[Establishment and validation of nomogram prediction model for complicated acute appendicitis].

Objective: To establish and internally validate a nomogram model for predicting complicated acute appendicitis (CA). Methods: The clinical data from 663 acute appendicitis patients from the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from October 2015 to October 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 411 males and 252 females, aged (M (IQR)) 41 (22) years (range: 18 to 84 years). There were 516 cases of CA and 147 cases of uncomplicated acute appendicitis. The minimum absolute contraction and selection operator regression model was used to screen the potential relative factors of CA, and the screened factors were included in the Logistic regression model for multivariate analysis. Software R was used to establish a preoperative CA nomogram prediction model, the receiver operating characteristic curve of the model was drawn, and the value of area under the curve (AUC) was compared to evaluate its identification ability, and the Bootstrap method was used for internal verification. Results: The elderly (age≥60 years) (OR=2.428, 95%CI: 1.295 to 4.549), abdominal pain time (every rise of 1 hour) (OR=1.089, 95%CI: 1.072 to 1.107), high fever (body temperature≥39 ℃) (OR=1.122, 95%CI: 1.078 to 1.168), total bilirubin (every rise of 1 µmol/L) (OR=2.629, 95%CI: 1.227 to 5.635) were independent relative factors of CA (all P<0.05). The AUC of this model was 0.935 (95%CI: 0.915 to 0.956). After internal verification using the Bootstrap method, the model still had a high discrimination ability (AUC=0.933), and the predicted CA curve was still in good agreement with the actual clinical CA curve. Conclusion: The clinical prediction model based on the elderly (age≥60 years), prolonged abdominal pain time, high fever (body temperature≥39 ℃), and increased total bilirubin can help clinicians effectively identify CA.

Evaluating the impact of excess dietary tryptophan on laying performance and immune function of laying hens reared under hot and humid summer conditions.

1. Tryptophan (Trp), besides its role as an essential amino acid in protein synthesis, may also have other important effects on laying hens under summer conditions. 2. Babcock Brown layers (n = 768), 40 weeks of age, were allocated to 4 treatment groups, each of which included 6 replicates of 32 hens. Each group received the same basal diet, formulated with maize and soybean meal, for 8 weeks. Hens were fed on the basal diet with 0·0, 0·2, 0·4, and 0·8 g/kg L-Trp to achieve dietary concentrations of 1·7, 1·9 g/kg, 2·1 g/kg or 2·5 g/kg of Trp, respectively. 3. Supplementing L-Trp had no affect on laying performance. Adding 0·2 or 0·4 g/kg L-Trp improved egg shell strength compared with those fed on the control diet. Serum albumin concentration increased at 0·4 g/kg compared with those receiving 0·0 or 0·8 g/kg Trp. The addition of Trp at 0·4 g/kg increased serum IgM concentration quadratically. Serum superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) increased linearly and quadratically at 0·4 g/kg. 4. In conclusion, we suggest that 0·2 to 0·4 g/kg Trp may have beneficial effects on laying hens under conditions of high temperature and humidity.

Anti-tumor effect of sodium-induced thermochemical ablation therapy.

PURPOSE: We have recently proposed utilizing alkali metal as powerful self heating seeds to thermally ablate tumor tissues. This study is dedicated to disclosing some fundamental mechanisms related to the anti-tumor effects of sodium and its controllability as an economic, safe and efficient thermochemical agent in targeted tumor treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: EMT6 cell line was incubated under four situations: no treatment, NaOH solution treatment, hyperthermia treatment and a combined NaOH solution and hyperthermia treatment. Cell cytotoxicity was measured by a CASY cell counter and analyzer system. Breast EMT6 tumors in mice were subjected to treatment by NaOH solution, hyperthermia and encapsulated sodium. The changes of tumor volumes were continuously measured for 12 days after treatment. Tumors of another four mice were harvested immediately after treatment to assess viability. RESULTS: In vitro cell experiments suggested that thermal effect combined with chemical treatment produced a more significant cell cytotoxicity compared to thermal or chemical treatment alone. Encapsulated sodium demonstrated a slower and more continuous heat release than bare sodium. The sodium treatment produced a dramatic regression of tumors that lasted throughout the 12 days of the study. Histological sections showed complete necrosis in sodium-treated tumors, whereas control tumors and heat-treated tumors remained viable, and NaOH-treated tumors showed partial destruction. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that sodium allows a minimally invasive treatment which could produce both thermal and chemical lethal injury to tumors. Using sodium to ablate target tumors is potentially an effective, safe and low cost way to treat malignant tumors.

[Studies on chemical constituents of Peucedanum medium Dunn var. garcile Dunn ex Shan at Sheh].

OBJECTIVE: To study the chemical constitutents in Peucedanum medium var. gracile distributed in Guangxi. METHOD: Chromatography and spectral analysis were used to isolated and elucidate the constituents. RESULT: Eight compounds were isolated from the root of P. medium var. gracile and elucidated as isoimperatorin, phellopterin, bergapten, oxypeucedanin hydrate, byakangelicin beta-sitosterol, hamaudol and mannitol. CONCLUSION: Seven compounds were obtained from this plant for the first time.

Evaluation of linear polyethyleneimine/nitric oxide adduct on wound repair: therapy versus toxicity.

A full-thickness wound model was used to evaluate the effects of a topically applied polyethyleneimine-based nitric oxide donor on wound repair in aged rats. Polymer applications were applied over a 10-day period on days 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 comparing treatment (linear polyethyleneimine-nitric oxide) and control groups (linear polyethyleneimine). Urinary nitrate excretion was quantified as a measure of nitric oxide released. The nitric oxide released from the linear polyethyleneimine-nitric oxide group was significant compared with controls (p

[Investigation on computative spectrophotometry employed in the assay of peaonol in cortex moutan].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the easibility of employed computative spectrophotometry in the assay of traditional Chinese medicines. METHOD: Make contents of peaonol in 10 samples of Cortex Moutan were determined by three-wavelength spectrophotometry and dual wavelength K-ratio spectrophotometry, and then compared with the method in Chinese Pharmacopeia. RESULT: The differences of the UV spectrum of different lots of samples bring about relative error. sometimes up to 10%-30% for computative spectrophotometry. CONCLUSION: Computative spectrophotometry should be used carefully in assaying traditional Chinese medicines.