Medicinal plants used by the Yi ethnic group: a case study in central Yunnan

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>This paper is based on ethnomedicinal investigation conducted from 1999–2002 in Chuxiong, central Yunnan Province, Southwest China. The Yi medicine has made a great contribution to the ethnomedicinal field in China. Neither case studies nor integrated inventories have previously been conducted to investigate the traditional Yi plants. This paper aims to argue the status and features of medicinal plants used in traditional Yi societies through a case study.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The approaches of ethnobotany, anthropology, and participatory rural appraisal were used in the field surveys. Twenty-two informants in four counties were interviewed during eight field trips. Medicinal plant specimens were identified according to taxonomic methods.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>One hundred sixteen medicinal plant species were found to be useful by the local people in the treatment of various diseases or disorders, especially those relating to trauma, gastrointestinal disorders and the common cold. Among these 116 species, 25 species (21.55%) were found to have new curative effects and 40 species (34.48%) were recorded for their new preparation methods; 55 different species were used in treating wounds and fractures, and 47 were used to treat gastrointestinal disorders. Traditional Yi herbal medicines are characterized by their numerous quantities of herbaceous plants and their common preparation with alcohol.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Totally 116 species in 58 families of medicinal plants traditionally used by the Yi people were inventoried and documented. The characteristics of medicinal plants were analyzed. Some new findings (such as new curative effects and new preparation methods) were recorded These newly gathered ethnobotanical and medicinal data are precious sources for the future development of new drugs, and for further phytochemical, pharmacological and clinical studies.</p

A memória da luz : customizações e encontros com o espectador

Tese (doutorado)—Universidade de Brasília, Instituto de Artes, Departamento de Artes Visuais, 2017.O presente trabalho fala do desenvolvimento e aplicação de simulacros computacionais da luz como opção poética que é estética e empiricamente investigada de modo a envolver a comparação de minhas percepções e meus horizontes, como artista, com os de meus espectadores, como forma de encontrar aproximações e distâncias entre essas percepções e horizontes enquanto criações necessariamente implicadas na fruição esteticamente qualificada desses simulacros, em favor de um maior entendimento sobre o que poderia ser um encontro ou comunicação possível entre autor e receptor e na expectativa de obter, pelo somatório de percepções e horizontes colhidos desses espectadores, uma revelação paulatina das propostas artísticas correspondentes a esses simulacros.This work is about the development and application of computer light simulacra as poetic option that is aesthetically and empirically investigated in a way that involves the comparison of my perceptions and horizons, as an artist, with those of my spectators, as a way to find the proximities and distances between those perceptions and horizons as creations necessarily implied in the fruition aesthetically qualified of these simulacra, in favor of a greater understanding of what could be a possible encounter or communication between author and receiver and in the expectation of a gradual revelation of the artistic proposals corresponding to these simulacra, by the sum of perceptions and horizons taken from those spectators

Organized breast screening improves reattendance compared to physician referral: a case control study

Abstract Background The Ontario Breast Screening Program (OBSP) is a population-based breast screening programme, not requiring physician referral. OBSP invites women by mail to book their next screens. However, women who do not participate in the OBSP, may be referred by physicians to non-OBSP mammography facilities, which do not remind women to book their next screen. Methods We identified women without breast cancer prior to June 30, 2011, having bilateral mammography (M) during a baseline period at age 50 – 69 at OBSP or non-OBSP facilities, and during a re-exposure period, at the same facility type. We used a case-control design to study the association of facility type and having M during an outcome period. Cases were women failing to receive the outcome M. Controls were matched by age, census tract, and socioeconomic status. Exposure was baseline facility type. Covariates were comorbidity, residential mobility, and primary care physician (PCP) characteristics. Conditional logistic regression analysis was performed. Results Cases were less likely to have been screened at OBSP facilities. Failure to receive the outcome M was associated with having moved after re-exposure M (OR = 1.61, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.52, 1.71), having a male PCP (OR = 1.05, 95% CI 1.02, 1.05), or a higher Charlson score (OR = 1.06 per unit increase, 95% CI 1.03, 1.09). Having re-exposure M at an OBSP facility (OR = 0.18, 95% CI 0.18, 0.19)., having a Canadian trained PCP (OR = 0.83, 95% CI 0.8, 0.87), and having a PCP one year after the re-exposure M (OR = 0.81, 95% CI 0.68, 0.97) were protective against failure to receive the outcome M. Conclusions The OBSP, not requiring physician referral, and inviting women by mail to book their next screen, is associated with a lower probability of failure to reattend for subsequent screening than screening by PCP referral to non-OBSP facilities

Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity of Two-Dimensional Polar Monolayer SiTe for Water-Splitting via Strain Engineering

A two-dimensional (2D) polar monolayer with a polarization electric field can be used as a potential photocatalyst. In this work, first principle calculations were used to investigate the stability and photocatalytic properties of 2D polar monolayer SiTe as a potential promising catalyst in water-splitting. Our results show that the 2D polar monolayer SiTe possesses an indirect band gap of 2.41 eV, a polarization electric field from the (001) surface to the (001¯) surface, a wide absorption region, and a suitable band alignment for photocatalytic water-splitting. We also discovered that the photocatalytic activity of 2D polar monolayer SiTe could be effectively tuned through strain engineering. Additionally, strain engineering, particularly compressive strain in the range from −1% to −3%, can enhance the photocatalytic activity of 2D polar monolayer SiTe. Overall, our findings suggest that 2D polar monolayer SiTe has the potential to be a promising catalyst for photocatalytic water-splitting using visible light

Prevalence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms and their associations with sleep schedules and sleep-related problems among preschoolers in mainland China

Abstract Background Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among children is an increasing public health concern. The identification of behavioral risk factors, including sleep quality, has important public health implications for prioritizing behavioral intervention strategies for ADHD. Herein, this study aimed to investigate the prevalence of high levels of ADHD symptoms and to explore the association between sleep schedules, sleep-related problems and ADHD symptoms among preschoolers aged 3 to 6 years in mainland China. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted, comprising a large sample of 15,291 preschoolers in Ma’anshan city of Anhui Province in China. ADHD symptoms were assessed by the 10-item Chinese version of the Conners Abbreviated Symptom Questionnaire (C-ASQ). Sleep-related variables included caregivers’ responses to specific questions addressing children’s daytime and nighttime sleep schedules, as well as sleep-related behaviors. Data on other factors were also collected, such as socio-demographic characteristics, TV viewing duration on weekdays and weekends, and outdoor activities. Logistic regression models were used to analyze the relationships between sleep schedules, sleep-related problems and ADHD symptoms. Results Approximately 8.6% of the total sample of preschoolers had high levels of ADHD symptoms, with boys having higher levels than girls (9.9% vs. 7.2%). In the logistic regression analysis, after adjusting for TV viewing duration, outdoor activities, and socio-demographic characteristics, delayed bedtime was significantly associated with a risk of high levels of ADHD symptoms, with odds ratios (OR) of 2.50 [95% confidence interval (CI): 2.09 ~ 3.00] and 2.04 (95% CI: 1.72 ~ 2.42) for weekdays and weekends, respectively. Longer time falling asleep (≥ 31 min) (OR = 1.76, 95% CI: 1.47 ~ 2.11), no naps (OR = 1.57, 95% CI: 1.34 ~ 1.84) and frequent sleep-related problems (OR = 4.57, 95% CI: 3.86 ~ 5.41) were also significantly associated with an increased risk of high levels of ADHD symptoms, while longer sleep duration (> 8.5 h) was associated with a decreased risk of high levels of ADHD symptoms (OR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.67~ 0.87). Conclusions ADHD symptoms are prevalent in preschoolers in Ma’anshan region, China. Undesirable sleep schedules and sleep-related problems among preschoolers confer a risk of ADHD symptoms, highlighting the finding that beneficial and regular sleep habits potentially attenuate ADHD symptoms among preschoolers

Performance and Cost-Effectiveness of Computed Tomography Lung Cancer Screening Scenarios in a Population-Based Setting: A Microsimulation Modeling Analysis in Ontario, Canada

Background: The National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) results indicate that computed tomography (CT) lung cancer screening for current and former smokers with three annual screens can be cost-effective in a trial setting. However, the cost-effectiveness in a population-based setting with >3 screening rounds is uncertain. Therefore, the objective of this study was to estimate the cost-effectiveness of lung cancer screening in a population-based setting in Ontario, Canada, and evaluate the effects of screening eligibility criteria. Methods and Findings: This study used microsimulation modeling informed by various data sources, including the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP), Ontario Cancer Registry, smoking behavior surveys, and the NLST. Persons, born between 1940 and 1969, were examined from a third-party health care payer perspective across a lifetime horizon. Starting in 2015, 576 CT screening scenarios were examined, varying by age to start and end screening, smoking eligibility criteria, and screening interval. Among the examined outcome measures were lung cancer deaths averted, life-years gained, percentage ever screened, costs (in 2015 Canadian dollars), and overdiagnosis. The results of the base-case analysis indicated that annual screening was more cost-effective than biennial screening. Scenarios with eligibility criteria that required as few as 20 pack-years were dominated by scenarios that required higher numbers of accumulated pack-years. In general, scenarios that applied stringent smoking eligibility criteria (i.e., requiring higher levels of accumulated smoking exposure) were more cost-effective than scenarios with less stringent smoking eligibility criteria, with modest differences in life-years gained. Annual screening between ages 55–75 for persons who smoked ≥40 pack-years and who currently smoke or quit ≤10 y ago yielded an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $41,136 Canadian dollars ($33,825 in May 1, 2015, United States dollars) per life-year gained (compared to annual screening between ages 60–75 for persons who smoked ≥40 pack-years and who currently smoke or quit ≤10 y ago), which was considered optimal at a cost-effectiveness threshold of $50,000 Canadian dollars ($41,114 May 1, 2015, US dollars). If 50% lower or higher attributable costs were assumed, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of this scenario was estimated to be $38,240 ($31,444 May 1, 2015, US dollars) or $48,525 ($39,901 May 1, 2015, US dollars), respectively. If 50% lower or higher costs for CT examinations were assumed, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of this scenario was estimated to be $28,630 ($23,542 May 1, 2015, US dollars) or $73,507 ($60,443 May 1, 2015, US dollars), respectively. This scenario would screen 9.56% (499,261 individuals) of the total population (ever- and never-smokers) at least once, which would require 4,788,523 CT examinations, and reduce l

Potential Involvement of Snail Members in Neuronal Survival and Astrocytic Migration during the Gecko Spinal Cord Regeneration

Certain regenerative vertebrates such as fish, amphibians and reptiles are capable of regenerating spinal cord after injury. Most neurons of spinal cord will survive from the injury and regrow axons to repair circuits with an absence of glial scar formation. However, the underlying mechanisms of neuronal anti-apoptosis and glia-related responses have not been fully clarified during the regenerative process. Gecko has becoming an inspiring model to address spinal cord regeneration in amniotes. In the present study, we investigated the regulatory roles of Snail family members, the important transcriptional factors involved in both triggering of the cell migration and cell survival, during the spontaneous spinal cord regeneration. Both Snail1 and Snail3 have been shown to promote neuronal survival and astrocytic migration via anti-apoptotic and GTPases signaling following gecko tail amputation. Transforming growth factor-beta (TGFβ), together with other cytokines were involved in inducing expression of Snail protein. Our data indicate a conserved function of Snail proteins in embryonic development and tissue regeneration, which may provide clues for CNS repair in the mammals

The Heterologous Expression of the Chrysanthemum R2R3-MYB Transcription Factor <i>CmMYB1</i> Alters Lignin Composition and Represses Flavonoid Synthesis in <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i>

<div><p>Plant R2R3-MYB transcription factor genes are widely distributed in higher plants and play important roles in the regulation of many secondary metabolites at the transcriptional level. In this study, a chrysanthemum subgroup 4 R2R3-MYB transcription factor gene, designated <i>CmMYB1</i>, was isolated through screening chrysanthemum EST (expressed sequence tag) libraries and using rapid application of cDNA ends (RACE) methods and functionally characterized. <i>CmMYB1</i> is expressed in the root, stem, leaf and flowers, but most strongly in the stem and most weakly in the root. Its heterologous expression in <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i> reduced the lignin content and altered the lignin composition. The heterologous expression also repressed the flavonoids content in <i>A. thaliana</i>. Together, these results suggested that <i>CmMYB1</i> is a negative regulator of genes involved in the lignin pathway and flavonoid pathway, it may be a promising gene for controlling lignin and flavonoids profiles in plants.</p></div