Calibration transfer via an extreme learning machine auto-encoder.

In order to solve the spectra standardization problem in near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy, a Transfer via Extreme learning machine Auto-encoder Method (TEAM) has been proposed in this study. A comparative study among TEAM, piecewise direct standardization (PDS), generalized least squares (GLS) and calibration transfer methods based on canonical correlation analysis (CCA) was conducted, and the performances of these algorithms were benchmarked with three spectral datasets: corn, tobacco and pharmaceutical tablet spectra. The results show that TEAM is a stable method and can significantly reduce prediction errors compared with PDS, GLS and CCA. TEAM can also achieve the best RMSEPs in most cases with a small number of calibration sets. TEAM is implemented in Python language and available as an open source package at https://github.com/zmzhang/TEAM.

The model adaptive space shrinkage (MASS) approach: a new method for simultaneous variable selection and outlier detection based on model population analysis.

Variable selection and outlier detection are important processes in chemical modeling. Usually, they affect each other. Their performing orders also strongly affect the modeling results. Currently, many studies perform these processes separately and in different orders. In this study, we examined the interaction between outliers and variables and compared the modeling procedures performed with different orders of variable selection and outlier detection. Because the order of outlier detection and variable selection can affect the interpretation of the model, it is difficult to decide which order is preferable when the predictabilities (prediction error) of the different orders are relatively close. To address this problem, a simultaneous variable selection and outlier detection approach called Model Adaptive Space Shrinkage (MASS) was developed. This proposed approach is based on model population analysis (MPA). Through weighted binary matrix sampling (WBMS) from model space, a large number of partial least square (PLS) regression models were built, and the elite parts of the models were selected to statistically reassign the weight of each variable and sample. Then, the whole process was repeated until the weights of the variables and samples converged. Finally, MASS adaptively found a high performance model which consisted of the optimized variable subset and sample subset. The combination of these two subsets could be considered as the cleaned dataset used for chemical modeling. In the proposed approach, the problem of the order of variable selection and outlier detection is avoided. One near infrared spectroscopy (NIR) dataset and one quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) dataset were used to test this approach. The result demonstrated that MASS is a useful method for data cleaning before building a predictive model.

Multiscale peak detection in wavelet space.

Accurate peak detection is essential for analyzing high-throughput datasets generated by analytical instruments. Derivatives with noise reduction and matched filtration are frequently used, but they are sensitive to baseline variations, random noise and deviations in the peak shape. A continuous wavelet transform (CWT)-based method is more practical and popular in this situation, which can increase the accuracy and reliability by identifying peaks across scales in wavelet space and implicitly removing noise as well as the baseline. However, its computational load is relatively high and the estimated features of peaks may not be accurate in the case of peaks that are overlapping, dense or weak. In this study, we present multi-scale peak detection (MSPD) by taking full advantage of additional information in wavelet space including ridges, valleys, and zero-crossings. It can achieve a high accuracy by thresholding each detected peak with the maximum of its ridge. It has been comprehensively evaluated with MALDI-TOF spectra in proteomics, the CAMDA 2006 SELDI dataset as well as the Romanian database of Raman spectra, which is particularly suitable for detecting peaks in high-throughput analytical signals. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves show that MSPD can detect more true peaks while keeping the false discovery rate lower than MassSpecWavelet and MALDIquant methods. Superior results in Raman spectra suggest that MSPD seems to be a more universal method for peak detection. MSPD has been designed and implemented efficiently in Python and Cython. It is available as an open source package at .

Enhancement of secondary metabolites from Bacillus Licheniformis XY-52 on immune response and expression of some immune-related genes in common carp, Cyprinus carpio.

This study was undertaken to isolate active secondary metabolites from immunostimulatory Bacillus Licheniformis XY-52 and evaluate their activities at 0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, and 2.0% doses supplementation with feed on immune response in common carp at weeks 1, 2, and 3. By applying chromatography techniques and successive recrystallization, two purified metabolites were obtained and identified by spectral data (mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance) as: Cyclo-(Phe-Tyr) and Cyclo-(Phe-Gly). The results revealed that humoral innate immune parameters (lysozyme activity, phagocytic activity and bactericidal activity) were significantly (P < 0.05) increased after feeding on the two active compounds-supplemented diet. Furthermore, administration of the two active compounds significantly (P < 0.05) up regulated IL-1ß, Type 1 IFN, IFN g2b, IL10 and TNF-α gene expression. Heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) gene expression was significantly (P < 0.05) lower as compared to control group at the end of trial. Common carp fed with the two compounds had higher survival rates (69.3%) compared to the controls (32.0%) after challenged with the pathogen, Aeromonas hydrophila. The present study indicates that the two isolated active compounds could positively influence immune response and enhance disease resistance of common carp against A. hydrophila infection.

Prediction of peptide fragment ion mass spectra by data mining techniques.

Accurate prediction of peptide fragment ion mass spectra is one of the critical factors to guarantee confident peptide identification by protein sequence database search in bottom-up proteomics. In an attempt to accurately and comprehensively predict this type of mass spectra, a framework named MS(2)PBPI is proposed. MS(2)PBPI first extracts fragment ions from large-scale MS/MS spectra data sets according to the peptide fragmentation pathways and uses binary trees to divide the obtained bulky data into tens to more than 1000 regions. For each adequate region, stochastic gradient boosting tree regression model is constructed. By constructing hundreds of these models, MS(2)PBPI is able to predict MS/MS spectra for unmodified and modified peptides with reasonable accuracy. Moreover, high consistency between predicted and experimental MS/MS spectra derived from different ion trap instruments with low and high resolving power is achieved. MS(2)PBPI outperforms existing algorithms MassAnalyzer and PeptideART.

Separation of nine compounds from Salvia plebeia R.Br. using two-step high-speed counter-current chromatography with different elution modes.

Nine compounds were successfully separated from Salvia plebeia R.Br. using two-step high-speed counter-current chromatography with three elution modes. Elution-extrusion counter-current chromatography was applied in the first step, while classical counter-current chromatography and recycling counter-current chromatography were used in the second step. Three solvent systems, n-hexane/ethyl acetate/ethanol/water (4:6.5:3:7, v/v), methyl tert-butyl ether/ethyl acetate/n-butanol/methanol/water (6:4:1:2:8, v/v) and n-hexane/ethyl acetate/methanol/water (5:5.5:5:5, v/v) were screened and optimized for the two-step separation. The separation yielded nine compounds, including caffeic acid (1), 6-hydroxyluteuolin-7-glucoside (2), 5,7,3',4'-tetrahydroxy-6-methoxyflavanone-7-glucoside (3), nepitrin (4), rosmarinic acid (5), homoplantaginin (6), nepetin (7), hispidulin (8), and 5,6,7,4'-tertrahydroxyflavone (9). To the best of our knowledge, 5,7,3',4'-tetrahydroxy-6-methoxyflavanone-7-glucoside and 5,6,7,4'-tertrahydroxyflavone have been separated from Salvia plebeia R.Br. for the first time. The purities and structures of these compounds were identified by high-performance liquid chromatography, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy. This study demonstrates that high-speed counter-current chromatography is a useful and flexible tool for the separation of components from a complex sample.

Nonlinear alignment of chromatograms by means of moving window fast Fourier transfrom cross-correlation.

The preprocessing of chromatograms is essential to modern chromatography for further qualitative and quantitative analysis, especially when chromatographic instruments are used for herb products analysis involving large number of samples. To accurately compare and analyze the obtained chromatograms, it is necessary to preprocess, especially align retention time shifts. Here moving window fast Fourier transform (FFT) cross-correlation is introduced to perform nonlinear alignment of high-throughput chromatograms. Since elution characteristics of chromatograms will produce local similarity in retention time shifts, moving window procedure seems to be a better substitute of segmentation steps. The retention time shifts can be calculated and accelerated by FFT cross-correlation. The artifacts can be detected and eliminated from the retention time shifts profile since the continuity of moving window procedure. The proposed method is demonstrated in comparison with recursive alignment by FFT on chromatographic datasets from herb products analysis. It is shown that the proposed method can address nonlinear retention time shift problem in chromatograms with the simple moving window procedure, which will not introduce segments size optimization problem. In additional, the parameters are intuitive and easy to adjust, which makes it off-the-shelf toolbox for alignment of chromatograms.

[Evaluation of circulating microRNA-92a for endothelial damage induced by percutaneous coronary intervention].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the role of microRNA-92a (miR-92a) in evaluating endothelium damage induced by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS: A case control study was prospectively conducted. Fifty-eight patients with ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEAMI) received PCI were enrolled. MiR-92a expression in circulation was determined on the next day after PCI (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction). The correlation between miR-92a expression in circulation and PCI influence factors, such as inflation pressure, duration of balloon inflation and length of culprit atheromatous plaque were explored. RESULTS: MiR-92a was lower in inflation pressure 11-19 atm (1 atm=101.325 kPa) group [n=43, mean -0.36, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) -0.60 to -0.12] than inflation pressure ≤10 atm group (n=11, mean 1.16, 95%CI 0.80 to 1.52, P<0.01) and ≥ 20 atm group (n=4, mean 0.26, 95%CI 0.26 to 0.26, P=0.1); and also lower in duration of balloon inflation 6-7 seconds group (n=24, mean -0.42, 95%CI -0.83 to -0.01) than in duration of balloon inflation ≤ 5 seconds group (n=9, mean 0.63, 95%CI 0.49 to 0.78, P=0.03) and ≥ 8 seconds group (n=25, mean 0.45, 95%CI 0.10 to 0.80, P<0.001); lower in implanted stent length ≤30 mm (n=31, mean -0.48, 95%CI -0.80 to -0.16) than those >30 mm (n=27, mean 0.16, 95%CI 0.01 to 0.32, P<0.01). A significantly negative correlation was found between inflation pressure and duration of balloon inflation. (r=-0.48, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: There is a relationship between circulating miR-92a, inflation pressure and duration of balloon inflation. Circulating miR-92a could be used to evaluate the endothelium injury induced by PCI, and be used as a new target of prevention and treatment of endothelial dysfunction following revascularization.

[The influence of statin therapy on circulating microRNA-92a expression in patients with coronary heart disease].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the modulatory function of statin therapy on circulating microRNA-92a (miR-92a) in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD), and to evaluate the possibility of miR-92a as a new target of treatment for endothelial dysfunction. METHODS: A case control study was conducted. Prevalence of abnormal blood fat content, statin treatment rate, and attainment rate of low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) lowered to expected level in 236 patients with CHD were analyzed. Relationship between statin therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), and level of LDL-C and circulating miR-92a expression was analyzed by multivariate general linear factorial analysis. The incidence of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) was compared in patients with CHD receiving statin therapy in all groups. RESULTS: Prevalence of abnormal LDL-C was 95.7% (112/117) in CHD patients of non-statin therapy group, and 47.5% (112/236) of patients with CHD who should receive statin therapy but did not. Attainment rate of lowering of LDL-C to expected level in statin therapy group was 27.7% (33/119). LDL-C level (mmol/L) was significantly lower in statin therapy group than that in non-statin therapy group (2.457 ± 0.802 vs. 3.218 ± 1.130, Z = -9.760, P = 0.001), and incidence of ACS was significantly lower in statin therapy group than that in non-statin therapy group [33.6% vs. 71.8%, χ(2) = 34.491, P = 0.001]. There was no significant difference in incidence of ACS between patients with or without attaining the expected low value of LDL-C in statin therapy group [33.3% vs. 33.7%,χ(2) = 0.002, P = 0.968]. Circulating miR-92a expression was significantly higher in patients with stable angina pectoris (SAP) complicated with DM than those without DM (0.492 vs. -0.121, Z = -3.038, P = 0.002). It was found that statin therapy could down regulate miR-92a expression in patients with SAP complicated with DM as compared with that with non-statin therapy (0.419 vs. 0.687, Z = 1.289, P = 0.072). There was no significant difference in circulating miR-92a expression between statin therapy and non-statin therapy in patients with SAP without co-existing DM (-0.032 vs. -0.198, Z = -0.614, P = 0.539). Multivariate general linear factorial analysis showed that statin therapy was the major influential factor on LDL-C level in patients with CHD (F = 22.863, P = 0.001), and complicating DM was the major influential factor on circulating miR-92a expression in patients with SAP (F = 9.641, P = 0.003). CONCLUSION: Regulation of circulating miR-92a expression may be considered as a new clinical target for statin treating endothelial dysfunction in patients with CHD.

[Clinical characteristics of Huntington disease in two pedigrees and analysis of expanded CAG trinucleotide repeat].

OBJECTIVE: To understand the clinical and genetic features of Huntington disease (HD). METHODS: The clinical data of HD cases from 2 Chinese families were analyzed and trinucleotide repeat in the IT15 gene were investigated in 9 of the two families by polymerase chain reaction and GeneScan. RESULTS: Among the two pedigrees, 6 cases were ascertained as HD by genetic test. Genotypes of IT15 were heterozygous in these HD patients. CAG repeat of the patients in the HD chromosome were 40-78. In the two pedigrees, the onset age was earlier in the subsequent generations than that of their fathers. In pedigree 2, the onset age was inversely correlated with CAG repeat number. One out of the 6 cases was juvenile-onset type of Huntington disease, whose clinical symptoms were different from those of the adult-onset cases, especially the hypertonic manifestation. CONCLUSION: HD is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder with genetic anticipation caused by enlargement of CAG repeat in IT15 gene. The clinical manifestation is different between the juvenile-onset and the adult-onset. The number of CAG repeat is inversely correlated with the onset age and clinical severity.

[Circulating microRNA-92a in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction].

OBJECTIVE: To examine the expression of circulating microRNA-92a (miR-92a) in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), and the impact of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) on such expression. METHODS: The level of circulating miR-92a was measured in three groups of patients: 58 STEMI patients received PCI, 24 STEMI patients received no PCI, and 116 patients with stable angina pectoris (SAP) without PCI. RESULTS: On the day next to admission, STEMI patients received no PCI were found to have higher level of circulating miR-92a as compared to SAP patients without PCI (0.2869 ± 0.8167 vs. -0.0555 ± 0.9855, F = 2.438, P = 0.121). Twenty-four hours after the PCI, the level of circulating miR-92a in STEMI patients received the procedure was lower than those without it (-0.0324 ± 0.9563 vs. 0.2869 ± 0.8167, F = 2.054, P = 0.156). The SAP patients (without PCI) had higher survival rate as compared to the STEMI patients without PCI (100.0% vs. 75.0% P = 0.001), and the survival rate in STEMI patients received PCI was higher than those without it (89.7% vs. 75.0%, P = 0.088). CONCLUSIONS: In STEMI patients, the expression of circulating miR-92a is up-regulated. PCI therapy may suppress such up-regulation. Survival rate is higher in patients showing down-regulation of miR-92a. Our data suggest that miR-92a might have potential for diagnosis and therapeutic application in the prevention and treatment of STEMI.

Identification of Cald1 as a novel regulator of Linggui Zhugan decoction for improving insulin resistance in vivo and in vitro.

OBJECTIVE: To identify Cald1 as a novel regulator of Linggui Zhugan decoction for improving insulin resistance in vivo and in vitro. METHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to 3 groups that were received a normal rat chow diet, high-fat diet (HFD), and an HFD plus LGZGD, respectively. The homeostatic model assessment (HOMA)-insulin resistance (IR) index was used to determine IR. Gene microarray methodology was used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the three groups of rats. The DEGs associated with IR were confirmed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Additionally, Mouse 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes were differentiated into mature 3T3-L1 adipocytes, which were then treated with tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α to induce cellular IR. Lipid accumulations were identified by Oil Red O staining. Glucose uptake was assessed using the 3 H-2-DG test. RESULTS: In this study, we found Cald1 was further screened to validate its biological function in 3T3-L1 adipocytes induced to develop IR. In vitro experiments showed that insulin-stimulated 3H2-DG uptake by IR 3T3-L1 adipocytes was increased after LGZGD intervention, which was associated with a down-regulation of Cald1 expression. CONCLUSION: LGZGD ameliorates HFD-induced IR in rats and TNF-α induced IR in adipocytes by down-regulating Cald1 expression.

[Analysis of the parental origin of MECP2 mutations in patients with Rett syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To identify the parental origin of methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MECP2) gene mutations in Chinese patients with Rett syndrome. METHODS: Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in intron 3 of the MECP2 gene were analyzed by PCR and sequencing in 115 patients with Rett syndrome. Then sequencing of the SNP region was performed for the fathers of the patients who had at least one SNP, to determine which allele was from the father. Then allele-specific PCR was performed and the products were sequenced to see whether the allele from father or mother harbored the mutation. RESULTS: Seventy-six of the 115 patients had at least one SNP. Three hot SNPs were found in these patients. They were: IVS3+22C >G, IVS3+266C >T and IVS3+683C>T. Among the 76 cases, 73 had a paternal origin of MECP2 mutations, and the other 3 had a maternal origin. There were multiple types of MECP2 mutation of the paternal origin, including 4 frame shift, 2 deletion and 67 point (56C >T, 6C >G, 2A >G, 2G >T and 1A >T) mutations. The mutation types of the 3 patients with maternal origin included 2 frame shift and 1 point (C >T) mutation. CONCLUSION: In Chinese RTT patients, the MECP2 mutations are mostly of paternal origin.

[Hypertension and erythromelalgia as prominent manifestations of mercury intoxication].

Mercury intoxication is a rare cause of severe hypertension. A case of mercury intoxication presented with severe hypertension and erythromelalgia was reported. A 10-year- and -5-month-old girl presented with recurrent rash and painful hands for 2 months, with seizure attack and episodic loss of consciousness for one hand half months. The girl was found to have red painful hands, a blood pressure 170/120 mm Hg(1 mm Hg=0.133 kPa), tachycardia and hypokalemia (2.83-3.25 mmol/L, reference value 3.5-5.5 mmol/L). An extensive investigation ensued. Elevated renin-angiotensin and aldosterone were demonstrated in plasma. Cranial MRI T2 weighed images showed widespread white matter signal abnormalities, which particularly involved parietal, occipital and frontal lobes. With hypertension controlled, white matter signal abnormalities weakened. Other symptoms included insomnia, nausea and paroxysmal abdominal pain. The girl was found to have a raised concentration of mercury in urine (0.171 mg/L, reference value< 0.01 mg/L), and she had been exposed to elemental mercury for several days. After chelating therapy, the girl's blood pressure returned to normal, erythromelalgia ameliorated, all other symptoms disappeared. So, mercury intoxication should be considered in the differential diagnosis of hypertension with erythromelalgia.

Genetic variation of rs3811463 is associated with gestational diabetes mellitus susceptibility.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a growing health concern, and it increases the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes with substantial long-term adverse health impacts on mothers and their offspring. Several studies have revealed specific associations between genetic variants and the risk of GDM. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are the major type of genetic variation in humans. Let-7 microRNA targets are enriched for genes containing SNPs associated with glucose metabolism, including Lin28. In the present study, the effect of T/C variants of rs3811463 (a SNP located near to the let-7 binding site in Lin28) on GDM risk was investigated. A GDM rat model was successfully constructed using a high fat diet and streptozotocin injection, and the primary skeletal muscle cells were isolated. The cell transfection results demonstrated that rs3811463-T/C significantly affected the glucose uptake and insulin sensitivity. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis indicated that the C allele at rs3811463 regulated the expression of glucose metabolism-associated genes insulin-like growth factor two binding protein 2 and glucokinase. Western blot analysis data revealed that replacement of the T allele by the C allele at rs3811463 modulated the protein level of Sirtuin 1. Taken together, it was concluded that the let-7/Lin28 axis regulated glucose uptake and insulin sensitivity by modulating the expression of glucose metabolism-associated proteins. These findings provide novel evidence on the association between genetic variations of rs3811463 and GDM susceptibility.

A bootstrapping soft shrinkage approach for variable selection in chemical modeling.

In this study, a new variable selection method called bootstrapping soft shrinkage (BOSS) method is developed. It is derived from the idea of weighted bootstrap sampling (WBS) and model population analysis (MPA). The weights of variables are determined based on the absolute values of regression coefficients. WBS is applied according to the weights to generate sub-models and MPA is used to analyze the sub-models to update weights for variables. The optimization procedure follows the rule of soft shrinkage, in which less important variables are not eliminated directly but are assigned smaller weights. The algorithm runs iteratively and terminates until the number of variables reaches one. The optimal variable set with the lowest root mean squared error of cross-validation (RMSECV) is selected. The method was tested on three groups of near infrared (NIR) spectroscopic datasets, i.e. corn datasets, diesel fuels datasets and soy datasets. Three high performing variable selection methods, i.e. Monte Carlo uninformative variable elimination (MCUVE), competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS) and genetic algorithm partial least squares (GA-PLS) are used for comparison. The results show that BOSS is promising with improved prediction performance. The Matlab codes for implementing BOSS are freely available on the website: http://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/52770-boss.

[Profile-effect on quality control of Houttuynia cordata injection].

AIM: To find corresponding relationship between the fingerprint of Houttuynia cordata injections from different factories and their effects. METHODS: Houttuynia cordata injections from six different factories were determined by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectra (GC-MS), and GC fingerprints were classified by hierarchical clustering. The anti-inflammatory activity of Houttuynia cordata injections was characterized through the rat pleurisy model induced by carrageenin and the mice ear edema model by dimethylbenzene. RESULTS: The anti-inflammatory effect of the injections from the first class factories on the two model was significant, while those from the second class not. GC-MS analysis result indicated that main effect compounds in Houttuynia cordata injections are methyl n-nonyl ketone, decanoylacetaldehyde, lauryl aldehyde, capryl aldehyde, beta-pinene, beta-linalool, 1-nonanol, 4-terpineol, alpha-terpineol, bornyl acetate, n-decanoic acid and acetic acid, geraniol ester etc. CONCLUSION: There is corresponding relationship between the fingerprint of Houttuynia cordata injections and effect to a certain extent.

[Monitoring report of Oncomelania hupensis snail distribution and diffusion in main drainages of Hexi Reservoir].

OBJECTIVE: To understand the status of Oncomelania hupensis snail distribution and diffusion in main drainages of Hexi Reservoir and evaluate the snail control effect of the schistosomiasis control engineering of Hexi Reservoir. METHODS: The O. hupensis snails were investigated by using the straw curtain method and fishing net method in different areas of the main drainages of Hexi Reservoir, and the results were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 1 800 straw curtains were used and 37 snails were found in Naxi stream. Totally 5 870 kg floats were salved and no snails were found. CONCLUSION: The schistosomiasis control engineering of Hexi Reservoir is effective in the prevention of the snail diffusion, but there are still snails in the upstream. rherefore, the snail surveillance and control need to be strengthened.

Systematic and practical solvent system selection strategy based on the nonrandom two-liquid segment activity coefficient model for real-life counter-current chromatography separation.

Solvent system selection is the first step toward a successful counter-current chromatography (CCC) separation. This paper introduces a systematic and practical solvent system selection strategy based on the nonrandom two-liquid segment activity coefficient (NRTL-SAC) model, which is efficient in predicting the solute partition coefficient. Firstly, the application of the NRTL-SAC method was extended to the ethyl acetate/n-butanol/water and chloroform/methanol/water solvent system families. Moreover, the versatility and predictive capability of the NRTL-SAC method were investigated. The results indicate that the solute molecular parameters identified from hexane/ethyl acetate/methanol/water solvent system family are capable of predicting a large number of partition coefficients in several other different solvent system families. The NRTL-SAC strategy was further validated by successfully separating five components from Salvia plebeian R.Br. We therefore propose that NRTL-SAC is a promising high throughput method for rapid solvent system selection and highly adaptable to screen suitable solvent system for real-life CCC separation.

[A study on the measures against Hansen's disease during the Colonial Korea].

In order to evaluate the measures taken against Hansen's diseases during the colonial era in Korea, from 1910-1945, I analyzed both Korean and Japanese materials and carried out field research. The Korean government-general established a hospital in 1916 and executed measures against Hansen's disease. These efforts can be divided into three periods. At first they started as a part of colonial policy. Then, in the middle period, with the change of Japanese policy on Hansen's disease, a Korean association was established and the Hansen's Disease Prevention Act was issued in Korea, aiming at the compulsory isolation of lepers. In the later period, during the war, the inmates were forced into an extremely severe environment and deprived of their human rights. My study shows that their policies changed greatly with the passage of time. Though they started them to relieve the suffering of the lepers in the beginning, they turned to be compulsory isolation of the patients in the later period and to the violation of their human rights.