[A multi-dimensional analysis of pollen broadcasting concerns in Chinese population: a large-scale multi-center cross-sectional survey].

Objective: To investigate the concern about pollen broadcasting in Chinese population from multiple dimensions and to understand the information about allergic rhinitis (AR) in China by analyzing related factors. Methods: From March 1 to September 30, 2022, a large-scale multi-center cross-sectional survey was conducted based on the Questionnaire Star platform in 21 Chinese hospitals. A total of 7 056 subjects from 7 regions in China: Northeast, North, East, Central, South, Southwest, and Northwest China were included. Basic characteristics (including social demographic characteristics and disease characteristics of AR patients), concern about pollen broadcasting, the willingness of pollen-induced AR (PiAR) patients to receive pollen broadcasting, and the treatment satisfaction rate of AR patients were collected. The chi-square test, multivariate linear regression model, and Logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the concern about pollen broadcasting in the Chinese population and related factors from multiple dimensions. Results: Among 7 056 subjects, 23.02% were concerned about pollen broadcasting. Among 3 176 self-reported AR and 1 019 PiAR patients, 25.60% and 39.16% were concerned about pollen broadcasting, respectively, which was higher than that of non-AR or non-PiAR subjects (χ2 value was 21.74 and 175.11, respectively, both P<0.001). Among AR patients, the proportion of spring and autumn allergen-positive patients concerned about pollen broadcasting was higher than that in perennial allergen-positive patients (χ2 value was 20.90 and 19.51, respectively, both P<0.001). The proportion of AR patients with asthma, sinusitis, allergic conjunctivitis, and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases was higher than those without complications (χ2 value was 50.83, 21.97, 56.78, 7.62, respectively, all P<0.05). The proportion of AR patients in North China who could find pollen broadcasting locally was 31.01%, significantly higher than those in other regions (all P<0.05). Multivariate linear regression model analysis showed that among PiAR patients, those with higher per capita household income and higher AR disease cognition levels had been concerned about pollen broadcasting in the past, and those complicated with allergic conjunctivitis had stronger intention to receive pollen broadcasting (B value was 0.24, 0.13, 0.66, 0.47, respectively, all P<0.05). The higher the disease cognition level of PiAR patients, the stronger their willingness to actively participate in treatment (R2=0.72, P<0.001). Only 18.89% of AR patients felt satisfied with the treatment effect. Logistic regression analysis showed that in AR patients, the treatment satisfaction rate was significantly higher among those concerned about pollen broadcasting compared to those who were not (OR=1.83, P<0.001). Conclusions: Currently, the dissemination of pollen broadcasting in China is hindered by various factors such as disease cognition level. The treatment satisfaction among AR patients remains unsatisfactory.

Integrative Palliative Cancer Care in Hong Kong: An Overview and an Example from the East.

Cancer is the most common cause of mortality worldwide. Although recent advances of multiple modality cancer management have significantly improved the cure and control rates, a significant proportion of patients are still refractory to the standard and available treatments. Early initiation of palliative care can reduce cancer suffering, improve health-related quality of life and possibly prolong survival. It also allows patients and their caretakers to perceive the trajectory of their cancer, so that better and advanced care planning can be contemplated and implemented. The traditional beliefs and perceptions of cancer also differ significantly between the East and the West, which may also affect the preferential approach to palliative care. This review provides an overview of palliative care services in Hong Kong, as compared with other parts of the world. In addition, we shall also explore how cancer perceptions affect the decision-making on palliative care.

[Expression pattern of beta-amyloid in the peri-infarct area and ipsilateral thalamus of rats after focal cerebral cortex infarction].

Objective: To investigate the expression pattern of beta-amyloid (Aß) in rats after focal cerebral cortex infarction, and to identify whether the Aß expression in the ipsilateral thalamus was directly related to focal cerebral ischemia. Methods: The distal middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) was performed by electrocoagulation in rats. The rats were divided randomly into sham group (n=18) and MCAO group (n=30) . We used 2, 3, 5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining and immunohistochemical staining to detect the location of cerebral infarction and Aß expression, respectively. Results: TTC staining showed that the cerebral infarction was consistently restricted to the frontal and temporoparietal cortex. In the peri-infarct area of the MCAO group, Aß expression began at day 2, reached the maximum level at day 7, and disappeared almost completely at day 28 after MCAO. The Aß appeared as diffuse small dots, and was located in neurons and astrocytes at day 2 and day 28, respectively. Meanwhile, in the ipsilateral thalamus, Aß expression began at day 3, increased markedly at day 7, and remained until day 28 after MCAO. The Aß was located constantly in the extracellular region of the ipsilateral thalamus, and aggregated gradually from small dots to dense plaque-like deposits with the time of ischemia. Conclusions: There are dynamic changes of Aß expression in both the peri-infarct area and the ipsilateral thalamus following MCAO. The Aß expression in the ipsilateral thalamus is not directly related to focal cerebral ischemia.

Tackling agricultural diffuse pollution: What might uptake of farmer-preferred measures deliver for emissions to water and air?

Mitigation of agricultural diffuse pollution poses a significant policy challenge across Europe and particularly in the UK. Existing combined regulatory and voluntary approaches applied in the UK continue to fail to deliver the necessary environmental outcomes for a variety of reasons including failure to achieve high adoption rates. It is therefore logical to identify specific on-farm mitigation measures towards which farmers express positive attitudes for higher future uptake rates. Accordingly, a farmer attitudinal survey was undertaken during phase one of the Demonstration Test Catchment programme in England to understand those measures towards which surveyed farmers are most receptive to increasing implementation in the future. A total of 29 on-farm measures were shortlisted by this baseline farm survey. This shortlist comprised many low cost or cost-neutral measures suggesting that costs continue to represent a principal selection criterion for many farmers. The 29 measures were mapped onto relevant major farm types and input, assuming 95% uptake, to a national scale multi-pollutant modelling framework to predict the technically feasible impact on annual agricultural emissions to water and air, relative to business as usual. Simulated median emission reductions, relative to current practise, for water management catchments across England and Wales, were estimated to be in the order sediment (20%)>ammonia (16%)>total phosphorus (15%) ≫ nitrate/methane (11%)>nitrous oxide (7%). The corresponding median annual total cost of the modelled scenario to farmers was £3 ha(-1)yr(-1), with a corresponding range of -£84 ha(-1)yr(-1) (i.e. a net saving) to £33 ha(-1)yr(-1). The results suggest that those mitigation measures which surveyed farmers are most inclined to implement in the future would improve the environmental performance of agriculture in England and Wales at minimum to low cost per hectare.

[Effect of inherent depression on chronic visceral hypersensitivity induced by colon acetate stimulation in neonatal rats].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of inherent depression on chronic visceral hypersensitivity. The differences of visceral sensitivity, colitis, and brain activation between Fawn-Hooded (FH/Wjd) and Sprague-Dawley(SD) rats were identified after neonatal colon acetate stimulation. METHODS: The specific pathogen free Fawn-Hooded (FH/Wjd) and Sprague-Dawley(SD) rats were used to establish irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) model. The visceral sensitivity was measured by colorectal distension (CRD). The expression of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), mast cell (MC), indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) in colon and IDO in specific cerebral regions were detected through immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Abdominal withdrawal reflex (AWR) scores showed that visceral sensitivity of acetate-enema groups was significantly higher than that of saline-enema groups (FH/Wjd:2.44 ± 0.04 vs.1.96 ± 0.07, P < 0.05; SD: 1.75 ± 0.13 vs.1.32 ± 0.05, P < 0.05). Furthermore, FH/Wjd rats of IBS group scored significantly higher than SD rats of IBS group (2.44 ± 0.04 vs.1.75 ± 0.13, P < 0.05). The MC amounts of both SD and FH/Wjd IBS group rats were significantly more than those of their control groups (FH/Wjd:43.24 ± 1.72 vs. 24.92 ± 1.38, P < 0.01. SD: 23.80 ± 1.28 vs. 14.24 ± 0.92, P < 0.01). Besides, the MC amounts of control and IBS group of FH/Wjd rats were significantly more than that of SD IBS group rats (P < 0.01). The IDO and 5-HT positive cells in colonic mucosa of IBS group of both SD and FH/Wjd rats were significantly more than those of their control groups, respectively(P < 0.01). The IDO, 5-HT positive cells in colonic mucosa of both control and IBS group of FH/Wjd rats were significantly more than those of both control and IBS group of SD rats (control:IDO,24.64 ± 2.22 vs. 15.52 ± 1.39;5-HT,21.32 ± 1.26 vs. 12.72 ± 1.12. IBS: IDO,44.92 ± 2.31 vs. 20.85 ± 1.72; 5-HT, 31.84 ± 1.57 vs. 19.65 ± 1.09.P <0.01). The expression of IDO in prelimbic cortex (PrL) areas of FH/Wjd IBS rats was significantly higher than that of IBS group of SD rats (49.60 ± 4.31 vs. 35.60 ± 2.42, P <0.01), and the expression of IDO in rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC) areas of FH/Wjd IBS rats was significantly more than that of FH/Wjd control rats (45.44 ± 1.16 vs. 34.08 ± 2.76, P <0.01). CONCLUSION: Inherent depressive FH/Wjd rats were more sensitive to neonatal colon acetate stimulation, presenting as visceral hypersensitivity which maybe associated with increased MC amounts and over-expression of 5-HT and IDO in colon, suggesting that depression disorder may aggravate functional disturbance of gastrointestinal tract by regulating the response to inflammatory stimulation.

Extraction of total DNA and optimization of the RAPD reaction system in Dioscorea opposita Thunb.

Dioscorea opposita Thunb. has been used as health food and herbal medicinal ingredients in traditional Chinese medicine. In this study, the total DNA of D. opposita Thunb. was extracted using an improved cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) method, and the extracted DNA was further used for random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) reaction system by design of the L16 (4(4)) orthogonal diagram. The results showed that the improved CTAB method can be used to isolate high-quality and high-concentration DNA, and the optimized protocol can overcome the instability of RAPD reaction system. The knowledge stated here can be used to study the genetic diversity of D. opposita Thunb.

Optimization of the procedure for extracting nucleic acids from aloe.

Aloe, an important folk herbal drug, includes abundant polysaccharides and secondary metabolites, which make it difficult to isolate high-quality DNA or RNA. In this paper, one and two improved methods were used to isolate the genomic DNA and RNA from the leaf of aloe, respectively. The obtained samples presented good quality and integrity; thus, they could be further used for many downstream molecular experiments. These reported protocols for DNA and RNA extraction offered a valuable reference for other related studies.

Facilitation of phosphorus adsorption onto sediment by aquatic plant debris.

Aquatic plant debris in lakes or rivers may affect phosphorus flux in water-sediment systems. In this study, either aquatic plant debris or typical plant components (cellulose or glucose), were added into a system of sediment (50 g) and overlying water (2L) with different initial SRP (soluble reactive phosphorus) concentrations to investigate the impact. After 18 days of treatment with 4 g of plant debris, the SRP in the overlying water for 0.5 and 2 mg L(-1) initial SRP tests at 30°C decreased by 41 and 53%, respectively, compared to the treatments without plant debris. Cellulose and glucose treatments gave similar results as plant debris treatment. When the water-sediment system was sterilized, the cellulose- or glucose-facilitated decrease in SRP vanished. Additionally, in the non-sterilized system, the glucose treatment significantly increased both the microbial biomass carbon and the microbial biomass phosphorous in the sediment. Although total phosphorous in the sediment increased with glucose treatment, its water soluble and iron associated inorganic fractions, two labile phosphorus fractions, were clearly reduced. Our results suggest that the short-term retention of plant debris in water systems facilitates a decrease in overlying water SRP through microbe-mediated mechanisms of phosphorus adsorption and stabilization in sediment.

Effect of the extracts of pumpkin seeds on the urodynamics of rabbits: an experimental study.

Pumpkin seeds were prepared into oil n-butyle alcohol and ether extracts. The effects of the three extracts on the urodynamics of rabbits were observed. It was concluded that the oil preparation could remarkably reduce the bladder pressure, increase the bladder compliance, reduce the urethral pressure. Other two kinds of preparations had no effect in this experimental. The mechanisms of the effect of oil preparation on the urodynamics and the prospect of clinical use was discussed.

Inhibitory effect of fluoride on renal stone formation in rats.

The effect of fluorine (F) on stone formation induced by ethylene glycol (EG) was studied in rats. For different groups, the drinking water was supplemented with EG, sodium fluoride (NaF), EG+NaF, or nothing as control. An isotope-tracing method was used to evaluate experimental stone formation in the kidneys by introducing 45Ca intraperitoneally into rats and then measuring the radioactivity of the kidney. At the end of the 4-week experiment, rats of the EG+NaF group showed a significantly lower incidence of gross urinary stones and lower 45Ca activity in their kidneys compared to the EG group of rats. Both the EG group and EG+NaF group had markedly increased urinary oxalate excretion, with the latter significantly lower than the former (p less than 0.05). Urinary oxalate excretion was relatively lower in the NaF group than in the control group. This study indicates that NaF can inhibit renal stone formation induced by EG by decreasing oxalate synthesis and urinary oxalate excretion, and suggests a possible clinical therapeutic value of NaF in the prevention of oxalate kidney stones.

[Studies on water soluble polysaccharides isolated from Tribulus terrestris L--purification and preliminary structural determination of heteropolysaccharide H].

Crude polysaccharides extracted from the stem and leaf of Tribulus terristris L after the removal of crude saponins are a mixture of heteropolysaccharides composed of Ara, Rha, Xyl, GalA, Gal, Glc and Man in molar ratios of 6.0:2.1:1:3.6:3.4:7.7:2.9. A homogeneous polysaccharide H obtained by gradation and purification contains Ara, Rha, Xyl, GalA. Gal and Glc. in molar ratios of 1.6:2.4:0.1:3.5:1.3:1. Its molecular weight was found to be 1 x 10(5). By means of pectinase and beta-D-galactosidase enzymolysis, periodate oxidation, Smith degradation, partial hydrolysis with acid, methylation, GC and GC-MS, the H contains alpha-D-GalA (1-4) and L-Rha (1-2) probably linked alternately as main chain with some L-Rha (1-2) side chains.

Antimutagenic effect of garlic (Allium sativum L.) on 4NQO-induced mutagenesis in Escherichia coli WP2.

Aqueous extract prepared from garlic bulbs markedly suppressed the mutagenesis in both E. coli WP2 trp- and E. coli WP2 trp- uvrA- induced by 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide (4NQO), but not that induced by UV. Cellular toxicity, inhibition of the expression of the Trp+ phenotype and delay of the first cell division after 4NQO treatment were not observed in the presence of the extract. Since the extract showed identical antimutagenic effects against 4NQO in both test strains but no effect on the mutagenesis of UV, it seems that the extract might act by inactivating the electrophilic group(s) of 4NQO or inhibiting its metabolic activation.

[Effect of magnetic water on urinary calculi--an experimental and clinical study]. / Der Einfluss von magnetischem Wasser auf Harnsteine--eine experimentelle und klinische Studie.

In recent years, many hospitals in China have employed magnetized water in the treatment of urolithiasis with quite satisfactory results. Since 1979, we have carried out the following basic researches: (1) We compared the effectiveness of several different types of apparatus producing magnetized water and found that the best type was the Shanghai JW-1 mode apparatus with 1,350 gauss and to-and-fro magnetizing for 12 times. (2) We had tested the solubility of oxalate, uric acid and phosphate urolith both in ordinary and in magnetized water and found that phosphate urolith had better solubility in the latter. (3) The physical and chemical characteristics of magnetized water were studied, and the calcium crystals were found to be also soluble in it. (4) Experiments on fishes living in magnetized water showed that in their kidneys the amount of calcium crystals and tissue calcium level were lower than those in ordinary water. The basic theory of treatment of urolithiasis with magnetized water is discussed.