川产道地药材暗紫贝母生态因子的动态监测研究

目的：监测暗紫贝母生态因子的动态变化。方法：在川产道地药材暗紫贝母的野生生态环境与栽培生产场地,安装溯源监测设备,利用通用分组无线服务技术(GPRS)网络进行数据的远程无线传输,通过平台网站实时获得产地的生态因子动态数据(土壤温湿度、空气温湿度、光照、气压),结合暗紫贝母的生物学特性,对不同产地与栽培环境条件下,暗紫贝母生长旺盛期的动态生态因子的变化规律进行分析。结果：生态因子是影响中药材品质的关键因素之一。海拔是影响暗紫贝母生态因子的主要因素,随着海拔的降低,相关生态因子都发生了变化,如气压升高、光照减弱、空气湿度增大、土壤温度升高。大棚对贝母生态因子如气温、光照强度的影响十分显著,可能与大棚栽培的药材形态与品质的变化之间存在一定的相关性。野生环境的生态因子优于人工栽培的条件,如伴生植被好,土壤湿度大于大田与大棚,更有利于暗紫贝母的生长。建议在适宜的生态环境中栽培与野生抚育暗紫贝母。结论：溯源监测设备能够实时获得暗紫贝母准确的生态因子数据。     

远志地上部分中一个新的酰胺木脂素

目的 研究远志Polygala tenuifolia Wild.地上部分的化学成分.方法 远志地上部分70％乙醇提取物采用硅胶、ODS、Sephadex LH-20以及制备型HPLC等进行分离纯化,根据理化性质及波谱数据鉴定所得化合物的结构.结果 从中分离得到5个化合物,分别鉴定为tenuifolimide A(1)、...     

Factors associated with fruit and vegetable consumption among adults

Background: The higher consumption of fruit and vegetables is considered to be an indicator of healthy eating and the protective effects of fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption for noncommunicable diseases have been investigated extensively. The present study aimed to investigate the association between fruit and vegetable intake (FVI), health behaviours and socio‐demographic factors among adult Canadians. Methods: This analysis was based on the information from the Canadian Community Health Survey, Cycle 3.1. Daily intake of fruit and vegetables from a total number of 15 512 apparently healthy individuals, aged 18–64 years, were assessed using a structured questionnaire, which included 20 questions on the frequency of consumption of different types of fruit and vegetables. Multiple logistic regression models were used to determine the association between FVI and some socio‐economic factors and lifestyle behaviour among adult Canadians. Results: In total 77% of Canadian adults consumed fruit and vegetables less than five times per day. Females were more likely to consume more fruit [odds ratio (OR) 2.05; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.75–2.4], vegetables (OR 1.95; 95% CI 1.65–2.29) and FV (OR 2.52; 95% CI 2.20–2.90) than males. Single/never married individuals, individuals with higher levels of education, never smokers, former drinkers and older people reported more consumption of fruit and vegetables than others. Conclusions: The results obtained in the present study indicate an association between FVI and some socio‐economic and healthy lifestyle behaviours, and that a substantial gap exists between the recommended level and the actual intake of the FV among the Canadian population. Because a higher intake of FV improves public health, it is imperative to tailor nutrition education at the individual and community levels in Canadian populations.     

天葵生长发育习性与药材形态形成相关性研究

目的:探讨天葵的生长发育特性及规律,以及与不同形状药材的关系。方法:在生长期对天葵进行连续的观察与研究,并对市售天葵药材进行观察与测量。结果:种子萌发植株及其后主根萌发的第1～2年植株只有基生叶,无地上茎不开花;此后每年从主根顶端萌发植株并开花结果,地上茎数、开花数、根的大小逐渐增加。天葵的药用部位不是块根,应为肉质直根。天葵地上植株的生长经过从秋季-冬季-次年春季,春季开花结果,以肉质直根越夏。天葵的生长习性与温度有较大关系。不同生长年限天葵药材性状不同,野生状态下天葵药材形成约需3年以上。结论:为天葵的栽培及进一步利用提供参考,为天葵药材鉴别提供依据。     

Detection of glycosidic residues in carpal glands of wild and domestic pig revealed by basic and lectin histochemistry

Carpal glands are compound tubuloalveolar glands, located on the medial surface of the carpus. This study was carried out on samples from carpal glands of adult wild and domestic pigs of both sexes. We elucidated the glycosidic composition of carpal gland secretion in situ using traditional histochemical methods and lectin histochemistry. Some secretory cells exhibited an intense reaction with PAS in both wild and domestic pigs. Lectin histochemistry showed differences in the localization and composition of glycoconjugates secreted by carpal glands. A cytoplasmic positivity was revealed in the wild pig by the sequence sialidase-PNA and WGA, whereas in the domestic pig the reactivity was localized at the apical surface of some cells. LTA positive cells were found only in the carpal glands of the domestic pig.     

Wild and commercial mushrooms as source of nutrients and nutraceuticals

In order to promote the use of mushrooms as source of nutrients and nutraceuticals, several experiments were performed in wild and commercial species. The analysis of nutrients included determination of proteins, fats, ash, and carbohydrates, particularly sugars by HPLC-RI. The analysis of nutraceuticals included determination of fatty acids by GC-FID, and other phytochemicals such as tocopherols, by HPLC-fluorescence, and phenolics, flavonoids, carotenoids and ascorbic acid, by spectrophotometer techniques. The antimicrobial properties of the mushrooms were also screened against fungi, Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. The wild mushroom species proved to be less energetic than the commercial sp., containing higher contents of protein and lower fat concentrations. In general, commercial species seem to have higher concentrations of sugars, while wild sp. contained lower values of MUFA but also higher contents of PUFA. alpha-Tocopherol was detected in higher amounts in the wild species, while gamma-tocopherol was not found in these species. Wild mushrooms revealed a higher content of phenols but a lower content of ascorbic acid, than commercial mushrooms. There were no differences between the antimicrobial properties of wild and commercial species. The ongoing research will lead to a new generation of foods, and will certainly promote their nutritional and medicinal use.     

Effect of prescribed burning on wildfire severity: a landscape-scale case study from the 2003 fires in Victoria

This study examined the effect of previous fuel reduction burning (FRB) on the severity of the >1 million ha 2003 Alpine Fire in eastern Victoria. Sixty-five paired observations (130 total) of fire severity were completed across the broad fire area using GIS (Geographic Information System) analysis. Despite the broad scatter in this large data set, a number of strong trends were evident. A Fire Severity Index (FSI) was calculated from the correlated fire, weather and topographic variables, with a three-factor model using the forest fire danger index (FFDI), fire or FRB age and percentage of north-western aspect, best explaining the variation in measured fire-severity data. The most important finding was that the reduction in fire severity and suppression assistance effects of previous fuel-reduction burning started to decline substantially when the FFDI exceeded 50. Above FFDI 50, landscape-scale fires became ‘weather-dominated’ and variation in fuel and topography became less important to continued fire spread. The greatest effects of previous FRB in reducing wildfire severity and in assisting fire suppression occurred when (1) the FFDI fell to 25 or less (late in the evening and overnight); (2) the age of the FRB was less than 3 years (i.e. when all three components of fuel—surface, bark and elevated material—were still substantially reduced). Some fire-severity reduction effects were still evident for FRBs up to 10 years old, but there was almost no evidence of FRBs older than 10 years having any effect on fire severity. FRBs up to 10 years old also had measurable effects on increasing burnt area patchiness and decreasing canopy loss, both of which have ecological implications. This study provides fire managers planning rotational landscape FRB with important information on likely effects of the burning on fire severity.     

Anti-cancer effects of traditional Korean wild vegetables in complementary and alternative medicine

This research study explored the anti-cancer effects of natural materials in South Korea. Although South Korea has a long history of traditional medicine, many natural materials of South Korea have not yet been introduced to the rest of the world because of language barriers and inconsistent study conditions. In the past 3 years, 56 papers introducing 56 natural materials, which have anti-cancer effects, have been published by scientists in South Korea. Further, these studies have introduced five kinds of natural materials presented in research papers that were written in Korean and are therefore virtually unknown overseas. The anti-cancer effects were confirmed by 2–3 cancer markers in the majority of the studies, with the most common targets being breast cancer cells and gastric cancer cells. These cancers have the greatest incidence in South Korea. The natural materials studied not only exhibit anti-cancer activity but also display anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative stress, and anti-diabetic activities. They have not yet been used for the direct treatment of disease but have potential as medicinal materials for alternative and complementary medicine for the treatment of many modern diseases. Many natural materials of South Korea are already known all over the world, and with this study, we hope to further future research to learn more about these natural medicines.     

Recruitment to a Randomized Web-Based Nutritional Intervention Trial: Characteristics of Participants Compared to Non-Participants

Background

Web-based behavioral programs efficiently disseminate health information to a broad population, and online tailoring may increase their effectiveness. While the number of Internet-based behavioral interventions has grown in the last several years, additional information is needed to understand the characteristics of subjects who enroll in these interventions, relative to those subjects who are invited to enroll.

Objective

The aim of the study was to compare the characteristics of participants who enrolled in an online dietary intervention trial (MENU) with those who were invited but chose not to participate, in order to better understand how these groups differ.

Methods

The MENU trial was conducted among five health plans participating in the HMO Cancer Research Network in collaboration with the University of Michigan Center for Health Communication Research. Approximately 6000 health plan members per site, between the ages of 21 and 65, and stratified by gender with oversampling of minority populations, were randomly selected for recruitment and were mailed an invitation letter containing website information and a US$2 bill with the promise of US$20 for completing follow-up surveys. Administrative and area-based data using geocoding along with baseline survey data were used to compare invitees (HMO members sent the introductory letter), responders (those who entered a study ID on the website), and enrollees (those who completed the enrollment process). Generalized estimating equation multivariate and logistic regression models were used to assess predictors of response and enrollment.

Results

Of 28,460 members invited to participate, 4270 (15.0%) accessed the website. Of the eligible responders, 2540 (8.9%) completed the consent form and baseline survey and were enrolled and randomized. The odds of responding were 10% lower for every decade of increased age (P < .001), while the likelihood of enrolling was 10% higher for every decade increase in age (P < .001). Women were more likely to respond and to enroll (P < .001). Those living in a census tract associated with higher education levels were more likely to respond and enroll, as well as those residing in tracts with higher income (P < .001). With a 22% (n = 566) enrollment rate for African Americans and 8% (n = 192) for Hispanics, the enrolled sample was more racially and ethnically diverse than the background sampling frame.

Conclusions

Relative to members invited to participate in the Internet-based intervention, those who enrolled were more likely to be older and live in census tracts associated with higher socioeconomic status. While oversampling of minority health plan members generated an enrolled sample that was more racially and ethnically diverse than the overall health plan population, additional research is needed to better understand methods that will expand the penetration of Internet interventions into more socioeconomically diverse populations.

Trial Registration

Clinicaltrials.gov {"type":"clinical-trial","attrs":{"text":"NCT00169312","term_id":"NCT00169312"}}NCT00169312; http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/{"type":"clinical-trial","attrs":{"text":"NCT00169312","term_id":"NCT00169312"}}NCT00169312 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/5jB50xSfU)