Psycho-Neural Identity as the Basis for Empirical Research and Theorization in Psychology: An Interview with Mario A. Bunge

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Virues-Ortega, Javier; Hurtado-Parrado, Camilo; Martin, Toby L.; Julio, Flavia

2012-01-01

Mario Bunge is one of the most prolific philosophers of our time. Over the past sixty years he has written extensively about semantics, ontology, epistemology, philosophy of science and ethics. Bunge has been interested in the philosophical and methodological implications of modern psychology and more specifically in the philosophies of the…

Sedum sarmentosum Bunge (Crassulaceae, a Newly Naturalized Herb in Taiwan

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Mong-Huai Su

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Sedum sarmentosum Bunge (Crassulaceae, a newly naturalized fleshy herb in Taiwan, is reported here. The taxonomic description, line drawing, and photographs are provided. The population is colonized on Mt. Tatun, Yangmingshan National Park, north Taiwan. Since this species was reported being invasive, its impacts on the local ecosystem should be concerned.

Alejandro Bunge y el problema de la vivienda obrera en la República Argentina (1910-1915

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Jorge A. Núñez

2010-02-01

Full Text Available Este trabajo pretende indagar, a partir del estudio de la figura del economista Alejandro Bunge, en la problemática de la vivienda obrera en la República Argentina en las primeras décadas de la pasada centuria. Aquí se argumentará que los estudios realizados porAlejandro Bunge como director de la División Estadísticas del Departamento Nacional de Trabajo en el período 1910-1915 contribuyeron de manera notable a la elaboración del proyectoy posterior sanción de la Ley de Casas Baratas para Obreros (n°9677.

The complete plastid genome of Bunge's pine Pinus bungeana (Pinaceae).

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Li, Zhong-Hu; Zhu, Juan; Yang, Yi-Xin; Yang, Jie; He, Jing-Wen; Zhao, Gui-Fang

2016-07-01

The complete nucleotide sequence of Bunge's pine Pinus bungeana Zucc. ex Endl. chloroplast genome (cp DNA) was determined in this study. The cpDNA was 117 861 bp in length, containing a pair of 475 bp inverted repeat regions (IRa and IRb), which were separated by large and small single copy regions (LSC and SSC) of 65 373 and 51 538 bp, respectively. The cpDNA contained 111 genes, including 71 protein-coding genes (71 PCG species), 4 ribosomal RNA genes (4 rRNA species) and 36 tRNA genes (32 tRNA species). In these genes, 13 harbored a single intron and 1 (ycf3) contained a couple of introns. The overall AT content of Bunge's pine cpDNA is 61.2%, while the corresponding values of the LSC, SSC and IR regions are 61.9%, 60.2% and 62.5%, respectively. A phylogenetic reconstruction based on the maximum parsimony analysis suggested that all the sampled Pinus species clustered a monophyletic clade and have a high bootstrap support, and the cpDNA of P. bungeana is closely related to that of congeneric P. gerardiana.

Mario Bunge en la Universidad Nacional de La Plata : Breve testimonio de su visita en el año 2000

OpenAIRE

Bunge, Mario

2000-01-01

Radio Universidad Nacional de La Plata registra un breve testimonio del Dr. Mario Bunge en su visita a la UNLP en el año 2000. Resalta su paso por esta Universidad, así como las características de la misma. Mario Augusto Bunge: nació en Buenos Aires el 21 de septiembre de 1919. Físico y filósofo, se graduó en la UNLP en 1952. Reside en Montreal (Canadá).

Between the Under-Labourer and the Master-Builder: Observations on Bunge's Method

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Agassi, Joseph

2012-01-01

Mario Bunge has repeatedly discussed contributions to philosophy and to science that are worthless at best and dangerous at worst, especially cases of pseudo-science. He clearly gives his reason in his latest essay on this matter: "The fact that science can be faked to the point of deceiving science lovers suggests the need for a rigorous sifting…

Mario Bunge, Systematic Philosophy and Science Education: An Introduction

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Matthews, Michael R.

2012-10-01

Mario Bunge was born in Argentina in 1919 and is now in his mid-90s. He studied atomic physics and quantum mechanics with Guido Beck (1903-1988), an Austrian refugee and student of Heisenberg. Additionally he studied modern philosophy in an environment that was a philosophical backwater becoming the first South American philosopher of science to be trained in science. His publications in physics, philosophy, psychology, sociology and the foundations of biology, are staggering in number, and include a massive 8-volume Treatise on Philosophy. The unifying thread of his scholarship is the constant and vigorous advancement of the Enlightenment Project, and criticism of cultural and academic movements that deny or devalue the core planks of the project: namely its naturalism, the search for truth, the universality of science, the value of rationality, and respect for individuals. At a time when specialisation is widely decried, and its deleterious effects on science, philosophy of science, educational research and science teaching are recognised, and at a time when `grand narratives' are thought both undesirable and impossible—it is salutary to appraise the fruits of one person's pursuit of the `Big' scientific and philosophical picture or grand narrative. In doing so this special issue brings together philosophers, physicists, biologists, sociologists, logicians, cognitive scientists, economists and mathematicians to examine facets of Mario Bunge's systematic philosophy and to appraise its contribution to important issues in current philosophy and, by implication, education.

Response of smooth rock skullcap (Scutellaria saxatilis), a globally rare plant, to fire

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Cynthia D. Huebner; Kent Karriker

2015-01-01

Scutellaria saxatilis Riddell (smooth rock skullcap or rock skullcap, hereafter abbreviated as SRS), a herbaceous perennial in the mint family, is a globally rare (G3) plant. In West Virginia, SRS is categorized as an S2 species (imperiled and at high risk of extinction due to a very restricted range, very few [

[Nasal submicron emulsion of Scutellariae Radix extract preparation technology research based on phase transfer of solute technology].

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Shi, Ya-jun; Shi, Jun-hui; Chen, Shi-bin; Yang, Ming

2015-07-01

Based on the demand of nasal drug delivery high drug loadings, using the unique phase transfer of solute, integrating the phospholipid complex preparation and submicron emulsion molding process of Scutellariae Radix extract, the study obtained the preparation of the high drug loadings submicron emulsion of Scutellariae Radix extract. In the study of drug solution dispersion method, the uniformity of drug dispersed as the evaluation index, the traditional mixing method, grinding, homogenate and solute phase transfer technology were investigated, and the solute phase transfer technology was adopted in the last. With the adoption of new technology, the drug loading capacity reached 1.33% (phospholipid complex was 4%). The drug loading capacity was improved significantly. The transfer of solute method and timing were studied as follows,join the oil phase when the volume of phospholipid complex anhydrous ethanol solution remaining 30%, the solute phase transfer was completed with the continued recycling of anhydrous ethanol. After drug dissolved away to oil phase, the preparation technology of colostrum was determined with the evaluation index of emulsion droplet form. The particle size of submicron emulsion, PDI and stability parameters were used as evaluation index, orthogonal methodology were adopted to optimize the submicron emulsion ingredient and main influential factors of high pressure homogenization technology. The optimized preparation technology of Scutellariae Radix extract nasal submicron emulsion is practical and stable.

Mario Bunge: Physicist and Philosopher

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Matthews, Michael R.

Mario Bunge was born in Argentina in the final year of the First World War.He learnt atomic physics and quantum mechanics from an Austrian refugee who had been a student of Heisenberg. Additionally he taught himself modern philosophy in an environment that was a philosophical backwater. He was the first South American philosopher of science to be trained in science. His publications in physics, philosophy, psychology, sociology and the foundations of biology, are staggering in number, and include a massive 8-volume Treatise on Philosophy. The unifying thread of his scholarship is the constant and vigorous advancement of the Enlightenment Project, and criticism of cultural and academic movements that deny or devalue the core planks of the project: namely its naturalism, the search for truth, the universality of science, rationality, and respect for individuals. At a time when specialisation is widely decried, and its deleterious effects on science, philosophy of science, educational research and science teaching are recognised - it is salutary to see the fruits of one person's pursuit of the Big'' scientific and philosophical picture.

Influence of Radix scutellariae on Th1/Th2 cytokine balance in RU486-induced abortion in mice

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

ZHONG Xiuhui; SHI Wanyu; MA Aituan; WANG Xiaodan; ZHANG Jianlou; LI Xuezhong

2007-01-01

The aim of this study is to investigate the significance of Th1/Th2 cytokine balance in the uterus in the early embryo loss(or resorption),and to elucidate immunological modulation at the maternal-fetal interface with Chinese herbal medicine Radix scutellariae(Huang Qin)and its constituents(Baicalin and Baicalein).Mifepristone(RU486)was given via subcutaneous injection in the scapular area to induce abortion in mice at day 7 of gestation.The levels of uterine Thl cytokines(IFN-β,IL-2)and Th2 cytokines(IL-4,IL-10)were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA),respectively.The mean values of Thl cytokines in the uterus of RU486-treated abortion mice were significantly higher(P＜0.05)than that of the control mice,but no significant difference was observed regarding to the contents of Th2 cytokines of different groups(P＞0.05).However,when the Radix scutellariae and its constituents were used to prevent RU486-induced abortion,the levels of IFN-γ and IL-2 decreased while that of IL-4 and IL-10 increased.The embryo loss induced by RU486 was closely related to the Th1/Th2 immune balance at the maternal-fetal interface.Radix scutellariae and its constituents have an anti-abortive effect through restoring the Th1/Th2 balance at the maternal-fetal interface.

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids from Heliotropium transoxanum Bunge

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M. R. Delnavazi

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Background and objectives: The plants belonging to the genus Heliotropium L. (Boraginaceae are the main sources of toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs. In the present study, we have investigated the PAs of the aerial parts of Heliotropium transoxanum Bunge, a perennial species native to Iran. Methods: Silica gel column chromatography and silica gel PTLC were applied for the isolation of PAs present in the total methanol extract of H. transoxanum. The structures of the isolated compounds were identified using 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR and EIMS spectral analyses. Results: Three PAs, heliotrine (1, lasiocarpine (2 and heliotrine N-oxide (3,with known mutagenic and genotoxic properties, were isolated from the aerial parts of H. transoxanum. Conclusion: The results of this study on the presence of toxic PAs in H. transoxanum introduce this herb as a poisonous species and also suggest it as an appropriate source for the isolation of heliotrine and lasiocarpine for further toxicological and pharmacological studies.

Synthesis of N-methyl-N-formyltyramine, a new {beta}-phenethylamide derivative isolated from Cyathobasis fruticulosa (Bunge) aellen

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Larghi, Enrique L.; Kaufman, Teodoro S. [Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario (Argentina). Instituto de Quimica Organica de Sintesis (IQUIOS); Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario (Argentina). Facultad de Ciencias Bioquimicas y Farmaceuticas; E-mail: tkaufman@fbioyf.unr.edu.ar

2006-05-15

The synthesis of N-methyl-N-formyltyramine, a novel {beta}-phenethylamide derivative isolated from Cyathobasis fructiculosa (Bunge) Aellen, is reported. The natural product was prepared in six steps and good overall yield from 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde. (author)

National Figure Leadership Construction In The Movie "Ketika Bung Di Ende"

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Septizar Triastika

2016-01-01

This research discusses Soekarno’s leadership construction as a national figure framed in the movie “Ketika Bung di Ende” as a film that raised the critical phase which rarely examined in the life of Soekarno. This study rests on the theory of Construction Reality Peter L. Berger and Thomas Luckman through movie as a mass media. Using the framing analysis of William A. Gamson and Andre Modgliani to see how the events are governed by the ideas and its problems, by using Metaphors, Catchphrases...

蒙药金莲花体外抗阴道毛滴虫效果观察%Effect of Trollius chinensis Bunge against Trichomonas vaginalis: an observation

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

陈建芳; 闫艳; 于桂霞; 宋强

2011-01-01

目的 观察金莲花对体外阴道毛滴虫的杀灭效果.方法 采用不同浓度的金莲花水提物进行体外抗阴道毛滴虫试验,于药物作用后不同时间记录阴道毛滴虫的死亡率.结果 金莲花具有抑制和杀灭阴道毛滴虫的作用,最低有效浓度为20.00 mg/mL.结论 金莲花对阴道毛滴虫具有杀灭效果.%Objective To study the effect of Trollius chinensis Bunge on Trichonwnas vaginalis. Method After treated with different concentration of Trollius chinensis Bunge, Trichomonas vaginalis was observed for the purpose of morphological changes and mortality rate at different time after agent interactions. Result The obvious killing effect on Trichomonas vaginalis conducted by Trollius chinensis Bunge was observed. The lowest killing concentration was 20.00 mg/ mL. Conclusion Trollius chinensis bunge exhibits a relatively potent effect on Trichomonas vaginalis.

Curcuma and Scutellaria plant extracts protect chickens against inflammation and Salmonella Enteritidis infection.

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Varmuzova, Karolina; Matulova, Marta Elsheimer; Gerzova, Lenka; Cejkova, Darina; Gardan-Salmon, Delphine; Panhéleux, Marina; Robert, Fabrice; Sisak, Frantisek; Havlickova, Hana; Rychlik, Ivan

2015-09-01

After a ban on the use of antibiotics as growth promoters in farm animals in the European Union in 2006, an interest in alternative products with antibacterial or anti-inflammatory properties has increased. In this study, we therefore tested the effects of extracts from Curcuma longa and Scutellaria baicalensis used as feed additives against cecal inflammation induced by heat stress or Salmonella Enteritidis (S. Enteritidis) infection in chickens. Curcuma extract alone was not enough to decrease gut inflammation induced by heat stress. However, a mixture of Curcuma and Scutellaria extracts used as feed additives decreased gut inflammation induced by heat or S. Enteritidis, decreased S. Enteritidis counts in the cecum but was of no negative effect on BW or humoral immune response. Using next-generation sequencing of 16S rRNA we found out that supplementation of feed with the 2 plant extracts had no effect on microbiota diversity. However, if the plant extract supplementation was provided to the chickens infected with S. Enteritidis, Faecalibacterium, and Lactobacillus, both bacterial genera with known positive effects on gut health were positively selected. The supplementation of chicken feed with extracts from Curcuma and Scutelleria thus may be used in poultry production to effectively decrease gut inflammation and increase chicken performance. © 2015 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Aspectos de la epistemología de Mario Bunge

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Rojas O., Carlos

2004-01-01

La epistemología de Mario Bunge ha venido difundiéndose cada vez más en los países de habla hispánica e inglesa. Presentamos un esbozo general de su teoría de la ciencia, su vinculación con otras corrientes del pensamiento contemporáneo y algunos rasgos básicos de su meto­dología filosófica. En especial hacemos referencia a los postulados ontológicos de la ciencia, a su estructura hipotético-deductiva, a los crite­rios de validación y al problema d la sistematicidad. El artículo se li­mita a ...

Characteristic odor components of essential oil from Scutellaria laeteviolacea.

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Miyazawa, Mitsuo; Nomura, Machi; Marumoto, Shinsuke; Mori, Kiyoshige

2013-01-01

The essential oils from aerial parts of Scutellaria laeteviolacea was analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The characteristic odor components were also detected in the oil using gas chromatography-olfactometry (GC-O) analysis and aroma extraction dilution analysis (AEDA). As a result, 100 components (accounting for 99.11 %) of S. laeteviolacea, were identified. The major components of S. laeteviolacea oil were found to be 1-octen-3-ol (27.72 %), germacrene D (21.67 %),and β-caryophyllene (9.18 %). The GC-O and AEDA results showed that 1-octen-3-ol, germacrene D, germacrene B, and β-caryophyllene were the most characteristic odor components of the oil. These compounds are thought to contribute to the unique flavor of this plant.

Local Climate Heterogeneity Shapes Population Genetic Structure of Two Undifferentiated Insular Scutellaria Species.

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Hsiung, Huan-Yi; Huang, Bing-Hong; Chang, Jui-Tse; Huang, Yao-Moan; Huang, Chih-Wei; Liao, Pei-Chun

2017-01-01

Spatial climate heterogeneity may not only affect adaptive gene frequencies but could also indirectly shape the genetic structure of neutral loci by impacting demographic dynamics. In this study, the effect of local climate on population genetic variation was tested in two phylogenetically close Scutellaria species in Taiwan. Scutellaria taipeiensis , which was originally assumed to be an endemic species of Taiwan Island, is shown to be part of the widespread species S. barbata based on the overlapping ranges of genetic variation and climatic niches as well as their morphological similarity. Rejection of the scenario of "early divergence with secondary contact" and the support for multiple origins of populations of S. taipeiensis from S. barbata provide strong evolutionary evidence for a taxonomic revision of the species combination. Further tests of a climatic effect on genetic variation were conducted. Regression analyses show nonlinear correlations among any pair of geographic, climatic, and genetic distances. However, significantly, the bioclimatic variables that represent the precipitation from late summer to early autumn explain roughly 13% of the genetic variation of our sampled populations. These results indicate that spatial differences of precipitation in the typhoon season may influence the regeneration rate and colonization rate of local populations. The periodic typhoon episodes explain the significant but nonlinear influence of climatic variables on population genetic differentiation. Although, the climatic difference does not lead to species divergence, the local climate variability indeed impacts the spatial genetic distribution at the population level.

[Molecular mechanism of Bupleuri Radix and Scutellariae Radix drug pair for depression based on integrative pharmacology platform of traditional Chinese medicine].

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Wang, Jian-Ting; Wang, Shang; Liu, Song-Lin; Wang, Yan-Chun; Li, Jia-Geng; Chen, Yu

2018-04-01

Xiaochaihu decoction is a classic prescription of traditional Chinese medicine. Modern research has proved its anti-depression effect. However, its pharmacological mechanism for anti-depression effect is difficult to be unveiled because of the complexity of compound Chinese medicines. Bupleuri Radix and Scutellariae Radix is the core drug pair of Xiaochaihu decoction. In this research, Bupleuri Radix and Scutellariae Radix were analyzed by the integrative pharmacology platform to study its molecular mechanism for anti-depression. One hundred and sixteen active ingredients were predicted, 62 for Bupleuri Radix, mainly including saikosaponins, acids, alcohols, and 54 for Scutellariae Radix, mainly including flavonoids and glycosides. Its anti-depression effect was relevant to 118 core targets, including 22 known disease targets, such as serotonin receptor(HTR2C), activating transcription factor(ATF1, ATF2), δ opioid receptor(OPRD1), μ opioid receptor (OPRM1), κ opioid receptor(OPRK1), inositol monophosphatase(IMPA1), Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), histamine H1 receptor(HRH1), neurotrophic factor tyrosine kinase receptor1 (NTRK1), Glycogen synthetase kinase 3β(GSK3β), etc. The antidepressant effect involved positive regulation of transcription from RNA polymerase Ⅱ promoter, transcription factor binding, cytosol, transcriptional regulation of DNA template, enzyme binding, endocrine system, nervous system, neurotrophin signaling pathway, cell growth and death, signal transduction, thyroid hormone signaling pathway and other related biological processes and metabolic pathways. This study provides a scientific evidence for further study of the anti-depression mechanism of this drug pair. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

On Babies and Bathwater: A Non-ideological Alternative to the Mahner/Bunge Proposals for Relating Science and Religion in Education.

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Wren-Lewis, John

1996-01-01

Challenges Mahner and Bunge's proposal for handling the issue of religion in a modern educational curriculum by teaching scientific treatments in terms of disciplines such as anthropology and psychology. Proposes a dialog-based alternative whereby representatives of religious, spiritual, and nonspiritual positions are invited to present and defend…

Mario Bunge: Physicist, philosopher and defender of science

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Michael R. Matthews

2009-04-01

Full Text Available Mario Bunge was born in Argentina in the final year of the First World War. He learnt atomic physics andquantum mechanics from an Austrian refugee who had been a student of Heisenberg. Additionally he taughthimself modern philosophy in an environment that was a philosophical backwater. He was the first SouthAmerican philosopher of science to be trained in science. His publications in physics, philosophy, psychology,sociology and the foundations of biology, are staggering in number, and include a massive 8-volume Treatise onPhilosophy. The unifying thread of his scholarship is the constant and vigorous advancement of theEnlightenment Project, and criticism of cultural and academic movements that deny or devalue the core planksof the project: namely its naturalism, the search for truth, the universality of science, rationality, and respect forindividuals. At a time when specialisation is widely decried, and its deleterious effects on science, philosophy ofscience, educational research and science teaching are recognised – it is salutary to see the fruits of one person’spursuit of the ‘Big’ scientific and philosophical picture.

Can the History of Science Contribute to Modelling in Physics Teaching? The Case of Galilean Studies and Mario Bunge's Epistemology

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Machado, Juliana; Braga, Marco Antônio Barbosa

2016-01-01

A characterization of the modelling process in science is proposed for science education, based on Mario Bunge's ideas about the construction of models in science. Galileo's "Dialogues" are analysed as a potentially fruitful starting point to implement strategies aimed at modelling in the classroom in the light of that proposal. It is…

O sistemismo de Bunge como base teórica e metodológica para pesquisa em Ciência da Informação

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Luciana Mara Silva

2016-08-01

Full Text Available O objetivo do estudo é aprofundar aspectos epistemológicos da Ciência da Informação (CI a partir das contribuições do pensamento de Bunge. Justifica-se pela natureza interdisciplinar da CI e sua constante necessidade de interação com outras áreas de conhecimento. Trata-se de um ensaio teórico a partir da análise de conceitos da área de CI e a proposta sistemista de Bunge. O estudo é complementado com a aplicação dos fundamentos do sistemismo em pesquisas sistemistas, uma descritiva e outra explicativa, sobre repositórios institucionais de acesso aberto, exemplificando a condução de pesquisa sob a operação epistêmica fundamental do sistemismo: a redução ao sistema.

The ethanol extract of Scutellaria baicalensis and the active compounds induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis including upregulation of p53 and Bax in human lung cancer cells

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Gao Jiayu; Morgan, Winston A.; Sanchez-Medina, Alberto; Corcoran, Olivia

2011-01-01

Despite a lack of scientific authentication, Scutellaria baicalensis is clinically used in Chinese medicine as a traditional adjuvant to chemotherapy of lung cancer. In this study, cytotoxicity assays demonstrated that crude ethanolic extracts of S. baicalensis were selectively toxic to human lung cancer cell lines A549, SK-LU-1 and SK-MES-1 compared with normal human lung fibroblasts. The active compounds baicalin, baicalein and wogonin did not exhibit such selectivity. Following exposure to the crude extracts, cellular protein expression in the cancer cell lines was assessed using 2D gel electrophoresis coupled with MALDI-TOF-MS/Protein Fingerprinting. The altered protein expression indicated that cell growth arrest and apoptosis were potential mechanisms of cytotoxicity. These observations were supported by PI staining cell cycle analysis using flow cytometry and Annexin-V apoptotic analysis by fluorescence microscopy of cancer cells treated with the crude extract and pure active compounds. Moreover, specific immunoblotting identification showed the decreased expression of cyclin A results in the S phase arrest of A549 whereas the G 0 /G 1 phase arrest in SK-MES-1 cells results from the decreased expression of cyclin D1. Following treatment, increased expression in the cancer cells of key proteins related to the enhancement of apoptosis was observed for p53 and Bax. These results provide further insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying the clinical use of this herb as an adjuvant to lung cancer therapy. - Research highlights: → Scutellaria baicalensis is a clinical adjuvant to lung cancer chemotherapy in China. → Scutellaria ethanol extracts selectively toxic to A549, SK-LU-1 and SK-MES-1. → Baicalin, baicalein and wogonin were toxic to all lung cancer cell lines. → Proteomics identified increased p53 and BAX in response to Scutellaria extracts.

Antiosteoporosis Effect of Radix Scutellariae Extract on Density and Microstructure of Long Bones in Tail-Suspended Sprague-Dawley Rats

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Chen-Rui Li

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Radix Scutellariae (RS, a medicinal herb, is extensively employed in traditional Chinese medicines and modern herbal prescriptions. Two major flavonoids in RS were known to induce osteoblastic differentiation and inhibit osteoclast differentiation, respectively. This study aimed to investigate the effect of Radix Scutellariae extract (RSE against bone loss induced by mechanical inactivity or weightlessness. A hindlimb unloading tail-suspended rat model (TS was established to determine the effect of RSE on bone mineral density and bone microarchitecture. Treatment of RSE at 50 mg/kg/day and alendronate (ALE at 2 mg/kg/day as positive control for 42 days significantly increased the bone mineral density and mechanical strength compared with TS group. Enhanced bone turnover markers by TS treatment were attenuated by RSE and ALE administration. Deterioration of bone trabecula induced by TS was prevented. Moreover, both treatments counteracted the reduction of bone volume fraction, trabecular thickness and number, and connectivity density. In conclusion, RSE was demonstrated for the first time to prevent osteoporosis induced by TS treatment, which suggests the potential application of RSE in the treatment of disuse-induced osteoporosis.

Biological Activity and Phytochemical Study of Scutellaria platystegia.

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Madani Mousavi, Seyedeh Neda; Delazar, Abbas; Nazemiyeh, Hossein; Khodaie, Laleh

2015-01-01

This study aimed to determine biological activity and phytochemical study of Scutellaria platystegia (family Labiatae). Methanolic (MeOH) extract of aerial parts of S. platystegia and SPE fractions of methanolic extract (specially 20% and 40% methanolic fractions), growing in East-Azarbaijan province of Iran were found to have radical scavenging activity by DPPH (2, 2-diphenyl -1- pycryl hydrazyl) assay. Dichloromethane (DCM) extract of this plant exhibited animalarial activity by cell free method providing IC50 at 1.1876 mg/mL. Crude extracts did not exhibit any toxicity assessed by brine shrimp lethality assay. Phytochemical study of methanolic extract by using reverse phase HPLC method and NMR instrument for isolation and identification of pure compounds respectively, yielded 2-(4- hydroxy phenyl) ethyl-O-β-D- glucopyranoside from 10% and apigenin 7-O-glucoside, verbascoside and martynoside from 40% SPE fraction. Occurance of verbascoside and martynoside as biochemical markers appeared to be widespread in this genus. Antioxidant and antimalarial activity of MeOH and DCM extracts, respectively, as well as no general toxicity of them could provide a basis for further in-vitro and in-vivo studies and clinical trials to develop new therapeutical alternatives.

Cartilage Protection and Analgesic Activity of a Botanical Composition Comprised of Morus alba, Scutellaria baicalensis, and Acacia catechu

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Mesfin Yimam

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Although there have been augmented advances in drug discovery, current OA management is inadequate due to the lack of successful therapies proven to be effective in modifying disease progression. For some, the risk outweighs the benefit. As a result, there is a desperate need for safe and efficacious natural alternatives. Here we evaluated a composition from Morus alba, Scutellaria baicalensis, and Acacia catechu in maintaining joint structural integrity and alleviating OA associated symptoms in monoiodoacetate- (MIA- induced rat OA disease model. Study lasted for 6 weeks. 59.6%, 64.6%, 70.7%, 69.9%, and 70.3% reductions in pain sensitivity were observed for rats treated with the composition from week 1 to week 5, respectively. Statistically significant improvements in articular cartilage matrix integrity (maintained at 57.1% versus MIA + vehicle treated rats were shown from the modified total Mankin score for animals treated with the composition. The composition showed a statistically significant reduction in uCTX-II level (54.1% reductions. The merit of combining these botanicals was also demonstrated in their synergistic analgesic activity. Therefore, the standardized blend of Morus alba, Scutellaria baicalensis, and Acacia catechu could potentially be considered as an alternative remedy from natural sources for the management of OA and/or its associated symptoms.

Annette Bunge: developing the principles in percutaneous absorption using chemical engineering principles.

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Stinchcomb, A L

2013-01-01

Annette Bunge and her research group have had the central theme of mathematically modeling the dermal absorption process. Most of the research focus has been on estimating dermal absorption for the purpose of risk assessment, for exposure scenarios in the environment and in the occupational setting. Her work is the basis for the United States Environmental Protection Agency's estimations for dermal absorption from contaminated water. It is also the basis of the dermal absorption estimates used in determining if chemicals should be assigned a 'skin notation' for potential systemic toxicity following occupational skin exposure. The work is truly translational in that it started with mathematical theory, is validated with preclinical and human experiments, and then is used in guidelines to protect human health. Her valued research has also extended into the topical drug bioavailability and bioequivalence assessment field.

Definições formais de mobilidade e acessibilidade apoiadas na teoria de sistemas de Mario Bunge

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Marcos Thadeu Queiroz Magalhães

2013-12-01

ABSTRACT On the subject of mobility and accessibility, most researchers have been focused on practical applications, without giving proper attention to the development of the underlying theory, resulting in conceptual inflation caused by confusing and vague definitions.  Among the existing definitions for terms such as Mobility and Accessibility, confusion emerges. This paper aims to formalize such notions and try to remove the ambiguity that is inherited from the natural language. We use the theory of Mario Bunge and the discution on the Nature of Transport to propose general formal definitions for Accessibility and Mobility. Keywords: Systems Theory, Mobility, Accessibility, Concept, Definition, Formalization.

Antioxidant and immunological activities of polysaccharides from Gentiana scabra Bunge roots.

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Wang, Zhanyong; Wang, Chenyu; Su, Tingting; Zhang, Jing

2014-11-04

Two polysaccharide fractions, GSP I-a and GSP II-b, were isolated from Gentiana scabra Bunge roots. Both GSP I-a and GSP II-b comprised seven monosaccharides: fructose, mannose, rhamnose, galacturonic acid, glucose, galactose, and fucose. Ultraviolet and infrared analyses show that GSP I-a and GSP II-b are proteoglycans. In vitro evaluation of the antioxidant activity suggests that GSP I-a and GSP II-b scavenge 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radicals. However, the scavenging activity of the latter is stronger than that of the former. GSP I-a and GSP II-b have relatively low reducing powers and scavenging activities toward superoxide anions and hydroxyls. GSP I-a and GSP II-b significantly increase lymphocyte proliferation when lipopolysaccharide is used as a mitogen for lymphocytes, but only GSP I-a can significantly increase lymphocyte proliferation within the test-dosage range when concanavalin A is used as a mitogen. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Optimisation of isolation procedure for pyrrolizidine alkaloids from Rindera umbellata Bunge.

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Mandić, Boris M; Vlajić, Marina D; Trifunović, Snežana S; Simić, Milena R; Vujisić, Ljubodrag V; VuČković, Ivan M; Novaković, Miroslav M; Nikolić-Mandić, Snežana D; Tešević, Vele V; Vajs, Vlatka V; Milosavljević, Slobodan M

2015-01-01

Procedure for isolation of pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) from Rindera umbellata Bunge plant species was optimised. Different extraction media (methanol, ethanol and sulphuric acid), concentration and volume of sulphuric acid, pH of PA solution for alkaline extraction, extraction time and techniques (maceration, ultrasonic and overhead rotary mixer assisted extraction) were investigated. The yields of six PAs (7-angeloyl heliotridane, 7-angeloyl heliotridine, lindelofine, 7-angeloyl rinderine, punctanecine and heliosupine) were monitored by GC-MS/FID. The best results for the isolation all of six PAs were obtained when the extraction was performed with 1 M sulphuric acid (30 mL per 1.00 g of dried sample) by overhead rotary mixer during three days. Optimal pH value for alkaline extraction of PAs with CH₂Cl₂ was 9, and the extraction should be performed with four portions of 30 mL of CH₂Cl₂. This procedure could be also useful for a plant sample preparation for GC and LC analyses of PAs.

Linguistic research in the empirical paradigm as outlined by Mario Bunge.

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Zielińska, Dorota

2016-01-01

In view of the critique of the methodology of the dominant interdisciplinary research involving language studies as the main component, in particular clinical linguistics, Cummings (Pragmatic disorders. Perspectives in pragmatics, philosophy and psychology, vol 3. Springer, Dordrecht, 2014) proposes that "It is perhaps appropriate at this point to move the debate onto non-empirical grounds." In Cummings (2014: 113) she starts such a debate on the grounds of the philosophy of language and pragmatics. In this article, I propose to expand that debate by including the input of the philosophy of science. I start the discussion by presenting the way one may carry out language research in the paradigm of empirical sciences from the perspective outlined in Bunge (Scientific research. Strategy and philosophy. Berlin, Springer, 1967; Method, model and matter (synthese library). D. Reidel Publishing Company, Dordrecht, 1973; Emergence and convergence: qualitative novelty and the unity of knowledge. University of Toronto Press, Toronto, 2003) and constrained by Altmann's (Towards a theory of language. Glottometrica 1:1-25, 1978) assumption about self-originating and self-regulatory nature of language.

Population characteristics of haloxylon ammodendron (c.a.mey) bunge in gurbantunggut desert, china

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Abino, A.

2014-01-01

Haloxylon ammodendron (C.A. Mey) Bunge is a desert shrub with ecological and economic importance. Because of the severe drought and the over-exploitation for firewood and livestock, the species is threatened. The survivor and mortality were studied in six populations distributed along the margin of Gurbantunggut desert. The size structures, life tables and survivor curves were constructed for the studied populations. Populations were dominated by juvenile individuals and the seedling recruitment was extremely limited. Size distributions were skewed towards larger size classes in all populations. The survivorship curves approached Deevey type III in which the highest mortality occurs in the early life stages. The results indicated that the populations of H. ammodendron are threatened and efforts are required to minimize uncontrolled exploitation. Due to the very limited seedling recruitment, conservation efforts are required to protect and develop the extant populations. For this purpose, in situ and ex situ conservation of H. ammodendron populations are strongly recommended. (author)

In vitro propagation of Gentiana scabra Bunge - an important medicinal plant in the Chinese system of medicines.

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Huang, Shih-Hung; Agrawal, Dinesh Chandra; Wu, Fang-Sheng; Tsay, Hsin-Sheng

2014-12-01

Gentiana scabra Bunge commonly known as 'Long dan cao' in China has been used in traditional Chinese medicines for more than 2000 years. Dry roots and rhizome of the herb have been used for the treatment of inflammation, anorexia, indigestion and gastric infections. Iridoids and secoiridoids are the main bioactive compounds which attribute to the pharmacological properties of this plant. The species is difficult to mass propagate by seed due to the low percentage of germination and limited dormancy period. Wild populations in some locations are considered to be in the endangered category due to over exploitation. In the present study, we report an efficient micropropagation system. Shoot apices of six weeks old in vitro grown G. scabra plants were used as explants for the in vitro propagation. Induction of multiple shoots (9.1/explant) was achieved on the culture of shoot apices on half strength Murashige and Skoog's basal medium (MSBM) containing 2.0 mg/L -1 6-benzylaminopurine (BA), 3% sucrose and 0.9% Difco agar. In vitro shoots induced profuse rooting on half strength of MSBM supplemented with 0.1 mg/L -1 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), 3% sucrose and 0.3% gelrite. A two-stage ventilation closure procedure during the in vitro culture, and transparent sachet technique enhanced the survival rate of G. scabra plantlets to 96% in the greenhouse. Tissue culture plants flowered after 5 months of transfer to pots. A simple and an efficient in vitro propagation protocol of Gentiana scabra Bunge by optimizing the medium composition and ventilation closure treatments has been developed. The protocol can be very useful in germplasm conservation and commercial cultivation of G. scabra plants.

Synergistic effect of baicalein, wogonin and oroxylin A mixture: multistep inhibition of the NF-κB signalling pathway contributes to an anti-inflammatory effect of Scutellaria root flavonoids.

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Shimizu, Tomofumi; Shibuya, Nobuhiko; Narukawa, Yuji; Oshima, Naohiro; Hada, Noriyasu; Kiuchi, Fumiyuki

2018-01-01

Scutellaria root, the root of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, is a crude drug used for inflammatory diseases. In our previous report, the combination of flavonoids contained in Scutellaria root have been found to inhibit PGE 2 production more strongly than individual flavonoids. Here, to investigate the mechanism of the synergistic effect, we examined the effects of an equimolar mixture (F-mix) of baicalein (1), wogonin (2) and oroxylin A (3) on the production of PGE 2 in LPS-treated J774.1 cells. Although 1 and 3 inhibited COX-2 activity, the F-mix showed no synergistic effect on COX-2 inhibition. Therefore, we investigated the steps leading to the activation of COX-2 protein. Compounds 1-3 and F-mix inhibited the expression of COX-2 protein. However, only 2 inhibited the expression of COX-2 mRNA among the flavonoids, and the F-mix showed no synergistic effect. Only 1 inhibited NF-κB translocation into the nucleus, and the F-mix showed no synergistic effect. Although 2 did not affect NF-κB translocation, it strongly inhibited NF-κB-dependent transcriptional activity, and the F-mix inhibited the activity slightly more than 2. Compounds 1-3 also inhibited NO production, and the F-mix showed a synergistic effect. However, the effects of each flavonoid on the expression of iNOS mRNA were not consistent with those on COX-2 mRNA. Because the flavonoids inhibit different steps in the production of PGE 2 and NO, and their mixture did not show apparent synergistic effects in each step, we conclude that the synergistic effect of the flavonoid mixture reflects the total effect of the flavonoids inhibiting different steps in the NF-κB signalling pathway.

Altering the course of history by strategic change: the case of Bunge Reescribiendo una trayectoria a partir de mudanzas estratégicas: un estudio de caso en la Bunge Reescrevendo uma trajetória a partir de mudanças estratégicas: um estudo de caso na Bunge

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Fernando A. Ribeiro Serra

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Survival of organizations is a central theme of discussions about business strategy. Survivors are those who can introduce profound strategic changes. With regard to this greater dynamism, developing changes seems to be mandatory; however companies can not always overcome inertia to change key management aspects. Superficial, gradual changes may not prove sufficient to correct organizational direction. A real turnaround process usually includes reconfiguration of the portfolio of competencies and business organization as well as implementation of professional management. This is a description of how Bunge Limited altered its course of history by strategic changes in the decade of 1990. The purpose is to understand how companies can restructure themselves in times of crisis, in this case with specific focus on reconfiguring the business portfolio and resources, to identify strategic elements and change allocation of resources. The theoretical foundation focused on process changes, more specifically for corporate turnaround and resource employment, according to the RBV approach.La supervivencia de las organizaciones a lo largo del tiempo es tema central de las discusiones acerca de la estrategia empresarial. Las empresas más longevas son aquellas que consiguen, con el correr del tiempo, operar mudanzas estratégicas profundas. En este contexto de gran dinamismo, desarrollar mudanzas parece ser obligatorio, mas ni siempre las empresas consiguen vencer su inercia para mudar aspectos esenciales de su gestión. Mudanzas graduales y superficiales tampoco pueden mostrarse suficientes para reposicionar la trayectoria organizacional. Un proceso real de turnaround generalmente incluye una reconfiguración de la cartera de competencias y de negocios de la organización y la aplicación de una gestión profesional. En este artículo será presentado el proceso de mudanzas estratégicas por el cual la Bunge Limited consiguió, en la década de 90, reescribir

Integration of independent component analysis with near-infrared spectroscopy for analysis of bioactive components in the medicinal plant Gentiana scabra Bunge

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Yung-Kun Chuang

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Independent component (IC analysis was applied to near-infrared spectroscopy for analysis of gentiopicroside and swertiamarin; the two bioactive components of Gentiana scabra Bunge. ICs that are highly correlated with the two bioactive components were selected for the analysis of tissue cultures, shoots and roots, which were found to distribute in three different positions within the domain [two-dimensional (2D and 3D] constructed by the ICs. This setup could be used for quantitative determination of respective contents of gentiopicroside and swertiamarin within the plants. For gentiopicroside, the spectral calibration model based on the second derivative spectra produced the best effect in the wavelength ranges of 600–700 nm, 1600–1700 nm, and 2000–2300 nm (correlation coefficient of calibration = 0.847, standard error of calibration = 0.865%, and standard error of validation = 0.909%. For swertiamarin, a spectral calibration model based on the first derivative spectra produced the best effect in the wavelength ranges of 600–800 nm and 2200–2300 nm (correlation coefficient of calibration = 0.948, standard error of calibration = 0.168%, and standard error of validation = 0.216%. Both models showed a satisfactory predictability. This study successfully established qualitative and quantitative correlations for gentiopicroside and swertiamarin with near-infrared spectra, enabling rapid and accurate inspection on the bioactive components of G. scabra Bunge at different growth stages.

Anti-leech activity of Scutellaria baicalensis and Morinda citrifolia extracts against Piscicola geometra

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Rizky, P. N.; Cheng, T. C.; Nursyam, H.

2018-04-01

Piscicola geometra leeches are naturally infecting cobia juvenile. The leeches attach to cobia by sucking and biting its surface and provide the gate of second infection. Water extracts of Scutellaria baicalensis root and Morinda citrifolia leaves were used to be tested through In Vitro method to look for the anti-leeches activity against Piscicola geometra. In this study, a total number of 800 leeches from infected cobia were prepared. The anti-leech activity from water extract of S. baicalensis root and M. citrifolia leaves were compared in different dilutions of plant extracts for 96 hours. Significant anti-leech activity was observed with M. citrifolia leaves with 80% mortality of leeches. S. baicalensis root showed higher anti-leech activity with 100% mortality of leeches. The average time was needed for S.baicalensis root to paralyzing and kill the leeches were 8h, 40h, 48h, 72h, and 96h in various dilutions of S. baicalensis root. This study indicated that S. baicalensis water extract had a potent for new anti-leeches agent.

Determination of four major saponins in the seeds of Aesculus chinensis Bunge using accelerated solvent extraction followed by high-performance liquid chromatography and electrospray-time of flight mass spectrometry.

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Chen, Junhui; Li, Wenlong; Yang, Baijuan; Guo, Xiuchun; Lee, Frank Sen-Chun; Wang, Xiaoru

2007-07-23

A new method based on accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) followed by a reliable high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector (HPLC-DAD) and positive ion electrospray-time of flight mass spectrometry (ESI-TOF/MS) analysis has been developed for the characterization and quantification of four major saponins in extracts of the seeds of Aesculus chinensis Bunge (semen aesculi). The saponins escin Ia, escin Ib, isoescin Ia and isoescin Ib were extracted from seeds of A. chinesis Bunge via ASE, and the operational parameters of ASE were optimized, such as extraction solvent, extraction temperature, static extraction time and extraction cycles. The optimized procedure employed 70% MeOH as extraction solvent, 120 degrees C of extraction temperature, 7 min of static extraction time, 60% flush volume and the extraction recoveries of the four compounds were nearly to 100% for two cycles. The HPLC conditions are as follows: SinoChrom ODS BP C18 (4.6 mm x 200 mm, 5 microm) column, acetonitrile and 0.10% phosphoric acid solution as mobile phase, flow rate is 1.0 mL min(-1), detection length of UV is 203 nm, injection volume is 10 microL. The results indicated that the developed HPLC method is simple, sensitive and reliable for the determination of four major saponins in seeds of A. chinesis Bunge with a good linearity (r2 > 0.9994), precision (relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) < 1.5%) and the recovery ranges of 95.2-97.3%. The limits of detection (LOD) of the four compounds were in the range of 0.40-0.75 microg mL(-1). This assay can be readily utilized as a quality control method for semen aesculi and other related medicinal plants.

Variability of haloxylon ammodendron (C. A. Mey) bunge populations from different habitats

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Lv, C.

2015-01-01

Haloxylon ammodendron (C.A. Mey) Bunge occupies a wide range of different habitats in north-west China. The aim of this study was to quantify variation in population growth characteristics of H. ammodendron from different sites and to relate this variation to different environmental conditions. To this end, 6 populations with visible differences were chosen and a range of morphological as well as seed-related characteristics like density, height, crown, basal diameter, seed mass, 1000 seed weight, seed number, seed diameter and germination rate were measured. The variations in the averages of overall traits were explained. The differences between-populations were 33 percentage, whereas those within population were 67 percentage. The largest variation was detected in morphological-related traits between-populations (38 percentage). In particular, the density, height, 1000 seed weight and germination rate differed strongly between populations. The population growth characteristics were closely related to the soil property at the sites of origin. The soil property can explain most of the variations in the morphological-related traits. They were concluded that the diversity of population growth characteristics in different habitats provides the potential of population reproduction and the protection of original habitats is extremely important. (author)

A Bioinformatic Approach for the Discovery of Antiaging Effects of Baicalein from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi.

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Gao, Li; Duan, Dan-Dan; Zhang, Jian-Qin; Zhou, Yu-Zhi; Qin, Xue-Mei; Du, Guan-Hua

2016-03-15

Aging is one of the most complicated phenomena and is the main risk factor for age-related diseases. Based on the public aging-related gene data, we propose a computational approach to predict the antiaging activities of compounds. This approach integrates network pharmacology and target fishing methods with the aim of identifying a potential antiaging compound from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi. Utilizing this approach and subsequent experimental validation, it was found that baicalein at concentrations of 0.04, 0.2, and 1 mg/mL extended the mean, median, and maximum life spans in Drosophila melanogaster. Particularly, 0.2 mg/mL baicalein extends the mean and median life spans in male flies by 19.80% and 25.64%, respectively. Meanwhile, it was discovered that baicalein improved fertility in flies. Baicalein exerts antiaging effects likely through attenuating oxidative stress, including increases of CAT activity and GSH level and decrease of GSSG level.

Development of a vitrification-based cryopreservation protocol for the storage of saltcedar (Tamarix boveana Bunge).

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Cano-Castillo, M; Casas, J L

2012-01-01

We cryopreserved in vitro shoot tips of saltcedar (Tamarix boveana Bunge) using the vitrification technique. The success of the cryopreservation protocol was strongly affected by preculture, loading duration, dehydration duration in plant vitrification solution 2 (PVS2), and medium composition during post-warming regrowth. The highest explant regrowth (50 percent) occurred when the following conditions were employed: preculture in 0.4 M glycerol; treatment with a loading solution (LS) consisting of 2 M glycerol + 0.4 M sucrose in culture medium for 40 min at room temperature; and dehydration in PVS2 at 0 degree C for 45 min before rapid immersion in liquid nitrogen (LN). Rewarming was performed in a water-bath at 40 degree C for 2 min. Explants were then immersed in unloading solution for 10 min before plating on recovery medium supplemented with 0.01 mg per liter thidiazuron (TDZ). TDZ was progressively eliminated from the medium over a period of 6 weeks. Plantlets were transferred to a double-layer medium to enhance rooting. This protocol was successfully applied to three individuals of T. boveana harvested from the wild.

The enhancement mechanism of wine-processed Radix Scutellaria on NTG-induced migraine rats.

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Cui, Cheng-Long; He, Xin; Dong, Cui-Lan; Song, Zi-Jing; Ji, Jun; Wang, Xue; Wang, Ling; Wang, Jiao-Ying; Du, Wen-Juan; Wang, Chong-Zhi; Yuan, Chun-Su; Guo, Chang-Run; Zhang, Chun-Feng

2017-07-01

To elucidate the increasing dissolution and enhancement mechanism of wine-processed Radix Scutellaria (RS) by fractal theory in nitroglycerin (NTG)-induced migraine rats. We prepared three RS from the process with 10% (S1), 15% (S2), 20% (S3) (v/m) rice wine. Mercury intrusion porosimetry and scanning electron microscope were employed to explore the internal structure of RS and the components dissolution of RS was analyzed by HPLC. Rats were randomly allocated into following groups and orally given different solutions for 10days: normal group (NOR, normal saline), model group (MOD, normal saline), Tianshu capsule group (TSC, 0.425mg/kg), ibuprofen group (IBU, 0.0821mg/kg), crude RS group (CRU, 1.04mg/kg) and wine-processed RS group (WP, 1.04mg/kg) followed by bolus subcutaneously injection of NTG (10mg/kg) to induce migraine model except NOR. Biochemical indexes (nitric oxide-NO, calcitonin-gene-related peptide-CGRP, and endothelin-ET) and c-fos positive cells were measured with commercial kits and immunohistochemical method, separately. Total surface area significantly increased in wine-processed RS (pWine-processed RS could be a promising candidate medicine for migraine treatment due to its increased component dissolution. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Roles of Reactive Oxygen Species in Anticancer Therapy with Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge

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Yu-Chiang Hung

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide. We aim to provide a systematic review about the roles of reactive oxygen species (ROS in anticancer therapy with Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (Danshen. Danshen, including its lipophilic and hydrophilic constituents, is potentially beneficial for treating various cancers. The mechanisms of ROS-related anticancer effects of Danshen vary depending on the specific type of cancer cells involved. Danshen may enhance TNF-α-induced apoptosis, upregulate caspase-3, caspase-8, caspase-9, endoplasmic reticulum stress, P21, P53, Bax/Bcl-2, DR5, and AMP-activated protein kinase, or activate the p38/JNK, mitogen-activated protein kinase, and FasL signaling pathways. Conversely, Danshen may downregulate human telomerase reverse transcriptase mRNA, telomerase, survivin, vascular endothelial growth factor/vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2, CD31, NF-κB, Erk1/2, matrix metalloproteinases, microtubule assembly, and receptor tyrosine kinases including epidermal growth factor receptors, HER2, and P-glycoprotein and inhibit the PI3K/Akt/mTOR or estrogen receptor signaling pathways. Therefore, Danshen may inhibit cancer cells proliferation through antioxidation on tumor initiation and induce apoptosis or autophagy through ROS generation on tumor progression, tumor promotion, and tumor metastasis. Based on the available evidence regarding its anticancer properties, this review provides new insights for further anticancer research or clinical trials with Danshen.

Phytoextraction potential of poplar (Populus alba L. var. pyramidalis Bunge) from calcareous agricultural soils contaminated by cadmium.

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Hu, Yahu; Nan, Zhongren; Jin, Cheng; Wang, Ning; Luo, Huanzhang

2014-01-01

To investigate the phytoextraction potential of Populus alba L. var. pyramidalis Bunge for cadmium (Cd) contaminated calcareous soils, a concentration gradient experiment and a field sampling experiment (involving poplars of different ages) were conducted. The translocation factors for all experiments and treatments were greater than 1. The bioconcentration factor decreased from 2.37 to 0.25 with increasing soil Cd concentration in the concentration gradient experiment and generally decreased with stand age under field conditions. The Cd concentrations in P. pyramidalis organs decreased in the order of leaves > stems > roots. The shoot biomass production in the concentration gradient experiment was not significantly reduced with soil Cd concentrations up to or slightly over 50 mg kg(-1). The results show that the phytoextraction efficiency of P. pyramidalis depends on both the soil Cd concentration and the tree age. Populus pyramidalis is most suitable for remediation of slightly Cd contaminated calcareous soils through the combined harvest of stems and leaves under actual field conditions.

Different extraction pretreatments significantly change the flavonoid contents of Scutellaria baicalensis

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Yu, Chunhao; Qu, Fengyun; Mao, Yanyong; Li, Dong; Zhen, Zhong; Nass, Rachael; Calway, Tyler; Wang, Yunwei; Yuan, Chun-Su; Wang, Chong-Zhi

2014-01-01

Context Scutellaria baicalensis is one of the most commonly used medicinal herbs, especially in traditional Chinese medicine. However, compared to many pharmacological studies of this botanical, much less attention has been paid to the quality control of the herb’s pretreatment prior to extract preparation, an issue that may affect therapeutic outcomes. Objective The current study was designed to evaluate whether different pretreatment conditions change the contents of its four major flavonoids in the herb, i.e., two glycosides (baicalin and wogonoside) and two aglycons (baicalein and wogonin). Materials and methods An HPLC assay was used to quantify the contents of these four flavonoids. The composition changes of four flavonoids by different pretreatment conditions including solvent, treatment time, temperature, pH value, and herb/solvent ratio were evaluated. Results After selection of the first order time-curve kinetics, our data showed that at 50°C, 1:5 herb/water (in w/v) ratio and pH 6.67 yielded an optimal conversion rate from flavonoid glycosides to their aglycons. In this optimized condition, the contents of baicalin and wogonoside were decreased to 1/70 and 1/13, while baicalein and wogonin were increased 3.5 and 3.1 folds, respectively, compared to untreated herb. Discussion and conclusion The markedly variable conversion rates by different pretreatment conditions complicated the quality control of this herb, mainly due to the high amount of endogenous enzymes of S. baicalensis. Optimal pretreatment conditions obtained from this study could be used obtain the highest level of desired constituents to achieve better pharmacological effects. PMID:23738852

黄芩乙醇提取物通过下调NAD特异的谷氨酸脱氢酶抑制哈维氏弧菌生长%Ethanol-extracts from Scutellaria Inhibit the Growth of Vibrio harveyi by Downregulating NAD +-dependent Glutamate Dehydrogenase

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

谢丽玲; 朱琳; 王爱霞; 朱炎坤; 黎家杰; 周亮; 毕潇

2017-01-01

Vibrio harveyi is one of common pathogenic bacteria,which is seriously imperilling human health and aquatic industry.Because of antibiotics abuse,drug residues and drug-resistance are becoming more serious.It is urgent to look for new alternatives with low toxicity and susceptiblihy to drug-resistance.In this study,we reveal the antibacterial effects of the ethanol extracts from Scutellaria on V.harveyi.The results showed that the ethanol extracts of Scutellaria had a strong inhibitory effect on V.harvey,the diameter of inhibition zone was 18.33 ± 0.58 mm.The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) were 7.92 mg/mL and 15.84 mg/mL,respectively.By observation with scanning electron microscope (SEM) and concentration determination of intracellular and extracellular proteins,we found that although there were many little pores on the surface of V.harveyi,it remained smooth and integrated.After treated with ethanol extracts of Scutellaria,a band of protein disappeared in SDS-PAGE which was identified as NAD-specific glutamate dehydrogenase (NAD-GDH) by MALDI-TOF-TOF-MS.Furthermore,the real-time PCR results showed that the mRNA levels of this gene were affected by ethanol extracts of Scutellaria.These results are in good agreement with Scutellaria application in aqueous infection,and indicate that ethanol extracts of Scutellaria inhibit V.harveyi growth effectively through downregulating the expression of NAD-dependent glutamate dehydrogenase,which provides new evidence for the application of traditional Chinese medicine in the fields of aquaculture.%哈维氏弧菌(Vibrio harveyi)是水产动物的常见致病菌,对人类健康和水产经济带来巨大威 胁.抗生素的滥用使得药物残留和耐药性问题变得日益严重.因此,迫切需要寻找新型、不易产生耐药性和低毒的抗菌物质.本文研究黄芩醇提物对哈维氏弧菌的抑制作用及抑菌机制.实验结果表明,黄�

Development and characterization of a green procedure for apigenin extraction from Scutellaria barbata D. Don.

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Yang, Yu-Chiao; Wei, Ming-Chi

2018-06-30

This study compared the use of ultrasound-assisted supercritical CO 2 (USC-CO 2 ) extraction to obtain apigenin-rich extracts from Scutellaria barbata D. Don with that of conventional supercritical CO 2 (SC-CO 2 ) extraction and heat-reflux extraction (HRE), conducted in parallel. This green procedure yielded 20.1% and 31.6% more apigenin than conventional SC-CO 2 extraction and HRE, respectively. Moreover, the extraction time required by the USC-CO 2 procedure, which used milder conditions, was approximately 1.9 times and 2.4 times shorter than that required by conventional SC-CO 2 extraction and HRE, respectively. Furthermore, the theoretical solubility of apigenin in the supercritical fluid system was obtained from the USC-CO 2 dynamic extraction curves and was in good agreement with the calculated values for the three empirical density-based models. The second-order kinetics model was further applied to evaluate the kinetics of USC-CO 2 extraction. The results demonstrated that the selected model allowed the evaluation of the extraction rate and extent of USC-CO 2 extraction. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chronic drought stress reduced but not protected Shantung maple (Acer truncatum Bunge) from adverse effects of ozone (O3) on growth and physiology in the suburb of Beijing, China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Li; Manning, William J.; Tong, Lei; Wang, Xiaoke

2015-01-01

A two-year experiment exposing Acer truncatum Bunge seedlings to elevated ozone (O 3 ) concentrations above ambient air (AO) and drought stress (DS) was carried out using open-top chambers (OTCs) in a suburb of Beijing in north China in 2012–2013. The results suggested that AO and DS had both significantly reduced leaf mass area (LMA), stomatal conductance (Gs), light saturated photosynthetic rate (A sat ) as well as above and below ground biomass at the end of the experiment. It appeared that while drought stress mitigated the expression of foliar injury, LMA, leaf photosynthetic pigments, height growth and basal diameter, due to limited carbon fixation, the O 3 – induced reductions in A sat , Gs and total biomass were enhanced 23.7%. 15.5% and 8.1% respectively. These data suggest that when the whole plant was considered that drought under the conditions of this experiment did not protect the Shantung maple seedlings from the effects of O 3 . - Highlights: • The response of Acer truncatum Bunge to drought and ozone was investigated. • Drought could mitigate the foliage injury and leaf photosynthetic pigments. • The O 3 -induced reductions in Asat, Gs and total biomass were enhanced by drought. - Drought didn't protect Shantung maple from O 3 effects but rather cause more reductions in biomass

Inhibition of bone resorption by Tanshinone VI isolated from Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge

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V. Nicolin

2010-05-01

Full Text Available During the last decade, a more detailed knowledge of molecular mechanisms involved in osteoclastogenesis has driven research efforts in the development and screening of compound libraries of several small molecules that specifically inhibit the pathway involved in the commitment of the osteoclast precursor cells. Natural compounds that suppress osteoclast differentiation may have therapeutic value in treating osteoporosis and other bone erosive diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis or metastasis associated with bone loss. In ongoing investigation into anti-osteoporotic compounds from natural products we have analyzed the effect of Tanshinone VI on osteoclasts differentiation, using a physiologic three-dimensional osteoblast/bone marrow model of cell co-culture. Tanshinone VI is an abietane diterpene extracted from the root of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (Labiatae, a Chinese traditional crude drug, ‘’Tan-Shen’’. Tashinone has been widely used in clinical practice for the prevention of cardiac diseases, arthritis and other inflammation-related disorders based on its pharmacological actions in multiple tissues. Although Tanshinone VI A has been used as a medicinal agent in the treatment of many diseases, its role in osteoclast-related bone diseases remains unknown. We showed previously that Tanshinone VI greatly inhibits osteoclast differentiation and suppresses bone resorption through disruption of the actin ring; subsequently, we intended to examine the precise inhibitory mechanism of Tanshinone VI on osteoclast differentiating factor. This study shows, for the first time, that Tanshinone VI prevents osteoclast differentiation by inhibiting RANKL expression and NFkB induction.

Studies on constituents with cytotoxic and cytostatic activity of two Turkish medicinal plants Phlomis armeniaca and Scutellaria salviifolia.

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Saracoglu, I; Inoue, M; Calis, I; Ogihara, Y

1995-10-01

Ten known glycosidic compounds, betulalbuside A (1), 8-hydroxylinaloyl,3-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (2) (monoterpen glycosides), ipolamide (3) (iridoid glycoside), acteoside (verbascoside) (4), leucosceptoside A (5), martynoside (6), forsythoside B (7), phlinoside B (8), phlinoside C (9), and teuerioside (10) (phenylpropanoid glycosides) were isolated from methanolic extracts of Phlomis armeniaca and Scutellaria salviifolia (Labiatae). Structure elucidations were carried out using 1H-, 13C-NMR and FAB-MS spectra, as well as chemical evidence. The cytotoxic and cytostatic activities of isolated compounds were investigated by the 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) method. Among the glycosides obtained here, caffeic acid-containing phenylpropanoid (or phenethyl alcohol, or phenylethanoid) glycosides were found to show activity against several kinds of cancer cells. However, they didn't affect the growth and viability of primary-cultured rat hepatocytes. Study of the structure-activity relationship indicated that ortho-dihydroxy aromatic systems of phenylpropanoid glycosides are necessary for their cytotoxic and cytostatic activities.

Functional components in Scutellaria barbata D. Don with anti-inflammatory activity on RAW 264.7 cells

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Hsin-Lan Liu

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The objectives of this study were to determine the variety and amount of various functional components in Scutellaria barbata D. Don as well as study their anti-inflammatory activity on RAW 264.7 cells. Both ethanol and ethyl acetate extracts were shown to contain the functional components including phenolics, flavonoids, chlorophylls, and carotenoids, with the former mainly composed of phenolics and flavonoids, and the latter of carotenoids and chlorophylls. Both extracts could significantly inhibit (p < 0.05 the production of lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide, prostaglandin E2, interlukin-6, and interlukin-1β, as well as the expressions of phosphor extracellular signal-regulated kinase and phosphor-c-Jun N-terminal kinase (p-JNK, but failed to retard tumor necrosis factor-α expression. Both ethanol and ethyl acetate extracts had a dose-dependent anti-inflammatory activity on RAW 264.7 cells. Furthermore, the anti-inflammatory efficiency can be varied for both ethanol and ethyl acetate extracts, which can be attributed to the presence of different varieties and amounts of functional components, as mentioned above. This finding suggested that S. Barbata extract may be used as an anti-inflammatory agent for possible future biomedical application.

Organ-Specific Metabolic Shifts of Flavonoids in Scutellaria baicalensis at Different Growth and Development Stages

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Jingyuan Xu

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine mainly containing flavonoids that contribute to its bioactivities. In this study, the distributions and dynamic changes of flavonoid levels in various organs of S. baicalensis at different development stages were investigated by UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS and HPLC-DAD methods. The results indicated that the metabolic profiles of S. baicalensis changed with growth and development. During the initial germination stage, the seeds mainly contained flavonols. With growth, the main kinds of flavonoids in S. baicalensis changed from flavonols to flavanones and flavones. The results also revealed that the accumulation of flavonoids in S. baicalensis is organ-specific. The flavones without 4′-OH groups mainly accumulate in the root and the flavanones mainly accumulate in aerial organs. Dynamic accumulation analysis showed that the main flavonoids in the root of S. baicalensis accumulated rapidly before the full-bloom stage, then changed to a small extent. The results suggested the proper harvest time for the aerial parts was at the initial stage of reproductive growth and the flower buds should be collected before flowering. This study deepening the knowledge of S. baicalensis should provide valuable information for guiding the scientific cultivation of this plant and the development and utilization of S. baicalensis.

Impacts of invasive nonnative plant species on the rare forest herb Scutellaria montana

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Sikkema, Jordan J.; Boyd, Jennifer N.

2015-11-01

Invasive plant species and overabundant herbivore populations have the potential to significantly impact rare plant species given their increased risk for local extirpation and extinction. We used interacting invasive species removal and grazer exclusion treatments replicated across two locations in an occurrence of rare Scutellaria montana (large-flowered skullcap) in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA, to assess: 1) competition by invasive Ligustrum sinense (Chinese privet) and Lonicera japonica (Japanese honeysuckle) and 2) the role of invasive species in mediating Oedocoilus virginianus (white-tailed deer) grazing of S. montana. Contrary to our hypothesis that invasive species presence would suppress S. montana directly via competition, S. montana individuals experienced a seasonal increase in stem height when invasive species were intact but not when invasive species were removed. Marginally significant results indicated that invasive species may afford S. montana protection from grazers, and we suggest that invasive species also could protect S. montana from smaller herbivores and/or positively influence abiotic conditions. In contrast to growth responses, S. montana individuals protected from O. virginianus exhibited a decrease in flowering between seasons relative to unprotected plants, but invasive species did not affect this variable. Although it has been suggested that invasive plant species may negatively influence S. montana growth and fecundity, our findings do not support related concerns. As such, we suggest that invasive species eradication efforts in S. montana habitat could be more detrimental than positive due to associated disturbance. However, the low level of invasion of our study site may not be representative of potential interference in more heavily infested habitat.

Individual- and population-level effects of Odocoileus virginianus herbivory on the rare forest herb Scutellaria montana

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Andrea R. Benson

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Odocoileus virginianus  (white-tailed deer grazing can impact rare plant species dramatically given their risk for local extirpation and extinction. To determine if O. virginianus management could aid conservation of federally threatened Scutellaria montana  (large-flowered skullcap, we conducted an exclosure experiment across a large occurrence of this rare species in Catoosa County, Georgia, USA. We aimed to: (1 quantify the effects of O. virginianus  grazing on S. montana  individuals, and (2 evaluate the potential of O. virginianus  to influence S. montana  populations. A lesser percentage of S. montana  individuals protected from O. virginianus  were grazed than plants accessible to grazers and additional protection from smaller grazers did not reduce grazing, suggesting that O. virginianus  primarily do graze S. montana. But grazing did not significantly influence S. montana  individuals as evidenced by changes in stem height or the number of leaves per plant assessed during two single growing seasons or across those growing seasons. At the population-level, grazing impacts were buffered by a lack of grazer preferences for specific plant life stages. Although mostly not significant, our findings are biologically interesting given the numerous ecological concerns associated with O. virginianus abundance, including their demonstrated and proposed impact on rare plants.

Effect of an Ethanol Extract of Scutellaria baicalensis on Relaxation in Corpus Cavernosum Smooth Muscle

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Xiang Li

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Aims of study. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether an ethanol extract of Scutellaria baicalensis (ESB relaxes penile corpus cavernosum muscle in organ bath experiments. Materials and methods. Changes in tension of cavernous smooth muscle strips were determined by penile strip chamber model and in penile perfusion model. Isolated endothelium-intact rabbit corpus cavernosum was precontracted with phenylephrine (PE and then treated with ESB. Results. ESB relaxed penile smooth muscle in a dose-dependent manner, and this was inhibited by pre-treatment with NG-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME, a nitric oxide (NO synthase inhibitor, and 1H-[1, 2, 4]-oxadiazolo-[4,3-α]-quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ, a soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC inhibitor. ESB-induced relaxation was significantly attenuated by pretreatment with tetraethylammonium (TEA, a nonselective K+ channel blocker, and charybdotoxin, a selective Ca2+-dependent K+ channel inhibitor. ESB increased the cGMP levels of rabbit corpus cavernosum in a concentration-dependent manner without changes in cAMP levels. In a perfusion model of penile tissue, ESB also relaxed penile corpus cavernosum smooth muscle in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusion. Taken together, these results suggest that ESB relaxed rabbit cavernous smooth muscle via the NO/cGMP system and Ca2+-sensitive K+ channels in the corpus cavernosum.

Hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida Bunge) leave flavonoids attenuate atherosclerosis development in apoE knock-out mice.

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Dong, Pengzhi; Pan, Lanlan; Zhang, Xiting; Zhang, Wenwen; Wang, Xue; Jiang, Meixiu; Chen, Yuanli; Duan, Yajun; Wu, Honghua; Xu, Yantong; Zhang, Peng; Zhu, Yan

2017-02-23

Hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida Bunge) leave have been used to treat cardiovascular diseases in China and Europe. Hawthorn leave flavonoids (HLF) are the main part of extraction. Whether hawthorn leave flavonoids could attenuate the development of atherosclerosis and the possible mechanism remain unknown. High-fat diet (HFD) mixed with HLF at concentrations of 5mg/kg and 20mg/kg were administered to apolipoprotein E (apoE) knock out mice. 16 weeks later, mouse serum was collected to determine the lipid profile while the mouse aorta dissected was prepared to measure the lesion area. Hepatic mRNA of genes involved in lipid metabolism were determined. Peritoneal macrophages were collected to study the impact of HLF on cholesterol efflux, formation of foam cell and the expression of ATP binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1). Besides, in vivo reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) was conducted. HLF attenuated the development of atherosclerosis that the mean atherosclerotic lesion area in en face aortas was reduced by 23.1% (Pflavonoids can slow down the development of atherosclerosis in apoE knockout mice via induced expression of genes involved in antioxidant activities, inhibition of the foam cell formation and promotion of RCT in vivo, which implies the potential use in the prevention of atherosclerosis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of Scutellariae radix and Aloe vera gel extracts on immunoglobulin E and cytokine levels in atopic dermatitis NC/Nga mice.

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Kim, Jinkyung; Lee, In seok; Park, Soojin; Choue, Ryowon

2010-11-11

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of Scutellariae radix (SR) and Aloe vera gel (AV), alone or in combination, on levels of immunoglobulin E (IgE) and inflammatory cytokines in spontaneous atopic dermatitis(AD)-like skin lesions. After spontaneous AD-like skin lesion was developed by adaptation to conventional conditions, mice were randomly assigned to control, SR (50 mg/kg, p.o.), AV (0.8 mg/kg, p.o.) and SRAV (50 mg of SR and 0.8 mg of AV/kg, p.o.) groups, and were treated for 6 weeks. SR and SRAV suppressed IL-5 levels compared with control, but had no effects on IgE levels (P<0.05). AV increased IgE levels, but decreased both IL-5 and IL-10 compared with control (P<0.05). These results suggest that SR and AV modulate immunological responses in AD, mainly through influencing IL-5 or IL-10 levels. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Multi-constituent determination and fingerprint analysis of Scutellaria indica L. using ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

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Liang, Xianrui; Zhao, Cui; Su, Weike

2015-11-01

An ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry method integrating multi-constituent determination and fingerprint analysis has been established for quality assessment and control of Scutellaria indica L. The optimized method possesses the advantages of speediness, efficiency, and allows multi-constituents determination and fingerprint analysis in one chromatographic run within 11 min. 36 compounds were detected, and 23 of them were unequivocally identified or tentatively assigned. The established fingerprint method was applied to the analysis of ten S. indica samples from different geographic locations. The quality assessment was achieved by using principal component analysis. The proposed method is useful and reliable for the characterization of multi-constituents in a complex chemical system and the overall quality assessment of S. indica. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Whether co-administration of garlic has negative influence on ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The research was to explore whether co-administration of garlic has negative influence on Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (Scutellaria baicalensis) in treating models rats with pelvic inflammation. Twelve model rats were randomized into a Scutellaria baicalensis group and a Scutellaria baicalensis+garlic group with six in ...

Synergistic Antibacterial Effects of Nanoparticles Encapsulated with Scutellaria baicalensis and Pure Chlorhexidine on Oral Bacterial Biofilms

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Ken Cham-Fai Leung

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Scutellaria baicalensis (SB is a traditional Chinese medicine for treating infectious and inflammatory diseases. Our recent study shows potent antibacterial effects of nanoparticle-encapsulated chlorhexidine (Nano-CHX. Herein, we explored the synergistic effects of the nanoparticle-encapsulated SB (Nano-SB and Nano-CHX on oral bacterial biofilms. Loading efficiency of Nano-SB was determined by thermogravimetric analysis, and its releasing profile was assessed by high-performance liquid chromatographyusing baicalin (a flavonoid compound of SB as the marker. The mucosal diffusion assay on Nano-SB was undertaken in a porcine model. The antibacterial effects of the mixed nanoparticles (Nano-MIX of Nano-SB and Nano-CHX at 9:1 (w/w ratio were analyzed in both planktonic and biofilm modes of representative oral bacteria. The Nano-MIX was effective on the mono-species biofilms of Streptococcus (S. mutans, S. sobrinus, Fusobacterium (F. nucleatum, and Aggregatibacter (A. actinomycetemcomitans (MIC 50 μg/mL at 24 h, and exhibited an enhanced effect against the multi-species biofilms such as S. mutans, F. nucleatum, A. actinomycetemcomitans, and Porphyromonas (P. gingivalis (MIC 12.5 μg/mL at 24 h that was supported by the findings of both scanning electron microscopy (SEM and confocal scanning laser microscopy (CLSM. This study shows enhanced synergistic antibacterial effects of the Nano-MIX on common oral bacterial biofilms, which could be potentially developed as a novel antimicrobial agent for clinical oral/periodontal care.

Triple aldose reductase/α-glucosidase/radical scavenging high-resolution profiling combined with high-performance liquid chromatography – high-resolution mass spectrometry – solid-phase extraction – nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy for identification of antidiabetic constituents in crude, extract of Radix Scutellariae

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Tahtah, Yousof; Kongstad, Kenneth Thermann; Wubshet, Sileshi Gizachew

2015-01-01

high-performance liquid chromatography – high-resolution mass spectrometry – solid-phase extraction – nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The only α-glucosidase inhibitor was baicalein, whereas main aldose reductase inhibitors in the crude extract were baicalein and skullcapflavone II, and main....../α-glucosidase/radical scavenging high-resolution inhibition profile - allowing proof of concept with Radix Scutellariae crude extract as a polypharmacological herbal drug. The triple bioactivity high-resolution profiles were used to pinpoint bioactive compounds, and subsequent structure elucidation was performed with hyphenated...

Effect of probiotic bacteria-fermented medicinal plants (Gynura procumbens, Rehmannia glutinosa, Scutellaria baicalensis) as performance enhancers in growing pigs.

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Jeong, Jin Suk; Kim, In Ho

2015-06-01

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation of mixed fermented medicinal plants (FMP) obtained from exudates of Gynura procumbens, Rehmannia glutinosa and Scutellaria baicalensis fermented with Lactobacillus plantarum, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Bacillus licheniformis, respectively, on growth performance in growing pigs in order to assess the feasibility of using FMP as an alternative to antibiotic growth promoters (AGP), such as tiamulin. A total of 150 growing pigs (body wieght 25.50 ± 2.50 kg) were used in a 6 weeks experiment and randomly divided into five groups with six replicates of five growing pigs each. The treatments were NC (basal diet), basal diet with 33 ppm tiamulin (PC), basal diet with FMP 0.05% (FMP 0.05), basal diet with FMP 0.1% (FMP 0.1) and basal diet with FMP 0.2% (FMP 0.2). Overall, body weight gain, feed conversion rate, the digestibility of dry matter and gross energy, noxious gas emission all improved with FMP supplementation as compared to NC. Taken together, these results suggest the feasibility of using FMP as an alternative to AGP for enhancing the growth performance, nutrient digestibility and excreta noxious gas emission of growing pigs. © 2014 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

Comparative study on the composition of free amino acids and derivatives in the two botanical origins of an edible Chinese herb "Xiebai", i.e., Allium chinense G. Don and Allium macrostemon Bunge species.

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He, Quan; Huang, Shaohui; Wu, Yuehong; Zhang, Wenqi; Wang, Fanchao; Cao, Jiawei; Sheng, Qing; Liang, Zongsuo; Liu, Lili; Ou, Wen-Bin

2018-04-01

Xiebai is an edible Chinese herb with various health and therapeutic benefits. To evaluate its nutritional and health values, the free amino acids and derivatives of its two botanical origins (i.e., Allium chinense G. Don and Allium macrostemon Bunge) were isolated using a solvent extraction method and analyzed using automatic amino acid analysis and ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight (UPLC-Q-TOF) mass spectrometry. Our data show that both plants contain abundant free amino acids, and the amount of total free amino acids in A. chinense G. Don is higher than that in A. macrostemon Bunge. The free amino acid compositions in the two plants are qualitatively similar, including nineteen proteinogenic and four non-proteinogenic amino acids. The identified proteinogenic amino acids include eight essential amino acids and five semi-essential amino acids. The sum of essential and semi-essential amino acids accounts for 64.9% and 69.7% of the total free amino acids of the two plants, respectively. The principal amino acids of both plants, from highest concentration to lowest concentration, are arginine, glutamine, glutamic acid, asparagine and serine. A. chinense G. Don is also rich in citrulline and lysine. In addition, two amino acid derivatives were identified from the two plants, i.e., the proline analog N‑methyl‑proline and the dipeptide H-Glu-Tyr-OH. For the first time, the presence of N‑methyl‑proline in the plants of the Allium genus and the presence of H-Glu-Tyr-OH in unprocessed food sources are reported. The influences of the identified substances on the flavor, nutrition and health values of Xiebai are discussed. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biochemical Evaluation of Phenylalanine Ammonia Lyase from Endemic Plant Cyathobasis fruticulosa (Bunge Aellen. for the Dietary Treatment of Phenylketonuria

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Seda Şirin

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Enzyme substitution therapy with the phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL is a new approach to the treatment of patients with phenylketonuria (PKU. This enzyme is responsible for the conversion of phenylalanine to trans-cinnamic acid. We assessed the PAL enzyme of the endemic plant Cyathobasis fruticulosa (Bunge Aellen. for its possible role in the dietary treatment of PKU. The enzyme was found to have a high activity of (64.9±0.1 U/mg, with the optimum pH, temperature and buffer (Tris–HCl and L-phenylalanine concentration levels of pH=8.8, 37 °C and 100 mM, respectively. Optimum enzyme activity was achieved at pH=4.0 and 7.5, corresponding to pH levels of gastric and intestinal juice, and NaCl concentration of 200 mM. The purifi cation of the enzyme by 1.87-fold yielded an activity of 98.6 U/mg. PAL activities determined by HPLC analyses before and after purification were similar. Two protein bands, one at 70 and the other at 23 kDa, were determined by Western blot analysis of the enzyme. This enzyme is a potential candidate for serial production of dietary food and biotechnological products.

THE COMBINED EFFECT OF SCUTELLARIA BAICALENSIS EXTRACT AND COENZYME Q10 IN OXIDATIVE STRESS INDUCED BY CHROMIUM COMPOUNDS

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Ewa Sawicka

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Background: The common use of antioxidants and its joint application brings the question whether they are useful in oxidative stress induced by the chemicals or whether they cause harmful interaction. Both Scutellaria baicalensis and CoQ10 are known as antioxidants, however one exogenous, the second endogenous. Chromium belongs equal to essential microelements and toxic factors. Therefore the aim of work was the evaluation joint effect of two examined antioxidants in exposure to chromium compounds.Materials and methods: The material was fresh blood obtained from healthy volunteers. The concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA in erythrocytes was evaluated using Stock’s method. The activity of mixture of Antoxyd and coenzyme Q10 was tested after exposure to chromium III and VI at concentrations: 0,05; 0,5 and 1,0 µg/ml. Antioxidants were used in concentrations : 8,0; 20; 60 and 100 µg/ml. Results: The influence of coenzyme Q10 in exposure to chromium III and chromium VI was statistically insignificant, but CoQ10 given together with Antoxyd in all used concentration statistically significant decreased the level of MDA in erythrocytes exposed to chromium compounds (p*0,001. Conclusions: Application of both antioxidants has exerted synergistic action lowering MDA level, which was elevated after chromium. No harmful interactions in the examined sample between antioxidants and chromium ions were noted.

A simple and rapid infrared-assisted self enzymolysis extraction method for total flavonoid aglycones extraction from Scutellariae Radix and mechanism exploration.

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Wang, Liping; Duan, Haotian; Jiang, Jiebing; Long, Jiakun; Yu, Yingjia; Chen, Guiliang; Duan, Gengli

2017-09-01

A new, simple, and fast infrared-assisted self enzymolysis extraction (IRASEE) approach for the extraction of total flavonoid aglycones (TFA) mainly including baicalein, wogonin, and oroxylin A from Scutellariae Radix is presented to enhance extraction yield. Extraction enzymolysis temperature, enzymolysis liquid-to-solid ratio, enzymolysis pH, enzymolysis time and infrared power, the factors affecting IRASEE procedure, were investigated in a newly designed, temperature-controlled infrared-assisted extraction (TC-IRAE) system to acquire the optimum analysis conditions. The results illustrated that IRASEE possessed great advantages in terms of efficiency and time compared with other conventional extraction techniques. Furthermore, the mechanism of IRASEE was preliminarily explored by observing the microscopic change of the samples surface structures, studying the main chemical compositions change of the samples before and after extraction and investigating the kinetics and thermodynamics at three temperature levels during the IRASEE process. These findings revealed that IRASEE can destroy the surface microstructures to accelerate the mass transfer and reduce the activation energy to intensify the chemical process. This integrative study presents a simple, rapid, efficient, and environmental IRASEE method for TFA extraction which has promising prospects for other similar herbal medicines. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.

Protective effects of the aqueous extract of Scutellaria baicalensis against acrolein-induced oxidative stress in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells.

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Zhang, Xing-Wei; Li, Wei-Fen; Li, Wei-Wei; Ren, Kan-Han; Fan, Chao-Ming; Chen, Ying-Ying; Shen, Yue-Liang

2011-03-01

 Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (Labiatae) (SbG), one of the fifty fundamental herbs of Chinese herbology, has been reported to have anti-asthmatic, antifungal, antioxidative, and anti-inflammatory activities.  This study was designed to determine the protective effects of the extract of SbG against the acrolein-induced oxidative stress in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC).  The MTT reduction assay was employed to determine cell viability. The total cellular glutathione (GSH) level was detected using a colorimetric GSH assay kit. Cellular GSH production was conducted by detecting the mRNA expression levels of γ-glutamylcysteine ligase catalytic subunit and modifier subunit.  Concentration-dependent cytotoxic effects of acrolein were observed while SbG could effectively protect the acrolein-induced oxidative damage. The protective mechanism was investigated, showing that the increased GSH content in the SbG-incubated HUVE cells was associated with the protective effects of SbG-treated cells. Further RT-PCR data confirmed the elevated mRNA expressions of GSH synthesis enzymes.  The current study strongly indicated that SbG could be a potential antioxidant against oxidative stress in treating cardiovascular diseases.

The optimal dosage of 60 co gamma irradiation for obtaining salt gland mutants of exo-recretohalophyte limonium bicolor (bunge) o. kuntze

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yuan, F.; Chen, M.; Yang, J.; Wang, B.

2015-01-01

Limonium bicolor (Bunge) O. Kuntze is a typical exo-recretohalophyte with multi-cellular salt glands. It is often used to improve saline-alkali soil. Seeds of L. bicolor were treated with different doses of 60 Co gamma irradiation to determine the LD50 for 60 Co gamma irradiation; the goal was to produce a relatively high number of mutants in salt gland development and salt secretion with a relatively low level of mortality. 60 Co gamma irradiation did not greatly affect germination, but an increase in gamma dose prevented the development of true leaves and reduced the percentage of seedlings that emerged from soil. The LD50 for 60 Co gamma irradiation was 120 Gy. Two mutants (few and many) were obtained under the LD50 using the screening methods - differential interference contrast microscope and leaf discs excretion model. Compared with the wild type, few and many had mutation in salt gland development, and many showed lower salt secretion rate per single salt gland than WT. These mutants would provide insight into the molecular mechanisms of salt gland development and salt secretion and into the development of salt-tolerant crop plants. (author)

Endogenous salicylic acid shows different correlation with baicalin and baicalein in the medicinal plant Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi subjected to stress and exogenous salicylic acid.

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Hu Su

Full Text Available Salicylic acid (SA is synthesized via the phenylalanine lyase (PAL and isochorismate synthase (ICS pathways and can influence the stress response in plants by regulating certain secondary metabolites. However, the association between SA and particular secondary metabolites in the Chinese medicinal plant Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi is unclear. To elucidate the association between SA and the secondary metabolites baicalin and baicalein, which constitute the primary effective components of S. baicalensis, we subjected seedlings to drought and salt stress and exogenous SA treatment in a laboratory setting and tested the expression of PAL and ICS, as well as the content of free SA (FSA, total SA (TSA, baicalin, and baicalein. We also assessed the correlation of FSA and TSA with PAL and ICS, and with baicalin and baicalein accumulation, respectively. The results indicated that both FSA and TSA were positively correlated with PAL, ICS, and baicalin, but negatively correlated with baicalein. The findings of this study improve our understanding of the manner in which SA regulates secondary metabolites in S. baicalensis.

ACE and platelet aggregation inhibitors from Tamarix hohenackeri Bunge (host plant of Herba Cistanches) growing in Xinjiang

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Xing, Yachao; Liao, Jing; Tang, Yingzhan; Zhang, Peng; Tan, Chengyu; Ni, Hui; Wu, Xueqin; Li, Ning; Jia, Xiaoguang

2014-01-01

Background: Tamarix hohenackeri Bunge is a salt cedar that grows widespread in the desert mountains in Xinjiang. T. hohenackeri has not been investigated earlier, although there are many reports of phytochemical work on other Tamarix species. Materials and Methods: To find out natural angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor and platelet aggregation inhibitors, the bioactive extract (ethyl acetate [EtOAc] fraction) from the dried aerial parts of T. hohenackeri were investigated. The active fraction was purified by repeated column chromatography, including silica gel, Sephadex LH-20 column, medium-pressure liquid chromatography (MPLC) (polyamide column) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The isolated major constituents were tested for their anti-platelet aggregation activity. Results: Bioassay-directed separation of the EtOAc fraction of the 70% ethanol extract from the air-dried aerial parts of T. hohenackeri led to the isolation of a new triterpenoid lactone (1), together with 13 known compounds (2-14). It was the first time to focus on screening bioactive constituents for this plant. The chemical structures were established on the basis of spectral data (ESI-MS and NMR). The results showed that the flavonoid compounds (7 and 8) and phenolic compounds (9, 10, 11, and 14) were potential ACE inhibitors. And the flavonoid compounds (5 and 7) showed significant anti-platelet aggregation activities. Conclusion: On the basis of the chemical and biological data, the material basis of ACE inhibitory activity for the active part was the phenolic constituents. However, the flavonoid compounds were responsible for the anti-platelet aggregation. The primary structure and activity relationship were also discussed respectively. PMID:24914275

Bioconversion of Scutellaria baicalensis extract can increase recovery of auditory function in a mouse model of noise-induced hearing loss.

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Rodriguez, Isabel; Hong, Bin Na; Nam, Youn Hee; Kim, Eun Young; Park, Geun Ha; Ji, Min Gun; Kang, Tong Ho

2017-09-01

In noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), noise exposure damages cochlear sensory hair cells, which lack the capacity to regenerate. Following noise insult, intense metabolic activity occurs, resulting in a cochlear free radical imbalance. Oxidative stress and antioxidant enzyme alterations, including lipoxygenase upregulation, have been linked to chronic inflammation, which contributes to hearing impairment. We previously proposed Scutellaria baicalensis (SB) extract as an alternative therapeutic for preventing NIHL and attributed its pharmacological effects to baicalein. Although baicalein was most effective, its concentration in SB extract is much lower compared to baicalin. In this study, we performed enzymatic bioconversion using an Sumizyme (SM) enzyme to increase baicalein concentration in SB extract and consequently improve its therapeutic efficacy. HPLC analysis revealed that baicalein concentration in SB extract after bioconversion (BSB) was significantly increased. Moreover, BSB-treated mice exhibited significantly improved auditory function compared with control mice and tended to have improved auditory function compared with SB-treated mice. We also demonstrated that BSB effectively stimulates hair cell regeneration compared to SB that did not achieve the same effect in a zebrafish model. Finally, when compared the abilities of SB and BSB to inhibit lipoxygenase (LOX), BSB showed a greater efficacy. Cumulatively, our data suggest that BSB exhibits improved pharmacological properties for treating NIHL compared with SB. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Scutellaria barbata attenuates diabetic retinopathy by preventing retinal inflammation and the decreased expression of tight junction protein

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Xi-Yu Mei

2017-06-01

Full Text Available AIM: To observe the attenuation of ethanol extract of Herba Scutellaria barbata (SE against diabetic retinopathy (DR and its engaged mechanism. METHODS: C57BL/6J mice were intraperitoneally injected with streptozotocin (STZ, 55 mg/kg for 5 consecutive days to induce diabetes. The diabetic mice were orally given with SE (100, 200 mg/kg for 1mo at 1mo after STZ injection. Blood-retinal barrier (BRB breakdown was detected by using Evans blue permeation assay. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR, Western blot and immunofluorescence staining were used to detect mRNA and protein expression. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA was used to detect serum contents of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α and interleukin (IL-1β. RESULTS: SE (100, 200 mg/kg reversed the breakdown of BRB in STZ-induced diabetic mice. The decreased expression of retinal claudin-1 and claudin-19, which are both tight junction (TJ proteins, was reversed by SE. SE decreased the increased serum contents and retinal mRNA expression of TNF-α and IL-1β. SE also decreased the increased retinal expression of intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1. SE reduced the increased phosphorylation of nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB p65 and its subsequent nuclear translocation in retinas from STZ-induced diabetic mice. Results of Western blot and retinal immunofluorescence staining of ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 (Iba1 demonstrated that SE abrogated the activation of microglia cells in STZ-induced diabetic mice. CONCLUSION: SE attenuates the development of DR by inhibiting retinal inflammation and restoring the decreased expression of TJ proteins including claudin-1 and claudin-19.

Plant density-dependent variations in bioactive markers and root yield in Australian-grown Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge.

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Li, Chun Guang; Sheng, Shu Jun; Pang, Edwin C K; May, Brian; Xue, Charlie Chang Li

2011-04-01

The plant density-dependent variations in the root yield and content, and the yield of biomarkers in Australian grown Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, a commonly used Chinese medicinal herb for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, were investigated in a field trial involving six different plant densities. The key biomarker compounds cryptotanshinone, tanshinone I, tanshinone IIA, and salvianolic acid B were quantified by a validated RP-HPLC method, and the root yields were determined per plant pair or unit area. There were significant variations (pplant densities. Positive linear correlations were observed between the contents of the three tanshinones, whereas negative linear correlations were revealed between the contents of the tanshinones and salvianolic acid B. The highest root yield per plant pair was achieved when the plants were grown at 45×30 cm or 45×40 cm, whereas the highest root production par unit area was obtained for a plant density of 30×30 cm. The highest contents of the three tanshinones and the most abundant production of these tanshinones per unit area were achieved when the plants were grown at 30×30 cm. However, the highest content of salvianolic acid B was found for a density of 45×40 cm, while its highest yield per unit area was obtained for densities of 30×40 cm or 45×30 cm. The findings suggest that the plant density distinctly affects the root yield and content and the yield of tanshinones and salvianolic acid B in Australian grown S. miltiorrhiza, which may be used as a guide for developing optimal agricultural procedures for cultivating this herb. Copyright © 2011 Verlag Helvetica Chimica Acta AG, Zürich.

Experimental Paper. Intrapopulation variability of flavonoid content in roots of Baikal skullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi

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Kosakowska Olga

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Baikal skullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi is an important medicinal plant, indigenous to Asia. Due to a wide range of pharmacological activities, its roots has been used for ages in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Recently, the species has become an object of interest of Western medicine, as well. Objective: The aim of the study was to determine the variability of Baikal skullcap population originated from Mongolia and cultivated in Poland, in terms of content and composition of flavonoids in the roots. Methods: The objects of the study were 15 individual plants, selected within examined population and cloned in order to obtain a sufficient amount of raw material. The total content of flavonoids in roots was determined according to Polish Pharmacopeia 6th. The qualitative analysis of flavonoids was carried out using HPLC, Shimadzu chromatograph. Results: The dry mass of roots ranged from 25.88 to 56.14 g × plant-1. The total content of flavonoids (expressed as a quercetin equivalent varied between 0.17 and 0.52% dry matter (DM. Nine compounds were detected within the group, with oroxylin A 7-Oglucuronide (346.90-1063.00 mg × 100 g-1 DM as a dominant, which differentiated investigated clones at the highest degree (CV=0.27. Baicalin (391.40-942.00 mg × 100 g-1 DM, wogonoside (324.00-641.10 mg × 100 g-1 DM and hesperetine 7-O-glucoside (163.00-346.32 mg × 100 g-1 DM were also present in a considerable amounts. Clone 7 was distinguished by the highest content of all investigated compounds, except wogonin and oroxylin A 7-O-glucuronide. Conclusions: Results obtained in present study show a high variability within Baical skullcap investigated population in respect of flavonoid compounds detected in roots. Thus, the results may be used in future investigations concerning the selection and breeding of this species.

Investigating Food and Agribusiness Corporations as Global Water Security, Management and Governance Agents: The case of Nestlé, Bunge and Cargill

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Suvi Sojamo

2012-10-01

Full Text Available This article investigates the agency of the world’s largest food and agribusiness corporations in global water security via case studies of Nestlé, Bunge and Cargill by analysing their position in the political economy of the world agro-food system and the ways they intentionally and non-intentionally manage and govern water in their value chains and wider networks of influence. The concentrated power of a few corporations in global agro-food value chains and their ability to influence the agro-food market dynamics and networks throughout the world pose asymmetric conditions for reaching not only global food security but also water security. The article will analyse the different forms of power exercised by the corporations in focus in relation to global water security and the emerging transnational water governance regime, and the extent to which their value chain position and stakeholder interaction reflect or drive their actions. Due to their vast infrastructural and technological capacity and major role in the global agro-food political economy, food and agribusiness corporations cannot avoid increasingly engaging, for endogenous and exogenous reasons, in multi-stakeholder initiatives and partnerships to devise methods of managing the agro-food value chains and markets to promote global water security. However, their asymmetric position in relation to their stakeholders demands continuous scrutiny.

Soil exchange by means of hexagonal bung honeycombs. Selection of variants in close agreement with the development of te factory at MAN Muenchen-Allach; Bodenaustausch mithilfe von Sechseck-Spundelementen. Variantenwahl in enger Abstimmung mit der Werksentwicklung bei MAN Muenchen-Allach

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Brunner, Michael; Dietl, Bernhard; Dietrich, Andreas; Royl, Martin; Wicke, Sabine; Ziebarth, Guenther; Zobel, Reinhard

2009-07-15

A nearly 20,000 cubic meters large, predominantly in the saturated ground zone located pollution of mineral oil had to be redeveloped in the course of measures of surface development at the location Munich-Allach of MAN Nutzfahrzeuge AG. In order to minimize conflicts with the comprehensively planned reorganization of the factory at the Osttor, Dachauer road, temporally, spatially and financially, a soil exchange by means of hexagonal bung honeycombs was planned, advertised and accomplished within a time period of six months. The redevelopment surface with an area of more than 5,000 square meters was released by the authorities of the state capital Munich for unrestricted use.

Chronic drought stress reduced but not protected Shantung maple (Acer truncatum Bunge) from adverse effects of ozone (O3) on growth and physiology in the suburb of Beijing, China.

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Li, Li; Manning, William J; Tong, Lei; Wang, Xiaoke

2015-06-01

A two-year experiment exposing Acer truncatum Bunge seedlings to elevated ozone (O3) concentrations above ambient air (AO) and drought stress (DS) was carried out using open-top chambers (OTCs) in a suburb of Beijing in north China in 2012-2013. The results suggested that AO and DS had both significantly reduced leaf mass area (LMA), stomatal conductance (Gs), light saturated photosynthetic rate (Asat) as well as above and below ground biomass at the end of the experiment. It appeared that while drought stress mitigated the expression of foliar injury, LMA, leaf photosynthetic pigments, height growth and basal diameter, due to limited carbon fixation, the O3 - induced reductions in Asat, Gs and total biomass were enhanced 23.7%. 15.5% and 8.1% respectively. These data suggest that when the whole plant was considered that drought under the conditions of this experiment did not protect the Shantung maple seedlings from the effects of O3. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A new species of Astragalus (Fabaceae from west coast of Baikal Lake (Irkutsk Oblast

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N. V. Stepantsova

2015-05-01

Full Text Available A new species, Astragalus rytyensis Stepantsova (Fabaceae, growing on the west coast of the lake Baikal, is described. Morphological differences from related taxa – A. versicolor Pall., A. austrosibiricus Schischk., and A. inopinatus Boriss., are discussed and uncertain position of the new species in the system of the genus is emphasized which is intermediate between subg. Phaca (L. Bunge sect. Hemiphaca Bunge and subg. Cercidothrix Bunge sect. Onobrychium Bunge. Ecological and phonological features of A. rytyensis are reported and chromosome numbers of the new (2n = 6x = 48 and related species are counted.

Fluorescence Localization and Comparative Ultrastructural Study of Periplocoside NW from Periploca sepium Bunge in the Midgut of the Oriental Amyworm, Mythimna separata Walker (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae

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Mingxing Feng

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Periplocoside NW (PSNW is a novel insecticidal compound isolated from the root bark of Periploca sepium Bunge and has potent stomach toxicity against some insect pests. Previous studies showed that the Mythimna separata larva is sensitive to PSNW, but the Agrotis ispilon larva is insensitive. In this study, preliminary target localization on the midgut of M. separata larvae was conducted via a fluorescence labeling technique. A comparative ultrastructural study on the effects of PSNW on the midguts of M. separata and A. ispilon larvae was performed. Symptom observation results showed that typical stomach toxicity was induced by PSNW in M. separata larvae. Fluorescence localization results showed that PSNW binds to the midgut cells of M. separata larvae. Ultrastructure observations showed destruction of the microvilli, organelle, and cytomembrane in the midgut cells of M. separata larvae, whereas no obvious changes were observed in midgut cells of A. ispilon larvae. These results were consistent with the insecticidal activity of PSNW. Therefore, PSNW might act on the midgut tissues of the insects, and one or more binding sites of PSNW may exist in M. separata larvae midgut cell cytomembranes.

15,16-Dihydrotanshinone I, a Compound of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, Induces Apoptosis through Inducing Endoplasmic Reticular Stress in Human Prostate Carcinoma Cells

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Mao-Te Chuang

2011-01-01

Full Text Available 5,16-dihydrotanshinone I (DHTS is extracted from Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (tanshen root and was found to be the most effective compound of tanshen extracts against breast cancer cells in our previous studies. However, whether DHTS can induce apoptosis through an endoplasmic reticular (ER stress pathway was examined herein. In this study, we found that DHTS significantly inhibited the proliferation of human prostate DU145 carcinoma cells and induced apoptosis. DHTS was able to induce ER stress as evidenced by the upregulation of glucose regulation protein 78 (GRP78/Bip and CAAT/enhancer binding protein homologous protein/growth arrest- and DNA damage-inducible gene 153 (CHOP/GADD153, as well as increases in phosphorylated eukaryotic initiation factor 2α (eIF2α, c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK, and X-box-binding protein 1 (XBP1 mRNA splicing forms. DHTS treatment also caused significant accumulation of polyubiquitinated proteins and hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF-1α, indicating that DHTS might be a proteasome inhibitor that is known to induce ER stress or enhance apoptosis caused by the classic ER stress-dependent mechanism. Moreover, DHTS-induced apoptosis was reversed by salubrinal, an ER stress inhibitor. Results suggest that DHTS can induce apoptosis of prostate carcinoma cells via induction of ER stress and/or inhibition of proteasome activity, and may have therapeutic potential for prostate cancer patients.

Efficacy of Scutellaria baicalensis for the Treatment of Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease Associated with Encephalitis in Patients Infected with EV71: A Multicenter, Retrospective Analysis

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Hailong Lin

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This study aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of using the traditional Chinese herbal medicine Scutellaria baicalensis for the treatment of severe HFMD in 725 patients aged >1 year in a multicenter, retrospective analysis. The patients were divided into the S. baicalensis and ribavirin groups, and the temperatures, presence or absence of skin rashes and oral lesions, nervous system (NS involvement, and viral loads of the patients, as well as the safety of the treatments, were evaluated. The median duration of fever, median time to NS involvement, and the number of patients with oral ulcers and/or vesicles, as well as skin rashes, were decreased in the S. baicalensis group compared with the ribavirin group. In addition, the EV71 viral loads were decreased in the S. baicalensis group, suggesting that S. baicalensis exerted more potent antiviral effects compared with ribavirin. The present study demonstrated that S. baicalensis was suitable for the treatment of severe HFMD in patients aged >1 year, since it was shown to rapidly relieve fever, attenuate oral lesions and rashes, and improve NS involvement. Furthermore, it was demonstrated to be relatively safe for topical application.

Ethanol extract of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi prevents oxidative damage and neuroinflammation and memorial impairments in artificial senescense mice

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Choi Youkyung

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Aging is a progressive process related to the accumulation of oxidative damage and neuroinflammation. We tried to find the anti-amnesic effect of the Scutellaria baicalens Georgia (SBG ethanol extract and its major ingredients. The antioxidative effect of SBG on the mice model with memory impairment induced by chronic injection of D-galactose and sodium nitrate was studied. The Y-maze test was used to evaluate the learning and memory function of mice. The activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase and the content of malondialdehyde in brain tissue were used for the antioxidation activities. Neuropathological alteration and expression of bcl-2 protein were investigated in the hippocampus by immunohistochemical staining. ROS, neuroinflammation and apoptosis related molecules expression such as Cox-2, iNOS, procaspase-3, cleaved caspase-3, 8 and 9, bcl-2 and bax protein and the products of iNOS and Cox-2, NO, PGE2, were studied using LPS-activated Raw 264.7 cells and microglia BV2 cells. The cognition of mice was significantly improved by the treatment of baicalein and 50 and 100 mg/kg of SBG in Y-maze test. Both SBG groups showed strong antioxidation, antiinflammation effects with significantly decreased iNOS and Cox-2 expression, NO and PGE2 production, increased bcl-2 and decreased bax and cleaved caspase-3 protein expression in LPS induced Raw 264.7 and BV2 cells. We also found that apoptotic pathway was caused by the intrinsic mitochondrial pathway with the decreased cleaved caspase-9 and unchanged cleaved caspase-8 expression. These findings suggest that SBG, especially high dose, 100 mg/kg, improved the memory impairments significantly and showed antioxidation, antiinflammation and intrinsic caspase-mediated apoptosis effects.

Transcriptome analysis of yellow horn (Xanthoceras sorbifolia Bunge: a potential oil-rich seed tree for biodiesel in China.

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Yulin Liu

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Yellow horn (Xanthoceras sorbifolia Bunge is an oil-rich seed shrub that grows well in cold, barren environments and has great potential for biodiesel production in China. However, the limited genetic data means that little information about the key genes involved in oil biosynthesis is available, which limits further improvement of this species. In this study, we describe sequencing and de novo transcriptome assembly to produce the first comprehensive and integrated genomic resource for yellow horn and identify the pathways and key genes related to oil accumulation. In addition, potential molecular markers were identified and compiled. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Total RNA was isolated from 30 plants from two regions, including buds, leaves, flowers and seeds. Equal quantities of RNA from these tissues were pooled to construct a cDNA library for 454 pyrosequencing. A total of 1,147,624 high-quality reads with total and average lengths of 530.6 Mb and 462 bp, respectively, were generated. These reads were assembled into 51,867 unigenes, corresponding to a total of 36.1 Mb with a mean length, N50 and median of 696, 928 and 570 bp, respectively. Of the unigenes, 17,541 (33.82% were unmatched in any public protein databases. We identified 281 unigenes that may be involved in de novo fatty acid (FA and triacylglycerol (TAG biosynthesis and metabolism. Furthermore, 6,707 SSRs, 16,925 SNPs and 6,201 InDels with high-confidence were also identified in this study. CONCLUSIONS: This transcriptome represents a new functional genomics resource and a foundation for further studies on the metabolic engineering of yellow horn to increase oil content and modify oil composition. The potential molecular markers identified in this study provide a basis for polymorphism analysis of Xanthoceras, and even Sapindaceae; they will also accelerate the process of breeding new varieties with better agronomic characteristics.

Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (Danshen) extract attenuates permanent cerebral ischemia through inhibiting platelet activation in rats.

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Fei, Yu-Xiang; Wang, Si-Qi; Yang, Li-Jian; Qiu, Yan-Ying; Li, Yi-Ze; Liu, Wen-Yuan; Xi, Tao; Fang, Wei-Rong; Li, Yun-Man

2017-07-31

Danshen is a crude herbal drug isolated from dried roots of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge. This plant is widely used in oriental medicine for the treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. The supercritical CO 2 extract from Danshen (SCED) (57.85%, 5.67% and 4.55% for tanshinone IIA, tanshinone I and cryptotanshinone respectively) was studied in this article, whose potential molecular mechanism remains unclear, especially in anti-thrombosis. The present study was designed to observe the protective effect of SCED on ischemic stroke in rats and to explore the underlying anti-thrombosis mechanism. Following induction of cerebral ischemia in rats by permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (pMCAO). Neurological defect score, cerebral blood flow, infarct size, and brain edema were measured to evaluate the injury. Arteriovenous shunt thrombosis model and adenosine 5'-diphosphate (ADP) induced acute pulmonary embolism model were conducted to estimate the antithrombotic effect of SCED. In order to investigate the effects of SCED on platelet aggregation, rat platelet-rich-plasma (PRP) were incubated with SCED prior to the addition of the stimuli (ADP or 9, 11-dideoxy-11α, 9α-epoxymethanoprostaglandin F2α (U46619)). Aggregation was monitored in a light transmission aggregometer. Inhibitory effect of SCED on thromboxane A2 (TXA 2 ) release was detected by ELISA kit. Phospholipase C (PLC)/ Protein kinase C (PKC) signaling pathway was analyzed by a Western blot technique. The effect of the SCED was also studied in vivo on bleeding time in mice. SCED improved the neurological defect score, increased cerebral blood flow, reduced infarct size and alleviated brain edema in rats exposed to pMCAO. After administration of SCED, thrombosis formation in arteriovenous shunt was inhibited and recovery time in pulmonary embolism was shortened. The inhibitory effect of SCED on platelet activation was further confirmed by TXB 2 ELISA kit and Western blot analysis of PLC

Involvement of herb-herb interactions in the influences of Radix Scutellaria and Coptis Chinensis on the bioavailability of the anthraquinones form Rhei Rhizoma in rats.

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Yan, Dongming; Ma, Bingliang; Shi, Rong; Wang, Tianming; Ma, Yueming

2015-03-01

Xiexin decoction (XXD) is composed of Rhei Rhizoma (DH), Radix Scutellaria (HQ), and Coptis Chinensis (HL). Free anthraquinones in DH are the basic effective constituents in XXD. Reportedly, HL decreases the bioavailability of the anthraquinones, while HQ antagonizes the effect of HL. In this study, we aimed to determine the underlying mechanisms. The metabolisms of anthraquinones by intestinal flora were studied using rat fecal suspension (RFS); the metabolisms of rhein (a typical anthraquinone in DH) by rat intestine and liver were studied using rat intestine microsomes (RIMs) and rat liver microsomes (RLMs), respectively; the intestinal transport of rhein was studied using everted gut sacs. The results showed that HL decreased the amount of the free anthraquinones after incubation in RFS and inhibited the intestinal transport of rhein, but HQ antagonized the effect of HL. On the other hand, HQ strongly inhibited the glucuronidation of rhein in both RIMs and RLMs. The results suggested that HL decreased the oral bioavailability of the anthraquinones due to inhibiting the conversion of conjugated anthraquinones to free anthraquinones by intestinal flora and decreasing the intestinal transport of the anthraquinones; HQ confronted the effect of HL by inhibiting the glucuronidation of the anthraquinones in intestine and weakening the inhibitory effects of HL.

The antibacterial efficacy of an aceraceous plant [Shantung maple (Acer truncatum Bunge)] may be related to inhibition of bacterial beta-oxoacyl-acyl carrier protein reductase (FabG).

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Zhang, Feng; Luo, Shi-Yun; Ye, Yan-Bin; Zhao, Wen-Hua; Sun, Xu-Guang; Wang, Zhi-Qun; Li, Ran; Sun, Ying-Hui; Tian, Wei-Xi; Zhang, Ying-Xia

2008-10-01

Polyphenols, including flavonoids, are the major components of the extracts from aceraceous plants. They possess remarkable antibacterial and antitumour activity. Our study focused on whether the inhibition of the bacterial type II fatty acid synthesis system is the mechanism for the antibacterial effect of the related plant polyphenols. Extracts obtained from the fallen leaves of the Shantung maple (Acer truncatum Bunge) using different solvents, and the related pure compound PGG (1,2,3,4,6-penta-O-galloyl-beta-D-glucose), potently inhibited the FabG (beta-oxoacyl-ACP reductase) steps in the fatty-acid-elongation cycle with the IC(50) values between 0.9 and 7.2 microg/ml. An ethyl acetate extract appeared to inhibit FabG reductase in a mixed manner with NADPH, as did PGG with NADPH, demonstrating that they interfered with the binding of the cofactor to the enzyme. Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and some fungi were used to evaluate the antibacterial abilities of different extract samples. The experiments showed that a higher polyphenol content of the extracts led to a more potent inhibitory capacity against FabG, thus enhancing the antibacterial efficacy.

Active Component of Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, Tanshinone I, Attenuates Lung Tumorigenesis via Inhibitions of VEGF, Cyclin A, and Cyclin B Expressions

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Yu-Tang Tung

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Tanshinone I (T1 and tanshinone II (T2 are the major diterpenes isolated from Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge. Three human lung adenocarcinoma cell lines, A549, CL1-0, and CL1-5, were treated with T1 and T2 for the in vitro antitumor test. Results showed that T1 was more effective than T2 in inhibiting the growth of lung cancer cells via suppressing the expression of VEGF, Cyclin A, and Cyclin B proteins in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, a transgenic mice model of the human vascular endothelial growth factor-A165 (hVEGF-A165 gene-induced pulmonary tumor was further treated with T1 for the in vivo lung cancer therapy test. T1 significantly attenuated hVEGF-A165 overexpression to normal levels of the transgenic mice (Tg that were pretreated with human monocytic leukemia THP-1 cell-derived conditioned medium (CM. It also suppressed the formation of lung adenocarcinoma tumors (16.7% compared with two placebo groups (50% for Tg/Placebo and 83.3% for Tg/CM/Placebo; P<0.01. This antitumor effect is likely to slow the progression of cells through the S and G2/M phases of the cell cycle. Blocking of the tumor-activated cell cycle pathway may be a critical mechanism for the observed antitumorigenic effects of T1 treatment on vasculogenesis and angiogenesis.

Using the Chinese herb Scutellaria barbata against extensively drug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii infections: in vitro and in vivo studies.

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Tsai, Chin-Chuan; Lin, Chi-Shiuan; Hsu, Chun-Ru; Chang, Chiu-Ming; Chang, I-Wei; Lin, Li-Wei; Hung, Chih-Hsin; Wang, Jiun-Ling

2018-03-20

No animal model studies have been conducted in which the efficacy of herbal compounds has been tested against multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii infections. Very few antibiotics are available for the treatment of pulmonary infections caused by extensively drug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (XDRAB). To find alternative treatments, traditional Chinese herbs were screened for their antimicrobial potential. The present study screened 30 herbs that are traditionally used in Taiwan and that are commonly prescribed for heat clearing and detoxification. The herbs with antibacterial activities were analysed by disc diffusion assays, time-kill assays and a murine lung infection model. Of the 30 herbs tested, only Scutellaria barbata demonstrated 100% in vitro activity against XDRAB. Furthermore, we compared the antibacterial effect of the S. barbata extract with that of colistin, and the S. barbata extract showed better antibacterial effect. In the XDRAB pneumonia murine model, we compared the antimicrobial effects of the orally administered S. barbata extract (200 mg/kg, every 24 h), the intratracheally administered colistin (75,000 U/kg, every 12 h), and the control group. The bacterial load in the lungs of the treatment group that received the oral S. barbata extract showed a significant decrease in comparison to that in the lungs of the control group. In addition, histopathological examinations also revealed better resolution of perivascular, peribronchial, and alveolar inflammation in the oral S. barbata extract-treated group. Our in vitro and in vivo data from the animal model support the use of S. barbata as an alternate drug to treat XDRAB pulmonary infections. However, detailed animal studies and clinical trials are necessary to establish the clinical utility of S. barbata in treating XDRAB pulmonary infections.

Clinical and Preclinical Cognitive Function Improvement after Oral Treatment of a Botanical Composition Composed of Extracts from Scutellaria baicalensis and Acacia catechu

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Mesfin Yimam

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Dementia and cognitive impairment have become the major concerns worldwide due to a significantly aging population, increasing life span and lack of effective pharmacotherapy. In light of limited pharmaceutical drug choices and the socioeconomic implications of these conditions, the search for safe and effective alternatives from natural sources has gained many attractions within the medical food and dietary supplement industry. Two polyphenol extracts derived from roots of Scutellaria baicalensis and heartwoods of Acacia catechu containing free-B-ring flavonoids and flavans, respectively, were combined into a proprietary blend called UP326. A similar bioflavonoid composition, UP446, has been reported with modulation of pathways related to systemic inflammation. To test the effect of UP326 on memory and learning, a radial arm water maze (RAWM and contextual fear conditioning (CF were utilized in aged F344 rats fed with UP326 at doses of 3, 7, and 34 mg/kg for 11 weeks. The 7 and 34 mg/kg dosage groups had significantly fewer errors than aged vehicle control animals and their performance was equivalent to young animal controls. In a separate human clinical trial, test subjects orally given 300 mg of UP326 BID for 30 days showed marked improvement in speed and accuracy of processing complex information in computer tasks and reduced their standard deviation of performance compared to baseline and the placebo group. This data suggest that UP326 may help maintain memory, sustain speed of processing, and reduce the number or memory errors as we age.

[Protective effect of pretreatment of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge. f. alba plasma against oxygen-glucose deprivation-induced injury of cultured rat hippocampal neurons by inhibiting apoptosis].

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Li, Mei-Yi; Zhang, Yan-Bo; Zuo, Huan; Liu, Li-Li; Niu, Jing-Zhong

2012-02-25

The present study was to investigate the effect of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge. f. alba (SMA) pharmacological pretreatment on apoptosis of cultured hippocampal neurons from neonate rats under oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD). Cultured hippocampal neurons were randomly divided into five groups (n = 6): normal plasma group, low dose SMA plasma (2.5%) group, middle dose SMA plasma (5%) group, high dose SMA plasma (10%) group and control group. The hippocampal neurons were cultured and treated with plasma from adult Wistar rats intragastrically administered with saline or aqueous extract of SMA. The apoptosis of neurons was induced by glucose-free Earle's solution containing 1 mmol/L Na2S2O4 and labeled by MTT and Annexin V/PI double staining. Moreover, protein expressions of Bcl-2 and Bax were detected by immunofluorescence. The results showed that few apoptotic cells were observed in control group, whereas the number of apoptotic cells was greatly increased in normal plasma group and low dose SMA plasma group. Both middle and high dose SMA plasma could protect cultured hippocampal neurons from apoptosis induced by OGD (P control, normal plasma and low dose SMA plasma groups, middle and high dose SMA plasma groups both showed significantly higher levels of Bcl-2 (P neurons by up-regulating the expression of Bcl-2 and down-regulating the expression of Bax.

Inhibition of Tumor Growth and Immunomodulatory Effects of Flavonoids and Scutebarbatines of Scutellaria barbata D. Don in Lewis-Bearing C57BL/6 Mice

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Tao Gong

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Immunomodulatory effect has been found to be an important therapeutic measure for immune responses against cancer. In this study, we evaluated the inhibition of Scutellaria barbata D. Don (SB, an anti-inflammatory and an antitumor Chinese herb, including flavonoids and scutebarbatines on tumor growth and its immunomodulatory effects in vivo. HPLC and LC/MS/MS methods were conducted for the analysis of flavonoids and scutebarbatines in SB. Lewis-bearing C57BL/6 mice model was established and tumor volume was evaluated by high frequency color ultrasound experiment. ELISA and western blot analysis were performed for the determination of immunomodulatory factors. SB treatment at the dose of 10, 6.67, and 3.33 g crude drug/kg/d significantly inhibited tumor growth of Lewis-bearing C57BL/6 mice with the inhibition rates of 44.41±5.44%, 33.56±4.85%, and 27.57±4.96%, respectively. More importantly, the spleen and thymus indexes were increased remarkably by SB treatment. SB could decrease IL-17, IL-10, FOXP3, TGF-β1, RORγt, and IL-6 levels whereas it could increase remarkably IL-2 and IFN-γ levels. Our results demonstrated that SB could inhibit tumor growth in vivo through regulating immune function in tumor-bearing mice and suggested that the immunomodulatory function of SB had a potential therapeutic effect in lung cancer.

Flavonoids Identified from Korean Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi Inhibit Inflammatory Signaling by Suppressing Activation of NF-κB and MAPK in RAW 264.7 Cells

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Gyeong-Eun Hong

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi has been used as traditional medicine for treating inflammatory diseases, hepatitis, tumors, and diarrhea in Asia. Hence, we investigated the anti-inflammatory effect and determined the molecular mechanism of action of flavonoids isolated from Korean S. baicalensis G. in lipopolysaccharide- (LPS- stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. A 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay was performed to examine cytotoxicity of the flavonoids at various concentrations of 10, 40, 70, and 100 µg/mL. No cytotoxicity was observed in RAW 264.7 cells at these concentrations. Furthermore, the flavonoids decreased production of inflammatory mediators such as inducible nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha and inhibited phosphorylation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells. Moreover, to identify the differentially expressed proteins in RAW 264.7 cells of the control, LPS-treated, and flavonoid-treated groups, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry were conducted. The identified proteins were involved in the inflammatory response and included PRKA anchor protein and heat shock protein 70 kD. These findings suggest that the flavonoids isolated from S. baicalensis G. might have anti-inflammatory effects that regulate the expression of inflammatory mediators by inhibiting the NF-κB signaling pathway via the MAPK signaling pathway in RAW 264.7 cells.

The effect of Scutellaria baicalensis stem-leaf flavonoids on spatial learning and memory in chronic cerebral ischemia-induced vascular dementia of rats.

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Cao, Yanjing; Liang, Lizhen; Xu, Jian; Wu, Jiali; Yan, Yongxing; Lin, Ping; Chen, Qiang; Zheng, Fengming; Wang, Qin; Ren, Qian; Gou, Zengmei; Du, Yifeng

2016-05-01

Flavonoids have been shown to improve cognitive function and delay the dementia progression. However, the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. In the present study, we examined the effect of Scutellaria baicalensis stem-leaf total flavonoids (SSTFs) extracted from S. baicalensis Georgi on spatial learning and memory in a vascular dementia (VaD) rat model and explored its molecular mechanisms. The VaD rats were developed by permanent bilateral occlusion of the common carotid artery. Seven days after recovery, the VaD rats were treated with either 50 or 100 mg/kg of SSTF for 60 days. The spatial learning and memory was evaluated in the Morris water maze (MWM) test. The tau hyperphosphorylation and the levels of the related protein kinases or phosphatases were examined by western blot analysis. In VaD rats, SSTF treatment at 100 mg/kg significantly reduced the escape latency in training trial in MWM test. In the probe trial, SSTF treatment increased the searching time and travel distance in the target quadrant. SSTF treatment inhibited the tau phosphorylation in both cortex and hippocampus in VaD rats. Meanwhile, SSTF reduced the activity of glycogen synthase kinase 3β and cyclin-dependent kinase 5 in VaD rats. In contrast, SSTF treatment increased the level of the protein phosphatase 2A subunit B in VaD rats. SSTF treatment significantly improved the spatial cognition in VaD rats. Our results suggest that SSTF may alleviate tau-hyperphosphorylation-induced neurotoxicity through coordinating the activity of kinases and phosphatase after a stroke. SSTF may be developed into promising novel therapeutics for VaD. © The Author 2016. Published by ABBS Editorial Office in association with Oxford University Press on behalf of the Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Flavanones from Sedum sarmentosum Bunge Alleviate CCl4-Induced Liver Fibrosis in Rats by Targeting TGF-β1/TβR/Smad Pathway In Turn Inhibiting Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuancan Lin

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Objective. The aim of the study is to evaluate the therapeutic effects of flavanones from Sedum sarmentosum Bunge (FSSB on CCl4-induced liver fibrosis in rats and the underlying mechanisms of action. Methods. An experimental model of liver fibrosis was established by subcutaneous injection of rats with CCl4 (40% v/v, 3 ml/kg twice per week for six weeks. FSSB (100, 200, and 400 mg/kg was intragastrically administered once per day consecutively for five weeks. Results. Our results showed that FSSB significantly attenuated CCl4-induced liver fibrosis as evidenced by reducing the elevated levels of serum biochemical indexes and improving the histological changes, including decreasing the elevation in serum alanine transaminase (ALT, aspartate transaminase (AST, hyaluronic acid (HA, and laminin (LN level, reducing infiltration of inflammatory cells and collagen fibers in liver tissue. In addition, compared to the model group, FSSB markedly downregulated the protein and mRNA expression of TGF-β1, TGF-β1 receptors I and II (TβRI and TβRII, Smad2, Smad3, and Vimentin in liver tissue, at the mean time upregulating the expression of Smad7 and E-cadherin. Conclusions. The results suggest that FSSB alleviated CCl4-induced liver fibrosis probably through inhibition of TGF-β/TβR/Smad pathway in turn inhibiting epithelial mesenchymal transition.

27 CFR 25.141 - Barrels and kegs.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... OF THE TREASURY LIQUORS BEER Marks, Brands, and Labels § 25.141 Barrels and kegs. (a) General... shown on the bung or on the tap cover, or on a label securely affixed to each barrel or keg, the place... production: (i) May be shown as the only location on the bung, or on the tap cover, or on a separate label...

[Transformation of baicalin and wogonoside through liquid fermentation with Bacillus natto].

Science.gov (United States)

Long, Hou-ning; Zhang, Shuo; Yao, Lei; Zhang, Min; Wang, Peng-jiao; Meng, Xiao-xia; Gao, Xiu; Zhang, Rong-ping

2015-12-01

This experiment aimed to explore and research the process of preparing baicalein and wogonin through liquid fermentation with Bacillus natto. Active enzymes of produced by B. natto was used for the biological transformation of baclin and wogonoside, in order to increase the content of the haicalein and wogonin in the scutellaria. With the content of the baicalein and wogonin as evaluating indexes, the effects of carbon source, nitrogen source, the types and suitable concentration of inorganic salt, medium pH, granularities of medical materials, liquid volume in flask, shaking speed, liquid-to-solid ratio, fermentation time on the fermentation process were studied. The optimal process conditions for liquid fermentation of scutellaria were 1.0% of peptone, 0.05% of NaCl, pH at 6, the granularities of medical materials of the scutellaria screened through 40-mesh sifter, 33% of liquid, shaker incubator speed at 200 r x min(-1), liquid-to-solid ratio of 5:1, temperature at 37 degrees C, fermentation for 6 days, baclin's conversion rate at 97.6% and wogonoside's conversion rate at 97% in the scutellaria. According to the verification test, the process was stable and feasible, and could provide data reference for the industrial production.

A experimental study on the anti -trichomonas vaginalis effect of traditional Chinese medicine%中药抗阴道毛滴虫作用的实验研究

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

陈建芳; 闫艳; 高静; 杨宏东; 宋强

2011-01-01

目的:探讨鸡冠花、金莲花和荆芥体外抗阴道毛滴虫的作用.方法:将不同浓度的鸡冠花、金莲花和荆芥作用于体外培养的阴道毛滴虫,于药物作用后不同时间记录阴道毛滴虫的死亡率.结果:鸡冠花、金莲花和荆芥对阴道毛滴虫均有抑制和杀灭作用,其中鸡冠花抗阴道毛滴虫的作用最强,与金莲花、荆芥比较差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05),荆芥抗阴道毛滴虫作用强于金莲花(P＜0.05).结论:鸡冠花、金莲花和荆芥均具有抗阴道毛滴虫作用.%Objective: To explore the anti - trichomonas vaginalis effects of Celosia cristata, Trollius chinensis Bunge and Herba schizonepetae in vitro. Methods:The trichomonas vaginalis cultured in vitro were treated with different concentrations of Celosia cristata, Trollius chinensis Bunge and Herba schizonepetae, the mortality rates of trichomonas vaginalis at different time points after the treatment were recorded. Results; Celosia cristata, Trollius chinensis Bunge and Herba schizonepetae had inhibiting and killing effects on trichomonas vagi-nalis, and the anti - trichomonas vaginalis effect of Celosia cristata was the strongest, compared with Trollius chinensis Bunge and Herba schizonepetae, there was significant difference (P < 0.05 ) ; the anti - trichomonas vaginalis effect of Herba schizonepetae was stronger than that of Trollius chinensis Bunge (P <0. 05) . Conclusion; Celosia cristata, Trollius chinensis Bunge and Herba schizonepetae have anti -trichomonas vaginalis effects.

Enhanced anticancer effects of Scutellaria barbata D. Don in combination with traditional Chinese medicine components on non-small cell lung cancer cells.

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Wang, Qian; Acharya, Narayan; Liu, Zhongwei; Zhou, Xianmei; Cromie, Meghan; Zhu, Jia; Gao, Weimin

2018-05-10

Experience-based herbal medicine as a complementary to modern western medicine has triggered an array of studies in quest of novel anticancer drugs. Scutellaria barbata D. Don (SB) is commonly used to treat different types of cancers, but its molecular mechanism of action is not clearly understood. In this study, we attempted to elucidate the mode of action of a traditional Chinese medicine prescription with a total of 14 components, named Lian-Jia-San-Jie-Fang (LJSJF, in Chinese), where SB works as the "principle" against non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. Four different NSCLC cell lines (A549, H460, H1650, and H1975) were used. Cytotoxicity, in vitro tumorigenicity, gene expression, and protein expression were analyzed by MTT assay, soft agar assay, real-time PCR, and Western blots, respectively. Among the 14 components in LJSJF, SB was the only one to possess cytotoxic effects at its pharmacologically relevant doses. Additionally, we observed synergistically dose-dependent cytotoxic effects of SB in combination with other LJSJF components. After SB or LJSJF treatment, significant reductions in colony number and/or size were observed in A549 and H460; a notable dose-dependent decrease in EGFR was observed in A549, H460, and H1650; significant downregulation in EGFR and its downstream signaling targets mTOR and p38MAPK were also observed in A549 and H460; and p53 and p21 were significantly increased while survivin, cyclin D1, and MDM2 were significantly decreased in A549. Additionally, p53, p21, and Mettl7b were decreased, but p73 was increased in H460. Neither EGFR nor p53 was changed in H1975. Therefore, SB or LJSJF may induce cytotoxic effects by regulating multiple and/or distinct apoptotic pathways in different NSCLC cells. LJSJF exerts more pronounced cytotoxic effects against NSCLC cells than SB does by synergistically regulating the underlining molecular mechanisms including EGFR and/or p53 signaling pathways. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All

Magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers based on silica modified by deep eutectic solvents for the rapid simultaneous magnetic-based solid-phase extraction of Salvia miltiorrhiza bunge, Glycine max (Linn.) Merr and green tea.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Guizhen; Wang, Xiaoqin; Row, Kyung Ho

2018-04-01

Novel magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers (MMIPs) with multiple-template based on silica were modified by four types of deep eutectic solvents (DESs) for the rapid simultaneous magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) of tanshinone Ⅰ, tanshinone ⅡA, and cryptotanshinone from Salvia miltiorrhiza bunge; glycitein, genistein, and daidzein from Glycine max (Linn.) Merr; and epicatechin, epigallocatechin gallate, and epicatechin gallate from green tea, respectively. The synthesized materials were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy. Single factor experiments were to explore the relationship between the extraction efficiency and four factors (the sample solution pH, amount of DESs for modification, amount of adsorbent, and extraction time). It was showed that the DES4-MMIPs have better extraction ability than the MMIPs without DESs and the other three DESs-modified MMIPs. The best extraction recoveries with DES4-MMIP were tanshinone Ⅰ (85.57%), tanshinone ⅡA (80.58%), cryptotanshinone (92.12%), glycitein (81.65%), genistein (87.72%), daidzein (92.24%), epicatechin (86.43%), epigallocatechin gallate (80.92%), and epicatechin gallate (93.64%), respectively. The novel multiple-template MMIPs materials modified by DES for the rapid simultaneous MSPE of active compounds were proved to reduce the experimental steps than single-template technique, and increase the extraction efficiency. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

STRATEGY OF PROMOTING LIBRARIAN’S PERFORMANCE IN CREATING USER’S SATISFACTION IN NATIONAL LIBRARY OF INDONESIA

OpenAIRE

Masykuri, Ahmad

2017-01-01

The objective of this research is to determine the influence of the corporate culture, employee empowerment,  librarianship training and work ethics towards employee performance (case study in National Library of Indonesia) Jl. Salemba Raya 28 A Jakarta, UPT Bung Karno Library in Blitar, and UPT Bung Hatta Library in Bukit Tinggi. The research approach is using quantitave method with path analysis. Sampling techniques is simple random sampling with a representative sample of 124 libraria...

Influence of Culture Medium Composition and Light Conditions on the Accumulation of Bioactive Compounds in Shoot Cultures of Scutellaria lateriflora L. (American Skullcap) Grown In Vitro.

Science.gov (United States)

Kawka, Beata; Kwiecień, Inga; Ekiert, Halina

2017-12-01

Methanolic extracts from in vitro grown Scutellaria lateriflora shoots cultured on five Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium variants supplemented with different combinations of 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) under different light conditions (monochromatic light, white light and no light) were analysed by HPLC for three groups of metabolites: flavonoids (26 compounds), phenolic acids and their precursors (19+2) and phenylethanoid glycosides (2). The analyses revealed the presence of baicalein, baicalin, wogonin, wogonoside, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid and verbascoside. There was clear evidence of the influence of plant growth regulators and light conditions on the accumulation of the analysed groups of secondary metabolites. The amounts of the compounds changed within a wide range-for the total flavonoid content, 30.2-fold (max. 1204.3 mg·100 g -1 dry weight (DW)); for 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, 5.5-fold (max. 33.56 mg·100 g -1 DW); and for verbascoside, 1.5-fold (169.15 max. mg·100 g -1 DW). The best medium for the production of most of the compounds was the Murashige and Skoog variant with 1 mg l -1 BAP and 1 mg l -1 NAA. For verbascoside, the best 'productive' medium was the MS variant supplemented with 0.5 mg l -1 BAP and 2 mg l -1 NAA. The accumulation of the metabolites was stimulated to the greatest extent by blue light, under which the extracts were found to contain the highest total amount of flavonoids and the highest amounts of flavonoid glucuronides, baicalin and wogonoside, as well as of verbascoside. Their amounts were, respectively, 1.54-, 1.49-, 2.05- and 1.86-fold higher than under the control white light.

Improving cachectic symptoms and immune strength of tumour-bearing mice in chemotherapy by a combination of Scutellaria baicalensis and Qing-Shu-Yi-Qi-Tang.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Hang; Chan, Yi-Lin; Li, Tsung-Lin; Wu, Chang-Jer

2012-05-01

Cancer cachexia is characterised by the loss of body mass and directly compromises immune response and the quality of life of cancer patients. In the present study, we set out to investigate the role of Chinese herbs as anticancer medicines and/or chemotherapeutic adjuvants to increase therapeutic efficacy and/or ameliorate given side-effects in animal model. Twelve kinds of herbs were chosen from the ingredients of major Chinese herbal medicines, and their effects on the antioxidant activity were investigated. To obtain the anticancer effects of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) when consumed with minimal side-effects, we investigated the combination effect of Scutellaria baicalensis and Qing-Shu-Yi-Qi-Tang that may enhance the anticancer activity of 5-FU on subcutaneous tumour growth in C57BL/6 mice challenged with Lewis lung carcinoma cells. Qing-Shu-Yi-Qi-Tang, a multiple-component herbal extract, was shown to have high anti-oxidation activity, while S. baicalensis (Chinese skullcap) was demonstrated to have high tumour-growth inhibition activity. Thus, S. baicalensis and Qing-Shu-Yi-Qi-Tang were evaluated for their combinaton effects on the cancer-induced cachectic murine upon receiving 5-FU chemotherapy. As a result, tumour masses and losses of carcass and/or gastrocnemius muscle were found to be significantly decreased. This combination otherwise increased both Th1/Th2 ratio and NK cytotoxicity. In the mice receiving with or without 5-FU, the serum levels of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) increased by all means but otherwise decreased when the herbal combination was administrated. Additionally, the expressions of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and muscle RING finger protein-1 (MuRF-1) decreased in the gastrocnemius muscle when the herbal combination was applied. Our results revealed that the combination of S. baicalensis and Qing-Shu-Yi-Qi-Tang is able to ameliorate cachectic symptoms and positively stimulate anti-tumour immunity while undergoing

Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of herbal therapy for children with asthma.

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, Eliza L Y; Sung, Rita Yn Tz; Leung, Ting Fan; Wong, Yeuk Oi; Li, Albert M C; Cheung, Kam Lau; Wong, Chun Kwok; Fok, Tai Fai; Leung, Ping Chung

2009-10-01

The purpose of this trial was to evaluate whether the herbal formula of CUF2 used as complementary therapy improves the clinical symptoms and biochemical markers in children with asthma using inhaled corticosteroids. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled prospective trial, 85 children with asthma aged 7-15 years were randomly assigned to receive either a daily oral herbal formula of 0.619-g CUF2 capsule of dried aqueous extract with an equal weight of five herbs (Astragalus mongholius Bunge, Cordyceps sinensis Sacc., Radix stemonae, Bulbus fritillariae cirrhosae, and Radix scutellariae) or placebo for 6 months. The primary endpoint was the change in steroids dosage; the secondary outcomes included the disease severity score, lung function test, and biochemical markers in blood. Eighty-five (85) children (42 on active treatment and 43 on placebo) completed the 6-month clinical trial. Children randomized to the herbal formula of CUF2 and the placebo showed a similar improvement in clinical symptoms and biomedical markers. The comparison between the CUF2 group and the placebo group showed no significant difference on the dosage of steroids (-2.3 versus -3.1 mg, p = 0.915), disease severity score (-2.3 versus -3.1, p = 0.215), and lung function test of forced expiratory volume in 1 second/forced vital capacity percent (0.1 versus 0.6%, p = 0.809) and peak expiratory flow rate (-7.3 versus -0.6 l/minutes, p = 0.118). No significant difference was found between the two study groups in the biochemical outcomes measured. The intervention effect of CUF2 was smaller than the placebo effect. This study provides no evidence to support the use of the herbal formula of CUF2 in children with asthma. Parents are thus advised to discuss with health professionals before choosing an herbal formula in preference to conventional treatment modes.

`... for more and better religious education'

Science.gov (United States)

Poole, Michael

1996-04-01

Mahner and Bunge argue that (1) ‘science and religion are incompatible’, in order to develop their thesis, that (2) ‘a religious education ... is an obstacle to the development of a scientific mentality’, and that therefore we should only teach our children (3) ‘how science explains the existence of religion in historical, biological, psychological and sociological terms’, and that (4) ‘religious education should be kept away from public schools ...’ I offer brief comments on each of these strands of their argument. ‘Religionists’, to use Mahner and Bunge's term, generally come from a specific stance so I shall make it clear, from the outset, that these remarks come from a Christian standpoint, even though many of them are much more widely applicable. Although I agree with some of the observations which Mahner and Bunge make, my conclusions are generally opposite to theirs on each of the four points.

Tamarix duezenlii (Tamaricaceae - a species new to science from southern Turkey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Halil Çakan

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Tamarix duezenlii, belonging to Tamarix L. ser. Leptostachyae (Bunge Baum, is described as a species new to science. It is related to T. hispida Willd. and T. arborea (Sieber ex Ehrenb. Bunge. From the former species it differs by its dense inflorescences, white petals and paralophic disc; from the latter by a shrubby habit, elliptic petals and calyx abruptly narrowed at the base. The species occurs in saline areas of the Cukurova Deltas at the mouths of the Seyhan and Ceyhan rivers in southern Turkey.

Antimicrobial activity of several herb and spice extracts in culture medium and in vacuum-packaged pork.

Science.gov (United States)

Kong, Baohua; Wang, Jinzhi; Xiong, Youling L

2007-03-01

Extracts prepared from honeysuckle, Scutellaria, Forsythia suspensa (Thunb), cinnamon, and rosemary with 75% ethanol and from clove oil dissolved in 75% ethanol were applied to inoculated agar media to observe their inhibitory effects on the growth of Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas fluorescens, and Lactobacillus plantarum. All the extracts suppressed the growth of these bacteria; Scutellaria exhibited the strongest effect against E. coli. An orthogonal test revealed that the most effective antimicrobial composite extracts were equal-volume mixtures of 0.125 g/ml Scutellaria + 0.5 g/ml honeysuckle + 0.125 g/ml Forsythia + 0.25 g/ml cinnamon and 0.25 g/ml cinnamon + 0.125 g/ml rosemary + 0.25% clove oil. These mixed extracts also produced strong antimicrobial effects in vacuum-packaged fresh pork, with 1.81- to 2.32-log reductions in microbial counts compared with the control when stored for up to 28 days. The sensory panel detected minimal differences in surface color and off-odors between meat samples treated with herb-spice extracts and the control. These results indicate that combined herb and spice extracts can be used as natural antimicrobials for food preservation.

Pre-Thinking GIS – Zur Visuellen Politik der frühen quantitativ-theoretischen Geographie

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. Michel

2017-09-01

Full Text Available This paper examines questions of how issues of visual representation and vision have changed with the the quantitative and theoretical thinking in 1950s and early 1960s Anglophone geography. If the quantitative revolution in geography is understood as a scientific revolution, one should also expect a revolution of the ways in which geography made use of visualizations. At the center of this essay is William Bunge's “Theoretical Geography”, one of the founding text of this new geographical thought. This book forms the starting point for a discussion of the changed roles and changed forms of visualization in the production of geographical knowledge. Following Fred Schaefer's attack on Richard Harthorne, Bunge placed the search for morphological laws at the center of a geography that is strongly oriented towards geometry. In this paper, the text of Bunge serves as a starting point into the field of early analytical cartography and the first consideration of what later, become geographic information systems and their new visual language. In this paper this history of GIS is largely told without a history of technology a well as without its political context of the cold war and the Fordist state.

Analytical Sociology: A Bungean Appreciation

Science.gov (United States)

Wan, Poe Yu-ze

2012-10-01

Analytical sociology, an intellectual project that has garnered considerable attention across a variety of disciplines in recent years, aims to explain complex social processes by dissecting them, accentuating their most important constituent parts, and constructing appropriate models to understand the emergence of what is observed. To achieve this goal, analytical sociologists demonstrate an unequivocal focus on the mechanism-based explanation grounded in action theory. In this article I attempt a critical appreciation of analytical sociology from the perspective of Mario Bunge's philosophical system, which I characterize as emergentist systemism. I submit that while the principles of analytical sociology and those of Bunge's approach share a lot in common, the latter brings to the fore the ontological status and explanatory importance of supra-individual actors (as concrete systems endowed with emergent causal powers) and macro-social mechanisms (as processes unfolding in and among social systems), and therefore it does not stipulate that every causal explanation of social facts has to include explicit references to individual-level actors and mechanisms. In this sense, Bunge's approach provides a reasonable middle course between the Scylla of sociological reification and the Charybdis of ontological individualism, and thus serves as an antidote to the untenable "strong program of microfoundations" to which some analytical sociologists are committed.

Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research - Vol 14, No 3 (2015)

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Evaluation of Embryotoxicity of Radix scutellariae Based on Embryonic Stem Test · EMAIL ... Evaluation of Antihypertensive Effect of Aqueous Methanol Extract of ... Evaluation of Information Contained in Drug Advertisement and Promotion ...

Religion: Impediment or Saviour of Science?

Science.gov (United States)

Turner, Harold

1996-01-01

Critiques Mahner and Bunge's disjunction between the religious convictions and the scientific work of scientists. Discusses the historical background and the current positive interaction between science and theology. (Author/JRH)

High temperature effects on flavones accumulation and antioxidant ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Administrator

2011-06-13

Jun 13, 2011 ... Scutellaria baicalensis is a traditional Chinese medicinal plant that has long been grown in Hubei. Province. ... activities of the antioxidant enzymes such as catalase (CAT), superoxide dimutase (SOD) and ..... Food Chem.

[Determination of amitrole in agricultural products by high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry].

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Li; Fu, Jian; Gao, Hongliang; Ren, Haitao; Lou, Xishan; Guan, Lihui

2010-03-01

A high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method (HPLC-MS/MS) was developed for the analysis of amitrole residues in agricultural products. The samples were extracted by 25% acetone for wheat, fish, pork and liver samples, 1% acetic acid-25% acetone for maize and peanut samples, 1% acetic acid solution for honeysuckle, the powder of ginger, the powder of bunge prickly ash and tea leaves samples, 1% acetic acid solution-dichloromethane for apple, pineapple, spinach, carrot, perilla leaves samples, respectively, followed by liquid-liquid extraction with dichloromethane. The samples were then cleaned up by PCX or Envi-Carb solid-phase extraction cartridge. The amitrole was determined and confirmed by HPLC-MS/MS. The results showed a linear relationship in the range of 0.005 -0.1 mg/kg for amitrole. The correlation coefficient was 0.999 7. The average recoveries of amitrole in wheat, maize, peanut, pineapple, apple, carrot, spinach, pork, the powder of ginger, the powder of bunge prickly ash, perilla, liver, fish, honeysuckle and tea were 67.5% - 98.1%. The relative standard deviations (RSDs) were 1.0% - 9.8%. The limits of quantitation were 10 microg/kg for wheat, maize, peanut, pineapple, apple, carrot, spinach, pork, perilla, liver, fish, honeysuckle and 20 microg/kg for the powder of bunge prickly ash, the powder of ginger and tea, respectively. The method is simple, sensitive and accurate.

Efeito analgésico e anti-inflamatório do extrato aquoso das folhas de trevo-roxo (Scutellaria agrestis A. St.-Hil. ex Benth. - Lamiaceae em roedores

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A.B. Oliveira

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Scutellaria agrestis é utilizada por comunidades ribeirinhas do Amazonas principalmente para o tratamento de otites por via tópica utilizando-se o extrato bruto obtido por maceração. O presente trabalho visou investigar preliminarmente o perfil fitoquímico, a segurança toxicológica e as ações analgésica, anti-inflamatória e antiedematogência do extrato aquoso das folhas de S. agrestis. Foram coletados 80 indivíduos da espécie no horto medicinal da Universidade Nilton Lins, Manaus, Brasil. O perfil fitoquímico foi obtido por meio de prospecção da droga vegetal para heterosídeos cianogênicos, terpenos, compostos fenólicos e alcaloides. A toxicologia foi avaliada pelo teste de toxicidade aguda. As atividades analgésicas/ anti-inflamatórias foram analisadas por meio dos testes de formalina em camundongos e a atividade antiedematogência, pelo teste de edema de pata em ratos. Os metabólitos detectados foram fenóis (taninos hidrolisáveis, cumarinas e várias classes de flavonoides e terpenos (esteroides livres, saponinas. Não foi possível estabelecer DL50, haja visto que o extrato não provocou a morte de nenhum animal durante o teste de toxicidade aguda, provavelmente devido à ausência de heterosídeos cianogênicos na sua composição. Apesar de não provocar morte, considerou-se que o extrato apresenta uma discreta toxicidade, uma vez que foi observada a ocorrência de espasmos na primeira hora de observação dos animais. O extrato apresentou ainda efeito analgésico e anti-inflamatório significativo nas doses de 30, 100 e 300 mg/kg pelo teste da formalina, sendo o resultado na maior dose equivalente ao obtido com a droga padrão (fentanil. No entanto, não observamos efeito antiedematogênico nas doses testadas durante as 5 horas de registro do edema de pata. Os resultados obtidos nesta pesquisa conferem base científica preliminar quanto à segurança e ao efeito analgésico e antiinflamatório da droga vegetal, o

Drug: D06965 [KEGG MEDICUS

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available izome [DR:D00092], Scutellaria root [DR:D06688], Phellodendron bark [DR:D06689], Gardenia fruit [DR:D06731], Platycodon root [DR:D067...03], Forsythia fruit [DR:D04674], Peppermint [DR:D05431

Drug: D06985 [KEGG MEDICUS

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available 727], Pinellia tuber [DR:D06778], Scutellaria root [DR:D06688], Ginseng [DR:D06772], Jujube [DR:D06758], Glycyrrhiza [DR:D04365], Gin...ger [DR:D06744] ... Therapeutic category: 5200 ... PubChem: 51091327 ...

Isolation and Purification of Sesquiterpene Lactones from Ixeris ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Bunge) Hance by highspeed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC). Methods: I. sonchifolia was extracted with water and then loaded on a glass column (10 ~ 1500 cm containing 3000g D101 macroporous resin) where various ...

Nieuwe vondsten van zeldzame planten in 1993, 1994 en (ten dele) 1995

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Meijden, van der Ruud; Holverda, Wout J.; Duistermaat, Leni (H.)

1996-01-01

New indigenous species are Conopodium majus and Vulpia membranacea, and the recently recorded hybrid Scutellaria galericulata x minor (S. x hybrida). New and fully naturalized neophytes are the invasive species Hydrocotyle ranunculoides and Impatiens capensis. Other new neophytes are

Taimeleiud Cornwalli reisilt / Jaan Mettik

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Mettik, Jaan

2014-01-01

Inglismaa edelatipu leebes kliimas kasvavad hästi paljud kaunid lõunapoolkera taimed: lembeliilia, Bunge saatusepuu, Inglise kuisma, Brasiilia gunnera, romneia, turdlehine ebapaanaks, süüria hibisk, puiskestvik, hark-võrelehik, teravakarvaline dasüliirion, Ochagavia carnea

Gu's [6] showed that baicalin could induce apoptosis and inhibit the ...

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ABSTRACT. ABSTRACT. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) has been evaluated for the determination of components in Scutellaria baicalensis georgi, primarily by the separation of baicalin. The samples were extracted at reflux by methanol, and the content of chlorogenic acid was analyzed by HPLC.

Oral pharmacokinetics of baicalin, wogonoside, oroxylin A 7-O-β-d-glucuronide and their aglycones from an aqueous extract of Scutellariae Radix in the rat.

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Yu; Li, Sai; Li, Ting; Zhou, Ruina; Wai, Alfred Tai-Seng; Yan, Ru

2016-07-15

Scutellariae Radix (SR) has been extensively prescribed in folk medicines due to its notable beneficial activities. The flavonoid glucuronides baicalin (BG), wogonoside (WG), oroxylin A 7-O-β-d-glucuronide (OG) and their aglycones baicalein, wogonin and oroxylin A, are the main components of the herb. So far, majority of previous studies failed to report the pharmacokinetics and none offered an explanation for the systemic exposures of these six flavonoids when the herbal extract was orally administered. In this study, when a SR extract was orally dosed to rats (800mg/kg, equivalent to BG 324.80, WG 124.00, OG 43.04, baicalein 25.36, wogonin 24.40, and oroxylin A 5.79mg/kg), all six flavonoids were detectable throughout the experimental period (48h) using an LC-MS/MS method with the Cmax and AUC0-48h of the glucuronides 10-130 times that of respective aglycones. As the lowest among the three glucuronides in the herb, OG was the most abundant in vivo, while the systemic exposure of wogonin was the highest amongst the three aglycones. The dose-normalized AUC0-48h descended in orders of OG/oroxylin A, WG/wogonin and BG/baicalein. Two di-conjugates of baicalein (BG glucuronide and BG glucoside), two BG isomers (minor BM1 and major BM2), and one WG isomer (wogonin 5-O-glucuronide) were detected in rat plasma. Semi-quantitation of the isomers with peak area data revealed that the AUPs (area under peak area ratio-time curves) of BG isomers were ∼3 times that of BG, yet the AUP of wogonin 5-O-glucuronide was only one seventh of WG. BM2, tentatively assigned as baicalein 6-O-glucuronide, was formed from both microbial isomerization of BG and hepatic glucuronidation of baicalein. Wogonin 5-O-glucuronide was only formed in hepatic glucuronidation of wogonin. Demethylated wogonin was observed in gut bacteria, offering an optional origin of BM1 apart from baicalein glucuronidation. Microbial isomerization of BG and extensive hepatic glucuronidation of baicalein to form BM2as

Implantate und Verfahren in der Augenheilkunde

Science.gov (United States)

Neuhann, Tobias H.

Das in der Medizin mit am häufigsten verwendete Implantat weltweit ist die Intraokulare Linse (IOL). Die Gründe hierfür sind vielschichtig: einmal haben die Operationstechniken in den letzten 30 Jahren eine wesentliche Steigerung an Gleichmäßigkeit, Erfolg und Effizienz erfahren, zum anderen verursachen die gestiegenen Anforderungen des Alltags in den Industrienationen und im Berufsleben den höheren Anspruch an das Sehvermögen. Ist die menschliche Linse Ursache für schlechtes Sehvermögen, besteht meist eine Trübung des Linsenproteins. Diese Trübung nennt wird Volksmund Grauer Star genannt, wissenschaftlich die Katarakt (cataracta). Es gibt unterschiedliche Formen wie angeborene (congenita) oder erworbene, traumatische, krankheitsoder altersbedingte Formen [45]. Wird die eingetrübte Linse nun mittels moderner Operationsverfahren entfernt, muss für Ersatz dieses lichtbrechenden Mediums gesorgt werden [2].

Probe substrate and enzyme source-dependent inhibition of UDP ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Drug-metabolizing enzymes (DMEs) inhibition based drug-drug interaction and herb-drug interaction severely challenge the R&D process of drugs or herbal ingredients. Objective: To evaluate the inhibition potential of wogonin (an important flavonoid isolated from the root of Scutellaria baicalensis) towards ...

A new pyrrolidone derivative from Pistacia chinensis

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Jian Jun Liu; Chang An Geng; Xi Kui Liu

2008-01-01

A new N-phenyl-pyrrolidone derivative had been isolated from Pistacia chinesis Bunge. Its structure was elucidated as4-hydroxy-5-(2-oxo-1-pyrrolidinyl)-benzoic acid, named pistaciamide on the basis of the 1D-NMR, DEPT, HMQC and HMBCspectroscopic techniques.

[Fungi isolated from diseased medicinal plants].

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Sato, T; Matsuhashi, M; Iida, O

1992-01-01

One hundred and forty-four fungal isolates were obtained from diseased Paeonia albiflora Pall. var. trichocarpa Bung., Astragalus membranaceus Bung., Lithospermum erythrorhizon Sieb. et Zucc., Ledebouriella seseloides Wolff and Bupleurum falcatum L. which were collected in the test field of Tsukuba Medicinal Plant Research Station, National Institute of Hygienic Sciences. Most of them were identified into 15 genera containing 8 species. Fungal species presumed to be pathogens of the host plants were as follows: Cladosporium paeoniae, Pestalotia paeoniicola, Glomerella cingulata, Hainesia lythri, Guignardia sp. and Alternaria sp. from P. albiflora, Fusarium spp., Rhizoctonia spp. and Neocosmospora vasinfecta from A. membranaceus, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides from L. erythrorhizon, Rhizoctonia sp., Fusarium spp., Phoma sp. and Pyrenochaeta sp. from L. seseloides, and Fusarium sp., Alternaria alternata, Phyllosticta sp., Phoma sp., Phomopsis sp. and C. gloeosporioides from B. falcatum. Roots of B. falcatum were found to be parasitized by Meloidogyne sp.

Training verb and sentence production in agrammatic Broca's aphasia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Links, Petra; Hurkmans, Joost; Bastiaanse, Roelien

2010-01-01

Background: Many aphasic speakers have problems producing verbs at both the word and the sentence level. A treatment programme called ACTION (Bastiaanse, Bunge, Perk, 2004; Bastiaanse, Jonkers, Quak, Varela Put, 1997) has been developed to train verb production of both fluent and non-fluent aphasic

Molecular responses and expression analysis of genes in a ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Haloxylon ammodendron (C.A Mey.) Bunge is a xero-halophytic desert shrub with excellent drought resistance and salt tolerance. To decipher the molecular responses involved in its drought resistance, the cDNA-AFLP (amplified fragment length polymorphism) technique was employed to identify genes expressed ...

Iridoids from Scutellaria goulimyi Rech. f., Lamiaceae. Morphological and chemical relations with Scutellaria albida L. ssp albida

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gousiadou, Chrysoula; Gotfredsen, Charlotte Held; Jensen, Søren Rosendal

2012-01-01

the close relationship between the two species (Bothmer, 1991), we undertook to investigate chemical similarities between S. goulimyi and S. albida L. ssp albida (Gousiadou et al., 2007; 2012) for taxonomic purposes. To our knowledge, this is the first report concerning the chemical fingerprint of S...

Combination of acupuncture and Chinese medicinal herbs in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The concentration of serum salvianolic acid Group C was significantly higher than Group B, indicating that acupuncture might improve the absorption of salvianolic acid B from the extracts of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge in the Chinese medicine formula. Combination of acupuncture and Chinese medicinal herbs significantly ...

Antidepressant screening and flavonoids isolation from ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Eremostachys laciniata (L) Bunge (Lamiaceae), a rich source of flavonoids, has been investigated for chemical constituents and in vivo antidepressant property using forced swim test (FST) model. Five important compounds were isolated, including luteolin (1), apigenin (2), 5,8-dihydroxy-6,7- dimethoxyflavone (3), 5 ...

Zhou et al., Afr J Tradit Complement Altern Med. (2010) 7(4):339-349

African Journals Online (AJOL)

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Thirdly, pharmacokinetics analysis of Scutellaria baicalensis and Curcuma .... All the plasma samples were stored at −20°C until analysis. ... After centrifugation at 3,000 rpm for 10 min, the supernatant was filtered through a 0.45 μm membrane filter unit. ..... traditional Chinese herbs and vegetables for chemoprevention.

Large power supply facilities for fusion research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miyahara, Akira; Yamamoto, Mitsuyoshi.

1976-01-01

The authors had opportunities to manufacture and to operate two power supply facilities, that is, 125MVA computer controlled AC generator with a fly wheel for JIPP-T-2 stellerator in Institute of Plasma Physics, Nagoya University and 3MW trial superconductive homopolar DC generator to the Japan Society for Promotion of Machine Industry. The 125MVA fly-wheel generator can feed both 60MW (6kV x 10kA) DC power for toroidal coils and 20MW (0.5kV x 40kA) DC power for helical coils. The characteristic features are possibility of Bung-Bung control based on Pontrjagin's maximum principle, constant current control or constant voltage control for load coils, and cpu control for routine operation. The 3MW (150V-20000A) homopolar generator is the largest in the world as superconductive one, however, this capacity is not enough for nuclear fusion research. The problems of power supply facilities for large Tokamak devices are discussed

Excited state electron affinity calculations for aluminum

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Hussein, Adnan Yousif

2017-08-01

Excited states of negative aluminum ion are reviewed, and calculations of electron affinities of the states (3s^23p^2)^1D and (3s3p^3){^5}{S}° relative to the (3s^23p)^2P° and (3s3p^2)^4P respectively of the neutral aluminum atom are reported in the framework of nonrelativistic configuration interaction (CI) method. A priori selected CI (SCI) with truncation energy error (Bunge in J Chem Phys 125:014107, 2006) and CI by parts (Bunge and Carbó-Dorca in J Chem Phys 125:014108, 2006) are used to approximate the valence nonrelativistic energy. Systematic studies of convergence of electron affinity with respect to the CI excitation level are reported. The calculated value of the electron affinity for ^1D state is 78.675(3) meV. Detailed Calculations on the ^5S°c state reveals that is 1216.8166(3) meV below the ^4P state.

Lepidium flavum Torrey var. apterum nob

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Henrard, J.Th.; Thellung, A.

1918-01-01

Wie bekannt, ist TORREY’S Lepidium flavum sehr ausgezeichnet durch die gelbe Krone mit der zweizähnigen Frucht und dem sehr langen hervorragenden Griffel *). Lepidium flavum gehört also zur Sektion Monoploca (BUNGE 1845 pro gen.) THELLUNG, und zwar speziell zur Grex Alyssoidea THELL. ¹) Bei einer

Efficacy of standardised herbal extracts in type 1 diabetes - an ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In the present study, the hypoglycemic activity of Withania somnifera Dunal, Allium sativum Linn., Gymnema sylvestre (Retz.) Schult, Ferula foetida (Bunge.) Reg. and Murraya koenigii (L.) Spreng. extracts have been studied in an experimental model of type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes was induced in albino rats by a single ...

Foudah et al., Afr J Tradit Complement Altern Med., (2017) 14 (5): 31 ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

phenolic and flavonoid content of Astragalus squarrosus Bunge. Afr. J. Biotechnol., 10: 19176-19180. 2. Bagheri, S., L. Keyhani, M. Heydari and H. Dashti, 2015. Antinociceptive activity of Astragalus gummifer gum. (gum tragacanth) through the adrenergic system: An in vivo study in mice. J. Ayurveda Integr. Med., 6: 19-23.

SSR markers reveal the genetic diversity of Asian Cercis taxa at the U.S. National Arboretum

Science.gov (United States)

The redbud (Cercis L. species) is a popular landscape plant grown widely in the United States. There are more than twenty cultivars of eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis L.) and at least three cultivars of Asian taxa (primarily C. chinensis Bunge) in the trade. The U.S. National Arboretum (USNA) has ...

An Ontological and Epistemological Analysis of the Presentation of the First Law of Thermodynamics in School and University Textbooks

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Poblete, Joaquin Castillo; Rojas, Rocio Ogaz; Merino, Cristian; Quiroz, Waldo

2016-01-01

Considering the relevance of thermodynamics to the scientific discipline of chemistry and the curriculum of the Western school system, the philosophical system of Mario Bunge, particularly his ontology and epistemology, is used herein to analyze the presentation of the first law of thermodynamics in 15 school and university textbooks. The…

40 CFR 52.770 - Identification of plan.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... for the Bunge Corporation, Globe Industries, Skyline Corporation, and Dubois County Farm Bureau Co-op...; 326 IAC 8-5-5 Graphic Arts Operations. (4) Effective June 8, 1990: 326 IAC 8-1-2 Compliance Methods... Petroleum Refineries, Monitoring, Reports; 326 IAC 8-5-5 Graphic Arts Operations. (88) On February 15, 1990...

Antitumor activity of baicalein on the mice bearing U14 cervical cancer

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Baicalein is one of the major constituents of Scutellaria baicalensis, and some cancer cells could be inhibited by it according to some studies in recent years. Mice tumor models of U14 cervical cancer was established in our study, baicalein of high and low dose (40 and 20 mg/kg, respectively) were given orally to mice.

Study of radon exhalation from phosphogypsum plates and blocks from different origins

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Costa, Lucas Jose Pereira da

2011-01-01

Phosphogypsum is a waste of the fertilizer industry that concentrates radionuclides. In this work, the 222 Rn exhalation rate from phosphogypsum plates and blocks from different origins used at dwellings construction was studied. The 222 Rn exhalation rate was determined through the accumulation chamber technique with solid state nuclear track detectors (SSNTD). The effective dose for an individual living in a residence built with phosphogypsum based materials was evaluated. It also was calculated the 222 Rn exhalation rate through the UNSCEAR model, from the 226 Ra concentration in the materials, in order to compare the experimental results. It was evaluated the contribution of building component (paint) to the reduction of 222 Rn exhalation rate. The plates and blocks were manufactured with phosphogypsum from Bunge Fertilizantes, Ultrafertil and Fosfertil. Blocks manufactured with ordinary gypsum was also evaluated. The average results obtained were 0.19 ± 0.06 Bq m-2 h-1, 1.3 ± 0.3 Bq m -2 h -1 and 0.41 ± 0.07 Bq m -2 h -1 for plates manufactured with phosphogypsum from Bunge Fertilizer, Ultrafertil and Fosfertil, respectively. For the phosphogypsum blocks the values were 0.11 ± 0.01 Bq m -2 h-1, 1.2 ± 0.6 Bq m -2 h -1 , 0.47 ± 0.15 Bq m -2 h -1 , for Bunge, Ultrafertil and Fosfertil. The blocks manufactured with ordinary gypsum presented average value of 0.18 ± 0.08 Bq m -2 h'- 1 . All phosphogypsum plates and blocks evaluated in this study presented effective dose for radon inhalation lower than the recommended value of 1mSv y -1 , the annual effective dose limit for public exposure by International Commission on Radiological Protection. (author)

Study of radon exhalation from phosphogypsum plates and blocks from different origins; Estudo da exalacao de radonio em placas e tijolos de fosfogesso de diferentes procedencias

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Costa, Lucas Jose Pereira da

2011-07-01

Phosphogypsum is a waste of the fertilizer industry that concentrates radionuclides. In this work, the {sup 222}Rn exhalation rate from phosphogypsum plates and blocks from different origins used at dwellings construction was studied. The {sup 222}Rn exhalation rate was determined through the accumulation chamber technique with solid state nuclear track detectors (SSNTD). The effective dose for an individual living in a residence built with phosphogypsum based materials was evaluated. It also was calculated the {sup 222}Rn exhalation rate through the UNSCEAR model, from the {sup 226}Ra concentration in the materials, in order to compare the experimental results. It was evaluated the contribution of building component (paint) to the reduction of {sup 222}Rn exhalation rate. The plates and blocks were manufactured with phosphogypsum from Bunge Fertilizantes, Ultrafertil and Fosfertil. Blocks manufactured with ordinary gypsum was also evaluated. The average results obtained were 0.19 {+-} 0.06 Bq m-2 h-1, 1.3 {+-} 0.3 Bq m{sup -2} h{sup -1} and 0.41 {+-} 0.07 Bq m{sup -2} h{sup -1} for plates manufactured with phosphogypsum from Bunge Fertilizer, Ultrafertil and Fosfertil, respectively. For the phosphogypsum blocks the values were 0.11 {+-} 0.01 Bq m{sup -2} h-1, 1.2 {+-} 0.6 Bq m{sup -2} h{sup -1}, 0.47 {+-} 0.15 Bq m{sup -2} h{sup -1}, for Bunge, Ultrafertil and Fosfertil. The blocks manufactured with ordinary gypsum presented average value of 0.18 {+-} 0.08 Bq m{sup -2} h'-{sup 1}. All phosphogypsum plates and blocks evaluated in this study presented effective dose for radon inhalation lower than the recommended value of 1mSv y{sup -1}, the annual effective dose limit for public exposure by International Commission on Radiological Protection. (author)

Anti-osteoporosis activity of Astragalus membranaceus Bunge ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Method: Female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into six groups: control group, ovariectomy (OVX) with vehicle group, OVX with 17β-estradiol (E2, 25 μg/kg/day) group, and OVX with AMBE doses (60, 120 ... Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that AMBE prevents OVX-induced osteoporosis in rats.

Natural Laws and Ontological Reflections: The Textual and Didactic Implications of the Presentation of Boyle's Law in General Chemistry

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Quiroz, Waldo; Rubilar, Cristian Merino

2015-01-01

This study develops a tool to identify errors in the presentation of natural laws based on the epistemology and ontology of the Scientific Realism of Mario Bunge. The tool is able to identify errors of different types: (1) epistemological, in which the law is incorrectly presented as data correlation instead of as a pattern of causality; (2)…

Realist Ontology and Natural Processes: A Semantic Tool to Analyze the Presentation of the Osmosis Concept in Science Texts

Science.gov (United States)

Spinelli Barria, Michele; Morales, Cecilia; Merino, Cristian; Quiroz, Waldo

2016-01-01

In this work, we developed an ontological tool, based on the scientific realism of Mario Bunge, for the analysis of the presentation of natural processes in science textbooks. This tool was applied to analyze the presentation of the concept of osmosis in 16 chemistry and biology books at different educational levels. The results showed that more…

activity guided isolation of chemical constituents from the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Acer truncatum Bunge by high-speed counter-current chromatography. J. Chromatogr. A. 2005, 1070, 211–214. 11. Morton, J.J.; Malone, M.H. Evaluation of vulneray activity by an open wound procedure in rats. Arch.Int. Pharmacodyn. Ther. 1972, 196, 117–126. 12. Dash, G.K.; Murthy, P.N. Studies on wound healing activity ...

Molecular Cloning and Expression of a Novel Gene Related to ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A new legume lectin gene, designated as SmL1, was cloned from Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, a famous traditional Chinese medicinal plant. The cDNA of SmL1 was 919 bp in length and contained an 822 bp open reading frame (ORF) encoding a putative lectin precursor with two legume lectin domains. The deduced SML1 ...

Anti-Inflammatory and Immunomodulatory Mechanism of Tanshinone IIA for Atherosclerosis

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Zhuo Chen

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Tanshinone IIA (Tan II A is widely used in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases as an active component of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge. It has been demonstrated to have pleiotropic effects for atherosclerosis. From the anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory mechanism perspective, this paper reviewed major progresses of Tan IIA in antiatherosclerosis research, including immune cells, antigens, cytokines, and cell signaling pathways.

REALITY AND PROBABILITY IN MARIO BUNGE' S TREATISE

OpenAIRE

Paty , Michel

1990-01-01

The problem of the nature of probability laws in physics is a central one from the epistemologic point of view : perhaps the most central one for twentieth century physics, if we consider, on the one hand, the harsh debates to which it has given rise in the recent past (left unconcluded by the protagonists and most often by their successors) and the vagueness of the answers which are generally proposed by contemporary physicists when asked about this problem ; and, on the other hand, the pers...

Effect of Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch) Bunge extract on ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

109.438 ± 3.52, p < 0.05) and ... Conclusion: The results suggest that AMBE may effectively normalize impaired antioxidant status in streptozotocin-induced diabetes in a dose-dependent manner. ... insulin resistance, insufficient insulin secretion, is.

Antitumor activity of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi total flavonoids ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

ajl yemi

2011-12-19

Dec 19, 2011 ... 3Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Electrical Engineering, Yanshan University, ... The cell cycle and the percentage of apoptotic cells were detected by flow cytometer, and the ... studies were extracted from the stem and leaf of S. ..... information stimulation, thus the restriction point of G1.

Antitumor activity of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi total flavonoids ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The mice models bearing U14 cervical cancer were established in our study and STF were orally administered to mice at a dose of 1000, 500 and 250 mg/kg body weight, respectively. The rate of tumor inhibition was studied, and the cell morphology of tumor, liver and kidney were observed after HE staining. The cell cycle ...

Scutellaria hsiehii (Lamiaceae, a New Species from Taiwan

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Tsung-Hsin Hsieh

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Two new species of Ophiopogon (O. rupestris, O. tristylatus and one species of Peliosanthes (P. cambodiana of Asparagaceae (Convallariaceae s. str. discovered recently in southern Cambodia and in Vietnam are described and illustrated. All described species are probably local endemics with a restricted distribution. Data reported for each described species comprise a standard citation of type specimens, description, list of available paratypes, proposed species epithet etymology, data on ecology, phenology and distribution, as well as short taxonomic remarks.

Evaluation of Embryotoxicity of Radix scutellariae Based on ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Methods: All the test samples were obtained by water extraction method. The embryotoxicity ... proteins in three germ layers, promoting differentiation of the ectoderm (⋆p < 0.05; ⋆⋆p < 0.01) and ... embryotoxicity assay requires a relatively simple ... hot aqueous extraction. ... 450 nm in different experimental wells relative to.

Metabolic Profiling Analysis of the Alleviation Effect of Treatment with Baicalin on Cinnabar Induced Toxicity in Rats Urine and Serum

OpenAIRE

Guangyue Su; Guangyue Su; Gang Chen; Gang Chen; Xiao An; Haifeng Wang; Haifeng Wang; Yue-Hu Pei; Yue-Hu Pei

2017-01-01

Objectives: Baicalin is the main bioactive flavonoid constituent isolated from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi. The mechanisms of protection of liver remain unclear. In this study, 1H NMR-based metabonomics approach has been used to investigate the alleviation effect of Baicalin.Method:1H NMR metabolomics analyses of urine and serum from rats, was performed to illuminate the alleviation effect of Baicalin on mineral medicine (cinnabar)-induced liver and kidney toxicity.Results: The metabolic p...

Metabolic Profiling Analysis of the Alleviation Effect of Treatment with Baicalin on Cinnabar Induced Toxicity in Rats Urine and Serum

OpenAIRE

Su, Guangyue; Chen, Gang; An, Xiao; Wang, Haifeng; Pei, Yue-Hu

2017-01-01

Objectives: Baicalin is the main bioactive flavonoid constituent isolated from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi. The mechanisms of protection of liver remain unclear. In this study, 1H NMR-based metabonomics approach has been used to investigate the alleviation effect of Baicalin. Method: 1H NMR metabolomics analyses of urine and serum from rats, was performed to illuminate the alleviation effect of Baicalin on mineral medicine (cinnabar)-induced liver and kidney toxicity. Results: The me...

Comprehensive Quantitative Analysis of 32 Chemical Ingredients of a Chinese Patented Drug Sanhuang Tablet

OpenAIRE

Hau-Yee Fung; Yan Lang; Hing-Man Ho; Tin-Long Wong; Dik-Lung Ma; Chung-Hang Leung; Quan-Bin Han

2017-01-01

Sanhuang Tablet (SHT) is a Chinese patented drug commonly used for the treatment of inflammations of the respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract, and skin. It contains a special medicinal composition including the single compound berberine hydrochloride, extracts of Scutellariae Radix and Rhei Radix et Rhizoma, as well as the powder of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma. Despite advances in analytical techniques, quantitative evaluation of a Chinese patented drug like SHT remains a challenge due to the ...

STRATEGY OF PROMOTING LIBRARIAN’S PERFORMANCE IN CREATING USER’S SATISFACTION IN NATIONAL LIBRARY OF INDONESIA

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Ahmad Masykuri

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The objective of this research is to determine the influence of the corporate culture, employee empowerment, librarianship training and work ethics towards employee performance (case study in National Library of Indonesia Jl. Salemba Raya 28 A Jakarta, UPT Bung Karno Library in Blitar, and UPT Bung Hatta Library in Bukit Tinggi. The research approach is using quantitave method with path analysis. Sampling techniques is simple random sampling with a representative sample of 124 librarians. The data was collected through a Likert type structured questionaire toward variables. The next step is to test the validity by using the Pearson Product Moment test analysis and Realibility test by using Cronbach Alpha test and then the data was analyzed as requirement of statistic test; normality test error with Lilliefors, homogenity test and tests of significance and linearity of regression coefficients. The result such as: 1. Corporate culture, employee empowerment, librarianship training and work ethic has direct positive and significant effects towards performance. 2. Corporate culture and employee empowerment has direct positive and significant effects towards work ethic. 3. Employee empowerment has direct positive effects, but not significant to work ethics. Research implication showed the important of policy and chief regulatory about strengthen corporate culture, librarian empowerment equality and enhancement librarianship training.

The prevention of radiation-induced DNA damage and apoptosis in human intestinal epithelial cells by salvianic acid A

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Yanjun Zhang

2014-07-01

Full Text Available The topic of radiation always provokes public debate, and the uses of radiation for therapeutic and other purposes have always been associated with some anxiety. Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge has been widely used for the treatment of various diseases including cerebrovascular diseases, coronary artery diseases, and myocardial infarction. Salvianolic acid A (SAA d (+-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl lactic acid is the principal effective, watersoluble constituent of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge. In our present study, radiation-induced DNA damage and apoptosis in human intestinal epithelial cells (HIEC in the presence and absence of SAA were examined. We investigated the effects of SAA on ROS formation and the activity of enzymatic antioxidants (SOD, the lipid peroxidative index and the levels of non-enzymatic antioxidant (GSH. Finally, we investigated whether the reduction of radiation-induced cell death caused by SAA might be related to mitochondria-dependent apoptosis. Present findings indicate that SAA is a promising radioprotective agent with a strong antioxidant activity. SAA exerted its protective action on the proliferative activity of HIEC cells as evidenced by decreased cytotoxicity after exposure to γ-radiation. It is possible that SAA achieved its radioprotective action, at least in part, by enhancing DNA repair and the activity of antioxidant enzymes, by scavenging ROS and by inhibiting the mitochondria-dependent apoptotic pathway.

Baicalein antagonizes rotenone-induced apoptosis in dopaminergic SH-SY5Y cells related to Parkinsonism

OpenAIRE

Song Ju-Xian; Choi Mandy; Wong Kavin; Chung Winkie; Sze Stephen; Ng Tzi-Bun; Zhang Kalin

2012-01-01

Abstract Background Two active compounds, baicalein and its glycoside baicalin were found in the dried root of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, and reported to be neuroprotective in vitro and in vivo. This study aims to evaluate the protective effects of baicalein on the rotenone-induced apoptosis in dopaminergic SH-SY5Y cells related to parkinsonism. Methods Cell viability and cytotoxicity were determined by MTT assay. The degree of nuclear apoptosis was evaluated with a fluorescent DNA-bindi...

Genotoxicity of extracts of Japanese traditional herbal medicines (Kampo)

OpenAIRE

Makoto, Katami; Haruo, Kuboniwa; Shunichi, Maemura; Toshihiko, Yanagisawa; New Drug Discovery Laboratory, R & D Division, TSUMURA & Co.; New Drug Discovery Laboratory, R & D Division, TSUMURA & Co.; New Drug Discovery Laboratory, R & D Division, TSUMURA & Co.; New Drug Discovery Laboratory, R & D Division, TSUMURA & Co.

2002-01-01

The possible genotoxicity potential of 128 Japanese traditional herbal medicines (Kampo) was investigated using a bacterial reverse mutation test (the Ames test), an in vivo micronucleus test (MN test) in mouse bone marrow cells and an unscheduled DNA synthesis test (UDS test) in rat hepatocytes. Of 128 Kampo extracts examined, 98 did not induce mutations in bacteria while 30 induced mutations weakly in Salmonella typhimurium TA1537. Extracts of Scutellariae Radix, a common herbal drug, and i...

Bunge sajand ja sajand Bungeta. II / Peeter Järvelaid

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Järvelaid, Peeter, 1957-

1998-01-01

Tartu Ülikooli professorist, Balti eraõiguse uurimise alusepanijast ja baltisaksa professionaalse ajalooteaduse ühest rajajast Friedrich Georg von Bungest (1802-1897). Algus: Kleio : Ajaloo Ajakiri 1997, nr. 4, lk. 49-51

Inhibitory Effect of Polysaccharides from Scutellaria barbata D. Don ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research August 2013; 12 (4): 517-522. ISSN: 1596-5996 ... invasion and metastasis of lung cancer, and study the possible mechanism. Methods: ..... vascular invasion in stage I squamous cell carcinoma of ...

Inhibitory Effect of Polysaccharides from Scutellaria barbata D. Don ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

potential source of new anti-cancer drugs [7, 8] and some ... The RPMI 1640 media and fetal bovine serum (FBS) ... York, USA). Matrigel was ... times (each extraction period lasting 2 h) with ... the commercial kits to examine the expressions.

The synergistic activity of antibiotics combined with eight traditional Chinese medicines against two different strains of Staphylococcus aureus.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Zai-Chang; Wang, Bo-Chu; Yang, Xiao-Sheng; Wang, Qiang; Ran, Liang

2005-03-25

The ethanolic extracts of eight traditional Chinese medicines and four antibiotics were investigated for their combined effects on the resistance of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) in vitro. Methicillin resistant S. aureus, which was isolated from patient and a standard strain, were used. Our results showed that there are differences in the effects of many combinations used on the standard strain and resistant strain of S. aureus. The ethanolic extracts of Isatis tinctoria, Scutellaria baicalensis and Rheum palmatum can improve the antimicrobial activity of four antibiotics we used.

Dollar Summary of Federal Supply Classification and Service Category by Company, FY83, Part 3 (7025-9999).

Science.gov (United States)

1983-01-01

NEW YORK ARMY KITCHEN HAND TOOLS AND UTENSILS 45 FSC TOTAL 235 7340 GEORGIA FACTORY FOR THE BLIND GEORGIA DLA CUTLERY AND FLATWARE 743 NATIONAL...INDUSTRIES FOR THE BLIND NEW JERSEY DLA CUTLERY AND FLATWARE 97 REEM 4 BARTON CORP MASS NAVY CUTLERY AND FLATWARE 52 FSC TOTAL- 892 DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE...69,060 8945 ANDERSON CLAYTON & CO ILLINOIS DLA FOOD OILS AND FATS 387 TEXAS DLA FOOD OILS AND FATS 27 CONTRACTOR TOTAL 414 BUNGE EDIBLE OIL TENNESSEE DLA

Isolation and characterization of antimicrobial compounds in plant extracts against multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii.

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Yoko Miyasaki

Full Text Available The number of fully active antibiotic options that treat nosocomial infections due to multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii is extremely limited. Magnolia officinalis, Mahonia bealei, Rabdosia rubescens, Rosa rugosa, Rubus chingii, Scutellaria baicalensis, and Terminalia chebula plant extracts were previously shown to have growth inhibitory activity against a multidrug-resistant clinical strain of A. baumannii. In this study, the compounds responsible for their antimicrobial activity were identified by fractionating each plant extract using high performance liquid chromatography, and determining the antimicrobial activity of each fraction against A. baumannii. The chemical structures of the fractions inhibiting >40% of the bacterial growth were elucidated by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The six most active compounds were identified as: ellagic acid in Rosa rugosa; norwogonin in Scutellaria baicalensis; and chebulagic acid, chebulinic acid, corilagin, and terchebulin in Terminalia chebula. The most potent compound was identified as norwogonin with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 128 µg/mL, and minimum bactericidal concentration of 256 µg/mL against clinically relevant strains of A. baumannii. Combination studies of norwogonin with ten anti-Gram negative bacterial agents demonstrated that norwogonin did not enhance the antimicrobial activity of the synthetic antibiotics chosen for this study. In conclusion, of all identified antimicrobial compounds, norwogonin was the most potent against multidrug-resistant A. baumannii strains. Further studies are warranted to ascertain the prophylactic and therapeutic potential of norwogonin for infections due to multidrug-resistant A. baumannii.

17th International Conference on Textures of Materials (ICOTOM 17)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skrotzki, Werner; Oertel, Carl-Georg

2015-01-01

. Texture related research on microstructures 9. Texture-induced anisotropy 10. Insight through new experimental methods 11. Technological applications of texture studies 12. Other new developments and future trends related to the field While there was large interest in the topics 2, 3 and 8, contributions to topic 7 were much less than expected. ICOTOM 17 attracted 266 scientists from 34 countries with about one third of the participants being students. This is a very good ratio showing that we could attract the young generation. There have been 216 oral and 76 poster presentations, three of which received a poster award. It is our pleasure to thank the members of the International ICOTOM Committee for their valuable help, especially for proposing and choosing the 15 plenary speakers as well as the distinguished scientist of the texture community for the 'Bunge Award'. 130 papers were submitted for publication in the proceedings, 116 were accepted after reviewing. We would like to express our thanks to all referees for their efficient and prompt efforts. We acknowledge particularly support from the German Research Society (DFG) and the City of Dresden. We are also grateful for industrial support from Bruker Nano GmbH, Oxford Instruments GmbH, Ametek GmbH / EDAX, Labosoft S.C., PANalytical GmbH and IOP Publishing. Finally we thank all members of the National Organizing Committee, Intercom Dresden and Conwerk / Laboratory Ten for the excellent organization of ICOTOM 17 and the very pleasant collaboration. On the first day of the conference three tutorials have been offered. Each of them has been attended by about 30 participants. 1. Texture-aided residual stress identification system (TARSIuS) (organized by Prof. Dr. J. Bonarski and Mr. B. Kania) 2. MTEX - MATLAB toolbox for quantitative texture analysis (organized by Dr. R. Hielscher and Mr. F. Bachmann) 3. Grain boundary engineering (organized by Prof. N. Bozzolo and Prof. Dr. A.D. Rollett) A highlight of ICOTOM

PREFACE: 17th International Conference on Textures of Materials (ICOTOM 17)

Science.gov (United States)

Skrotzki, Werner; Oertel, Carl-Georg

2015-04-01

related research on microstructures 9. Texture-induced anisotropy 10. Insight through new experimental methods 11. Technological applications of texture studies 12. Other new developments and future trends related to the field While there was large interest in the topics 2, 3 and 8, contributions to topic 7 were much less than expected. ICOTOM 17 attracted 266 scientists from 34 countries with about one third of the participants being students. This is a very good ratio showing that we could attract the young generation. There have been 216 oral and 76 poster presentations, three of which received a poster award. It is our pleasure to thank the members of the International ICOTOM Committee for their valuable help, especially for proposing and choosing the 15 plenary speakers as well as the distinguished scientist of the texture community for the "Bunge Award". 130 papers were submitted for publication in the proceedings, 116 were accepted after reviewing. We would like to express our thanks to all referees for their efficient and prompt efforts. We acknowledge particularly support from the German Research Society (DFG) and the City of Dresden. We are also grateful for industrial support from Bruker Nano GmbH, Oxford Instruments GmbH, Ametek GmbH / EDAX, Labosoft S.C., PANalytical GmbH and IOP Publishing. Finally we thank all members of the National Organizing Committee, Intercom Dresden and Conwerk / Laboratory Ten for the excellent organization of ICOTOM 17 and the very pleasant collaboration. On the first day of the conference three tutorials have been offered. Each of them has been attended by about 30 participants. 1. Texture-aided residual stress identification system (TARSIuS) (organized by Prof. Dr. J. Bonarski and Mr. B. Kania) 2. MTEX - MATLAB toolbox for quantitative texture analysis (organized by Dr. R. Hielscher and Mr. F. Bachmann) 3. Grain boundary engineering (organized by Prof. N. Bozzolo and Prof. Dr. A.D. Rollett) A highlight of ICOTOM 17 was the

Nuevos registros para la flora de Honduras y el Parque Nacional Montaña de Celaque.

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Hermes Vega

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Se registran 11 novedades para la flora de Honduras a partir de ejemplares recolectados en el Parque Nacional Montaña Celaque. Los nuevos registros son: Tillandsia mateoensis (Bromeliaceae, Diastema affine (Gesneriaceae, Scutellaria costaricana (Lamiaceae, Miconia contrerasii (Melastomataceae, Acianthera violacea, Dendrophylax porrectus, Epidendrum santaclarense, Lepanthes enca-barcenae, L. fratercula, L. isabelae y Sarcoglottis schaffneri (Orchidaceae. Por otra parte, Potosia guatemalensis es sinonimizado bajo S. schaffneri. Se incluyen fotos de todas las especies, hábitats y un mapa de distribución con sus localidades en Honduras.

「覆盆子」の生薬学的研究(第1報): 韓国産「覆盆子」の基源(I)

OpenAIRE

難波, 恒雄; 小松, かつ子; 小野, 淳子; 鳴橋, 直弘; 御影, 雅幸

1986-01-01

"Fu-pen-zi" (覆盆子) is the fruit drug, used in Chinese traditional medicine as the remedies for impotence, pollution and premature ejaculation, bet-wetting, frequency of urination, etc. "Fu-pen-zi" from China Continent is considered to be derived from immature fruits of Rubus chingii Hu in general, while in local from other Rubus fruits. On the other hand, the botanical origin of "Fu-pen-zi" produced in Korea is regarded as R. coreanus MIQ., R. crataegifolius BUNGE, R. parvifolius L., etc. Rubu...

Les Variacions Goldberg

OpenAIRE

Gallén Muñoz, Andreu

2011-01-01

L’Ària amb diverses variacions BWV 988, quarta part dels Clavier-übung, de Johann Sebastian Bach, és una obra que ha estat objecte de molts estudis. La seva extrema bellesa, el sobrenom amb què avui la coneixem, Variacions Goldberg -a partir de la llegenda que explica Forkel sobre un comte que patia insomni i el seu clavecinista Goldberg- i la seva estructura interna tan perfectament calculada, alhora que generadora de grans preguntes complexes de respondre, fan d’aquesta obra un mite indiscu...

Effects of Salvia miltiorrhiza extract with supplemental liquefied calcium on osteoporosis in calcium-deficient ovariectomized mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Bongkyun; Song, Hae Seong; Kwon, Jeong Eun; Cho, Se Min; Jang, Seon-A; Kim, Mi Yeon; Kang, Se Chan

2017-12-20

Extracts from Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge have been used in traditional Asian medicine to treat coronary heart disease, chronic renal failure, atherosclerosis, myocardial infraction, angina pectoris, myocardial ischemia, dysmenorrheal, neurasthenic insomnia, liver fibrosis and cirrhosis. The aim of the study was to investigate the anti-RANK signal effect of the combination of S.miltiorrhiza Bunge (SME) and liquefied calcium (LCa) supplement with ovariectomized (OVX-SML) mice, a osteoporosis animal model. Results were compared to 17β-estradiol (E 2 ) treatment. A total of 70 female ICR strain mice (7 weeks) were randomly divided into 10 groups with 7 mice in each group as follows: (1) sham-operated control mice (sham) received daily oral phosphate-buffered-saline (PBS) of equal volumes through oral administration. (2) OVX mice received a daily oral administration of PBS (OVX). (3) OVX mice treated daily with 50 mg/kg b.w./ day of SME (4) with 100 mg/kg b.w./day of SME or (5) with 200 mg/kg b.w./day of SME via oral administration. (6) OVX mice treated daily with 50 mg/kg b.w./day of SML (7) with 100 mg/kg b.w./day of SML or (8) with 200 mg/kg b.w./day of SML via oral administration. (9) OVX mice treated daily with 10 ml/kg b.w./day of LCa (10) OVX mice received i.p. injections of 17β-estradiol (E 2 ) (0.1 mg/kg b.w./day) three times per week for 12 weeks. micro-CT analysis revealed that oral administration of SML inhibited tibial bone loss, sustained trabecular bone state, and ameliorated bone biochemical markers. In addition, SML administration compared to SEM and LCa reduced serum levels of RANKL, osteocalcin and BALP through increased serum levels of OPG and E 2 in OVX mice. SML also had more beneficial effects on protection of estrogen-dependent bone loss through blocking expression of TRAF6 and NFTAc1 and produces cathepsin K and calcitonin receptor to develop osteoclast differentiation. These data suggest that S. miltiorrhiza Bunge combined with

Bunge y la didáctica de las ciencias humanas

OpenAIRE

Crivos, Marta; Denegri, Guillermo; Martínez, Gladys E.

2000-01-01

Estas líneas solo pretenden sumarse al homenaje a quien nos hizo posible acceder -a muchas generaciones de estudiantes y profesionales en nuestro país y el mundo- a una presentación clara y persuasiva de las raíces y alcance del quehacer científico y asomar a las intrincadas relaciones que unen y diferencian las distintas ramas de este quehacer a la filosofía.

La contabilidad : ¿ciencia o tecnología social? Debates inconclusos

OpenAIRE

Panario Centeno, María Marta; Farfan Leivano, María Angélica

2012-01-01

Se presenta un esbozo sobre las ciencias de manera general, tomando como punto de partida, por un lado las concepciones estándar y no estándar de las ciencias, que, aunque inicialmente fueron pensadas para caracterizar a las ciencias físicas, pueden otorgar algunos rasgos de lo que se puede considerar científico o no; y por el otro la visión del epistemólogo argentino Mario Bunge. Posteriormente se realizará un acercamiento al concepto de tecnología y sus particularidades, para proceder a pre...

REALISMO CIENTÍFICO Y CONTABILIDAD: UNA EVALUACIÓN A LA DISCIPLINA CONTABLE

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Eutimio Mejía Soto

2010-01-01

Full Text Available La contabilidad es una disciplina de carácter científico; en la última mitad de siglo se le estudia desde diferentes propuestas metodológicas, cada una busca desarrollar para ella una estructura rigurosa desde la identificación de su objeto y método de estudio. En el presente trabajo se analiza y estudia la contabilidad desde la construcción epistemológica del profesor Mario Bunge, fundamentalmente desde su última propuesta de estudio de las ciencias, con énfasis en las áreas humanas y sociales.

La administración educativa y su fundamentación epistemológica

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Flora Eugenia Salas Madriz

2003-01-01

Full Text Available En este artículo se establecen algunos criterios epistemológicos, desde la perspectiva de Mario Bunge y de Thomas Kuhn, para esclarecer la naturaleza disciplinar de la Administración Educativa. Estos criterios son básicos y, por ello, sólo se prentende facilitar la comprensión de los principales componentes de la Administración Educativa, en tanto disciplina adscrita a las Ciencias de la Educación, que faciliten la comprensión de su núcleo teórico-conceptual y de su praxis

Theorie & Praxis des Lehrer Angst und Stress Test: (Lehramts-)StudentInnen & Lehrkräfte im Vergleich

OpenAIRE

Preidel, Julia; Weikamp, Julia; Werhand, Manuela

2009-01-01

Der Lehrer Angst und Stress Test (LAST) ist ein Test, der für die Messung von Lehrerangst angedacht ist. Lehrerangst umfasst all jene Ängste von Lehrern, die sie bei der Ausübung ihres Berufs erfahren. Der LAST fragt hierzu nach Reaktionsweisen auf Belastungssituationen, der Stärke zweier Angstkomponenten, nach Faktoren, die zur Angstverstärkung führen und nach Bewältigungsstrategien. Diese Arbeit soll die Testgüte des LAST ein weiteres Mal überprüfen. Diesbezüglich wurde getestet, inwiefe...

Antitumor effect of the ethanol extract of Scutellaria baicalensis on ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

user6

2012-03-22

Mar 22, 2012 ... In our study, two kinds of ethanol extract of S. baicalensis were used in U14 cervical cancer .... On day 15, all of the mice were killed, and then transplanted tumors .... George and the 30% ethanol and 50% ethanol were used.

Chinese Medicine Treatment for Afatinib-Induced Paronychia

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Pei-Yuu Yang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Afatinib (Gilotrif™ is widely used to treat patients with mutant activating epidermal growth factor receptor- (EGFR- dependent lung adenocarcinoma; however, it has various adverse side effects. Here, we report a patient with afatinib-induced paronychia. After Chinese medicine treatment with the well-known anticancer Chinese herbs, Jen-Ren-Hwo-Minq-Saan, and decoction of Ban-Zhi-Lian (Scutellaria barbata with Bai-Hua-She-She-Cao (Hedyotis diffusa Willd, patient’s condition was significantly improved. This shows that these Chinese medicines can not only be used in cancer treatment but also be used in the afatinib-induced paronychia.

An Update on Antitumor Activity of Naturally Occurring Chalcones

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En-Hui Zhang

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Chalcones, which have characteristic 1,3-diaryl-2-propen-1-one skeleton, are mainly produced in roots, rhizomes, heartwood, leaves, and seeds of genera Angelica, Sophora, Glycyrrhiza, Humulus, Scutellaria, Parartocarpus, Ficus, Dorstenia, Morus, Artocarpus, and so forth. They have become of interest in the research and development of natural antitumor agents over the past decades due to their broad range of mechanisms including anti-initiation, induction of apoptosis, antiproliferation, antimetastasis, antiangiogenesis, and so forth. This review summarizes the studies on the antitumor activity of naturally occurring chalcones and their underlying mechanisms in detail during the past decades.

Inhibition of Tanshinone IIA, Salvianolic Acid A and Salvianolic Acid B on Areca Nut Extract-Induced Oral Submucous Fibrosis in Vitro

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Jian-Ping Dai

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge has been reported to possess excellent antifibrotic activity. In this study, we have investigated the effect and mechanism of tanshinone IIA (Tan-IIA, salvianolic acid A (Sal-A and salvianolic acid B (Sal-B, the important active compounds of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, on areca nut extract (ANE-induced oral submucous fibrosis (OSF in vitro. Through human procollagen gene promoter luciferase reporter plasmid assay, hydroxyproline assay, gelatin zymography assay, qRT-PCR, ELISA and Western blot assay, the influence of these three compounds on ANE-stimulated cell viability, collagen accumulation, procollagen gene transcription, MMP-2/-9 activity, MMP-1/-13 and TIMP-1/-2 expression, cytokine secretion and the activation of PI3K/AKT, ERK/JNK/p38 MAPK and TGF-β/Smads pathways were detected. The results showed that Tan-IIA, Sal-A and Sal-B could significantly inhibit the ANE-stimulated abnormal viability and collagen accumulation of mice oral mucosal fibroblasts (MOMFs, inhibit the transcription of procollagen gene COL1A1 and COL3A1, increase MMP-2/-9 activity, decrease TIMP-1/-2 expression and inhibit the transcription and release of CTGF, TGF-β1, IL-6 and TNF-α; Tan-IIA, Sal-A and Sal-B also inhibited the ANE-induced activation of AKT and ERK MAPK pathways in MOMFs and the activation of TGF-β/Smads pathway in HaCaT cells. In conclusion, Tan-IIA, Sal-A and Sal-B possess excellent antifibrotic activity in vitro and can possibly be used to promote the rehabilitation of OSF patients.

Hemistepsin A ameliorates acute inflammation in macrophages via inhibition of nuclear factor-κB and activation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Jae Kwang; Lee, Ji Eun; Jung, Eun Hye; Jung, Ji Yun; Jung, Dae Hwa; Ku, Sae Kwang; Cho, Il Je; Kim, Sang Chan

2018-01-01

Hemistepsin A (HsA) is a sesquiterpene lactone isolated from Hemistepta lyrata (Bunge) Bunge. We investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of HsA and sought to determine its mechanisms of action in macrophages. HsA pretreatment inhibited nitric oxide production, and reduced the expression of iNOS and COX-2 in Toll-like receptor ligand-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Additionally, HsA decreased the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated Kupffer cells as well as in RAW 264.7 cells. HsA inhibited phosphorylation of IKKα/β and degradation of IκBα, resulting in decreased nuclear translocation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and its transcriptional activity. Moreover, HsA phosphorylated nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), increased expression levels of antioxidant genes, and attenuated LPS-stimulated H 2 O 2 production. Phosphorylation of p38 and c-Jun N-terminal kinase was required for HsA-mediated Nrf2 phosphorylation. In a D-galactosamine/LPS-induced liver injury model, HsA ameliorated D-galactosamine/LPS-induced hepatocyte degeneration and inflammatory cells infiltration. Moreover, immunohistochemical analyses using nitrotyrosine, 4-hydroxynonenal, and cleaved poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase antibodies revealed that HsA protected the liver from oxidative stress. Furthermore, HsA reduced the numbers of proinflammatory cytokine-positive cells in hepatic tissues. Thus, these results suggest HsA may be a promising natural product to manage inflammation-mediated tissue injuries through inhibition of NF-κB and activation of Nrf2. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Phosphogypsum recycling in the building materials industry: assessment of the radon exhalation rate.

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Campos, M P; Costa, L J P; Nisti, M B; Mazzilli, B P

2017-06-01

Phosphogypsum can be classified as a Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM) residue of the phosphate fertilizer industry. One of the main environmental concerns of its use as building material is the radon exhalation. The aim of this study is to measure the radon exhalation rate from plates and bricks manufactured with phosphogypsum from three installations of the main Brazilian producer, Vale Fertilizantes, in order to evaluate the additional health risk to dwellers. A simple and reliable accumulator method involving a PVC pipe sealed with a PVC pipe cover commercially available with CR-39 radon detector into a diffusion chamber was used for measuring radon exhalation rate from phosphogypsum made plates and bricks. The radon exhalation rate from plates varied from 0.19 ± 0.06 Bq m -2 h -1 , for phosphogypsum from Bunge Fertilizers, from 1.3 ± 0.3 Bq m -2 h -1 , for phosphogypsum from Ultrafertil. As for the bricks, the results ranged from 0.11 ± 0.01 Bq m -2 h -1 , for phosphogypsum from Bunge Fertilizers, to 1.2 ± 0.3 Bq m -2 h -1 , for phosphogypsum from Ultrafertil. The results obtained in this study for the radon exhalation rate from phosphogypsum plates and bricks are of the same order of magnitude than those from ordinary building materials. So, it can be concluded that the recycling of phosphogypsum as building material is a safe practice, since no additional health risk is expected from the radiological point of view. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Didactical-Scientific Modeling: integrating experimental activities and the process of scientific modeling in the teaching of Physics

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Leonardo Albuquerque Heidemann

2016-04-01

Full Text Available The dissociated way with which the theory and practice are often treated in Physics teaching contributes to students' difficulties in using scientific knowledge to represent real events, which are not idealized situations as the events presented in most textbook problems. Considering that the process of scientific modeling is of fundamental importance for students to learn Science, about Science and how to do Science, Brandão, Araujo and Veit, supported by Vergnaud's Theory of Conceptual Fields and by Bunge's concept of scientific modeling, propose a theoretical-methodological framework for modeling in Physics Education named Didactical-Scientific Modeling (DSM. The authors defend the thesis that it is possible to consider the process of scientific modeling as a conceptual field underlying the specific conceptual fields of Physics. They elucidate knowledge associated to the facing of problems that involve the use, exploration and validation of didactical versions of scientific models. However, the goal of this framework is not to explain how the concepts related to empirical testability are connected to scientific modeling concepts. In order to fill this gap, we present in this article an expansion of this theoretical-methodological framework based on Bunge's concepts on contrasting scientific ideas. In this regard, we insert experimental work concepts in the conceptual field associated to the process of didactical-scientific modeling. Lastly, we exemplify its use in order to support the design and execution of experimental activities focused on the scientific-didactical process, and we also discuss some implications for future research in Physics Education.

Fomento de la iniciativa emprendedora en el estudiante universitario la autoeficacia percibida emprendedora

OpenAIRE

Orti González, Ana María

2003-01-01

Seguimos los principios epistemológicos planteados por Bunge (1985), quien establece que tras haber identificado cuales son los posibles “problemas” o “cuestiones” que justifican el inicio de una investigación, se deben desarrollar una serie de fórmulas o hipótesis que puedan ser plausibles desde una perspectiva teórica y que estén en torno al tema en el que se encuentra inmersa nuestra investig ación. Por ello, en esta parte, justificaremos la construcción de un cuerpo teórico que nos sirv...

In memoriam : Karl R. Popper

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Cecilia Tohăneanu

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Dedicated to Karl Popper’s memory, this essay aims at following the echo of his critical rationalism and how it has been received by Mario Bunge, one of the most prominent contemporary philosopher of science – an admirer, later a critic of Popper’s social and political philosophy. The main goal of such an endeavor is to find out where could have been Popper wrong – from Bunge’s view point – and take note of the arguments of both of them, thus hoping to get closer to the truth, as Sir Karl said.

Reduksionisme Eksplanatif untuk Antropologi Transendental Jawadi Amuli

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Cipta Bakti Gama

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract : This article explains how an explanatory reductionism theory can be applied to the integration of various disciplines in Jawadi Amuli’s transcendent anthropology. Departing from the trilemma among the demand of certain forms of reduction of concepts, propositions, and theories in the process of integrating two disciplines of knowledge or more; the Promethean man reductionism problem; and the essentialist framework of Aristotelian logic in Jawadi Amuli’s anthropology, the author explores some extent of possibility and certain forms of application of explanatory reductionism for such transcendent anthropology. By using the method of Ricoeurian hermeneutics that emphasizes distantiation, interpretation, and appropriation, the author conducts a qualitative literary research to arrive at a number of important conclusions as follows. First, Jawadi Amuli has implemented certain forms of an explanatory reductionism in integrating philosophy, 'irfan, and Quranic exegesis in his transcendent anthropology. Second, Mario Bunge’s explanatory reductionism can be applied in the integration of various disciplines of knowledge for constructing transcendent anthropology which is approached through the objective effects of human existence in the material universe. Third, explanatory reductionism principle could be modified into Sadrian psycho-physical reductionism and Sadrian immaterial composition reductionism. Fourth, the use of definitions need to be expanded to include those of loose definitions. Fifthly, the premises used in transcendent anthropology need to be expanded to include zhannî premises. Keywords :  Explanatory reductionism, transcendent anthropology, integration of disciplines, Mario Bunge, Jawadi Amuli Abstrak : tulisan ini menjelaskan bagaimana teori reduksionisme eksplanatif bisa diterapkan pada integrasi berbagai disiplin ilmu dalam antropologi transendental Jawadi Amuli. Berangkat dari trilema antara tuntutan reduksi konsep

La evolución de los significados de los conceptos científicos en relación con la estructura cognitiva de los estudiantes The evolution of scientific concepts in relation to students' cognitive structure

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Leonor Colombo de Cudmani

2008-01-01

Full Text Available El significado de los conceptos científicos constituye una interesante cuestión, tanto en el educación en ciencias como en la investigación y plantea interrogantes desde los más diversos ángulos: lógico, epistemológico, psicológico, lingüístico etc. El problema lógico y epistemológico, así como el proceso cognitivo de su construcción, tiene particular importancia en la enseñanza de la ciencia. En este trabajo nos proponemos analizar de la teoría del significado de Mario Bunge, desde lo epistemológico y la de Gérard Vergnaud, desde la psicología cognitiva. Estableceremos algunas relaciones con la visión epistemológica de la complejidad y propondremos algunas implicancias que se desprenden de este análisis para la enseñanza y el aprendizaje de la Ciencia y de la Física en particular.Scientific concepts are a very interesting issue in science education as well as in scientific research and suggest inquiries from diverse fields of study such as logic, epistemology, psychology, linguistics and others. Logical and epistemological issues as well as being important in cognitive process are of great significance in science teaching. The main purpose of this paper is to analyze Mario Bunge's meaning theory from an epistemological standpoint and Gérard Vergnaud's theory in the light of cognitive psychology. Relationships to an epistemological view of intricacies are established. Conclusions from this analysis are propounded as theoretically important relating to both teaching and learning processes in science in general and physics in particular.

Consideraciones sobre la marginación, la marginalidad, marginalidad económica y exclusión social

OpenAIRE

Fernando Cortés

2006-01-01

En los estudios sobre exclusión social se encuentran menciones recurrentes a que el concepto es vago, es impreciso. Sobre la base de la teoría de la significación de Mario Bunge se indaga en las raíces metodológicas de la vaguedad. El análisis lleva a concluir que la referida imprecisión se erige a partir de la carencia de sentido ya que el concepto de exclusión social no suele estar inserto en una teoría. En concordancia con esta conclusión metodológica el interés se vuelca hacia el ca...

Hazard analysis in uranium hexafluoride production facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marin, Maristhela Passoni de Araujo

1999-01-01

The present work provides a method for preliminary hazard analysis of nuclear fuel cycle facilities. The proposed method identify both chemical and radiological hazards, as well as the consequences associated with accident scenarios. To illustrate the application of the method, a uranium hexafluoride production facility was selected. The main hazards are identified and the potential consequences are quantified. It was found that, although the facility handles radioactive material, the main hazards as associated with releases of toxic chemical substances such as hydrogen fluoride, anhydrous ammonia and nitric acid. It was shown that a contention bung can effectively reduce the consequences of atmospheric release of toxic materials. (author)

The consistency and complementarity between critical meaningful learning theory and the epistemology of Paul Feyerabend

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Felipe Damasio

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Researchers in science teaching have advocated concomitant education about and of science. To approach the nature and history of science in basic education is necessary to have an epistemological approach that can go between of rationalism of Bunge and relativism of Feyerabend. In this paper, it is argued that Feyerabend's epistemological stance is that more can help promote meaningful learning critical, so as to form inquiring, flexible, creative, innovative, tolerant and liberal people. In addition, the suggestions Feyerabend's epistemology also complement the Theory of Meaningful Learning Critical to propose a curriculum and a context for the principles of the theory are in science classrooms.

[Advances in researches on mechanism of anti-Toxoplasma Chinese herbal medicine].

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Zhao-Yun; Zhang, Bao-de; Ning, Jun-ya; Wang, Yuan-yuan; Yuan, Wen-ying

2015-10-01

Toxoplasma gondii is an opportunity cellular parasite, related to the infection of various animals and human beings and severely impairing agriculture and human health. Because of the complexity of T. gondii life cycle, its different biological characteristics, and multifarious pathogenesis, there are no specific treatment and preventive medicines at present. Chinese herbal medicine can balance "yin-yang" and regulate the immunity and its side-effect is slight. Now, it has been a hot topic of the research on effective and secure medicines in anti-toxoplasmosis. This paper summarizes and analyzes the curative effect and mechanism of anti-Toxoplasma Chinese herbal medicine, such as Scutellaria baicalensis, Inontus obliquus polysaccharide, Radix glycyrrhizae, pumpkin seeds, and Semen arecae.

О систематическом положении рода Antonina Vved. (Lamiaceae

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D. G. Melnikov

2015-12-01

Full Text Available На основании морфологических признаков и с учётом молекулярных данных обосновывается самостоятельность рода Antonina Vved. Приводится полная синонимика для Antonina debilis (Bunge Vved., включающая новый синоним – Calamintha caroli-henricana Kit Tan et Sorger. Описывается новая форма (A. debilis f. eglandulosa Melnikov, осуществляется лектотипификация трех названий: Thymus debilis Bunge, Calamintha annua Schrenk и Calamintha caucasica Somm. et Lev. Antonina debilis впервые указывается для Турции.

Polyphenolic Profile and Biological Activity of Chinese Hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida BUNGE Fruits

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Tunde Jurikova

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Chinese hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida Bge. fruits are rich in polyphenols (e.g., epicatechin, procyanidin B2, procyanidin B5, procyanidin C1, hyperoside, isoquercitrin and chlorogenic acid—active compounds that exert beneficial effects. This review summarizes all information available on polyphenolic content and methods for their quantification in Chinese hawthorn berries and the relationships between individual polyphenolic compounds as well. The influence of species or cultivars, the locality of cultivation, the stage of maturity, and extract preparation conditions on the polyphenolic content were discussed as well. Currently, only fruits of C. pinnatifida and C. pinnatifida var. major are included in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. Recent trials have demonstrated the efficacy of Chinese hawthorn fruit in lowering blood cholesterol and the risk of cardiovascular diseases. The fruit has also demonstrated anti-inflammatory and anti-tumour activities. This review deals mainly with the biological activity of the fruit related to its antioxidant properties.

Iris glaucescens Bunge (Iridaceae, the rare flag of the Siberian plant kingdom

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Alexeeva Nina Borisovna

2015-12-01

The work was performed in the framework of an institutional research project of the Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, topic 52.5. Collection of live plants of the Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (history, present condition, development and use prospects.

Between Homo Sociologicus and Homo Biologicus: The Reflexive Self in the Age of Social Neuroscience

Science.gov (United States)

Pickel, Andreas

2012-10-01

The social sciences rely on assumptions of a unified self for their explanatory logics. Recent work in the new multidisciplinary field of social neuroscience challenges precisely this unproblematic character of the subjective self as basic, well-defined entity. If disciplinary self-insulation is deemed unacceptable, the philosophical challenge arises of systematically bringing together neurological, psychological, sociological, and anthropological dimensions of analysis in one framework such as dynamic systems theory; and of finding bridging concepts such as memory, social cognition, and cultural scripts that can facilitate the cross disciplinary study of the reflexive self. Relying on the systemic philosophy of science developed by Mario Bunge, this paper takes some steps in this direction.

Absorbability, Mechanism and Structure-Property Relationship of Three Phenolic Acids from the Flowers of Trollius chinensis

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Xiu-Wen Wu

2014-11-01

Full Text Available The absorption properties, mechanism of action, and structure-property relationship of three phenolic acids isolated from the flowers of Trollius chinensis Bunge, namely, proglobeflowery acid (PA, globeflowery acid (GA and trolloside (TS, were investigated using the human Caco-2 cell monolayer model. The results showed that these three phenolic acids were transported across the Caco-2 cell monolayer in a time and concentration dependent manner at the Papp level of 10−5 cm/s, and their extent of absorption correlated with their polarity and molecular weight. In conclusion, all three of these compounds were easily absorbed through passive diffusion, which implied their high bioavailability and significant contribution to the effectiveness of T. chinensis.

The quantitative representation of fiber-and sheet-texture in metals of cubic system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, H.J.; Kim, S.C.; Chun, B.C.; Lee, C.Y.

1983-01-01

This is the first article of a series dealing with studies on the quantitative representation of fiber-and sheet-type textures in metals of cubic crystal system. Texture measurements by neutron diffraction method are analyzed using Bunge's series expansion method and the effect of series truncation is studied for samples of various texture sharpness. The present article describes two computer programs, TXFIB and TXSHT, develped for the analysis of the respective fiber-and sheet-type texture. Using these computer programs, the orientation distribution function can be expanded in the series of generalized spherical harmonics up to 58th term from 6 experimental pole figures as input. Estimations of various errors involved in the texture analysis and texture sharpness index are also included in the programs. (Author)

Behaviour of model particles of local precipitations of surface nuclear explosion in food chain and digestive tract of farm animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koz'min, G.V.; Epimakhov, V.G.; Sanzharova, N.I.

2016-01-01

The behaviour regularities of radioactive particles - simulators of nuclear surface explosion local fall outs in food chain and gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of farm animals are analyzed. The results show that there is a large difference in transport regularities of radioactive silicate particles and radioactive solutions in GIT. At intake of young fission products high concentrations of radionuclides in GIT content deal with sorption and concentrating of radionuclides on food particles and observe in third stomach, blind gut, terminals of middle and bung guts. Transport regularities of fused radioactive particles depend on digestive apparatus mobility, content consistency and morphological peculiarities of mucosa, which work towards transport slowing and storage of such particles in the part of sheep GIT with minimal dry substance content - abomasum [ru

About normal distribution on SO(3) group in texture analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Savyolova, T. I.; Filatov, S. V.

2017-12-01

This article studies and compares different normal distributions (NDs) on SO(3) group, which are used in texture analysis. Those NDs are: Fisher normal distribution (FND), Bunge normal distribution (BND), central normal distribution (CND) and wrapped normal distribution (WND). All of the previously mentioned NDs are central functions on SO(3) group. CND is a subcase for normal CLT-motivated distributions on SO(3) (CLT here is Parthasarathy’s central limit theorem). WND is motivated by CLT in R 3 and mapped to SO(3) group. A Monte Carlo method for modeling normally distributed values was studied for both CND and WND. All of the NDs mentioned above are used for modeling different components of crystallites orientation distribution function in texture analysis.

Can the History of Science Contribute to Modelling in Physics Teaching?

Science.gov (United States)

Machado, Juliana; Braga, Marco Antônio Barbosa

2016-10-01

A characterization of the modelling process in science is proposed for science education, based on Mario Bunge's ideas about the construction of models in science. Galileo's Dialogues are analysed as a potentially fruitful starting point to implement strategies aimed at modelling in the classroom in the light of that proposal. It is argued that a modelling process for science education can be conceived as the evolution from phenomenological approaches towards more representational ones, emphasizing the role of abstraction and idealization in model construction. The shift of reference of theories—from sensible objects to conceptual objects—and the black-box models construction process, which are both explicitly presented features in Galileo's Dialogues, are indicated as highly relevant aspects for modelling in science education.

A modelagem científica vista como um campo conceitual

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Rafael Vasques Brandão

2011-01-01

Full Text Available http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/2175-7941.2011v28n3p507 Este trabalho defende a tese de que o processo de modelagem científica pode ser visto como um campo conceitual subjacente ao domínio de campos conceituais específicos em Física e possui implicações relevantes para o Ensino de Física e a pesquisa nessa área centrados na estratégia didática da modelagem. Para tanto, apoia-se na visão epistemológica de Mario Bunge sobre modelagem científica e na Teoria dos Campos Conceituais de Gérard Vergnaud, levando em conta as ideias de Weil-Barais e Vergnaud sobre concepções em Física.

In vitro propagation, carotenoid, fatty acid and tocopherol content of Ajuga multiflora Bunge.

Science.gov (United States)

Sivanesan, Iyyakkannu; Saini, Ramesh Kumar; Noorzai, Rafi; Zamany, Ahmad Jawid; Kim, Doo Hwan

2016-06-01

The effect of plant growth regulators on shoot proliferation from shoot tip explants of Ajuga multiflora was studied. The highest number of shoots (17.1) was observed when shoot tip explants were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium fortified with 8.0 µM 6-Benzyladenine (BA) and 2.7 µM α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA). The mean number of shoots per explant was increased 1.6-fold in liquid medium as compared with semi-solid medium. Maximum rooting (100 %) with an average of 7.2 roots per shoot was obtained on MS basal medium. Rooted plantlets were successfully acclimatised in the greenhouse with 100 % survival rate. Composition of carotenoids, fatty acids and tocopherols was also studied from leaves of greenhouse-grown plants and in vitro-regenerated shoots of A. multiflora. The greatest amounts of carotenoids, fatty acids and tocopherols were obtained from leaves of in vitro-regenerated shoots cultured on MS basal medium, followed by leaves of greenhouse-grown plants and leaves of in vitro-regenerated shoots cultured on MS basal medium with 2.0 µM BA or thidiazuron. The most abundant carotenoid in A. multiflora leaves was all-E-lutein (89.4-382.6 μg g -1  FW) followed by all-E-β-carotene (32.0-156.7 μg g -1  FW), 9'-Z-neoxanthin (14.2-63.4 μg g -1  FW), all-E-violaxanthin (13.0-45.9 μg g -1  FW), all-E-zeaxanthin (1.3-2.5 μg g -1  FW) and all-E-β-cryptoxanthin (0.3-0.9 μg g -1  FW). α-Tocopherol was the predominant tocopherol in A. multiflora leaves. Linolenic acid (49.03-52.59 %) was detected in higher amounts in A. multiflora leaf samples followed by linoleic acid (18.95-21.39 %) and palmitic acid (15.79-18.66 %).

Hexa-herbal Chinese formula for eczema

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chang, J.; Jäger, Anna; Heinrich, M.

2014-01-01

Diverse pharmacological activities and reliable clinical performances of Chinese herbal medicines have attracted worldwide attention in terms of its modernization. Here, a hexa-herbal Chinese formula (HHCF) for treating eczema topically has been studied from both chemical and biological perspective....... It consists of roots of Scutellaria baicalensis Gerogi, Rheum officinale Baill., Sophora flavescens Aiton; root's bark of Dictamnus dasycarpus Turcz.; bark of Phellodendron chinense C.K. Schnied and fruit of Kochia scoparia (L.) Schard.. To evaluate the anti-inflammatory effects of the hexa-herbal decoction...... colonizes the skin of most patients with AD and produces superantigens that could further increase severity of AD via subverting T-regulatory cell activity and inducing corticosteroid resistance. [3] Therefore, activity of the decoctions prepared from mixture and individual medicinal plants of the formula...

Comparing Amazon Mechanical Turk with unpaid internet resources in online clinical trials

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Eduardo Bunge

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Internet interventions face significant challenges in recruitment and attrition rates are typically high and problematic. Finding innovative yet scientifically valid avenues for attaining and retaining participants is therefore of considerable importance. The main goal of this study was to compare recruitment process and participants characteristics between two similar randomized control trials of mood management interventions. One of the trials (Bunge et al., 2016 was conducted with participants recruited from Amazon's Mechanical Turk (AMT, and the other trial recruited via Unpaid Internet Resources (UIR. Methods: The AMT sample (Bunge et al., 2016 consisted of 765 adults, and the UIR sample (recruited specifically for this study consisted of 329 adult US residents. Participants' levels of depression, anxiety, confidence, motivation, and perceived usefulness of the intervention were assessed. The AMT sample was financially compensated whereas the UIR was not. Results: AMT yielded higher recruitment rates per month (p < .05. At baseline, the AMT sample reported significantly lower depression and anxiety scores (p < .001 and p < .005, respectively and significantly higher mood, motivation, and confidence (all p < .001 compared to the UIR sample. AMT participants spent significantly less time on the site (p < .05 and were more likely to complete follow-ups than the UIR sample (p < .05. Both samples reported a significant increase in their level of confidence and motivation from pre- to post-intervention. AMT participants showed a significant increase in perceived usefulness of the intervention (p < .0001, whereas the UIR sample did not (p = .1642. Conclusions: By using AMT, researchers can recruit very rapidly and obtain higher retention rates; however, these participants may not be representative of the general online population interested in clinical interventions. Considering that AMT and UIR participants

Efectos del desarrollo en la memoria de trabajo y el aprendizaje de categorías en niños Developmet effects on working memory and category learning in children

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Federico José Sánchez

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Se han reportado diferencias relacionadas con la edad en el desempeño de diversas tareas dependientes del lóbulo frontal, incluyendo tareas de memoria de trabajo (Luciana and Nelson, 1998; Luna et al. 2001; Bunge et al., 2002. Se han encontrado también efectos de edad y género sobre la memoria de trabajo en niños (Vuontela et. al, 2003. Además, el aprendizaje de categorías ha sido asociado con la actividad del lóbulo frontal (Dickins, 2000; Schlund 2007. El presente trabajo investigó los efectos de la edad y el género sobre la memoria de trabajo y el aprendizaje de categorías en niños de 8 a 13 años. Se encontraron efectos de edad y género sobre la memoria de trabajo, y en la tarea de aprendizaje de categorías sólo se observaron efectos de la edad. Los resultados sugieren que el desempeño de memoria de trabajo podría estar asociado con la velocidad de procesamiento en el aprendizaje de categorías.Age-related differences have been reported in the performance of several frontal lobe-dependent tasks, including working memory (Luciana and Nelson, 1998; Luna et al. 2001; Bunge et al., 2002. Effects of age and gender on working memory have been found in children (Vuontela et. al, 2003. On the other hand, category learning has also been associated with frontal lobe activity (Dickins, 2000; Schlund 2007. The present study addressed the effects of age and gender on working memory and category learning, in 8-13 year old children. Age and gender effects were found on the working memory task, and age effects only were observed on category learning. The results suggest that working memory performance might be associated with processing speed in the category learning task.

How Real is the Quantum World?

Science.gov (United States)

Cini, Marcello

The three main theses proposed by Mario Bunge are discussed. The peculiar nature of quantum discreteness is argued in disagreement with his first one. General agreement, with some important distinctions, is expressed instead with his other two theses about the peculiar nature of the properties of quantum objects, and the realist interpretation of Quantum Theory. The notion of context dependent, but objectively definable, properties, and the redefinition of Natural Laws as general constraints allowing the occurrence of random events not conflicting with them are however needed in order to qualify more precisely the meaning of terms such as properties and realism. A new probabilistic formulation of Quantum Mechanics in phase space, which eliminates, together with the unphysical concept of probability waves, also the main paradoxical features of the conventional theory, is finally briefly sketched.

Recent Advances in the Studies on Luotonins

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Yurngdong Jahng

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Luotonins are alkaloids from the aerial parts of Peganum nigellastrum Bunge. that display three major skeleton types. Luotonins A, B, and E are pyrroloquinazolino-quinoline alkaloids, luotonins C and D are canthin-6-one alkaloids, and luotonin F is a 4(3H-quinazolinone alkaloid. All six luotonins have shown promising cytotoxicities towards selected human cancer cell lines, especially against leukemia P-388 cells. Luotonin A is the most active one, with its activity stemming from topoisomerase I-dependent DNA-cleavage. Such intriguing biological activities and unique structures have led not only to the development of synthetic methods for the efficient synthesis of these compounds, but also to interest in structural modifications for improving the biological properties. Recent progress in the study of luotonins is covered.

Ontological Analysis of Integrated Process Models: testing hypotheses

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Michael Rosemann

2001-11-01

Full Text Available Integrated process modeling is achieving prominence in helping to document and manage business administration and IT processes in organizations. The ARIS framework is a popular example for a framework of integrated process modeling not least because it underlies the 800 or more reference models embedded in the world's most popular ERP package, SAP R/3. This paper demonstrates the usefulness of the Bunge-Wand-Weber (BWW representation model for evaluating modeling grammars such as those constituting ARIS. It reports some initial insights gained from pilot testing Green and Rosemann's (2000 evaluative propositions. Even when considering all five views of ARIS, modelers have problems representing business rules, the scope and boundary of systems, and decomposing models. However, even though it is completely ontologically redundant, users still find the function view useful in modeling.

Preservasi, Konservasi dan Renovasi Kawasan Kota Tua Jakarta

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Budi Setiawan

2010-10-01

Full Text Available “Great nation is a nation who’s always appreciates their own history,” that was a statement from Bung Karno. This paper is trying to lift a heritage district in Kota Tua Jakarta. A legacy that full of arts, cultures, stories, romance and tragedy that happened, and how the origin of the city formed. It’s very unfortunate if you see the condition right now. When all of the nations soo proud of their culture and history, everyone is competing to maintain and conserve their heritage and run the management very well. What happened with our heritage? Nowadays, Kota Tua district has been revitalized, but sadly, the process didn’t maintained well. So the results looks neglected and not in the good shape. 

The salt glands of Tamarix usneoides E. Mey. ex Bunge (South African Salt Cedar).

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Hayden; Mycock, David; Weiersbye, Isabel M

2017-06-03

Tamarix usneoides is a halophyte tree endemic to south-western Africa. This species is known to excrete a range of ions from specialized glandular structures on its leaves. To understand the mechanisms involved in the transport, sequestration and excretion of ions by the glands, a study was performed on salt gland distribution and ultrastructure. The glands are vesiculated trichomes, comprised of eight cells viz. two basal collecting cells and six excretory cells, partially bounded by a secondary cell wall that could serve as an impermeable barrier, forcing excess ions to move from the apoplast of the surrounding tissue into the cytoplasm of the basal excretory cells. It was hypothesized that the ions are moved across the excretory cells in endocytotic vesicles that fuse with the plasmalemma or form junctional complexes, allowing ion movement from one excretory cell to the next. In the apical cell, the vesicles fuse with the plasmalemma, releasing the ions into the network of cell wall ingrowths which channel the ions to the outside surface of the cell. This study shows that there are distinct structural adaptations for the processing of ions for excretion, although the mechanism by which ions enter the cells still needs to be determined.

Machtausübung und Mactinszenierung im dänischen Frühabsolutismus 1660-1730

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olden-Jørgensen, Sebastian

2000-01-01

En analyse af magtudøvelse og magtiscenesættelse i den tidlige danske enevælde på grundlag af Max Webers begreber Macht og Herrschaft.......En analyse af magtudøvelse og magtiscenesættelse i den tidlige danske enevælde på grundlag af Max Webers begreber Macht og Herrschaft....

The changing features of the body-mind problem.

Science.gov (United States)

Agassi, Joseph

2007-01-01

The body-mind problem invites scientific study, since mental events are repeated and repeatable and invite testable explanations. They seemed troublesome because of the classical theory of substance that failed to solve its own central problems. These are soluble with the aid of the theory of the laws of nature, particularly in its emergentist version [Bunge, M., 1980. The Body-mind Problem, Pergamon, Oxford] that invites refutable explanations [Popper, K.R., 1959. The Logic of Scientific Discovery, Hutchinson, London]. The view of mental properties as emergent is a modification of the two chief classical views, materialism and dualism. As this view invites testable explanations of events of the inner world, it is better than the quasi-behaviorist view of self-awareness as computer-style self-monitoring [Minsky, M., Laske, O., 1992. A conversation with Marvin Minsky. AI Magazine 13 (3), 31-45].

Aventuras de diagrama no país dos signos

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Renira Rampazzo Gambarato

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Este artigo aborda as variabilidades do conceito de diagrama pelo viés da Teoria Geral dos Signos ou Semiótica, de Charles Sandres Peirce (1839-1914, e da Teoria Geral dos Sistemas, de Mario Bunge ( 1919 - ... . Etimologicamente, diagrama significa através da linguagem: diágramma, do grego, nasce da junção de dia (através de e gramma (medida de linguagem. No senso comum, seu significado se restringe a um gráfico, o que absolutamente não corresponde à complexidade do termo. Por se tratar de uma representação visual, os diagramas trazem aos nossos olhos a possibilidade de observar as relações neles contidas, relações estas que não necessariamente estavam visíveis antes da construção do diagrama.

Fire testing of 55 gallon metal waste drums for dry waste storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hasegawa, H.K.; Staggs, K.J.; Doughty, S.M.

1993-07-01

The primary goal of this test program was to conduct a series of fire test to provide information on the fire performance of 55 gallon metal waste drums used for solid waste disposal at Department Of Energy (DOE) facilities. This program was limited in focus to three different types of 55 gallon drums, one radiant heat source, and one specific fire size. The initial test was a single empty 55 gallon drum exposed to a standard ASTME-119 time temperature curve for over 10 minutes. The full scale tests involved metal drums exposed to a 6' diameter flammable liquid fire for a prescribed period of time. The drums contained simulated dry waste materials of primarily class A combustibles. The test results showed that a conventional 55 gallon drum with a 1in. bung would blow its lid consistently

[Data mining analysis of professor Li Fa-zhi AIDS itchy skin medical record].

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Dan-Ni; Li, Zhen; Xu, Li-Ran; Guo, Hui-Jun

2013-08-01

Analysis of professor Li Fa-zhi in the treatment of AIDS drug laws of itchy skin, provide the corresponding drug reference basis for Chinese medicine treatment of AIDS, skin itching. By using the method of analyzing the complex network of Weishi county, Henan in 2007 October to 2011 July during an interview with professor Li Fa-zhi treatment of AIDS patients with skin pruritus, etiology and pathogenesis analysis, skin itching AIDS syndrome differentiation of old Chinese medicine treatment and medication rule. The use of multi-dimensional query analysis, core drug skin itching AIDS treatment in this study as a windbreak, cicada slough, bupleurum, Qufeng solution table drug, licorice detoxification efficacy of drugs, Radix Scutellariae, Kochia scoparia, clearing away heat and promoting diuresis medicine; core prescription for Jingfang San streak virus. Professor Li Fa-zhi treatment of AIDS in the skin itching Qufeng solution table dehumidification antipruritic treatment.

Baicalin and scutellarin are proteasome inhibitors that specifically target chymotrypsin-like catalytic activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Yi-Xin; Sato, Eiji; Kimura, Wataru; Miura, Naoyuki

2013-09-01

Baicalin and scutellarin are the major active principal flavonoids extracted from the Chinese herbal medicines Scutellaria baicalensis and Erigeron breviscapus (Vant.) Hand-Mazz. It has recently been reported that baicalin and scutellarin have antitumor activity. However, the mechanisms of action are unknown. We previously reported that some flavonoids have a specific role in the inhibition of the activity of proteasome subunits and induced apoptosis in tumor cells. To further investigate these pharmacological effects, we examined the inhibitory activity of baicalin and scutellarin on the extracted proteasomes from mice and cancer cells. Using fluorogenic substrates for proteasome catalytic subunits, we found that baicalin and scutellarin specifically inhibited chymotrypsin-like activity but did not inhibit trypsin-like and peptidyl-glutamyl peptide hydrolyzing activities. These data suggested that baicalin and scutellarin specifically inhibit chymotrypsin-like catalytic activity in the proteasome. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Aromatic Medicinal Plants of the Lamiaceae Family from Uzbekistan: Ethnopharmacology, Essential Oils Composition, and Biological Activities

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Nilufar Z. Mamadalieva

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Plants of the Lamiaceae family are important ornamental, medicinal, and aromatic plants, many of which produce essential oils that are used in traditional and modern medicine, and in the food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industry. Various species of the genera Hyssopus, Leonurus, Mentha, Nepeta, Origanum, Perovskia, Phlomis, Salvia, Scutellaria, and Ziziphora are widespread throughout the world, are the most popular plants in Uzbek traditional remedies, and are often used for the treatment of wounds, gastritis, infections, dermatitis, bronchitis, and inflammation. Extensive studies of the chemical components of these plants have led to the identification of many compounds, as well as essentials oils, with medicinal and other commercial values. The purpose of this review is to provide a critical overview of the literature surrounding the traditional uses, ethnopharmacology, biological activities, and essential oils composition of aromatic plants of the family Lamiaceae, from the Uzbek flora.

[Study on the inhibitory activity, in vitro, of baicalein and baicalin against skin fungi and bacteria].

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, D; Hu, H; Huang, S; Chaumont, J P; Millet, J

2000-05-01

In this paper, we concentrated in examining, in vitro, the antiseptic activity of the baicalein and baicalin upon the seventeen pathogenic skin fungal and sixteen skin bacterial strains, these two flavonic compounds were known principally as the biosubstances of a traditional Chinese medicinal plant: Scutellaria baicalensis. In agar media, the baicalein possessed potent specific activity against the pathogenic yeasts with MICs of 70-100 micrograms/ml; But in the same condition, no inhibitory effect was observed upon dermatophytes and filamentous imperfect fungi for baicalein, and upon all used strains for baicalin. According to the antibacterial test of baicalein, a high efficacy was achieved against certain causative specie of axillary and foot's odour such as Micrococcus sedentarius, Staphylococcus epidermidis, S. hominis and C. xerosis with a MICs inferior to 250 micrograms/ml. The good inhibitory activity of baicalein could be linked to the group hydroxyl (-OH) in position seven of the molecule.

[Historical investigation of dentifrice in China].

Science.gov (United States)

Kubo, M; Song, Q; Tang, F

2001-01-01

A herbal literature survey was carried out on data concerning historical pharmacognostical changes of "dentifrice" in China and how diseases of the teeth and gums had been treated there in ancient times. It had been considered to be a matter of utmost importance that to prevent teeth from decaying, only the brushing of teeth with a toothbrush was necessary. Over time, various tooth agents have been found to treat oral diseases the teeth and gums. Glycyrrhizae Radix, Ginseng Radix, Scutellariae Radix, Menthae Herbal, and salt were widely used materials. Investigations from all approaches are being carried out to develop remedies for oral diseases, including Kampo medicine and the pharmacological effects of numerous crude drugs. When tracing the pharmacognostical changes of dentifrice in ancient China, we felt wonder at and admiration for the abundance of clinical experiences described in the old herbal and medical literature we researched.

The Antiviral Effect of Baicalin on Enterovirus 71 In Vitro

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Xiang Li

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Baicalin is a flavonoid compound extracted from Scutellaria roots that has been reported to possess antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral activities. However, the antiviral effect of baicalin on enterovirus 71 (EV71 is still unknown. In this study, we found that baicalin showed inhibitory activity on EV71 infection and was independent of direct virucidal or prophylactic effect and inhibitory viral absorption. The expressions of EV71/3D mRNA and polymerase were significantly blocked by baicalin treatment at early stages of EV71 infection. In addition, baicalin could decrease the expressions of FasL and caspase-3, as well as inhibit the apoptosis of EV71-infected human embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma (RD cells. Altogether, these results indicate that baicalin exhibits potent antiviral effect on EV71 infection, probably through inhibiting EV71/3D polymerase expression and Fas/FasL signaling pathways.

Therapeutic effects of Qian-Yu decoction and its three extracts on carrageenan-induced chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Keda; Zeng, Xiaobin; Chen, Yonggang; Zhao, Rong; Wang, Hui; Wu, Jinhu

2017-01-25

Qian-Yu decoction (QYD) is a traditional Chinese medicinal recipe composed of Radix astragali (Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bunge var. mongholicus (Bunge) P.K. Hsiao, Fabaceae ), Herba epimedii (Epimedium brevicornum Maxim., Berberidaceae), Herba leonuri (Leonurus japonicus Houtt., Lamiaceae), Cortex phellodendri (Phellodendron chinense Schneid., Rutaceae) and Radix achyranthis bidentatae (Achyranthes bidentata Bl., Amaranthaceae). This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic activity of QYD against carrageenan-induced chronic prostatic/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) in rats and further elucidate its effective components. Three types of components, total polysaccharides, total flavonoids and total saponins were separately extracted from QYD. Carrageenan-induced CP/CPPS rats were intragastrically administered with lyophilized product of QYD, individual extracts and all the combined forms of extracts for three weeks. Prostatic index (PI) was determined and histopathological analysis was performed. The levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and prostaglandin E2 (PEG2) in rat prostate tissues were measured using ELISA. The production of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) was evaluated by an enzymatic activity assay, and the release of nitric oxide (NO) was determined by a nitrate/nitrite assay. Treatment with QYD significantly ameliorated the histological changes of CP/CPPS rats and reduced the PI by 44.3%, with a marked downregulation of TNF-α (42.8% reduction), IL-1β (45.3%), COX-2 (36.6%), PGE2 (44.2%), iNOS (54.1%) and NO (46.0%). Each of three extracts attenuated the symptom of CP/CPPS, but much more weakly than QYD. The combined administration of three extracts showed efficacy comparable to that of QYD while better than that of any combination of two extracts. A principal component analysis of the six inflammatory mediators as variables indicated that the effects of TS on CP

Implantate in der Augenheilkunde

Science.gov (United States)

Dresp, Joachim H.

Im Bereich der Augenheilkunde findet sich die weltweit am häufigsten ausgeführte chirurgische Massnahme, die operative Behandlung des Grauen Stars: die Katarakt. Bei der Katarakt handelt es sich um eine Eintrübung der natürlichen Augenlinse, die sich je nach Stadium der Erkrankung leicht opak, über milchig bis zu bräunlich präsentiert. Mit dieser Zunahme der Undurchlässigkeit für das sichtbare Licht geht eine Abnahme des Sehvermögens einher, die bis zur totalen Erblindung führen kann. Bedingt durch die sehr eingeschränkten chirurgischen Möglichkeiten in den Ländern der Dritten Welt ist die Katarakt die Erblindungsursache Nummer 1 in der Welt. Ganz im Gegensatz hierzu ist in den industrialisierten Ländern Europas, Amerikas und Asiens die Katarakt-OP die sicherste chirurgische Intervention. In der Augenheilkunde werden Implantate aller drei Aggregatszustände verwendet.

Signs, Systems and Complexity of Transmedia Storytelling

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Renira Rampazzo Gambarato

2012-12-01

Full Text Available This article addresses key concepts such as sign, system and complexity in order to approach transmedia storytelling and better understand its intricate nature. The theoretical framework chosen to investigate transmedia storytelling meanders is Semiotics by Charles Sanders Peirce (1839-1914 and General Systems Theory by Mario Bunge (1919-. The complexity of transmedia storytelling is not simply the one of the signs of the works included in a transmedia franchise. It also includes the complexity of the dispositions of users/consumers/players as interpreters of semiotic elements (e.g. characters, themes, environments, events and outcomes presented by transmedia products. It extends further to the complexity of social, cultural, economical and political constructs. The German transmedia narrative The Ultimate SuperHero-Blog by Stefan Gieren and Sofia’s Diary, a Portuguese multiplatform production by BeActive, are presented as examples of closed and open system transmedia storytelling respectively.

Distributed Wireless Monitoring System for Ullage and Temperature in Wine Barrels

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Wenqi; Skouroumounis, George K.; Monro, Tanya M.; Taylor, Dennis K.

2015-01-01

This paper presents a multipurpose and low cost sensor for the simultaneous monitoring of temperature and ullage of wine in barrels in two of the most important stages of winemaking, that being fermentation and maturation. The distributed sensor subsystem is imbedded within the bung of the barrel and runs on battery for a period of at least 12 months and costs around $27 AUD for all parts. In addition, software was designed which allows for the remote transmission and easy visual interpretation of the data for the winemaker. Early warning signals can be sent when the temperature or ullage deviates from a winemakers expectations so remedial action can be taken, such as when topping is required or the movement of the barrels to a cooler cellar location. Such knowledge of a wine’s properties or storage conditions allows for a more precise control of the final wine quality. PMID:26266410

Die schwache Adjektivflexion im Dänischen und Deutschen. Eine Fingerübung in diachronischer Typologie

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Haberland, Hartmut; Heltoft, Lars

2008-01-01

als Ganze als [±definit] markiert – wobei die Adjektive gelegentlich an dieser Markierung mitwirken, gelegentlich aber auch nicht. Die schwache Flexion ist der reine Nominalgruppenkitt. Ein Vergleich mit anderen germanischen Sprachen und früheren Sprachstufen zeigt, dass Deutsch und Dänisch...

Preliminary study of polysaccharides in the tragacanth of Astragalus gossipinus Fisch and Astragalus keyserlingii Bunge

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H. Ebrahimzadeh F. Mighani

1997-08-01

Full Text Available From the point of gum production, Fabaceae is one of the most richest plant families. Tragacanth is one of the most important gums and has medicianl, industrial and food applications. The soluble and insoloble fractions are 40 and 60% in white gum and 70 and 30% in yellow gum, respectively. These fractions do not show considerable seasonal variations. Total sugar in white gum and yellow gum are 70% and 90% , respectively; monosaccharides in both kind of tragacanths include galacturonic acid, galactose, glucose, arabinose, xylose, fucose, and rhamnose and the amount of xylose in the composition is higher than that of others. Insoluble fraction of white gum, the amount of xylose is more than that of arabinose pJus fucose while in yellow gum its amount is lower than that of arabinose plus fucose. fln insoluble fraction of both kind of tragacanths, the amount of arabinose plus fucose is high. The quality of white gum, in comparison to yellow gum, is better due to the higher in soluble fraction and arabinose plus fucose to xylose in this fraction . The gum tragacartti of both species has a xylan backbone.

The effects of baicalein on canine osteosarcoma cell proliferation and death.

Science.gov (United States)

Helmerick, E C; Loftus, J P; Wakshlag, J J

2014-12-01

Flavonoids are a group of modified triphenolic compounds from plants with medicinal properties. Baicalein, a specific flavone primarily isolated from plant roots (Scutellaria baicalensis), is commonly used in Eastern medicine for its anti-inflammatory and antineoplastic properties. Previous research shows greater efficacy for baicalein than most flavonoids; however, there has been little work examining their effects on sarcoma cells, let alone canine cells. Three canine osteosarcoma cell lines (HMPOS, D17 and OS 2.4) were treated with baicalein to examine cell viability, cell cycle kinetics, anchorage-independent growth and apoptosis. Results showed that osteosarcoma cells were sensitive to baicalein at concentrations from approximately 1 to 25 μM. Modest cell cycle changes were observed in one cell line. Baicalein was effective in inducing apoptosis and did not prevent doxorubicin cell proliferation inhibition in all the cell lines. The mechanism for induction of apoptosis has not been fully elucidated; however, changes in mitochondrial permeability supersede the apoptotic response. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Antibacterial activities, antioxidant contents and antioxidant properties of three traditional Chinese medicinal extracts

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Wenbin Li

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The present study was carried out to identify antibacterial and antioxidant characteristics of traditional aqueous extracts derived from three traditional Chinese medicinal plants (Scutellaria baicalensis, Coptis chinensis and Sonchus oleraceus. It was indicated that the S. oleraceus showed the highest antibacterial efficacy, especially against Staphylococcus aureus. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC of the S. oleraceus was 5.0 mg/mL what was in correlation with the high total phenolic and flavonoid contents and CUPRAC value, and MIC of both S. baicalensis and C. chinensis was 7.5 mg/mL. The rational pH of the working S. oleraceus was acidic, while the other two preferred to neutral or alkaline environment. The reasonable preservation temperature of S. baicalensis should not beyond 60°C, while the other two below 90°C. Meanwhile, S. baicalensis had significant antioxidant activity with the highest CUPRAC and ·OH scavenging activity. These results had provided useful information on further drug discovery.

5种中草药对美国红鱼生长和免疫机能的影响%Effects of Chinese herbs on the growth and immune function in Sciaenops ocellatus

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

马爱敏; 闫茂仓; 常维山; 谢起浪; 陈少波; 单乐州

2009-01-01

用分别含连翘(Forsythia suspensa)、猪苓(Polyporus umbellatus)、黄芩(Radix scutellariae)、茯苓(Poria cocos)和黄连(Coptis chinensis)水提取物的配合饵料饲喂美国红鱼(Sciaenops ocellatus),研究其对美国红鱼(Sciaenops ocellatus)生长和免疫机能的影响.结果表明,投喂含有黄芩和茯苓的药饵可使美国红鱼的体长增长率和相对增质量率显著高于对照组(P0.05);投药28 d后,利用哈维氏弧菌(Vibrio harveyi)人工感染美国红鱼,黄芩组的相对免疫保护率最高,达88.9%,连翘组次之,茯苓组最低.

Familienfreundliche Betriebe nehmen auf Vaterschaft Rücksicht! Family-Friendly Businesses Show Consideration for Fatherhood!

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Martin R. Textor

2004-11-01

Full Text Available Das Handbuch VäterArbeit zeigt auf, wie wichtig es ist, das Thema „Vatersein“ in Unternehmen und Organisationen zu diskutieren und betriebliche Maßnahmen zur Unterstützung einer kindgerechten Ausübung von Vaterschaft zu initiieren und umzusetzen. Die Politik muss dafür die entsprechenden gesetzlichen Rahmenbedingungen schaffen. Väter sollten ihre Rollen hinterfragen und die schon gegebenen Spielräume hinsichtlich einer verbesserten Vereinbarkeit von Familie und Beruf nutzen.Handbuch VaterArbeit (The CareerFather Handbook illustrates how important it is to discuss the subject of “being a father” in businesses and organizations and to initiate and apply company measures to promote a practice of fatherhood that is equitable to the child. Policy must establish the corresponding legal framework and conditions for this. Fathers should question their roles and utilize the latitude already present that promotes an improved agreement between family and job.

Synthesis and evaluation of artificial antigens for astragaloside IV

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Sheng-lan Yu

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to produce artificial antigens for astragaloside IV that could be used to prepare antibodies against astragaloside IV screened in Radix astragali (Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch Bunge, Fabaceae and its preparations, using an indirect ELISA. Astragaloside IV was coupled to carrier proteins, bovine serum albumin and ovalbumin using the sodium periodate method and was then evaluated using SDS-PAGE, MALDI-TOF MS and animal immunizations. The coupling ratio of astragaloside IV to bovine serum albumin ratio was determined to be thirteen, and the indirect ELISA demonstrated that three groups of mice immunized with astragaloside IV-bovine serum albumin produced anti-astragaloside IV- bovine serum albumin-specific antibody, with a minimum serum titer of 1:9600. A method for synthesizing highly immunogenic astragaloside IV artificial antigens was successfully developed thus indicating its feasibility in the establishment of a fast immunoassay for astragaloside IV content determination in Radix astragali and its products.

Study of amino acids dynamics, superconducting alloys and texture determination by neutron scattering. Coordinated programme on neutron scattering techniques in applied research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huhn Jun Kim

1982-02-01

Based on Bunges formalism, a computer program to analyze the fiber-type texture has been developed by expanding the orientation distribution function up to the 50th term. By annealing 99.9% cold-drawn copper wire, various degree of texture were developed. Using these samples, the accuracy of texture analysis has been studied by comparing experimental results with calculations obtained with various series truncations. Using the oriented silicon steels as sample, the sheet-type texture has been studied. Experimental evidences of the primary extinction and simultaneous reflections are discussed. From these, use of single-procedure geometry for pole figure measurement and precluding of strong reflections from input data for texture analysis are proposed to obtain accurate information for coarse-grained and strongly-textured materials. For the quantitative correlation between texture and physical anisotropy, the magnetic anisotropy energy and Young modulus in silicon steel have been studied by comparing measurements with theoretical results predicted from texture

Neocryptotanshinone inhibits lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation in RAW264.7 macrophages by suppression of NF-κB and iNOS signaling pathways

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Chuanhong Wu

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Neocryptotanshinone (NCTS is a natural product isolated from traditional Chinese herb Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge. In this study, we investigated its anti-inflammatory effects in lipopolysaccharide (LPS-stimulated mouse macrophage (RAW264.7 cells. MTT results showed that NCTS partly reversed LPS-induced cytotoxicity. Real-time PCR results showed that NCTS suppressed LPS-induced mRNA expression of inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα, interleukin-6 (IL-6 and interleukin-1β (IL-1β. Moreover, NCTS could decrease LPS-induced nitric oxide (NO production. Western blotting results showed that NCTS could down-regulate LPS-induced expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS, p-IκBα, p-IKKβ and p-NF-κB p65 without affecting cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2. In addition, NCTS inhibited LPS-induced p-NF-κB p65 nuclear translocation. In conclusion, these data demonstrated that NCTS showed anti-inflammatory effect by suppression of NF-κB and iNOS signaling pathways.

NEW CONTRIBUTION TO THE STUDY OF ALIEN FLORA IN ROMANIA

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SÎRBU CULIŢĂ

2011-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper, a number of seventeen alien plant species are presented, one of them being now for the first time reported in Romania (Sedum sarmentosum Bunge. Some species are mentioned for the first time in the flora of Moldavia (Aster novae-angliae L., Cenchrus incertus M. A. Curtis, Chenopodium pumilio R. Br., Fraxinus americana L., Lindernia dubia (L. Pennell, Petunia × atkinsiana D. Don, Solidago gigantea Aiton, Tagetes erecta L. or Transylvania (Kochia sieversiana (Pallas C. A. Mey., and some are reported from new localities (seven species. For each species, there are presented general data on the geographical origin, its distribution in Europe and worldwide, as well as its invasion history and current distribution in Romania. Some of these species manifest a remarkable spreading tendency, expanding their invasion area in Romania. Voucher specimens were deposited in the Herbarium of University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Iaşi (IASI.

Simultaneous determination of 19 flavonoids in commercial trollflowers by using high-performance liquid chromatography and classification of samples by hierarchical clustering analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Zhiling; Hashi, Yuki; Sun, Hongyang; Liang, Yi; Lan, Yuexiang; Wang, Hong; Chen, Shizhong

2013-12-01

The flowers of Trollius species, named Jin Lianhua in Chinese, are widely used traditional Chinese herbs with vital biological activity that has been used for several decades in China to treat upper respiratory infections, pharyngitis, tonsillitis, and bronchitis. We developed a rapid and reliable method for simultaneous quantitative analysis of 19 flavonoids in trollflowers by using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Chromatography was performed on Inertsil ODS-3 C18 column, with gradient elution methanol-acetonitrile-water with 0.02% (v/v) formic acid. Content determination was used to evaluate the quality of commercial trollflowers from different regions in China, while three Trollius species (Trollius chinensis Bunge, Trollius ledebouri Reichb, Trollius buddae Schipcz) were explicitly distinguished by using hierarchical clustering analysis. The linearity, precision, accuracy, limit of detection, and limit of quantification were validated for the quantification method, which proved sensitive, accurate and reproducible indicating that the proposed approach was applicable for the routine analysis and quality control of trollflowers. © 2013.

The influence of texture on residual stress measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lima, N.B. de.

1991-01-01

A computer program to calculate the orientation distribution function (ODF) from incomplete pole figures has been developed for rolled materials with a cubic structure. This program is based on Bunge's series expansion. The use of incomplete pole figures results in the loss of orthogonality among symmetric spherical harmonic functions and makes it necessary to explicitly evaluate the integrals. The ODF has been used to quantitatively evaluate the influence of texture in determining residual stresses. This has been done by calculating theoretically the strain undergone by each cell as a function of its orientation to residual stress relationship. To test the ODF program, cold rolled Cu and Al specimens were used and to evaluate residual stresses as a function of texture, cold rolled AISI 430 and 324 specimens were used. Simulations have also be presented based on the texture for each of the materials, to verify the nature of the curve d x sin 2 ψ as a function of each stress tensor components. (author)

Taxonomic Studies on the Genus Arnebia Forssk. (Boraginaceae in India

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Kumar Ambrish

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The genus Arnebia Forssk. in India is taxonomically studied based on field surveys, collection of live plants, consultation of herbarium and literature. The genus is represented in India by 10 taxa including 8 species and 2 varieties viz., Arnebia bhattacharyyae K. Ambrish & S.K. Srivast., A. benthamii (Wall. ex G. Don I.M. Johnst., A. euchroma ( Royle I.M. Johnst., A. guttata Bunge, A. hispidissima (Sieber ex Lehm. A.DC., A. linearifolia A.DC., A. griffithii Boiss., A. nandadeviensis K. Chandra Sek. & R.S. Rawal , A. euchroma var. grandis (Bornm. Kazmi and A. guttata var. thomsonii (C.B. Clarke Kazmi, distributed in Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand in North-West Himalaya to Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan in India. Dichotomous keys to all the species in India along with taxonomic description, distribution, illustrations and images of most of the species including type and their economic importance are provided.

Molecular Pharmacology of Rosmarinic and Salvianolic Acids: Potential Seeds for Alzheimer’s and Vascular Dementia Drugs

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Solomon Habtemariam

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Both caffeic acid and 3,4-dihydroxyphenyllactic acid (danshensu are synthesized through two distinct routs of the shikimic acid biosynthesis pathway. In many plants, especially the rosemary and sage family of Lamiaceae, these two compounds are joined through an ester linkage to form rosmarinic acid (RA. A further structural diversity of RA derivatives in some plants such as Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge is a form of RA dimer, salvianolic acid-B (SA-B, that further give rise to diverse salvianolic acid derivatives. This review provides a comprehensive perspective on the chemistry and pharmacology of these compounds related to their potential therapeutic applications to dementia. The two common causes of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease (AD and stroke, are employed to scrutinize the effects of these compounds in vitro and in animal models of dementia. Key pharmacological mechanisms beyond the common antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of polyphenols are highlighted with emphasis given to amyloid beta (Aβ pathologies among others and neuronal regeneration from stem cells.

Dimensões comunicacionais no conceito de escultura social de Joseph Beuys como possibilidade de tradução criativa.

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Magda Salete Vicini

Full Text Available O presente artigo é resultado de pesquisa de doutorado em Comunicação e Semiótica, realizada na PUC-SP, sobre o conceito de Escultura Social na obra de Joseph Beuys, com recorte em pesquisadores como Matthias Bunge e Caroline Tisdall, bem como a influência dos filósofos românticos Schiller, Goethe, Hegel e de Novalis na construção deste conceito na obra de Rudolf Steiner. O contexto da arte é abordado através de críticos de arte que analisam o trabalho artístico de Beuys, cujas características comunicacionais são apresentadas em relação a Humberto Maturana e Francisco Varella e à crítica da comunicação. Finalmente, o artigo aborda a possibilidade de tradução criativa (Walter Benjamin, Georg Steiner e Haroldo de Campos deste conceito de Joseph Beuys.

Bioactivity-Guided Identification of Botanical Inhibitors of Ketohexokinase.

Science.gov (United States)

Le, MyPhuong T; Lanaspa, Miguel A; Cicerchi, Christina M; Rana, Jatinder; Scholten, Jeffrey D; Hunter, Brandi L; Rivard, Christopher J; Randolph, R Keith; Johnson, Richard J

2016-01-01

�-/γ-mangostin (Cratoxylum prunifolium, IC50 = 1.5 μM). Extracts of Angelica archangelica, Garcinia mangostana, Petroselinum crispum, and Scutellaria baicalensis exhibited ketohexokinase inhibitory activity and blocked fructose-induced ATP depletion and fructose-induced elevation in triglyerides and uric acid. Angelica archangelica, Garcinia mangostana, Petroselinum crispum, and Scutellaria baicalensis were the top four botanical candidiates identified with inhibitory activity against ketohexokinase-C. Future studies are needed to show proof of mechanism and the efficacy of these botanical extracts in humans to blunt the negative metabolic effects of fructose-containing added sugars.

Bioactivity-Guided Identification of Botanical Inhibitors of Ketohexokinase

Science.gov (United States)

Scholten, Jeffrey D.; Hunter, Brandi L.; Rivard, Christopher J.; Randolph, R. Keith

2016-01-01

50 = 1.0 μM), and α-/γ-mangostin (Cratoxylum prunifolium, IC50 = 1.5 μM). Extracts of Angelica archangelica, Garcinia mangostana, Petroselinum crispum, and Scutellaria baicalensis exhibited ketohexokinase inhibitory activity and blocked fructose-induced ATP depletion and fructose-induced elevation in triglyerides and uric acid. Conclusions Angelica archangelica, Garcinia mangostana, Petroselinum crispum, and Scutellaria baicalensis were the top four botanical candidiates identified with inhibitory activity against ketohexokinase-C. Future studies are needed to show proof of mechanism and the efficacy of these botanical extracts in humans to blunt the negative metabolic effects of fructose-containing added sugars. PMID:27322374

El problema de la textura en ferroeléctricos de Aurivillius

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Fuentes, L.

1999-10-01

Full Text Available A quantitative treatment for texture - properties relationship in so-called Aurivillius ferroelectric ceramics is exposed. The applied general formalism is that of texture analysis through orientation distribution functions and inverse pole figures, Bunge´s formalism, adapted to coupling phenomena. General tools are described and applied to cases representative of real situations. Tensor and surface representations of representative monocrystals´ polarization density, dielectric constant, electrical conductivity and piezoelectric modulus are given. A summary of Quantitative Textures Analysis basic formalisms is presented, with emphasis on polycrystal physical properties calculations. The peculiarities of the texture -ferroelectricity relationship are discussed. Specific algorithms for the calculation of remanent polarization, dielectric constant, electric conductivity and piezoelectric modulus in textured Aurivillius-type polycrystals are provided. Examples associated with typical situations from experimental practice are illustrated. A real case from the literature is characterized quantitatively: Polycrystalline conductivity is theoretically obtained from monocrystal measured data. Calculated and measured results agree satisfactorily.

Se expone un tratamiento cuantitativo para la relación textura-propiedades en cerámicas ferroeléctricas tipo Aurivillius. El formalismo general aplicado es el de análisis de texturas a través de funciones de distribución de orientaciones y figuras inversas de polos, tratamiento de Bunge, adaptado a fenómenos de acoplamiento. Se describen las herramientas en general y se aplican a casos representativos de situaciones reales. Se plantean las representaciones tensorial y superficial de las propiedades densidad de polarización, constante dieléctrica, conductividad eléctrica y módulo de piezoelectricidad para monocristales representativos de la familia de materiales considerados. Se presenta un

Metabolic Profiling Analysis of the Alleviation Effect of Treatment with Baicalin on Cinnabar Induced Toxicity in Rats Urine and Serum

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Guangyue Su

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Objectives: Baicalin is the main bioactive flavonoid constituent isolated from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi. The mechanisms of protection of liver remain unclear. In this study, 1H NMR-based metabonomics approach has been used to investigate the alleviation effect of Baicalin.Method:1H NMR metabolomics analyses of urine and serum from rats, was performed to illuminate the alleviation effect of Baicalin on mineral medicine (cinnabar-induced liver and kidney toxicity.Results: The metabolic profiles of groups receiving Baicalin at a dose of 80 mg/kg were remarkably different from cinnabar, and meanwhile, the level of endogenous metabolites returned to normal compared to group cinnabar. PLS-DA scores plots demonstrated that the variation tendency of control and Baicalein are apart from Cinnabar. The metabolic profiles of group Baicalein were similar to those of group control. Statistics results were confirmed by the histopathological examination and biochemical assay.Conclusion: Baicalin have the alleviation effect to the liver and kidney damage induced by cinnabar. The Baicalin could regulate endogenous metabolites associated with the energy metabolism, choline metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and gut flora.

[Data mining analysis of professor Li Fa-zhi AIDS herpes zoster medical record].

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Dan-Ni; Li, Zhen; Xu, Li-Ran; Guo, Hui-Jun

2013-08-01

Analysis of professor Li Fa-zhi in the treatment of AIDS drug laws of herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia, provide reference for the use of Chinese medicine treatment of AIDS, herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia. By using the method of analyzing the complex network of Weishi county, Henan in 2007 October to 2011 July during an interview with professor Li Fa-zhi treatment of AIDS of herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia patients, patients are input structured clinical information collection system, into the analysis of the data, carries on the research analysis theory of traditional Chinese medicine compatibility system algorithm and complex network analysis the use of complex networks. The use of multi-dimensional query analysis of AIDS drugs, the core of herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia treated in this study are Scutellariae Radix, Glucyrrhizae Radix, Carthame Flos, Plantaginis Semen, Trichosamthis Fructus, Angelicae Sinensis Radix, Gentianae Radix; core prescription for Longdan Xiegan decoction and Trichosanthes red liquorice decoction. Professor Li Fa-zhi treatment of AIDS, herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia by clearing heat and removing dampness and activating blood circulation to.

Wogonin suppresses melanoma cell B16-F10 invasion and migration by inhibiting Ras-medicated pathways.

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Kai Zhao

Full Text Available The patients diagnosed with melanoma have a bad prognosis for early regional invasion and distant metastases. Wogonin (5,7-dihydroxy-8-methoxyflavone is one of the active components of flavonoids that extracts from Scutellariae radix. Several previous studies reported that wogonin possesses antitumor effect against leukemia, gastrointestinal cancer and breast cancer. In this study, we used melanoma cell B16-F10 to further investigate the anti-invasive and anti-migratory activity of wogonin. Our date showed that wogonin caused suppression of cell migration, adhesion, invasion and actin remodeling by inhibiting the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and Rac1 in vitro. Wogonin also reduced the number of the tumor nodules on the whole surface of the lung in vivo. Furthermore, the examination of mechanism revealed that wogonin inhibited Extracellular Regulated protein Kinases and Protein Kinase B pathways, which are both medicated by Ras. Insulin-like growth factor-1-induced or tumor necrosis factor-α-induced invasion was also inhibited by wogonin. Therefore, the inhibitory mechanism of melanoma cell invasion by wogonin might be elucidated.

Isolation of the Binding Protein of Periplocoside E from BBMVs in Midgut of the Oriental Amyworm Mythimna separata Walker (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae through Affinity Chromatography

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Mingxing Feng

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Periplocosides, which are insecticidal compounds isolated from the root bark of Periploca sepium Bunge, can affect the digestive system of insects. However, the mechanism though which periplocosides induces a series of symptoms remains unknown. In this study, affinity chromatography was conducted by coupling periplocoside E-semi-succinic acid ester with epoxy amino hexyl (EAH sepharose 4B. Sodium dodecyl sulfonate-polyacrylamide gelelectrophoresis (SDS-PAGE was performed to analyze the fraction eluted by periplocoside E. Eight binding proteins (luciferin 4-monooxygenase, aminopeptidase N, aminopeptidase N3, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide health (NADH dehydrogenase subunit 5, phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate 3-phosphatase myotubularin, actin, uncharacterized family 31 glucosidase KIAA1161, and 2OG-Fe(2 oxygenase superfamily protein were obtained and identified through liquid chromatography/quadrupole-time of flight-mass spectrometry (LC/Q-TOF-MS analysis of the midgut epithelium cells of Mythimna separata larvae. Aminopeptidase N and N3 are potential putative targets of periplocosides. This study establishes the foundation for further research on the mechanism of action and target localization of periplocosides in agricultural pests.

Data on the effect of in vivo knockdown using artificial ErbB3 miRNA on Remak bundle structure

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Yuki Miyamoto

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Mature Schwann cells, the peripheral nervous system (PNS glial cells, have two major roles for neuronal axons (Bunge, 1993 [1]. For large diameter axons, Schwann cells form myelin sheaths with multiple layers. For small diameter axons, they form Remak bundle composed only of single layer of the Schwann cell plasma membrane. In the PNS, ErbB3 forms a dimer with ErbB2 on the Schwann cell plasma membrane. ErbB3 plays a key role in myelination by myelinating Schwann cells, that is to say, its role in myelin thickness. Herein we provide the data regarding the effect of in vivo knockdown of ErbB3 on the thickness between an axon and a neighboring axon in Remak bundle, which is formed by non-myelinating Schwann cells. Since ErbB3 knockout mice are embryonically lethal, Schwann cell lineage-specific transgenic mice transcribing ErbB3 shRNA with an artificial miRNA backbone were generated and used in these experiments (Torii et al., 2014 [2].

The antitumor natural product tanshinone IIA inhibits protein kinase C and acts synergistically with 17-AAG.

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Lv, Chao; Zeng, Hua-Wu; Wang, Jin-Xin; Yuan, Xing; Zhang, Chuang; Fang, Ting; Yang, Pei-Ming; Wu, Tong; Zhou, Yu-Dong; Nagle, Dale G; Zhang, Wei-Dong

2018-02-07

Tanshinone IIA (Tan IIA), the primary bioactive compound derived from the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, has been reported to possess antitumor activity. However, its antitumor mechanisms are not fully understood. To resolve the potential antitumor mechanism(s) of Tan IIA, its gene expression profiles from our database was analyzed by connectivity map (CMAP) and the CMAP-based mechanistic predictions were confirmed/validated in further studies. Specifically, Tan IIA inhibited total protein kinase C (PKC) activity and selectively suppressed the expression of cytosolic and plasma membrane PKC isoforms ζ and ε. The Ras/MAPK pathway that is closely regulated by the PKC signaling is also inhibited by Tan IIA. While Tan IIA did not inhibit heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90), it synergistically enhanced the antitumor efficacy of the Hsp90 inhibitors 17-AAG and ganetespib in human breast cancer MCF-7 cells. In addition, Tan IIA significantly inhibited PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling, and induced both cell cycle arrest and autophagy. Collectively, these studies provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms responsible for antitumor activity of Tan IIA.

[Clinical efficacy of mouse nerve growth factor in treatment of occupational hand-arm vibration disease].

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Fan, Chunyue; Wang, Yanyan; Zhang, Ying; Lang, Li; Deng, Xiaofeng; Cheng, Ying

2014-12-01

To investigate the efficacy of mouse nerve growth factor (mNGF) in treating occupational hand-arm vibration disease (HAVD). Sixty-four patients with HAVD were equally and randomly divided into treatment group and control group. The control group was given Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge and deproteinized extract of calf blood to improve circulation, and also given methylcobalamin tablets and vitamin B6 for neurotrophic treatment. In addition to the above treatments for the control group, the treatment group was also given 30 µg/d mNGF by intramuscular injection for two courses (4 weeks for each course) with a 15-day interval. Both the treatment group and the control group showed significant improvements in clinical symptoms and signs (hand numbness and pain, and reduced senses of touch, pain, and vibration), cold water loading test (CWLT), and electroneuromyography (ENMG) after treatments (P hand numbness and pain, reduced senses of touch, pain, and vibration, CWLT, and ENMG, so it has better clinical effect and safety in treating HAVD. Early diagnosis and treatment can improve the outcome of patients with HAVD.

A study on the 'Yin-tonic' component of the Chinese herb Zhimu sarsasapogenin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ding Yuansheng; Yi Ningyu; Wang Yongqing; Dai Xiangdong; Xia Zongqin

1991-01-01

Sarsasapogenin was extracted from the Chinese herb Zhimu(Anemerrhena Asphodeloides Bunge) and its pharmacological action was compared with ZM decoction (ZM) in 'Hyperthyroid' mice. 125 I-Pindolol binding assay revealed that the maximum binding capacity (RT) of brain beta-adrenoceptors of the models was significantly higher than normal and that repeated oral administrations of either ZM or SAR reduced the elevated RT to nearly normal. The peak value of plasma cAMP after a single dose of isoproterenol (ISO) was also significantly higher in the models than in control. Again oral administrations of either ZM or SAR reduced the response of plasma cAMP to ISO to nearly normal. However, in vitro competitive binding assay indicated that neither SAR nor its succinyl derivative had any direct binding reaction with beta adrenoceptors. It is therefore concluded that SAR is an important component of Zhimu and the mechanism of its 'Yin-tonic' action is probably a down-regulation of the beta-adrenoceptors rather than direct occupation of receptor binding sites

PASSION FOR INVESTIGATION, PASSION FOR TEACHING; Importance of the scientific notion in the academic activity Interview

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interviewed by Roberto Polanco

2008-07-01

Full Text Available As an introduction:To ask for someone’s experience turns out to be always a reasonable option, not for coping or merely imitate, but rather to compare, to look for similarities, differences, references or profitable suggestions for the development of an own critical thought. To entrust only the own experience; can result in a baneful imprisonment, a harmful exercise of simple auto reference. To get to know how others have approached similar issues to those that we ask ourselves can become a valuable and even essential learning experience to look at our problems from a new angle, stimulating new questions and challenges, concretely in the field of the university activity. Such it is the aim of this space that assembles the thought of 3 important references in the field of the science and of the psychobiology. We can only be grateful for the generosity of these presented authors, not only for their time, but for the concrete testimony of collaboration with this space, especially to Mario Bunge whose suggestions gave form to this interview.

Integração entre atividades computacionais e experimentais como recurso instrucional no ensino de eletromagnetismo em física geral

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Pedro Fernando Teixeira Dorneles

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Investigam-se formas de integração entre atividades computacionais e experimentais de modo a torná-las complementares, auxiliando os alunos a atingirem uma aprendizagem significativa de conceitos de Física e compreenderem algumas ideias sobre modelos científicos. A proposta didática, fundamentada: na teoria de Ausubel sobre aprendizagem significativa, na visão epistemológica de Bunge sobre modelos teóricos, e na teoria sociointeracionista de Vygotsky, foi aplicada a uma turma de licenciatura em Física da UFRGS, abrangendo todo o conteúdo de Eletromagnetismo em nível de Física Geral. Os resultados mostram que a integração proposta pode proporcionar aos alunos uma visão epistemológica mais adequada sobre o papel dos modelos teóricos em Física e das atividades computacionais e experimentais nos processos de aprendizagem, promovendo a interatividade e seu engajamento no próprio aprendizado, e transformando a sala de aula em um ambiente propício para uma aprendizagem significativa.

Some practical results for calculating the elastic properties of cubic polycrystals with texture measured by neutron diffraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lychagina, T.A.; Brokmeier, H.G.

1999-01-01

Complete text of publication follows. It is well known that the elastic properties of a polycrystalline material are strongly dependent on the one hand the single crystal elastic properties and on the other hand its crystallographic texture [1]. The calculation of these properties needs the quantitative texture given by the orientation distribution function (ODF), which represents texture mathematically. By a given set of experimental pole figures a number of programs are available to calculate the ODF, which might have an influence on the resulting properties. The aim of this work is to compare elastic properties of cubic materials calculated with ODFs obtained by different methods. The calculations were carried out on a cold rolled Al-6%Mg alloy sheet and on a copper rod. Experimental pole figures were obtained by means of neutron diffraction [2] and used for ODF calculation. The conformity between different results will be discussed. (author) [1] H.J. Bunge 1982, Texture Analysis in Material Science - Mathematical Methods, Butterworth, London.; [2] H.G. Brokmeier, U. Zink, R. Schnieber, B. Witassek, Material Science Forum (1998), 273-275, 277

Effect of γ-irradiation on the volatile compounds of medicinal herb, Paeoniae Radix

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shim, Sung-Lye; Hwang, In-Min; Ryu, Keun-Young; Jung, Min-Seok; Seo, Hye-young; Kim, Hee-Yeon; Song, Hyun-Pa; Kim, Jae-Hun; Lee, Ju-Woon; Byun, Myung-Woo; Kwon, Joong-Ho; Kim, Kyong-Su

2009-01-01

A study was carried out to find the effect of γ-irradiation on contents of volatile compounds from medicinal herb, Paeoniae Radix (Paenia albiflora Pallas var. trichocarpa Bunge). The volatile compounds of control, 1, 3, 5 and 10 kGy irradiated samples were extracted by simultaneous steam distillation and extraction (SDE) method and analyzed by gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer. The major volatile compounds were paeonol, (E)-carveol, (E,E)-2,4-octadienal, methyl salicylate, myrtanol and eugenol acetate. Volatile compounds belonging to chemical classes of acids, alcohols, aldehydes, esters, hydrocarbons and miscellaneous were identified in all experimental samples. The types of volatile compounds in irradiated samples were similar to those of non-irradiated sample and the concentrations of these compounds differed between treatments. 1,3-Bis (1,1-dimethylethyl)-benzene was identified by using the selected ion monitoring (GC/MS-SIM) mode. The concentration of this compound increased with the increase of irradiation dose level. These results suggest that it could be used as the base data for the effect of γ-irradiation on medicinal herb.

Effect of {gamma}-irradiation on the volatile compounds of medicinal herb, Paeoniae Radix

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Shim, Sung-Lye; Hwang, In-Min; Ryu, Keun-Young; Jung, Min-Seok [Department of Food and Nutrition, Chosun University (Korea, Republic of); Seo, Hye-young [Korea Food Research Institute (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Hee-Yeon [Korea Food and Drug Administration (Korea, Republic of); Song, Hyun-Pa; Kim, Jae-Hun; Lee, Ju-Woon; Byun, Myung-Woo [Advanced Radiation Technology Institute, KAERI, Jeongeup 580-185 (Korea, Republic of); Kwon, Joong-Ho [Department of Food Science and Technology, Kyungpook National University (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Kyong-Su [Korea Food Research Institute (Korea, Republic of)], E-mail: kskim@chosun.ac.kr

2009-07-15

A study was carried out to find the effect of {gamma}-irradiation on contents of volatile compounds from medicinal herb, Paeoniae Radix (Paenia albiflora Pallas var. trichocarpa Bunge). The volatile compounds of control, 1, 3, 5 and 10 kGy irradiated samples were extracted by simultaneous steam distillation and extraction (SDE) method and analyzed by gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer. The major volatile compounds were paeonol, (E)-carveol, (E,E)-2,4-octadienal, methyl salicylate, myrtanol and eugenol acetate. Volatile compounds belonging to chemical classes of acids, alcohols, aldehydes, esters, hydrocarbons and miscellaneous were identified in all experimental samples. The types of volatile compounds in irradiated samples were similar to those of non-irradiated sample and the concentrations of these compounds differed between treatments. 1,3-Bis (1,1-dimethylethyl)-benzene was identified by using the selected ion monitoring (GC/MS-SIM) mode. The concentration of this compound increased with the increase of irradiation dose level. These results suggest that it could be used as the base data for the effect of {gamma}-irradiation on medicinal herb.

Die Übung an sich selbst außerhalb der Ästhetik: das Gegenmittel zu Instrumentalisierungen der Kultur.

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Stanislas d’Ornano

2005-10-01

Full Text Available In heutiger Zeit den politischen Status der Kultur und der Kunst zu untersuchen setzt voraus, dass man ebenfalls drei Aspekte unserer Epoche in Betracht zieht. Wir haben die Orientierung verloren aufgrund des Widerspruchs zwischen der Vielfalt der Wege (Theorien, Lebensstile, Kunstrichtungen einerseits und der Vorstellung der Erreichung eines Ziels (das Ende der Geschichte, die vollkommene Gesellschaft andererseits. Wir erleben täglich die Situation einer zweifachen Instrumentalisierung, ...

Comparative study of the total phenol content and antioxidant activity of some medicinal herbal extracts

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H. Hajimehdipoor

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Herbal medicines can be used as the potential sources of anti-oxidative compounds to help the treatment of diseases associated to oxidative stress. In this paper, the Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP activity of four Lamiaceae herbal extracts, which traditionally applied in oxidative stress related diseases, has been evaluated and total phenolics contents of these extracts determined by using Folin-Ciocalteu reagent. The aqueous methanol extracts were prepared by percolation method and investigated for antioxidant properties and total phenolics content evaluation. All the extracts showed antioxidant effect from 123.6±4.6 mmol of FeSO4.7H2Oequivalent/100 g dried extract in Scutellaria tornefortii to 551.5±16.0 mmol of FeSO4.7H2Oequivalent/100 g dried extract in Satureja sahendica. Interestingly, although Satureja sahendica exhibited the most antioxidant activity, the highest content of polyphenolics belonged to Stachys byzantina. Taking together, antioxidant activity of the mentioned medicinal plants is not necessarily associated with polyphenolic compounds and might be partially due to the presence of other polar constituents like terpenoid-glycosides in aqueous extracts that traditionally used as decoction.

Neuroprotective and Cognitive Enhancement Potentials of Baicalin: A Review

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Kandhasamy Sowndhararajan

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Neurodegenerative diseases are a heterogeneous group of disorders that are characterized by the gradual loss of neurons. The development of effective neuroprotective agents to prevent and control neurodegenerative diseases is specifically important. Recently, there has been an increasing interest in selecting flavonoid compounds as potential neuroprotective agents, owing to their high effectiveness with low side effects. Baicalin is one of the important flavonoid compounds, which is mainly isolated from the root of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (an important Chinese medicinal herb. In recent years, a number of studies have shown that baicalin has a potent neuroprotective effect in various in vitro and in vivo models of neuronal injury. In particular, baicalin effectively prevents neurodegenerative diseases through various pharmacological mechanisms, including antioxidative stress, anti-excitotoxicity, anti-apoptotic, anti-inflammatory, stimulating neurogenesis, promoting the expression of neuronal protective factors, etc. This review mainly focuses on the neuroprotective and cognitive enhancement effects of baicalin. The aim of the present review is to compile all information in relation to the neuroprotective and cognitive enhancement effects of baicalin and its molecular mechanisms of action in various in vitro and in vivo experimental models.

[Viability of 7 kinds of medicinal plant seeds stored in medium-term gene bank of the National Medicinal Plant Gene Bank].

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Jin, Yue; Yang, Cheng-Min; Wei, Jian-He

2016-05-01

In order to evaluate seed viability of Platycodon grandiflorum, Schizonepeta tenuifolia, Andrographis paniculat, Codonopsis pilosula, Scutellaria baicalensis, Leonurus japonicus, Rabdosia rubescens, stored in the medium-term gene bank of the National Medicinal Plant Gene Bank for 4 years, we tested seed germination rate of 7 species of medicinal plant and analyzed the change of significance of levels of the germination rate in pre and post store. Seed germination rates of 7 species of medicinal plants were all decreased after 4 years, and the decrease of S. tenuifolia and S. baicalensis germination rates were much smaller than other species. The higher initial germination rate of P. grandiflorum, C. pilosula, R. rubescens seed has the smaller decline of germination rate, but the data of A. paniculata showed the opposite trend. The rate decline of the germination of S. tenuifolia and S. baicalensis was roughly the same in different germination rate interval. The results showed that low temperature storage could effectively prolong the seed longevity, and maintain the seed vigor. Moreover, it is necessary to study on the storage characteristics of the main medicinal plant seeds, and establish the monitoring plan and regeneration standard. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

Wogonin Suppresses the Activity of Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 and Inhibits Migration and Invasion in Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma

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Ming Hong

2018-02-01

Full Text Available As one of the major active ingredients in Radix Scutellariae, wogonin has been shown to be associated with various pharmacological activities on cancer cell growth, apoptosis, and cell invasion and migration. Here, we demonstrated that wogonin may harbor potential anti-metastatic activities in hepatocarcinoma (HCC. The anti-metastasis potential of wogonin and its underlying mechanisms were evaluated by ligand–protein docking approach, surface plasmon resonance assay, and in vitro gelatin zymography studies. Our results showed that wogonin (100 μM, 50 μM suppressed MHCC97L and PLC/PRF/5 cells migration and invasion in vitro. The docking approach and surface plasmon resonance assay indicated that the potential binding affinity between wogonin and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9 may lead to inhibition of MMP-9 activity and further leads to suppression of tumor metastasis. This conclusion was further verified by Western blot results and gelatin zymography analysis. Wogonin might be a potent treatment option for disrupting the tumor metastasis that favors HCC development. The potential active targets from computational screening integrated with biomedical study may help us to explore the molecular mechanism of herbal medicines.

A flow-injection mass spectrometry fingerprinting method for authentication and quality assessment of Scutellaria lateriflora-based dietary supplements

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Identification and differentiation of anthocyanins and non-anthocyanin compounds in natural products can be very difficult by mass spectrometry. Using a ultra-violet/visible detector can be helpful, but not fool-proof, and it requires an additional detector. To solve the problem, a fast and reliab...

Pseudomoniasis phytotherapy: a review on most important Iranian medicinal plants effective on Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

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Bahmani, Mahmoud; Rafieian-Kopaei, Mahmoud; Hassanzadazar, Hassan; Taherikalani, Morovat

2016-10-01

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram-negative, aerobic bacterium found in water and soil. It is a normal flora in skin and gastrointestinal tract of human beings. P. aeruginosa as an opportunistic pathogen involved in nosocomial infections having multiple pathogenic factors and shows high rate of resistance to different antibiotics. The aim of this study was to identify the most important native medicinal plants of Iran effective on P. aeruginosa. All required information was obtained by searching keywords such as P. aeruginosa , medicinal plant extracts or essential oils in published articles in authentic scientific databases such as Science Direct, Wiley-Blackwell, Springer, Google scholar, Scientific Information Database (SID) and Magiran. According to the literature review, our results showed 12 different native medicinal plants were effective against P. aeruginosa in Iran including Eucalyptus camadulensis, Marticaria chamomilla, Ferula gummosa Boiss, Lawsonia inermis, Ocimumgra tissimum, Allium sativum, Satureja hortensis L, Satureja bachtiarica Bunge, Satureja khuzestanica (Jamzad), Thymus daenensis Celak, Thymus carmanicus Jalals and Camellia sinensis. Phytochemical analysis has shown that bioactive compounds of medicinal plants with their antioxidant and antimicrobial properties can be good alternatives for the synthetic medicines in food and drug industry.

Dispersion index of aggregates in a Rhodic Ferrasol cultivated with cane under stillage application

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Eber Augusto Ferreira do Prado

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The sugar and alcohol plants generate waste stillage one that needs proper destination. One alternative is the application of this residue to improve soil properties. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of stillage in the aggregation and productivity of sugar cane grown in three seasons of the soil sampling. The study was conducted in an Red dystrophic Latosol, sandy clay frank, at the BUNGE Monte Verde plant in the municipality of Ponta Porã, MS, Brasil. Cultivated with sugarcane third year. We used the (4x4 factorial design, evaluated 4 applications of stillage (0, 450, 600 and 750 m3 ha-1 and their soil characteristics measured at four depths (0,0-0,5; 0,5-0,10; 0,10-0,20; 0,20-0,40 m with five repetitions. To determine the rate of dispersion of aggregates (ID sample were obtained undisturbed soil at 38, 75 and 111 days after application of stillage. With increasing doses of stillage were increased concentrations of potassium and organic matter and reduce the rate of dispersion and increased stability of soil aggregates.

[Herbological studies on Chinese crude drug Ma-huang. Part 1-On the botanical origin of Ma-huang in ancient China and the origin of Japanese Ma-huang].

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Yoshizawa, Chieko; Kitade, Makiko; Mikage, Masayuki

2005-01-01

The botanical origin of a Chinese crude drug Ma-huang in ancient China and the origin of Japanese Ma-huang were herbologically studied. The results showed that the plants of Ephedra sinica Stapf, E. intermedia Schrenk & C. A. Meyer and E. equisetina Bunge were used as Ma-huang in China, and the first species was considered to be of high quality. The characters of Mao-zhou Ma-huang and Tong-zhou Ma-huang printed in Tu-jing-ben-cao, published in the Song Dynasty in China, were identified as E. likiangensis Florin and E. intermedia, respectively, and both species were recognized as excellent Ma-huang in the Ming Dynasty. The word origin of Katsune-kusa, the Japanese name for Ma-huang in the Heian Era, was etymologically considered as meaning the plant having reddish brown roots. In Japan, the plant of Equisetum ramosissimum Desf. var.japonicum Milde, of the family Equisetaceae, was substituted for Ma-huang in the middle of Edo Era, and it was designated that this action was based on the confusion of Ephedra plants and Equisetum plants those days in China.

Hepatoprotective and antioxidant activities of Tamarix nilotica flowers.

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Abouzid, Sameh; Sleem, Amany

2011-04-01

 Tamarix nilotica (Ehrenb.) Bunge (Tamaricaceae) is used in the Egyptian traditional medicine as an antiseptic agent. This plant has been known since pharaonic times and has been mentioned in medical papyri to expel fever, relieve headache, to draw out inflammation, and as an aphrodisiac. No scientific study is available about the biological effect of this plant.  This study aimed to evaluate the hydro-alcoholic extract (80%) of T. nilotica flowers for hepatoprotective and antioxidant activities.  Hepatoprotective activity was assessed using carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatic injury in rats by monitoring biochemical parameters. Antioxidant activity was evaluated in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Biochemical markers of hepatic damage such as serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT), serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and tissue glutathione were determined in all groups.  Carbon tetrachloride (5 mL/kg body weight) enhanced the SGOT, SGPT, and ALP levels. There was a marked reduction in tissue glutathione level in diabetic rats. The hydro-alcoholic extract of T. nilotica (100 mg/kg body weight) ameliorated the adverse effects of carbon tetrachloride and returned the altered levels of biochemical markers near to the normal levels.

Effect of Genotype and Environment on Salvia miltiorrhiza Roots Using LC/MS-Based Metabolomics

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Qi Zhao

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Salvia miltiorrhiza (S. miltiorrhiza Bunge is broadly used as herbal medicine for the clinical treatments of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Despite its commercial and medicinal values, few systematic studies on the metabolome of S. miltiorrhiza roots have been carried out so far. We systematically described the metabolic profiles of S. miltiorrhiza using high pressure liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC/MS in conjunction with multivariate statistical analyses, aimed at monitoring their biological variations of secondary metabolites related to three locations and four S. miltiorrhiza genotypes. A total of 40 bioactive constituents were putatively annotated in S. miltiorrhiza root samples. This study found that both the same S. miltiorrhiza genotype growing at three different locations and four S. miltiorrhiza genotypes growing at the same location had significant metabonomic differences identified by the principal component analysis (PCA approach. By using orthogonal projection to latent structure with discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA, 16 and 14 secondary metabolites can be used as potential location-specific and genotype-specific markers in S. miltiorrhiza, respectively. The specificity of LC/MS profiles offered a powerful tool to discriminate S. miltiorrhiza samples according to genotypes or locations.

A Disputa pelo sentido: o jogo de poder na Comunicação Organizacional

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Márcia Maria Garçon

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Este trabalho adotou como aporte teórico, os clássicos de Blumer (1980, Bakhtin (1995, Foucalt (1996 e Galbraith (1986 e os estudos contemporâneos da Comunicação Organizacional pautados no paradigma da produção de sentido (OLIVEIRA; PAULA, 2008 e da gestão sistêmica (YANAZE, 2011 com o objetivo de identificar as relações de poder e luta pelo sentido do projeto social Comunidade Educativa, promovido pela Fundação Bunge na E.E. Henrique Dumont Villares, na capital paulista. Foram realizadas entrevistas qualitativas, em profundidade, com os representantes da Fundação e da Escola e suas narrativas, classificadas em categorias léxico-semânticas de semelhança, complementaridade, diversidade e divergência, sendo posteriormente confrontadas, a fim de identificar o embate dos sentidos. Os resultados apontaram que os interesses particulares pautaram a luta pelo sentido e o poder, que a princípio esteve de posse da Fundação, migrou para o campo dos professores, sendo o significado construído entre estes sujeitos, o hegemônico nesta interação.

Biological evaluation and molecular docking of baicalin and scutellarin as Helicobacter pylori urease inhibitors.

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Yu, Xiao-Dan; Zheng, Rong-Bo; Xie, Jian-Hui; Su, Ji-Yan; Huang, Xiao-Qi; Wang, Yong-Hong; Zheng, Yi-Feng; Mo, Zhi-Zhun; Wu, Xiao-Li; Wu, Dian-Wei; Liang, Ye-er; Zeng, Hui-Fang; Su, Zi-Ren; Huang, Ping

2015-03-13

Baicalin and scutellarin are the principal bioactive components of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi which has extensively been incorporated into heat-clearing and detoxification formulas for the treatment of Helicobacter pylori-related gastrointestinal disorders in traditional Chinese medicine. However, the mechanism of action remained to be defined. To explore the inhibitory effect, kinetics and mechanism of Helicobacter pylori urease (the vital pathogenetic factor for Helicobacter pylori infection) inhibition by baicalin and scutellarin, for their therapeutic potential. The ammonia formations, indicator of urease activity, were examined using modified spectrophotometric Berthelot (phenol-hypochlorite) method. The inhibitory effect of baicalin and scutellarin was characterized with IC50 values, compared to acetohydroxamic acid (AHA), a well known Helicobacter pylori urease inhibitor. Lineweaver-Burk and Dixon plots for the Helicobacter pylori urease inhibition of baicalin and scutellarin was constructed from the kinetic data. SH-blocking reagents and competitive active site Ni(2+) binding inhibitors were employed for mechanism study. Molecular docking technique was used to provide some information on binding conformations as well as confirm the inhibition mode. Moreover, cytotoxicity experiment using Gastric Epithelial Cells (GES-1) was evaluated. Baicalin and scutellarin effectively suppressed Helicobacter pylori urease in dose-dependent and time-independent manner with IC50 of 0.82±0.07 mM and 0.47±0.04 mM, respectively, compared to AHA (IC50=0.14±0.05 mM). Structure-activity relationship disclosed 4'-hydroxyl gave flavones an advantage to binding with Helicobacter pylori urease. Kinetic analysis revealed that the types of inhibition were non-competitive and reversible with inhibition constant Ki of 0.14±0.01 mM and 0.18±0.02 mM for baicalin and scutellarin, respectively. The mechanism of urease inhibition was considered to be blockage of the SH groups of

Designing conservation strategies to preserve the genetic diversity of Astragalus edulis Bunge, an endangered species from western Mediterranean region

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Julio Peñas

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Astragalus edulis (Fabaceae is an endangered annual species from the western Mediterranean region that colonized the SE Iberian Peninsula, NE and SW Morocco, and the easternmost Macaronesian islands (Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. Although in Spain some conservation measures have been adopted, it is still necessary to develop an appropriate management plan to preserve genetic diversity across the entire distribution area of the species. Our main objective was to use population genetics as well as ecological and phylogeographic data to select Relevant Genetic Units for Conservation (RGUCs as the first step in designing conservation plans for A. edulis. We identified six RGUCs for in situ conservation, based on estimations of population genetic structure and probabilities of loss of rare alleles. Additionally, further population parameters, i.e. occupation area, population size, vulnerability, legal status of the population areas, and the historical haplotype distribution, were considered in order to establish which populations deserve conservation priority. Three populations from the Iberian Peninsula, two from Morocco, and one from the Canary Islands represent the total genetic diversity of the species and the rarest allelic variation. Ex situ conservation is recommended to complement the preservation of A. edulis, given that effective in situ population protection is not feasible in all cases. The consideration of complementary phylogeographic and ecological data is useful for management efforts to preserve the evolutionary potential of the species.

Designing conservation strategies to preserve the genetic diversity of Astragalus edulis Bunge, an endangered species from western Mediterranean region.

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Peñas, Julio; Barrios, Sara; Bobo-Pinilla, Javier; Lorite, Juan; Martínez-Ortega, M Montserrat

2016-01-01

Astragalus edulis (Fabaceae) is an endangered annual species from the western Mediterranean region that colonized the SE Iberian Peninsula, NE and SW Morocco, and the easternmost Macaronesian islands (Lanzarote and Fuerteventura). Although in Spain some conservation measures have been adopted, it is still necessary to develop an appropriate management plan to preserve genetic diversity across the entire distribution area of the species. Our main objective was to use population genetics as well as ecological and phylogeographic data to select Relevant Genetic Units for Conservation (RGUCs) as the first step in designing conservation plans for A. edulis. We identified six RGUCs for in situ conservation, based on estimations of population genetic structure and probabilities of loss of rare alleles. Additionally, further population parameters, i.e. occupation area, population size, vulnerability, legal status of the population areas, and the historical haplotype distribution, were considered in order to establish which populations deserve conservation priority. Three populations from the Iberian Peninsula, two from Morocco, and one from the Canary Islands represent the total genetic diversity of the species and the rarest allelic variation. Ex situ conservation is recommended to complement the preservation of A. edulis, given that effective in situ population protection is not feasible in all cases. The consideration of complementary phylogeographic and ecological data is useful for management efforts to preserve the evolutionary potential of the species.

Separate and Combined Response to UV-B Radiation and Jasmonic Acid on Photosynthesis and Growth Characteristics of Scutellaria baicalensis

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Jiaxin Quan

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The negative effects of enhanced ultraviolet-B (UV-B on plant growth and development have been reported with many species. Considering the ability of jasmonic acid (JA to improve plant stress tolerance, the hypothesis that JA pretreatment could alleviate the adverse effects of UV-B on S. baicalensis was tested in this study with photosynthesis and growth characteristics. The results showed that UV-B or JA alone both induced photosynthesis inhibition and decreased biomass in stems and leaves. However, the photosynthetic reduction caused by increased UV-B was mainly related to the effect of nonstomatal-limitation, while that of JA was a stomatal-limitation effect. JA pretreatment prior to UV-B could remit the photosynthetic inhibition via the recovery of chlorophyll content, stomatal conductance; and intercellular CO2 concentration (especially the maximum electron transport rate increase. Furthermore, the coaction of JA and enhanced UV-B alleviated some disadvantageous effects on the leaf and did not aggravate the growth damage induced by their separate actions.

Separate and Combined Response to UV-B Radiation and Jasmonic Acid on Photosynthesis and Growth Characteristics of Scutellaria baicalensis.

Science.gov (United States)

Quan, Jiaxin; Song, Shanshan; Abdulrashid, Kadir; Chai, Yongfu; Yue, Ming; Liu, Xiao

2018-04-13

The negative effects of enhanced ultraviolet-B (UV-B) on plant growth and development have been reported with many species. Considering the ability of jasmonic acid (JA) to improve plant stress tolerance, the hypothesis that JA pretreatment could alleviate the adverse effects of UV-B on S. baicalensis was tested in this study with photosynthesis and growth characteristics. The results showed that UV-B or JA alone both induced photosynthesis inhibition and decreased biomass in stems and leaves. However, the photosynthetic reduction caused by increased UV-B was mainly related to the effect of nonstomatal-limitation, while that of JA was a stomatal-limitation effect. JA pretreatment prior to UV-B could remit the photosynthetic inhibition via the recovery of chlorophyll content, stomatal conductance; and intercellular CO₂ concentration (especially the maximum electron transport rate increase). Furthermore, the coaction of JA and enhanced UV-B alleviated some disadvantageous effects on the leaf and did not aggravate the growth damage induced by their separate actions.

An Emerging Translational Model to Screen Potential Medicinal Plants for Nephrolithiasis, an Independent Risk Factor for Chronic Kidney Disease

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San-Yuan Wu

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Pharmacological therapy for urolithiasis using medicinal plants has been increasingly adopted for the prevention of its recurrence. A Drosophila melanogaster model developed for translational research of urolithiasis was applied to evaluate agents with potential antilithic effects and calcium oxalate (CaOx formation. Potential antilithic herbs were prepared in a mixture of food in a diluted concentration of 5,000 from the original extract with 0.5% ethylene glycol (EG as the lithogenic agent. The control group was fed with food only. After 3 weeks, flies (n≥150 for each group were killed using CO2 narcotization, and the Malpighian tubules were dissected, removed, and processed for polarized light microscopy examination of the crystals. The crystal formation rate in the EG group was 100.0%. In the study, 16 tested herbal drugs reached the crystal formation rate of 0.0%, including Salviae miltiorrhizae, Paeonia lactiflora, and Carthami flos. Scutellaria baicalensis enhanced CaOx crystal formation. Two herbal drugs Commiphora molmol and Natrii sulfas caused the death of all flies. Our rapid screening methods provided evidence that some medicinal plants have potential antilithic effects. These useful medicinal plants can be further studied using other animal or human models to verify their effects.

The Role of P-Glycoprotein in Transport of Danshensu across the Blood-Brain Barrier

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Peng-Fei Yu

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Danshensu (3-(3, 4-dihydroxyphenyl lactic acid, a water-soluble active component isolated from the root of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, is widely used for the treatment of cerebrovascular diseases. The present study aims to investigate the role of P-glycoprotein in transport of Danshensu across the blood-brain barrier. Sprague-Dawley rats were pretreated with verapamil at a dose of 20 mg kg−1 (verapamil group or the same volume of normal saline (control group. Ninety minutes later, the animals were administrated with Danshensu (15 mg kg−1 by intravenous injection. At 15 min, 30 min, and 60 min after Danshensu administration, the levels of Danshensu in the blood and brain were detected by high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS. The results showed that Danshensu concentrations in the brain of the rats pretreated with verapamil were significantly increased. In addition, the brain-plasma ratios of the group pretreated with verapamil were much higher than that of the control group. There was no difference in Danshensu level in plasma between the verapamil group and control group. The findings indicated that Danshensu can pass the blood-brain barrier, and P-glycoprotein plays an important role in Danshensu transportation in brain.

Escin Ia suppresses the metastasis of triple-negative breast cancer by inhibiting epithelial-mesenchymal transition via down-regulating LOXL2 expression.

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Wang, Yuhui; Xu, Xiaotian; Zhao, Peng; Tong, Bei; Wei, Zhifeng; Dai, Yue

2016-04-26

The saponin fraction of Aesculus chinensis Bunge fruits (SFAC) could inhibit the invasion and migration of MDA-MB-231 cells. Among which, escin Ia showed more potent inhibition of the invasion than other five main saponin constituents. It selectively reduced the expression of LOXL2 mRNA and promoted the expression of E-cadherin mRNA, and prevented the EMT process of MDA-MB-231 cells and TNF-α/TGF-β-stimulated MCF-7 cells. Moreover, it reduced the LOXL2 level in MDA-MB-231 cells but not in MCF-7 cells. When MCF-7 cells were stimulated with TNF-α/TGF-β, transfected with LOXL2 or treated with hypoxia, escin Ia down-regulated the level of LOXL2 in MCF-7 cells. Meanwhile, escin Ia suppressed the EMT process in LOXL2-transfected or hypoxia-treated MCF-7 cells. Of interest, escin Ia did not alter the level of HIF-1α in hypoxia-induced MCF-7 cells. In TNBC xenograft mice, the metastasis and EMT of MDA-MB-231 cells were suppressed by escin Ia. In conclusion, escin Ia was the main active ingredient of SFAC for the anti-TNBC metastasis activity, and its action mechanisms involved inhibition of EMT process by down-regulating LOXL2 expression.

Components for containment enclosures. Part 4: Ventilation and gas-cleaning systems such as filters, traps, safety and regulation valves, control and protection devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2001-01-01

ISO 11933 consists of the following parts, under the general title Components for containment enclosures: Part 1: Glove/bag ports, bungs for glove/bag ports, enclosure rings and interchangeable units; Part 2: Gloves, welded bags, gaiters for remote-handling tongs and for manipulators; Part 3: Transfer systems such as plain doors, airlock chambers, double door transfer systems, leaktight connections for waste drums; Part 4: Ventilation and gas-cleaning systems such as filters, traps, safety and regulation valves, control and protection devices; Part 5: Penetrations for electrical and fluid circuits. This part of ISO 11933 specifies the design criteria and the characteristics of various components used for ventilation and gas-cleaning in containment enclosures. These components are either directly fixed to the containment enclosure wall, or used in the environment of a shielded or unshielded containment enclosure or line of such enclosures. They can be used alone or in conjunction with other mechanical components, including those specified in ISO 11933-1 and ISO 11933-3. This part of ISO 11933 is applicable to: filtering devices, including high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters and iodine traps; safety valves and pressure regulators; systems ensuring the mechanical protection of containment enclosures; control and pressure-measurement devices

Transcriptional Profiles of SmWRKY Family Genes and Their Putative Roles in the Biosynthesis of Tanshinone and Phenolic Acids in Salvia miltiorrhiza

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Haizheng Yu

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge is a Chinese traditional herb for treating cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and tanshinones and phenolic acids are the dominated medicinal and secondary metabolism constituents of this plant. WRKY transcription factors (TFs can function as regulators of secondary metabolites biosynthesis in many plants. However, studies on the WRKY that regulate tanshinones and phenolics biosynthesis are limited. In this study, 69 SmWRKYs were identified in the transcriptome database of S. miltiorrhiza, and phylogenetic analysis indicated that some SmWRKYs had closer genetic relationships with other plant WRKYs, which were involved in secondary metabolism. Hairy roots of S. miltiorrhiza were treated by methyl jasmonate (MeJA to detect the dynamic change trend of SmWRKY, biosynthetic genes, and medicinal ingredients accumulation. Base on those date, a correlation analysis using Pearson’s correlation coefficient was performed to construct gene-to-metabolite network and identify 9 SmWRKYs (SmWRKY1, 7, 19, 29, 45, 52, 56, 58, and 68, which were most likely to be involved in tanshinones and phenolic acids biosynthesis. Taken together, this study has provided a significant resource that could be used for further research on SmWRKY in S. miltiorrhiza and especially could be used as a cue for further investigating SmWRKY functions in secondary metabolite accumulation.

Simultaneous determination by HPLC of quercetin and kaempferol in three Sedum medicinal plants harvested in different seasons.

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Wang, Luyao; Mei, Qing; Wan, Dingrong

2014-04-01

A high-performance liquid chromatography method was established for the fast quantification of quercetin and kaempferol in three Sedum crude medicines: Sedi Herba (Sedum sarmentosum Bunge.), Sedi Linearis Herba (Sedum lineare Thunb.) and Sedi Emarginati Herba (Sedum emarginatum Migo.). The column used was a YMC-pack ODS-A (250 × 4.6 mm, 5 µm), the mobile phase was a solution of methanol-0.4% phosphoric acid (47:53) with a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min at 35°C and the detection wavelength was 360 nm. The calibration curves for quercetin and kaempferol were linear over the range of 0.01-0.62 µg for quercetin and 0.02-0.78 µg for kaempferol, and the average recoveries were 99.72% [relative standard deviation (RSD): 1.63% and 99.50% (RSD: 1.16%), respectively]. In conclusion, the method established in this paper is accurate and repeatable. It can be used for the determination of quercetin and kaempferol, controlling the quality of the three crude drugs. Furthermore, the experimental data showed that the best harvest season for the three Sedum medicinal species should be the full-bloom period between the end of April and the beginning of May.

Fractal Characteristics of Soil Retention Curve and Particle Size Distribution with Different Vegetation Types in Mountain Areas of Northern China

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Xiang Niu

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Based on fractal theory, the fractal characteristics of soil particle size distribution (PSD and soil water retention curve (WRC under the five vegetation types were studied in the mountainous land of Northern China. Results showed that: (1 the fractal parameters of soil PSD and soil WRC varied greatly under each different vegetation type, with Quercus acutissima Carr. and Robina pseudoacacia Linn. mixed plantation (QRM > Pinus thunbergii Parl. and Pistacia chinensis Bunge mixed plantation (PPM > Pinus thunbergii Parl. (PTP > Juglans rigia Linn. (JRL > abandoned grassland (ABG; (2 the soil fractal dimensions of woodlands (QRM, PPM, PTP and JRL were significantly higher than that in ABG, and mixed forests (QRM and PPM were higher than that in pure forests (PTP and JRL; (3 the fractal dimension of soil was positively correlated with the silt and clay content but negatively correlated with the sand content; and (4 the fractal dimension of soil PSD was positively correlated with the soil WRC. These indicated that the fractal parameters of soil PSD and soil WRC could act as quantitative indices to reflect the physical properties of the soil, and could be used to describe the influences of the Return Farmland to Forests Projects on soil structure.

Fractal Characteristics of Soil Retention Curve and Particle Size Distribution with Different Vegetation Types in Mountain Areas of Northern China

Science.gov (United States)

Niu, Xiang; Gao, Peng; Wang, Bing; Liu, Yu

2015-01-01

Based on fractal theory, the fractal characteristics of soil particle size distribution (PSD) and soil water retention curve (WRC) under the five vegetation types were studied in the mountainous land of Northern China. Results showed that: (1) the fractal parameters of soil PSD and soil WRC varied greatly under each different vegetation type, with Quercus acutissima Carr. and Robina pseudoacacia Linn. mixed plantation (QRM) > Pinus thunbergii Parl. and Pistacia chinensis Bunge mixed plantation (PPM) > Pinus thunbergii Parl. (PTP) > Juglans rigia Linn. (JRL) > abandoned grassland (ABG); (2) the soil fractal dimensions of woodlands (QRM, PPM, PTP and JRL) were significantly higher than that in ABG, and mixed forests (QRM and PPM) were higher than that in pure forests (PTP and JRL); (3) the fractal dimension of soil was positively correlated with the silt and clay content but negatively correlated with the sand content; and (4) the fractal dimension of soil PSD was positively correlated with the soil WRC. These indicated that the fractal parameters of soil PSD and soil WRC could act as quantitative indices to reflect the physical properties of the soil, and could be used to describe the influences of the Return Farmland to Forests Projects on soil structure. PMID:26633458

Osteoblast cell membrane chromatography coupled with liquid chromatography and time-of-flight mass spectrometry for screening specific active components from traditional Chinese medicines.

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Wang, Nani; Zhang, Qiaoyan; Xin, Hailiang; Shou, Dan; Qin, Luping

2017-11-01

A method using osteoblast membrane chromatography coupled with liquid chromatography and time-of-flight mass spectrometry was developed to recognize and identify the specific active components from traditional Chinese medicines. Primary rat osteoblasts were used for the preparation of the stationary phase in the cell chromatography method. Retention components from the cell chromatography were collected and analyzed by liquid chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometry. This method was applied in screening active components from extracts of four traditional Chinese medicines. In total, 24 potentially active components with different structures were retained by osteoblast cell chromatography. There were five phenolic glucosides and one triterpenoid saponin from Curculigo orchioides Gaertn, two organic acids and ten flavonoids from Epimedium sagittatum Maxim, one phthalide compound and one organic acid from Angelica sinensis Diels, and two flavonoids and two saponins from Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bunge. Among those, four components (icariin, curculigoside, ferulaic acid, and timosaponin BII) were used for in vitro pharmacodynamics validation. They significantly increased the osteoblast proliferation, alkaline phosphatase activity, levels of bone gla protein and collagen type 1, and promoted mineralized nodule formation. The developed method was an effective screening method for finding active components from complex medicines that act on bone diseases. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi enhance soil carbon sequestration in the coalfields, northwest China

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Wang, Zhi-Gang; Bi, Yin-Li; Jiang, Bin; Zhakypbek, Yryszhan; Peng, Su-Ping; Liu, Wen-Wen; Liu, Hao

2016-10-01

Carbon storage is affected by photosynthesis (Pn) and soil respiration (Rs), which have been studied extensively in natural and agricultural systems. However, the effects of Pn and Rs on carbon storages in the presence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in coalfields remain unclear. A field experiment was established in 2014 in Shendong coal mining subsidence area. The treatments comprised two inoculation levels (inoculated with or without 100 g AMF inoculums per seedlings) and four plant species [wild cherry (Prunus discadenia Koebne L.), cerasus humilis (Prunus dictyneura Diels L.), shiny leaf Yellow horn (Xanthoceras sorbifolium Bunge L.) and apricot (Armeniaca sibirica L.)]. AMF increased Pn of four species ranging from 15.3% to 33.1% and carbon storage, averaged by 17.2% compared to controls. Soil organic carbon (OC), easily extractable glomalin-relation soil protein (EE-GRSP), and total glomalin-relation soil protein (T-GRSP) were significantly increased by AMF treatment. The effect of AMF on the sensitivity of Rs depended on soil temperature. The results highlighted the exponential models to explain the responses of Rs to soil temperature, and for the first time quantified AMF caused carbon sequestration and Rs. Thus, to our knowledge, AMF is beneficial to ecosystems through facilitating carbon conservation in coalfield soils.

Comparative Proteomic Analysis of the Effect of Periplocoside P from Periploca sepium on Brush Border Membrane Vesicles in Midgut Epithelium of Mythimna separata Larvae

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Mingxing Feng

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Periplocoside P (PSP, a novel compound isolated from Periploca sepium Bunge, possesses insecticidal activity against some lepidopterans, such as Mythimna separata. In M. separata, the brush border membrane vesicles of the midgut epithelium are the initial site of action of periplocosides. We conducted two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight/time of flight mass spectrometry analysis to analyze differentially expressed proteins (DEPs from periplocoside P (PSP-treated M. separata. We successfully isolated seven up-regulated and three down-regulated DEPs that have been previously identified, as well as a novel DEP. The DEPs are implicated in protein degradation, transporter, folding, and synthesis, and in juvenile hormone biosynthesis. DEPs involved in the oxidative phosphorylation energy metabolism pathway are enriched. Through real-time polymerase chain reaction assay, we confirmed that vma1 expression is significantly up-regulated expression levels in PSP-treated M. separata larvae. Enzymology validation further indicated that PSP can significantly inhibit V-type ATPase activity in a concentration-dependent manner. Given these results, we speculate that in M. separata, the V-type ATPase A subunit in the midgut epithelium is the putative target binding site of periplocosides. This finding provides preliminary evidence for the mode of action of periplocosides.

Antidiabetic and Synergistic Effects of Anthocyanin Fraction from Berberis integerrima Fruit on Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats Model

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Zahra Sabahi

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Diabetes mellitus is a complex endocrine disorder. There is a serious attempt to identify antidiabetic compounds from natural sources to use with other drugs for reduction of diabetes complications. Present study is based on the investigation of antihyperglycemic effect of anthocyanin fraction of Berberis integerrima Bunge (AFBI fruits on some physiological parameters (glucose level, glycogen content, and body weight in normal and streptozotocin-induced (STZ-induced diabetic rats and evaluation of synergic effect of this fraction with metformin and glibenclamide. Male Sprague dawley rats were divided into nine groups: healthy control group, diabetic control group, diabetic groups treated with anthocyanin fraction (200, 400 and 1000 mg/kg, respectively; diabetic groups treated with glibenclamide and metformin separately, diabetic groups treated with glibenclamide + anthocyanin fraction (1000 mg/kg, metformin + anthocyanin fraction (1000 mg/kg. Treatment of diabetic rats with AFBI (400, 1000mg/kg significantly decreased blood glucose as compared with control. Moreover, AFBI (400, 1000mg/kg significantly increased liver glycogen and body weight compared to control. Nevertheless, there were no synergistic effects between anthocyanin fraction and metformin or glibenclamide on blood glucose, liver glycogen, and body weight. The results of this study indicate that AFBI possesses hypoglycemic effects and may be considered for evaluation in future diabetes clinical studies.

Potentiation activity of multiple antibacterial agents by Salvianolate from the Chinese medicine Danshen against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA

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Qing-Qing Liu

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Salvianolate (SAL is a prescribed medicine from the Chinese herb Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge. It has been widely used in treatment of coronary and other diseases with significant effects. The in vitro antimicrobial activities of SAL against infectious pathogens were assayed and its combined effects on 10 clinical isolates of SCCmec III type methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA with ten antibiotics were evaluated. Susceptibility to each agent alone was tested using a broth microdilution method, and the chequerboard and time-kill experiments were used for the combined activities. The results showed MIC was 128–256 mg/L for SAL used alone against MRSA. Significant synergies were observed for SAL/Ampicillin (Fosfomycin, Erythromycin, Piperacillin-tazobactam or Clindamycin combination against over half of the isolates, with their MICs reduced by times of dilution (TOD to 4–32 (FICIs 0.375–0.5, respectively. SAL/AMP combination showed the best combined effect of synergy on bacteriostatic and bactericidal activities, while SAL/AMK combination reversed the resistance of MRSA to AMK. The results demonstrated that SAL enhanced widely the in vitro anti-MRSA efficacy of the ten antibacterial agents, which had potential for combinatory therapy of patients infected with MRSA and warrants further investigations.

Botanicals as Modulators of Neuroplasticity: Focus on BDNF

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Enrico Sangiovanni

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The involvement of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF in different central nervous system (CNS diseases suggests that this neurotrophin may represent an interesting and reliable therapeutic target. Accordingly, the search for new compounds, also from natural sources, able to modulate BDNF has been increasingly explored. The present review considers the literature on the effects of botanicals on BDNF. Botanicals considered were Bacopa monnieri (L. Pennell, Coffea arabica L., Crocus sativus L., Eleutherococcus senticosus Maxim., Camellia sinensis (L. Kuntze (green tea, Ginkgo biloba L., Hypericum perforatum L., Olea europaea L. (olive oil, Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer, Rhodiola rosea L., Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, Vitis vinifera L., Withania somnifera (L. Dunal, and Perilla frutescens (L. Britton. The effect of the active principles responsible for the efficacy of the extracts is reviewed and discussed as well. The high number of articles published (more than one hundred manuscripts for 14 botanicals supports the growing interest in the use of natural products as BDNF modulators. The studies reported strengthen the hypothesis that botanicals may be considered useful modulators of BDNF in CNS diseases, without high side effects. Further clinical studies are mandatory to confirm botanicals as preventive agents or as useful adjuvant to the pharmacological treatment.

Species identification and sex determination of the genus Nepenthes (Nepenthaceae).

Science.gov (United States)

Mokkamul, Piya; Chaveerach, Arunrat; Sudmoon, Runglawan; Tanee, Tawatchai

2007-02-15

Nepenthes species are well known for their ornamentally attractive pitchers. The species diversity was randomly surveyed in some conservation areas of Thailand and three species were found, namely N. gracilis Korth., N. mirabilis Druce. and N. smilesii Hemsl. Young plants as unknown species from Chatuchak market were added in plant sampled set. Thirty two Inter Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) primers were screened and 13 successful primers were used to produce DNA banding patterns for constructing a dendrogram. The dendrogram is potentially power tool to identify unknown species from Chatuchak market, differentiate species population, population by geographical areas and sex determination. The geographical area of N. mirabilis was specified to Southern and Northeastern regions and finally, subdivided into exact areas according to province. Male and female plants of N. gracilis at Phu Wua Wildlife Sanctuary and N. mirabilis at Bung Khonglong non-hunting area were determined. Two unknown species from Chatuchak market were analyzed to be N. mirabilis with the genetic similarities (S) 77.2 to 84.7. Be more sex specific in all sample studied, 37 Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) primers were investigated. The result shows that only one RAPD primer show high resolution results at about 750 bp specific male-related marker.

Use of Liquid Chromatography with Electrochemical Detection for the Determination of Antioxidants in Less Common Fruits

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Zbynek Gazdik

2008-11-01

Full Text Available Neurodegenerative disorders (NDD have become the common global health burden over the last several decades. According to World Health Organization (WHO, a staggering 30 million people will be affected by Alzheimer’s disease in Europe and the USA by 2050. Effective therapies in this complex field considering the multitude of symptoms associated with NDD indications, have not been found yet. Based on the results of NDD related studies, prevention appears to be the promise alternative. Antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties are hypothesized for natural phenolics, a group of plant secondary products that may positively impact neurodegenerative diseases. In these studies, phenolic-rich extracts from less common fruit species: Blue honeysuckle (Lonicera edulis, Turcz. ex. Freyn, Saskatoon berry (Amelanchier alnifolia Nutt., and Chinese hawthorn (Crateagus pinnatifida Bunge were obtained and analyzed to detect neuroprotective substances content and establish a potential therapeutic value. High performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection was optimized and further applied on analysis of the extracts of less common fruit species. It was observed that Chinese hawthorn and Blue honeysuckle extracts are potent source of neuroprotective phenolic antioxidants. In accordance the results, it appears that the fruit or formulated products may have the potential for the prevention of neurodegenerative diseases.

Effects of abscisic acid, gibberellin, ethylene and their interactions on production of phenolic acids in salvia miltiorrhiza bunge hairy roots.

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Zongsuo; Ma, Yini; Xu, Tao; Cui, Beimi; Liu, Yan; Guo, Zhixin; Yang, Dongfeng

2013-01-01

Salvia miltiorrhiza is one of the most important traditional Chinese medicinal plants because of its excellent performance in treating coronary heart disease. Phenolic acids mainly including caffeic acid, rosmarinic acid and salvianolic acid B are a group of active ingredients in S. miltiorrhiza. Abscisic acid (ABA), gibberellin (GA) and ethylene are three important phytohormones. In this study, effects of the three phytohormones and their interactions on phenolic production in S. miltiorrhiza hairy roots were investigated. The results showed that ABA, GA and ethylene were all effective to induce production of phenolic acids and increase activities of PAL and TAT in S. miltiorrhiza hairy roots. Effects of phytohormones were reversed by their biosynthetic inhibitors. Antagonistic actions between the three phytohormones played important roles in the biosynthesis of phenolic acids. GA signaling is necessary for ABA and ethylene-induced phenolic production. Yet, ABA and ethylene signaling is probably not necessary for GA3-induced phenolic production. The complex interactions of phytohormones help us reveal regulation mechanism of secondary metabolism and scale-up production of active ingredients in plants.

"Doch wie’s da drin aussieht, geht niemand was an." Musikausübung und politikverständnis bei Hermann Scherchen

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Lucchesi Joachim

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Am Beispiel des deutschen Dirigenten Hermann Scherchen (1891-1966 wird dargelegt, wie sein öffentliches Verschweigen eigener linker und antifaschistischer Position in den Jahren nach 1933 zu negativen Reaktionen und politisch motivierten Angriffen führte.

Bojesodok-eum, a Herbal Prescription, Ameliorates Acute Inflammation in Association with the Inhibition of NF-κB-Mediated Nitric Oxide and ProInflammatory Cytokine Production

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Kook Ho Sohn

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Bojesodok-eum (BSE is a herbal prescription consisting of Coptidis Rhizoma and Scutellariae Radix as main components. This paper investigated the effects of BSE on the induction of nitric oxide (NO, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2, and proinflammatory cytokines that are caused by lipopolysaccharide (LPS in murine macrophage cell line and on the paw edema formation in animals. Administration of BSE (0.3 g/kg and 1 g/kg in rats significantly inhibited carrageenan-induced paw edema formation, as did dexamethasone, an anti-inflammatory positive control drug. In cell model, treatment of BSE decreased the production of NO and PGE2 in RAW264.7 cells stimulated by LPS. BSE also inhibited the expression of iNOS and COX-2 protein as well as COX activity in a concentration-dependent manner. Consistently, BSE suppressed the ability of LPS to produce TNF-α, interleukin-1β, and interleukin-6. LPS treatment induced nuclear NF-κB level and I-κBα phosphorylation, which were inhibited subsequent treatment of BSE, suggesting its repression of LPS-inducible NF-κB activation. BSE abrogated the induction of NO, PGE2, and proinflammatory cytokines, as well as iNOS and COX-2 protein expression in RAW264.7 cells stimulated by LPS as mediated with NF-κB inhibition.

Concurrent administration of anticancer chemotherapy drug and herbal medicine on the perspective of pharmacokinetics

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Yung-Yi Cheng

2018-04-01

Full Text Available With an increasing number of cancer patients seeking an improved quality of life, complementary and alternative therapies are becoming more common ways to achieve such improvements. The potential risks of concurrent administration are serious and must be addressed. However, comprehensive evidence for the risks and benefits of combining anticancer drugs with traditional herbs is rare. Pharmacokinetic investigations are an efficient way to understand the influence of concomitant remedies. Therefore, this study aimed to collect the results of pharmacokinetic studies relating to the concurrent use of cancer chemotherapy and complementary and alternative therapies. According to the National Health Insurance (NHI database in Taiwan and several publications, the three most commonly prescribed formulations for cancer patients are Xiang-Sha-Liu-Jun-Zi-Tang, Jia-Wei-Xiao-Yao-San and Bu-Zhong-Yi-Qi-Tang. The three most commonly prescribed single herbs for cancer patients are Hedyotis diffusa, Scutellaria barbata, and Astragalus membranaceus. Few studies have discussed herb–drug interactions involving these herbs from a pharmacokinetics perspective. Here, we reviewed Jia-Wei-Xiao-Yao-San, Long-Dan-Xie-Gan-Tang, Curcuma longa and milk thistle to provide information based on pharmacokinetic evidence for healthcare professionals to use in educating patients about the risks of the concomitant use of various remedies. Keywords: Traditional Chinese medicine, Chemotherapy drug, Pharmacokinetics, Herb–drug interaction

Baicalein Rescues Delayed Cooling via Preservation of Akt Activation and Akt-Mediated Phospholamban Phosphorylation

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Zuohui Shao

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Cooling reduces the ischemia/reperfusion (I/R injury seen in sudden cardiac arrest (SCA by decreasing the burst of reactive oxygen species (ROS. Its cardioprotection is diminished when delay in reaching the target temperature occurs. Baicalein, a flavonoid derived from the root of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, possesses antioxidant properties. Therefore, we hypothesized that baicalein can rescue cooling cardioprotection when cooling is delayed. Two murine cardiomyocyte models, an I/R model (90 min ischemia/3 h reperfusion and stunning model (30 min ischemia/90 min reperfusion, were used to assess cell survival and contractility, respectively. Cooling (32 °C was initiated either during ischemia or during reperfusion. Cell viability and ROS generation were measured. Cell contractility was evaluated by real-time phase-contrast imaging. Our results showed that cooling reduced cell death and ROS generation, and this effect was diminished when cooling was delayed. Baicalein (25 µM, given either at the start of reperfusion or start of cooling, resulted in a comparable reduction of cell death and ROS production. Baicalein improved phospholamban phosphorylation, contractility recovery, and cell survival. These effects were Akt-dependent. In addition, no synergistic effect was observed with the combined treatments of cooling and baicalein. Our data suggest that baicalein may serve as a novel adjunct therapeutic strategy for SCA resuscitation.

Effects of Dietary Extract on Growth, Feed Utilization and Challenge Test of Olive Flounder (

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S. H. Cho

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Effects of dietary Scutellaria baicalensis extract (SBE on growth, feed utilization and challenge test of olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus were determined. Six hundred thirty fish averaging 5.0 g were distributed into 18, 180-L tanks. Six experimental diets were prepared in triplicate: SBE-0, SBE-0.5, SBE-1, SBE-2, SBE-3 and SBE-5 diets containing SBE at the concentrations of 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 3 and 5%, respectively. Fish were hand-fed to apparent satiation twice a day for 8 wks. At the end of 8-wk feeding trial, ten fish from each tank were infected by Edwardsiella tarda for challenge test. Survival and weight gain of fish were not affected by dietary concentrations of SBE. However, specific growth rate of fish fed the SBE-2 diet was higher than that of fish fed the SBE-0, SBE-1, SBE-3 and SBE-5 diets. Neither feed efficiency nor serum chemical composition of fish was affected by dietary concentrations of SBE. The cumulative mortality of fish fed the SBE-0 diet was 100% at 96 h after E. tarda infection, but 77 to 87% for fish fed the other diets. Dietary inclusion of 2% SBE appears to be recommendable to improve specific growth rate of fish and SBE had the potential to mitigate mortality of fish at E. tarda infection.

Flowers of Çoruh Valley

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Ramazan Çakmakçı

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Coruh valley has an important biological diversity in term of plants, flora-fauna, wildlife and ecosystems. These regions contain the landraces, wild and weedy relatives, other wild, herbaceous and flowering trees, herbaceous flowering plants, medicinal and aromatic and flowering and ornamental shrubs plants species which are especially economically important plant for floriculture, eco-tourism, botanical tourism and nature tourism. Many important medicinal and aromatic and ornamental plants species are found in this region and naturally grow. It is considered that Acantholimon, Achillea, Alkanna, Allium, Amygdalus, Angelica, Anemone, Anthemis, Arabis, Arctium, Artemisia, Asparagus, Asperula, Astragalus, Calamintha, Calendula, Calutea, Campanula, Capparis, Cardamine, Centaurea, Cephalanthera, Cephalaria, Chelidonium, Chenopodium, Chysanthemum, Colchicum, Consolida, Coriandrum, Cornus, Coronilla, Cerasus, Cotoneaster, Crataegus, Crocus, Cyclamen, Dactylorhiza, Digitalis, Dianthus, Draba, Echinops, Equisetum, Ferula, Filipendula, Fritillaria, Fumaria, Gagea, Galanthus, Galium, Genista, Gentiana, Geranium, Geum, Gladiolus, Glychirrza, Helichrysum, Hesperis, Hypericum, İnula, İris, Isatis, Juniperus, Lilium, Linaria, Linum, lysimachia, Malus, Malva, Marrubium, Melissa, Mentha, Micromeria, Morina, Muscari, Mysotis, Narcissus, Neotchichatchewia, Nepeta, Onobrychis, Orchis, Ornithogalum, Origanum, Paeonia, Papaver, Pedicularis, Peganum, Phelypaea, Platanthera, Plantago, Pilosella, Pelargonium, Potentilla, Polygonum, Polygala, Primula, Punica, Prunus, Pyrus, Ranunculus, Rhamnus, Rhododendron, Rhus, Rosa, Rubia, Rubus, Rumex, Salvia, Sambucus, Satureja, Scilla, Scorzonera, Scutellaria, Sedum, Sempervivum, Sideritis, Sophora, Sorbus, Stachys, Tanecetum, Teucrium, Thymus, Trigonella, Tulipa, Tussilago, Uechtriitzia, Vaccinium, Verbascum, Verbena, Veronica, Viburnum and Ziziphora species commonly found in the region may be may be evaluated economically.

Baicalein antagonizes rotenone-induced apoptosis in dopaminergic SH-SY5Y cells related to Parkinsonism.

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Song, Ju-Xian; Choi, Mandy Yuen-Man; Wong, Kavin Chun-Kit; Chung, Winkie Wing-Yan; Sze, Stephen Cho-Wing; Ng, Tzi-Bun; Zhang, Kalin Yan-Bo

2012-01-21

Two active compounds, baicalein and its glycoside baicalin were found in the dried root of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, and reported to be neuroprotective in vitro and in vivo. This study aims to evaluate the protective effects of baicalein on the rotenone-induced apoptosis in dopaminergic SH-SY5Y cells related to parkinsonism. Cell viability and cytotoxicity were determined by MTT assay. The degree of nuclear apoptosis was evaluated with a fluorescent DNA-binding probe Hoechst 33258. The production of reactive oxidative species (ROS) and loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) were determined by fluorescent staining with DCFH-DA and Rhodanmine 123, respectively. The expression of Bax, Bcl-2, cleaved caspase-3 and phosphorylated ERK1/2 was determined by the Western blots. Baicalein significantly increased viability and decreased rotenone-induced death of SH-SY5Y cells in a dose-dependent manner. Pre- and subsequent co-treatment with baicalein preserved the cell morphology and attenuated the nuclear apoptotic characteristics triggered by rotenone. Baicalein antagonized rotenone-induced overproduction of ROS, loss of ΔΨm, the increased expression of Bax, cleaved caspase-3 and phosphorylated ERK1/2 and the decreased expression of Bcl-2. The antioxidative effect, mitochondrial protection and modulation of anti-and pro-apoptotic proteins are related to the neuroprotective effects of baicalein against rotenone induced cell death in SH-SY5Y cells.

Baicalein has protective effects on the 17β-estradiol-induced transformation of breast epithelial cells.

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Chen, Yan; Wang, Jing; Hong, Duan-Yang; Chen, Lin; Zhang, Yan-Yan; Xu, Yi-Ni; Pan, Di; Fu, Ling-Yun; Tao, Ling; Luo, Hong; Shen, Xiang-Chun

2017-02-07

Epidemiologic and systematic studies have indicated that flavonoid consumption is associated with a lower incidence of breast cancer. Baicalein is the primary flavonoid derived from the roots of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi. In the current study, the long-term exposure of breast epithelial cells to 17β-estradiol (E2) was used to investigate the chemopreventive potential of baicalein on neoplastic transformation. The results demonstrated that baicalein significantly inhibited E2-induced cell growth, motility, and invasiveness, and suppressed E2-induced misshapen acini formation in 3D cultures. Furthermore, it inhibited the ability of E2-induced cells to form clones in agarose and tumors in NOD/SCID immunodeficient mice. Docking studies using Sybyl-X 1.2 software showed that baicalein could bind to both estrogen receptor-α (ERa) and G-protein coupled estrogen receptor 30 (GPR30), which are two critical E2-mediated pathways. Baicalein prevented the E2-induced ERa-mediated activation of nuclear transcriptional signaling by interfering with the trafficking of ERa into the nucleus and subsequent binding to estrogen response elements, thereby decreasing the mRNA levels of ERa target genes. It also inhibited E2-induced GPR30-mediated signal transduction, as well as the transcription of GPR30-regulated genes. Therefore, these results suggest that baicalein is a potential drug for reducing the risk of estrogen-dependent breast cancer.

Anti-Inflammatory Effects of 81 Chinese Herb Extracts and Their Correlation with the Characteristics of Traditional Chinese Medicine

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Chang-Liang Chen

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Inducible nitrogen oxide synthase (iNOS is the primary contributor of the overproduction of nitric oxide and its inhibitors have been actively sought as effective anti-inflammatory agents. In this study, we prepared 70% ethanol extracts from 81 Chinese herbs. These extracts were subsequently evaluated for their effect on nitrogen oxide (NO production and cell growth in LPS/IFNγ-costimulated and unstimulated murine macrophage RAW264.7 cells by Griess reaction and MTT assay. Extracts of Daphne genkwa Sieb.et Zucc, Caesalpinia sappan L., Iles pubescens Hook.et Arn, Forsythia suspensa (Thunb. Vahl, Zingiber officinale Rosc, Inula japonica Thunb., and Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort markedly inhibited NO production (inhibition > 90% at 100 μg/mL. Among active extracts (inhibition > 50% at 100 μg/mL, Rubia cordifolia L., Glycyrrhiza glabra L., Iles pubescens Hook.et Arn, Nigella glandulifera Freyn et Sint, Pueraria lobata (Willd. Ohwi, and Scutellaria barbata D. Don displayed no cytotoxicity to unstimulated RAW246.7 cells while increasing the growth of LPS/IFNγ-costimulated cells. By analyzing the correlation between their activities and their Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM characteristics, herbs with pungent flavor displayed potent anti-inflammatory capability. Our study provides a series of potential anti-inflammatory herbs and suggests that herbs with pungent flavor are candidates of effective anti-inflammatory agents.

Magnesium Lithospermate B from Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge Ameliorates Aging-Induced Renal Inflammation and Senescence via NADPH Oxidase-Mediated Reactive Oxygen Generation.

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Park, Chan Hum; Shin, Sung Ho; Lee, Eun Kyeong; Kim, Dae Hyun; Kim, Min-Jo; Roh, Seong-Soo; Yokozawa, Takako; Chung, Hae Young

2017-05-01

The present study was conducted to examine whether magnesium lithospermate B (MLB) extracted from Salviae miltiorrhizae radix was renoprotective in pathways related to age-related oxidative stress in aged rats. Magnesium lithospermate B was orally administered at a dose of 2- or 8-mg/kg body weight for 16 consecutive days, and the effects were compared with those of vehicle in old and young rats. Magnesium lithospermate B administration to old rats ameliorated renal oxidative stress through reduction of reactive oxygen species. The old rats exhibited a dysregulation of the expression of proteins related to oxidative stress and inflammation in the kidneys, and MLB administration significantly reduced the protein expression of major subunits of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase (Nox4 and p22 phox ), phospho-p38, nuclear factor-kappa B p65, cyclooxygenase-2, and inducible nitric oxide synthase. In addition, MLB-treated old rats showed lower levels of senescence-related proteins such as p16, ADP-ribosylation factor 6, p53, and p21 through effects on the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. Magnesium lithospermate B administration also significantly attenuated the age-related increase in serum urea nitrogen, reflecting renal dysfunction, up-regulated podocyte structural proteins, and reduced renal structural injury. Our results provide important evidence that MLB reduces the renal damage of oxidative stress in old rats. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Slavia takes the Czech path

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Haluza, I.

2007-01-01

Biodiesel was the main reason Slavia Capital bought the oil processing company, Palma Tumys, Bratislava last year. The biofuels added to fuel produced from oil are one of the core products of this investment group. But today Slavia is profiting more from the production of edible oils and margarine produced by the Palma Group. It has benefited from the global increase in food prices. But Palma is also profiting from the experience and contacts of its new Czech managers appointed by the new owner. They have found a place in Czech stores for Slovak oils and margarines. In the past the company only used to supply its products to Czech bakers. And they even found a place for biodiesel. Petr Zejdlik is Czech and is the chairman of the board of Palma Group. Matej Valtr, is also Czech and is responsible for managing company strategies. They replaced the former owners, original Slovak privatizers who used to manage the company and did not do badly. They managed to keep one of the biggest Slovak food processing companies in good shape and in profit and j with stable revenues of around 90 mil. EUR. But finally they gave in to international competition from Bunge, Cargill and Archer Daniels Midland and sold the company to a financially strong investor. (author)

Astragalus membranaceus augment sperm parameters in male mice associated with cAMP-responsive element modulator and activator of CREM in testis

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Wonnam Kim

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Astragalus membranaceus BUNGE (AM; 黃芪 huáng qí has been widely used as a medicinal herb for different kinds of diseases. AM treatment in vitro enhance sperm motility and ameliorates testicular toxicity, it has demonstrated the ability as a potential treatment for male infertility. In order to gain further insights on the molecular understanding of how AM enhances spermatogenesis, this study investigated whether AM has an affect on sperm parameters associated with cAMP response element modulator (CREM and activator of CREM in testis (ACT expression. Five-week-old male ICR mice were divided into four groups; control group and three different concentrations of AM treated groups. Each group was treated for 5 days a week for 5 weeks. Testis samples were collected for real time quantitative PCR and western blot analysis. Epididymis was taken out and used for sperm analysis using the computer assisted semen analysis (CASA system. To facilitate expression of genes required for spermatogenesis, it is controlled by fine-tuning of CREM and its coactivator, ACT. AM treatment promotes CREM and ACT mRNA expression and also protein expression compared to control. AM enhances sperm values such as sperm count and motility compared to control. Overall, the study highlights, the ability of AM to increases CREM and ACT expression to facilitate sperm development and semen quality.

In vitro fabrication of dental filling nanopowder by green route and its antibacterial activity against dental pathogens.

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Lee, Jeong-Ho; Velmurugan, Palanivel; Park, Jung-Hee; Lee, Kui-Jae; Jin, Jong-Sik; Park, Yool-Jin; Bang, Keuk-Soo; Oh, Byung-Taek

2016-06-01

The aim of this study was to introduce novel Sn, Cu, Hg, and Ag nanopowders (NPs) and a composite nanopowder (NP) synthesized using Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (SM) root extract as a reducing and capping agent to improve the antibacterial property of dental filling materials. All of the NPs obtained were characterized using a scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM), and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectrum imaging was performed to map the elemental distributions of the NP composite. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was performed to identify the role of various functional groups in all of the obtained NPs and the phyto-compound responsible for the reduction of various metal ions. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns clearly illustrated the crystalline phase of the synthesized NP. The antibacterial properties of the synthesized Sn, Cu, Hg, Ag, composite NP, SM root extract, and commercial amalgam powder were evaluated. The Cu, composite NP, SM root extract and Ag NP displayed excellent antibacterial activity against dental bacteria Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus acidophilus. The results of this study require further evaluation for signs of metal toxicity in appropriate animal models. However, the results are encouraging for the application of metal NPs as suitable alternatives for antibiotics and disinfectants, especially in dental filling materials. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Do the Modern Neurosciences Call for a New Model of Organizational Cognition?

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Seni, Dan Alexander

2012-10-01

Our purpose in this paper is to try to make a significant contribution to the analysis of cognitive capabilities of the organization of active social systems such as the business enterprise by re-examining the concepts of organizational intelligence, organizational memory and organizational learning in light of the findings of modern neuroscience. In fact, in this paper we propose that neuroscience shows that sociocognitivity is for real. In other words, cognition, in the broad sense, is not exclusive to living organisms: Certain kinds of social organizations (e.g. the enterprise) possess elementary cognitive capabilities by virtue of their structure and their functions. The classical theory of organizational cognition is the theory of Artificial Intelligence. We submit that this approach has proven to be false and barren, and that a materialist emergentist neuroscientific approach, in the tradition of Mario Bunge (2003, 2006), leads to a far more fruitful viewpoint, both for theory development and for eventual factual verification. Our proposals for sociocognitivity are based on findings in three areas of modern neuroscience and biopsychology: (1) The theory of intelligence and of intelligent systems; (2) The neurological theory of memory as distributed, hierarchical neuronal systems; (3) The theory of cognitive action in general and of learning in particular. We submit that findings in every one of these areas are applicable to the social organization.

MISCELLANEOUS BOTANICAL NOTES—IV*

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C. G. G. J. VAN STEENIS

2015-11-01

Full Text Available 1. In connection with the first record from Malaysia (Atjeh, North Sumatra of a species of Schoepfia (Olacaceae, viz. S. fragrans Wall, in Roxb., some notes on the genus are given, including a key to the species of section Schoepfiopsis (emended and to the two Indian species of Schoepfia. The specimens of the Kew and Leyden Herbaria of these two species are listed. The name Schoepfia ffriffithii Tiegh. is validly published in the present paper, if this was not done before. 2. Smilax pygmaea Merr. (Liliaceae is recorded from Atjeh, Sumatra. 3. The first indigenous species of Mivmlus (Scrophulariaceae, M. tenellus Bunge, is recorded for Malaysia from Atjeh, Sumatra. 4. A new species of Macadamia (Proteaceae is described from Celebes: Maca- damia hildebrandii Van Steenis. It belongs to the same genus as the common Australian bush nut, M. ternifolia, with edible seeds. 5. Some information, additional to a previous paper on Biophytum (Oxalidaceae in Malaysia, is given. • 6. Some records of plants new to Mount Pangrango, West Java, are mentioned. 7. The recent introduction and the present distribution in Malaysia of the weed Eupatorium odoratum L. (Compositae is discussed. 8. Some additional records of the liana Hollrungia aurantioides K. Schum. (Passifloraceae from New Guinea and from outside this island (Ternate, Moluccas are published.

The Effect of Elephantopus scaber L. on Liver Regeneration after Partial Hepatectomy

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Chin-Chuan Tsai

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy (PHx is a physiological response for maintaining homeostasis. The aim of this study is to investigate effects of Elephantopus scaber L.- (ESL- induced liver regeneration on growth factors (HGF and IGF-1, cell cycle regulation, and apoptosis suppressed. In this study, we fed five Chinese medicinal herbs (1 g/kg/day, Codonopsis pilosula (CP, Dangshen, Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (SMB, Danshen,, Bupleurum kasi (BK, Chaihu, Elephantopus scaber L. (ESL, Teng-Khia-U, and Silymarin (Sm, 25 mg/kg for 7 days to male Spraue-Dawley rats. Then surgical 2/3 PHx was conducted and liver regeneration mechanisms were estimated on the following 24 hrs and 72 hrs. The activities of growth factors (HGF and IGF-I and cell cycle proteins were measured by Western blot and RT-PCR. Histological analysis and apoptosis were detected by H&E stain and TUNEL. The results showed that extraction of Elephantopus scaber L. (ESL and Silymarin (Sm, positive control were increased protein expression levels of HGF and IGF-1 which leads into cell cycle. These results suggest that the ESL plays a crucial role in cell cycle-induced liver regeneration and apoptosis. These results suggested that the ESL plays a crucial role in cell cycle-induced liver regeneration and suppressed hepatocytes apoptosis.

Technique Comparison of the Fracture Toughness Tests for Irradiated Fuel Claddings in a Hot Cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahn, Sangbok; Kim, Dosik; Jung, Yanghong; Choo, Yongsun; Ryu, Wooseog

2007-01-01

The degradation of a fracture toughness in a fuel cladding is a important factor to restrict the operation safety in nuclear power plants. The fracture properties of claddings were traditionally measured through a rubber bung test, a burst test, etc. Those results were the qualitative fracture characteristics, and could not be used as design or operation safety evaluation data. We need to evaluate the quantitative characteristics of claddings under normal operation and in accidents. The application of a fracture mechanics concept in testing a fuel cladding is restricted by the cladding geometry and creating the correct stress-state conditions. The geometry of claddings does not meet the requirement of the ASTM Standards for a specimen configuration and an applied load. The specimen may be produced from previously flattened claddings, but the flattening causes some uncertainties in the results due to changes in the microstructure of the material and a new distribution of the internal stresses. Therefore many efforts have been devoted to developing new test techniques, to quantify the fracture characteristics of claddings. Researchers from JAEA and NFI in Japan, Studsvik Company Ltd in Sweden, IAEA in Australia, and KAERI in Korea have independently developed fracture test techniques. This study is designed to review the independently developed techniques and to compare of their merits. Finally we shall apply the other techniques to upgrade our developing techniques

Salvianolic Acid A Protects the Peripheral Nerve Function in Diabetic Rats through Regulation of the AMPK-PGC1α-Sirt3 Axis

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Guanhua Du

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Salvianolic acid A (SalA is one of the main efficacious, water-soluble constituents of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge. This study investigated the protective effects of SalA on peripheral nerve in diabetic rats. Administration of SalA (0.3, 1 and 3 mg/kg, ig was started from the 5th week after strepotozotocin (STZ60 mg/kg intraperitoneal injection and continued for 8 weeks. Paw withdrawal mechanical threshold (PWMT and motor nerve conduction velocity (MNCV were used to assess peripheral nerve function. The western blot methods were employed to test the expression levels of serine-threonine liver kinase B1 (LKB1, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator-1alpha (PGC-1α, silent information regulator protein3 (sirtuin 3/Sirt3 and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS in sciatic nerve. Results showed that SalA administration could increase PWMT and MNCV in diabetic rats; reduce the deterioration of sciatic nerve pathology; increase AMPK phosphorylation level, up-regulate PGC-1α, Sirt3 and nNOS expression, but had no influence on LKB1. These results suggest that SalA has protective effects against diabetic neuropathy. The beneficial effects of SalA on peripheral nerve function in diabetic rats might be attributed to improvements in glucose metabolism through regulation of the AMPK-PGC1α-Sirt3 axis.

Multiple bands characteristics of tree-ring and age of haloxylon ammodendron in gurbantunggut desert

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song, Y.; Zhou, C.

2015-01-01

The characteristics of the multiple bands of Haloxylon ammodendron (C.A. Mey) Bunge tree-ring were studied in three edaphic types. Age equations were derived relating ground diameter and tree height, and the effects of irrigation on numbers and widths of growth bands at the longest radius were analyzed. Results showed that the number of growth bands ranged from 3.3 to 6.3 per year, the widths ranged between 0.181 mm and 0.473 mm. Multiple growth bands formed every growing season, leading to the conclusion that multiple growth bands in H. ammodendron tree-ring are a natural feature. A dark brown layer and a light brown one make up one growth band. The dark brown layers consists of fibres and vessels as well as some ray parenchyma, and each fibres layers with 22-35 cell layers; the light brown layers formed by vessels, fibres and abundant paratracheal axial parenchyma are 4-15 cell layers. The widths of growth bands at the longest radius increased significantly as the irrigation amount increased in three edaphic types (p<0.01). The numbers of growth bands at the longest radius had significant positive correlation with irrigation times. The ratio of dark brown layers to light brown layers of growth bands at the longest radius appeared to have a rising tendency with the increase in irrigation amount and times. (author)

Potentiation activity of multiple antibacterial agents by Salvianolate from the Chinese medicine Danshen against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

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Liu, Qing-Qing; Han, Jun; Zuo, Guo-Ying; Wang, Gen-Chun; Tang, Hua-Shu

2016-05-01

Salvianolate (SAL) is a prescribed medicine from the Chinese herb Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge). It has been widely used in treatment of coronary and other diseases with significant effects. The in vitro antimicrobial activities of SAL against infectious pathogens were assayed and its combined effects on 10 clinical isolates of SCCmec III type methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) with ten antibiotics were evaluated. Susceptibility to each agent alone was tested using a broth microdilution method, and the chequerboard and time-kill experiments were used for the combined activities. The results showed MIC was 128-256 mg/L for SAL used alone against MRSA. Significant synergies were observed for SAL/Ampicillin (Fosfomycin, Erythromycin, Piperacillin-tazobactam or Clindamycin) combination against over half of the isolates, with their MICs reduced by times of dilution (TOD) to 4-32 (FICIs 0.375-0.5), respectively. SAL/AMP combination showed the best combined effect of synergy on bacteriostatic and bactericidal activities, while SAL/AMK combination reversed the resistance of MRSA to AMK. The results demonstrated that SAL enhanced widely the in vitro anti-MRSA efficacy of the ten antibacterial agents, which had potential for combinatory therapy of patients infected with MRSA and warrants further investigations. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Explosive plugging of nuclear heat exchangers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crossland, B.; Bahrani, A.S.; Townsley, W.J.

1977-01-01

Explosive welding is a well established process for cladding one metal on another or for welding tubes to tubeplates or lap welding, etc. Recently, the process has been adapted to plugging of heat exchangers in conventional and nuclear power plant, where it has already been accepted especially in situations where the access is difficult and remote from the site of plugging. The paper describes the explosive plugging techniques developed in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering of The Queen's University of Belfast for the reheater and superheater of the PFR, and for the reheater of the AGR. For the PFR a point charge system has been used which causes a spherical expansion of the plug, which gives two zones of welding. Initially for the much larger plug required for the AGR it was proposed to use a parallel stand-off welding set-up, but it proved difficult or impossible to avoid a crevice. Consequently, a rim charge set-up has been developed which gives a circular ring expansion of the plug with two zones of welding. Besides the problem of the design of the plug and explosive charge geometry it has also been necessary to consider the distortion of holes adjoining the hole in which a plug is welded. Bunging of adjoining holes in order to reduce the distortion has also been investigated

Conhecimento, realidade e ensino de Física: modelização em uma inspiração bungeana

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Juliana Machado

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Neste trabalho procurou-se aprofundar uma reflexão epistemológica sobre a dinâmica da construção de modelos na produção do conhecimento científico, a partir de uma perspectiva epistemológica realista crítica e, a partir desta reflexão, propor uma forma de entender a modelização no ensino de Física, baseada nesta concepção. Pela profundidade da análise dos modelos que desenvolveu e, também, pela compatibilidade de suas concepções com o contexto da presente pesquisa, utilizaremos a teorização proposta por Mario Bunge como referencial para desenvolver estas reflexões. Buscando transpor as considerações deste autor para o contexto do ensino e, também, articulando-as com outras discussões consistentes sobre a construção de modelos no ensino de Física, apresenta-se um entendimento sobre a modelização em sala de aula a partir de uma inspiração bungeana. A modelização, nesta perspectiva, tem um enfoque na exploração do aspecto processual da Ciência, em particular, da relação entre as teorias científicas e a realidade.

Radiological impact of the application of phosphogypsum in civil construction: an overview of Brazilian studies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Campos, Marcia P.; Nisti, Marcelo B.; Maduar, Marcelo F.; Mazzilli, Barbara P., E-mail: mpcampos@ipen.br [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (lPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

2013-07-01

In the last decades considerable attention has been given to naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM). Within this frame, of particular concern is the phosphate fertilizer industry. In Brazil, four main industries (Ultrafertil, Copebras, Fosfertil and Bunge Fertilizantes) are responsible for the production of 1.2 x 10{sup 6} tons per year of P{sub 2}O{sub 5}. Phosphogypsum is the byproduct of the phosphoric acid industry, obtained by reacting phosphate rock with sulphuric acid. This waste is stockpiled in the surrounding environment of the facilities at a rate of 5.5 x 10{sup 6} tons per year. The level of radioactivity present in the phosphogypsum, among other impurities, prevents its reuse for a variety of purposes. All the countries that produce phosphate fertilizer by acid wet processing of phosphate rock are facing the same problem of finding solutions for the safe application of phosphogypsum, in order to minimize the impact caused by its disposal. This paper aims to present a review of the research carried out at Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN), Sao Paulo, Brazil, focusing in the radiological implications of using Brazilian phosphogypsum as building material: bricks and plaster. The results and conclusions achieved can contribute to the development or national standards and guidelines concerning the safe use and management or phosphogypsum as a building material. (author)

Kinetics and Mechanism Study of Competitive Inhibition of Jack-Bean Urease by Baicalin

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Tan, Lirong; Su, Jiyan; Wu, Dianwei; Yu, Xiaodan; Su, Zuqing; Wu, Xiaoli; Kong, Songzhi; Lai, Xiaoping; Lin, Ji; Su, Ziren

2013-01-01

Baicalin (BA) is the principal component of Radix Scutellariae responsible for its pharmacological activity. In this study, kinetics and mechanism of inhibition by BA against jack-bean urease were investigated for its therapeutic potential. It was revealed that the IC50 of BA against jack-bean urease was 2.74 ± 0.51 mM, which was proved to be a competitive and concentration-dependent inhibition with slow-binding progress curves. The rapid formation of initial BA-urease complex with an inhibition constant of K i = 3.89 × 10−3 mM was followed by a slow isomerization into the final complex with an overall inhibition constant of K i* = 1.47 × 10−4 mM. High effectiveness of thiol protectors against BA inhibition indicated that the strategic role of the active-site sulfhydryl group of the urease was involved in the blocking process. Moreover, the inhibition of BA was proved to be reversible due to the fact that urease could be reactivated by dithiothreitol but not reactant dilution. Molecular docking assay suggested that BA made contacts with the important activating sulfhydryl group Cys-592 residues and restricted the mobility of the active-site flap. Taken together, it could be deduced that BA was a competitive inhibitor targeting thiol groups of urease in a slow-binding manner both reversibly and concentration-dependently, serving as a promising urease inhibitor for treatments on urease-related diseases. PMID:24198731

Synthesis and application of mesoporous molecular sieve for miniaturized matrix solid-phase dispersion extraction of bioactive flavonoids from toothpaste, plant, and saliva.

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Cao, Wan; Cao, Jun; Ye, Li-Hong; Xu, Jing-Jing; Hu, Shuai-Shuai; Peng, Li-Qing

2015-12-01

This article describes the use of the mesoporous molecular sieve KIT-6 as a sorbent in miniaturized matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD) in combination with ultra-performance LC for the determination of bioactive flavonoids in toothpaste, Scutellariae Radix, and saliva. In this study, for the first time, KIT-6 was used as a sorbent material for this mode of extraction. Compared with common silica-based sorbents (C18 and activated silica gel), the proposed KIT-6 dispersant with a three-dimensional cubic Ia3d structure and highly ordered arrays of mesoporous channels exhibits excellent adsorption capability of the tested compounds. In addition, several experimental variables, such as the mass ratio of sample to dispersant, grinding time, and elution solvent, were optimized to maximize the extraction efficiency. The proposed analytical method is simple, fast, and entails low consumption of samples, dispersants and elution solvents, thereby meeting "green chemistry" requirements. Under the optimized conditions, the recoveries of three bioactive flavonoids obtained by analyzing the spiked samples were from 89.22 to 101.17%. Also, the LODs and LOQs for determining the analytes were in the range of 0.02-0.04 μg/mL and 0.07-0.13 μg/mL, respectively. Finally, the miniaturized matrix solid-phase dispersion method was successfully applied to the analysis of target solutes in real samples, and satisfactory results were obtained. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Baicalin inhibits hypoxia-induced pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell proliferation via the AKT/HIF-1α/p27-associated pathway.

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Zhang, Lin; Pu, Zhichen; Wang, Junsong; Zhang, Zhifeng; Hu, Dongmei; Wang, Junjie

2014-05-09

Baicalin, a flavonoid compound purified from the dry roots of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, has been shown to possess various pharmacological actions. Previous studies have revealed that baicalin inhibits the growth of cancer cells through the induction of apoptosis. Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a devastating disease characterized by enhanced pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell (PASMCs) proliferation and suppressed apoptosis. However, the potential mechanism of baicalin in the regulation of PASMC proliferation and the prevention of cardiovascular diseases remains unexplored. To test the effects of baicalin on hypoxia, we used rats treated with or without baicalin (100 mg·kg⁻¹ each rat) at the beginning of the third week after hypoxia. Hemodynamic and pulmonary pathomorphology data showed that right ventricular systolic pressures (RVSP), the weight of the right ventricle/left ventricle plus septum (RV/LV + S) ratio and the medial width of pulmonary arterioles were much higher in chronic hypoxia. However, baicalin treatment repressed the elevation of RVSP, RV/LV + S and attenuated the pulmonary vascular structure remodeling (PVSR) of pulmonary arterioles induced by chronic hypoxia. Additionally, baicalin (10 and 20 μmol·L⁻¹) treatment suppressed the proliferation of PASMCs and attenuated the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-α (HIF-α) under hypoxia exposure. Meanwhile, baicalin reversed the hypoxia-induced reduction of p27 and increased AKT/protein kinase B phosphorylation p-AKT both in vivo and in vitro. These results suggested that baicalin could effectively attenuate PVSR and hypoxic pulmonary hypertension.

Baicalein antagonizes rotenone-induced apoptosis in dopaminergic SH-SY5Y cells related to Parkinsonism

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Song Ju-Xian

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Two active compounds, baicalein and its glycoside baicalin were found in the dried root of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, and reported to be neuroprotective in vitro and in vivo. This study aims to evaluate the protective effects of baicalein on the rotenone-induced apoptosis in dopaminergic SH-SY5Y cells related to parkinsonism. Methods Cell viability and cytotoxicity were determined by MTT assay. The degree of nuclear apoptosis was evaluated with a fluorescent DNA-binding probe Hoechst 33258. The production of reactive oxidative species (ROS and loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm were determined by fluorescent staining with DCFH-DA and Rhodanmine 123, respectively. The expression of Bax, Bcl-2, cleaved caspase-3 and phosphorylated ERK1/2 was determined by the Western blots. Results Baicalein significantly increased viability and decreased rotenone-induced death of SH-SY5Y cells in a dose-dependent manner. Pre- and subsequent co-treatment with baicalein preserved the cell morphology and attenuated the nuclear apoptotic characteristics triggered by rotenone. Baicalein antagonized rotenone-induced overproduction of ROS, loss of ΔΨm, the increased expression of Bax, cleaved caspase-3 and phosphorylated ERK1/2 and the decreased expression of Bcl-2. Conclusion The antioxidative effect, mitochondrial protection and modulation of anti-and pro-apoptotic proteins are related to the neuroprotective effects of baicalein against rotenone induced cell death in SH-SY5Y cells.

Baicalein suppresses 17-β-estradiol-induced migration, adhesion and invasion of breast cancer cells via the G protein-coupled receptor 30 signaling pathway.

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Shang, Dandan; Li, Zheng; Zhu, Zhuxia; Chen, Huamei; Zhao, Lujun; Wang, Xudong; Chen, Yan

2015-04-01

Flavonoids are structurally similar to steroid hormones, particularly estrogens, and therefore have been studied for their potential effects on hormone-dependent cancers. Baicalein is the primary flavonoid derived from the root of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi. In the present study, we investigated the effects of baicalein on 17β-estradiol (E2)-induced migration, adhesion and invasion of MCF-7 and SK-BR-3 breast cancer cells. The results demonstrated that baicalein suppressed E2-stimulated wound-healing migration and cell‑Matrigel adhesion, and ameliorated E2-promoted invasion across a Matrigel-coated Transwell membrane. Furthermore, baicalein interfered with E2-induced novel G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPR30)-related signaling, including a decrease in tyrosine phosphorylation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) as well as phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and serine/threonine kinase Akt, without affecting GPR30 expression. The results also showed that baicalein suppressed the expression of GPR30 target genes, cysteine-rich 61 (CYR61) and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) induced by E2. Furthermore, baicalein prevented GPR30-related signaling activation and upregulation of CYR61 and CTGF mRNA levels induced by G1, a specific GPR 30 agonist. The results suggest that baicalein inhibits E2-induced migration, adhesion and invasion through interfering with GPR30 signaling pathway activation, which indicates that it may act as a therapeutic candidate for the treatment of GPR30-positive breast cancer metastasis.

Norartocarpetin from a folk medicine Artocarpus communis plays a melanogenesis inhibitor without cytotoxicity in B16F10 cell and skin irritation in mice.

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Ko, Horng-Huey; Tsai, Yi-Ting; Yen, Ming-Hong; Lin, Chun-Ching; Liang, Chan-Jung; Yang, Tsung-Han; Lee, Chiang-Wen; Yen, Feng-Lin

2013-12-10

Many natural products used in preventive medicine have also been developed as cosmeceutical ingredients in skin care products, such as Scutellaria baicalensis and Gardenia jasminoides. Norartocarpetin is one of the antioxidant and antityrosinase activity compound in Artocarpus communis; however, the cytotoxicity, skin irritation and antimelanogenesis mechanisms of norartocarpetin have not been investigated yet. In the present study, cell viability in vitro and skin irritation in vivo are used to determine the safety of norartocarpetin. The melanogenesis inhibition of norartocarpetin was determined by cellular melanin content and tyrosinase in B16F10 melanoma cell. Moreover, we examined the related-melanogenesis protein by western blot analysis for elucidating the antimelanogenesis mechanism of norartocarpin. The result of the present study demonstrated that norartocarpetin not only present non-cytotoxic in B16F10 and human fibroblast cells but also non-skin irritation in mice. Moreover, our result also first found that norartocarpetin downregulated phospho-cAMP response element-binding (phospho-CREB) and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) expression, which in turn decreased both synthesis of tyrosinases (TRP-1 and TRP-2) and cellular melanin content. This process is dependent on norartocarpetin phosphorylation by mitogen-activated protein kinases such as phospho-JNK and phospho-p38, and it results in decreased melanogenesis. The present study suggests that norartocarpetin could be used as a whitening agent in medicine and/or cosmetic industry and need further clinical study.

Immune and Metabolic Regulation Mechanism of Dangguiliuhuang Decoction against Insulin Resistance and Hepatic Steatosis

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Hui Cao

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Dangguiliuhuang decoction (DGLHD is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM formula, which mainly consists of angelica, radix rehmanniae, radix rehmanniae praeparata, scutellaria baicalensis, coptis chinensis, astragalus membranaceus, and golden cypress, and used for the treatment of diabetes and some autoimmune diseases. In this study, we explored the potential mechanism of DGLHD against insulin resistance and fatty liver in vivo and in vitro. Our data revealed that DGLHD normalized glucose and insulin level, increased the expression of adiponectin, diminished fat accumulation and lipogenesis, and promoted glucose uptake. Metabolomic analysis also demonstrated that DGLHD decreased isoleucine, adenosine, and cholesterol, increased glutamine levels in liver and visceral adipose tissue (VAT of ob/ob mice. Importantly, DGLHD promoted the shift of pro-inflammatory to anti-inflammatory cytokines, suppressed T lymphocytes proliferation, and enhanced regulatory T cells (Tregs differentiation. DGLHD also inhibited dendritic cells (DCs maturation, attenuated DCs-stimulated T cells proliferation and secretion of IL-12p70 cytokine from DCs, and promoted the interaction of DCs with Tregs. Further studies indicated that the changed PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and elevated PPAR-γ expression were not only observed with the ameliorated glucose and lipid metabolism in adipocytes and hepatocytes, but also exhibited in DCs and T cells by DGLHD. Collectively, our results suggest that DGLHD exerts anti-insulin resistant and antisteatotic effects by improving abnormal immune and metabolic homeostasis. And DGLHD may be a novel approach to the treatment of obesity-related insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis.

Rhizomes of Eremostachys laciniata: Isolation and Structure Elucidation of Chemical Constituents and a Clinical Trial on Inflammatory Diseases

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Abbas Delazar

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Purpose: The purpose of this study was the isolation and structure elucidation of chemical compounds from the rhizomes of Eremostachys laciniata (L Bunge (EL, an Iranian traditional medicinal herb with a thick root and pale purple or white flowers as well as the clinical studies on the therapeutic efficacy and safety of topical application of the EL extract in the management of some inflammatory conditions, e.g., arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and septic arthritis (Riter’s syndrome. Methods: The structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated unequivocally on the basis of one and two dimensional NMR, UV and HR-FABMS spectroscopic data analyses. A single-blinded randomized clinical trial was carried out with the extract of the rhizomes of E. laciniata (EL to determine the efficacy and safety of the traditional uses of EL compared to that of piroxicam in treatment of inflammatory diseases, e.g., osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and Reiter’s syndrome. Results: Eleven iridoid glycosides, two phenylethanoids and two phytosterols were isolated and identified for the first time from the rhizomes of EL. After 14 days of treatment with the EL and piroxicam ointments, all groups showed significant improvements compared to the control groups. EL (5% ointment induced better initial therapeutic response than piroxicam (5% onitment. Conclusion: This clinical trial established that EL was suitable for topical applications as a safe and effective complementary therapy for inflammatory diseases.

Pharmacokinetics of Botanical Drugs and Plant Extracts.

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Dominguez More, Gina Paola; Cardenas, Paola Andrea; Costa, Geison M; Simoes, Claudia M O; Aragon, Diana Marcela

2017-01-01

Botanical drugs contain plant extracts, which are complex mixtures of compounds. As with conventional drugs, it is necessary to validate their efficacy and safety through preclinical and clinical studies. However, pharmacokinetic studies for active constituents or characteristic markers in botanical drugs are rare. The objective of this review was to investigate the global state of the art in pharmacokinetic studies of active ingredients present in plant extracts and botanical drugs. A review of pharmacokinetics studies of chemical constituents of plant extracts and botanical drugs was performed, with a total of 135 studies published between January 2004 and February 2015 available in recognized scientific databases. Botanical preparations were mainly found in the form of aqueous extracts of roots and rhizomes. The most widely studied species was Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, and the compound most frequently used as a pharmacokinetic marker was berberine. Most studies were performed using the Sprague Dawley rat model, and the preparations were mainly administered orally in a single dose. Quantification of plasma concentrations of pharmacokinetic markers was performed mainly by liquid-liquid extraction, followed by high performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry detector. In conclusion, in recent years there has been an increasing interest among researchers worldwide in the study of pharmacokinetics of bioactive compounds in botanical drugs and plant extracts, especially those from the Traditional Chinese Medicine. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Biotransformation of isofraxetin-6-O-β-d-glucopyranoside by Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels callus.

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Zhou, Di; Zhang, Yuhua; Jiang, Zhe; Hou, Yue; Jiao, Kun; Yan, Chunyan; Li, Ning

2017-01-15

Isofraxetin-6-O-β-d-glucopyranoside, identified from traditional medicinal herbal Xanthoceras sorbifolia Bunge, has been demonstrated to be a natural neuroinflammatory inhibitor. In order to obtain more derivatives with potential anti-neuroinflammatory effects, biotransformation was carried out. According to the characteristics of coumarin skeleton, suspension cultures of Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels callus (A. sinensis callus) were employed because of the presence of diverse phenylpropanoids biosynthetic enzymes. As a result, 15 products were yielded from the suspension cultures, including a new coumarin: 8'-dehydroxymethyl cleomiscosin A (1), together with 14 known compounds. Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis. Furthermore, the biotransformed pathways were discussed. Among them, compound 13 was transformed from isofraxetin-6-O-β-d-glucopyranoside, while compounds 1-6, 10-12, 14-15 were derived from the culture medium stimulated by the substrate. The biotransformation processes include hydroxylation, oxidation and esterification. Furthermore, their inhibitory effects on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated nitric oxide (NO) production were evaluated in BV2 microglial cells. It is worth noting that, 1, 1'-methanediylbis(4-methoxybenzene) (3), obtucarbamates A (5), 2-nonyl-4-hydroxyquinoline N-oxide (10) and 1H-indole-3-carbaldehyde (11) exhibited significant inhibitory effect against neuroinflammation with IC 50 values at 1.22, 10.57, 1.02 and 0.76μM respectively, much stronger than that of the positive control minocycline (IC 50 35.82μM). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cryptotanshinone Regulates Androgen Synthesis through the ERK/c-Fos/CYP17 Pathway in Porcine Granulosa Cells

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Danfeng Ye

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of the study is to investigate the molecular mechanism behind androgen reduction in porcine granulosa cells (pGCs with Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge extract cryptotanshinone. PGCs were isolated from porcine ovaries and identified. Androgen excess model of the pGCs was induced with the MAPK inhibitor PD98059 and then treated with cryptotanshinone. The testosterone level was measured by radioimmunoassay in the culture media. The protein levels of P-ERK1/2, c-Fos, and CYP17 in the cells were measured by western blot. Cryptotanshinone decreased the concentration of testosterone and the protein level of CYP17 and increased the protein levels of P-ERK1/2 and c-Fos in the androgen excess mode. After the c-Fos gene was silenced by infection with c-Fos shRNA lentivirus, we measured the mRNA expression by quantitative RT-PCR and protein level by western blot of P-ERK1/2, c-Fos, and CYP17. This showed that the mRNA expression and protein level of P-ERK1/2 and c-Fos were significantly reduced in the shRNA–c-Fos group compared to the scrambled group, while those of CYP17 were significantly increased. So we concluded that cryptotanshinone can significantly reduce the androgen excess induced by PD98059 in pGCs. The possible molecular mechanism for this activity is regulating the ERK/c-Fos/CYP17 pathway.

WARGA NEGARA DAN MASALAH KONTEMPORER DALAM PARADIGMA PEMBANGUNAN

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Yuni Harmawati

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Ditengah hingar-bingar globasliasi dan modernisasi dunia yang memperlihatkan kemajuan disegala bidang, tanpa disadari kita tidak melihat sisi gelap modernisasi dan globlaisasi yakni kemiskinan, yang terjadi negara-negara kulit berwarna seperti di Asia dan Afrika. Bagi bangsa berkembang yang baru saja terlepas dari penjajahan kolonial, bebas dari belenggu kemiskinan adalah suatu hal yang sulit dilakukan. Dampak dari penjajahan seperti kebodohan, eksploitasi sumberdaya alam, ketidakberdayaan rakyat, kesehatan masyarakat yang rendah serta kemiskinan itu sendiri merupakan suatu hambatan dalam membangun suatu negara. Di negara-negara berkembang banyak terjadi semacam eksploitasi yang tidak tampak, tapi cukup tajam yakni eksploitasi manusia atas manusia tanpa terkecuali di Indonesia. Bung Karno menyebutnya sebagai ‘exploitation de l‘homme par l‘homme’ dan ‘exploitation de nation par nation’. Paradigma pertumbuhan (growth paradigm hanya menguntungkan sebagian kecil masyarakat karena paradigma ini dalam penerapan belum dapat meningkatkan kesejahteraan secara menyeluruh atau yang kaya makin kaya dan yang miskin makin miskin. Kegagalan dalam paradigma ini memicu munculnya paradigma baru yakni paradigma pemetaan (generalization paradigm. Pemerataan pembangunan ini cenderung menggunakan pendekatan kebijakan top-down. Hingga melahirkan paradigma baru yakni pembangunan yang berpusat pada sumberdaya manusia (people centered development paradigm. Paradigma ini juga dikenal sebagai paradigma pembangunan partisipatif (partisipative approach atau juga disebut buttom-up planing. Pendekatan pembangunan ini menekankan pentingnya, inisiatif, kreatifitas, dan inovasi yang beripijak pada keinginan masyarakat. Dengan mendengar aspirasi dari warga negara untuk disampaikan kepada pemerintah membuat terjalin sinergitas diantara keduanya sehingga persoalan kemiskinan dapat diselesaikan secara bersama-sama.

Ethanol extract of the seed of Zizyphus jujuba var. spinosa potentiates hippocampal synaptic transmission through mitogen-activated protein kinase, adenylyl cyclase, and protein kinase A pathways.

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Jo, So Yeon; Jung, In Ho; Yi, Jee Hyun; Choi, Tae Joon; Lee, Seungheon; Jung, Ji Wook; Yun, Jeanho; Lee, Young Choon; Ryu, Jong Hoon; Kim, Dong Hyun

2017-03-22

As the seed of Zizyphus jujuba var. spinosa (Bunge) Hu ex H.F. Chow (Rhamnaceae) has been used to sleep disturbances in traditional Chinese and Korean medicine, many previous studies have focused on its sedative effect. Recently, we reported the neuroprotective effect of the effect of Z. jujuba var. spinosa. However, its effects on synaptic function have not yet been studied. In this project, we examined the action of ethanol extract of the seed of Z. jujuba var. spinosa (DHP1401) on synaptic transmission in the hippocampus. To investigate the effects of DHP1401, field recordings were conducted using hippocampal slices (400µm). Object recognition test was introduced to examine whether DHP1401 affect normal recognition memory. DHP1401 (50μg/ml) induced a significant increase in synaptic activity in Shaffer collateral pathway in a concentration-dependent manner. This increase of synaptic responses was blocked by NBQX, a broad spectrum α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor antagonist, but not IEM-1460, a Ca 2+ -permeable AMPAR blocker. Moreover, U0126, a mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitor, SQ22536, an adenylyl cyclase inhibitor, and PKI, a protein kinase A inhibitor, blocked DHP1401-induced increase in synaptic transmission. Finally, DHP1401 facilitated object recognition memory. These results suggest that DHP1401 increase synaptic transmission through increase of synaptic AMPAR transmission via MAPK, AC and PAK. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Teste de porta-enxertos intergenéricos para marmeleiros em condições de viveiro Tests of intergeneric rootstocks for quinces in nursery conditions

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Rafael Pio

2009-04-01

Full Text Available Os marmeleiros sempre foram propagados comercialmente mediante o enraizamento de estacas. Devido ao baixo vigor das mudas, principalmente nos primeiros anos após o plantio, alguns trabalhos foram desenvolvidos no Brasil a fim de viabilizar a utilização do marmeleiro 'Japonês' (Chaenomeles sinensis Koehne como porta-enxerto para marmelos. Os resultados foram satisfatórios, mas frente à falta de outras opções de porta-enxertos mais vigorosos para marmeleiros e devido a observações em viveiro e a campo do alto vigor dos porta-enxertos para pereira 'Taiwan Nashi-C' (Pyrus calleryana Decne e 'Taiwan Mamenashi' (Pyrus betulifolia Bunge, objetivou-se, neste trabalho, verificar o crescimento de cultivares de marmeleiros ('Provence', 'Mendoza Inta-37', 'Portugal', 'Smyrna' e 'Japonês' enxertados sobre esses porta-enxertos, na fase de viveiro. Os marmeleiros foram enxertados pelo método de garfagem em mudas dos porta-enxertos 'Japonês', 'Taiwan Nashi-C' e 'Taiwan Mamenashi', mantidas em sacos plásticos (capacidade de 3 L de substrato, no período hibernal. Foram utilizados garfos com três gemas, coletadas de plantas-matrizes do Instituto Agronômico (IAC. O experimento foi realizado em viveiro telado (50% de luminosidade, sendo avaliados o comprimento e diâmetro do enxerto aos 60, 90, 120 e 150 dias após a realização da enxertia e a porcentagem de garfos brotados na última avaliação. Os porta-enxertos orientais de pereira apresentaram bons resultados na fase de viveiro, com 'Taiwan Nashi-C' destacando-se como porta-enxerto para os marmeleiros 'Smyrna' e 'Mendoza Inta-37', 'Taiwan Mamenashi' para o marmeleiro 'Smyrna' e 'Japonês' para o mesmo.The quince tree has always been commercially propagated by cuttings. Due to the low vigor, mainly in the first years of the orchard, a series of works was developed in Brazil in order to enable the use of the Japanese quince tree (Chaenomeles sinensis Koehne as a rootstock. The results were

Evaluation of cytotoxic effect of methanolic extracts isolated from endemic plants of Chaharmahal va Bakhtiari province on PC-3, MCF-7, Hep G2, CHO and B16-F10 cell lines

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Z. Tayarani-Najaran

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Background and objectives: To date, thousands of secondary metabolites have been isolated from plants and microorganisms and there is an unprecedented attention towards potential biomedical applications of natural compounds. In this study, cytotoxic properties of methanol extracts of Stachys obtusicrena, Aristolochia olivieri, Linum album, Dionysia sawyeri, Ajuga chamaecistus, Achillea kellalensis, Nepeta glomerulosa, Phlomis aucheria, Tanacetum dumosum, Dianthus orientalis, Scutellaria multicaulis, Cicer oxyodon and Picris oligocephalum which are widely grown in Iran, were investigated on PC-3 (prostat cancer, MCF-7 (breast cancer, Hep-G2 (liver cancer, CHO (ovarian cancer and B16-F10 (melanoma cell lines. Methods: The cancer cells were cultured in RPMI-1640 and incubated with different concentrations of the plant extracts. Cell viability was quantitated by Alamar blue® assay. The apoptotic cells were determined by PI coloring and Flow Cytometry (Sub-G1 peak. Results: The methanol extracts of D. sawyeri, S. obtusicrena, and C. oxyodon significantly decreased the viability of CHO cells. The Methanol extract of D. sawyer and L. album had cytotoxic effects on B16-F10 cells, whereas no toxicity was observed in MCF-7, Hep-G2 and PC-3 cell lines after incubation of the cancer cells with the plant extracts. The PI staining results showed that D. sawyeri, S. obtusicrena, and C. oxyodon in CHO cancer cells could induce apoptosis in a concentration-dependent manner. Conclusion: Screening plants to find the most cytotoxic extract showed D. sawyeri, S. obtusicrena, C. oxyodon and L. album had the potential for further analysis toward finding active phytochemicals with cytotoxic activity.

Comprehensive Quantitative Analysis of 32 Chemical Ingredients of a Chinese Patented Drug Sanhuang Tablet.

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Fung, Hau-Yee; Lang, Yan; Ho, Hing-Man; Wong, Tin-Long; Ma, Dik-Lung; Leung, Chung-Hang; Han, Quan-Bin

2017-01-12

Sanhuang Tablet (SHT) is a Chinese patented drug commonly used for the treatment of inflammations of the respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract, and skin. It contains a special medicinal composition including the single compound berberine hydrochloride, extracts of Scutellariae Radix and Rhei Radix et Rhizoma, as well as the powder of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma. Despite advances in analytical techniques, quantitative evaluation of a Chinese patented drug like SHT remains a challenge due to the complexity of its chemical profile. In this study, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS) was used to simultaneously quantify 29 non-sugar small molecule components of SHT (11 flavonoids, two isoflavonoids, one flavanone, five anthraquinones, two dianthranones, five alkaloids, two organic acids and one stilbene). Three major saccharide components, namely fructose, glucose, and sucrose, were also quantitatively determined using high performance liquid chromatography-charged aerosol detector (HPLC-CAD) on an Asahipak NH₂P-50 4E amino column. The established methods were validated in terms of linearity, sensitivity, precision, accuracy, and stability, and then successfully applied to analyze 27 batches of commercial SHT products. A total of up to 57.61% ( w / w ) of SHT could be quantified, in which the contents of the determined non-saccharide small molecules varied from 5.91% to 16.83% ( w / w ) and three saccharides accounted for 4.41% to 48.05% ( w / w ). The results showed that the quality of the commercial products was inconsistent, and only four of those met Chinese Pharmacopoeia criteria.

Baicalin Ameliorates H2O2 Induced Cytotoxicity in HK-2 Cells through the Inhibition of ER Stress and the Activation of Nrf2 Signaling

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Miao Lin

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Renal ischemia-reperfusion injury plays a key role in renal transplantation and greatly affects the outcome of allograft. Our previous study proved that Baicalin, a flavonoid glycoside isolated from Scutellaria baicalensis, protects kidney from ischemia-reperfusion injury. This study aimed to study the underlying mechanism in vitro. Human renal proximal tubular epithelial cell line HK-2 cells were stimulated by H2O2 with and without Baicalin pretreatment. The cell viability, apoptosis and oxidative stress level were measured. The expression of endoplasmic reticulum (ER stress hallmarks, such as binding immunoglobulin protein (BiP and C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP, were analyzed by western blot and real-time PCR. NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2 expression was also measured. In the H2O2 group, cell viability decreased and cell apoptosis increased. Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS and Glutathione/Oxidized Glutathione (GSH/GSSG analysis revealed increased oxidative stress. ER stress and Nrf2 signaling also increased. Baicalin pretreatment ameliorated H2O2-induced cytotoxicity, reduced oxidative stress and ER stress and further activated the anti-oxidative Nrf2 signaling pathway. The inducer of ER stress and the inhibitor of Nrf2 abrogated the protective effects, while the inhibitor of ER stress and the inducer of Nrf2 did not improve the outcome. This study revealed that Baicalin pretreatment serves a protective role against H2O2-induced cytotoxicity in HK-2 cells, where the inhibition of ER stress and the activation of downstream Nrf2 signaling are involved.

Analysis of the Interactions of Botanical Extract Combinations Against the Viability of Prostate Cancer Cell Lines

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Lynn S. Adams

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Herbal medicines are often combinations of botanical extracts that are assumed to have additive or synergistic effects. The purpose of this investigation was to compare the effect of individual botanical extracts with combinations of extracts on prostate cell viability. We then modeled the interactions between botanical extracts in combination isobolographically. Scutellaria baicalensis, Rabdosia rubescens, Panax-pseudo ginseng, Dendranthema morifolium, Glycyrrhiza uralensis and Serenoa repens were collected, taxonomically identified and extracts prepared. Effects of the extracts on cell viability were quantitated in prostate cell lines using a luminescent ATP cell viability assay. Combinations of two botanical extracts of the four most active extracts were tested in the 22Rv1 cell line and their interactions assessed using isobolographic analysis. Each extract significantly inhibited the proliferation of prostate cell lines in a time- and dose-dependent manner except repens. The most active extracts, baicalensis, D. morifolium, G. uralensis and R. rubescens were tested as two-extract combinations. baicalensis and D. morifolium when combined were additive with a trend toward synergy, whereas D. morifolium and R. rubescens together were additive. The remaining two-extract combinations showed antagonism. The four extracts together were significantly more effective than the two-by-two combinations and the individual extracts alone. Combining the four herbal extracts significantly enhanced their activity in the cell lines tested compared with extracts alone. The less predictable nature of the two-way combinations suggests a need for careful characterization of the effects of each individual herb based on their intended use.

Comprehensive Quantitative Analysis of 32 Chemical Ingredients of a Chinese Patented Drug Sanhuang Tablet

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Hau-Yee Fung

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Sanhuang Tablet (SHT is a Chinese patented drug commonly used for the treatment of inflammations of the respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract, and skin. It contains a special medicinal composition including the single compound berberine hydrochloride, extracts of Scutellariae Radix and Rhei Radix et Rhizoma, as well as the powder of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma. Despite advances in analytical techniques, quantitative evaluation of a Chinese patented drug like SHT remains a challenge due to the complexity of its chemical profile. In this study, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS was used to simultaneously quantify 29 non-sugar small molecule components of SHT (11 flavonoids, two isoflavonoids, one flavanone, five anthraquinones, two dianthranones, five alkaloids, two organic acids and one stilbene. Three major saccharide components, namely fructose, glucose, and sucrose, were also quantitatively determined using high performance liquid chromatography-charged aerosol detector (HPLC-CAD on an Asahipak NH2P-50 4E amino column. The established methods were validated in terms of linearity, sensitivity, precision, accuracy, and stability, and then successfully applied to analyze 27 batches of commercial SHT products. A total of up to 57.61% (w/w of SHT could be quantified, in which the contents of the determined non-saccharide small molecules varied from 5.91% to 16.83% (w/w and three saccharides accounted for 4.41% to 48.05% (w/w. The results showed that the quality of the commercial products was inconsistent, and only four of those met Chinese Pharmacopoeia criteria.

Modulation of differentiation and self-renewal of tissue specific stem cells for effective mitigation of radiation injury

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Bandekar, Mayuri; Patwardhan, R.S.; Maurya, Dharmendra K.; Bhilwade, Hari N.; Sharma, Deepak; Sandur, Santosh Kumar

2017-01-01

The use of stem cells in regenerative medicine for the treatment of various human diseases is one of the active research areas. The aim of regenerative medicine is to restore normal tissue functions by replenishing injured tissues using either cell-based therapy or by inducing certain factors that can aid endogenous repair and regeneration. The approach for inducing endogenous repair and regeneration requires in vivo modulation of tissue-specific stem cells by therapeutic agents and enhance their abundance through activation, proliferation, differentiation, or reprogramming. Here we describe three different approaches to enhance the abundance of hematopoietic stem cells in vivo for mitigation of radiation induced toxicity. Baicalein, a flavonoid derived from Chinese and Indian medicinal plants like Scutellaria baicalensis and Terminalia ariuna enhanced the abundance of hematopoietic stem cells through activation of Nrf-2 in the lineage negative cells. Another anti-oxidant, chlorophyllin derived from green plant pigment, chlorophyll also enhanced the abundance of hematopoietic stem cells through modulation of cell cycle in cells of the bone marrow. Treatment of mice with Cobaltus chloride (CoCl_2), a well-known activator of hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIP-1α), also led to increase in the number of hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow. Whereas chlorophyllin offered up to 100 % protection against whole body irradiation (WBI, 8 Gy) induced mortality in mice, baicalein offered up to70%protection. Cobaltus chloride treatment offered 40% protection against 8 Gy of WBI. These studies indicate potential use of stem cell modulating agents as effective mitigators of radiation induced toxicity in vivo. (author)

Ecophysiological aspects of the interactions between Bromus kopetdaghensis and two nurse shrubs, Astragalus meschedensis and Acantholimon raddeanam in a semiarid rangeland.

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Jankju, M; Maghamnia, A

2010-07-01

Plant-plant interactions are known as the main biotic drivers of the vegetation dynamics. Therefore, understanding such processes is beneficial for the applied vegetation management. The aim of this research was to investigate the type and intensity of plant-plant interaction during the time course of a growth season. We studied ecophysiological aspects of facilitation and competition between two aridland shrubs, A. meschedensis Bunge and A. raddeanam Czernjak and one perennial grass, B. kopetdaghensis Krasch. Soil and plant sampling were carried out for shrubs and the grass that were either growing alone or the grass was growing under the canopy of shrubs. In Spring (May), soil humidity weight was higher under the shrubs+grass than the grass-only site. By the beginning of Summer (July) grass consumed the common soil water and rapidly terminated its yearly growth. Therefore, in August and September, soil humidity weight was lower under the shrubs+grass than shrub-only sites. Photosynthesis rate of B. kopetdaghensis was sharply reduced from the beginning towards the end of growth season, but was not varied between the different plant combinations. Leaf proline measurement in July indicated higher stress for B. kopetdaghensis that were growing under shrubs than those of open areas. In conclusion, we found facilitation effects of shrubs on the grass at the early times of growth season, but it shifted into the competition for water during summer times. The outcome of plant interaction was positive for the grass but negative for the shrubs, especially A. meschedensis.

Psychological Science within a Three-Dimensional Ontology.

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Lundh, Lars-Gunnar

2018-03-01

The present paper outlines the nature of a three-dimensional ontology and the place of psychological science within this ontology, in a way that is partly similar to and partly different from that of Pérez-Álvarez. The first dimension is the material realities, and involves different levels (physical, chemical, biological, psychological, etc.), where each level builds on a lower level but also involves the development of new emergent properties, in accordance with Bunge's emergent materialism. Each level involves systems, with components, structures and mechanisms, and an environment. This dimension can be studied with natural scientific methods. The second dimension is the subjective-experiential realities, and refers to our subjective perspective on the world. In accordance with Husserl's phenomenology, it is argued that this subjectivity does not exist in the world (i.e., should not be reified as an object among other objects), but represents a perspective on the world that we enter in our capacity as conscious human beings. Essential characteristics of this subjectivity (such as intentionality, temporality, embodiment, and intersubjectivity) can be explored by phenomenological methods. The third dimension is the social-constructional realities, and includes social institutions, norms, categories, theories, and techniques. It is argued that psychological science spans over all three dimensions. Although almost all psychological research by necessity starts from a problem formulation where the subjective-experiential dimension plays an essential role (either explicitly or implicitly), most of present-day psychological research clearly emphasizes the material dimension. It is argued that a mature psychological science needs to integrate all three dimensions.

PENGARUH MODEL PEMBELAJARAN AKTIF TIPE CARD SORT DAN MOTIVASI BELAJAR DALAM MATA KULIAH KETERAMPILAN BERSASTRA KE-SD-AN MAHASISWA PRODI PGSD

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Hidayati Azkiya

2017-04-01

Full Text Available This study begins from the problem of low skills learning ability to compose Elementary literature in PGSD departement of Bung Hatta University. It can be seen from the results of  students’ mid semester test, observation, and interviews with faculty to compose literature Skills in elementary course. This study aims to determine the effect of the application of an active learning model type of card sort to compose skills to elementary school's student in PGSD Department and to know the results of learning skills to compose an Elementary course-students after being taught by active learning model type of card sort. This type of research was a Quasi Experimental study. The populations were all students in PGSD department Academic Year 2015/2016.The Data collection techniques in this study used questionnaires of learning motivation and learning skills tests to compose Elementary literature in PGSD. The Data analysis techniques used in this study were  t-test and ANOVA. Based on the findings, we concluded that first learning skills to compose elementary literature students who use active learning model type of card sort was higher than in convenetional than students who used conventional learning either seen as a whole or from high and low learning motivation. Second, there was no interaction between the learning motivation to learn the skills of learning to compose Elementary literature of PGSD students. It means that active learning model type of card sort gave good effect on learning skilss to compose Elementary literature of PGSD students.   

Electrochemical Determination of the Antioxidant Potential of Some Less Common Fruit Species

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Boris Krska

2008-11-01

Full Text Available Various berries and fruit types of less common fruit species are known to contain antioxidants. Consumption of high amounts of antioxidant flavonoids, which display a variety of biological properties, including antiproliferative and anti-inflammatory activity, may have a positive impact on human health, particularly for the prevention of cancer and other inflammatory diseases. In these studies, based on the hypothesis that the fruit extract with the highest content would possess significantly higher health benefits, flavonoid-rich extracts were obtained from some less common fruit species – Blue Honeysuckles (Lonicera Kamtschatica and Lonicera edulis, Turcz. ex. Freyn, Saskatoon berry (Amelanchier alnifolia Nutt. and Chinese Hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida BUNGE – grown from germplasm held at the Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry in Brno, Czech Republic and then characterized in terms of biological value based on the results from a relative antioxidant capacity assessment. The antioxidant content evaluation was based on the total flavonoid amount, determined by liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection (HPLC-ED. A DPPH• test was applied as a reference. The antioxidant content measured in Chinese Hawthorn fruit extract identified it as a potent source of flavonoid antioxidants, with a content 9-fold higher than that seen in Amelanchier fruit. The multifunctional HPLC-ED array method coupled with a DPPH• reference appears to be the optimal analytical progress, accurately reflecting the nutritivetherapeutic properties of a fruit.

Microemulsion Electrokinetic Chromatography in Combination with Chemometric Methods to Evaluate the Holistic Quality Consistency and Predict the Antioxidant Activity of Ixeris sonchifolia (Bunge Hance Injection.

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Lanping Yang

Full Text Available In this paper, microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography (MEEKC fingerprints combined with quantification were successfully developed to monitor the holistic quality consistency of Ixeris sonchifolia (Bge. Hance Injection (ISHI. ISHI is a Chinese traditional patent medicine used for its anti-inflammatory and hemostatic effects. The effects of five crucial experimental variables on MEEKC were optimized by the central composite design. Under the optimized conditions, the MEEKC fingerprints of 28 ISHIs were developed. Quantitative determination of seven marker compounds was employed simultaneously, then 28 batches of samples from two manufacturers were clearly divided into two clusters by the principal component analysis. In fingerprint assessments, a systematic quantitative fingerprint method was established for the holistic quality consistency evaluation of ISHI from qualitative and quantitative perspectives, by which the qualities of 28 samples were well differentiated. In addition, the fingerprint-efficacy relationship between the fingerprints and the antioxidant activities was established utilizing orthogonal projection to latent structures, which provided important medicinal efficacy information for quality control. The present study offered a powerful and holistic approach to evaluating the quality consistency of herbal medicines and their preparations.

Herbal medicine for depression, anxiety and insomnia: a review of psychopharmacology and clinical evidence.

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Sarris, Jerome; Panossian, Alexander; Schweitzer, Isaac; Stough, Con; Scholey, Andrew

2011-12-01

Research in the area of herbal psychopharmacology has increased markedly over the past decades. To date however, a comprehensive review of herbal antidepressant, anxiolytic and hypnotic psychopharmacology and applications in depression, anxiety and insomnia has been absent. A search of MEDLINE (PubMed), CINAHL, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Library databases was conducted (up to February 21st 2011) on commonly used psychotropic herbal medicines. A review of the literature was conducted to ascertain mechanisms of action of these botanicals, in addition to a systematic review of controlled clinical trials for treatment of mood, anxiety and sleep disorders, which are common comorbid psychiatric disorders. Specific emphasis was given to emerging phytomedicines. Analysis of evidence levels was conducted, as were effect sizes (Cohen's d) where data were available. Results provided evidence of a range of neurochemical, endocrinological, and epigenetic effects for 21 individual phytomedicines, which are detailed in this paper. Sixty six controlled studies were located involving eleven phytomedicines. Several of these provide a high level of evidence, such as Hypericum perforatum for major depression, and Piper methysticum for anxiety disorders. Several human clinical trials provide preliminary positive evidence of antidepressant effects (Echium amoenum, Crocus sativus, and Rhodiola rosea) and anxiolytic activity (Matricaria recutita, Ginkgo biloba, Passiflora incanata, E. amoenum, and Scutellaria lateriflora). Caution should however be taken when interpreting the results as many studies have not been replicated. Several herbal medicines with in vitro and in vivo evidence are currently unexplored in human studies, and along with use of emerging genetic technologies "herbomics", are areas of potential future research. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Baicalein inhibits IL-1β- and TNF-α-induced inflammatory cytokine production from human mast cells via regulation of the NF-κB pathway

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Krishnaswamy Guha

2007-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Human mast cells are multifunctional cells capable of a wide variety of inflammatory responses. Baicalein (BAI, isolated from the traditional Chinese herbal medicine Huangqin (Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, has been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects. We examined its effects and mechanisms on the expression of inflammatory cytokines in an IL-1β- and TNF-α-activated human mast cell line, HMC-1. Methods HMC-1 cells were stimulated either with IL-1β (10 ng/ml or TNF-α (100 U/ml in the presence or absence of BAI. We assessed the expression of IL-6, IL-8, and MCP-1 by ELISA and RT-PCR, NF-κB activation by electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA, and IκBα activation by Western blot. Results BAI (1.8 to 30 μM significantly inhibited production of IL-6, IL-8, and MCP-1 in a dose-dependent manner in IL-1β-activated HMC-1. BAI (30 μM also significantly inhibited production of IL-6, IL-8, and MCP-1 in TNF-α-activated HMC-1. Inhibitory effects appear to involve the NF-κB pathway. BAI inhibited NF-κB activation in IL-1β- and TNF-α-activated HMC-1. Furthermore, BAI increased cytoplasmic IκBα proteins in IL-1β- and TNF-α-activated HMC-1. Conclusion Our results showed that BAI inhibited the production of inflammatory cytokines through inhibition of NF-κB activation and IκBα phosphorylation and degradation in human mast cells. This inhibitory effect of BAI on the expression of inflammatory cytokines suggests its usefulness in the development of novel anti-inflammatory therapies.

Synergistic effects of baicalein with ciprofloxacin against NorA over-expressed methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and inhibition of MRSA pyruvate kinase.

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Chan, Ben C L; Ip, Margaret; Lau, Clara B S; Lui, S L; Jolivalt, Claude; Ganem-Elbaz, Carine; Litaudon, Marc; Reiner, Neil E; Gong, Huansheng; See, Raymond H; Fung, K P; Leung, P C

2011-09-01

Baicalein, the active constituent derived from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi., has previously been shown to significantly restore the effectiveness of β-lactam antibiotics and tetracycline against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). With multiple therapeutic benefits, the antibacterial actions of baicalein may also be involved in overcoming other bacterial resistance mechanisms. The aim of the present study was to further investigate antibacterial activities of baicalein in association with various antibiotics against selected Staphylococcus aureus strains with known specific drug resistance mechanisms. A panel of clinical MRSA strains was used for further confirmation of the antibacterial activities of baicalein. The effect of baicalein on inhibiting the enzymatic activity of a newly discovered MRSA-specific pyruvate kinase (PK), which is essential for Staphylococcus aureus growth and survival was also examined. In the checkerboard dilution test and time-kill assay, baicalein at 16 μg/ml could synergistically restore the antibacterial actions of ciprofloxacin against the NorA efflux pump overexpressed SA-1199B, but not with the poor NorA substrate, pefloxacin. Moreover, synergistic effects were observed when baicalein was combined with ciprofloxacin against 12 out of 20 clinical ciprofloxacin resistant strains. For MRSA PK studies, baicalein alone could inhibit the enzymatic activity of MRSA PK in a dose-dependent manner. Our results demonstrated that baicalein could significantly reverse the ciprofloxacin resistance of MRSA possibly by inhibiting the NorA efflux pump in vitro. The inhibition of MRSA PK by baicalein could lead to a deficiency of ATP which might further contribute to the antibacterial actions of baicalein against MRSA. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of baicalin on toll-like receptor 4-mediated ischemia/reperfusion inflammatory responses in alcoholic fatty liver condition

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Kim, Seok-Joo; Lee, Sun-Mee

2012-01-01

Alcoholic fatty liver is susceptible to secondary stresses such as ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). Baicalin is an active component extracted from Scutellaria baicalensis, which is widely used in herbal preparations for treatment of hepatic diseases and inflammatory disorders. This study evaluated the potential beneficial effect of baicalin on I/R injury in alcoholic fatty liver. Rats were fed an alcohol liquid diet or a control isocaloric diet for 5 weeks, and then subjected to 60 min of hepatic ischemia and 5 h of reperfusion. Baicalin (200 mg/kg) was intraperitoneally administered 24 and 1 h before ischemia. After reperfusion, baicalin attenuated the increases in serum alanine aminotransferase activity, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels in alcoholic fatty liver. The increased levels of TNF-α and IL-6 mRNA expression and inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 protein and mRNA expressions increased after reperfusion, which were higher in ethanol-fed animals, were attenuated by baicalin. In ethanol-fed animals, baicalin attenuated the increases in toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and myeloid differentiation factor 88 protein expressions and the nuclear translocation of NF-κB after reperfusion. In conclusion, our findings suggest that baicalin ameliorates I/R-induced hepatocellular damage by suppressing TLR4-mediated inflammatory responses in alcoholic fatty liver. -- Highlights: ► Baicalin attenuates hepatic I/R-induced inflammation in alcoholic fatty liver. ► Baicalin downregulates TLR4, MyD88 expression during I/R in alcoholic fatty liver. ► Baicalin attenuates NF-κB nuclear translocation during I/R in alcoholic fatty liver.

Baicalin and its metabolites suppresses gluconeogenesis through activation of AMPK or AKT in insulin resistant HepG-2 cells.

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Wang, Tao; Jiang, Hongmei; Cao, Shijie; Chen, Qian; Cui, Mingyuan; Wang, Zhijie; Li, Dandan; Zhou, Jing; Wang, Tao; Qiu, Feng; Kang, Ning

2017-12-01

Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (S. baicalensis), as a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, is an important component of several famous Chinese medicinal formulas for treating patients with diabetes mellitus. Baicalin (BG), a main bioactive component of S. baicalensis, has been reported to have antidiabetic effects. However, pharmacokinetic studies have indicated that BG has poor oral bioavailability. Therefore, it is hard to explain the pharmacological effects of BG in vivo. Interestingly, several reports show that BG is extensively metabolized in rats and humans. Therefore, we speculate that the BG metabolites might be responsible for the pharmacological effects. In this study, BG and its three metabolites (M1-M3) were examined their effects on glucose consumption in insulin resistant HepG-2 cells with a commercial glucose assay kit. Real-time PCR and western blot assay were used to confirm genes and proteins of interest, respectively. The results demonstrate that BG and its metabolites (except for M3) enhanced the glucose consumption which might be associated with inhibiting the expression of the key gluconeogenic genes, including glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase), phosphoenolypyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) and glucose transporter 2 (GLUT2). Further study found that BG and M1 could suppress hepatic gluconeogenesis via activation of the AMPK pathway, while M2 could suppress hepatic gluconeogenesis via activation of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Taken together, our findings suggest that both BG and its metabolites have antihyperglycemic activities, and might be the active forms of oral doses of BG in vivo. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

[Advantages and problems of traditional Chinese medicine in treatment of acute pharyngitis].

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Zhang, Xia; Xie, Yan-Ming; Li, Guang-Xi; Gao, Yang; Zhao, Yuan-Chen; Tang, Jing-Jing; Yao, Xiao-Yan; Li, Meng

2017-10-01

This paper systematically studies relevant literatures at home and abroad in recent years. China National Knowledge Internet (CNKI) was used to collect the literatures for acute pharyngitis treated with traditional Chinese medicine from January 1, 2006, to December 31, 2016, and the bibliometric method was employed for statistical analysis. A total of 493 papers were preliminarily selected. According to the inclusion criteria and exclusion criteria, 182 eligible articles were selected. According to the evaluation and analysis of the literatures, the Guidelines for Clinical Research of New Drugs is currently used as the common standards for the diagnosis and treatment of acute pharyngitis; Chinese patent medicines are the main traditional Chinese medicine for treating this disease; Decoctions for treatment of this disease include Lonicerae Japonicae Flos, Scutellariae Radix, Platycodonis Radix, Forsythiae Fructus, Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Scrophdlariae Radix, Isatidis Radix, and Ophiopogonis Radix; The bloodletting puncture is the common external therapy. Traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine have their own characteristics in the treatment of this disease. Western medicine for the treatment of acute pharyngitis are mainly antiviral, antibiotic and glucocorticoid drugs, whose disadvantages are toxicity, side effects, drug resistance and double infections. Traditional Chinese medicine doctors have rich experiences in the treatment of the disease, which is characterized by treatment determination based on syndrome differentiation, safe and reliable medication, significant curative effect, low drug resistance, and wide varieties of traditional Chinese medicine forms, convenient portability and taking, low price, and low toxic and side effects. It is an arduous and significant task to explore traditional Chinese medicine, and study and develop new-type effective drugs. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

Increased oral AUC of baicalin in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats due to the increased activity of intestinal beta-glucuronidase.

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Liu, Li; Deng, Yuan-Xiong; Liang, Yan; Pang, Xiao-Yan; Liu, Xiao-Dong; Liu, Yao-Wu; Yang, Jian-Song; Xie, Lin; Wang, Guang-Ji

2010-01-01

The purpose of the study was to investigate the pharmacokinetics of baicalin, a major bioactive component of Scutellariae radix, in diabetic conditions. The 4-week diabetic rats were induced by intraperitoneal administration of streptozotocin. Plasma concentrations of baicalin were measured following oral (200 mg/kg) or intravenous (12 mg/kg) administration. Everted intestinal transport, intestinal mucosal metabolism of baicalin and intestinal beta-glucuronidase activity were also investigated. It was found that the diabetic condition significantly increased the exposure of baicalin following oral doses (AUC 100.77 +/- 4.16 microg x h/mL in diabetic rats vs. 48.48 +/- 7.94 microg x h/mL in normal rats). In contrast, the diabetic condition significantly decreased the exposure of baicalin following intravenous doses (AUC 11.20 +/- 2.28 microg x h/mL in diabetic rats vs. 18.02 +/- 3.45 microg x h/mL in normal rats). We also found lower apparent permeability coefficients of baicalin in the ileum of diabetic rats (8.43 x 10 (-6) +/- 2.40 x 10 (-6) cm/s in diabetic rats vs. 5.21 x 10 (-5) +/- 1.55 x 10 (-5) cm/s in normal rats). Further studies showed that the diabetic condition enhanced the hydrolysis of baicalin to baicalein in intestinal mucosal, accompanied by an increase of beta-glucuronidase activity. All these results suggested that the higher oral exposure of baicalin in diabetic rats did not result from the decreased hepatic metabolism or increased intestinal absorption of baicalin. The enhancement of intestinal beta-glucuronidase activity may partly account for the higher exposure of baicalin in diabetic rats after oral administration. Copyright Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart . New York.

Baicalein, unlike 4-hydroxytamoxifen but similar to G15, suppresses 17β-estradiol-induced cell invasion, and matrix metalloproteinase-9 expression and activation in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells.

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Chen, Yan; Hong, Duan-Yang; Wang, Jing; Ling-Hu, Jun; Zhang, Yan-Yan; Pan, Di; Xu, Yi-Ni; Tao, Ling; Luo, Hong; Shen, Xiang-Chun

2017-08-01

Estrogen performs an important role in the growth and development of breast cancer. There are at least three major receptors, including estrogen receptor (ER)α and β, and G protein-coupled receptor 30 (GPR30), which mediate the actions of estrogen through using transcriptional and rapid non-genomic signaling pathways. Flavonoids have been considered candidates for chemopreventive agents in breast cancer. Baicalein, the primary flavonoid derived from the root of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, has been reported to exert an anti-estrogenic effect. In the present study, the effects of baicalein on 17β-estradiol (E2)-induced cell invasion, and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) expression and activation were investigated. Furthermore, its effects were compared with that of the active form of the ER modulator tamoxifen 4-hydroxytamoxifen (OHT) and the GPR30 antagonist G15 in ERα- and GPR30-positive MCF-7 breast cancer cells. The results demonstrated that OHT failed to prevent E2-induced cell invasion, upregulation and proteolytic activity of MMP-9. However, baicalein was able to significantly suppress these E2-induced effects. Furthermore, E2-stimulated invasion, and MMP-9 expression and activation were significantly attenuated following G15 treatment. In addition, baicalein significantly inhibited G-1, a specific GPR30 agonist, induced invasion, and reduced G-1 promoted expression and activity of MMP-9, consistent with effects of G15. The results of the present study suggest that baicalein is a therapeutic candidate for GPR30-positive breast cancer treatment, and besides ERα targeting the GPR30 receptor it may achieve additional therapeutic benefits in breast cancer.

In vitro synergy of baicalein and gentamicin against vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus.

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Chang, Ping Chin; Li, Hua Yu; Tang, Hung Jen; Liu, Jien Wei; Wang, Jhi Joung; Chuang, Yin Ching

2007-02-01

Little is known about the possible synergism of baicalein, a bioactive flavone of Scutellariae radix (a Chinese herb), when used in conjunction with other antimicrobial agents against vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE). This in vitro study examined the possible synergism of the combination of baicalein and gentamicin against VRE. Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of baicalein as well as gentamicin were determined against 39 clinical isolates of VRE by the agar dilution method. Synergistic activities were determined using the checkerboard method based on the fractional inhibitory concentration indices and also the time-kill method. Further time-kill studies were conducted with these two agents against one randomly chosen clinical isolate, VRE-096. Minimal concentrations inhibiting 50% (MIC(50)) and 90% (MIC(90)) of isolates for baicalein and gentamicin were all >256 microg/mL. Synergism between baicalein and gentamicin was demonstrated against four clinical isolates of VRE (VRE-70, VRE-940, VRE-096 and VRE-721). When approximately 5 x 10(5) colony-forming units/mL of VRE-096 was incubated with both baicalein at a concentration of 32 microg/mL (1/8 x MIC) and gentamicin at a concentration of 128 microg/mL (1/2 x MIC), there was an inhibitory effect against VRE that persisted for 48 h. At 48 h, the combination of baicalein and gentamicin at these respective concentrations resulted in a reduction of growth by approximately 2 orders of magnitude compared to that for the starting inoculum and by 3 orders of magnitude compared to that for baicalein alone, the more active single agent. This study demonstrated that baicalein and gentamicin can act synergistically in inhibiting VRE in vitro.

Investigation of the effective components of the flowers of Trollius chinensis from the perspectives of intestinal bacterial transformation and intestinal absorption.

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Guo, Lina; Qiao, Shanshan; Hu, Junhong; Li, Deli; Zheng, Shiqi; Shi, Duozhi; Liu, Junxiu; Wang, Rufeng

2017-12-01

The flowers of Trollius chinensis Bunge (Ranunculaceae), used for respiratory tract infections, mainly contain flavonoids, phenolic acids, and alkaloids; however, the effective components are debatable because of their unclear in vivo activities. This study investigates the effective components from the perspectives of biotransformation and absorption. Both single person derived- and multiple people-derived intestinal florae were used to investigate the biotransformation of aqueous extract of the flowers of T. chinensis (AEOF) at the concentrations of 15.0, 30.0, and 60.0 mg/mL, respectively, for 72 h. Both human colon adenocarcinoma cell line (Caco-2) monolayers and everted gut sacs were employed to evaluate the intestinal absorption of the intestinal bacterial transformed AEOF at the concentrations of 10, 20, and 30 mg/mL, respectively, for 180 min. 2″-O-β-l-Galactopyranosylorientin, orientin, vitexin, quercetin, veratric acid, proglobeflowery acid, and trolline in AEOF were not transformed by intestinal bacteria, while isoquercetin and trollioside were completely transformed. The P app values of 2″-O-β-l-galactopyranosylorientin, orientin, and vitexin calculated based on the experimental data of intestinal absorption were at the levels of 10 -5 , whereas those of veratric acid, proglobeflowery acid, and trolline were at 10 -4 . The mass ratio of flavonoids to phenolic acids to alkaloids changed from 16:10:7 to 9:12:8 before and after absorption. The dominant position of flavonoids was replaced by phenolic acids after absorption. In addition to flavonoids which are usually considered as the dominant effective ones, phenolic acids and alkaloids should be also very important for the efficacy of these flowers.

Danshen enhanced the estrogenic effects of Qing E formula in ovariectomized rats.

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Zhang, Jian-Mei; Li, Jin; Liu, Er-Wei; Wang, Hong; Fan, Guan-Wei; Wang, Yue-Fei; Zhu, Yan; Ma, Shang-Wei; Gao, Xiu-Mei

2016-06-23

Menopause is characterized by a decrease in life quality due to the appearance of uncomfortable symptoms. Nowadays, Understanding menopause-associated pathophysiology and developing new strategies to improve the treatment of menopausal-associated symptoms is an important issue. Our study was to evaluate the synergistic effects of Danshen (salvia miltiorrhiza bunge) and the phytoestrogenic effects of 3 modified Qing E formulas, to explore a better formula for menopausal disorders. 100 rats were randomized into 5 groups: Sham (Sham operation group), OVX (model group of ovariectomized rat), BDL (group with low concentration of Qing E Formula), BDH (group with high concentration of Qing E Formula) and BDD (group with high concentration of Qing E Formula Plus Danshen), receiving vehicle and extract of different modified Qing E formula respectively. The food intake, body weight, uterus weight, blood levels of triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC) and cholesterol fractions were assessed. The mammary glands and uterus were morphologically analyzed. The bone density of tibias were measured by peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT). Additionally, luciferase induction assays were performed in Hela cells with the mixtures derived from Qing E formula plus Danshen (BDD). Qing E formula plus Danshen significantly increased the uterus wet weight, enhanced the thickness of uterine wall, endometrial epithelium and glandular epithelium, improved trabecular bone and total density evidently, reduced the levels of low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and TG, possessed notable estrogen receptor beta (ERβ) and estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) agonist activity. Qing E formula plus Danshen exerted more evident estrogen-like effects, thus it has a potential therapeutic use to treat menopausal disorders.

Total mercury and methylmercury accumulation in wild plants grown at wastelands composed of mine tailings: Insights into potential candidates for phytoremediation.

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Qian, Xiaoli; Wu, Yonggui; Zhou, Hongyun; Xu, Xiaohang; Xu, Zhidong; Shang, Lihai; Qiu, Guangle

2018-08-01

Total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MMHg) were investigated in 259 wild plants belonging to 49 species in 29 families that grew in heavily Hg-contaminated wastelands composed of cinnabar ore mine tailings (calcines) in the Wanshan region, southwestern China, the world's third largest Hg mining district. The bioconcentration factors (BCFs) of THg and MMHg from soil to roots ([THg] root /[THg] soil , [MMHg] root /[MMHg] soil ) were evaluated. The results showed that THg and MMHg in both plants and soils varied widely, with ranges of 0.076-140 μg/g THg and 0.19-87 ng/g MMHg in roots, 0.19-106 μg/g THg and 0.06-31 ng/g MMHg in shoots, and 0.74-1440 μg/g THg and 0.41-820 ng/g MMHg in soil. Among all investigated species, Arthraxon hispidus, Eremochloa ciliaris, Clerodendrum bunge, and Ixeris sonchifolia had significantly elevated concentrations of THg in shoots and/or roots that reached 100 μg/g, whereas Chenopodium glaucum, Corydalisedulis maxim, and Rumex acetosa contained low values below 0.5 μg/g. In addition to the high THg concentrations, the fern E. ciliaris also showed high BCF values for both THg and MMHg exceeding 1.0, suggesting its capability to extract Hg from soils. Considering its dominance and the tolerance identified in the present study, E. ciliaris is suggested to be a practical candidate for phytoextraction, whereas A. hispidus is identified as a potential candidate for phytostabilization of Hg mining-contaminated soils. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Inhibitory effect of tanshinone IIA on rat hepatic stellate cells.

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Ya-Wei Liu

Full Text Available Anti-inflammation via inhibition of NF-κB pathways in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs is one therapeutic approach to hepatic fibrosis. Tanshinone IIA (C19H18O3, Tan IIA is a lipophilic diterpene isolated from Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, with reported anti-inflammatory activity. We tested whether Tan IIA could inhibit HSC activation.The cell line of rat hepatic stellate cells (HSC-T6 was stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS (100 ng/ml. Cytotoxicity was assessed by MTT assay. HSC-T6 cells were pretreated with Tan IIA (1, 3 and 10 µM, then induced by LPS (100 ng/ml. NF-κB activity was evaluated by the luciferase reporter gene assay. Western blotting analysis was performed to measure NF-κB-p65, and phosphorylations of MAPKs (ERK, JNK, p38. Cell chemotaxis was assessed by both wound-healing assay and trans-well invasion assay. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to detect gene expression in HSC-T6 cells.All concentrations of drugs showed no cytotoxicity against HSC-T6 cells. LPS stimulated NF-κB luciferase activities, nuclear translocation of NF-κB-p65, and phosphorylations of ERK, JNK and p38, all of which were suppressed by Tan IIA. In addition, Tan IIA significantly inhibited LPS-induced HSCs chemotaxis, in both wound-healing and trans-well invasion assays. Moreover, Tan IIA attenuated LPS-induced mRNA expressions of CCL2, CCL3, CCL5, IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6, ICAM-1, iNOS, and α-SMA in HSC-T6 cells.Our results demonstrated that Tan IIA decreased LPS-induced HSC activation.

Die emotionale Dimension während der Sprechproduktion im Fremdsprachenlernprozess

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Bahar İŞİGÜZEL

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Die Gefühle bzw. Emotionen der Lernenden beim Fremdsprachenlehr- und Lernprozess spielen eine wichtige Rolle. Mit der Verknüpfung der Emotion und Kognition beim Lernprozess, haben die positiven Gefühle eine große Bedeutung für den Lernerfolg. Als eine produktive Fertigkeit hat das Sprechen eine wesentlich intensive Beziehung mit den Emotionen, weil es in der realen Zeit fließend laufen muss. Der Lernende soll bei der Sprechproduktion spontan die richtigen Wörter auf die richtige Art und Weise anwenden und sie auch noch verständlich aussprechen. Leider erreicht die Sprechfertigkeit meistens eine niedrigere Niveaustufe als die anderen drei (Schreiben, Lesen und Hören Fertigkeiten im Fremdsprachenunterrichtprozess. Diese qualitative Untersuchung konzentriert sich auf die Daten (Tonaufnahme, die anhand eines Interviews während einer Sprechproduktionsübung im universitären Fremdsprachenunterricht gesammelt wurden. Um die emotionale Dimension der Lernenden während der Sprechproduktion zu identifizieren, wurden im Einzelinterview die Frage „Wie fühlst du dich während du eine Fremdsprache (Englisch sprichst?“ gestellt. Die Teilnehmer dieser Untersuchung waren 29 Studenten, die im WS 2016 - 2017 an Universität Nevşehir Hacı Bektaş Veli (Türkei immatrikuliert waren. Die Auswertung des Interviews folgte mit einer Transkription und einer Interpretation der Tonaufnahmen. Die Meinungen zu der emotionalen Dimension während der Sprechproduktion der Studenten wurden kategorisiert. Die Resultate dieser qualitativen Untersuchung zeigen, dass die emotionale Dimension der Lernenden im universitären Kontext sich in drei Kategorien (positiv, negativ und frühere Ausbildung verteilen.

Traditional Small-Size Citrus from Taiwan: Essential Oils, Bioactive Compounds and Antioxidant Capacity

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Min-Hung Chen

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Background: The calamondin (Citrus microcarpa Bunge and the kumquat (Fortunella crassifolia Swingle are two small-size citrus fruits that have traditionally been consumed in Taiwan; however, there has been a lack of scientific research regarding the active compounds and functionalities of these fruits. Methods: Analysis of volatile composition of essential oil and phytosterol was carried out using Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS. Flavonoid and limonoid were analyzed by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC. Moreover, antioxidant capacity from their essential oils and extracts were assessed in vitro. Results: The compositions of the essential oils of both fruits were identified, with the results showing that the calamondin and kumquat contain identified 43 and 44 volatile compounds, respectively. In addition, oxygenated compounds of volatiles accounted for 4.25% and 2.04%, respectively, consistent with the fact that oxygenated compounds are generally found in high content in citrus fruits. In terms of flavonoids, the calamondin exhibited higher content than the kumquat, with disomin-based flavonoids being predominant; on the other hand, phytosterol content of kumquat was higher than that of calamondin, with amyrin being the dominant phytosterol. Both of them contain high amounts of limonoids. The ethanol extracts and essential oils of small-sized citrus fruits have been shown to have antioxidant effects, with those effects being closely related to the flavonoid content of the fruit in question. Conclusions: The present study also reviewed antioxidant activity in terms of specific bioactive compounds in order to find the underlying biological activity of both fruits. The calamondin and kumquat have antioxidant effects, which are in turn very important for the prevention of chronic diseases.

Uma análise sistêmica sociotecnológica da engenharia de requisitos

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Luís Augusto Machado Moretto

2010-12-01

Full Text Available http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/1518-2924.2010v15nesp2p26 A engenharia de requisitos, etapa inicial da construção de sistemas de informação, requer intenso intercâmbio de informação entre profissionais de tecnologias da informação e comunicação, e peritos no negócio. A teoria e a prática comum da engenharia de requisitos, no entanto, são tecnocêntricas e caracterizadas por dificuldade de comunicação. A literatura recente aborda a concepção de sistemas sociotecnológicos, cujas propriedades emergem por meio da colaboração dinâmica entre pessoas e agentes artificiais. Este artigo apresenta um modelo sistêmico sociotecnológico da engenharia de requisitos com base no modelo CESM de Mario Bunge, segundo o qual todo sistema concreto pode ser representado segundo seus componentes, ambiente, estrutura e mecanismo. Entre os componentes, estão os peritos no negócio, profissionais de TIC, agentes artificiais e os objetos da colaboração dinâmica – modelo de domínio e requisitos. O mecanismo é essencialmente um processo de comunicação, com intercâmbio de informações e compartilhamento de conhecimento. Essa descrição presta-se à compreensão sistêmica da engenharia de requisitos, visando à intervenção para aliviar os problemas comunicacionais do processo e promover a emergência de requisitos que representem as reais necessidades do sistema.

Transport of cryptotanshinone, a major active triterpenoid in Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge widely used in the treatment of stroke and Alzheimer's disease, across the blood-brain barrier.

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Yu, Xi-Yong; Lin, Shu-Guang; Chen, Xiao; Zhou, Zhi-Wei; Liang, Jun; Duan, Wei; Chowbay, Balram; Wen, Jing-Yuan; Chan, Eli; Cao, Jie; Li, Chun-Guang; Zhou, Shu-Feng

2007-05-01

Cryptotanshinone (CTS), a major constituent from the roots of Salvia miltiorrhiza (Danshen), is widely used in the treatment of coronary heart disease, stroke and less commonly Alzheimer's disease. Our recent study indicates that CTS is a substrate for P-glycoprotein (PgP/MDR1/ABCB1). This study has investigated the nature of the brain distribution of CTS across the brain-blood barrier (BBB) using several in vitro and in vivo rodent models. A polarized transport of CTS was found in rat primary microvascular endothelial cell (RBMVEC) monolayers, with facilitated efflux from the abluminal side to luminal side. Addition of a PgP (e.g. verapamil and quinidine) or multi-drug resistance protein 1/2 (MRP1/2) inhibitor (e.g. probenecid and MK-571) in both luminal and abluminal sides attenuated the polarized transport. In a bilateral in situ brain perfusion model, the uptake of CTS into the cerebrum increased from 0.52 +/- 0.1% at 1 min to 11.13 +/- 2.36 ml/100 g tissue at 30 min and was significantly greater than that of sucrose. Co-perfusion of a PgP/MDR1 (e.g. verapamil) or MRP1/2 inhibitor (e.g. probenecid) significantly increased the brain distribution of CTS by 35.1-163.6%. The brain levels of CTS were only about 21% of those in plasma, and were significantly increased when coadministered with verapamil or probenecid in rats. The brain levels of CTS in rats subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion and rats treated with quinolinic acid (a neurotoxin) were about 2- to 2.5-fold higher than the control rats. Moreover, the brain levels in mdr1a(-/-) and mrp1(-/-) mice were 10.9- and 1.5-fold higher than those in the wild-type mice, respectively. Taken collectively, these findings indicate that PgP and Mrp1 limit the brain penetration of CTS in rodents, suggesting a possible role of PgP and MRP1 in limiting the brain penetration of CTS in patients and causing drug resistance to Danshen therapy and interactions with conventional drugs that are substrates of PgP and MRP1. Further studies are needed to explore the role of other drug transporters in restricting the brain penetration of CTS and the clinical relevance.

Functionalized graphene quantum dots loaded with free radicals combined with liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry to screen radical scavenging natural antioxidants from Licorice and Scutellariae.

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Wang, Guoying; Niu, XiuLi; Shi, Gaofeng; Chen, Xuefu; Yao, Ruixing; Chen, Fuwen

2014-12-01

A novel screening method was developed for the detection and identification of radical scavenging natural antioxidants based on a free radical reaction combined with liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. Functionalized graphene quantum dots were prepared for loading free radicals in the complex screening system. The detection was performed with and without a preliminary exposure of the samples to specific free radicals on the functionalized graphene quantum dots, which can facilitate charge transfer between free radicals and antioxidants. The difference in chromatographic peak areas was used to identify potential antioxidants. This is a novel approach to simultaneously evaluate the antioxidant power of a component versus a free radical, and to identify it in a vegetal matrix. The structures of the antioxidants in the samples were identified using tandem mass spectrometry and comparison with standards. Fourteen compounds were found to possess potential antioxidant activity, and their free radical scavenging capacities were investigated. The order of scavenging capacity of 14 compounds was compared according to their free radical scavenging rate. 4',5,6,7-Tetrahydroxyflavone (radical scavenging rate: 0.05253 mL mg(-1) s(-1) ) showed the strongest capability for scavenging free radicals. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Baicalin attenuates focal cerebral ischemic reperfusion injury through inhibition of nuclear factor κB p65 activation

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Xue, Xia; Qu, Xian-Jun; Yang, Ying; Sheng, Xie-Huang; Cheng, Fang; Jiang, E-Nang; Wang, Jian-hua; Bu, Wen; Liu, Zhao-Ping

2010-01-01

Research highlights: → Permanent NF-κB p65 activation contributes to the infarction after ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats. → Baicalin can markedly inhibit the nuclear NF-κB p65 expression and m RNA levels after ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats. → Baicalin decreased the cerebral infarction area via inhibiting the activation of nuclear NF-κB p65. -- Abstract: Baicalin is a flavonoid compound purified from plant Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi. We aimed to evaluate the neuroprotective effects of baicalin against cerebral ischemic reperfusion injury. Male Wistar rats were subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) for 2 h followed by reperfusion for 24 h. Baicalin at doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg was intravenously injected after ischemia onset. Twenty-four hours after reperfusion, the neurological deficit was scored and infarct volume was measured. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining was performed to analyze the histopathological changes of cortex and hippocampus neurons. We examined the levels of NF-κB p65 in ischemic cortexes by Western blot analysis and RT-PCR assay. The results showed that the neurological deficit scores were significantly decreased from 2.0 ± 0.7 to 1.2 ± 0.4 and the volume of infarction was reduced by 25% after baicalin injection. Histopathological examination showed that the increase of neurons with pycnotic shape and condensed nuclear in cortex and hippocampus were not observed in baicalin treated animals. Further examination showed that NF-κB p65 in cortex was increased after ischemia reperfusion injury, indicating the molecular mechanism of ischemia reperfusion injury. The level of NF-κB p65 was decreased by 73% after baicalin treatment. These results suggest that baicalin might be useful as a potential neuroprotective agent in stroke therapy. The neuroprotective effects of baicalin may relate to inhibition of NF-κB p65.

Ursodeoxycholic acid pretreatment reduces oral bioavailability of the multiple drug resistance-associated protein 2 substrate baicalin in rats.

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Wu, Tao; Li, Xi-Ping; Xu, Yan-Jiao; Du, Guang; Liu, Dong

2013-11-01

Baicalin is a major bioactive component of Scutellaria baicalensis and a substrate of multiple drug resistance-associated protein 2. Expression of multiple drug resistance-associated protein 2 is regulated by NF-E2-related factor 2. The aim of this study was to explore whether ursodeoxycholic acid, an NF-E2-related factor 2 activator, could influence the oral bioavailability of baicalin. A single dose of baicalin (200 mg/kg) was given orally to rats pretreated with ursodeoxycholic acid (75 mg/kg and 150 mg/kg, per day, intragastrically) or normal saline (per day, intragastrically) for six consecutive days. The plasma concentration of baicalin was measured with the HPLC method. The result indicated that the oral bioavailability of baicalin was significantly and dose-dependently reduced in rats pretreated with ursodeoxycholic acid. Compared with control rats, the mean area under concentration-time curve of baicalin was reduced from 13.25 ± 0.24 mg/L h to 7.62 ± 0.15 mg/L h and 4.97 ± 0.21 mg/L h, and the C(max) value was decreased from 1.31 ± 0.03 mg/L to 0.62 ± 0.05 mg/L and 0.36 ± 0.04 mg/L in rats pretreated with ursodeoxycholic acid at doses of 75 mg/kg and 150 mg/kg, respectively, for six consecutive days. Hence, ursodeoxycholic acid treatment reduced the oral bioavailability of baicalin in rats, probably due to the enhanced efflux of baicalin from the intestine and liver by multiple drug resistance-associated protein 2. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Suppression of growth and invasive behavior of human prostate cancer cells by ProstaCaid™: mechanism of activity.

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Jiang, Jiahua; Eliaz, Isaac; Sliva, Daniel

2011-06-01

Since the use of dietary supplements as alternative treatments or adjuvant therapies in cancer treatment is growing, a scientific verification of their biological activity and the detailed mechanisms of their action are necessary for the acceptance of dietary supplements in conventional cancer treatments. In the present study we have evaluated the anti-cancer effects of dietary supplement ProstaCaid™ (PC) which contains mycelium from medicinal mushrooms (Ganoderma lucidum, Coriolus versicolor, Phellinus linteus), saw palmetto berry, pomegranate, pumpkin seed, green tea [40% epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG)], Japanese knotweed (50% resveratrol), extracts of turmeric root (BCM-95®), grape skin, pygeum bark, sarsaparilla root, Scutellaria barbata, eleuthero root, Job's tears, astragalus root, skullcap, dandelion, coptis root, broccoli, and stinging nettle, with purified vitamin C, vitamin D3, selenium, quercetin, citrus bioflavonoid complex, β sitosterolzinc, lycopene, α lipoic acid, boron, berberine and 3.3'-diinodolymethane (DIM). We show that PC treatment resulted in the inhibition of cell proliferation of the highly invasive human hormone refractory (independent) PC-3 prostate cancer cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner with IC50 56.0, 45.6 and 39.0 µg/ml for 24, 48 and 72 h, respectively. DNA-microarray analysis demonstrated that PC inhibits proliferation through the modulation of expression of CCND1, CDK4, CDKN1A, E2F1, MAPK6 and PCNA genes. In addition, PC also suppresses metastatic behavior of PC-3 by the inhibition of cell adhesion, cell migration and cell invasion, which was associated with the down-regulation of expression of CAV1, IGF2, NR2F1, and PLAU genes and suppressed secretion of the urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) from PC-3 cells. In conclusion, the dietary supplement PC is a promising natural complex with the potency to inhibit invasive human prostate cancer.

San-Huang-Xie-Xin-Tang Prevents Rat Hearts from Ischemia/Reperfusion-Induced Apoptosis through eNOS and MAPK Pathways

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Shu-Fen Liou

2011-01-01

Full Text Available San-Huang-Xie-Xin-Tang (SHXT is a traditional Chinese medication consisting of three herbs, namely Coptidis rhizome, Scutellariae radix and Rhei rhizome. This study aimed to examine the cardioprotective effects of SHXT in a rat model of acute myocardial apoptosis induced by ischemia/reperfusion (I/R. Vehicle (intravenous saline or SHXT (intravenous or oral was administered prior to I/R (occlusion of left coronary artery for 45 min followed by reperfusion for 2 h. In the vehicle group, myocardial I/R caused myocardial infarction with increased plasma cardiac enzymes, severe arrhythmia and mortality. Myocardial apoptosis was induced by I/R as evidenced by DNA ladder and Bcl-2/Bax ratio. In the SHXT group, we found that SHXT significantly reduced plasma levels of cardiac enzymes, arrhythmia scores (from 5 ± 1 to 2 ± 1, P<.01 and mortality rate (from 53 to 0%, P<.01. In addition, pretreatment with intravenous SHXT reduced the infarct size dose-dependently when compared with the vehicle group (10 mg kg−1: 14.0 ± 0.2 versus 44.5 ± 5.0%, and 30 mg kg−1: 6.2 ± 1.2% versus 44.5 ± 5.0%, both P<.01. Similarly, oral administration of SHXT reduced the infarct size dose-dependently. Furthermore, SHXT markedly decreased the apoptosis induced by I/R with increased Bcl-2/Bax ratio. Finally, we found that SHXT counteracted the I/R-induced downstream signaling, resulting in increased myocardial eNOS expression and plasma nitrite, and decreased activation of ERK1/2, p38 and JNK. These data suggest that SHXT has cardioprotective effects against I/R-induced apoptosis, and that these effects are mediated, at least in part, by eNOS and MAPK pathways.

Prescription patterns of Chinese herbal products for post-surgery colon cancer patients in Taiwan.

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Chao, Te-Hsin; Fu, Pin-Kuei; Chang, Chiung-Hung; Chang, Shih-Ni; Chiahung Mao, Frank; Lin, Ching-Heng

2014-08-08

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is commonly provided to cancer patients, however, the patterns of prescriptions for this type of medicine in Taiwan are unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the use of traditional Chinese medicine products in colon cancer patients post-surgery in Taiwan and to research patterns of TCM. This was a cross-sectional study of newly diagnosed colon cancer patients who received surgery between 2004 and 2008 identified from the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan. The prescription patterns and reasons for the use of TCM for colon cancer were analyzed. The results showed that "symptoms, signs and ill-defined conditions" (23.3%) and diseases of the digestive system (16.9%) were the most common reasons for using Chinese herbal medicine. Xiang-sha-liu-jun-zi-tang (7.1%), Bu-zhong-yi-qi-tang (4.3%), Jia-wei-xiao-yao-san (4.1%), Shen-Ling-Bai-Zhu-San (3.7%), Ban-Xia-Xie-Xin-Tang (3.4%), Gui-pi-tang (2.4%), Ping-Wei-San (2.4%), Gan-Lu-Yin (2.0%), Bao-He-Wan (1.9%), and Zhen-Ren-Huo-Ming-Yin (1.8%) were the most commonly prescribed single Chinese herbal formulae (CHF) for colon cancer patients post-surgery. Hedyotis diffusa Willd (Bai Hua She She Cao) (5.1%) and Scutellaria barbata (Ban Zhi Lian )(4.8%) were the most commonly prescribed single Chinese herbs. This study identified patterns of TCM use in colon cancer patients post-surgery in Taiwan. The herbal ingredients were most commonly used for stimulate ghrelin secretion to increase food intake and had potential anti-tumor effect. However, further research is required to evaluate any beneficial effects which could identify leads for the development of new treatment strategies using TCM. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Associations between prescribed Chinese herbal medicine and risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with chronic hepatitis B: a nationwide population-based cohort study.

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Tsai, Tzung-Yi; Livneh, Hanoch; Hung, Tsung-Hsing; Lin, I-Hsin; Lu, Ming-Chi; Yeh, Chia-Chou

2017-01-25

Patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) are reported to exhibit higher risk of subsequent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, it remains unclear if Chinese herbal medicine (CHM), an important category of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), may lower HCC risk in this population. So this study aimed to investigate the effects of CHM on HCC risk among patients with CHB. This cohort study used the Taiwanese National Health Insurance Research Database to identify 21 020 newly diagnosed patients with CHB from 1998 to 2007. Among them, 8640 received CHM products after CHB onset (CHM users), and the remaining 12 380 patients were designated as a control group (non-CHM users). All enrolees were followed until the end of 2012 to measure the incidence rate and HR of HCC. During 15 years of follow-up, 371 CHM users and 958 non-CHM users developed HCC, representing an incidence rate of 5.28% and 10.18% per 1000 person-years, respectively. CHM users had significantly lower HCC risk compared with non-CHM users (adjusted HR=0.63, 95% CI 0.56 to 0.72). The predominant effect was observed in those receiving CHM products for more than 180 days (adjusted HR=0.52). Some CHM products, such as Hedyotis diffusa, Scutellaria barbata, Rehmannia glutinosa, Isatis tinctoria, Yi Guan Jian, Xiao Chai Hu Tang, Wu Ling San and Gan Lu Yin, were significantly associated with lower risk of HCC. The use of CHM was associated with a significantly reduced HCC risk in patients with CHB, which supports the integration of TCM with CHM into clinical practice to influence a favourable prognosis. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Theoretical investigation of the conformational space of baicalin.

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Martínez Medina, Juan J; Ferrer, Evelina G; Williams, Patricia A M; Okulik, Nora B

2017-09-01

Flavonoids are a large group of polyphenolic compounds ubiquitously present in plants. They are important components of human diet. They are recognized as potential drug candidates to be used in the treatment and prevention of a lot of pathological disorders, due to their protective effects. Baicalin (7-glucuronic acid 5, 6-dihydroxyflavone) is one of the main single active constituents isolated from the dried roots of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi. The great interest on this flavonoid is due to its various pharmacological properties, such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anticancer and so on, and its high accumulation in the roots of S. baicalensis. The aim of our work was to analyze the geometric and electronic properties of baicalin conformers (BCL), thus performing a complete search on the conformational space of this flavonoid in gas phase and in aqueous solution. The results indicate that the conformational space of baicalin is formed by eight conformers in gas phase and five conformers in aqueous solution optimized at B3LYP/6-311++G** theory level. BCLa2 TT and BCLa1 TT conformers have low stability in gas phase and very high stability in aqueous solution. This variation is related to a modification in the τ 1 angle that represents the relative position of the glucuronide unit respect to the central rings of the flavan nucleus (A and C). This modification was successfully explained by examining the changes in the hydrogen bond (HB) interactions that occur in the region around the hydroxyl group located in position 6 of ring A. Besides, the molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) and frontier molecular orbital (FMO) analyses indicate that BCLa2 TT and BCLa1 TT conformers are the most favorable conformers for interacting with positively charged species (such as metal ions) in aqueous media (such as biological fluids). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Simultaneous quantification of ten constituents of Xanthoceras sorbifolia Bunge using UHPLC-MS methods and evaluation of their radical scavenging, DNA scission protective, and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities.

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Zhang, Yu; Ma, Jian-Nan; Ma, Chun-Li; Qi, Zhi; Ma, Chao-Mei

2015-11-01

The present study was designed to investigate the bioactive constituents of Xanthoceras sorbifolia in terms of amounts and their antioxidant, DNA scission protection, and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities. Simultaneous quantification of 10 X. sorbifolia constituents was carried out by a newly established ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole mass spectrometry method (UHPLC-MS). The antioxidant activities were evaluated by measuring DPPH radical scavenging and DNA scission protective activities. The α-glucosidase inhibitory activities were investigated by using an assay with α-glucosidase from Bacillus Stearothermophilus and disaccharidases from mouse intestine. We found that the wood of X. sorbifolia was rich in phenolic compounds with the contents of catechin, epicatechin, myricetin, and dihydromyricetin being 0.12-0.19, 1.94-2.16, 0.77-0.91, and 6.76-7.89 mg·g(-1), respectively. The four constituents strongly scavenged DPPH radicals (with EC50 being 4.2, 3.8 and 5.7 μg·mL(-1), respectively) and remarkably protected peroxyl radical-induced DNA strand scission (92.10%, 94.66%, 75.44% and 89.95% of protection, respectively, at a concentration of 10 μmol·L(-1)). A dimeric flavan 3-ol, epigallocatechin-(4β→8, 2β→O-7)-epicatechin potently inhibited α-glucosidase with an IC50 value being as low as 1.2 μg·mL(-1). The established UHPLC-MS method could serve as a quality control tool for X. sorbifolia. In conclusion, the high contents of antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory constituents in X. sorbifolia support its use as complementation of other therapeutic agents for metabolic disorders, such as diabetes and hypertension. Copyright © 2015 China Pharmaceutical University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Heavy metal accumulation by poplar in calcareous soil with various degrees of multi-metal contamination: implications for phytoextraction and phytostabilization.

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Hu, Yahu; Nan, Zhongren; Su, Jieqiong; Wang, Ning

2013-10-01

The object of this study was to assess the capacity of Populus alba L. var. pyramidalis Bunge for phytoremediation of heavy metals on calcareous soils contaminated with multiple metals. In a pot culture experiment, a multi-metal-contaminated calcareous soil was mixed at different ratios with an uncontaminated, but otherwise similar soil, to establish a gradient of soil metal contamination levels. In a field experiment, poplars with different stand ages (3, 5, and 7 years) were sampled randomly in a wastewater-irrigated field. The concentrations of cadmium (Cd), Cu, lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) in the poplar tissues and soil were determined. The accumulation of Cd and Zn was greatest in the leaves of P. pyramidalis, while Cu and Pb mainly accumulated in the roots. In the pot experiment, the highest tissue concentrations of Cd (40.76 mg kg(-1)), Cu (8.21 mg kg(-1)), Pb (41.62 mg kg(-1)), and Zn (696 mg kg(-1)) were all noted in the multi-metal-contaminated soil. Although extremely high levels of Cd and Zn accumulated in the leaves, phytoextraction using P. pyramidalis may take at least 24 and 16 years for Cd and Zn, respectively. The foliar concentrations of Cu and Pb were always within the normal ranges and were never higher than 8 and 5 mg kg(-1), respectively. The field experiment also revealed that the concentrations of all four metals in the bark were significantly higher than that in the wood. In addition, the tissue metal concentrations, together with the NH4NO3-extractable concentrations of metals in the root zone, decreased as the stand age increased. P. pyramidalis is suitable for phytostabilization of calcareous soils contaminated with multiple metals, but collection of the litter fall would be necessary due to the relatively high foliar concentrations of Cd and Zn.

Neue Technologien und Erziehung/Bildung

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Norbert Meder

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Es wird gezeigt, dass Computertechnologie zur pädagogischen Aufgabe wird, weil es sich um eine Kulturtechnik handelt. Ausgehend vom Begriff der Bildung als Ausbildung eines Verhältnisses zu mir selbst, zu anderen und zur Welt wird Computertechnologie als Problemlösungsautomat, Sprachentwicklungsmaschine, Simulationsmaschine, Kommunikationsmaschine, Bildschirmgestaltungsmaschine, Schlüsselloch und Superzeichenmaschine analysiert. Die Analyse zeigt, daß Computertechnologie ein neues Bildungsideal erforderlich macht: Den Sprachspieler. Der Sprachspieler kennt sein doppelt reflexives Verhältnis zu sich selbst, zu anderen und zur Welt und beherrscht so das Spiel mit der Sprache zur Ausübung von Macht und Gewalt in der Informationsgesellschaft. Der Text geht in folgenden Schritten vor: Zunächst werden mit den Begriffen "Kulturtechnik" und "Bildung" die Prinzipien der Analyse bestimmt. Anschließend wird eine Sachanalyse der Computertechnologie durchgeführt und die gefundenen Eigenschaften jeweils in Relation zum Kulturtechnik- und Bildungsbegriff gesetzt. Computer technology becomes a challenge for education if it is understood as a cultural technology. Starting with the term bildung as the formation of relations to my self, to others and the world, computer technology is analysed as problem solving machine, language development machine, simulation machine, communication machine, screen design machine, keyhole, and super sign machine. It is shown, that computertechnology reqiures a new ideal for bildung: the language player. The language player knows his double reflective relation to his self, to others and the world and thus rules the game with language that is used to excercise power and force in the information society. The text argues in the following steps: At first the principles of the analyses are defined with the terms cultural technology and bildung. Susequently, computer technology is analysed. The identified qualities are finally

Evaluating the antidiabetic effects of Chinese herbal medicine: Xiao-Ke-An in 3T3-L1 cells and KKAy mice using both conventional and holistic omics approaches.

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Yang, Zhenzhong; Wang, Linli; Zhang, Feng; Li, Zheng

2015-08-13

Xiao-Ke-An (XKA) is a Chinese medicine widely used for treating type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D). It is composed of eight herbal medicines traditionally used for T2D, including Rehmannia glutinosa Libosch, Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bunge, Coptis chinensis Franch, etc. The aim of the present study was to investigate the antidiabetic effects of XKA with both conventional and holistic omics approaches. The antidiabetic effect of XKA was first investigated in 3T3-L1 cells to study the effect of XKA on adipogenesis in vitro. Oil Red O staining was performed to determine the lipid accumulation. The intracellular total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) contents in XKA treated 3T3-L1 cells were also evaluated. The therapeutic effects of XKA was further evaluated in KKAy mice with both conventional and holistic omics approaches. Body weight, fasting and non-fasting blood glucose, and oral glucose tolerance were measured during the experiment. At the time of sacrifice, serum was collected for the measurement of TG, TC, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c). The liver, kidney, spleen, pancreas, heart and adipose tissues were harvested and weighted. The liver was used for further microarray experiment. Omics approaches were adopted to evaluate the holistic rebalancing effect of XKA at molecular network level. XKA significantly inhibited adipogenic differentiation, lowered the intracellular TC and TG contents in 3T3-L1 cells. XKA improved the glucose homeostasis and lipid metabolism, ameliorated insulin resistance in KKAy mice. Furthermore, XKA also exhibited effective therapeutic effects by reversing the molecular T2D disease network from an unbalanced state. This study investigated the antidiabetic effects of XKA with both conventional and holistic omics approaches, providing both phenotypic evidence and underlying action mechanisms for the clinical use of XKA treating T2D.

In search of laterally heterogeneous viscosity models of Glacial Isostatic Adjustment with the ICE-6G_C global ice history model

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Li, Tanghua; Wu, Patrick; Steffen, Holger; Wang, Hansheng

2018-05-01

Most models of Glacial Isostatic Adjustment (GIA) assume that the Earth is laterally homogeneous. However, seismic and geological observations clearly show that the Earth's mantle is laterally heterogeneous. Previous studies of GIA with lateral heterogeneity mostly focused on its effect or sensitivity on GIA predictions, and it is not clear to what extent can lateral heterogeneity solve the misfits between GIA predictions and observations. Our aim is to search for the best 3D viscosity models that can simultaneously fit the global relative sea-level (RSL) data, the peak uplift rates (u-dot from GNSS) and peak gravity-rate-of-change (g-dot from the GRACE satellite mission) in Laurentia and Fennoscandia. However, the search is dependent on the ice and viscosity model inputs - the latter depends on the background viscosity and the seismic tomography models used. In this paper, the ICE-6G_C ice model, with Bunge & Grand's seismic tomography model and background viscosity models close to VM5 will be assumed. A Coupled Laplace-Finite Element Method is used to compute gravitationally self-consistent sea level change with time dependent coastlines and rotational feedback in addition to changes in deformation, gravity and the state of stress. Several laterally heterogeneous models are found to fit the global sea level data better than laterally homogeneous models. Two of these laterally heterogeneous models also fit the ICE-6G_C peak g-dot and u-dot rates observed in Laurentia simultaneously. However, even with the introduction of lateral heterogeneity, no model that is able to fit the present-day g-dot and uplift rate data in Fennoscandia has been found. Therefore, either the ice history of ICE-6G_C in Fennoscandia and Barent Sea needs some modifications, or the sub-lithospheric property/non-thermal effect underneath northern Europe must be different from that underneath Laurentia.

ANÁLISIS SISTÉMICO DE LA TUTORÍA VIRTUAL A PARTIR DEL AUGE DEL E-LEARNING

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Héctor Mazurkiewicz

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Este estudio tiene como objetivo de investigación establecer en qué medida la acción tutorial en espacios virtuales, concebida como un sistema ontológico material, se corresponde con el modelo ontológico sistémico material CAEMS. La metodología del estudio es integrativa, pues incorpora diversas herramientas metodológicas, pero el enfoque del análisis es sistémico y se fundamenta en el modelo CAEMS de Herrera (2007 quien a su vez se basa en el modelo sistémico materialista CESM de Mario Bunge. En cuanto al tipo de investigación, es analítica con un diseño documental, también el diseño es transeccional contemporáneo porque los datos corresponden al periodo del auge del e-learning y es univentual dado que solo se estudia la tutoría virtual; se utilizó como instrumentos de recolección de datos, matrices de análisis. Los resultados derivaron como conclusión, que la acción tutorial en espacios virtuales se corresponde con un sistema material de cuatro componentes complejos y con propiedades emergentes, denominados composición, estructura, mecanismos y superestructura, tal que al carecer del ambiente supuesto en la investigación, dicho sistema se corresponde parcialmente con el modelo sistémico ontológico material CAEMS. El estudio cierra recomendado la aplicación de este modelo en investigaciones cuyo objeto o evento de estudio sea un sistema material; también se recomienda continuar el ciclo de la investigación para alcanzar otros estadios más avanzados de la misma y para identificar el ambiente de la acción tutorial en espacios virtuales.

Gudrun Stenglein, Condición femenina y delincuencia: Estudio comparado hispano-alemán y una propuesta sistémica europea, AV Akademikerverlag GmbH & Co. KG, EAE, Saarbrücken, 2012, 252 págs.

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Manuel J. Peláez

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Wenn über Kriminalität gesprochen wird, scheint es sich um ein reines Männerthema zu handeln. Sind die Frauen wirklich weniger straffällig als die Männer? Die Frau als Straftäterin wird in der Literatur vernachlässigt. In der modernen Kriminologie erscheint die Frau fast nur in der Opferrolle. Die angeführte Studie befaßt sich mit den Fragen, die sich aus dieser Problematik ergeben. Die Straffälligkeit der Frauen wird einer multidisziplinären Analyse unterzogen, traditionelle und moderne Erklärungsansätze werden systematisiert und in Verbindung zueinander gebracht. Anhand von Statistiken werden sowohl die Anzahl der Straftäterinnen als auch die Delikte, die scheinbar frauentypisch sind, untersucht und zwischen den Modellen der mediterranen und nordeuropäischen Länder verglichen. Es überrascht, dass es so gut wie keine internationalen oder nationalen Programme zur Verbrechensvorbeugung bezüglich der Frauenkrimialität gibt. Scheint es doch so, dass der Staat als einzige Antwort auf dieses Phänomen die Strafverfolgung kennt (traditionelles Strafrecht. Untersuchungen in Strafanstalten zeigen aber, dass die Frauen in den meisten Fällen aufgrund ihres sozialen Umfelds und ihrer geringeren Chancen auf Ausbildung und Ausübung eines Berufes zur Straftäterin werden. Eine effiziente Kriminalpolitik müsste mit der Ungleichbehandlung der Frauen aufräumen und eine adäquate Sozialisierung für die Frauen schaffen, die oft auf sich gestellt und mit der Versorgung ihrer Familie überfordert sind. Es stellt sich heraus, dass, wenn über ein vereintes Europa gesprochen wird, die Wirklichkeit einer gemeinsamen europäischen Kriminalpolitik noch weit entfernt ist. Außerdem wird die Ernsthaftigkeit dieses Vorhabens bezweifelt, da zuviele Unterschiede, Differenzen und Vorbehalte unter den europäischen Mitgliedsstaaten bestehen. Es handelt sich eher um ein fadenscheiniges Agieren der Politiker.

Research Networks: a fundamental value-added for scientific communication / Redes de investigación: un valor agregado fundamental para la comunicación científica

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Wilson López López

2012-12-01

Full Text Available This edition of Universitas Psychologica has a special value because it is the result of a collaborative work with a research group from the Universidad de La Frontera led by Ricardo Perez Luco, Jaime Alfaro and Beatriz Paes from Chile, who organized the “First International Seminar of Juvenile Justice. Be and Ought to be of the public policy” a meeting that brought together world leading researchers in order to investigate an emerging and critical problem in our societies, such as the juvenile justice. We accep their proposals after agreeing the compliance of our demands of peer review and think that we are a trusted international academic channel. The first 14 articles of this edition were the result of an exhaustive peer-review evaluation, which have guaranteed quality. We hope readers will recognize the building of the theme proposed. This edition contains articles from universities and institutions of Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, The United States, Spain, Italy, France and Mexico.Moreover, I would like to mention the importance of our panorama section in which we are publishing interviews with world leading academics such as Professor Mario Bunge, one of the most influential living philosophers of our time (authorof the Treaty of Philosophy 1974-1989 “one of the most ambitious projects of modern philosophy” and of numerous, influential and provocative books on multiple topics of the contemporary society; and recently with Kenneth Gergen, a theorist who has significantly substantiated the social constructivist psychology and critical perspectives associated with this. There are also interviews with psychologistswho have made contributions to psychology, as Fernando González Rey. Universitas will continue publishing these types of articles for discussion and reflection, as well as a quality research, and we invite our readers and authors to evaluate the presentation of this kind of contributions.

Danqi Pill regulates lipid metabolism disorder induced by myocardial ischemia through FATP-CPTI pathway.

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Wang, Yong; Li, Chun; Wang, Qiyan; Shi, Tianjiao; Wang, Jing; Chen, Hui; Wu, Yan; Han, Jing; Guo, Shuzhen; Wang, Yuanyuan; Wang, Wei

2015-02-21

Danqi Pill (DQP), which contains Chinese herbs Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge and Panax notoginseng, is widely used in the treatment of myocardial ischemia (MI) in China. Its regulatory effects on MI-associated lipid metabolism disorders haven't been comprehensively studied so far. We aimed to systematically investigate the regulatory mechanism of DQP on myocardial ischemia-induced lipid metabolism disorders. Myocardial ischemia rat model was induced by left anterior descending coronary artery ligation. The rat models were divided into three groups: model group with administration of normal saline, study group with administration of DanQi aqueous solution (1.5 mg/kg) and positive-control group with administration of pravastatin aqueous solution (1.2 mg/kg). In addition, another sham-operated group was set as negative control. At 28 days after treatment, cardiac function and degree of lipid metabolism disorders in rats of different groups were measured. Plasma lipid disorders were induced by myocardial ischemia, with manifestation of up-regulation of triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein (LDL), Apolipoprotein B (Apo-B) and 3-hydroxy-3-methyl glutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR). DQP could down-regulate the levels of TG, LDL, Apo-B and HMGCR. The Lipid transport pathway, fatty acids transport protein (FATP) and Carnitine palmitoyltransferase I (CPTI) were down-regulated in model group. DQP could improve plasma lipid metabolism by up-regulating this lipid transport pathway. The transcription factors peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) and retinoid X receptors (RXRs), which regulate lipid metabolism, were also up-regulated by DQP. Furthermore, DQP was able to improve heart function and up-regulate ejection fraction (EF) by increasing the cardiac diastolic volume. Our study reveals that DQP would be an ideal alternative drug for the treatment of dyslipidemia which is induced by myocardial ischemia.

Concerning the preliminary results of space experiment with the seeds of rare plants (on the boad of BION-M No.1)

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Gorelov, Yury; Kurganskaya, Lubov; Ilyin, Vyacheslav; Ruzaeva, Irina; Rozno, Svetlana; Kavelenova, Ludmila

species of Samara region (Clematis integrifolia L.; Aster alpinus L.; Dianthus andrzejowskianus Kulcz.; Linum perenne L.; Polemonium caeruleum L.; Primula macrocalyx Bunge; Iris pumila L.; Lilium martagon L.; Pulsatilla patens (L.) Mill., 8 from 9 are the plants of Samara Region Reed book) were packed into 3 marked plastic test tubes (Ø12/75, 4 ml). After the landing of “Bion-M” the seeds were sown on the experimental plot in the Botanical garden of Samara State University (25 July 2013). The sow time was near to the time of seeds ripening when they can fall on the ground in natural ecosystems. The abundant rains in the beginning of August 2013 made the beneficial conditions for sprouting and the first seedlings we found 10-15 days after sowing. The ground germination parameters varied from 3 to 78% for 6 different species (Clematis integrifolia L. 3%; Dianthus andrzejowskianus Kulcz. 8%; Pulsatilla patens (L.) Mill 15%; .Linum perenne L. 67%; Polemonium caeruleum L. 75%; Iris pumila L. 78%), whereas 3 species did not sprout for that time (Lilium martagon L.; Aster alpinus L.; Primula macrocalyx Bunge). The most native flora species normally have no synchronic seed germination and many seeds each year are added in soil seed bank. Many ripe seeds are in dormancy that must be removed passing by autumn-winter period. That is a possible reason of seedlings absence in 3 of our species. We can mention the increase of ground germination parameters (comparing with their common germination levels) for Linum perenne L. and Iris pumila L. as a positive (stimulating) effect of space flight factors complex. These seeds normally never demonstrate germination on the level of 70-80%. Also we found the increase of plants diversity on their initial stage of development. Some more developed and big specimens appeared among the seedlings, what more clearly demonstrated Linum perenne L. and Iris pumila L.. Maybe such heterogeneity is connected with different seed mass and size what

Baicalin Inhibits Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammation Through Signaling NF-κB Pathway in HBE16 Airway Epithelial Cells.

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Dong, Shou-jin; Zhong, Yun-qing; Lu, Wen-ting; Li, Guan-hong; Jiang, Hong-li; Mao, Bing

2015-08-01

Baicalin, a flavonoid monomer derived from Scutellaria baicalensis called Huangqin in mandarin, is the main active ingredient contributing to S. baicalensis' efficacy. It is known in China that baicalin has potential therapeutic effects on inflammatory diseases. However, its anti-inflammatory mechanism has still not been fully interpreted. We aim to investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of baicalin on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation in HBE16 airway epithelial cells and also to explore the underlying signaling mechanisms. The anti-inflammatory action of baicalin was evaluated in human airway epithelial cells HBE16 treated with LPS. Airway epithelial cells HBE16 were pretreated with a range of concentrations of baicalin for 30 min and then stimulated with 10 μg/ml LPS. The secretions of interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in cell culture supernatants were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The messenger RNA (mRNA) expressions of IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α were tested by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (real-time RT-PCR). Furthermore, Western blotting was used to determine whether the signaling pathway NF-κB was involved in the anti-inflammatory action of baicalin. The inflammatory cell model was successfully built with 10 μg/ml LPS for 24 h in our in vitro experiments. Both the secretions and the mRNA expressions of IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α were significantly inhibited by baicalin. Moreover, the expression levels of phospho-IKKα/β and phospho-NF-κB p65 were downregulated, and the phospho-IκB-α level was upregulated by baicalin. These findings suggest that the anti-inflammatory properties of baicalin may be resulted from the inhibition of IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α expression via preventing signaling NF-κB pathway in HBE16 airway epithelial cells. In addition, this study provides evidence to understand the therapeutic effects of baicalin on inflammatory diseases in

UHPLC/Q-TOFMS-based metabolomics for the characterization of cold and hot properties of Chinese materia medica.

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Wang, Yang; Zhou, Shujun; Wang, Meng; Liu, Shuying; Hu, Yuanjia; He, Chengwei; Li, Peng; Wan, Jian-Bo

2016-02-17

The cold/hot property of Chinese materia medica (CMM) and the application of its corresponding knowledge in the diagnosis, differentiation and treatment of diseases have been considered to be the extremely important part of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). As highly abstracted TCM theory, the cold/hot property of CMMs is still not fully understood and remains to be elucidated by systems biology approach. The cold and hot properties of CMM are mainly defined by the response of the body to a given CMM. Metabolomics is a promising systems biology method to profile entire endogenous metabolites and monitor their fluctuations related to an exogenous stimulus. Thus, a metabolomics approach was applied to characterize the cold and hot properties of CMMs. Mice were intragastrically administered three selected cold property CMMs (i.e., Rheum palmatum L., radix et rhizoma; Coptis chinensis Franch, rhizome and Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, radix) and three hot property CMMs (i.e., Cinnamomum cassia (L.) J. Presl, cortex; Zingiber officinale Roscoe, rhizoma and Evodia rutaecarpa (Juss.) Benth., fructus) once daily for one week. The comprehensive metabolome changes in the plasma of mice after treatment with cold or hot property CMMs were characterized by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography/time of flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC/Q-TOF-MS), and the potential biomarkers related to cold and hot properties of CMM were explored. Metabolites perturbation in plasma occurs after treatment with cold CMMs and hot CMMs in mice, and 15 and 16 differential biomarkers were identified to be associated with the cold and hot properties of CMMs, respectively. Among them, LPC (18:0), LPC (18:1), LPC (20:4) and LPC (20:5) showed decreased trends in the cold property CMM treated groups, but increased in the hot property CMM treated groups. There is a strong connection between the cold/hot property of CMMs and lysophosphatidylcholines metabolism. This study offers new insight

An in vitro based investigation of the cytotoxic effect of water extracts of the Chinese herbal remedy LD on cancer cells

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Jones Lucy A

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Long Dan Xie Gan Wan (LD, a Chinese herbal remedy formulation, is traditionally used to treat a range of conditions, including gall bladder diseases, hepatitis, hyperthyroidism, migraines but it is not used for the management or treatment of cancer. However some of its herbal constituents, specifically Radix bupleuri, Radix scutellariae and Rhizoma alismatis have been shown to inhibit the growth of cancer cells. Thus, the aim of the study was to investigate the impact of LD on cancer cells in vitro. Methods HL60 and HT29 cancer cell lines were exposed to water extracts of LD (1:10, 1:50, 1:100 and/or 1:1000 prepared from a 3 mg/30 ml stock and for both cell lines growth, apoptotic induction, alterations in cell cycle characteristics and genotoxicity were investigated. The specificity of the action of LD on these cancer cell lines was also investigated by determining its effect on human peripheral blood lymphocytes. Preliminary chemical analysis was carried out to identify cytotoxic constituents of LD using HPLC and LCMS. Results LD was significantly cytotoxic to, and induced apoptosis in, both cell lines. Apoptotic induction appeared to be cell cycle independent at all concentrations of LD used (1:10, 1:50 and 1:100 for the HL60 cell lines and at 1:10 for the HT29 cell line. At 1:50 and 1:100 apoptotic induction by LD appeared to be cell cycle dependent. LD caused significant genotoxic damage to both cell lines compared to their respective controls. The specificity study showed that LD exerted a moderate cytotoxic action against non-proliferating and proliferating blood lymphocytes but not apoptosis. Chemical analysis showed that a number of fractions were found to exert a significant growth inhibitory effect. However, the molecular weights of compounds within these fractions did not correspond to those from the herbal constituents of LD. Conclusion It is possible that LD may have some chemotherapeutic potential. However

Patient safety incident reports related to traditional Japanese Kampo medicines: medication errors and adverse drug events in a university hospital for a ten-year period.

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Shimada, Yutaka; Fujimoto, Makoto; Nogami, Tatsuya; Watari, Hidetoshi; Kitahara, Hideyuki; Misawa, Hiroki; Kimbara, Yoshiyuki

2017-12-21

Kampo medicine is traditional Japanese medicine, which originated in ancient traditional Chinese medicine, but was introduced and developed uniquely in Japan. Today, Kampo medicines are integrated into the Japanese national health care system. Incident reporting systems are currently being widely used to collect information about patient safety incidents that occur in hospitals. However, no investigations have been conducted regarding patient safety incident reports related to Kampo medicines. The aim of this study was to survey and analyse incident reports related to Kampo medicines in a Japanese university hospital to improve future patient safety. We selected incident reports related to Kampo medicines filed in Toyama University Hospital from May 2007 to April 2017, and investigated them in terms of medication errors and adverse drug events. Out of 21,324 total incident reports filed in the 10-year survey period, we discovered 108 Kampo medicine-related incident reports. However, five cases were redundantly reported; thus, the number of actual incidents was 103. Of those, 99 incidents were classified as medication errors (77 administration errors, 15 dispensing errors, and 7 prescribing errors), and four were adverse drug events, namely Kampo medicine-induced interstitial pneumonia. The Kampo medicine (crude drug) that was thought to induce interstitial pneumonia in all four cases was Scutellariae Radix, which is consistent with past reports. According to the incident severity classification system recommended by the National University Hospital Council of Japan, of the 99 medication errors, 10 incidents were classified as level 0 (an error occurred, but the patient was not affected) and 89 incidents were level 1 (an error occurred that affected the patient, but did not cause harm). Of the four adverse drug events, two incidents were classified as level 2 (patient was transiently harmed, but required no treatment), and two incidents were level 3b (patient was

Mitigation of radiation induced hematopoietic injury via regulation of Nrf-2 and increasing hematopoietic stem cells

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Patwardhan, R.S.; Sharma, Deepak; Checker, Rahul; Santosh Kumar, S.

2014-01-01

Therapeutic doses of ionizing radiation (IR) that can be delivered to tumors are restricted due to radiation induced damage to surrounding normal tissues thereby limiting the effectiveness of radiotherapy. Strategies to develop agents that selectively protect normal cells yielded limited success in the past. There is pressing need to develop safe, syndrome specific and effective radiation countermeasures to prevent or mitigate the harmful consequences of radiation exposure. Survival of bone marrow stem cells (HSCs) play a key role in protecting against IR induced hematopoietic injury. Many studies have shown manipulation of HSC frequency and/or survival as principal mechanism of radioprotection. It is known that, Nrf-2 plays crucial role in HSC survival and maintenance under oxidative stress conditions. In the present study, we have investigated the radioprotective ability of a flavonoid baicalein (5,6,7-trihydroxyflavone), extracted from the root of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, a medicinal plant traditionally used in Oriental medicine. There are numerous reports showing anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, anti-oxidant, anti-cancer, anti-microbial, anti-mutagenic and neuroprotective properties of baicalein. Based on these reports, we have investigated the ability of baicalein to protect against radiation induced hematopoietic injury. Baicalein administration to mice protected against WBI induced mortality. Interestingly, the stem cell frequency increased in bone marrow cells obtained from baicalein administered mice as compared to vehicle treated mice. Baicalein treatment led to increased phospho-Nrf-2 levels in lineage negative BM-MNC. Administration of mice with Nrf-2 inhibitor prior to baicalein treatment led to significant abrogation of radioprotective ability of baicalein. This result suggests that, Nrf-2 may be playing a key role in baicalein mediated radioprotection. Here, we have shown that baicalein administration augments stem cell frequency, induces

Baicalin improves survival in a murine model of polymicrobial sepsis via suppressing inflammatory response and lymphocyte apoptosis.

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Jiali Zhu

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: An imbalance between overwhelming inflammation and lymphocyte apoptosis is the main cause of high mortality in patients with sepsis. Baicalin, the main active ingredient of the Scutellaria root, exerts anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, and even antibacterial properties in inflammatory and infectious diseases. However, the therapeutic effect of baicalin on polymicrobial sepsis remains unknown. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Polymicrobial sepsis was induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP in C57BL/6 mice. Mice were infused with baicalin intraperitoneally at 1 h, 6 h and 12 h after CLP. Survival rates were assessed over the subsequent 8 days. Bacterial burdens in blood and peritoneal cavity were calculated to assess the bacterial clearance. Neutrophil count in peritoneal lavage fluid was also calculated. Injuries to the lung and liver were detected by hematoxylin and eosin staining. Levels of cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha, interleukin (IL-6, IL-10 and IL-17, in blood and peritoneum were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Adaptive immune function was assessed by apoptosis of lymphocytes in the thymus and counts of different cell types in the spleen. Baicalin significantly enhanced bacterial clearance and improved survival of septic mice. The number of neutrophils in peritoneal lavage fluid was reduced by baicalin. Less neutrophil infiltration of the lung and liver in baicalin-treated mice was associated with attenuated injuries to these organs. Baicalin significantly reduced the levels of proinflammatory cytokines but increased the level of anti-inflammatory cytokine in blood and peritoneum. Apoptosis of CD3(+ T cell was inhibited in the thymus. The numbers of CD4(+, CD8(+ T lymphocytes and dendritic cells (DCs were higher, while the number of CD4(+CD25(+ regulatory T cells was lower in the baicalin group compared with the CLP group. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Baicalin improves survival of mice

Combination of active components of Xiexin decoction ameliorates renal fibrosis through the inhibition of NF-κB and TGF-β1/Smad pathways in db/db diabetic mice.

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Jia-Sheng Wu

Full Text Available Xiexin decoction, a herbal therapeutic agent commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine, is recognized for its beneficial effects on diabetic nephropathy exerted through the combined action of multiple components, including Rhizoma Coptidis alkaloids (A, Radix et Rhizoma Rhei polysaccharides (P, and Radix Scutellaria flavones (F. Our previous studies have shown that a combination of A, P, and F (APF exhibits renoprotective effects against diabetic nephropathy. This study was aimed at determining the effects of APF on renal fibrosis in diabetic nephropathy and elucidating the underlying molecular mechanisms. To evaluate the effects of APF, in vivo, db/db diabetic mice were orally administered a low or high dose of APF (300 or 600 mg/kg, respectively once a day for 8 weeks. We evaluated the blood and urine indices of metabolic and renal function, renal tissue histopathology, renal inflammation, and fibrosis. APF treatment significantly ameliorated glucose and lipid metabolism dysfunction, decreased urinary albumin excretion, normalized creatinine clearance, and reduced the morphological changes in renal tissue. Additionally, APF administration in db/db diabetic mice reduced the elevated levels of renal inflammation mediators such as intercellular adhesion molecule-1, monocyte chemotactic protein-1, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β, and active nuclear factor κB (NF-κB. APF treatment also reduced type I and IV collagen, transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1, and TGF-β1 type II receptor expression levels, and decreased the phosphorylation of Smad2/3 in the kidneys of db/db diabetic mice. These results suggest that APF reduces renal fibrosis in diabetic nephropathy through the NF-κB and TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathways. In vitro, APF treatment reduced cell proliferation and protein expression of α-smooth muscle actin, collagen I, TGF-β1 and NF-κB in mesangial cells cultured with high glucose concentrations. Our findings indicate

El cambio psíquico y la innovación tecnológica The psychic change and the technological innovation

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Jorge César Franco

2007-12-01

Full Text Available El problema de la descripción de variables del cambio psíquico en menores embarazadas es un problema inverso (Bunge, 2004, conjeturar a partir de la conducta individual y observar la conducta colectiva del universo investigado, procurando conceptualizar su intención. El equipo relevó datos aplicando cuestionarios, pruebas de personalidad y reuniones grupales. Para la comprensión de los datos se aplicó una base teórica clásica. Su alcance es insuficiente. Se sugiere innovar con nuevas técnicas terapéuticas de mayor potencia de cambio. Resultado disyuntivo: El embarazo es un problema o una solución. Los factores de cambio positivo son: tener en cuenta (1 la evolución del auto concepto y la importancia que las menores le atribuyen, (2 al acompañamiento de los investigadores, que genera (3 estabilidad emocional y da lugar a (4 auto- recategorizaciones cognitivas y (5 promueve mejores decisiones en la pertenencia grupal. Esto produce ganancias y moderan el obstáculo de la ecuación costo-beneficio y sus efectos restrictivos.The problem of the description of psychic change in pregnant minors is an inverse problem (Coleman, 1990, to conjecture starting from individual behavior and observe the collective behavior of the researched universe, attempting to conceptualize its intention. The team revealed data applying questionnaires, personalities tests and group meetings. To comprehend the data, a classic theoretical base was applied, and due to its insufficient range, it has been suggested to innovate integrating new therapeutic techniques of greater change potency. One dilemma: Is pregnancy a problem or a solution? The positive change factors are: to take into consideration (1 the evolution of self concept and the importance that is been attributed to the minors, (2 follow up of the researchers, 83 the emotional stability generated, (4 self cognitive recategorizations and (5 promote better decisions in the peer group. These allows profits

Quantum Theory and Beyond

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Bastin, Ted

2009-07-01

List of participants; Preface; Part I. Introduction: 1. The function of the colloquium - editorial; 2. The conceptual problem of quantum theory from the experimentalist's point of view O. R. Frisch; Part II. Niels Bohr and Complementarity: The Place of the Classical Language: 3. The Copenhagen interpretation C. F. von Weizsäcker; 4. On Bohr's views concerning the quantum theory D. Bohm; Part III. The Measurement Problem: 5. Quantal observation in statistical interpretation H. J. Groenewold; 6. Macroscopic physics, quantum mechanics and quantum theory of measurement G. M. Prosperi; 7. Comment on the Daneri-Loinger-Prosperi quantum theory of measurement Jeffrey Bub; 8. The phenomenology of observation and explanation in quantum theory J. H. M. Whiteman; 9. Measurement theory and complex systems M. A. Garstens; Part IV. New Directions within Quantum Theory: What does the Quantum Theoretical Formalism Really Tell Us?: 10. On the role of hidden variables in the fundamental structure of physics D. Bohm; 11. Beyond what? Discussion: space-time order within existing quantum theory C. W. Kilmister; 12. Definability and measurability in quantum theory Yakir Aharonov and Aage Petersen; 13. The bootstrap idea and the foundations of quantum theory Geoffrey F. Chew; Part V. A Fresh Start?: 14. Angular momentum: an approach to combinatorial space-time Roger Penrose; 15. A note on discreteness, phase space and cohomology theory B. J. Hiley; 16. Cohomology of observations R. H. Atkin; 17. The origin of half-integral spin in a discrete physical space Ted Bastin; Part VI. Philosophical Papers: 18. The unity of physics C. F. von Weizsäcker; 19. A philosophical obstacle to the rise of new theories in microphysics Mario Bunge; 20. The incompleteness of quantum mechanics or the emperor's missing clothes H. R. Post; 21. How does a particle get from A to B?; Ted Bastin; 22. Informational generalization of entropy in physics Jerome Rothstein; 23. Can life explain quantum mechanics? H. H

Par govju vārdiem latviešu valodā

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Daina Zemzare

2011-05-01

Full Text Available ÜBER DIE NAMEN VON KÜHEN IN LETTISCHER SPRACHEZusammenfassungIn der lettischen Sprache haben sich ungewöhnlich viele Namen von Kühen erhalten. Für die ältesten Namen, die seit dem XVIII und XIX Jahrhundert bekannt sind, ist der Auslaut -ala oder -aļa charakteristisch, der noch heute im ganzen Lettland vorkommt. Mit diesem Aus­laut werden Namen gebildet, die eine Eigenart des Tieres kennzeichnet, besonders nach der Fär­bung des Felles (brũnaļa, raībaļa. Früher waren auch Namen verbreitet, die den Tieren nach ih­ren Geburtstagen gegeben wurden. Davon zeigt die große Anzahl von Varianten (uotraļa „am Dienstag geborene Kuh“: uotrala, uotruža, uotaļa, uotuļa, uotava, uortaļa, uorta, uota, uoča usw.. Namen dieser Art sind auch anderen Nachbarsvölkern der Letten bekannt, z. B.: den Liven (teinele „am Dienstag geborenes Tier“, Esten (teisik, Russen (вторёxa, Polen (wtorocha und anderen, außer der Litauer. Zur Bildung der Namen von Kühen wurden auch andere Suffixe verwendet. In der Grenzzone Estlands haben die Letten den estnischen Suffix -ik entlehnt (mel̃lika „schwarze Kuh“, sestika „Name einer am Sonnabend geborenen Kuh“, während die Liven ihrerseits die lettischen Suffix wie -al-, -el- in einigen Namen von Kühen verwendet haben (raìbil',pivàl', lettisch raibaļa, raibele, svētaļa. Im Süden Lettlands stoßt man auf littauische Lehnwörter (puik-aļa, lit. puikùs „schön“.Die Namen der Kühe neuerer Zeit haben wenig Ableitungen. Jetzt gibt man den Kühen gewöhnlich Namen von Flüssen, Orten, Frauen und überhaupt Namen, die mit den Tieren selbst keinen konkreten Zusammenhang haben; die älteren eigenartigen Namen dagegen verfallen allmählich der Vergessenheit.

Discovery of new angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors from medicinal plants to treat hypertension using an in vitro assay

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background and purpose of the study Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors plays a critical role in treating hypertension. The purpose of the present investigation was to evaluate ACE inhibition activity of 50 Iranian medicinal plants using an in vitro assay. Methods The ACE activity was evaluated by determining the hydrolysis rate of substrate, hippuryl-L-histidyl-L-leucine (HHL), using reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). Total phenolic content and antioxidant activity were determined by Folin-Ciocalteu colorimetric method and DPPH radical scavenging assay respectively. Results Six extracts revealed > 50% ACE inhibition activity at 330 μg/ml concentration. They were Berberis integerrima Bunge. (Berberidaceae) (88.2 ± 1.7%), Crataegus microphylla C. Koch (Rosaceae) (80.9 ± 1.3%), Nymphaea alba L. (Nymphaeaceae) (66.3 ± 1.2%), Onopordon acanthium L. (Asteraceae) (80.2 ± 2.0%), Quercus infectoria G. Olivier. (Fagaceae) (93.9 ± 2.5%) and Rubus sp. (Rosaceae) (51.3 ± 1.0%). Q. infectoria possessed the highest total phenolic content with 7410 ± 101 mg gallic acid/100 g dry plant. Antioxidant activity of Q. infectoria (IC50 value 1.7 ± 0.03 μg/ml) was more than that of BHT (IC50 value of 10.3 ± 0.15 μg/ml) and Trolox (IC50 value of 3.2 ± 0.06 μg/ml) as the positive controls. Conclusions In this study, we introduced six medicinal plants with ACE inhibition activity. Despite the high ACE inhibition and antioxidant activity of Q. infectoria, due to its tannin content (tannins interfere in ACE activity), another plant, O. acanthium, which also had high ACE inhibition and antioxidant activity, but contained no tannin, could be utilized in further studies for isolation of active compounds. PMID:24359711

Antidiabetic Effect of Salvianolic Acid A on Diabetic Animal Models via AMPK Activation and Mitochondrial Regulation

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Guifen Qiang

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Background/Aims: Diabetes mellitus (DM characterized by hyperglycemia contributes to macrovascular and microvascular complications. Salvianolic acid A (SalA is a polyphenolic compound isolated from the root of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, which is a traditional Chinese medicine widely used to treat cardiovascular diseases. However, little is known about its antidiabetic effect. Our study aimed to investigate the in vivo and in vitro antidiabetic effect of SalA and the underlying mechanisms. Methods: Alloxan-induced type 1 diabetic mice and high-fat diet (HFD and low-dose streptozotocin (STZ-induced type 2 diabetic rats received SalA treatment. Blood glucose, oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT, 24-h food and water intake were monitored. In vitro, glucose consumption and uptake were measured in HepG2 cells and L6 myotubes. Mitochondrial function was detected in hepatic and skeletal muscle mitochondria. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK and Akt were analyzed by western blot. Results: In both type 1 and type 2 diabetic animals, SalA lowered fasting blood glucose (FBG and fed blood glucose in dose-dependent manner, as well as reduced 24-h food and water intake. In vitro, SalA caused dose-dependent increase in glucose consumption and enhanced glucose uptake. SalA significantly increased ATP production from 10 min to 12 h in HepG2 cells and L6 myotubes. Interestingly, SalA decreased mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP in HepG2 cells. Furthermore, SalA improved hepatic and skeletal muscle mitochondrial function, increased ATP production, and concurrently decreased MMP. In particularly, SalA activated AMPK phosphorylation through Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase β (CaMKKβ/AMPK signaling pathway, independent of liver kinase 1 (LKB1/AMPK pathway. However, SalA didn't show any effect on insulin secretagogue and activation of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Conclusion: SalA exhibits the antidiabetic effects in diabetic animal models through

Fitness Parks: A Comparative Study of the Components of Jakarta-Manila Parks and their Responsiveness to Support Physical Activities

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Fontanoza, Franklin S., Jr.; Navarra, Nappy L.; Engg, D.

2017-10-01

Fitness has become more popular due to the cultural phenomenon that being fit can enhance one’s perception of beauty. The sprouting of various outlets for physical activity such as bodybuilding gyms that cater to weightlifting, outdoor group dance classes, sports camps and cause-oriented marathons can be noticed in numerous parts of the world. But slowly its concept, that being fit is a mere physical representation of beauty, is shifting into a more health-oriented consciousness. Annual reports have shown that coronary heart disease is still in the top rank of the death causes in the world. This information has led more people to protect their health through several lifestyle improvements, with regular exercise being one of these methods to achieve health goals. Its numerous benefits range from the lowering of blood pressure, heightened learning capacity to the improvement of mood. The health-rooted awareness of the need for physical activities to support one’s daily requirement has spread worldwide and has now been recognized by a lot of people. Parks are usually designed with amenities such as playgrounds, pathways and wide open spaces where people from all walks of life convene, interact with each other and do various physical activities. With this in mind, the capacity of parks to host such activities has to be studied to determine which components do people who engage in active healthy lifestyles find highly attractive and usable. An analysis of such could lead to effective space programming of our local neighborhood parks making it more perceptive to the physical needs of the people. Two major sports complexes from South East Asia have been used as case studies to assess the responsiveness of the locals to the amenities offered in each complex to address health goals. The comparison revealed that the Gelora Bung Karno Complex in Jakarta, Indonesia has more activity-oriented amenities and longer operating hours, making it more receptive to meet the

Kinerja Keuangan Daerah dan Hubungan dengan SilPA di Kabupaten Bungo

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H.Izudin H. Izudin

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Budget Revenues and Expenditures should be managed properly and correctly, noted that financial management shall indicator of the success of the viewable area if the area of financial performance have been implemented effectively and efficiently, the impact of the effectiveness and efficiency of lead remaining in Over Budget Calculation known pleased with SiLPA, for the author want to know the district noted that financial performance is connected dengnan Bunge Silpa with the aim of (1 determine the relationship of SiLPA Revenue Bungo Regency period 2001-2010 (2 to determine the relationship Silpa-forming component with the period 2001-2010 SiLPA Bungo district, (3 to determine effectiveness and efficiency of financial management Bungo district in 2001-2010, and (4 to determine whether the effectiveness and efficiency affects the Silpa. Data analysis methods used in this study is the analysis of secondary data from Government Financial Statements consisting of Bungo District Budget Realization report, Balance Sheet, Statement of Cash Flow from Revenue Management Agency Regional Finance and Asset District Bungp years 2001-2010 and data derived from the Regional Planning Board Bungo District. By using the formula analysis korelaisi and regression Karl Person's and the analysis of the ratio obtained (1 The relationship of income of Regional against SiLPA is in the category of very low, low and medium, (2 The relationship components of  SiLPA with SiLPA is in the category of moderate, strong and very strong, (3 The effectiveness of financial management are in the category of effective and very effective., for efficiency is in the category are not efficient, less efficient and reasonably efficient (4 Effect of the effectiveness of 1.419 means SiLPA event of excess revenue will mempengeruhi SiLPA increased by 1.42 percent and the efficiency of minus 0.389 SiLPA mean if there is a reduction / savings will affect the increase in spending of 0

Kinerja Keuangan Daerah dan Hubungan dengan SilPA di Kabupaten Bungo

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H. Izudin

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Budget Revenues and Expenditures should be managed properly and correctly, noted that financial management shall indicator of the success of the viewable area if the area of financial performance have been implemented effectively and efficiently, the impact of the effectiveness and efficiency of lead remaining in Over Budget Calculation known pleased with SiLPA, for the author want to know the district noted that financial performance is connected dengnan Bunge Silpa with the aim of (1 determine the relationship of SiLPA Revenue Bungo Regency period 2001-2010 (2 to determine the relationship Silpa-forming component with the period 2001-2010 SiLPA Bungo district, (3 to determine effectiveness and efficiency of financial management Bungo district in 2001-2010, and (4 to determine whether the effectiveness and efficiency affects the Silpa. Data analysis methods used in this study is the analysis of secondary data from Government Financial Statements consisting of Bungo District Budget Realization report, Balance Sheet, Statement of Cash Flow from Revenue Management Agency Regional Finance and Asset District Bungp years 2001-2010 and data derived from the Regional Planning Board Bungo District. By using the formula analysis korelaisi and regression Karl Person's and the analysis of the ratio obtained (1 The relationship of income of Regional against SiLPA is in the category of very low, low and medium, (2 The relationship components of SiLPA with SiLPA is in the category of moderate, strong and very strong, (3 The effectiveness of financial management are in the category of effective and very effective., for efficiency is in the category are not efficient, less efficient and reasonably efficient (4 Effect of the effectiveness of 1.419 means SiLPA event of excess revenue will mempengeruhi SiLPA increased by 1.42 percent and the efficiency of minus 0.389 SiLPA mean if there is a reduction / savings will affect the increase in spending of 0.39 percent

Effect of Shenkang granules on the progression of chronic renal failure in 5/6 nephrectomized rats

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ZHANG, YU; ZHOU, NAN; WANG, HONGYING; WANG, SICEN; HE, JIANYU

2015-01-01

Shenkang granules (SKGs) are a Chinese herbal medicinal formula, consisting of rhubarb (Rheum palmatum L.), Salvia miltiorrhiza, milkvetch root [Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bunge] and safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.). The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of SKG on chronic renal failure (CRF) in 5/6 nephrectomized (5/6 Nx) rats. The rats were randomly divided into seven groups (n=10 per group) as follows: (i) 5/6 Nx (model group; 2.25 ml/kg/day normal saline); (ii) SKGL (low dose; 5/6 Nx treated with 2 g crude drug/kg/day SKG); (iii) SKGM (moderate dose; 5/6 Nx treated with 4 g crude drug/kg/day SKG); (iv) SKGH (high dose; 5/6 Nx treated with 8 g crude drug/kg/day SKG); (v) benazepril treatment group (5/6 Nx treated with 5 mg/kg/day benazepril); (vi) Shenkang injection (SKI) group (5/6 Nx with 13.3 ml/kg/day SKI); and (vii) sham-operated group (2.25 ml/kg/day normal saline). After 30 days, the levels of microalbumin, total protein, serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen and serum lipid were found to be significantly decreased in the SKGL and SKGM rats, showing histological improvement compared with the untreated 5/6 Nx rats, as determined by hematoxylin and eosin, and Masson's trichrome staining. In addition, SKG was found to significantly improve the levels of glutathione peroxidase and reduce the damage caused by free radicals to the kidney tissues. Furthermore, SKG prevented the accumulation of extracellular matrix by decreasing the expression of collagen I and III and inhibiting the expression of matrix metalloproteinases-2 and −9 in the renal tissue, as determined by western blot analysis. SKG was also shown to decrease the concentrations of serum transforming growth factor-β1, as determined by ELISA, and kidney angiotensin II, as determined using a radioimmunoassay kit. In conclusion, SKG was demonstrated to ameliorate renal injury in a 5/6 Nx rat model of CRF. Thus, SKG may exert a good therapeutic effect on CRF. PMID:26136932

Development of population geography from antropogeography to spatial-analitical approach

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Spasovski Milena

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Population geography is a subdiscipline of Human geography and studies the distribution, concentration and density of population over the terestrial surface, as well as differences in population size, changes and characteristics, like structures, migrations, activity etc, among some places present compared to others. Population geography has had a perscientific stage as long as human history. First modern scientific treatis of population in geography was the F. Ratzels book Antropogeography in 1882. During the first half of the XX century, French geographer Vidal de la Blanche gave a capital importance of population studies in his work Principes de Geographie Humaine. In interwar years, various aspects of population were studied. After The Second World War started the renovating movement of geography and new tendencies appear in human geography and, consequently in population geography. Attempts were made to define population geography as a separate sub-discipline. The world wide trend of treating population geography as separate discipline was expressed by publishing monographs, bibliographies and textbooks. The most significant authors who worked on defining population geography were French geographers P. George (1951, 1959, Beaujen-Garnier (1965, 1966; North-american geographers: G. Trewarta (1953, 1969, W. Bunge (1962, J. Clance (1965, 1971, W. Zelinski (1966; in Great Britain: J.I. Clarke (1965; in USSR: Ju.G. Sauškin i D.N. Anučin (1950, V.V. Pokšiševskij (1966, D.I. Valentej (1973; in Poland V. Ormotski (1931, L. Kosinski (1967 A. Jagelski (1980. Those authors and their works had the significant influence on the development of population science in the world and also in Serbia. Although the development of population geography was different in different countries and scientific research centers, we can clearly defined four stages. First stage lasted untill 1960s and was characterised by works of G.Trewarta, H. Doerres Ju.G. Sauškin, D

The availability and economic analyses of using marginal land for bioenergy production in China

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Yuqi, Chen; Xudong, Guo; Chunyan, Lv

2017-04-01

In recent years, China has witnessed rapid increase in the dependence of foreign oil import. In 2015, the primary energy consumption of China is 543 million tons, of which 328 million tons was imported. The total amount of imported foreign oil increased from 49.8% in 2008 to 60.41% in 2016. To address the national energy security and GHG emission reduction, China has made considerable progress in expanding renewable energy portfolio, especially liquid biofuels. However, under the pressure of high population and vulnerable food security, China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) ruled that bioenergy is only allowed to be produced using non-cereal feedstock. In addition, the energy crops can only be planted on marginal land, which is the land not suitable for growing field crops due to edaphic and/or climatic limitations, and other environmental risks. Although there have been a number of studies about estimating the marginal land for energy plants' cultivation in China, as to the different definition of marginal land and land use data, the results are quite different. Furthermore, even if there is enough marginal land suitable for energy plants' cultivation, economic viability of cultivating energy plants on marginal land is critical. In order to analyze the availability and economic analyses of the marginal land for bioenergy production strategy, firstly, by using of the latest and most authoritative land use data, this study focused on the assessment of marginal land resources and bioenergy potential by planting five species of energy plants including Cassava, Jatropha curcas, Helianthus tuberous L, Pistacia chinensis, Xanthoceras sorbifolia Bunge. The results indicate that there are 289.71 million ha marginal land can be used for these five energy plants' cultivation, which can produce 24.45 million tons bioethanol and 8.77 million tons of biodiesel. Secondly, based on field survey data and literature reviews, we found that, from the farmers

Chronic Supplementation of Paeonol Combined with Danshensu for the Improvement of Vascular Reactivity in the Cerebral Basilar Artery of Diabetic Rats

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Hu, Jing; Li, Ya-Ling; Li, Zi-Lin; Li, Hua; Zhou, Xuan-Xuan; Qiu, Peng-Cheng; Yang, Qian; Wang, Si-Wang

2012-01-01

One of the leading causes of death in the world is cerebrovascular disease. Numerous Chinese traditional medicines, such as Cortex Moutan (root bark of Paeonia suffruticosa Andrew) and Radix Salviae miltiorrhizae (root and rhizome of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge), protect against cerebrovascular diseases and exhibit anti-atherosclerotic effects. Traditional medicines have been routinely used for a long time in China. In addition, these two herbs are prescribed together in clinical practice. Therefore, the pharmacodynamic interactions between the active constituents of these two herbs, which are paeonol (Pae) and danshensu (DSS), should be particularly studied. The study of Pae and DSS can provide substantial foundations in understanding their mechanisms and empirical evidence to support clinical practice. This study investigated the effects and possible mechanisms of the pharmacodynamic interaction between Pae and DSS on cerebrovascular malfunctioning in diabetes. Experimental diabetes was induced in rats, which was then treated with Pae, DSS, and Pae + DSS for eight weeks. Afterward, cerebral arteries from all groups were isolated and equilibrated in an organ bath with Krebs buffer and ring tension. Effects of Pae, DSS, and Pae + DSS were observed on vessel relaxation with or without endothelium as well as on the basal tonus of vessels from normal and diabetic rats. Indexes about oxidative stress were also determined. We report that the cerebral arteries from diabetic rats show decreased vascular reactivity to acetylcholine (ACh) which was corrected in Pae, DSS, and Pae + DSS treated groups. Furthermore, phenylephrine (PE)-induced contraction response decreased in the treated groups. Phenylephrine and CaCl2-induced vasoconstrictions are partially inhibited in the three treated groups under Ca2+-free medium. Pre-incubated with tetraethylammonium, a non-selective K+ channel blocker, the antagonized relaxation responses increased in DSS and Pae + DSS treated diabetic

Tanshinol ameliorates CCl4-induced liver fibrosis in rats through the regulation of Nrf2/HO-1 and NF-κB/IκBα signaling pathway

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Wang R

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Rong Wang,* Jing Wang,* Fuxing Song, Shengnan Li, Yongfang Yuan Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai 9th People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China *These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: Tanshinol, a water-soluble component isolated from Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, has a variety of biological activities involving anti-fibrotic effect. However, the exact role and the underlying mechanisms remain largely unclear. This study mainly focused on the anti-hepatic fibrotic activities and mechanisms of tanshinol on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4-induced liver fibrosis in rats via anti-oxidative and anti-inflammation pathways. The rats were divided into 4 groups as follows: control, model, tanshinol 20 mg/kg, and tanshinol 40 mg/kg. Except for the control group, CCl4 was used to induce liver fibrosis processing for 8 weeks, meanwhile rats in tanshinol groups were intraperitoneally injected with additional tanshinol. Control group simultaneously received the same volumes of olive oil and saline. The potentially protective effect and mechanisms of tanshinol on liver fibrosis in rats were evaluated. The serum levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and total bilirubin were obviously lower in the tanshinol treatment groups related to model group. Compared with the model group, the levels of hyaluronic acid, type IV collagen, Laminin (LN, and procollagen III peptide (PIIIP in serum were significantly decreased after tanshinol treatment. Furthermore, tanshinol could regulate Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway and increase the level of superoxide dismutase (SOD and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px, and also decrease the level of malondialdehyde (MDA to against damage induced by oxidative stress. Simultaneously tanshinol could regulate nuclear factor kappa B signaling pathway to inhibit expression of inflammation factors, including transforming growth factor-β, tumor necrosis factor-α, Cox-2

[Mining analysis and experience summary for chronic atrophic gastritis cases treated by Professor LIU Feng-bin].

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Hou, Zheng-kun; Liu, Feng-bin; Li, Pei-wu; Zhuang, Kun-hai

2015-06-01

, moodiness and weak constitution; the pathogenesis of CAG was spleen deficiency with qi stagnation, heat depression and blood stasis in the stomach meridian. The above six syndrome types and 12 herbs were determined, including Pseudostellariae Radix, Poria, Atractylodismacrocephalae Rhizoma, Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Fritillariae Thunbergii Bulbus, Sepiae Endoconcha, Arecae Pericarpium, Aurantii Fructus, Perillae Caulis, Herba Hedyotis Diffusae, Scutellariae Barbatae Herba, Curcumae Rhizoma. This study summarized Professor LIU Feng-bin's clinical experience and theoretical thoughts of chronic atrophic gastritis based on clinical practice data and expert interview, with a rigorous design and good scientificity and practicability.

Nanoemulsion improves the oral bioavailability of baicalin in rats: in vitro and in vivo evaluation

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Zhao L

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Ling Zhao,1,2 Yumeng Wei,1,2 Yu Huang,1 Bing He,2 Yang Zhou,1 Junjiang Fu31Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Luzhou Medical College, Luzhou City, Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China; 2Drug and Functional Food Research Center, Luzhou Medical College, Luzhou City, Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China; 3The Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Luzhou Medical College, Luzhou City, Sichuan Province, People's Republic of ChinaAbstract: Baicalin is one of the main bioactive flavone glucuronides derived as a medicinal herb from the dried roots of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, and it is widely used for the treatment of fever, inflammation, and other conditions. Due to baicalin's poor solubility in water, its absolute bioavailability after oral administration is only 2.2%. The objective of this study was to develop a novel baicalin-loaded nanoemulsion to improve the oral bioavailability of baicalin. Based on the result of pseudoternary phase diagram, the nanoemulsion formulation consisting of soy-lecithin, tween-80, polyethylene glycol 400, isopropyl myristate, and water (1:2:1.5:3.75:8.25, w/w was selected for further study. Baicalin-loaded nanoemulsions (BAN-1 and BAN-2 were prepared by internal or external drug addition and in vivo and in vitro evaluations were performed. The results showed that the mean droplet size, polydispersity index, and drug content of BAN-1 and BAN-2 were 91.2 ± 2.36 nm and 89.7 ± 3.05 nm, 0.313 ± 0.002 and 0.265 ± 0.001, and 98.56% ± 0.79% and 99.40% ± 0.51%, respectively. Transmission electron microscopy revealed spherical globules and confirmed droplet size analysis. After dilution 30-fold with water, the solubilization capacity of BAN-1 and BAN-2 did not change. In vitro release results showed sustained-release characteristics. BAN-1 formulation was stable for at least 6 months and was more stable than BAN-2. In rats, the area under the plasma drug concentration

Studies on inhibitory effect of Baicalein on MCF-7 Cells and its mechanism of action

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gandhi, N.M.

2013-01-01

Acute toxicity to the normal cells from the conventional chemotherapeutic drugs has been one of the stumbling blocks for effective therapy. Further, increased acidity and hypoxia in solid tumour decreases the therapeutic effectiveness of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The transcriptional response to cellular hypoxia is primarily mediated by the transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1). Thus, controlling HIF-1 could be an attractive target for cancer therapy. In view of the above considerations studies were undertaken to identify the phytoceutical which can be effective for cancer therapy. One of the phytoceutical being studied is Saicalein (BA), a compound extracted from the root of Scutellaria boicalensis, which is an active flavonoid extensively used in traditional Chinese medicine. In the present study the effects of BA on toxicity to the MCF-7 line was tested. MCF-7 cells when treated with BA exhibited concentration dependent toxicity. MCF-7 cells when treated with BA at the concentration of 50 μM, 50% cells lost viability. Further, it was shown that BA radio-sensitize the MCF-7 cells in vitro, as tested by LDH leakage assay. Radiation (4 Gy) alone did not show marked LDH leakage, however post radiation exposure treatment with BA (50 μM) of MCF-7 cells resulted in increased LDH leakage. In vitro wound healing assay was performed - which is the test for cell migration and cell proliferation. BA inhibited the wound closure by 97%. Overall the results demonstrate the anticancer potential of BA. In order to determine the effect of BA on transcription activation by HIF-1, a cell-based reporter assay for HIF-1 functional antagonist in MCF-7 cells was established. A luciferase reporter gene under the control of HRE from the erythropoietin gene (pTK-HRE3-luc) was employed to monitor HIF-1 activity. MCF-7 cells were transiently transfected with aforementioned plasmid followed by growing them in the presence of CoCl 2 , (hypoxia mimetic agent) and under

Baicalin inhibits biofilm formation, attenuates the quorum sensing-controlled virulence and enhances Pseudomonas aeruginosa clearance in a mouse peritoneal implant infection model.

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Jing Luo

Full Text Available The quorum sensing (QS circuit plays a role in the precise regulation of genes controlling virulence factors and biofilm formation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. QS-controlled biofilm formation by Pseudomonas aeruginosa in clinical settings has remained controversial due to emerging drug resistance; therefore, screening diverse compounds for anti-biofilm or anti-QS activities is important. This study demonstrates the ability of sub-minimum inhibitory concentrations (sub-MICs of baicalin, an active natural compound extracted from the traditional Chinese medicinal Scutellaria baicalensis, to inhibit the formation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms and enhance the bactericidal effects of various conventional antibiotics in vitro. In addition, baicalin exerted dose-dependent inhibitory effects on virulence phenotypes (LasA protease, LasB elastase, pyocyanin, rhamnolipid, motilities and exotoxin A regulated by QS in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Moreover, the expression levels of QS-regulatory genes, including lasI, lasR, rhlI, rhlR, pqsR and pqsA, were repressed after sub-MIC baicalin treatment, resulting in significant decreases in the QS signaling molecules 3-oxo-C12-HSL and C4-HSL, confirming the ability of baicalin-mediated QS inhibition to alter gene and protein expression. In vivo experiments indicated that baicalin treatment reduces Pseudomonas aeruginosa pathogenicity in Caenorhabditis elegans. Greater worm survival in the baicalin-treated group manifested as an increase in the LT50 from 24 to 96 h. In a mouse peritoneal implant infection model, baicalin treatment enhanced the clearance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from the implants of mice infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa compared with the control group. Moreover, the combination of baicalin and antibiotics significantly reduced the numbers of colony-forming units in the implants to a significantly greater degree than antibiotic treatment alone. Pathological and histological analyses revealed

Le matérialisme scientifique

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Meunier, Jean-François

2004-03-01

De nos jours, il arrive quotidiennement aux grands hommes d'avoir à fréquenter d'ignorants mortels épris d'une conviction maladive que la science est la grande responsable de tous les maux du monde. Évidemment sans physique atomique, il n'y aurait pas eu d'Hiroshima et sans révolution industrielle, pas de pollution et etc. Cependant, ces accusations envers le progrès technique sont tout à fait injustes, irréfléchies et, j'irai même jusqu'à dire, irresponsables, puisque le calcul, i.e. la planification, même la plus élémentaire, est ce qui caractérise le mieux, pragmatiquement, la société humaine. À mon avis, les problèmes sociaux tireraient plutôt leur origine de sciences sociales irréalistes, qui, concrètment, inspireraient ou serviraient d'alibis à ceux qui détiennent véritablement le pouvoir. Dans cet article, je tenterai donc de démontrer la meilleure véracité et efficacité du matérialisme scientifique. Cette doctrine, dont Mario Bunge est le plus illustre représentant, s'appuy sur les résultats théoriques et expérimentaux des sciences factuelles ainsi que sur l'exactitude logique des mathématiques, utilisées ici comme langage universel de l'expression des idées. Cette conception philosophique qui s'inspire principalement du modèle des théories physiques, stipule que les réalités sociales sont, comme tout autre réalité, matérielles, mathématisables et représentables comme des systèmes en interaction. En fait, le modèle des physiciens ayant historiquement fait ses preuves en matière de testabilité et de cohérence interne est proposé d'être appliquer aux sciences sociales, aujourd'hui scindées des sciences dites pures sous l'inspiration des pseudo penseurs néo-kantiens, phénoménologiques et post-moderne. Cette nouvelle approche permettrait ainsi d'évoluer plus exactement vers une compréhension des bases sociales et biologiques du comportement humain afin de développer une éthique sans cesse plus r

From vagueness in medical thought to the foundations of fuzzy reasoning in medical diagnosis.

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Seising, Rudolf

2006-11-01

This article delineates a relatively unknown path in the history of medical philosophy and medical diagnosis. It is concerned with the phenomenon of vagueness in the physician's "style of thinking" and with the use of fuzzy sets, systems, and relations with a view to create a model of such reasoning when physicians make a diagnosis. It represents specific features of medical ways of thinking that were mentioned by the Polish physician and philosopher Ludwik Fleck in 1926. The paper links Lotfi Zadeh's work on system theory before the age of fuzzy sets with system-theory concepts in medical philosophy that were introduced by the philosopher Mario Bunge, and with the fuzzy-theoretical analysis of the notions of health, illness, and disease by the Iranian-German physician and philosopher Kazem Sadegh-Zadeh. Some proposals to apply fuzzy sets in medicine were based on a suggestion made by Zadeh: symptoms and diseases are fuzzy in nature and fuzzy sets are feasible to represent these entity classes of medical knowledge. Yet other attempts to use fuzzy sets in medicine were self-contained. The use of this approach contributed to medical decision-making and the development of computer-assisted diagnosis in medicine. With regard to medical philosophy, decision-making, and diagnosis; the framework of fuzzy sets, systems, and relations is very useful to deal with the absence of sharp boundaries of the sets of symptoms, diagnoses, and phenomena of diseases. The foundations of reasoning and computer assistance in medicine were the result of a rapid accumulation of data from medical research. This explosion of knowledge in medicine gave rise to the speculation that computers could be used for the medical diagnosis. Medicine became, to a certain extent, a quantitative science. In the second half of the 20th century medical knowledge started to be stored in computer systems. To assist physicians in medical decision-making and patient care, medical expert systems using the theory

Ethnomedicinal uses of plants in the treatment of paediatric geohelminth infections in Kalat district of Northern Balochistan, Pakistan.

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Bibi, Tahira; Ahmad, Mushtaq; Edwards, Sarah E; Tareen, Niaz Mohammad; Jabeen, Rukhsana; Abdullah, Irum

2016-05-13

Infection by intestinal parasitic worms (soil-transmitted helminths or geohelminths) is prevalent in many parts of the world, and poses a particular health risk to children. This paper presents findings from a preliminary study with the primary aim to document indigenous knowledge about the use of herbal medicines in the treatment of intestinal worm infections in children among the local communities of Kalat district of northern Balochistan, Pakistan. Ethnomedicinal data were collected through a triangulation approach, that included participant-observation and rapid appraisal methods. Prior-informed consent (PIC) was obtained from participants before conducting structured and semi-structured interviews and delivering an open ended questionnaire. A total of 94 participants, including 28 men (of whom 7 were traditional healers), and 66 women of four different age groups were interviewed. Results were analyzed using quantitative indices of Use Value citations (UVC) and Disease-Consensus Index (DCI). Fewer men than women agreed to be interviewed, thus overall women in the area appeared to have more ethnomedicinal knowledge. The majority of study participants belonged to the older age group (>55 years). A total of 49 plant species, belonging to 47 genera, distributed in 30 families were reported. The families Asteraceae and Lamiaceae were most frequently represented, with four species each. Trees were the most common life form, with seeds the most frequently cited plant part used (29%). Nearly a third (31%) of plant-based remedies reported in the treatment of intestinal worms were administered as a decoction. The highest UVC and DCI was reported for the species Ferula assa-foetida sL. (UVC 0.51, DCI 0.46). This study provides previously unreported data on the use of medicinal plants in the treatment of geohelminth infections in children of Kalat. Eight species, Acacia modesta Wall., Asparagus capitatus Baker, Microcephala lamellata (Bunge) Pobed., Nepeta praetervisa

A Lightweight, High-performance I/O Management Package for Data-intensive Computing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Jun

2011-06-22

Our group has been working with ANL collaborators on the topic bridging the gap between parallel file system and local file system during the course of this project period. We visited Argonne National Lab -- Dr. Robert Ross's group for one week in the past summer 2007. We looked over our current project progress and planned the activities for the incoming years 2008-09. The PI met Dr. Robert Ross several times such as HEC FSIO workshop 08, SC08 and SC10. We explored the opportunities to develop a production system by leveraging our current prototype to (SOGP+PVFS) a new PVFS version. We delivered SOGP+PVFS codes to ANL PVFS2 group in 2008.We also talked about exploring a potential project on developing new parallel programming models and runtime systems for data-intensive scalable computing (DISC). The methodology is to evolve MPI towards DISC by incorporating some functions of Google MapReduce parallel programming model. More recently, we are together exploring how to leverage existing works to perform (1) coordination/aggregation of local I/O operations prior to movement over the WAN, (2) efficient bulk data movement over the WAN, (3) latency hiding techniques for latency-intensive operations. Since 2009, we start applying Hadoop/MapReduce to some HEC applications with LANL scientists John Bent and Salman Habib. Another on-going work is to improve checkpoint performance at I/O forwarding Layer for the Road Runner super computer with James Nuetz and Gary Gridder at LANL. Two senior undergraduates from our research group did summer internships about high-performance file and storage system projects in LANL since 2008 for consecutive three years. Both of them are now pursuing Ph.D. degree in our group and will be 4th year in the PhD program in Fall 2011 and go to LANL to advance two above-mentioned works during this winter break. Since 2009, we have been collaborating with several computer scientists (Gary Grider, John bent, Parks Fields, James Nunez, Hsing-Bung

Uma análise sistêmica sociotecnológica da engenharia de requisitosA systemic, sociotechnological analysis of requirements engineering

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Vinícius Medina Kern

2010-01-01

Full Text Available A engenharia de requisitos, etapa inicial da construção de sistemas de informação, requer intenso intercâmbio de informação entre profissionais de tecnologias da informação e comunicação, e peritos no negócio. A teoria e a prática comum da engenharia de requisitos, no entanto, são tecnocêntricas e caracterizadas por dificuldade de comunicação. A literatura recente aborda a concepção de sistemas sociotecnológicos, cujas propriedades emergem por meio da colaboração dinâmica entre pessoas e agentes artificiais. Este artigo apresenta um modelo sistêmico sociotecnológico da engenharia de requisitos com base no modelo CESM de Mario Bunge, segundo o qual todo sistema concreto pode ser representado segundo seus componentes, ambiente, estrutura e mecanismo. Entre os componentes, estão os peritos no negócio, profissionais de TIC, agentes artificiais e os objetos da colaboração dinâmica – modelo de domínio e requisitos. O mecanismo é essencialmente um processo de comunicação, com intercâmbio de informações e compartilhamento de conhecimento. Essa descrição presta-se à compreensão sistêmica da engenharia de requisitos, visando à intervenção para aliviar os problemas comunicacionais do processo e promover a emergência de requisitos que representem as reais necessidades do sistema. Requirements engineering, the initial stage in the building of information systems, requires intense exchange of information among professionals of information and communication technologies and business experts. The current theory and practice of requirements engineering, however, are technocentric and characterized by blocked communication. Recent literature discusses the idea of sociotechnological systems, whose properties emerge through the dynamic collaboration among individuals and artificial agents. This article presents a systemic view of requirements engineering based on Mario Bunge’s CESM model, under which any concrete

Ethnobotanical study on medicinal plants in villages of Çatak (Van-Turkey).

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Mükemre, Muzaffer; Behçet, Lütfi; Çakılcıoğlu, Uğur

2015-05-26

This paper provides significant ethnobotanical information on medicinal plants in the villages of Çatak in the Eastern Anatolia Region. Recording such data calls for urgency. This is the first ethnobotanical study in which statistical calculations about plants are carried out by means of FIC method in Eastern (Van) part of Turkey. This study aims to identify the wild plants collected for medicinal purposes by locals of Çatak which is located in the Eastern Anatolia Region of Turkey, and to identify the uses and local names of these wild plants. A field study had been carried out for a period of approximately 2 years (2010-2012). During this period, 78 plants taxa were collected. Demographic characteristics of participants, names of the local plants, their utilized parts and preparation methods were investigated and recorded. The plant taxa were collected within the scope of the study; and herbarium materials were prepared. In addition, the relative significance value of the taxa was determined, and informant consensus factor (FIC) was calculated for the medicinal plants included in the study. We have found out in the literature review of the plants included in our study that 78 plant taxa are already used for medicinal purposes while 19 plants are not available among the records in the literature. The most common families are Asteraceae, Apiaceae, Lamiaceae, Rosaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Fabaceae, and Malvaceae. We include in our study and report for the first time the medicinal uses of Alchemilla buseriana Rothm., Astragalus longifolius Lam., Cephalaria microcephala Boiss., Euphorbia grisophylla M.S. Khan, Fritillaria crassifolia Boiss. & Huet. subsp. kurdica (Boiss. & Noe) Rix, Fritillaria pinardii Boiss., Malabaila lasiocarpa Boiss., Nepeta betonicifolia C.A. Mey., Onobrychis altissima Grossh., Onobrychis carduchorum C.C. Townsend, Papaver bracteatum Lindl., Phlomis tuberosa L., Psephellus karduchorum (Boiss.) Wagenitz, Scutellaria orientalis L. subsp. pichleri

El método científico en las ciencias de la salud

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Wilson Cañón-Montañez

2011-12-01

Full Text Available A lo largo de la historia, el hombre se ha enfrentado a un sin número de obstáculos y problemas para aumentar los conocimientos y descubrir los secretos, realidades y desafíos del mundo que lo rodea. Para superar esas dificultades ha empleado diversas estrategias, las cuales dieron paso a la formalización de procedimientos que, en última instancia, no son sino el propio método científico. Este conjunto de conocimientos que las personas tienen sobre el mundo, así como la actividad humana destinada a conseguirlos, es lo que se denomina ciencia. No obstante el título de ciencia no puede aplicarse a cualquier conocimiento, sino únicamente a los saberes que han sido obtenidos mediante una metodología y que cumplen determinadas condiciones. De igual manera, como destaca Shulman (1986 citado por Marques, "el conocimiento no crece de forma natural e inexorable. Crece por las investigaciones de los estudiosos (empíricos, teóricos, prácticos y es por tanto una función de los tipos de preguntas formuladas, problemas planteados y cuestiones estructuradas por aquellos que investigan".Un buen científico es como un gran detective, que tiene olfato para lo que quiere encontrar. Puede decirse entonces que la investigación es seguir la pista; buscar o averiguar siguiendo algún rastro. Es toda actividad humana orientada a descubrir algo desconocido. Tiene su origen en la curiosidad innata del hombre. La investigación científica es la actividad que produce la ciencia y como tal, su fuente. El método científico es el procedimiento o forma de actuación empleado o seguido de la investigación científica. El mundo esta dominado por la ciencia y la técnica. La investigación científica es el motor que sostiene e impulsa a las dos.Bunge (1981 en su libro: la ciencia su método y filosofía nos dice que "el hombre a través de la investigación científica realiza una reconstrucción conceptual del mundo en el que vive y que este proceso lo

Feedback-Training für Lehrärzte in der Allgemeinmedizin [Feedback training for general practitioners involved in teaching

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Engeser, Peter

2010-02-01

niedergelassenen Lehrärzte.Methoden: Es wurde ein vierstündiges Feedbacktrainingsprogramm mit standardisierten Rollenspielen für Lehrärzte in der Allgemeinmedizin entwickelt und in einem Pilotversuch umgesetzt. Mittels eines Evaluationsbogens wurde eine Selbsteinschätzung der Teilnehmer im Feedback durch einen Vorher-Nachher-Vergleich erfasst (Bekanntheit von Feedbackregeln, Vorbereitung auf Gesprächssituationen mit PJ-Studierenden, Verbesserungsmöglichkeiten der kommunikativen Fähigkeiten im Arzt-Patienten-Gespräch.Ergebnisse: 16 allgemeinmedizinisch tätige Ärztinnen und Ärzte, in PJ involviert bzw. daran interessiert, nahmen an dem Feedbacktraining teil. Die Teilnehmer waren ihrer eigenen Einschätzung folgend nach dem Training vertrauter mit formativem Feedback, ebenso im Umgang mit den eigenen kommunikativen Fertigkeiten. Das Selbstvertrauen in das eigene Feedback verbesserte sich vor allem durch die Selbsterfahrung in der studentischen Rolle. Die Kommunikationsübung zwischen einem Standardisierten Patienten und einem uneinsichtigen Standardisierten Studenten wurde als besondere Herausforderung, aber auch als sehr nützlich im Rahmen des Trainings angesehen.Schlussfolgerung: Die Rückmeldungen der allgemeinmedizinisch tätigen Teilnehmer zum Feedbacktraining bestätigen unseren Ansatz. Wir empfehlen daher die Integration eines solchen Feedbacktrainings in die Ausbildung von Lehrärzten im Fach Allgemeinmedizin.

Evaluating The Global Inventory of Planetary Analog Environments on Earth: An Ontological Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Conrad, P. G.

2010-12-01

fundamental attributes may no longer exist and have to be reconstructed. In the case of Earth analogs for Mars, there are important distinctions that cannot be duplicated in contemporary Earth environments—we cannot produce the same surface conditions with respect to thermal fluctuation, ionizing radiation and extremely oxidizing chemistry. Mars analogs on Earth: We have studied the habitability of several desert environments on Earth by measuring their chemical, physical and biological features. These locations, which include Battleship Promontory in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica; several sites in Svalbard, the arctic; the Imperial Dunes in southern California and Amboy Crater in the Mojave Desert, CA, form the basis for a trial ontology of analog environments which have varying degrees of analogy to potential environments of interest on Mars for exploration of its habitability potential. We present a trial taxonomy for Mars analog environments to which we can add the attributes of other environments advocated as Earth analogs for Mars. References: [1] Bunge,M.,Treatise on Basic Philosophy: Ontology I, The Furniture of the World, Reidel, 1977. [2] Gruber, T. R., (1993). Knowledge Acquisition, 5(2):199-220.

European Society for Swallowing Disorders – European Union Geriatric Medicine Society white paper: oropharyngeal dysphagia as a geriatric syndrome

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Baijens LW

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Laura WJ Baijens,1 Pere Clavé,2,3 Patrick Cras,4 Olle Ekberg,5 Alexandre Forster,6 Gerald F Kolb,7 Jean-Claude Leners,8 Stefano Masiero,9 Jesús Mateos-Nozal,10 Omar Ortega,2,3 David G Smithard,11 Renée Speyer,12 Margaret Walshe13 1Department of Otorhinolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands; 2Gastrointestinal Physiology Laboratory, Department of Surgery, Hospital of Mataró, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Mataró, 3CIBERehd, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Barcelona, Spain; 4Department of Neurology, Antwerp University Hospital, University of Antwerp, Born Bunge Institute, Edegem, Belgium; 5Department of Translational Medicine, Division of Medical Radiology, Skåne University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden; 6Clinique Bois-Bougy, Nyon, Switzerland; 7Department of Geriatrics and Physical Medicine, Bonifatius Hospital, Lingen, Germany; 8Long Term Care and Hospice, Ettelbruck, Luxembourg; 9Rehabilitation Unit, Department of Neuroscience, University of Padua, Padova, Italy; 10Department of Geriatric Medicine, Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain; 11Clinical Gerontology, Princess Royal University Hospital, King’s College Hospital Foundation Trust, London, UK; 12College of Healthcare Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia; 13Department of Clinical Speech and Language Studies, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland Abstract: This position document has been developed by the Dysphagia Working Group, a committee of members from the European Society for Swallowing Disorders and the European Union Geriatric Medicine Society, and invited experts. It consists of 12 sections that cover all aspects of clinical management of oropharyngeal dysphagia (OD related to geriatric medicine and discusses prevalence, quality of life, and legal and ethical issues, as well as health economics and social burden. OD constitutes impaired or uncomfortable transit of food or liquids

Sharing competences in strategic alliances: a case study of the Cosan and Shell biofuel venture

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Luciana Florêncio de Almeida

2013-06-01

Full Text Available In a competitive world, the way a firm establishes its organizational arrangements may determine the enhancement of its core competences and the possibility of reaching new markets. Firms that find their skills to be applicable in just one type of market encounter constraints in expanding their markets, and through alliances may find a competitive form of value capture. Hybrid forms of organization appear primarily as an alternative to capturing value and managing joint assets when the market and hierarchy modes do not present any yields for the firm's competitiveness. As a result, this form may present other challenging issues, such as the allocation of rights and principal-agent problems. The biofuel market has presented a strong pattern of changes over the last 10 years. New intra-firm arrangements have appeared as a path to participate or survive among global competition. Given the need for capital to achieve better results, there has been a consistent movement of mergers and acquisitions in the Biofuel sector, especially since the 2008 financial crisis. In 2011 there were five major groups in Brazil with a grinding capacity of more than 15 million tons per year: Raízen (joint venture formed by Cosan and Shell, Louis Dreyfus, Tereos Petrobras, ETH, and Bunge. Major oil companies have implemented the strategy of diversification as a hedge against the rising cost of oil. Using the alliance of Cosan and Shell in the Brazilian biofuel market as a case study, this paper analyses the governance mode and challenging issues raised by strategic alliances when firms aim to reach new markets through the sharing of core competences with local firms. The article is based on documentary research and interviews with Cosan's Investor Relations staff, and examines the main questions involving hybrid forms through the lens of the Transaction Cost Economics (TCE, Agency Theory, Resource Based View (RBV, and dynamic capabilities theoretical approaches. One

Sharing competences in strategic alliances: a case study of the Cosan and Shell biofuel venture Competencias compartidas en alianzas estratégicas: un estudio de la asociación entre Cosan y Shell en el mercado de biocombustibles Competências compartilhadas em alianças estratégicas: um estudo da aliança Cosan e Shell no mercado de biocombustíveis

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Luciana Florêncio de Almeida

2013-06-01

Full Text Available In a competitive world, the way a firm establishes its organizational arrangements may determine the enhancement of its core competences and the possibility of reaching new markets. Firms that find their skills to be applicable in just one type of market encounter constraints in expanding their markets, and through alliances may find a competitive form of value capture. Hybrid forms of organization appear primarily as an alternative to capturing value and managing joint assets when the market and hierarchy modes do not present any yields for the firm's competitiveness. As a result, this form may present other challenging issues, such as the allocation of rights and principal-agent problems. The biofuel market has presented a strong pattern of changes over the last 10 years. New intra-firm arrangements have appeared as a path to participate or survive among global competition. Given the need for capital to achieve better results, there has been a consistent movement of mergers and acquisitions in the Biofuel sector, especially since the 2008 financial crisis. In 2011 there were five major groups in Brazil with a grinding capacity of more than 15 million tons per year: Raízen (joint venture formed by Cosan and Shell, Louis Dreyfus, Tereos Petrobras, ETH, and Bunge. Major oil companies have implemented the strategy of diversification as a hedge against the rising cost of oil. Using the alliance of Cosan and Shell in the Brazilian biofuel market as a case study, this paper analyses the governance mode and challenging issues raised by strategic alliances when firms aim to reach new markets through the sharing of core competences with local firms. The article is based on documentary research and interviews with Cosan's Investor Relations staff, and examines the main questions involving hybrid forms through the lens of the Transaction Cost Economics (TCE, Agency Theory, Resource Based View (RBV, and dynamic capabilities theoretical approaches. One

Transdermales Testosterongel verbessert die Parameter Sexualfunktion, Stimmung, Muskelkraft und Körperzusammensetzung bei hypogonadalen Männern

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Wang C

2003-01-01

Full Text Available Eine Testosterontherapie bei hypogonadalen Männern sollte die klinisch manifesten Symptome eines Testosteronmangels im Sinne der Verbesserung der Sexualfunktion, der Vermehrung der Muskelmasse und -kraft sowie der Verringerung des Körperfettanteils korrigieren, ohne gleichzeitig nennenswerte Nebenwirkungen hervorzurufen. Wir haben bereits gezeigt, daß die Verabreichung eines neuen transdermalen Testosterongels an Männer mit Hypogonadismus zu dosisabhängigen Erhöhungen des Serumtestosteronspiegels in den Normalbereich erwachsener Männer führt. Wir berichten nun über die Auswirkungen einer 6-monatigen Behandlung mit diesem 1 %igen Testosterongel (50 bzw. 100 mg Testosteron pro Tag, enthalten in 5 bzw. 10 g Gel im Vergleich zu einem Penetrationsvermittler enthaltenden Testosteronpflaster (5 mg/Tag auf bestimmte Wirksamkeitsparameter bei 227 Männern mit Hypogonadismus. In den mit Testosterongel behandelten Gruppen wurde die Dosis am Studientag 90 auf 75 mg/Tag (enthalten in 7,5 g Gel erhöht oder gesenkt, wenn die Serumtestosteronspiegel über oder unter dem Normalbereich für erwachsene Männer lagen. In der Gruppe mit Testosteronpflaster wurde keine Dosisanpassung vorgenommen. Die Sexualfunktion und Stimmungsveränderungen wurden anhand eines Fragebogens, die Körperzusammensetzung anhand der DEXA-Methode und die Muskelkraft mit einer speziellen Technik("one repetitive maximum technique" durch Pressen der Beine und Arme ermittelt. Sexualfunktion und Stimmung verbesserten sich bereits am Tag 30 der Behandlung maximal, ohne Unterschied zwischen den Gruppen, und zeigten bei Fortsetzung der Therapie keine weitere Besserung. Die mittlere Muskelkraft bei der Beinpreßübung erhöhte sich in allen Gruppen nach 90 Behandlungstagen um 11 bis 13 kg und verbesserte sich anschließend bis zum Ende der Behandlung am Tag 180 nicht weiter. Zu mäßigen Steigerungen der Kraftentwicklung kam es auch an der Schulter- und Armmuskulatur. Nach 90 Tagen

Evaluation of the impact of ENSO on precipitation extremes in southern Brazil considering the ODP phases

Science.gov (United States)

Firpo, M. A.; Sansigolo, C. A.

2011-12-01

One of the most important modes of interannual variability from ocean-atmosphere system is the El Niño/Southern Oscillation - ENSO. The Brazil southern region belongs to the Southeast of South America, where there is a strong signal of ENSO, especially over the precipitation. This phenomenon can be modulated by low frequency climate patterns, especially the dominant pattern of North Pacific, called Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO). Attempting to better understand these interactions, the objective of this study was to investigate the seasonal impact of ENSO events over the Southern Brazil precipitation, taking into account the PDO phases. The dataset used in this study, consist of monthly precipitation records of six well distributed stations from southern Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul state). From these series it was calculated a unique index, which was categorized in three classes, in order to obtain the extremes: very below normal precipitation (below the percentile 10), normal precipitation (between percentile 10 and 90) and very above normal precipitation (above the percentile 90). To characterize the ENSO events, it was applied the Trenberth (1997) criteria in the index proposed by Bunge and Clarke (2009), which corrects the inconsistencies between the conventional SST index for Niño 3.4 region and the Southern Oscillation Index before 1950, going beyond the incoherence for decadal scale. For PDO, it was used the index proposed by Mantua et al. (1997). Contingency tables were constructed to analyze the seasonal, simultaneous, and 3, 6, 9 and 12 months lagged relationships between ENSO events (El Niño, neutral, La Niña), and extreme precipitation anomalies (categories), also considering the PDO phases during the 1913-1999 period. Moreover, a wavelet analysis was used to check the coherency and phase among these 3 times series during the 1913-2006 period. The Contingency Tables analysis showed that, generally, there were more positive (negative) precipitation

Notas sobre la flora de Colombia y países vecinos, II

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Dugand Armando

1968-09-01

Full Text Available Este artículo es el segundo de una serie iniciada hace dos años en Phytologia (Vol. 13, No 6: 379-400. Sept. 1966, relativa en su mayor parte a la flora xerófila y subxerófila de la llanura costera del Caribe en Colombia y regiones vecinas, particularmente el norte de Venezuela. En él se hacen observaciones taxonómicas, morfológicas, distribucionales y otras varias acerca de las siguientes plantas: A.   - Especies que se señalan por primer a vez en la flora de Colombia: Aizoaceae.                           Sesuvium. edmonstonei Hook. f.                                                Sesuvium microphyllum Willd. Amaranthaceae.                 Froelichia interrupta (L. Moq. Cactaceae.                           Borzicactus sepium. (Kth. Britt. & Rose. Chenopodiaceae.               Atriplex pentandra (Jacq. Standl.                                                Heterostachys ritteriana (Moq. Ung.-Sternb. Compositae.                        Oxycarpha suedifolia Blake. Cruciferae.                           Cakile lanceolata (Willd. Schulz. Cyperaceae.                        Cyperus uncinulatus Schrad. Euphorbiaceae.                   *Chamaesyce bahiensis (Kl. & Gke. Dugand & Burch.                                                            ∆Chamaesyce dioica (Kth. Millsp. Leguminosae-Faboideae. Aeschynomene viscidula Michx.                                                Alysicarpus vaginalis (L. DC.                                                Crotalaria pumila Gómez-Ortega. �

Specific leaf mass, fresh: dry weight ratio, sugar and protein contents in species of Lamiaceae from different light environments

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M Castrillo

2005-06-01

Full Text Available Samples from eleven species of Lamiaceae were collected from different light environments in Venezuela for laboratory analysis.The studied species were: Plectranthus scutellarioides (Ps, Scutellaria purpurascens (Sp, Hyptis pectinata (Hp, H. sinuata (Hs, Leonorus japonicus (Lj, Plecthranthus amboinicus (Pa Ocimum basilicum (Ocb, O.campechianum (Occ Origanum majorana (Orm, Rosmarinus officinali ,(Ro and Salvia officinalis (So. Protein and soluble sugar contents per unit of area were measured, Specific Leaf Mass (SLMand fresh: dry weight (FW/DW ratios were calculated. The higher values for soluble sugars contents were present in sun species: Lj, Pa, Ocb, Occ, Or. m, Ro and So; the lower values were obtained in low light species: Ps, Sp, Hp, Hs. The values of protein content do not show any clear trend or difference between sun and shade environments. The lowest values for the fresh weight: dry weight ratio are observed in sun species with the exception of Lj and Pa, while the highest value is observed in Pa, a succulent plant. The higher values of specific leaf mass (SLM(Kg DMm-2 are observed in sun plants. The two way ANOVA revealed that there were significant differences among species and between sun and low light environments for sugar content and FW: DW ratio, while SLM was significant for environments but no significant for species, and not significant for protein for both species and environments. The soluble sugar content, FW: DW ratio and SLM values obtained in this work, show a clear separation between sun and shade plants. The sugar content and FW:DW ratio are distinctive within the species,and the light environment affected sugar content, FW:DW ratio and SLM. These species may be shade-tolerant and able to survive in sunny environments. Perhaps these species originated in shaded environments and have been adapting to sunny habitats.Rev.Biol.Trop.53(1-2:23-28.Epub 2005 Jun 24En once especies de la familia Lamiaceae: Plecthranthus

The radioecology study of the biosphere territory of Issik-Kul

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Djenbaev, B.M.; Abdijapar, S.; Shamshiev, A.B.; Jolboldiev, B.; Jalilova, A.A.

2006-01-01

covered ground (0,20 sm) the contents of uranium about from 1,1 up to 2,6x10-6 g/g, and with depth it is increased a few - to 3,0x10-6 g/g. there is more concentration of uranium in the average zone of Uranium deposits, where has the contents of uranium in the upper horizon of a soil equally 4,2x10-6 g/g, and in the bottom of horizon, on depth of 40-60 sm consist - 35,0x10-6 g/g or in 8,3 times above. According to some authors quantity of uranium in waters of the rivers Tone, Ae-Suu in hollow of Issyk-Kul makes 5,6x10-6 g/l, and in river Jergalan about (depend on seasonally and places of selection) from 2,8x10-6 to 1x10-5 g/l i.e. the main waters of wells and the rivers a hollow of Issyk-Kul contain in 10, and in some cases it is in 100 times more uranium, than water from black earth and not from black earth zones. On the surface of uranium tail deposits founded 10 sorts of plants of desert type: Ulmus pinnato-ramosa, Elaeagnus songorica, Caragana Turfanica, Peganum harmala, Akantholimon alatavicum, Natraria sibirica, Clematis songorica... The contents of uranium in the listed plants was small and changed about 0.02-0.31x10-6 g/g at coefficient of enrich is - from 1,0 to 15,5 and coefficient of discrimination is - from 17,8 to 240,0. Growing of plants in the environment with the high concentration of uranium not only is accompanied by change of theirs bioproductivity but also causes of morphological variability. The infringement of pigmentation of a flower at various sorts of plants is most often shown in area of Issyk Kul. The Astragalus borodinii is has morphological variability of splitting of a sheet plate. The Peganum garmala and Potentilla argentea - instead of usual 5 petals have 6-7 and their bifurcation. But other plants are intensive growing and developing (Caragana, Scutellaria, Peganum, and Peganum harmala). By the results of the research work the common level of external radiation in researched territory and level of uranium are about limits of the norm

Efeito da exclusão dos insetos polinizadores na produção do café Bourbon The effect of the exclusion of pollinating insects on the yield of the bourbon coffee

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Paulo Nogueira - Neto

1959-01-01

of 9 "hills" each, was used for this purpose. A row consisted of two plots of three "hills" each, besides the borders. One "hill" in each plot was always covered with muslin cloth as shown in figure 1. The trial comprised 26 replications. About 20 meters away from the trial, 15 beehives were established, basically of the following species: Nannotrigona (Scaptotrigona sp., Tetragona (Tetragonisca jaty, Melipona quadrifasciata anthidioides, Plebeia sp. and Nannotrigona (Na. testaceicomis. In the course of the experiment, the species Melipona Scutellaria and Cephalotrigona capitata were added. There was an apiary of honey bees (A. mellifera at about 700 meters from the experiment. The muslin protections to exclude insects were palced one day before the opening of the flowers and removed, some 10 to 15 days later, when all flowers bad dried corolla?. These treatments were repeated every year from 1951 to 1956, in order to collect information on the yield of each of the "hills" and also on the seed types produced and their size. During 1953, 1954 and 1955, data were also collected concerning the percentage of fruit set and seed types based on a certain number of previously counted flowers. It was noticed that the nectar of the coffee flowers was still abundant even 24 hours after anthesis; its sugar content was about 38%. Apis mellifera was the species most frequently found visiting the Bourbon flowers. Among the native bees, the Plebeia sp. and Nannotrigona (Na. testaceicomis were found in higher numbers, collecting mainly pollen. During rainy weather, nearly half of the A. mellifera bees present was seen collecting only pollen. On sunny days a large number of bees was observed visiting the coffee flowers, A. mellifera being found in larger numbers at about 12 a.m., at temperatures of 30 to 32°C. The Plebeia sp. and N. (Na. testaceicornis start their flights later than A. mellifera. Of several A mellifera bees marked, only one was seen four times during 24 hours in an