Potential predictors for the efficacy of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in patients with migraine.

Objectives: To explore potential predictors of the efficacy of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in patients with migraine. Methods: Consecutive migraine patients were recruited and divided into responders and non-responders to NSAIDs according to follow-up for at least three months. Demographic data, migraine-related disabilities and characteristics, and psychiatric comorbidities were evaluated and used to build multivariable logistic regression models. Subsequently, we generated receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves to explore the performance of these traits in predicting NSAIDs efficacy. Results: A total of 567 patients with migraine who completed at least three months of follow-up were enrolled. In the multivariate regression analysis, five factors were identified as potential predictors for NSAIDs efficacy in treating migraine. Namely, attack duration (odds ratio (OR) = 0.959; p < 0.001), headache impact (OR = 0.966; p = 0.015), depression (OR = 0.889; p < 0.001), anxiety (OR = 0.748; p < 0.001), and education level (OR = 1.362; p < 0.001) were associated with response to NSAIDs treatment. The area under the curve, sensitivity, and specificity combining these five factors for predicting the efficacy of NSAIDs were 0.834, 0.909 and 0.676. Conclusions: These findings suggest that migraine-related and psychiatric factors are associated with the response to NSAIDs in migraine management. Identifying such key factors may help to optimize individualized migraine management strategy.

[Analysis of lipophilic components of Salvia miltiorrhiza roots and S. yunnanensis roots by UPLC and LC-MS/MS].

Fingerprints of lipophilic components in the roots of Salvia miltiorrhiza and S.yunnanensis were analyzed by UPLC-DADand UPLC coupled with mass spectroscopy to evaluate the differences and similarities of the lipophilic components in the two kinds of herbs.The UPLC analysis of 18 batches of S.miltiorrhiza and 16 batches of S.yunnanensis was performed on a 25℃Thermo Accucore C_(18)column(2.1 mm×100 mm,2.6µm)by Shimadzu LC-20AD;mobile phase was 0.026%phosphoric acid(A)-acetonitrile(B)with gradient elution;flow rate was 0.4 m L·min~(-1);detection wavelength was set at 270 nm;injection volume was 2µL.The molecular structures of the lipophilic components were analyzed on a 25℃Thermo Accucore C_(18)column(2.1 mm×100 mm,2.6µm)by Thermo U3000 UPLC Q Exactive Orbitrap LC-MS/MS with a mobile phaseconsisting of 0.1%formic acid water(A)and 0.1%formic acidacetonitrile(B).The mass spectrometry was acquired in positive modes using ESI.There are 10 common peaks in the lipophilic components of S.miltiorrhiza.The similarity between the 16 batches of S.miltiorrhiza and their own reference spectra was greater than 0.942,and the average similarity was 0.973.There are 12 common peaks in the lipophilic components of S.yunnanensis.The similarity between the 18 batches of S.yunnanensis and their own reference spectra was greater than 0.937,and the average similarity was 0.976.The similarity between the reference chromatograms of S.miltiorrhiza and S.yunnanensis was only 0.900.There are three lipophilic components in S.yunnanensis,which are not found in S.miltiorrhiza,and one of which isα-lapachone.There is a lipophilic component in S.miltiorrhiza not found in S.yunnanensis,which may be miltirone.The two herbs contain 8 common lipophilic components including dihydrotanshinoneⅠ,cryptotanshinone,tanshinoneⅠ,tanshinoneⅡ_A,nortanshinone in which the content of tanshinoneⅡ_A,dihydrotanshinoneⅠand cryptotanshinone of S.yunnanensisis significantly lower than that of S.miltiorrhiza(P<0.01),and the contents of tanshinoneⅠand nortanshinone are significantly lower than that of S.miltiorrhiza too(P<0.05).There are significant differences in the types and contents of lipophilic components between the roots of S.miltiorrhiza and S.yunnanensis,and the similarity between the fingerprints of interspecies is much lower than that between the same species.Therefore,the roots of S.miltiorrhiza and S.yunnanensis are two kinds of herbs which are quite different in chemical compounds and compositions.

PROGNOSTIC VALUE OF PLASMA TIGHT-JUNCTION PROTEINS FOR SEPSIS IN EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT: AN OBSERVATIONAL STUDY.

BACKGROUND: Studies have illustrated that the breakdown of tight junction (TJ) contributed to an increase in vascular permeability in response to stimulation of inflammatory cytokines. Additionally, the release of TJ-associated proteins into the circulation was observed in many diseases. The present study was designed to investigate whether plasma levels of TJ-associated proteins could serve as predictors of severity and clinical outcome of sepsis. METHODS: In total, 51 septic patients were enrolled. The peripheral blood samples were collected for each patient on emergency department arrival. Plasma levels of occludin (OCLN), claudins (CLDN)-5, and zonula occludens (ZO)-1 and serum levels of procalcitonin (PCT) and lactate were measured. In addition, APACHE II score as well as SOFA score was calculated. The prognostic values of OCLN, CLDN-5, and ZO-1 were compared with the first 24-h maximum APACHE II score and SOFA score. RESULTS: The median levels of OCLN and ZO-1 were elevated with sepsis severity. The levels of plasma OCLN and ZO-1 were positively correlated with APACHE II score, SOFA score as well as lactate levels of the patients. The levels of ZO-1 revealed valuable diagnostic capacity to diagnose MODS, and the areas under the receiver-operating characteristic (AUC) curves of ZO-1 were similar to those of lactate levels, but better than those of PCT levels. The prognostic value for in-hospital mortality of ZO-1 was comparable to that of lactate levels, APACHE II score, and SOFA score, and superior to OCLN or PCT. CONCULSIONS: OCLN and ZO1 levels appear to be early prognostic markers in patients suffering from sepsis.

[Comprehensive Effects of the Application of Water and Fertilizer Amount on CO2 Emission from Soils of Summer-maize Field].

Field experiments were conducted to determine the effects of water and fertilizer amount on soil CO2 emissions by using the method of static chamber/gas chromatography in summer maize farmland ecosystem. Three factors (three irrigation levels including 90 mm, 76.5 mm and 63 mm, four nitrogen fertilizer levels including 300 kg·hm-2, 255 kg·hm-2, 210 kg·hm-2 and 0 kg·hm-2, and four phosphate fertilizer levels including 90 kg·hm-2, 76.5 kg·hm-2, 63 kg·hm-2 and 0 kg·hm-2) were designed in the experiment. The results showed that soil CO2 emission under different water and fertilizer conditions showed obvious seasonal fluctuation, the main and secondary peak appeared at jointing to tasseling stage and tasseling to grouting stage. The soil CO2 emissions were relevant to the supply levels of fertilizer and irrigation. In the high fertilizer F1 (N 300 kg·hm-2, P2O5 90 kg·hm-2) and low fertilizer F0.7 (N 210 kg·hm-2, P2O5 63 kg·hm-2) conditions, average soil CO2 emissions flux during the whole growth period of high water W1 (90 mm) was significantly higher than that of low water W0.7 (63 mm); the difference of soil CO2 emissions between medium water level W0.85 (76.5 mm) and low water level was not significant under medium and low nutrient condition F0.85 (N 255 kg·hm-2, P2O5 76.5 kg·hm-2). Soil CO2 emissions intensity of high fertilizer F1 was significantly larger (by 14.82%) than that of low fertilizer F0.7 under high water supply W1 (P<0.05), and that of F0.85 was significantly bigger (by 8.03%) than that of F0.7 in the medium water supply(P<0.05), while the difference between treatments at low water level was not significant(P>0.05). Compared with nonfertilized treatment, soil CO2 cumulative emissions of the whole growth period with application of nitrogen fertilizer (210 kg·hm-2), phosphate fertilizer (63 kg·hm-2) and nitrogen mixed with phosphate fertilizer (210 kg·hm-2, 63 kg·hm-2) were significantly increased by 23.70%, 19.00% and 12.30%, respectively. And interaction effects between nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer were extremely significant (P<0.01). Variance analysis of the interaction of water and fertilizer showed that the average soil CO2 fluxes of the whole growth period were not statistically significant but cumulative emissions of soil CO2 were significant (P<0.05) when the difference of supply level was 15%. In addition, soil CO2 flux and cumulative emission in the whole growth period were significant when supply differed by 30%. Obviously, soil CO2 emissions were promoted significantly by application of irrigation amount, nitrogen fertilizer, phosphorus rate and water and fertilizer interaction, while it was inhibited by nitrogen mixed with phosphorus. It was effective to regulate soil CO2 emission by water and fertilizer controlling measures.

[Competitive adsorption kinetics of aqueous Pb2+ and Cu2+ on nano-HAP surfaces].

Competitive adsorption kinetics of aqueous Pb2+ and Cu2+ on Nano-HAP surfaces were investigated by performing the adsorption kinetic experiments and comparing the change of zeta potentials and XRD-map before and after metal adsorption. The results showed that the adsorption quantity of Pb2+ on Nano-HAP was higher than that of Cu2+ in the single system. However, the competitive adsorption of Pb2+ and Cu2+ occurred in the co-existence system of Pb2+ and Cu2+. The adsorption quantity of Cu2+ on Nano-HAP increased, while that of Pb2+ decreased. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) and adsorption quantities of Ca2+ surface analysis indicated that dissolution-precipitation is the primary immobilization mechanism for Pb2+, while surface complexation and electrostatic adsorption account for Cu2+ sequestration. The adsorption quantities of Pb2+ and Cu2+ on Nano-HAP had marked linear relationship with Ca2+ release from Nano-HAP (R2 0.861-0.954). The adsorption kinetics were fitted with the equations of first-order, second-order, parabola, Elovich, double constant equation and LJ function, respectively, in which the second-order and power function kinetics equation fitted the results best. According to above results, the adsorption kinetics of Pb2+ and Cu2+ on Nano-HAP is a complex adsorption processes with both chemical reaction and physical adsorption.

Multiple imaging techniques in the diagnosis of ampullary carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Ampullary carcinoma is a neoplasia with a good prognosis compared to pancreatic cancer. But it is difficult to early diagnose because it lacks clear clinical symptoms. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of abdominal ultrasonography (US), enhanced computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in detecting ampullary carcinoma. METHODS: Forty-one patients with ampullary carcinoma who had been confirmed pathologically among the inpatients at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine from February 2003 to March 2007 were analyzed retrospectively. The accuracy of US, CT, MRCP and ERCP were compared in the diagnosis of ampullary carcinoma. RESULTS: The accurate rate for detection of ampullary carcinoma with US was 26.83%. The accuracy of CT and ERCP in detection of ampullary tumors was 84.62% and 100%, respectively, which were significantly higher than that of US (P<0.05). The accuracy of MRCP in detection of ampullary tumors was similar to that of US in spite of visualization of obstruction and dilatation of the pancreaticobiliary duct with MRCP. CONCLUSIONS: Because of the obscure and late onset of symptoms, ampullary carcinoma is difficult to diagnose early. Multiple imaging techniques should be carried out appropriately in order to early diagnose the disease and improve the prognosis.

[Effects of different irrigation patterns on the growth of maize root hair].

With split-root pot experiment and using optical and electrical microscopes, the growth of root hair of maize under different irrigation patterns, i. e. , irrigated on both halves of the pot (conventional irrigation, CI), on one half only (fixed partial root zone irrigation, FPRI), and on both halves alternatively (alternate partial root zone irrigation, APRI), was observed. The observation after 40 days of treatment showed that in non-irrigated root zone of FPRI, the length proportion of root covered by vestigial root hairs was 20.96%, being higher than that in other zones. In addition to some bletting spots, the root system in irrigated zone of FPRI turned yellow, root-branching deteriorated to some extent, and the root hair density on the section with thick root hairs was lower than that in non-irrigated zone. However, both the length proportion of root covered by vestigial root hairs (15.72%) and the deterioration of root hair were lower than those in non-irrigated zone. As for CI, the root appearance and root hair growth were similar to those of the FPRI irrigated zone. As for the early and late irrigated root zones of APRI, the root hair density on the section with thick root hairs was high. The length proportion of root covered by vestigial root hairs was 9.77% and 10.38% for these two root zones, respectively, being lower than that in any root zones of FPRI and CI. It was suggested that alternative partial root zone irrigation was more beneficial to the growth of root hair than fixed partial root zone irrigation and conventional irrigation.