灵芝破壁孢子粉改善睡眠作用研究

目的 观察灵芝破壁孢子粉的改善睡眠作用.方法 将清洁级ICR雄性小鼠随机分为对照组及灵芝破壁孢子粉低、中、高剂量组,每组15只.对照组灌胃给予0.5％羧甲基纤维素钠20mL/kg,灵芝破壁孢子粉低、中、高剂量组分别灌胃给予灵芝破壁孢子粉0.25、0.5、1.0mg/kg,每日1次,连续灌胃30天.观察小鼠直接睡眠的入睡动物数及睡眠时间,戊巴比妥钠阈下剂量催眠的睡眠发生率,戊巴比妥钠阈剂量催眠的睡眠时间及巴比妥钠诱导小鼠睡眠潜伏期.结果灵芝破壁孢子可明显延长戊巴比妥钠诱导的小鼠睡眠时间,缩短巴比妥钠诱导的小鼠睡眠潜伏期,提高戊巴比妥钠诱导的小鼠睡眠发生率,对直接睡眠小鼠入睡动物数及睡眠时间均无明显影响.结论灵芝破壁孢子粉具有改善睡眠作用.     

Therapeutic effects of biguanide vs. statin in polycystic ovary syndrome: a randomized clinical trial

Various classes of medication are currently being used in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) patients including the biguanides and the statins. However, their efficacies are rarely compared. This study aimed to compare efficacy ofa biguanide and a statin in treating PCOS. In a randomized double-blind clinical trial, 400 women with PCOS were recruited within 15 months in Taleghani Hospital. They randomly received either a biguanide (metformin 500 mg three times daily) or a statin (simvastatin 20 mg daily) for three consecutive months. Changes of clinical and laboratory variables were compared. In the biguanide group the serum glucose status (abnormal fasting and non-fasting sugar and insulin levels and percentage of hyperinsulinemic cases) and menstrual abnormalities improved significantly after treatment (p < 0.05). In the statin group the lipid profile status (abnormal total cholesterol, high and low density lipoproteins), C-Reactive Protein (CRP), serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, hyperinsulinemia, severity of acne and menstrual abnormalities improved significantly after treatment (p < 0.05). Comparing the two groups, the improvements in fasting blood sugar and serum insulin levels were significantly better in the biguanide group (p = 0.04 for both parameters); whereas the improvements in serum total cholesterol (p < 0.001), low density lipoprotein (p < 0.001), CRP (p < 0.001) and acne status (p = 0.04) were significantly superior in the statin receivers. Based on these results, each medication is only effective on some aspects of the disease. Overall, the simvastatin was superior to metformin with regard to the number of beneficial effects.     

Circadian phase-shifting effects of a laboratory environment: a clinical trial with bright and dim light

Background  

Our aims were to examine the influence of different bright light schedules on mood, sleep, and circadian organization in older adults (n = 60, ages 60–79 years) with insomnia and/or depression, contrasting with responses of young, healthy controls (n = 30, ages 20–40 years).     

Daily illumination exposure and melatonin: influence of ophthalmic dysfunction and sleep duration

Background  

Ocular pathology lessens light's efficacy to maintain optimal circadian entrainment. We examined whether ophthalmic dysfunction explains unique variance in melatonin excretion of older adults over and above the variance explained by daily illumination, medical, and sociodemographic factors. We also examined whether ophthalmic dysfunction influences relationships between ambient illumination and melatonin.     

The effect of hydro alcoholic nettle (Urtica dioica) extract on oxidative stress in patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomized double-blind clinical trial

Diabetes type 2 is a metabolic disorder that characterized by hyperglycemia and insulin resistance. Hyperglycemia and impairment of oxidant/antioxidant balance, can increase oxidative stress and increase risk of cardiovascular disease. In the present study, Effects of hydro alcoholic extract of Nettle on oxidative stress in type 2 diabetes were evaluated. Fifty patients (27 men, 23 women) with type 2 diabetes patients were studied. They received 100 mg kg(-1) of nettle extract of body weight hydro alcoholic for 8 weeks. At the baseline and end of 8th weeks of intervention blood levels of oxidative stress markers were measured. Data was analyzed by SPSS version 18, p < 0.05 was considered significant for all variables. After 8 weeks, Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC) and Superoxidant Dismutase (SOD) showed a significant increase in the intervention group compared to the control group (p < 0.05). The findings showed that the hydro alcoholic extract of nettle has increasing effects on TAC and SOD in patients with type 2 diabetes without no changes in Malondialdehyde (MDA) and Glutathione Peroxides (GPX) after eight weeks intervention.     

The effect of hydro alcoholic Nettle (Urtica dioica) extracts on insulin sensitivity and some inflammatory indicators in patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomized double-blind control trial

Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disorder that is strongly associated with cardiovascular risk. Inflammation is a potential risk factor for cardiovascular disease. In this study, hydro alcoholic extract of Nettle (Urtica dioica) on insulin sensitivity and some inflammatory indicators in type 2 diabetic patients were studied. A randomized double-blind clinical trial on 50 men and women with type 2 diabetes was done for 8 weeks. Patients were adjusted by age, sex and duration of diabetes, then randomly divided into two groups, an intervention and control group. They received, 100 mg kg-1nettle extract or placebo in three portions a day for 8 weeks. Interleukin 6 (IL-6), Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), High Sensitive C-Reactive protein (hs-CRP) and Fasting Insulin concentration were measured. Insulin Sensitivity was calculated, at the beginning and the end of the study. The data were analyzed by SPSS version 18, p<0.05 was considered significant for all variables. After 8 weeks, IL-6 and hs-CRP showed a significant decrease in the intervention group compared to the control group (p<0.05). The findings showed that the hydro alcoholic extract of nettle has decreasing effects on IL-6 and hs-CRP in patients with type 2 diabetes after eight weeks intervention.     

Prevalence of mental disorders among shift work hospital nurses in Shiraz, Iran

The present study was conducted to determine the prevalence of mental disorders among shift work hospital nurses in Shiraz. One thousand one hundred and ninety five nurses from 12 general hospitals were investigated by Persian version of General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) as screen tool. Using a checklist, structured observations were made to assess working environment. Selecting a score of 6 in GHQ-28 as cut-off point, 45.4% of nurses were found to suffer from mental disorders and this was more common among females. Similarly, anxiety and somatic symptoms were more prevalent than other types of mental disorders (43.2 and 34.5%, respectively). The prevalence of depression and social dysfunction were 11.2 and 79.5%, respectively. Shift work was significantly associated with anxiety (p < 0.05). Likewise, marital status was significantly associated with depression and social dysfunction (p < 0.001). It was concluded that the mental health pattern in hospital nurses was similar to that of general Iranian population as the referent population. However, the prevalence rates of social dysfunction, somatisation and anxiety symptoms among the nurses were higher than the referent population.     

外源褪黑素对菜用大豆残留百菌清和多菌灵降解的影响

为研究外源褪黑素处理对菜用大豆残留杀菌剂降解的影响,以菜用大豆品种浙鲜12为材料,以多菌灵和百菌清为杀菌剂,通过测定外源褪黑素处理对菜用大豆农药残留量、抗氧化系统、解毒系统的影响,探讨外源褪黑素处理在菜用大豆农药降解中的作用。结果表明：外源褪黑素处理提高菜用大豆中抗坏血酸和谷胱甘肽含量以及抗氧化酶（超氧化物歧化酶、过氧化物酶、过氧化氢酶、抗坏血酸过氧化物酶）活性,有效清除菜用大豆体内活性氧,并且诱导了菜用大豆解毒相关基因的表达,增强其对残留多菌灵和百菌清的解毒代谢,从而促进残留农药的降解,降低菜用大豆中多菌灵和百菌清的残留量。     

Comparative effects of scopoletin and cyanide on rat brain, 1: Histopathology

Four week old male Wistar rats were used to study the effects of scopoletin and cyanide on the histopathology of rat brain. The rats were divided into a control and three experimental groups (2–4) and fed rations containing 0.07 g scopoletin/100 g, 0.07g scopoletin + 1.8 mg cyanide/100 g and 1.8 mg cyanide/100 g, respectively. These levels of scopoletin and cyanide corresponded to levels found in a processed cassava diet. The first group was fed the same ration as the others but without scopoletin and cyanide. The rats were fed these rations for twelve months. Rats from each group were sacrificed at the third, sixth, ninth and twelfth months; the relative brain weight of the rats (% of body weight) and histology of their brains were studied. The lipid peroxide levels of the rat brains were also studied at the twelfth month. The results showed that the relative brain weights of the rats fed scopoletin + cyanide were significantly (p<0.05) less than that of the control from the third month. There were no significant changes in the lipid peroxide levels of the rat brains in the various groups. Histological examination of the brains of the rats sugested that scopoletin is involved in the pathogenesis of the neuropathy seen in cassava consuming populations.     

Glucosinolate hydrolysis products from various plant sources: pH effects,isolation, and purification

Glucosinolates are a class of organic anions that can be hydrolyzed either enzymatically with myrosinase or non-enzymatically to form primarily isothiocyanates and/or nitriles. The isolation and purification of these hydrolysis products are of particular interest both for their potential use in organic synthesis and for their biological activities. Methods were developed for the isolation and purification of gram-scale quantities of several ω-(methylthio)alkyl-, ω-(methylsulfinyl)alkyl-, ω-(methylsulfonyl)alkyl-, and substituted benzyl glucosinolate hydrolysis products; the isothiocyanates erucin [1-isothiocyanato-4-(methylthio)butane], iberin [1-isothiocyanato-3-(methylsulfinyl)propane], cheirolin [1-isothiocyanato-3-(methylsulfonyl)propane], lesquerellin [1-isothiocyanato-6-(methylthio)hexane], hesperin [1-isothiocyanato-6-(methylsulfinyl)hexane], sulforaphene [1-isothiocyanato-4-(methylsulfinyl)but-3-ene], 3-methoxybenzyl isothiocyanate, and 4-hydroxybenzyl isothiocyanate; and the nitriles iberverin nitrile [1-cyano-3-(methylthio)propane], erucin nitrile [1-cyano-4-(methylthio)butane], and 3-methoxybenzyl nitrile using defatted seedmeal from several different genera within the crucifer family (Brassicaceae) and meadowfoam family (Limnanthaceae) as the source of parent glucosinolates. The procedures use solvent extraction of autolyzed defatted seedmeals from various plant sources together with variable reaction pHs and solvent partitioning to obtain relatively pure (generally >97%) compounds without the need for chromatographic separation.     

Long-term patterns in European brown hare population dynamics in Denmark: effects of agriculture, predation and climate

Background

In Denmark and many other European countries, harvest records suggest a marked decline in European brown hare numbers, a decline often attributed to the agricultural practice. In the present study, we analyse the association between agricultural land-use, predator abundance and winter severity on the number of European brown hares harvested in Denmark in the years 1955 through 2000.

Results

Winter cereals had a significant negative association with European brown hare numbers. In contrast to this, root crop area was positively related to their numbers. Remaining crop categories were not significantly associated with the European brown hare numbers, though grass out of rotation tended to be positively related. The areas of root crop production and of grass out of rotation have been reduced by approximately 80% and 50%, respectively, while the area of winter cereals has increased markedly (>70%). However, European brown hare numbers were primarily negatively associated with the number of red fox. Finally, we also found a positive association between mild winters and European brown hare numbers.

Conclusion

The decline of Danish European brown hare populations can mainly be attributed to predation by red fox, but the development in agricultural land-use during the last 45 years have also affected the European brown hare numbers negatively. Additionally, though mild winters were beneficial to European brown hares, the increasing frequency of mild winters during the study period was insufficient to reverse the negative population trend.     

Re-ensiling effects on inoculated sorghum: Intake,apparent digestibility,nitrogen balance,and animal feeding behaviour

This study aimed to determine whether using inoculants and re-ensiling in sorghum silages affect the intake and feeding behaviour, apparent digestibility, digestible energy, and nitrogen balance of sheep in maintenance. Half the sorghum was inoculated on the day of harvest, and the other half received the same inoculation volume but with water. Sorghum was ensiled in 100 experimental metal drum silos of 200 L covered with plastic: 50 silos with inoculants and 50 without them. After 56 days, 25 drums with inoculants and 25 without were exposed to air for 48 h. The other silos remained closed. The treatments were arranged in a 2 × 2 factorial scheme with inoculation and re-ensiling. The sheep received the silages after 211 days of ensiling and 155 days of re-ensiling to determine the intake, apparent digestibility, and feeding behaviour of animals. The experimental design was a simultaneous double 4 × 4 Latin square. The re-ensiling process increased silage pH, N-NH₃.TN⁻¹, butyric acid, and propionic acid. The inoculant increased propionic acid in ensiled and re-ensiled silages. Lactic acid concentration presented a statistical interaction with the inoculated and ensiled silage, 58% higher than the other treatment averages. The ADFap digestibility showed a complex interaction, in which the control ensiled and the inoculated and re-ensiled silages were about 35% lower than the inoculated ensiled silage. The Nbal:Nint ratio (g.g⁻¹) in the inoculated and re-ensiled silage had lower nitrogen retention than intake compared with the other treatments. These results indicate that exposing inoculated silages to air does not compromise their use in sheep feeding.     

Efficacy of fosetyl-Al,propamocarb, dimethomorph,cymoxanil, metalaxyl and metalaxyl-M in Czech Pseudoperonospora cubensis populations during the years 2005 through 2010

A total of 134 Czech Pseudoperonospora cubensis isolates originating from Cucumis sativus were used for fungicide resistance screening. Efficacy of six commonly used and registered fungicides was screened in Czech P. cubensis populations. The investigations covered the frequency and occurrence of sensitive, moderately resistant and resistant isolates to the individual fungicides during the period 2005–2010. Fosetyl-Al (Aliette 80 W) and propamocarb (Previcur 607 SL) were the most effective fungicides. All tested isolates were sensitive on all tested fosetyl-Al concentrations. However, some isolates expressed resistance (profuse sporulation) or moderate resistance (limited sporulation) to lower and/or even to recommended concentrations of propamocarb in the years 2006 and 2008–2010. Metalaxyl (Ridomil PLUS 48 WP) and metalaxyl-M (Ridomil Gold MZ 68 WP) were ineffective. Isolates collected in 2008 and 2009 showed large variation in moderate resistance or resistance even at high fungicide dosages. However, this result was not confirmed in 2010, when efficacy of these fungicides increased slightly, and 69% and 43% of isolates were controlled at the recommended concentration of metalaxyl-M and metalaxyl, respectively. Limited or profuse sporulation was observed only sporadically at high concentrations. Sensitivity of isolates to cymoxanil (Curzate K) differed among the studied years. While cymoxanil was ineffective in the years 2005–2008 and in 2010, 68% of isolates were controlled at the recommended concentration in 2009. During the years 2005 through 2010, a shift towards higher sensitivity to dimethomorph was observed at all screened concentrations.     

Comparative study on the effects of buckwheat by roasting: Antioxidant properties,nutrients, pasting,and thermal properties

The increasing need to prolong the shelf life of buckwheat has prompted the use of roasting techniques in buckwheat processing. For effective roasting, the responses of common buckwheat (CB) and tartary buckwheat (TB) to the process should be explored. Herein, the antioxidant properties, nutrients, pasting, and thermal properties of raw and roasted buckwheat flours (roasted at 200 °C for 50 s) from two CB and three TB varieties were investigated. Results showed that roasting considerably reduced the total flavonoid content (TFC) and total phenolic content (TPC) of TB. The TPC of CB was significantly improved by roasting, whereas the TFC significantly decreased. The total antioxidant capacities were consistent with the TPCs. Additionally, the colour deepened as the amount of antioxidant compounds increased. Unexpectedly, roasting enhanced the protein and fat contents of CB and decreased those of TB. Roasting improved the nutritional quality and antioxidant capacity of CB, and opposite results were obtained in TB. In conclusion, CB was more suitable to the development of roasted specialty products with nutritional applications than TB. We suggest that differences among varieties should be considered first in the buckwheat roasting process.     

Major components of Spanish cultivated Artemisia absinthium populations: Antifeedant, antiparasitic, and antioxidant effects

The objective of this study was the valorization of Spanish Artemisia absinthium populations from Teruel (Aragón) and Sierra Nevada (Granada). These populations were experimentally cultivated in the field and under controlled conditions. Three major components were isolated from a two year-old population obtained from the Teruel population cultivated in Ejea-Zaragoza in 2003, and identified by NMR experiments as the sequiterpene lactone hydroxypelenolide (I) and the flavones artemetin (II) and casticin (III). The I-III content of the plant extracts was analyzed by HPLC-DAD. The insect antifeedant properties of plant extracts from different years and crops were tested against Spodoptera littoralis, Myzus persicae and Rhopalosiphum padi. Additionally we studied their antioxidant, phytotoxic and antiparasitic effects.     

Establishment of legumes in grass swards: effects of pesticides on slugs,insects, legume seedling numbers and forage yield and quality*

Three legumes, red clover (Trifolium pratense L.), alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.), were planted with a minimum-tillage drill into eight grass fields, three in early spring, two in late spring and three in late summer, in Pennsylvania. The objective was to use pesticides at planting time to control slugs and insects which attack legume seedlings and ascertain whether pest control prevented seedling loss and increased yields of grass and legume dry matter (DM), in vitro DM digestibility and crude protein (CP). Methiocarb bait alone or in combination with carbofuran granules or spray applied at planting sometimes controlled the slugs Derocerus reticulatum (Müller), D. laeve (Müller) and Arion fasciatus Nilsson and improved establishment of seedling red clover and alfalfa but not birdsfoot trefoil. Increased yields of DM, digestible DM, CP and legume DM after treatment was greatest in late-spring sowings. Larvae of the clover root curculio, Sitona hispidulus (F.), attacked roots of legumes in the spring following the year of sowing. Late spring and summer sowings without pesticides sustained considerable seedling losses from pests, whereas seedlings from early spring sowings in untreated areas were injured less.     

Herbage intake and milk production by grazing dairy cows 1. The effects of variation in herbage mass and daily herbage allowance in a short-term trial

Twenty-four British Friesian cows were allocated between six grazing treatments (two levels of herbage mass x three levels of daily herbage allowance) in a balanced change-over design with four periods of 12 d each at monthly intervals. Herbage OM mass ranged from 3790 to 5770 kg ha^-1 measured to ground level and daily herbage DM allowances were 30, 60 and 90 g per kg animal live weight. Herbage OM intake was lower at high than at low herbage mass (24·6 vs 26·3 g per kg LW), and was 26·9, 26·6 and 22·9 g per kg LW respectively at daily herbage DM allowances of 90, 60 and 30 g per kg LW. Milk yield was not affected by herbage mass but was depressed at the low herbage allowance.     

Functions of indigenous animals in paddy fields: an in situ experiment on their effects on water quality,phytoplankton, weeds,soil structure,and rice growth

Paddy and Water Environment - Paddy fields are used for growing semiaquatic rice and are also important habitats for a diversity of aquatic animals, which may be beneficial for rice production....     

Accumulation of reducing sugars by sugarcane: effects of crop age,nitrogen supply and cultivar

Sugarcane was grown under full irrigation in Australia, South Africa and Hawaii. N fertiliser was supplied at a high rate and was non-limiting to biomass accumulation in all but one dataset, where zero and high nitrogen (N) supply regimes were imposed. Crops were sampled for biomass, sucrose, glucose and fructose content of stalks. In one study, the biomass and sugar content of all green crop components were also determined. The objective was to compare the accumulation of reducing sugars, glucose and fructose, with sucrose, and how this responds to agronomic manipulations of crop duration, cultivar and nitrogen supply. Such knowledge can be used to assess the scope for maximising, by agronomic or genetic means, the partitioning of biomass to the economic product, sucrose and maximising the purity of juice for efficient sucrose extraction at the mill. At 12 months growth, 30–50% of reducing sugars was present in the stalk component, but at earlier stages was higher at 50–80%. Stalk yields of reducing sugars for 12 month crops were less than 100 g m⁻², which was less than 5% of total sugars in the stalk. There were strong effects of N supply and cultivar on the amounts and concentration of reducing sugars in the stalk at low yields, but little effect when stalk biomass exceeded about 4000 g m⁻² suggesting that, agronomic or genetic manipulation of levels of reducing sugars will only be effective early in the season. For a given level of stalk biomass, cultivar effects on partitioning to reducing sugars were due either to differences in partitioning of stalk biomass to total sugars, or differences in the partitioning between sucrose and reducing sugars. On the other hand, variation in N supply only altered the partitioning between sucrose and reducing sugars. Calculations suggested that high concentrations of reducing sugars in stalks harvested at a young age or from high N supply treatments, were not expected to lower the polarimetric estimate of sucrose concentration in the juice by more than 6%. This study provides a framework to assess the impact of cultivar, crop duration, and N supply on the accumulation of reducing sugars in different production systems.     

不同种类诱芯及诱捕器对暗黑鳃金龟的田间诱捕效果

为筛选适宜推广应用的暗黑鳃金龟性诱剂的诱芯和诱捕器,对自主研发的四种诱芯和金龟甲型诱捕器的田间诱捕效果做了评价,为性诱剂防治蛴螬技术提供依据和参考。无纺布诱芯在每天更换的条件下,在整个成虫交配期平均单日单个诱捕器诱虫数283.4头。储藏瓶型诱芯在储存120d后诱虫效果无显著性变化。以药用淀粉和β-环糊精作为主要载体制备缓释型诱芯对暗黑鳃金龟性信息素均具良好的缓释作用;两种缓释型诱芯的持效期分别达19d和30d以上。自制金龟甲型诱捕器和常规漏斗型诱捕器均适用于暗黑鳃金龟的诱捕,其中自制金龟甲型诱捕效率最高。