Aberrant Topological Patterns of Structural Covariance Networks in Cognitively Normal Elderly Adults With Mild Behavioral Impairment.

Mild behavioral impairment (MBI), characterized by the late-life onset of sustained and meaningful neuropsychiatric symptoms, is increasingly recognized as a prodromal stage of dementia. However, the underlying neural mechanisms of MBI remain unclear. Here, we examined alterations in the topological organization of the structural covariance networks of patients with MBI ( = 32) compared with normal controls ( = 38).

Distinct Patterns of Brain Atrophy associated with Mild Behavioral Impairment in Cognitively Normal Elderly Adults.

A cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate patterns of gray matter changes in cognitively normal elderly adults with mild behavioral impairment (MBI). Sixteen MBI patients and 18 healthy controls were selected. All the participants underwent a neuropsychological assessment battery, including the Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE), Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), and Chinese version of the mild behavioral impairment-checklist scale (MBI-C), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans.

A rapid discrimination of authentic and unauthentic Radix Angelicae Sinensis growth regions by electronic nose coupled with multivariate statistical analyses.

Radix Angelicae Sinensis, known as Danggui in China, is an effective and wide applied material in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and it is used in more than 80 composite formulae. Danggui from Minxian County, Gansu Province is the best in quality. To rapidly and nondestructively discriminate Danggui from the authentic region of origin from that from an unauthentic region, an electronic nose coupled with multivariate statistical analyses was developed.

Classification of EEG signals using a multiple kernel learning support vector machine.

In this study, a multiple kernel learning support vector machine algorithm is proposed for the identification of EEG signals including mental and cognitive tasks, which is a key component in EEG-based brain computer interface (BCI) systems. The presented BCI approach included three stages: (1) a pre-processing step was performed to improve the general signal quality of the EEG; (2) the features were chosen, including wavelet packet entropy and Granger causality, respectively; (3) a multiple kernel learning support vector machine (MKL-SVM) based on a gradient descent optimization algorithm was investigated to classify EEG signals, in which the kernel was defined as a linear combination of polynomial kernels and radial basis function kernels. Experimental results showed that the proposed method provided better classification performance compared with the SVM based on a single kernel.

Identifying patients with poststroke mild cognitive impairment by pattern recognition of working memory load-related ERP.

The early detection of subjects with probable cognitive deficits is crucial for effective appliance of treatment strategies. This paper explored a methodology used to discriminate between evoked related potential signals of stroke patients and their matched control subjects in a visual working memory paradigm. The proposed algorithm, which combined independent component analysis and orthogonal empirical mode decomposition, was applied to extract independent sources.

[Studies on the chemical constituents of Ficus microcarpa].

Objective: To study the chemical constituents of the Ficus microcarpa.

Methods: Isolation and identification were carried out by using various chromatography techniques and spectral methods.

Results: Eight compounds were isolated.

Four new minor taxanes from cell cultures of Taxus chinensis.

Four new minor taxanes (1-4) have been isolated from Ts-19 cell cultures of Taxus chinensis together with five known taxanes (5-9) by silica gel chromatography combined with semi-preparative HPLC chromatography. On the basis of the analyses of the chemical and spectroscopic (IR, MS, 1D, and 2D NMR) data, the structures of new compounds were elucidated as 5alpha-hydroxy-2alpha,10beta-diacetoxy-14beta-(3-hydroxy-2-methyl-butyryl)oxytaxa-4(20),11-diene (1), 2alpha,5alpha,10beta-triacetoxy-14beta-(2-hydroxy-propionyl)oxytaxa-4(20),11-diene (2), 2alpha,5alpha,10beta-triacetoxy-14beta-(2-hydroxy-3-methyl-butyryl)oxytaxa-4(20),11-diene (3), and 2alpha-benzoxy-4alpha,9alpha,10beta,13alpha-tetraacetoxytax-11-ene (4), respectively. Compounds 1-5 were pharmacologically evaluated for their cytotoxicities against five human cancer cell lines (HCT-8, Bel-7402, BGC-823, A549, and A2780) and their reversing activity towards multi-drug resistance A549/taxol tumor cell line, and the results showed that all of the tested compounds exhibited very low cytotoxicities, while compound 4 possessed twice the reversing activity as that of verapamil at 10 muM.

[The comparative study on morphology and polysaccharides content of Dendrobium loddigesii from different habits].

The morphological characters and the polysaccharides content of Dendrobiam loddigesii from different habits were studied in this paper. The results showed that there were remarkable differences in morphology from five areas, such as stem height and diameter, laminae sizes and figures, amount of lateral bud, and texture of stem. The content of polysaccharides from sample of Xingyi and Anlong, Guizhou Province, respectively 22.

[ITS sequence identification of Radix Bupleuri].

Objective: To provide the basis of molecular authentication of Radix Bupleuri by the comparison of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences of five kinds of Radix Bupleuri in common use.

Method: Firstly, total DNA of five kinds of Radix Bupleuri was extracted. Secondly, the ITS sequence was amplified by PCR with universal primer of ITS and PCR product was directly sequenced after purification.

Characterization of phenolic compounds in the Chinese herbal drug Tu-Si-Zi by liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.

Phenolic compounds are the major bioactive constituents of the Chinese herbal drug Tu-Si-Zi, which is prepared from the seeds of Cuscuta chinensis. However, seeds of C. australis also are offered under the name of this drug in the herb market.

[Studies on the botanical sources and DNA molecular identification of Herba Asari based on ITS sequence].

Objective: To explore the genetic basis of using three species of Asarum as Herba Asari to determine the taxonomic positions of Asarum heterotropoides and A. siebodii; and to apply DNA molecular analysis as a tool for identification of Herba Asari.

Method: PCR, purification, sequence analysis were prerformed.

[Identification of Pterocephalus hookeri].

Objective: To study the identification method of Pterocephalus hookeri.

Method: The microscopical, Physicochemical and TLC methods were used.

Result And Conclusion: The convenient and effective identification methods for P.

[Study on the genetiey relationship between Chinese and Korean medicinal materials of niuxi with the method of RAPD].

Objective: To study the hereditary relationship between Chinese and Korean medicinal materials of Niuxi achyranthis root.

Method: Ten samples of four kinds of Niuxi was studied with the method of RAPD.

Result: Expanded product showed total record of 100 spectrum bands, which proved that the hereditary gap between Korean self-produced A.

[Studies on chemical constituents of Cuscuta chinensis].

Objective: To study the chemical constituents of the seeds of Cuscuta chinensis.

Method: The separation was carried out by polyamide and silica gel chromatography, and the compounds were identified by means of physico-chemical and spectroscopic methods.

Results: Eight compounds were isolated from the plant and identified as quercetin 3-O-beta-D-galactoside-7-O-beta-D-glucoside (I), quercetin 3-O-beta-D-apiofuranosyl-(1-->2)-beta-D-galactoside (II), hyperoside (III), isorhamnetin (IV), kaempferol (V), quercetin (VI), d-sesamin (VII) and 9(R)-hydroxy-d-sesamin (VIII).

[The influences of inorganic elements in soil on the geolism of Atractylodes lancea].

Objective: To study the influence of inorganic elements in soil on the geolism of Atractylodes lancea.

Method: The concentrations of 15 kinds of inorganic elements of regional A. lancea and their correspondingly soils were determined, and the data were analysed with the SPSS10.

[A study on genetic variation between wild and cultivated populations of Paeonia lactiflora Pall].

Aim: To discuss the genetic differentiation between wild and cultivated populations of Paeonia lactiflora Pall., and to find the reason for forming the genuineness of Radix Paeoniae rubra (Chishao) and Radix Paeoniae alba (Baishao).

Methods: Forty three representative samples of P.

Determination of flavonoids in Semen Cuscutae by RP-HPLC.

Flavonoids contents in 40 samples of Semen Cuscutae collected from areas all around China were investigated. Five principal flavonoids, quercetin 3-O-beta-D-galactoside-7-O-beta-D-glucoside, quercetin 3-O-beta-D-apiofuranosyl-(1-->2)-beta-D-galactoside, hyperoside, quercetin and kaempferol were analyzed simultaneously by using a reversed phase liquid chromatograph system with 0.025 M phosphoric acid-methanol as mobile phase.