ranged from 95.24% to 102.3%, and the relative standard deviations were less than 5%. The result of TOPSIS analysis showed that the comprehensive quality of Polygoni Multifori Caulis sample from Guangzhou was better. The developed method with good repeatability and accuracy was suitable for the simultaneous determination of multiple functional substances, which provided a new basis for the comprehensive assessment and overall control of the quality of Polygoni Multifori Caulis.

3D bone subtraction CT angiography for the evaluation of intracranial aneurysms: a comparison study with 2D bone subtraction CT angiography and conventional non-subtracted CT angiography.

BACKGROUND: Bone subtraction computed tomography angiography (BSCTA) is better able to facilitate the detection of intracranial aneurysms adjacent to bone structures compared to conventional non-subtracted CTA (CNSCTA). However, the comparison of the diagnostic accuracy of three-dimensional (3D) and two-dimensional (2D) BSCTA and conventional CTA in evaluating intracranial aneurysms remains unclear. PURPOSE: To evaluate whether 3D BSCTA has a superior diagnostic accuracy to those of 2D BSCTA and CNSCTA in a single center with the same instrument. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Sixty-three patients received 3D BSCTA, 2D BSCTA, and NSCTA for the detection and treatment planning of suspected intracranial aneurysms. The angiography readouts were reviewed by two independent radiologists. The sensitivity of CTA in detecting aneurysm was analyzed on a per-aneurysm and per-patient basis, using 3D digital subtraction angiography (DSA) and surgical findings as the gold standard. The potential of endovascular treatment or surgical clipping was also assessed based on information provided by the CTA. RESULTS: A total of 66 aneurysms were detected in 54 patients. The overall sensitivity, specificity, positive, and negative predictive values of 3D BSCTA were all 100%, and these values for 2D BSCTA were 98.1%, 100%, 100%, and 90%, respectively. The total sensitivity, specificity, positive, and negative predictive values of CNSCTA were 94.4%, 100%, 100%, and 75%, respectively. Finally, 100%, 98.1%, and 85.2% patients received appropriate treatment decisions after 3D BSCTA, 2D BSCTA, and CNSCTA imaging, respectively. CONCLUSION: 3D BSCTA has a higher sensitivity for the detection of small aneurysms and aneurysms adjacent to bone compared to 2D BSCTA or CNSCTA, which were still able to obtain sufficient information for the detection of intracranial aneurysms and therapeutic decision-making.

[Dynamic Changes of Nucleosides and Nucleobases in Different Harvest Periods of Polygoni Multiflori Radix by UPLC-QTRAP-MS/MS].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the dynamic changes of nucleosides and nucleobases in Polygoni Multiflori Radix harvested in different periods. METHODS: UPLC-QTRAP-MS/MS method was applied for the analysis of nine kinds of nucleosides and nucleobases in Polygoni Multiflori Radix. RESULTS: The content of uridine, adenine, guanosine and cytidine was higher in Polygoni Multiflori Radix harvested in different periods and assumed some difference. The trends of nucleosides and nucleobases from Polygoni Multiflori Radix according to the peak valley shape changed. The highest contents of them were in December. CONCLUSION: The accumulation of nucleosides and nucleobases in Polygoni Multiflori Radix is closely related to its growth cycle. It is found to be basically the same as that obtained when the herb is collected during the conventional collecting time.

[QTRAP LC-MS/MS Analytical Study on Nucleosides and Nucleobases of Pseudostellariae Radix Cultivated in Different Idioplasm Resources].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze nucleosides and nucleobases of Pseudostellariae Radix cultivated in different idibplasni resources and to compare the differences. METHODS: QTRAP LC-MS/MS method was applied for the analysis of 13 kinds of nucleosides and nucleobases in Pseudostellariae Radix and the data obtained was analyzed by SPSS 16. 0 software. RESULTS: There were some differences between Pseudostellariae Radix cultivated in different idioplasm resources. The highest amount of nucleosides and nucleobases was ZS2 which came from Zherong in Fujian Province. The total content of nucleosides and nucleobases in the sample from Shibing in Guizhou Province was the lowest. There was little difference between ZS1 (Zherong in Fujian Province) and XC(Xuancheng in Anhui Province). CONCLUSION: This study provides evidence for the influence of eco-environment on the metabolites of Pseudostellariae Radix.

Dynamic accumulation analysis on bioactive constituents of Polygonum multiflorum in different collection periods.

To study the dynamic change law of bioactive constituents from Polygonum multiflorum, and to explore the optimal harvest period of P. multiflorum. Determination of stilhene glucoside, anthraquinones and catechin from P. multiflorum in different harvest times by MEKC-DAD, and principal component analysis (PCA) was used to comprehensive evaluation for bioactive constituents. There are obvious differences among the contents of active ingredients in various collecting periods samples, the content of stilbene glucoside was the highest in November, the total content of combined anthraquinone was the highest in November and December, the content of catechin was the highest in September. The comprehensive evaluation index obtained with principal component analysis showed that the sample collected in November is significantly higher than those with other samples. The optimal harvest period of P. multiflorum is November.

A new hemoglobin variant: Hb Henan [ß90(F6)Glu → Gln; HBB: c.271G < C].

We have identified a new ß chain hemoglobin (Hb) variant in a Chinese individual. Sequencing of the ß-globin gene revealed a mutation in exon 2 at nucleotide 271, which results in the replacement of a glutamic acid by glutamine at codon 90 [ß90(F6)Glu → Gln; GAG > CAG; HBB: c.271G > C] that we have named Hb Henan.