The usefulness of measuring n-butyric acid concentration as a new indicator of blood decomposition in forensic autopsy

In forensic medicine, although various alcohols have been reported as indicators of decomposition in collected blood, no studies have examined short-chain fatty acids as indicators. In this study, the blood n-butyric acid concentration was quantified, and the association between n-butyric acid and decomposition was investigated to determine whether the detection of n-butyric acid could be a new indicator of decomposition. Among the forensic autopsies performed from 2016 to 2018 in our laboratory, the cases were divided into decomposed (n = 20) and non-decomposed (n = 20) groups based on macroscopic findings. Blood samples collected at the time of autopsy were derivatized with 3-nitrophenylhydrazine hydrochloride after solid-phase extraction. The n-butyric acid concentration was measured using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. In addition, ethanol and n-propanol were measured using a gas chromatography-flame ionization detector. There was a significant difference (p < 0.01) in the concentrations of n-butyric acid between the decomposed and non-decomposed groups (0.343 ± 0.259 [0.030–0.973] and 0.003 ± 0.002 [0.001–0.007] mg/mL, respectively). In the decomposed group, n-butyric acid was detected at high concentrations, even in cases where n-propanol was low. These results suggest that n-butyric acid is more likely to be an indicator of blood decomposition than n-propanol.     

Zhang Weishen: A Pioneer in the Development and Industrial Production of Penicillin in New China

The research and development of penicillin started with difficulty before 1949 and achieved certain results. In 1951, after the founding of the People's Republic of China, Zhang Weishen, as the only Chinese scientist who had been trained and worked in a penicillin research and development center in the United States for many years, overcame many difficulties and returned to China. In 1953, with the efforts of Zhang Weishen and his colleagues, China realized the industrialized production of penicillin, alleviating the urgent needs of the masses. Antibiotics has also become the first discipline to achieve major scientific and technological achievements after the founding of the New China. In the mid-1950s, the technical breakthrough in the localization of lactose substitutes marked the localization of the raw materials of the penicillin-producing culture medium, which paved the way for the industrialized production of penicillin with Chinese characteristics. Antibiotics have become one of the most widely used and affordable drugs for hundreds of millions of patients in China, and China has since ended the humiliating history of the “Sick Man of East Asia".     

Semi-perfusion cultures of suspension MDCK cells enable high cell concentrations and efficient influenza A virus production

Control and prevention of rapid influenza spread among humans depend on the availability of efficient and safe seasonal and pandemic vaccines, made primarily from inactivated influenza virus particles. Current influenza virus production processes rely heavily on embryonated chicken eggs or on cell culture as substrate for virus propagation. Today’s efforts towards process intensification in animal cell culture could innovate viral vaccine manufacturing using high-yield suspension cells in high cell density perfusion processes. In this work, we present a MDCK cell line adapted to grow as single cell suspension with a doubling time of less than 20 h, achieving cell concentrations over 1 × 10⁷ cells/mL in batch mode. Influenza A virus titer obtained in batch infections were 3.6 log₁₀(HAU/100 µL) for total- and 10⁹ virions/mL for infectious virus particles (TCID₅₀), respectively. In semi-perfusion mode concentrations up to 6 × 10⁷ cells/mL, accumulated virus titer of 4.5 log₁₀(HAU/100 µL) and infectious titer of almost 10¹⁰ virions/mL (TCID₅₀) were possible. This exceeds results reported previously for cell culture-based influenza virus propagation by far and suggests perfusion cultures as the preferred method in viral vaccine manufacturing.     

系统中药学指导下的益母草多维评价研究

系统中药学是基于现代中药学学科的开创者凌一揆教授"大中药"的思想,是研究中药复杂系统品种、品质、制药、药性、功效、应用等关键要素发生、发展、变化的科学。本文论述了系统中药学的科学内涵,报告了在系统中药学指导下益母草"品质制性效应"的研究实践。     

白芷无公害规范化种植技术

目的：为了解决白芷生产过程中盲目引种、生产无序等导致的药材品质不达标、农残超标等问题，对白芷无公害规范化种植技术进行探讨。方法：利用药用植物全球产地生态适宜性区划信息系统(GMPGIS)Ⅱ对白芷栽培选地进行科学预测，得出潜在的白芷和川白芷各自生态适宜区。同时，根据白芷种质资源现状、产区考察、文献研究，建立一套无公害白芷规范化种植技术体系。结果：白芷引种栽培以黑龙江、河北、内蒙古、山西、河南一带为宜；川白芷引种栽培以湖南、江西、四川、浙江、贵州一带为宜。建立了一套从选地整地、播种、间苗定苗、施肥、田间管理、病虫害防治、采收储存、良种繁育的完整无公害白芷规范化种植体系。结论：白芷无公害规范化种植技术体系的建立为白芷无公害精细栽培奠定基础，也为现阶段中药材种植产业精细、集约、高产、高品质的种植发展方向提供参考。     

参麦注射液质量影响因素的研究进展

参麦注射液是由红参、麦冬制得的中药注射剂,具有益气固脱、养阴生津、生脉的功效,临床上用于治疗气阴两虚型之休克、冠心病、病毒性心肌炎、慢性肺心病、粒细胞减少症。主要围绕与产品质量紧密相关的生产工艺、药材质量、辅料3个方面进行总结,为优化该产品的生产工艺、提高产品质量提供参考。     

羌活中的香豆素类成分及其抑制脂多糖诱导的RAW 264.7细胞NO生成活性的研究

目的研究羌活Notopterygium incisum的香豆素类成分及其抗炎活性。方法采用硅胶、HPLC等柱色谱方法进行分离纯化,通过质谱、核磁共振波谱数据鉴定化合物的结构;采用脂多糖(LPS)诱导的小鼠巨噬细胞RAW 264.7炎症反应模型,考察羌活中香豆素类成分对炎症反应模型一氧化氮(NO)生成的影响。结果从羌活甲醇提取物分离得到24个香豆素类化合物,分别鉴定为异欧前胡素(1)、川白芷素(2)、补骨脂素(3)、香柑内酯(4)、茵陈素(5)、欧芹酚(6)、5-去氢羌活醇(7)、环氧脱水羌活醇(8)、7″-O-甲基异羌活醇(9)、佛手柑素(10)、7-异戊烯氧基-6-甲氧基-香豆素(11)、栓翅芹烯醇(12)、羌活醇(13)、去甲呋喃羽叶芸香素(14)、异羌活醇(15)、蛇床夫内酯(16)、6-异戊烯氧基伞形花内酯(17)、紫花前胡苷元(18)、异虎耳草素(19)、紫花前胡苷(20)、前胡苷V(21)、前胡苷I(22)、印枳苷元-11-O-β-D-吡喃葡萄糖基-(1→6)-β-D-吡喃葡萄糖苷(23)、羌活苷(24)。化合物7～10、13和15抑制LPS诱导的RAW 264.7细胞NO生成活性最强,最大半数抑制浓度(IC_(50))值为8.50～35.12μmol/L。结论化合物7为新的天然产物,化合物17为首次从羌活中分离得到;C-5位上具有多烯烃结构的香豆素抑制LPS诱导的RAW 264.7细胞NO生成活性较强。     

Exercise Intolerance in Patients With Heart Failure: JACC State-of-the-Art Review

Exercise intolerance is the cardinal symptom of heart failure (HF) and is of crucial relevance, because it is associated with a poor quality of life and increased mortality. While impaired cardiac reserve is considered to be central in HF, reduced exercise and functional capacity are the result of key patient characteristics and multisystem dysfunction, including aging, impaired pulmonary reserve, as well as peripheral and respiratory skeletal muscle dysfunction. We herein review the different modalities to quantify exercise intolerance, the pathophysiology of HF, and comorbid conditions as they lead to reductions in exercise and functional capacity, highlighting the fact that distinct causes may coexist and variably contribute to exercise intolerance in patients with HF.     

泽泻原三萜、降三萜和倍半萜的分离及其抗炎活性研究＊

目的 对泽泻中原三萜、降三萜和倍半萜化学成分分离和鉴定及其抗炎活性进行研究；方法 采用硅胶柱色谱、凝胶柱色谱、高速逆流色谱、中压制备色谱和半制备色谱法对泽泻中各类化合物进行分离，利用¹H和¹³C NMR对分离化合物进行结构鉴定；通过测定各单体对LPS（1 μg·mL^-1）诱导Caco-2细胞中NO生成的抑制作用评价其抗炎活性。结果 从泽泻中分离得到19个化合物，包括8个原三萜类成分：alisol A 23 acetate （1），alisol G （2），16-oxo-11-anhydroalisol A （3），16-oxo-11-anhydroalisol A 24 acetate （4），alisoma A （5），alisoma B （6），alismanol J （7），alismanol B （8）；1个降三萜类成分：17-nor-protostane （9）；9个倍半萜类成分：orientalol L （10），orientalol M （11），orientalol N （12），orientalol O （13），orientalol P （14），alismanoid A （15），heyneanones D （16），leptocladol B （17），chabrolidione B （18）；1个木脂素类成分：pnoresinol （19）。原三萜类成分均具有显著的抑制活性，化合物1-8的IC₅₀分别为2.1、0.9、7.3、10.0、11.0、16.0、13.5和10.5 μmol·mL^-1，降三萜及倍半萜活性较弱，化合物10、11、13、15、16和17的IC₅₀分别为24.0、26.2、30.6、15.7、17.2和15.2 μmol·mL^-1。结论 化合物16、17、18和19为该植物首次分离得到。首次报道了倍半萜类成分对LPS诱导Caco-2细胞中NO生成的抑制作用，其中alisol A 23 acetate和alisol G的抑制活性最强。