Clinical study on effect of bushen shengxue paste in treating renal anemia patients

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the therapeutical mechanism of Bushen Shengxue Paste (BSSXP) on anemia. METHODS: Chronic renal failure induced anemia patients were treated with BSSXP, clinical manifestation, anemia and renal function as indicators were observed in patients. The erythropoietin (EPO) and inhibition of colony-forming unit-erythrocyte (CFU-E) in patients' serum were determined by CFU-E in vitro. RESULTS: The patients' symptoms, renal function and anemia were improved after administration with BSSXP 1-2 course. EPO in serum was slightly increased. The inhibition of CFU-E in patient's serum was significantly decreased. CONCLUSIONS: BSSXP could improve the anemia degree, its mechanism might be through clearing the inhibitor of CFU-E in serum.     

Some computational tools for the analysis of through cracks in stiffened fuselage shells

Reliable analytical methods that predict the structural integrity and residual strength of aircraft fuselage structures containing cracks are needed to help to understand the behavior of pressurized stiffened shells with damage, so that it becomes possible to determine the safe life of such a shell. Of special importance is the ability to determine under what conditions local failure, once initiated, will propagate. In this paper we shall present a reliable and efficient method for computing the energy release rate for cracks of varying length in a typical stiffened metallic fuselage under general loading conditions. The models used in the simulation are derived from an extensive analysis of a fuselage barrel section subjected to operational flight loads. Energy release rates are computed as a function of the length of the crack, its location, and the crack propagation mode.     

Synthesis of optically active (R)- and (S)-tai-ding-an(TDA) and their anti-HSV activity evaluation]

Tai-Ding-An (3-phthalimido-2-oxo-n-butyraldehyde bisthiosemicarbazone, TDA) is an antiviral drug first synthesized in this institute. In order to clarify the difference between the two enantiomeric isomers of TDA, (R)- and (S)-TDA were synthesized from (R)- and (S)-alanine, respectively, via the following steps: fusing with phthalic anhydride gave 2-phthalimido alanine(2a or 2b). The resulting acid was reacted with thionyl chloride to offer the corresponding acid chloride(3a or 3b), which was treated with diazomethane to give the diazoketone(4a or 4b). Bromination of the ketone with hydrobromic acid gave the key intermediate 3-phthalimido-2-oxo-1-bromobutanone (5a or 5b). Compound 5a or 5b was oxidized with DMSO to give 6a or 6b, which was directly condensed with thiosemicarbazide to afford the desired (R)- or (S)-TDA. (R)-TDA, (S)-TDA and (RS)-TDA have been tested in cell culture for anti-Herpes simplex virus I (HSV-1) and HSV-2 activities by plaque reducing method. All of them showed inhibitory effects on HSV-1 and HSV-2 replication with IC50 of 0.0296 mmol.L-1, 0.0359 mmol.L-1 and 0.0418 mmol.L-1 for HSV-1 and 0.88 mmol.L-1, 1.04 mmol.L-1 and 1.06 mmol.L-1 for HSV-2. Not much difference was found among these compounds either on IC50 or on therapeutic indexes.     

The Pool Project

This article reviews the early days of an Australian public broadcaster's open studio Web project. It raises important issues for software developers and Web media makers about the need for software and collaborative structures that can facilitate community building in an open and responsive way. This project could be of interest to software developers working in Drupal.     

Relationship between lipoprotein lipase and high density lipoprotein cholesterol in mice: modulation by cholesteryl ester transfer protein and dietary status

Plasma lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity correlates with high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels in humans. However, in several mouse models created either through transgenesis or targeted inactivation of LPL, no significant changes in HDL cholesterol values have been evident. One possible explanation for this species difference could be the absence of plasma cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) activity in mice. To explore this possibility and further investigate interactions between LPL and CETP modulating HDL cholesterol levels in vivo, we examined the relationship between LPL activity and HDL levels in mice expressing the simian CETP transgene, compared with littermates not carrying the CETP gene. On a chow diet, increasing LPL activity was associated with a trend towards increased HDL levels (51 +/- 29 vs. 31 +/- 4 mg/dL highest vs. lowest tertiles of LPL activity, P = 0.07) in mice expressing CETP, while no such effects were seen in the absence of CETP (65 +/- 12 vs. 61 +/- 15 mg/ dL). Furthermore, in the presence of CETP, a significant positive correlation between LPL activity and HDL cholesterol was evident (r = 0.15, P = 0.006), while in the absence of CETP no such correlation was detected (r = 0.15, P = 0.36), highlighting the interactions between LPL and CETP in vivo. When mice were challenged with a high fat, high carbohydrate diet, strong correlations between LPL activity and HDL cholesterol were seen in both the presence (r = 0.45, P = 0.03) and absence (r = 0.73, P < 0.001) of CETP. Therefore, under altered metabolic contexts, such as those induced by dietary challenge, the relation between LPL activity and HDL cholesterol may also become evident. Here we have shown that both genetic and environmental factors may modulate the association between LPL activity and HDL cholesterol, and provide explanations for the absence of any changes in HDL values in mice either transgenic or with targeted disruption of the LPL gene.     

Sparse nanowire arrays for facile transport measurements

Nanowires can be electrodeposited into partially etched porous alumina templates such that only a very small number of nanowires reach the top surface of the template. This allows transport measurements of small clusters or single nanowires in their alumina matrix by connecting leads to the hemispherical domes marking the protrusion of nanowires on the surface. Copper, nickel, and silver nanowires have been synthesized in this manner, and a more general synthesis method is proposed.