Objective:To investigate the antidiabetic properties of aqueous extract of stem bark of Afzelia africana(A.africana)and its beneficial effect on haematological parameters in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats.Method...Objective:To investigate the antidiabetic properties of aqueous extract of stem bark of Afzelia africana(A.africana)and its beneficial effect on haematological parameters in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats.Methods:A total of 30 rats including 24 diabetic and 6 normal rats were used for this study.Diabetes was induced in male Wistar rats by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin.After being confirmed diabetic,animals were orally treated with distilled water or extracts at 100 or 200 mg/kg body weight daily for 10 days.The haematological parameters including red blood and white blood cells and their functional indices were evaluated in diabetic treated groups compared with the controls.Results:The extract significantly reduced the blood glucose levels while the best result was obtained at 200 mg/kg body weight The feed and water intake in diabetic rats were significantly reduced while weight loss was minimized at both dosages.Similarly,the levels of red blood,white blood cells and their functional indices were significantly improved after extract administration at both doses.Conclusions:It can be concluded that the aqueous extract of bark of A.africana possesses antihyperglycemic properties.In addition,the extract can prevent various complications of diabetes and improve some haematological parameters.Further experimental investigation is needed to exploit its relevant therapeutic effect to substantiate its ethnomedicinal usage.展开更多
Objective:To determine the acetylcholinesterase inhibitory（AChE1） and antioxidant activity of the ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of 12 traditional medicinal plants used in the treatment of neurological disorder...Objective:To determine the acetylcholinesterase inhibitory（AChE1） and antioxidant activity of the ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of 12 traditional medicinal plants used in the treatment of neurological disorders.Methods:AChEI activity was determined spectrophotometrically using the Ellman’s colorimetric method.Antioxidant activity was carried out by determining the ability of the extracts to scavenge 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl（DPPH） and 2,2’-azinobis- 3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid（ABTS） radicals.The levels of total phenols,flavonoids and flavonols were determined quantitatively using spectrophotometric methods.Results:AChEI was observed to be dose-dependent.Lannea schweinfurthii（L.schweinfurthii）（Engl.） Engl.and Scadoxus puniceus（S.puniceus）（L.） Friis & I.Nordal.root extracts showed the lowest IC<sub>50</sub> value of 0.000 3 mg/mL for the ethyl acetate extracts while Zanthoxylum davyi（Z.davyi）（I.Verd.） P.G. Watermann had the lowest IC<sub>50</sub> value of 0.01 mg/mL for the methanol extracts in the AChEI assay. The roots of Piper capense（P.capense） L.f.,L.schweinfurthii,Ziziphus mucronata（Z.mucronata） Willd.,Z.davyi and Crinum bulbispermum（C.bulbispermum）（Burm.f.） Milne-Redh.& Schweick.showed noteworthy radical scavenging activity and good AChEI activity.Conclusions: Five plants show good antioxidant and AChEI activity.These findings support the traditional use of the plants for treating neurological disorders especially where a cholinesterase mechanism and reactive oxygen species（ROS） are involved.展开更多
High-angle annular dark field(HAADF)imaging in scanning transmission electron microscopy(STEM)has become an indispensable tool in materials science due to its ability to offer sub-°A resolution and provide chemic...High-angle annular dark field(HAADF)imaging in scanning transmission electron microscopy(STEM)has become an indispensable tool in materials science due to its ability to offer sub-°A resolution and provide chemical information through Z-contrast.This study leverages large language models(LLMs)to conduct a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of a large amount of HAADF-related literature(more than 41000 papers).By using LLMs,specifically ChatGPT,we were able to extract detailed information on applications,sample preparation methods,instruments used,and study conclusions.The findings highlight the capability of LLMs to provide a new perspective into HAADF imaging,underscoring its increasingly important role in materials science.Moreover,the rich information extracted from these publications can be harnessed to develop AI models that enhance the automation and intelligence of electron microscopes.展开更多
AIM： To find out the role of bacteria as a possible etiological factor in lymphocytic colitis. METHODS： Twenty patients with histopathological diagnosis of lymphocytic colitis and 10 normal controls were included in...AIM： To find out the role of bacteria as a possible etiological factor in lymphocytic colitis. METHODS： Twenty patients with histopathological diagnosis of lymphocytic colitis and 10 normal controls were included in this study. Colonoscopic biopsies were obtained from three sites （hepatic and splenic flexures and rectosigmoid region）. Each biopsy was divided into two parts. A fresh part was incubated on special cultures for bacterial growth. The other part was used for the preparation of histologic tissue sections that were examined for the presence of bacteria with the help of Giemsa stain. RESULTS： Culture of tissue biopsies revealed bacterial growth in 18 out of 20 patients with lymphocytic colitis mostly Escherichia coil （14/18）, which was found in all rectosigmoid specimens （14/14）, but only in 8/14 and 6/14 of splenic and hepatic flexure specimens respectively. In two of these cases, E coli was associated with proteus. Proteus was found only in one case, Klebsiella in two cases, and Staphylococcus aureus in one case. In the control group, only 2 out of 10 controls showed the growth of E coli in their biopsy cultures. Histopathology showed rod-shaped bacilli in the tissue sections of 12 out of 14 cases with positive E coli in their specimen＇s culture. None of the controls showed these bacteria in histopathological sections. CONCLUSION： This preliminary study reports an association between E coli and lymphocytic colitis, based on histological and culture observations. Serotyping and molecular studies are in process to assess the role of E coli in the pathogenesis of lymphocytic colitis.展开更多
Recordings of seismic waves propagating from earthquake source to a station at the earth’s surface are a system response function. The convolution operator in time domain can be simplified as a multiplication operato...Recordings of seismic waves propagating from earthquake source to a station at the earth’s surface are a system response function. The convolution operator in time domain can be simplified as a multiplication operator in frequency domain. We discuss in frequency domain the separation of source, path and site effects for global scaling of earthquake source radiation. Also discussed are source scaling model, faulting mechanism, and the H/V inversion problems with crustal and near surface structures. Gross features of apparent source spectra appear to be not much region dependent although there may be difference between tectonic styles within a region of tectonic mixture for which we need further study as data accumulate. Vertical spectra may be a better approach to approximate source radiation, as it has less crustal amplification effects than horizontal spectra. The H/V ratio is evidently a comprehensive indicator of amplification effects from near surface to deep structure. This gives it potential as an inversion tool to deduce site crustal structure.展开更多
Objective:To assess the effects of melatonin and/or cysteamineonin vitro maturation, culturing and post-warming of buffalo embryos.Methods: Buffalo oocytes were classified into control, cysteamine (50 μM), melatonin ...Objective:To assess the effects of melatonin and/or cysteamineonin vitro maturation, culturing and post-warming of buffalo embryos.Methods: Buffalo oocytes were classified into control, cysteamine (50 μM), melatonin (10 ng/mL) and cysteamine (50 μM) + melatonin (10 ng/mL) treatment groups. In experiment 1, previous treatments were added duringin vitromaturation and culturing of buffalo oocytes.Results:Cleavage and blastocyst rates were significantly (P<0.05) increased in melatonin treated group (70.5±0.9 and 12.8±1.0, respectively). However this effect was potentiated when combined with cysteamine (74.0±1.7 and 14.8±1.7, respectively). In experiment 2, the treatements were added in maturtaion, culturing as well as post-warming culture media. Embryos at 7 d were vitrified.Viability assessement directly after warming showed significant increase (P<0.05) in cysteamine, melatonin and their combination groups (76.8±2.8, 80.0±2.1 and 83.3±1.7, respectively) than control (65.8±2.4);but the viability after 24 h post-warming was the best in cysteamine + melatonin combination group (61.4±2.1).Conculsions: Enriching maturation, culturing and post-warming media of buffalo oocytes and embryos with melatonin and/or cysteamine have significantly beneficial effects on oocyte developmental competence as well as embryos vitrification procedure outcomes which in turn resulting in enhancement of commercial buffalo embryo production.展开更多
Occipital neuralgia is characterized by severe pain, accompanied by tenderness and trigger points, in the distribution of the greater, lesser, and/or third occipital nerves. Occipital neuralgia is typically idiopathic...Occipital neuralgia is characterized by severe pain, accompanied by tenderness and trigger points, in the distribution of the greater, lesser, and/or third occipital nerves. Occipital neuralgia is typically idiopathic, but also is characterized as a common form of posttraumatic headache. Typical treatments include nerve blocks with local anesthetic, nerve stimulation, pulsed radiofrequency, and cryoablation. OnabotulinumtoxinA (ONA) has recently been utilized in nerve blocks to treat occipital neuralgia, with the potential for a longer duration of pain relief than local anesthetic. Our study retrospectively examined 63 patients treated for occipital neuralgia, including 19 with ONA. 80 - 155 units of ONA were administered bilaterally in the surrounding musculature. A total of 61 patients, including 17 of those subsequently treated with ONA, were treated with local anesthetic, using a 1:1 mixture of 0.25% bupivacaine and 1% lidocaine, plus triamcinolone. Patients reported VAS pain scores before and after their procedures, and again during 4-week follow-up visits. Information on opioid use, overall pain relief, and duration of full relief was also recorded upon follow-up. Patients treated with ONA exhibited significant decreases in average VAS pain scores from 4.1 ± 2.6 pre-procedure to 2.1 ± 2.4 post-procedure (p = 2 × 10<sup> -5</sup>), and 3.0 ± 2.5 4 weeks later (p = 0.0234). Mean overall relief was 75.8% ± 25.0%. Treatment with local anesthetic suggested equally efficacious reduction of VAS scores;however, treatment with ONA showed a significantly higher percentage of overall pain relief leading to follow-up. Opioid use did not exhibit significant change, regardless of treatment type. Our results support the hypothesis that use of Onabotulinum-toxinA in occipital nerve blocks leads to significant decreases in pain, while possibly exhibiting a longer duration of action than that of local anesthetic.展开更多
Occipital neuralgia, while typically idiopathic in presentation, is a common form of posttraumatic headache. It is associated with severe pain in the greater, lesser, and/or third occipital nerves, and often accompani...Occipital neuralgia, while typically idiopathic in presentation, is a common form of posttraumatic headache. It is associated with severe pain in the greater, lesser, and/or third occipital nerves, and often accompanied by tenderness or trigger points in the surrounding musculature. OnabotulinumtoxinA (ONA) has been recently utilized in nerve blocks to treat occipital neuralgia, but current literature supporting such use is scarce. We describe a case of occipital neuralgia in a patient following C1 fracture and vertebral artery dissection due to gunshot injury. Successful treatment with bilateral ONA nerve blocks led to an 80% - 90% improvement in pain, with decreased Visual Analog Scale (VAS) pain scores immediately following treatment and upon follow-up 1 month later.展开更多
Background:The effectiveness of vitamin C in the prevention and treatment of pediatric upper respiratory tract infections was evaluated in a meta-analysis.Methods:A total 2,573 children with upper respiratory tract in...Background:The effectiveness of vitamin C in the prevention and treatment of pediatric upper respiratory tract infections was evaluated in a meta-analysis.Methods:A total 2,573 children with upper respiratory tract infections were included in the meta-analysis,1,280 of whom received vitamin C and 1,293 who received control medication.The analysis of findings related to the studies included was done through random or fixed effects model to determine whether vitamin C supplementation could stop and control upper respiratory tract infections in children using mean difference(MD)with 95%confidence intervals(CIs).Results:On average,vitamin C-treated children had fewer upper respiratory tract infection bouts,their illness lasted shorter(MD-0.84;95%CI-1.47 to-0.20,P=0.009),and they were less contagious than the control.Conclusions:The number of episodes and illness duration of upper respiratory tract-infected pediatric subjects were considerably reduced in the intervention group(vitamin C)compared to the control.Due to the small sample size in four of 11 studies and the limited number of studies included for comparison,the outcomes should be carefully examined.展开更多
文摘Objective:To investigate the antidiabetic properties of aqueous extract of stem bark of Afzelia africana(A.africana)and its beneficial effect on haematological parameters in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats.Methods:A total of 30 rats including 24 diabetic and 6 normal rats were used for this study.Diabetes was induced in male Wistar rats by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin.After being confirmed diabetic,animals were orally treated with distilled water or extracts at 100 or 200 mg/kg body weight daily for 10 days.The haematological parameters including red blood and white blood cells and their functional indices were evaluated in diabetic treated groups compared with the controls.Results:The extract significantly reduced the blood glucose levels while the best result was obtained at 200 mg/kg body weight The feed and water intake in diabetic rats were significantly reduced while weight loss was minimized at both dosages.Similarly,the levels of red blood,white blood cells and their functional indices were significantly improved after extract administration at both doses.Conclusions:It can be concluded that the aqueous extract of bark of A.africana possesses antihyperglycemic properties.In addition,the extract can prevent various complications of diabetes and improve some haematological parameters.Further experimental investigation is needed to exploit its relevant therapeutic effect to substantiate its ethnomedicinal usage.
基金the financial support by the National Research Foundation(Pretoria) and RESCOM (University of Pretoria)
文摘Objective:To determine the acetylcholinesterase inhibitory（AChE1） and antioxidant activity of the ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of 12 traditional medicinal plants used in the treatment of neurological disorders.Methods:AChEI activity was determined spectrophotometrically using the Ellman’s colorimetric method.Antioxidant activity was carried out by determining the ability of the extracts to scavenge 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl（DPPH） and 2,2’-azinobis- 3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid（ABTS） radicals.The levels of total phenols,flavonoids and flavonols were determined quantitatively using spectrophotometric methods.Results:AChEI was observed to be dose-dependent.Lannea schweinfurthii（L.schweinfurthii）（Engl.） Engl.and Scadoxus puniceus（S.puniceus）（L.） Friis & I.Nordal.root extracts showed the lowest IC<sub>50</sub> value of 0.000 3 mg/mL for the ethyl acetate extracts while Zanthoxylum davyi（Z.davyi）（I.Verd.） P.G. Watermann had the lowest IC<sub>50</sub> value of 0.01 mg/mL for the methanol extracts in the AChEI assay. The roots of Piper capense（P.capense） L.f.,L.schweinfurthii,Ziziphus mucronata（Z.mucronata） Willd.,Z.davyi and Crinum bulbispermum（C.bulbispermum）（Burm.f.） Milne-Redh.& Schweick.showed noteworthy radical scavenging activity and good AChEI activity.Conclusions: Five plants show good antioxidant and AChEI activity.These findings support the traditional use of the plants for treating neurological disorders especially where a cholinesterase mechanism and reactive oxygen species（ROS） are involved.
基金National Research Foundation(NRF)Singapore,under its NRF Fellowship(Grant No.NRFNRFF11-2019-0002).
文摘High-angle annular dark field(HAADF)imaging in scanning transmission electron microscopy(STEM)has become an indispensable tool in materials science due to its ability to offer sub-°A resolution and provide chemical information through Z-contrast.This study leverages large language models(LLMs)to conduct a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of a large amount of HAADF-related literature(more than 41000 papers).By using LLMs,specifically ChatGPT,we were able to extract detailed information on applications,sample preparation methods,instruments used,and study conclusions.The findings highlight the capability of LLMs to provide a new perspective into HAADF imaging,underscoring its increasingly important role in materials science.Moreover,the rich information extracted from these publications can be harnessed to develop AI models that enhance the automation and intelligence of electron microscopes.
文摘AIM： To find out the role of bacteria as a possible etiological factor in lymphocytic colitis. METHODS： Twenty patients with histopathological diagnosis of lymphocytic colitis and 10 normal controls were included in this study. Colonoscopic biopsies were obtained from three sites （hepatic and splenic flexures and rectosigmoid region）. Each biopsy was divided into two parts. A fresh part was incubated on special cultures for bacterial growth. The other part was used for the preparation of histologic tissue sections that were examined for the presence of bacteria with the help of Giemsa stain. RESULTS： Culture of tissue biopsies revealed bacterial growth in 18 out of 20 patients with lymphocytic colitis mostly Escherichia coil （14/18）, which was found in all rectosigmoid specimens （14/14）, but only in 8/14 and 6/14 of splenic and hepatic flexure specimens respectively. In two of these cases, E coli was associated with proteus. Proteus was found only in one case, Klebsiella in two cases, and Staphylococcus aureus in one case. In the control group, only 2 out of 10 controls showed the growth of E coli in their biopsy cultures. Histopathology showed rod-shaped bacilli in the tissue sections of 12 out of 14 cases with positive E coli in their specimen＇s culture. None of the controls showed these bacteria in histopathological sections. CONCLUSION： This preliminary study reports an association between E coli and lymphocytic colitis, based on histological and culture observations. Serotyping and molecular studies are in process to assess the role of E coli in the pathogenesis of lymphocytic colitis.
文摘Recordings of seismic waves propagating from earthquake source to a station at the earth’s surface are a system response function. The convolution operator in time domain can be simplified as a multiplication operator in frequency domain. We discuss in frequency domain the separation of source, path and site effects for global scaling of earthquake source radiation. Also discussed are source scaling model, faulting mechanism, and the H/V inversion problems with crustal and near surface structures. Gross features of apparent source spectra appear to be not much region dependent although there may be difference between tectonic styles within a region of tectonic mixture for which we need further study as data accumulate. Vertical spectra may be a better approach to approximate source radiation, as it has less crustal amplification effects than horizontal spectra. The H/V ratio is evidently a comprehensive indicator of amplification effects from near surface to deep structure. This gives it potential as an inversion tool to deduce site crustal structure.
文摘Objective:To assess the effects of melatonin and/or cysteamineonin vitro maturation, culturing and post-warming of buffalo embryos.Methods: Buffalo oocytes were classified into control, cysteamine (50 μM), melatonin (10 ng/mL) and cysteamine (50 μM) + melatonin (10 ng/mL) treatment groups. In experiment 1, previous treatments were added duringin vitromaturation and culturing of buffalo oocytes.Results:Cleavage and blastocyst rates were significantly (P<0.05) increased in melatonin treated group (70.5±0.9 and 12.8±1.0, respectively). However this effect was potentiated when combined with cysteamine (74.0±1.7 and 14.8±1.7, respectively). In experiment 2, the treatements were added in maturtaion, culturing as well as post-warming culture media. Embryos at 7 d were vitrified.Viability assessement directly after warming showed significant increase (P<0.05) in cysteamine, melatonin and their combination groups (76.8±2.8, 80.0±2.1 and 83.3±1.7, respectively) than control (65.8±2.4);but the viability after 24 h post-warming was the best in cysteamine + melatonin combination group (61.4±2.1).Conculsions: Enriching maturation, culturing and post-warming media of buffalo oocytes and embryos with melatonin and/or cysteamine have significantly beneficial effects on oocyte developmental competence as well as embryos vitrification procedure outcomes which in turn resulting in enhancement of commercial buffalo embryo production.
文摘Occipital neuralgia is characterized by severe pain, accompanied by tenderness and trigger points, in the distribution of the greater, lesser, and/or third occipital nerves. Occipital neuralgia is typically idiopathic, but also is characterized as a common form of posttraumatic headache. Typical treatments include nerve blocks with local anesthetic, nerve stimulation, pulsed radiofrequency, and cryoablation. OnabotulinumtoxinA (ONA) has recently been utilized in nerve blocks to treat occipital neuralgia, with the potential for a longer duration of pain relief than local anesthetic. Our study retrospectively examined 63 patients treated for occipital neuralgia, including 19 with ONA. 80 - 155 units of ONA were administered bilaterally in the surrounding musculature. A total of 61 patients, including 17 of those subsequently treated with ONA, were treated with local anesthetic, using a 1:1 mixture of 0.25% bupivacaine and 1% lidocaine, plus triamcinolone. Patients reported VAS pain scores before and after their procedures, and again during 4-week follow-up visits. Information on opioid use, overall pain relief, and duration of full relief was also recorded upon follow-up. Patients treated with ONA exhibited significant decreases in average VAS pain scores from 4.1 ± 2.6 pre-procedure to 2.1 ± 2.4 post-procedure (p = 2 × 10<sup> -5</sup>), and 3.0 ± 2.5 4 weeks later (p = 0.0234). Mean overall relief was 75.8% ± 25.0%. Treatment with local anesthetic suggested equally efficacious reduction of VAS scores;however, treatment with ONA showed a significantly higher percentage of overall pain relief leading to follow-up. Opioid use did not exhibit significant change, regardless of treatment type. Our results support the hypothesis that use of Onabotulinum-toxinA in occipital nerve blocks leads to significant decreases in pain, while possibly exhibiting a longer duration of action than that of local anesthetic.
文摘Occipital neuralgia, while typically idiopathic in presentation, is a common form of posttraumatic headache. It is associated with severe pain in the greater, lesser, and/or third occipital nerves, and often accompanied by tenderness or trigger points in the surrounding musculature. OnabotulinumtoxinA (ONA) has been recently utilized in nerve blocks to treat occipital neuralgia, but current literature supporting such use is scarce. We describe a case of occipital neuralgia in a patient following C1 fracture and vertebral artery dissection due to gunshot injury. Successful treatment with bilateral ONA nerve blocks led to an 80% - 90% improvement in pain, with decreased Visual Analog Scale (VAS) pain scores immediately following treatment and upon follow-up 1 month later.
文摘Background:The effectiveness of vitamin C in the prevention and treatment of pediatric upper respiratory tract infections was evaluated in a meta-analysis.Methods:A total 2,573 children with upper respiratory tract infections were included in the meta-analysis,1,280 of whom received vitamin C and 1,293 who received control medication.The analysis of findings related to the studies included was done through random or fixed effects model to determine whether vitamin C supplementation could stop and control upper respiratory tract infections in children using mean difference(MD)with 95%confidence intervals(CIs).Results:On average,vitamin C-treated children had fewer upper respiratory tract infection bouts,their illness lasted shorter(MD-0.84;95%CI-1.47 to-0.20,P=0.009),and they were less contagious than the control.Conclusions:The number of episodes and illness duration of upper respiratory tract-infected pediatric subjects were considerably reduced in the intervention group(vitamin C)compared to the control.Due to the small sample size in four of 11 studies and the limited number of studies included for comparison,the outcomes should be carefully examined.
