Bark-stripping Behavior of Formosan Sambar (Rusa unicolor swinhoii) at Tataka, Yushan National Park in Taiwan.

The bark-stripping behavior of Formosan sambar, Rusa unicolor swinhoii, has become conspicuous in recent years in the Tataka area of Yushan National Park in Taiwan and a cause for concern to visitors and ecologists. We conducted a monthly survey of 537 tagged trees of 21 species and monitored the abundance of sambar using camera traps from October 2018 to January 2021, aiming to interpret possible causes of the bark-stripping behavior in Tataka. We also used a generalized linear model to evaluate factors that may affect the probability of a tree having its bark stripped. Both our observations and the model predictions showed that sambar has a strong preference for bark of Pinus armandii, Photinia niitakayamensis, and Salix fulvopubeseens and for trees with diameter at breast height around 14 cm. Bark stripping mainly occurred between July and October when major forage was most abundant. However, sambar's need for bark surged in May when sambar abundance was moderate and decreased in October when sambar abundance was high. The seasonality of bark stripping was synchronized with the peak periods of antler development, fawn nursing, and spread of gastrointestinal parasites, suggesting that sambar strips bark to ingest minerals for their physiological needs and/or to acquire plant secondary metabolites to repel gastrointestinal parasites. Sambar abundance alone was not sufficient to predict the overall intensity of bark stripping. Rather, the product of sambar abundance and the necessity index (average wound size) were strongly correlated with the overall bark-stripping intensity. Therefore, controlling sambar abundance is essential but it alone may not be the optimal strategy for controlling bark stripping. A combination of population control and relaxing of sambar's parasite loading and/or physiological needs for minerals is an important strategy to control the overall bark stripping. Future research could use the necessity index to investigate the synchronicity of the bark-stripping behavior, deer's physiological state, environmental factors and phenology to better understand the cause of this behavior.

[The Effect in Extraction of Different Ratio of Dahuang-Taoren for Ten Kinds of Chemical Constituents from Rhizoma Rhei].

Objective: To investigate the effect of Dahuang-Taoren with different proportion of extraction amount changes of ten kinds of chemical constituents in Rhizoma Rhei. Methods: Uniform method to set different ratio( 1∶ 5,2∶ 5,2∶ 3,1∶ 1,3∶ 2,5∶ 2,5∶ 1),and set the control group ( Dahuang-Taoren( 1 ∶ 0). HPLC was used to determine the content of ten constituents as gallic acid,( +)-catechin,sennoside B,anthraquinones( aloe-emodin,rhein,emodin,chrysophanol,physcion,chrysophanol-1-O-glucoside,emodin major grape glycoside) in different ratio of drug. Different proportions of Dahuang-Taoren on the extraction amount of ten chemical components in Rhizoma Rhei changes were analyzed. . Results: Compared to the control group, Dahuang-Taoren with different ratio( 5∶ 1,5∶ 2,3∶ 2) in a sample with increasing proportion of Taoren,the extraction amount of ten kinds of constituents of Rhizoma Rhei gradually decreased;Dahuang-Taoren with ratio of 1∶ 1,ten kinds of constituents in extraction of total amount arrived minimum value. Dahuang-Taoren with different ratio( 2∶ 3,2∶ 5,1∶ 5) in a sample with increasing proportion of Taoren,the extraction amount of gallic acid,( +) catechin,chrysophanol of Rhizoma Rhei increased significantly. Conclusion: There is obvious change in chemical constituents of the extraction amount of Rhizoma Rhei with the change of the ratio in Dahuang-Taoren, and Dahuang-Taoren with the ratio( 2∶ 3,2∶ 5,1∶ 5),the extraction amount of gallic acid,( +)-catechin,sennoside B,aloe-emodin,emodin,chrysophanol,physcion,chrysophanol-1-O-glucoside are significantly higher than control group.

[Treatment of the postoperative infection of limbs fracture after internal fixation with vacuum sealing drainage (VSD) combined with continual irrigation].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical effects of VSD combined with continual irrigation in treating the infection of limbs fracture after internal fixation. METHODS: From March 2010 to June 2015, 10 patients with infection of limbs fracture after internal fixation were treated with VSD combined with continual irrigation. There were 7 males and 3 females, aged from 11 to 58 years with an average of 34.4 years. Course of disease was from 1 to 8 months with an average of 4.8 months. Postoperative infection occurred in fractures of ulna and radius of 4 cases, tibiofibular fractures of 3 cases, calcaneal fractures of 2 cases, femoral fractures of 1 case. Eight infections were open fracture and 2 infections were close fracture. In additon to above treatment, antibiotics, dressing changing or skingrafting were used in the patients. Informations of wound surface healing, change dressings, original infection focus were observed. RESULTS: All infections got control, the wound healing after change dressings or skingrafting, and no complications such as osteomyelitis were found. The mean treatment time was 38.4 days(ranged, 29 to 45 days) and replacement times was 2.2 times(ranged, 1 to 4 times). All patients were followed up, no recurrent infections were found at 1 year after fracture healing. CONCLUSIONS: VSD combined with continual irrigation can effectively decrease the incidence of complications and promote the wound growth, healing and considerably shorten the healing time. It is an effective method for the treatment of infection of limbs fracture after internal fixation.

[Experimental study of gene therapy with human vascular endothelial growth factor-c in lymphedema].

OBJECTIVE: To study the efficacy of gene therapy with human vascular endothelial growth factor-c (VEGF-C) on obstructive lymphedema. METHODS: Two animal models of lymphedema were created: one in the right hind limb of adult New Zealand white rabbits and the other in SD mouse tail. Each model was randomly divided into two groups to receive intradermal injection of either VEGF-C gene (experimental group), or saline(control group). In rabbit model, the volume change of affected limb was measured. In mouse model, biopsy was performed after 3 weeks treatment to detect the expression of VEGF-C mRNA and proteins. The lymphagenesis was evaluated by immunohistochemical examination with lymphatic endothelium hyaluronan receptor antibody. RESULTS: The volume of the affect rabbit limb decreased by (24.40 +/- 1.08) ml in experimental group, compared with (5.80 +/- 1.92) ml in control group (P = 0.0001). The expression of VEGF-C mRNA and protein increased markedly in experiment group, but not in controls. More lymphatic vessels with large caliber were seen in experiment group (P = 0.0004). CONCLUSIONS: VEGF-C gene therapy may alleviate or treat lymphedema by inducing lyphmangiogenesis.

Prospective study in 142 cases of hepatitis C virus infection.

AIM: There is limited information on the natural history of HCV infection in China. We investigated the outcome of HCV infection after nine-year follow-up and the risk factors in blood donors in China in order to provide the foundation for prevention and therapy. METHODS: A total of 172 cases of HCV infection with anti-HCV positive and ALT abnormality were enrolled in the archives when was screened blood in Hebei Province in 1993. In them 142 blood donors were followed up till July 2002. No antiviral treatment was applied to them during the period of infection. In the present study, anti-HCV, HCV-RNA and aminotransferase were detected and genotyping was conducted by the method of restriction fragment length polymorphism(RFLP). B-type ultrasound detection was performed in all the patients. Age, sex, alcohol consumption and clinical symptoms were questioned. RESULTS: After nine years' follow-up, 10.56% (15/142) of the cases were negative for anti-HCV and 16.42% (12/134) of them were negative for HCV-RNA. The genotypes 1b, 2a and 1b/2a were 91.07%, 6.25% and 2.68% respectively. Twelve cases (8.45%) were negative for both HCV RNA and anti-HCV. The rate of chronicity in this group was 83.58% (112/134), and the rate of viral spontaneous resolution was 16.42% (22/134). The mean level of ALT, AST, gamma-GT in HCV RNA positive cases was significantly higher than that in HCV RNA negative cases (P<0.001). The abnormal rate of ALT and/or AST in male donors was significantly higher than that in female donors (P = 0.005). The rate of progression to liver cirrhosis from chronic hepatitis C was significantly higher in the cases of super-infection with HBV than that in the cases of single HCV infection. Overdose alcohol consumption promoted the progression to chronicity. CONCLUSION: This area (Hebei Province) has a higher rate of chronicity in HCV infection, and measures should be taken to prevent its progression to serious liver diseases, especially for patients super-infected with HCV and HBV.

Association of interleukin-12 p40 gene 3'-untranslated region polymorphism and outcome of HCV infection.

AIM: To investigate the effect of interleukin-12 p40 gene (IL12B) 3'-untranslated region polymorphism on the outcome of HCV infection. METHODS: A total of 133 patients who had been infected with HCV for 12-25 (18.2+/-3.8) years, were enrolled in this study. Liver biochemical tests were performed with an automated analyzer and HCV RNA was detected by fluorogenic quantitative polymerase chain reaction. B-mode ultrasound was used for liver examination. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) was used for the detection of IL12B (1188A/C) polymorphism. RESULTS: Self-limited infection was associated with AC genotype (OR = 3.48; P = 0.001) and persistent infection was associated with AA genotype (OR = 0.34; P = 0.014) at site 1188 of IL12B. In patients with persistent HCV infection, no significant differences were found regarding the age, gender, duration of infection and biochemical characteristics (P>0.05). According to B-mode ultrasound imaging and clinical diagnosis, patients with persistent infection were divided into groups based on the severity of infection. No significant differences were found in the frequency of IL-12 genotype (1188A/C) between different groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: The polymorphism of IL12B (1188A/C) appears to have some influence on the outcome of HCV infection.

[Nine-year follow-up of hepatitis C virus infection in a rural area of Hebei province, China].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate natural history of hepatitis C virus infection and related factors among plasma donors in China. METHODS: 172 plasma donors in a rural area of Hebei province had been diagnosed as HCV infection in 1993. No antiviral treatment was applied to them during the period of infection. In the present study, we investigated the outcome of HCV infection nine years later and related factors affecting the outcome. In fact, only 142 cases were followed up in the investigation. The mean age of 142 cases of blood donors was 46 +/- 9 and the mean age of infection was 37 +/- 9 years old. RESULTS: After nine-year follow-up, 1.2% died of end-stage liver disease. 130 (91.6%) of 142 cases under investigation were still positive for HCV RNA or anti-HCV in their blood and 12 cases (8.4%) were negative for both HCV RNA and anti-HCV. 3.1% developed liver cirrhosis among the patients with persistent infection. The mean level of ALT, AST, GGT among HCV RNA positive cases were significantly higher than that of HCV RNA negative cases (P < 0.001). The abnormal rates of ALT and/or AST in male patients were significantly higher than those of female patients (P = 0.005). The rate of progression to liver cirrhosis from chronic hepatitis C virus was significantly higher in patients co-infected with HCV/HBV than that of the cases of single HCV infection. CONCLUSION: Higher chronic rate was observed in this research. Superinfection of HBV/HCV may have worse clinical outcomes.

Pathogenicity of GB virus C on virus hepatitis and hemodialysis patients.

AIM: To determine the pathogenicity of GB virus C (GBV-C) on liver and the effects of its co-infection on the clinical features and prognosis of patients with hepatitis B and C. METHODS: Cross-sectional study was carried out in 413 patients with acute, chronic hepatitis B or liver cirrhosis, and in 67 hemodialysis patients. A 20-month prospective cohort study was carried out in 95 hepatitis B and 80 hepatitis C patients. A reverse transcriptase nested polymerase chain reaction (RT-nPCR) of the 5'-noncoding region was used to detect circulating GBV-C RNA. Liver function was determined by an automated analyzer for all patients. RESULTS: The prevalence of GBV-C in the high-risk populations with the virus transmitted via blood was high, ranging from 16.2 to 28.8 %. Co-infection with GBV-C in hepatitis B patients did not affect the clinical features of the disease or liver function. The dialysis patients infected with GBV-C alone did not develop functional changes to the liver. Prospective cohort study showed that GBV-C co-infection did not affect the clinical features, prognosis or negative serum conversion rate of chronic hepatitis B and C. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that GBV-C has no marked pathogenicity on liver, so it may not be a hepatitis virus.