UPLC-MS/MS Method for Detection of Etomidate and Its Metabolite Etomidate Acid Quantity in Blood.

Objectives: To establish a method for the simultaneous quantitative analysis of etomidate and its metabolite etomidate acid in blood, and to discuss its application value in actual cases.

Methods: Acetonitrile precipitate protein method was used, and C column was selected. Gradient elution was performed with acetonitrile and 5 mmol/L ammonium acetate within 6 min.

Drought stress-induced the formation of heteromorphic leaves of Oliv: evidence from gene transcriptome.

Oliv., a dominant species of arid desert community, grows heteromorphic leaves at different crown positions. Whether heteromorphic leaves are a strategy of plant adaptation to drought stress is rarely reported.

[Clinical observation of acupotomy combined with warm needling for cervical spondylotic radiculopathy of qi and blood stagnation syndrome].

Objective: To observe the clinical effect of acupotomy combined with warm needling on cervical spondylotic radiculopathy (CSR) of and blood stagnation syndrome.

Methods: A total of 90 CSR patients were randomly divided into an acupotomy group, a warm needling group and a combined treatment group, with 30 cases in each group. The patients in the acupotomy group were treated with acupotomy, once every 7 days, consecutively for 3 times.

[Effect of balance acupotomy combined with warm needling in treatment of cervical spondylosis of vertebral artery type].

Objective: To observe the clinical efficacy of balance acupotomy combined with warm needling in treatment of cervical spondylopathy of vertebral artery type (CSA).

Methods: Ninety patients were randomly divided into a warm needling group, a balance acupotomy group and a combined treatment group, 30 cases in each one. In the warm needling group, warm needling was given, once daily, for 5 days consecutively, with the interval of 2 days every week, and the treatment was conducted for 3 weeks.

Fabrication and Optical Properties of Transparent P(VDF-TrFE) Ultrathin Films.

The films of vinylidene fluoride and trifluoroethylene (P(VDF-TrFE)) are widely used in piezoelectric tactile sensors, vibration energy harvesters, optical frequency conversion materials and organic photo-voltaic devices because of high electroactive, good optical and nonlinear optical properties, respectively. In this work, the multilayer structured ultrathin films were fabricated by the Langmuir-Blodgett technique, and the thickness per layer can be controlled accurately. It was found that as the collapse pressure of P(VDF-TrFE) (25:75) and the optimal dipping value are 60~70 mN/m and 15 mN/m, respectively, a high-density film can be obtained due to the compression of molecules.

Pre-treatment with Tandospirone attenuates fentanyl-induced respiratory depression without affecting the analgesic effects of fentanyl in rodents.

Opioid analgesics are widely used to treat acute, postoperative, and chronic pain. However, opioid receptor activation can result in severe respiratory depression. In this study, we demonstrated that Tandospirone (TS), a selective serotonin-1A receptor partial agonist, is effective against opioid-induced respiratory depression.

Thyrotroph embryonic factor polymorphism predicts faster progression of Parkinson's disease in a longitudinal study.

The thyrotroph embryonic factor gene is a circadian clock-controlled gene. The rs738499 polymorphism of this gene has been suggested to be associated with depression and sleep disturbance in Parkinson's disease in previous cross-sectional studies. We aimed to investigate whether this single nucleotide polymorphism is associated with the progression rates of various motor and non-motor symptoms in patients with Parkinson's disease.

[Clinical effect of "Jin's three-needle" therapy and motor relearning regimen on the upper limb motor function in patients with ischemic stroke].

Objective: To explore the clinical effect of "Jin's three-needle" therapy and motor relearning regime for the recovery of upper limb motor function in the patients with ischemic stroke.

Methods: A total of 60 patients with ischemic stroke were randomly divided into an experiment group (30 cases) and a control group (30 cases). In the control group, the routine rehabilitation regimen was adopted.

Identification of microRNAs for the early diagnosis of Parkinson's disease and multiple system atrophy.

MicroRNAs are reportedly involved in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease and multiple system atrophy. We previously identified 7 differentially expressed microRNAs in Parkinson's disease patients and control sera (miR-30c, miR-31, miR-141, miR-146b-5p, miR-181c, miR-214, and miR-193a-3p). To investigate the expression levels of the 7 serum microRNAs in Parkinson's disease and multiple system atrophy, 23 early Parkinson's disease patients (who did not take any anti- Parkinson's disease drugs), 23 multiple system atrophy patients, and 24 normal controls were recruited at outpatient visits in this study.

Genetic map construction and QTL analysis of leaf-related traits in soybean under monoculture and relay intercropping.

Soybean (Glycine max L.) is an important food and oil crop widely planted by intercropping in southwest China. The shade caused by intercropping changes plant growth traits, such as soybean leaf and dry mass, thereby reducing yields.

Yield advantage and nitrogen fate in an additive maize-soybean relay intercropping system.

Sustainable agricultural development is urgently required to satisfy future food demands while decreasing environmental costs. Intercropping can increase per-unit farmland productivity through a resource-efficient utilization. However, the fate of N in intercropping systems remains unclear.

Fungal Diversity in Field Mold-Damaged Soybean Fruits and Pathogenicity Identification Based on High-Throughput rDNA Sequencing.

Continuous rain and an abnormally wet climate during harvest can easily lead to soybean plants being damaged by field mold (FM), which can reduce seed yield and quality. However, to date, the underlying pathogen and its resistance mechanism have remained unclear. The objective of the present study was to investigate the fungal diversity of various soybean varieties and to identify and confirm the FM pathogenic fungi.

Metabolism variation and better storability of dark- versus light-coloured soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) seeds.

The effects of storage duration on the seed germination and metabolite profiling of soybean seeds with five different coloured coats were studied. Their germination, constituents and transcript expressions of isoflavones and free fatty acids (FFAs) were compared using chromatographic metabolomic profiling and transcriptome sequencing. The seed water content was characterized using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxometry.

Increased Expressions of Plasma Galectin-3 in Patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

Background: High expressions of galectin-3 were identified recently in the end stage of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients, which suggested that immune reactivity and inflammatory mechanisms might play an important role in the pathogenesis of ALS. The purpose of this study was to investigate plasma galectin-3 levels in different groups and stages of ALS patients and the association with related clinical characteristics.

Methods: A total of 51 patients with ALS and 60 normal controls (NCs) were recruited in this study.

Prevalence and genotype distribution of human papillomavirus among Hakka women in China.

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the primary risk factor for cervical cancer. HPV genotypes are associated with varying degrees of pathogenicity. To better formulate strategies for cervical cancer prevention, we investigated the population-specific distribution of HPV genotypes, including those with high carcinogenicity.

[Relationship between cellulose synthesis metabolism and lodging resistance in intercropping soybean at seedling stage].

Physical characteristics of stem are closely relative to the crop lodging. Increase of stem strength is conducive to resolve the problem of lodging. Three soybean cultivars with different shade tolerance were planted under maize-soybean intercropping and soybean monocropping, respectively.

[Effects of potato/soybean intercropping on photosynthetic characteristics and yield of three soybean varieties].

The potato/soybean intercropping trials using three soybean varieties including Zhonghuang 30 (early-maturing variety) , Jidou 17 (mid maturing variety) and Qihuang 34 (late maturing variety) with the sole cropping potato as control were carried out to determine the dynamic changes of leaf area index (LAI) of soybean, accumulation of dry matter, photosynthetic characteristics, yield and yield components. The results showed that the LAI, dry matter accumulation, net photosynthesis (Pn), transpiration rate (Tr) and stomatal conduction (g(s)) of soybean in all intercropping systems were lower than in monoculture because of the influence of intensified lower light during earlier growing stage, and the duration from planting to flowering was extended. When the potato was harvested, the LAI, dry matter accumulation, Pn, Tr and g(s) of soybean in all intercropping systems increased, especially for mid-maturing and late-maturing varieties, which became much closer to those in the monoculture.

A clinical survey of pain in Parkinson's disease in Eastern China.

Background: This is a case-control study to investigate the prevalence, characteristics, and risk factors of pain in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD).

Methods: A total of 200 PD patients from eastern China were enrolled in our study. Accordingly, 200 healthy elderly adults were recruited as controls.

[Effects of nitrogen management on maize nitrogen utilization and residual nitrate nitrogen in soil under maize/soybean and maize/sweet potato relay strip intercropping systems].

A large amount of nitrogen (N) fertilizers poured into the fields severely pollute the environment. Reasonable application of N fertilizer has always been the research hotpot. The effects of N management on maize N utilization and residual nitrate N in soil under maize/soybean and maize/ sweet potato relay strip intercropping systems were reported in a field experiment in southwest China.

The Natural History of Depression in Parkinson's Disease within 30-Month Follow-Up.

Depression is one of the most common and persistent nonmotor syndromes occurring in 35% of patients diagnosed with PD. However, little information is known about the longitudinal study of its natural history of depression in PD. In this study, we identified 110 patients who are diagnosed with idiopathic PD and recruited them for assessing information about their PD related motor and nonmotor symptoms and rating scales.

Prevalence of wearing-off and dyskinesia among the patients with Parkinson's disease on levodopa therapy: a multi-center registry survey in mainland China.

Objective: Chronic levodopa (L-dopa) treatment in Parkinson's disease (PD) is often associated with the development of motor complications, but the corresponding epidemiological data is rare in Chinese PD patients. The present survey was to investigate the prevalence rate of wearing-off (WO) and dyskinesia among the patients with PD in China.

Methods: From May 2012 to October 2012, a 3-step registry survey for wearing off (WO) and dyskinesia patients with PD receiving levodopa therapy was performed simultaneously at 28 movement disorders clinics in China.

Benefits of a circular approach to mobilize the thyroid during an endoscopic thyroidectomy.

Background: Mobilization of the thyroid during an endoscopic thyroidectomy (ET) via a breast approach was originally carried out from the lower pole to the upper pole (upward approach). Here, we applied a modified circular approach to achieve better exposure of the surgical field, in which the path of thyroid mobilization started from the isthmus and resembled a circle. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety and feasibility of the circular approach compared with the upward approach.

MSTMP, a Stilbene Derivative, Protects SH-SY5Y Cells Against Oxidative Stress.

Objective: the protective effects of a novel stilbene derivative, (e)-2-(3,4,5- trimethoxystyryl)-3,5,6-trimethylpyrazine (MStMp), on hydrogen peroxide (h2o2)-induced human derived neuroblastoma cell (Sh-Sy5y) damage and its molecular mechanisms were investigated.

Methods: Sh-Sy5y cells were exposed to 200 μmol.l-1 h2o2 for 12 h.

Mysterious abrupt carbon-14 increase in coral contributed by a comet.

A large and sudden increase in radiocarbon ((14)C) around AD 773 are documented in coral skeletons from the South China Sea. The (14)C increased by ~ 15‰ during winter, and remain elevated for more than 4 months, then increased and dropped down within two months, forming a spike of 45‰ high in late spring, followed by two smaller spikes. The (14)C anomalies coincide with an historic comet collision with the Earth's atmosphere on 17 January AD 773.