OBJECTIVE To observe the effect of high-dose Astragalus injection and cyclophosphamide (CTX) on infection, urine protein and immune function of the patients with lupus nephritis. METHODS Forty-three patients diagnosed as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) complicated by kidney damage and qi-deficiency syndrome were randomly divided into trial group (n=23) and control group (n=20). Patients in...

PURPOSE Systemic treatments for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer have low efficacy and high toxicity. Some Chinese herbal medicines have been reported to increase chemotherapy efficacy and reduce toxicity. In particular, Astragalus has been shown to have immunologic benefits by stimulating macrophage and natural killer cell activity and inhibiting T-helper cell type 2 cytokines. Many publish...

In this lecture, the early history of asymptotic freedom is discussed. The first completely correct derivation of β0 in non-abelian gauge theory (Khriplovich, 1969) was done in the Coulomb gauge; this derivation is reproduced (in modernized terms) in Sect. 2. A qualitative physical explanation of asymptotic freedom via chromomagnetic properties of vacuum (Nielsen, 1981) is discussed in Sect. 3.

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are hollow, long cylinders with extremely large aspect ratios, made of one atomic sheet of carbon atoms in a honeycomb lattice. They possess extraordinary thermal, mechanical, and electrical properties and are considered as one of the most promising nanomaterials for applications and basic research. This chapter describes the structural, electronic, vibra...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Rheum, a highly diversified genus with about 60 species, is mainly confined to the mountainous and desert regions of the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau and adjacent areas. This genus represents a good example of the extensive diversification of the temperate genera in the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau, in which the forces to drive diversification remain unknown. To date, the infrageneric...

Celastrus and Tripterygium species, which are used in traditional Chinese medicine, have attracted much attention due to their anti-tumor promoting and neuroprotective activities, in addition to their applications in autoimmune disorders. However, systematic relationships between them and among species are unclear, and it may disturb their further medicinal utilization. In the present study, th...

The field of rehabilitation robotics develops robotic systems that assist persons who have a disability with necessary activities, or that provide therapy for persons seeking to improve physical or cognitive function. This chapter will discuss both of these domains and provide descriptions of the major achievements of the field over its short history. Specifically, after providing background in...