[Hai Shang Xin De Shen Fang written in Chinese in Vietnam]

"Hai Shang Xin De Shen Fang" is an ancient medical book written in Chinese by Li Youzhuo, a famous doctor in the Post Li Dynasty in Vietnam. The book was deeply influenced by "Feng Shi Jin Nang Mi Lu", a representative book of the Warming School (Wen Bu) written by Feng Zhaozhang in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. By comparing and examining the two books, it was found that forty-five out of the sixty-six prescriptions in "Hai Shang Xin De Shen Fang" came from or were simply copied from "Feng Shi Jin Nang Mi Lu", or were extracted from the medical cases from "Feng Shi Jin Nang Mi Lu", or were changed the name but kept the ingredients the same. The other twenty-one prescriptions followed the examples of "Feng Shi Jin Nang Mi Lu" and presented new prescriptions. It can be seen that "Hai Shang Xin De Shen Fang" reflects the extension spread, and development of the academic thinking of the Warming School (Wen Bu) in the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Vietnam and demonstrated the Chinese cultural origin of Vietnamese traditional medicine.

[The change of blood gas and C reactive protein of obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome patient with pretherapy and post-treatment of continuous positive airway pressure]

Objective: To observe the efficacy of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) and its affection on patients' blood gas analysis, C reactive protein(CRP) levels. Methods: This prospective study was performed from October 2016 to July 2017. Fifty hospitalized adult patients with medium or severe OSAHS, who were diagnosed by polysomnography (PSG) in Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University, were collected as a case group. Those patients met the standards of medium or severe OSAHS, among whom 40 were male, 10 were female, the age was between 30 and 65, with a mean age of (47.24±10.28) years, and BMI was (27.94±3.43) kg/m(2). Meanwhile, 50 healthy individuals were chose in the same term as a control group, among whom 37 were male, 13 were female, the age was between 29 and 69, with a mean age of (51.28±10.58) years, body mass index(BMI) was (26.98±2.70) kg/m(2), and apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) was<5/h. The differences of blood gas analysis pH, arterial oxygen saturation (SaO(2)), arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO(2)), arterial partial pressure of oxygen (PaO(2)), CRP before and after the treatment of CPAP in case group and in the control group were compared. The choosing data were disposed and analyzed with statistics software of SPSS 20.0. Among which t test was adopted for measurement data, χ(2) test was adopted for enumeration data, and nonparametric rank sum test was adopted for other measurement data. Results: Before the CPAP treatment, pH, PaO(2) and SaO(2) levels in case group were lower than that in control group, respectively [7.34±0.03 vs. 7.37±0.04, (75.93±9.08) mmHg vs. (80.07±10.94) mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa), (89.71±6.09) mmHg vs.(93.29±5.36) mmHg, all P<0.05]. Both PaCO(2) level and CRP were higher than that in control group [(43.02±8.43) mmHg vs.(39.26±8.20) mmHg, 1.28[0.27,5.83] mg/L(Median[P(25),P(75)]) vs. 0.51[0.21,2.13] mg/L, both P<0.05]. After the CPAP treatment, pH(7.36±0.04), PaO(2) [(80.28±9.96) mmHg] and SaO(2) [(92.94±4.01) mmHg] level in case group were increased than pretreatment, respectively. Moreover, PaCO(2) level [(39.46±8.36) mmHg] and CRP(0.44[0.21,3.40] mg/L) are decreased than pretreatment (P<0.05), respectively. Conclusion: The CRP and blood gas analyses are significant index to evaluate the state of an illness and to estimate the prognosis of disease of OSAHS, which is deserved to generalize.

[Application of a self-made nutrition calculation program based on Excel program in dietary nutrition management of patients with critical burns]

We used Excel program to compile nutrition calculation program. A nutrition database for daily diet of patients with critical burns is established based on data sources of Chinese food composition table (2002 edition) , Chinese food culture academic symposium collection and common food nutrition table of the sports nutrition research center of Sports Medical Research Institute of General Administration of Sports of China, and label values of nutrition components of packaged food. According to the proportion of food net content, the formulas are adopted for calculating the dietary nutrition composition of patients with critical burns. An electronic scale is used to weigh the quality of food ingested through the mouth and gastric tube. After recording the weight into Excel scale, the value of nutrition content in patients' diet can be quickly and accurately generated automatically. It is convenient to calculate the water intake and output, which can quickly and accurately provide the dietary status assessment for patients with critical burns. It can not only calculate the total energy and water intake amount, but also calculate the daily protein intake and proportions of the three major nutrients in energy supply. Therefore, it provides a credible basis for further strengthening and improving nutritional support.

[A machine learning model on orthokeratology lens fitting based on the data of optometry examination]

Objective: To get an orthokeratology lens fitting model according to the research of the optometry examination data, which can help to improve the work efficiency and increase the hitting rate of prescription. Methods: The relationship between the basic optometry examination data and the effective optometry prescription was evaluated. We got 1 467 sets of data, including 80%(1 173) for training and 20%(294) for testing. The trail results were used for the 20% testing sets, and 100% completed sets for verification. With the contrast of accuracy, we got the influencing variables and the fitting model. Logistic regression and linear regression analysis were applied to the training set for building a fitting model, and the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC curve) was drawn to determine the optimal threshold of the logistic regression model (1.0).The trail results are used for the 20% testing sets, 100% completed sets for verification. With the contrast of accuracy (ACC), we get the influencing variables and the fitting model. Results: Kf-FK and Ks-SK were selected as dependent variables. Through analysis of Stepwise regression, we found the influencing variables of Kf-FK were Kf(P=0.01), E(mean) (P=0.027), and CYL(P<0.001), with FK=6.23+0.866kf-1.69 E(mean)+0.16CYL, and the precision rate was 81%(r(2)=0.95). The influencing variables of Ks-SK were Ks (P<0.001), CYL (P=0.00), and E(mean) (P<0.001), with SK=6.84+0.862ks-0.28E(mean)-1.3CYL, and the precision rate was 80%(r(2)=0.93). By selecting the logistic method and decision tree analysis for glasses design, the influencing variables were KS (P<0.001)and CYL (P<0.001). The logistic function was Design=-45.7+0.82Ks+6.027CYL, and the precision rate was 87%. Conclusions: The combination of AI and medical data can verify the expert experience and guide the optometrist to locate the prescription quickly and accurately. Try to break the traditional mode of fitting with wearing the orthokeratology lens shortly, and it is possible for us to position the prescription quickly through the calculation of a computer. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2019, 55: 105-110).

[Clinical significance of serum resistin in patients with generalized myasthenia gravis]

Objective: To detect the serum resistin levels in patients with generalized myasthenia gravis (GMG) and evaluate the clinical values of resistin. Methods: We detected the serum resistin levels in 58 patients with GMG and 58 healthy controls (HC) from January 2013 to December 2015 in Tianjin medical university general hospital.Then we analyzed the correlation of the serum resistin levels with the clinical features. Results: The serum resistin levels in patients with GMG, (8.26±4.27) ng/ml, was significantly higher than in HC, (4.12±1.36) ng/ml, (P<0.001). There was no statistical difference of the serum resistin levels between female or male patients with GMG (P=0.589). The serum resistin levels in patients with GMG was positively correlated with the quantitative MG score for disease severity (QMG) (r=0.446, P<0.001), but not correlated with age (r=0.168, P=0.206). The patients with higher resistin levels took higher risk of combining with thymoma (P=0.002), 56.5%, and these patients had higher QMG, 11(5) (P=0.001); and the ratio and QMG in the patients with lower resistin levels were 17.1%, 7(5), respectively.The GMG patients with thymoma (TGMG+ ) had remarkably higher serum resistin levels, (10.7±5.3) ng/ml (P=0.010) and the QMG score, 11(5) (P<0.001) than the GMG patients without thymoma (TGMG-) with (7.0±3.1) ng/ml and 8(5). Conclusion: Resistin is probably associated with the severity of the disease of MG, and maybe a potential biomarker of MG combined with thymoma.

First Report of Botrytis cinerea Causing Stem Blight of Scutellaria baicalensis in Jilin Province, China

Chinese skullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis) is a perennial herb in the Lamiaceae, and is grown in Jilin and 10 other provinces in China. Skullcap root extracts are used for treating allergies and respiratory conditions (5), and have inhibitory effects on some plant pathogens (2). In 2012, stem blight on 3-year-old Chinese skullcap plants were observed from mid-June to late-September in a herb garden at Jilin Agricultural University, Jilin Province, China. More than 90% of the 15 ha of skullcap plants were infected, and almost 60% of the infected plants died. A similar situation occurred in other regions of Jilin in 2012 and 2013. Oblong to irregular stem lesions, each 3 to 5 cm long, appeared on the basal stem. Lesions were initially light brown, and turned dark brown because of velvety, thick, gray fungal sporulation that formed over the lesions. The lesions eventually encircled the stems, preventing water and nutrient uptake. The infected plants often turned chlorotic and wilted. Symptomatic stem tissues were collected from three gardens in Jilin Province. Small pieces of diseased stems were surface-disinfested in 3% NaOCl for 2 min, rinsed twice in sterilized distilled water, plated on potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium, and incubated at 22°C for 5 days. Ten isolates were recovered, and all produced gray hyphae and dark sclerotia on PDA. The conidia formed on tree-like, branched conidiophores and were colorless, single, lemon-shaped, smooth-walled, and 9.0 to 16.9 × 5.7 to 9.7 μm. Sclerotia formed when cultures on PDA plates were incubated for 20 days at 22°C. The sclerotia were dark, irregular, and 2.2 to 3.8 × 1.1 to 2.6 mm. To confirm pathogenicity of each of the 10 isolates, five 3-year-old Chinese skullcap plants were each inoculated on the basal stem with an 8-mm-diameter colonized PDA plug of the appropriate isolate. Five plants were inoculated similarly with non-colonized PDA plugs as a control treatment. All plants were maintained at 22°C in a greenhouse. The first lesions appeared on stems 5 days after inoculation, whereas control plants remained healthy. The same fungus was consistently recovered from inoculated lesions as the original isolates, and no fungus was re-isolated from control plants. DNA was extracted from isolate RSL-1 and amplified using the ribosomal DNA (rDNA) internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region primers ITS5/ITS4 (1), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene (G3PDH) primers G-F/G-R, heat-shock protein 60 gene (HSP 60) primers H-F/H-R, and DNA-dependent RNA polymerase subunit II gene (RPB2) primers R-F/R-R (3). The ITS, G3PDH, HSP 60, and RPB2 sequences (GenBank Accession Nos. JX840480, KJ018760, KJ018758, and KJ018756, respectively) of isolate RSL-1 showed 100% similarity to the ITS sequence of strain WM6 of Botryotinia fuckeliana (anamorph Botrytis cinerea) (JN164269) (1), 100% identity to the G3PDH sequence of isolate Ice-2 of B. fuckeliana (AB546620) (3), 100% identity to the HSP60 sequence of isolate MUCL1152 of B. fuckeliana (AJ716090) (4), and 99.8% identity to the RPB2 sequence of isolate WM6 of B. fuckeliana (JN164272) (1). Based on these characteristics, the fungus was identified as B. cinerea. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of B. cinerea causing stem blight on S. baicalensis in Jilin Province, China. This disease may potentially cause great losses under favorable conditions. References: (1) X. Li. Plant Dis. 95:1592, 2011. (2) J. Y. Liu et al. Hubei Agric. Sci. 50:1809, 2011. (3) K. Maeda et al. J. Gen. Plant Pathol. 76:303, 2010. (4) M. Staats et al. Mol. Biol. Evol. 22:333, 2005. (5) K. Zandi et al. BMC Compl. Alternat. Medicine 13:1472, 2013.

First Report of Botrytis Leaf Blight on Eleutherococcus senticosus Caused by Botrytis cinerea in China

Eleutherococcus senticosus (Acanthopanax senticosus, manyprickle acathopanax) is a perennial herb belonging to the family Araliaceae and is mainly distributed in northeastern China, Siberia, Korea, and Japan. It is used for the treatment of rheumatism and neurasthenia. With the development of its cultivation, many diseases began to occur (2) and a previously unknown leaf blight on manyprickle was first observed in July of 2010 in Linjiang City, Jilin Province. The same symptoms were detected in other areas of Jilin Province, such as Baishan and Hunchun cities. The disease has resulted in serious loss of production of manyprickle acanthopanax, with 5 to 10% of leaves infected. The infection initially manifested as irregular lesions on the tips or margins of the leaves, which gradually developed into a V-shaped blight with concentric rings that was grayish brown in the center and dark brown at the margins. The blight eventually spread to cover one third of the entire leaf. Severely infected leaves were rolled or distorted, eventually desiccated and became brittle. Under continuously humid conditions, scattered gray mycelium and conidia appeared on the surface of affected leaf tissue. To isolate the causal agent, tissues were excised from diseased leaves, immersed in 0.1% mercuric chloride, suspended in sterile water, and plated on potato dextrose agar (PDA). Conidiophores arose singly or in groups, straight or flexuous, septate, with an inflated basal cell and dendriform near the apex, brown to light brown, and measured 5.0 to 10.0 × 100.0 to 150.0 μm (n = 50). Conidia were single-celled, globoid or oval-shaped, colorless, measuring 6.0 to 10.0 × 7.0 to 13.0 μm (n = 50). In culture, dark, irregular sclerotia were produced. The morphological descriptions and measurements of the fungi were similar to Botrytis cinerea (4). The ITS region of rDNA was amplified and sequenced. BLAST analysis of the 567-bp segment (JX840481) showed 100% identity with the sequence of Botryotinia fuckeliana (perfect stage of B. cinerea). To further identify the species of B. cinerea, three nuclear protein-coding genes (G3PDH, HSP60, and RPB2) (3) were sequenced and the sequences (KJ018759, KJ018757, and KJ018755) all showed 100% identity with those of B. fuckeliana. Pathogenicity tests were carried out on potted, healthy, 1-year-old plants (n = 10). A conidial suspension of 10⁵ conidia/ml was sprayed with each strain (five strains total) on five leaves still on plants, and five plants were sprayed with water as controls. Plants were covered with polyethylene bags and incubated for 3 days at 25°C in a greenhouse. Symptoms appeared 7 days after inoculation, and were similar to those originally observed on plants under natural conditions, whereas control plants remained healthy. The pathogen was successfully re-isolated from inoculated leaves and was identified as B. cinerea on the basis of its morphological characteristics and related gene sequences. B. cinerea has been previously reported on E. senticosus in Korea (1). However, to our knowledge, this is the first report of Botrytis leaf blight of E. senticosus caused by B. cinerea in China. These results lay the foundation for the disease control. References: (1) K. J. Choi et al. Korean J. Med. Crop Sci. 15:199, 2007. (2) J. Gao et al. Plant Dis. 95:493, 2011. (3) M. Staats et al. Mol. Biol. Evol. 22:333, 2005. (4) Z. Y. Zhang. Flora Fungorum Sinicorum. 26. Botrytis, Ramularia. Science Press, Beijing, 2006.

Mesenteric lymph reperfusion exacerbates spleen injury caused by superior mesenteric artery occlusion shock

The intestinal lymph pathway plays an important role in the pathogenesis of organ injury following superior mesenteric artery occlusion (SMAO) shock. We hypothesized that mesenteric lymph reperfusion (MLR) is a major cause of spleen injury after SMAO shock. To test this hypothesis, SMAO shock was induced in Wistar rats by clamping the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) for 1 h, followed by reperfusion for 2 h. Similarly, MLR was performed by clamping the mesenteric lymph duct (MLD) for 1 h, followed by reperfusion for 2 h. In the MLR+SMAO group rats, both the SMA and MLD were clamped and then released for reperfusion for 2 h. SMAO shock alone elicited: 1) splenic structure injury, 2) increased levels of malondialdehyde, nitric oxide (NO), intercellular adhesion molecule-1, endotoxin, lipopolysaccharide receptor (CD14), lipopolysaccharide-binding protein, and tumor necrosis factor-α, 3) enhanced activities of NO synthase and myeloperoxidase, and 4) decreased activities of superoxide dismutase and ATPase. MLR following SMAO shock further aggravated these deleterious effects. We conclude that MLR exacerbates spleen injury caused by SMAO shock, which itself is associated with oxidative stress, excessive release of NO, recruitment of polymorphonuclear neutrophils, endotoxin translocation, and enhanced inflammatory responses.

First Report of Ginseng (Panax ginseng) as a Natural Host of Dodder (Cuscuta japonica) in China

Ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) belongs to the Araliaceae family and is a high-value medicinal herb grown mainly in Jilin Province, China. China is the world's oldest and largest producer of ginseng. Annual yield and exports account for more than 78 and 60% for the world, respectively. In July 2009 and August 2010, dodder (Cuscuta sp.), a parasitic seed plant, was observed on 4- and 5-year-old plants that were being cultivated on raised beds under artificial shading in three separate locations approximately 200 kilometers apart in Jilin Province. The infested area was approximately one-third of the field (300 m² of 10,000 m²), which was previously planted with pine trees and herbaceous plants. Initially, there were no obvious symptoms on ginseng plants, but later, symptoms consisted of poor growth, chlorosis, and wilting, eventually followed by death in large areas throughout the field. One typical representative of 10 samples collected was identified as Cuscuta japonica based on several morphological characteristics, including yellow stems with purplish spots with branches 1.2 to 2.5 mm in diameter. Inflorescences were spicate and measured 3 cm with broadly ovate, scale-like bracts. Flowers were sessile with deeply divided calyxes. The parasite had purplish, ovate sepals with pink or greenish white corollas. The plant had five stamens with yellow, ovate-circular anther. Ovaries were globose and smooth. Capsules contained three to four pale yellow or brown ovate seeds measuring 1.9 to 2.7 mm (3,4). The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of rDNA of the representative samples was amplified using primers ITS4/ITS5 (2) and sequenced. BLASTn analysis of the 650-bp amplicon (GenBank Accession No. JF431541) showed 99% sequence identity with C. japonica (Accession Nos. DQ924571 and EU330320). Phylogenetic trees constructed by utilizing the neighbor-joining method with software MEGA 4.0 (1) placed the dodder specimens and C. japonica (DQ924571 and EU330320) into one group. The reported hosts of C. japonica include plants belonging to the Leguminosae, Salicaceae, Polygonaceae, and Compositae. Therefore, to our knowledge, this is the first report of C. japonica naturally infecting P. ginseng in the world. Reference: (1) K. Tamura et al. Mol. Biol. Evol. 24:1596, 2007. (2) T. J. White et al. Page 315 in: PCR Protocols: A Guide to Methods and Applications. Academic Press, San Diego, 1990. (3) Z. Y. Wu. Flora Reipublicae Popularis Sinicae 64:147, 1979. (4) L. P. Yin. Plant Quarantine (in Chinese) 9:292, 1995.

Microcalorimetric study on the growth and metabolism of microencapsulated microbial cell culture

The rate of heat output is one of the suitable measurements of metabolic activity of the organism or its parts, down to the cellular or even the sub-cellular levels. In this paper, microcalorimetry was first applied to study the metabolic activity of microbial in both alginate-polylysine-alginate and alginate-chitosan-alginate microencapsulated cultures as well as in free non-encapsulated culture. The organisms used for the measurements were Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. As a result of this work, it was found that, despite E. coli cell in free non-encapsulated culture has the highest metabolic rate due to the highest value of heat output, the proliferation of the cells terminates quickly with a lowest biomass formed. And we found also an obviously longer stationary phase in microencapsulated culture. As far as S. cerevisiae was concerned, it was found that there was also the highest value of heat output in free non-encapsulated culture, but the cell density was lower than that in microencapsulated culture. On account of the microcalorimetric and metabolic measurements, it can be concluded that more substrate can be used to convert to biomass in microencapsulated culture which means a higher biomass yield existed.