Horizontal orientation of zygomorphic flowers: significance for rain protection and pollen transfer.

Floral traits are recognized to have evolved under selection for abiotic and biotic factors. Complex zygomorphic flowers usually face horizontally. It has been proved that a horizontal orientation facilitates pollinator recognition and pollination efficiency, but its significance in adaptation to abiotic factors remains unknown. The floral orientation of Abelia × grandiflora naturally varies around horizontal (with an angle of -30 to +33° between the floral main axis and the horizontal). We examined whether three different floral orientations affected flower thermal conditions, response to rain and pollination. Results showed that floral orientation had no effect on diurnal variations in flower temperature. The anthers of all three flower orientations were wetted by rainfall, but the inclined upward-facing flowers contained significantly more rainwater. The horizontal flowers received significantly higher visitation by hawkmoths and had a higher stigmatic pollen load. In contrast, the upward flower orientation reduced pollination precision, while downward-facing flowers had decreased pollinator attraction. This study indicates that horizontal flowers may have evolved as a trade-off between rain protection and pollination. Zygomorphic flowers that deviate from a horizontal orientation may have lower fitness because of flower flooding by rainwater and decreased pollen transfer.

Effects of young barley leaf extract and antioxidative vitamins on LDL oxidation and free radical scavenging activities in type 2 diabetes.

BACKGROUND: The effects of supplementation of young barley leaf extract (BL) and/or antioxidative vitamins C and E on different low-density lipoprotein (LDL) subfractions susceptibility to oxidation and free radical scavenging activities in patients with type 2 diabetes were evaluated. METHODS: Thirty-six type 2 diabetic patients were enrolled in this study. The subjects received one of the following supplements daily for 4 weeks: 15 g BL, 200 mg vitamin C and 200 mg vitamin E (CE), or BL plus CE (BL + CE). RESULTS: The lucigenin-chemiluminescence (CL) and luminol-CL levels in blood were significantly reduced in all groups. Vitamin E content of LDL subfractions increased significantly following supplements, especially for BL + CE group. The percent increase of lag times in the BL + CE was significantly higher than those in the BL or CE group. The antioxidative effect of BL + CE was the greatest for small, dense LDL (Sd-LDL) with further increases in percentage of lag times 4 folds compared to BL alone. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that supplementation with BL may help to scavenge oxygen free radicals, save the LDL-vitamin E content, and inhibit LDL oxidation. Furthermore, the addition of vitamins C and E to BL can inhibit the Sd-LDL oxidation more effectively, which may protect against vascular diseases in type 2 diabetic patients.

[Comparison between two diagnostic methods of computer's mathematic model and clinical diagnosis on TCM syndromes of rheumatoid arthritis].

Based on the test result of 14 trace elements in hair of 163 cases of rheumatoid arthritis, we used one of the methods of the computer's mathematic model, DYNAMIC to assign the patients to five groups among multidimensional space. Then, another method, M-DEC was used to diagnose it back on one plane. The result was compared with that by the usual clinical diagnosis, also five groups were obtained, the group of Deficiency of both Liver and Kidney, syndrome of intermingled Cold with Heat, Deficiency of Qi and Yin, syndrome of Dampness-Heat stagnating in collaterals and syndrome of Phlegm-Dampness stagnating in collaterals. And Kappa was 0.77, greater than 0.6. It displayed the consistency in observation of these two methods, which was shown reliable. After that, we have detected the sensitivity of the syndrome diagnosis by computer's mathematic model method, the result was 96.67% and the specificity of that was 95.15%. So we consider this method could give us an objective judgment on TCM syndromes of rheumatoid arthritis.

A natural vaccine candidate strain against cholera.

E1 Tor Vibrio cholerae (EVC) strains may be classified into two kinds-epidemigenic (EEVC) strains and non-epidemigenic (NEEVC) strains-based on a phage-biotyping system. A large number of EEVC strains have been screened for toxigenic and putative colonization attributes. One such naturally occurring strains (designated IEM101) has been found which is devoid of genes encoding cholera toxin (CT), accessory cholera enterotoxin (ACE), zonula occludens toxin (ZOT), but possesses RS1 sequences and toxin-coregulated pilus A gene (icpA) although icpA is poorly expressed. It expresses type B pili but does not possess type C pili. It is an E1 Tor Ogawa strain and does not cause fluid accumulation in rabbit ilcal loop tests. Active immunization of rabbits with strain IEM101 elicited good protection against challenge with virulent strains of V. cholerae O1. Oral administration caused no side effects in 15 human volunteers, colonized the gut for four to ten days and elicited good immune responses.

[Effect of Rhodobryum roseum on hemorheology following acute coronary occlusion in dogs].

Following acute occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery, the significant and constant hemorheologic changes were observed in venous blood from ischemic area. 30 min after occlusion, the high shear rate (r = 230s-1), middle shear rate (r = 23s-1) and low shear rate (r = 5.75s-1), viscosity of whole blood (eta b) increased significantly, and this change occurred in viscosity of plasma (eta p) and in red cell electrophoretic time (RCET) also. These increases continued thereafter. In another group of dogs, 30 min after coronary occlusion, rapid dripping was performed with Rhodobryum roseum (Huixincao) injection from right femoral vein. After 10 min, eta b at all shear rate reduced significantly, and this reduction was observed in eta p and in RCET also. These findings suggested that the hyperviscosity syndrome developed in acute myocardial ischemic could be blocked by Hui Xin Cao.

[Quantitative analysis of 200 human tongue pictures].

Photoelectricity integration was applied to detect and analyse the colorimetric tongue pictures in 200 human beings. The results showed that among various tongue pictures there were evident differences in colorimetric features. This method could also assess the thickness of tongue coating, thus obtaining the colorimetric features including color of tongue proper, color of coating as well as thickness index in common tongue pictures. Therefore it might provide scientific basis for objective and quantitative assessment of tongue pictures in TCM.

[The synthesis and bioactivities of cholinergic tropane alkaloids].

Ten analogs of baogongteng A, the natural cholinergic tropane alkaloid isolated from Erycibe obtusifolia Benth, were designed and synthesized. The tropane skeleton was kept unchanged, while the substituting groups on N and C3 were modified. In myotic experiments in rabbits 3-paramethyl benzoyloxy-6-acetoxy nortropane(4), 3-propionyloxy-6-acetoxy nortropane(5), and 3-isobutyryloxy-6-acetoxy nortropane(6) showed cholinergic activities.

The metabolic effects of thermal injury.

Major thermal injury is associated with extreme hypermetabolism and catabolism as the principal metabolic manifestations encountered following successful resuscitation from the shock phase of the burn injury. Substrate and hormonal measurements, indirect calorimetry, and nitrogen balance are biochemical metabolic parameters which are useful and more readily available biochemical parameters worthy of serial assessment for the metabolic management of burn patients. However, the application of stable isotopes with gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy and more recently, new immunoassays for growth factors and cytokines has increased our understanding of the metabolic manifestations of severe trauma. The metabolic response to injury in burn patients is biphasic wherein the initial ebb phase is followed by a hypermetabolic and catabolic flow phase of injury. The increased oxygen consumption/metabolic rate is in part fuelled by evaporative heat loss from wounds of trauma victims, but likely also by a direct central effect of inflammation upon the hypothalamus. Although carbohydrates in the form of glucose appear to be an important fuel source following injury, a maximum of 5-6 mg/kg/min only is beneficial. Burn patients have accelerated gluconeogenesis, glucose oxidation, and plasma clearance of glucose. Additionally, considerable futile cycling of carbohydrate intermediates occurs which includes anaerobic lactate metabolism and Cori cycle activity arising from wound metabolism of glucose and other substrates. Similarly, accelerated lipolysis and futile fatty acid cycling occurs following burn injury. However, recent evidence suggests that lipids in the diet of burned and other injured patients serve not only as an energy source, but also as an important immunomodulator of prostaglandin metabolism and other immune responses. Amino acid metabolism in burn patients is characterized by increased oxidation, urea synthesis, and protein breakdown which is prolonged and difficult to reduce with current nutritional therapy. However, the current goal of nutritional support is to optimize protein synthesis. Specific unique requirements may exist for supplemental glutamine and arginine following burn injury but further research is needed before enhanced branched chain amino acids supplements can be recommended for burn patients. Recent research investigations have revealed the importance of enteral feeding to enhance mucosal defense against gut bacteria and endotoxin. Similarly, research has demonstrated that many of the metabolic perturbations of burns and sepsis may be due, at least in part, to inflammatory cytokines. Investigation of their pathogenesis and mechanism of action both at a tissue and a cellular level offer important prospects for improved understanding and therapeutic control of the metabolic disorders of burn patients.

A kinetic study of leucine metabolism in severely burned patients. Comparison between a conventional and branched-chain amino acid-enriched nutritional therapy.

A cross-over design study was used to examine the metabolic consequences of enteral feeding for 48 to 96 hours with either a branched-chain amino acid (BCAA)-enriched (44% BCAA) or a conventional egg protein formulation in 12 severely burned adult patients. A stable isotope labeled leucine (L-1-13C-leucine) tracer approach was used to measure leucine flux and oxidation and to estimate rates of whole body protein synthesis and breakdown. Additionally, 15N2-urea and 6,6-2H-glucose were administered to assess the status of urea and glucose kinetics with these two nutritional treatments. Average patient age was 54 years, and average burn surface area was 36%. Studies were conducted at an average of 25 days postburn. Leucine flux and oxidation were significantly (p less than 0.01, by paired t-test) elevated with BCAA feeding as compared to the egg protein formulation. However, there were no significant differences in the rates of leucine incorporation into, or release from, proteins (p greater than 0.05) between the two dietary periods. Mean rates of body protein synthesis and breakdown for each diet were about twice the rates reported for healthy young adults. Apparent nitrogen balance measurements were not statistically different (p greater than 0.1) between the two diet periods. Furthermore, urea and glucose kinetics failed to show significant differences between the two diet periods. It appears from these results that the major consequences of increased intake of leucine from the BCAA formula is an enhanced rate of leucine oxidation. In conclusion, (1) the availability of BCAAs is not rate-limiting for enhanced protein synthesis in burn patients, and (2) the use of enriched BCAA formulas in burn therapy does not appear to offer advantages over a routinely used enteral egg protein formula, at least based on the present determinations.

Application of hydroelastic waves of the Chinese traditional medicine solution to the traumatotherapy.

We have used hydroelastic waves to treat the closed trauma of the soft tissue. The Shu Huo Jiu (S. H. J.) which is the Chinese traditional medicine alcohol, was used as the fluid medium for generating the pressure waves. The biomechanical model was established and analysed. Both animal and human tests have been made. A practical system was designed, constructed and clinically tested to treat the closed trauma, such as the bruise, contusion, sprain etc.. This system was found to be effective.

Distribution of blood flow in the intestine with hypertonic glucose in the lumen.

The effects of luminal placement of 50 percent glucose solution on distribution of blood flow within the jejunal wall were studied with radioactive microspheres. Two types of spheres, 15 +/- 5 mu in diameter, were used. One was labeled with cerium- 141 (Ce- 141) and the other with strontium-85 (Sr-85). They were injected sequentially to test for reproducibility of the results. These two types of spheres gave similar results qualitatively and quantitatively. Luminal placement of 50 percent glucose increased total blood flow to the jejunal wall but the increase occurred mainly in the mucosal layer. The flow to the submucosa or muscularis-serosa was not altered. This increased mucosal flow was attenuated by prior exposure of the mucosa to a local anesthetic, dibucaine. It is suggested that the increased intestinal blood flow that occurs in the experimental dumping syndrome is confined to the mucosa of the intestine and is mediated by mechanisms that can be inhibited by exposing the mucosa to a local anesthetic.