Design and characteristic research of smart rod based on optical fiber grating for strain monitoring of power transmission tower.

The safety of the power transmission towers is the basis for the reliable operation of the power grid. Real-time monitoring of the strain of the key rods of the power transmission tower can reflect the safety status of the power transmission tower. In this paper, a smart rod equipped with fiber Bragg grating with strain sensitivity enhanced structure is proposed to detect the strain of key rods of large-span power transmission towers on the southeast coast of the Yangtze River. The smart rod can be connected with the power transmission tower rod through the foot nails and the force on the tower can be transformed effectively. This structure has the advantages of convenient installation and no damage to the power transmission tower. Prestress can be applied to fiber Bragg grating equipped in the smart rod through the prestressed sleeve and can be continuously and accurately adjusted, sensitivity of the fiber Bragg grating was enhanced by strain sensitivity enhanced structure. The relationship between force and strain of fiber Bragg grating installed in the smart rod was analyzed by ANSYS software. Experimental results show that the sensitivity of the fiber Bragg grating strain sensor in the smart rod is 13 times that of the conventional structure fiber Bragg grating strain sensor, and the linearity between the fiber Bragg grating wavelength change and force is as high as 0.999. Temperature compensation was realized through temperature measurement fiber Bragg grating installed in the smart rod. This structure can be used to measure the strain of a large-span power transmission tower from 0 to 2000 µÎµ with an accuracy of 0.1 µÎµ with good repeatability.

Genome and Transcriptome Identification of a Rice Germplasm with High Cadmium Uptake and Translocation.

The safe production of food on Cd-polluted land is an urgent problem to be solved in South China. Phytoremediation or cultivation of rice varieties with low Cd are the main strategies to solve this problem. Therefore, it is very important to clarify the regulatory mechanism of Cd accumulation in rice. Here, we identified a rice variety with an unknown genetic background, YSD, with high Cd accumulation in its roots and shoots. The Cd content in the grains and stalks were 4.1 and 2.8 times that of a commonly used japonica rice variety, ZH11, respectively. The Cd accumulation in the shoots and roots of YSD at the seedling stage was higher than that of ZH11, depending on sampling time, and the long-distance transport of Cd in the xylem sap was high. Subcellular component analysis showed that the shoots, the cell wall, organelles, and soluble fractions of YSD, showed higher Cd accumulation than ZH11, while in the roots, only the cell wall pectin showed higher Cd accumulation. Genome-wide resequencing revealed mutations in 22 genes involved in cell wall modification, synthesis, and metabolic pathways. Transcriptome analysis in Cd-treated plants showed that the expression of pectin methylesterase genes was up-regulated and the expression of pectin methylesterase inhibitor genes was down-regulated in YSD roots, but there were no significant changes in the genes related to Cd uptake, translocation, or vacuole sequestration. The yield and tiller number per plant did not differ significantly between YSD and ZH11, but the dry weight and plant height of YSD were significantly higher than that of ZH11. YSD provides an excellent germplasm for the exploration of Cd accumulation genes, and the cell wall modification genes with sequence- and expression-level variations provide potential targets for phytoremediation.

S-propargyl-cysteine delays the progression of atherosclerosis and increases eNOS phosphorylation in endothelial cells / 生理学报

The present study aimed to investigate the protective effect of S-propargyl-cysteine (SPRC) on atherosclerosis progression in mice. A mouse model of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque was created in ApoE-/- mice by carotid artery tandem stenosis (TS) combined with a Western diet. Macrophotography, lipid profiles, and inflammatory markers were measured to evaluate the antiatherosclerotic effects of SPRC compared to atorvastatin as a control. Histopathological analysis was performed to assess the plaque stability. To explore the protective mechanism of SPRC, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were cultured in vitro and challenged with oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL). Cell viability was determined with a Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8). Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) phosphorylation and mRNA expression were detected by Western blot and RT-qPCR respectively. The results showed that the lesion area quantified by en face photographs of the aortic arch and carotid artery was significantly less, plasma total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were reduced, plaque collagen content was increased and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) was decreased in 80 mg/kg per day SPRC-treated mice compared with model mice. These findings support the role of SPRC in plaque stabilization. In vitro studies revealed that 100 μmol/L SPRC increased the cell viability and the phosphorylation level of eNOS after ox-LDL challenge. These results suggest that SPRC delays the progression of atherosclerosis and enhances plaque stability. The protective effect may be at least partially related to the increased phosphorylation of eNOS in endothelial cells.

S-propargyl-cysteine promotes the stability of atherosclerotic plaque via maintaining vascular muscle contractile phenotype.

Introduction: Plaque rupture in atherosclerosis contributes to various acute cardiovascular events. As a new sulfide-containing donor, S-propargyl-cysteine (SPRC) has been reported to play a beneficial role in cardioprotection, potentially through its anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative and anti-atherogenic activities. Our previous study observed an increase in eNOS phosphorylation in endothelial cells. However, it remains unclear whether SPRC influences vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) within the plaque and if this effect contributes to plaque stabilization. Methods: An atherosclerotic unstable plaque mouse model was established by subjecting ApoE-/- mice to tandem stenosis of the right carotid artery along with a Western diet. Daily SPRC administration was conducted for 13 weeks. Plaque morphology and stability were assessed using MRI scanning and histopathological staining. In our in vitro studies, we stimulated human artery vascular smooth muscle cells (HAVSMCs) with platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB), both with and without 100 µM SPRC treatment. Cell phenotype was assessed using both Western blot and Real-time PCR. Cell proliferation was assessed using the BrdU cell proliferation kit and immunofluorescence of Ki-67, while cell migration was measured using scratch wound healing and transwell assay. MiR-143-3p overexpression and knockdown experiments were used to investigate whether it mediates the effect of SPRC on VSMC phenotype. Results and Discussion: SPRC treatment reduced plasma lipid levels, increased collagen content and decreased cell apoptosis in atherosclerotic plaques, indicating improved plaque stability. Both in vivo and in vitro studies elucidated the role of SPRC in preserving the contractile phenotype of VSMCs through up-regulation of miR-143-3p expression. Furthermore, SPRC suppressed the pro-proliferation and pro-migration effects of PDGF-BB on HAVSMCs. Overall, these findings suggest that the inhibitory effect of SPRC on phenotype switch from contractile to synthetic VSMCs may contribute to its beneficial role in enhancing plaque stability.

G6PD Regulates Cyclin E1 and CDK2 to Promote Cell Proliferation and Its Prognostic Value in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma / 中国生物化学与分子生物学报

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) has been proved to be a metabolic disease with high

Mediating effect of personality and sleep quality on social support and depression in patients with malignant bone tumors / 中国医师杂志

Objective:To investigate the status and the relationship of social support, depression, personality and sleep quality in patients with malignant bone tumors and their relationship, and provide scientific basis for postoperative rehabilitation and nursing.Methods:186 patients with malignant bone tumors undergoing chemotherapy in orthopedics department of the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University from January 2017 to December 2019 were selected to complete the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), the Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS), the Optimism-Pessimism Scale (OPS), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The demographic differences of various variables were compared and the correlation among social support, personality, sleep quality and depression in patients with malignant bone tumors were tested. Then, by structural equation model, the mediating role of personality and sleep quality between social support and depression was analyzed.Results:The incidence of depression in patients with malignant bone tumors was 57.6%(107/186), and the incidence of severe depression was 14.7%(27/186). Depression in patients with malignant bone tumors was negatively correlated with scores of social support and pessimism (all P<0.01), and positively correlated with scores of optimism and sleep quality (all P<0.05); Family support, pessimism, sleep quality and daytime dysfunction can effectively predict depression in patients with malignant bone tumors (all P≤0.05); Structural equation model analysis showed that personality and sleep quality play a chain mediating role between social support and depression. Conclusions:The incidence of depression is higher in patients with malignant bone tumors. Family support, pessimism, sleep quality and daytime dysfunction are predictors of depression in patients with malignant bone tumors. Personality and sleep quality play a chain mediating role in the influence of social support on depression.

Histone deacetylase 6 promotes skin wound healing by regulating fibroblast migration and differentiation in aged mice / 生理学报

Skin wound healing tends to slow down with aging, which is detrimental to both minor wound recovery in daily life and the recovery after surgery. The aim of current study was to explore the effect of histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) on wound healing during aging. Cultured human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) and mouse full-thickness skin wound model were used to explore the functional changes of replicative senescent dermal fibroblasts and the effect of aging on skin wound healing. Scratch wound healing assay revealed significantly decreased migration speed of senescent HDFs, and BrdU incorporation assay indicated their considerably retardant proliferation. The protein expression levels of collagen and HDAC6 were significantly decreased in both senescent HDFs and skin tissues from aged mice. HDAC6 activity inhibition with highly selective inhibitor tubastatin A (TsA) or HDAC6 knockdown with siRNA decreased the migration speed of HDFs and considerably suppressed fibroblast differentiation induced by transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), which suggests the involvement of HDAC6 in regulating fundamental physiological activities of dermal fibroblasts. In vivo full-thickness skin wound healing was significantly delayed in young HDAC6 knockout mice when compared with young wild type mice. In addition, the wound healing was significantly slower in aged wild type mice than that in young wild type mice, and became even worse in aged HDAC6 knockout aged mice. Compared to the aged wild type mice, aged HDAC6 knockout mice exhibited delayed angiogenesis, reduced collagen synthesis, and decreased collagen deposition in skin wounds. Together, these results suggest that delayed skin wound healing in aged mice is associated with impaired fibroblast function. Adequate expression and activity of HDAC6 are required for fibroblasts migration and differentiation.

Molecular mechanism of Spatholobi Caulis in treatment of ovarian cancer based on network pharmacology and experimental verification / 中国中药杂志

The present study explored the main active ingredients and the underlying mechanism of Spatholobi Caulisin the treatment of ovarian cancer(OC) by network pharmacology, molecular docking, and in vitro cell experiments. The active ingredients and their predicted targets(AITs) were first acquired online with the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP). Theoretical disease targets(DTs) were obtained through professional databases including GeneCards, OMIM, PharmGkb, TTD, and DrugBank. The common targets in the intersection of AITs and DTs were used for the construction of a "drug-ingredient-disease-target" network by Cytoscape 3.7.1. STRING database was used to construct a protein-protein interaction(PPI) network. R 4.0.5 was used for GO and KEGG functional enrichment analyses. Schr9 dinger Maestro was used to perform and optimize the molecular docking and virtual screening.Twenty-three active ingredients of Spatholobi Caulis were screened out, involving 75 OC targets and 178 signaling pathways.Network analysis revealed that Spatholobi Caulis presumedly exerted an anti-OC effect by acting on key protein targets such as GSK-3β, Bcl-2, and Bax. Molecular docking showed that GSK-3β possessed goodbinding activity to prunetin. In vitro cell experiments preliminarily verified the core targets and pathways of prunetin, the active ingredient of Spatholobi Caulis against human OC SKOV3 cells.CCK-8 assay was used to detect the cell proliferation, and flow cytometry was used to detect the effect of prunetin on apoptosis of human OC SKOV3 cells.The expression of prunetin targets and related regulatory proteins was detected by Western blot.In vitro cell experiments demonstrated that prunetindisplayed significant inhibitory effects on the proliferation of OC cells and could induce apoptosis of SKOV3 cells. Western blot showed that prunetin could induce SKOV3 cell apoptosis by inhibiting GSK-3β phosphorylation and regulating the expression of downstream Bcl-2 and Bax proteins. This study reveals the scientific nature of network pharmacology in the prediction and guidance of experimental design, confirming that prunetin can treat OC by blocking the GSK-3β/Bcl-2/Bax cell signal transduction pathway. The findings are expected to provide a basis for the investigation of the mechanism of Spatholobi Caulis in the treatment of OC.

Clinical and genetic characteristics of two cases with Williams-Beuren syndrome.

Herein, we describe 2 cases of Williams-Beuren syndrome (WBS). In both cases, the patients exhibited mental retardation, characteristic facial features, and indirect inguinal hernia. Case 1, a girl aged 2 years and 5 months old, presented with hypercalcemia, and in case 2, a boy aged 4 years and 11 months old, the disorder manifested as infantile spasms, supravalvular aortic stenosis, and pulmonary stenosis. Brain MRI revealed no abnormalities in either case. The electroencephalogram of case 2 showed hypsarrhythmia. Case 1 was treated with bisphosphonates and somatropin for hypercalcemia and short stature. Case 2 received antiepileptic drug and ketogenic diet therapy. In both cases, a 7q11.23 deletion including fragment deletion of the GTF21 gene was found, which may be associated with mental retardation. Notably, in case 2, a 921.1kb deletion in Yq11.23 was detected, which has not been reported in WBS before. The deletion of Yq11.23 is located in the AZFc region, which is an important factor in male infertility with primary azoospermia and oligozoospermia. The occurrence of hypercalcemia in case 1 may be related to the deletion of BAZ1B, while the supravalvular aortic stenosis and pulmonary stenosis were associated with deletion of the ELN gene. We explored the clinical and genetic characteristics of WBS to better understand disease.

Study on clinical application of susceptibility weighted imaging ombined with diffusion weighted imaging in patients with Liver Cirrhosis complicated with small Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the clinical value of susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI) combined with diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) in patients with liver cirrhosis complicated with small hepatocellular carcinoma (SHCC). METHODS: A total of 40 patients with liver cirrhosis and 44 nodules were treated with conventional nuclear magnetic scanning (T1WI, T2WI) and SWI combined with DWI; the results were judged by two senior physicians; the t test, χ2 test, rank sum test, and other methods were used for contrastive analysis of the pathological results of different scanning methods after operation or puncture. RESULTS: Contrast analysis of the different MRI scanning methods and pathological results showed that among the 32 nodules of small hepatocellular carcinoma, 24 cases were diagnosed by conventional MRI, with the coincidence rate being 75%, 30 cases were diagnosed by SWI DWI, with the coincidence rate being 96%; significant difference was found between the two groups (p=0. 04). Significant differences were found in the specificity, sensitivity and accuracy of different scanning methods in the diagnosis of small hepatocellular carcinoma (specificity, accuracy, p=0.04; sensitivity p=0.01). The SWI of small hepatocellular carcinoma nodules showed hyperintensity, and the degree of iron deposition was low. Significant difference was found between small hepatocellular carcinoma nodules and other nodules (comparison of SWI signal degree, p=0.01; comparison of iron deposition degree, p=0.00). CONCLUSION: The SWI of small hepatocellular carcinoma nodules showed hyperintensity, and the degree of iron deposition was low. The coincidence rate of SWI+DWI scanning is higher than that of conventional scanning methods in the diagnosis of small hepatocellular carcinoma, and the difference in specificity, sensitivity and accuracy has obvious advantages. SWI+DWI scanning can improve the detection rate of liver cirrhosis complicated with small hepatocellular carcinoma.

Arthroscopic treatment for the calcific tendinitis at soft tissues around hip / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the feasibility and clinical effects of arthroscopic treatment for the calcific tendinitis at soft tissues around hip.@*METHODS@#A total of 16 patients diagnosed as the calcific tendinitis at soft tissues around hip from May 2013 to July 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. All the 16 patients received arthroscopic procedures. There were 10 males and 6 females with an average age of 35 to 63 (44.50±6.67) years old and 9 left hips, 6 right hips were involved. The course of disease were 1 to 8(3.18±1.97) days. Clinical effects were evaluated with visual analogue scale(VAS), modified Harris hip scores (HHS), nonarthritic hip score (NAHS) and imaging examinations before operation, 1 day after operation and the final follow-up.@*RESULTS@#All 16 patients successfully finished the arthroscopic procedures in 0.5 to 1.2 (0.75±0.21) hours. Primary healing of incision were obtained without any complications of infection, wound hematocele and neurovascular injury. All 16 patients received an average postoperative follow-up of 6 to 12 (9.6±2.3) months. Before operation, the VAS were 7.88±0.72, modified HHS were 29.25±3.23, NAHS were 27.42±3.08. The 1st day postoperative VAS were 2.19±0.66, modified HHS were 82.56± 5.64, NAHS were 82.11±2.94, all the difference were statistically significant between before and 1 day after operation (@*CONCLUSION@#Arthroscopic treatment for the calcific tendinitis at soft tissues around hip is effective.It has advantages of minimal invasive, rapid pain relief, rapid hip joint function recovery and definite clinical effects.

Attenuation of anti-measles antibody in the healthy population aged 1-14 years old in an urban district， Shanghai / 上海预防医学

Objective:To determine the level of anti-measles antibody in healthy population aged 1-14 years old in Shanghai， and project the risk of measles incidence in adult population in the future， which may provide evidence for enhancing the measles immunization strategy. Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted to collect the serum of healthy people aged 1-14 years old in an urban district hospital in Shanghai. Serum concentration of anti-measles IgG antibody was examined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） and dynamics of IgG antibody was compared. Results:The prevalence of anti-measles antibody in healthy people aged 1-14 years old was determined to be 95.29%， and the antibody protection rate was 61.86%. There was no significant difference in the distribution of antibody between men and women （P>0.05）. However， there was statistical difference in the distribution of antibody among different age groups （P<0.05）， in which the antibody showed a decreasing trend with age， especially after the age of 10 years. The lowest prevalence of anti-measles antibody and protection rate were observed in the population aged 13-14 years old， which were 87.41% and 22.96%， respectively. The GMT was 2.667 1 （equal to the concentration of anti-measles IgG antibody being 464.62 mIU/mL）. According to the fitting model Ŷ =3.217-0.04X（R2=0.943，P<0.05）， the antibody protection rate was projected to decrease to zero in the population aged 19-20 years old， whereas the anti-measles antibody was to zero in the population aged 29-30 years old . Conclusion:As there is almost no natural infection of measles，the anti-measles antibody after measles vaccine immunization showed a linearly decreasing trend with age after measles immunization．It is recommended that people aged 10-15 years should be administered intensive immunization for prevention of adults measles，which could be incorporated into current measles immunization strategies.

Diagnostic Cut-Off Value of RDW for Screening Thalassemia and the Combined Determination of MCV, MCH, HBA / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the value of red cell distribution width (RDW), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) and hemoglobin (Hb) A2 combined determination scheme for screening thalassemia.@*METHODS@#The RDW levels of thalassemia group and healthy control group were detected and compared. The efficiency of RDW for screening thalassemia was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The diagnostic cut-off value of RDW was also acquired by Youden index. Then, 3 groups for thalassemia screening scheme were set, including MCV+MCH+HBA @*RESULTS@#The RDW level in thalassemia group was significantly higher than that in healthy control group (P15.15, when the Youden index was the biggest among all data. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, false negative rate and consistency rate of MCV+MCH+RDW(>15.15)+HBA @*CONCLUSION@#The diagnostic cut-off value of RDW for thalassemia screening has been established. The group of MCV(<82.0 fl)+MCH(<27.0 pg)+HBA

Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase 1 (ACC1) Affects the Proliferation of Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma (ccRCC) by Regulating Cyclin D1/CDK4 / 中国生物化学与分子生物学报

Acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) is the rate limiting enzyme of fatty acid synthesis pathway. Studies have shown that ACC1 is implicated in a variety of metabolic diseases and cancer. However, the role and mechanism of action of ACC1 in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) have not been reported. In this study, 786-O and Caki-1 clear cell renal carcinoma cells were used as research objects to investigate the effect of abnormal expression of ACC1 on their proliferation and unravel the underlying mechanism. Red oil-O-staining results showed that the lipid content of 786-O and Caki-1 cells was significantly higher than that of human kidney 2 (HK2) cells. By searching TCGA database, we found that the expression of ACC1 proteins in ccRCC was significantly higher than that in normal renal tissues (P < 0.001). Plus, ACC1 protein expression in all clinical TNM stages was significantly higher than that in normal tissues, and the higher the expression of ACC1, the higher the pathological grade. Furthermore, high expression of ACC1 mRNA is positively correlated with poor prognosis in ccRCC patients. Western blotting analysis showed that the expression of ACC1 in 786-O and Caki-1 cells was significantly higher than that in HK2 cells. The results of red oil-O-staining showed that knocking down ACC1 could significantly reduce the lipid content of 786-O and Caki-1 cells. The results of CCK-8 assays and clonogenicity analysis showed that knocking down ACC1 could significantly reduce the proliferation and colony forming ability of 786-O and Caki-1 cells. Flow cytometry analysis showed that after knocking down ACC1, the cell cycle was blocked at the G

Arthroscopic repair with footprint ending shift for massive rotator cuff tear / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the method and clinical effects of arthroscopic rotator cuff repair with footprint ending shift for massive rotator cuff tear.@*METHODS@#From March 2015 to April 2019, 27 patients with massive rotator cuff tear underwent arthroscopic repair, including 12 males and 15 females, ranging in age from 37 to 74 years old, with an average age of (56.1±8.9) years. According to the tension of rotator cuff, 5 patients were treated with double row suture bridge technique, and 22 patients were treated with single row technique, among which 7 patients underwent partial rotator cuff repair. Before and after operation, University of California Los Angeles(UCLA) score, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score and visual analogue scale (VAS) were used to evaluate shoulder joint function.@*RESULTS@#All the patients were followed up, and the duration ranged from 8 to 40 months, with an average of (18.0±5.9) months. The UCLA score increased from preoperative 8.67±0.78 to final follow-up 30.89±1.07(@*CONCLUSION@#Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair with footprint ending shift for massive rotator cuff tear has satisfactory results, and single-row can be chosen to completely or partial repair rotator cuff tear for most patients.

[Improvements of motor and cognitive functions in the rats with permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion treated with acupuncture and rota-rod training].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects on the recovery of the motor and cognitive functions of the rats with permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (pMCAO) after treated with Jin's three-needle acupuncture at head acupoints combined with rota-rod training. METHODS: A total of 38 male SD rats were randomized into 3 groups, named a sham-operation group (11 rats), a model group (13 rats) and a treatment group (14 rats). The electrocoagulation method was adopted to establish the model of pMCAO on the right cerebrum. Starting from the 1st day after successful modeling, acupuncture was applied to the "three points of intelligence", the "three points of temporal area" and the "three points of brain". Additionally, the rota-rod training was used. Acupuncture was given once a day and the training was three times a day. In the sham-operation group and the model group, empty grasp fixation was performed when acupuncture was applied in the treatment group, and there was no intervention at the rest of the time. There was 1 day of interval after consecutive 6 days of intervention. Totally, the intervention was for 3 weeks. After modeling, the brain section was collected from 3 rats of each group on the 1st day and was stained with TTC to observe the condition of cerebral ischemia. From day 1 to 7, the neurological function score was evaluated. The footprint analysis and rota-rod test were performed on day 1, 7, 14 and 21. The Morris water maze test was performed from day 22 to 26. RESULTS: Compared with the sham-operation group, cerebral ischemia presented obviously, the score of neurological function was increased, the back front distances on the left were increased on day 1, 7 and 14 separately, the revolutions per minute (RPM) of the rota-rod were reduced at each of the above 4 time points, the latency of navigation trial was increased and the movement time percentage in Q3 quadrant of spatial probe trial was reduced in the model group (P<0.01, P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the area of cerebral ischemia was not obviously different (P>0.05), the score of neurological function was reduced on day 6, the back front distance on the left was reduced on day 14, RPM of the rota-rod were increased on day 14 and 21, the latency of navigation trial were reduced from day 23 to 25 and the movement time percentage in Q3 quadrant of spatial probe trial was increased in the treatment group (P<0.01, P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Jin's three-needle acupuncture at head acupoints combined with rota-rod training improve the behavioral performance of pMCAO rats and promote the recovery of motor and cognitive functions.

Improvements of motor and cognitive functions in the rats with permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion treated with acupuncture and rota-rod training / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the effects on the recovery of the motor and cognitive functions of the rats with permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (pMCAO) after treated with 's three-needle acupuncture at head acupoints combined with rota-rod training.@*METHODS@#A total of 38 male SD rats were randomized into 3 groups, named a sham-operation group (11 rats), a model group (13 rats) and a treatment group (14 rats). The electrocoagulation method was adopted to establish the model of pMCAO on the right cerebrum. Starting from the 1st day after successful modeling, acupuncture was applied to the "three points of intelligence", the "three points of temporal area" and the "three points of brain". Additionally, the rota-rod training was used. Acupuncture was given once a day and the training was three times a day. In the sham-operation group and the model group, empty grasp fixation was performed when acupuncture was applied in the treatment group, and there was no intervention at the rest of the time. There was 1 day of interval after consecutive 6 days of intervention. Totally, the intervention was for 3 weeks. After modeling, the brain section was collected from 3 rats of each group on the 1st day and was stained with TTC to observe the condition of cerebral ischemia. From day 1 to 7, the neurological function score was evaluated. The footprint analysis and rota-rod test were performed on day 1, 7, 14 and 21. The Morris water maze test was performed from day 22 to 26.@*RESULTS@#Compared with the sham-operation group, cerebral ischemia presented obviously, the score of neurological function was increased, the back front distances on the left were increased on day 1, 7 and 14 separately, the revolutions per minute (RPM) of the rota-rod were reduced at each of the above 4 time points, the latency of navigation trial was increased and the movement time percentage in Q3 quadrant of spatial probe trial was reduced in the model group (0.05), the score of neurological function was reduced on day 6, the back front distance on the left was reduced on day 14, RPM of the rota-rod were increased on day 14 and 21, the latency of navigation trial were reduced from day 23 to 25 and the movement time percentage in Q3 quadrant of spatial probe trial was increased in the treatment group (<0.01, <0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#'s three-needle acupuncture at head acupoints combined with rota-rod training improve the behavioral performance of pMCAO rats and promote the recovery of motor and cognitive functions.

Magnetic resonance imaging of the zone of calcified cartilage in the knee joint using 3-dimensional ultrashort echo time cones sequences / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#The zone of calcified cartilage (ZCC) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis (OA) but has never been imaged in vivo with magnetic resonance (MR) imaging techniques. We investigated the feasibility of direct imaging of the ZCC in both cadaveric whole knee specimens and in vivo healthy knees using a 3-dimensional ultrashort echo time cones (3D UTE-Cones) sequence on a clinical 3T scanner.@*METHODS@#In all, 12 cadaveric knee joints and 10 in vivo healthy were collected. At a 3T MR scanner with an 8-channel knee coil, a fat-saturated 3D dual-echo UTE-Cones sequence was used to image the ZCC, following with a short rectangular pulse excitation and 3D spiral sampling with conical view ordering. The regions of interests (ROIs) were delineated by a blinded observer. Single-component T2* and T2 values were calculated from fat-saturated 3D dual-echo UTE-Cones and a Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (T2 CPMG) data using a semi-automated MATLAB code.@*RESULTS@#The single-exponential fitting curve of ZCC was accurately obtained with R2 of 0.989. For keen joint samples, the ZCC has a short T2* ranging from 0.62 to 2.55 ms, with the mean ± standard deviation (SD) of 1.49 ± 0.66 ms, and with 95% confidence intervals (CI) of 1.20-1.78 ms. For volunteers, the short T2* ranges from 0.93 to 3.52 ms, with the mean ± SD of 2.09 ± 0.56 ms, and the 95% CI is 1.43 to 2.74 ms in ZCC.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The high-resolution 3D UTE-Cones sequence might be used to directly image ZCC in the human knee joint on a clinical 3T scanner with a scan time of more than 10 min. Using this non-invasive technique, the T2* relaxation time of the ZCC can be further detected.

[Application of the LUR Model in the Prediction of Spatial Distributions of Soil Heavy Metals].

Using the Jintan District of Changzhou City, Jiangsu Province as an example, the LUR model was used to study the spatial distribution of heavy metals and to simulate the spatial distribution of heavy metals in the study area. Compared with the traditional LUR model and the ordinary Kriging interpolation model, the following conclusions were obtained. ① The soil heavy metal content in the study area was highly and significantly correlated with land factors, with the main factor of land use and influencing factors of heavy metals in the soil environment (P<0.01). In terms of influencing factors, the soil Cu and Zn contents were significantly correlated with the area related to traffic in a 2000 m buffer area and 2000 m buffer zone, respectively. The soil Cr, Cu, and Zn contents were significantly correlated with OM, Corg, TC, and TN (P<0.01). ② The R2 of the LUR-S models of the spatial distribution of the heavy metals, Pb, Cr, Cu, and Zn, in the study area were improved by 0.041, 0.406, 0.102, and 0.501, respectively, compared with the traditional LUR model. The accuracy test R2 values were improved by 0.1477, 0.0116, 0.2310, and 0.081, respectively; and the RMSE was reduced by 2.413, 0.631, 1.112, and 2.138, respectively. It was shown that the LUR-S model, which considered the source-sink relationship, had a higher accuracy than the traditional LUR model and ordinary Kriging interpolation model. ③ The LUR-S model was more suitable for the prediction of the spatial distribution of heavy metals with lower pollution and smaller variations, while results for the prediction of the heavy metals with higher pollution and larger variations were worse.

A case study: what is leached from mallee biochars as a function of pH?

Biochar is widely considered as a soil amendment. This study aims to investigate the leaching of macronutrients (K, Mg and Ca) and organics from biochars produced from mallee biomass (wood, leaf, bark) in a fluidised-bed pyrolyser at 500 °C. Biochars were soaked in solutions of varying pH values and shaken for a pre-set period of time ranging from 1 h to 4 weeks. The initial pH values of the leaching solutions used (3.4, 5.5, 7 and 8.5) covered the pH range of the soils in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia (WA). For these bark, leaf and wood biochars, we can conclude that the biochars have a liming capacity for the acid soils of the WA Wheatbelt, depending on the feedstock. The maximum leachabilities and leaching kinetics of the macronutrients K, Mg and Ca depend on the pH of the solution in which biochar was soaked. Apparently, Ca, K and Mg in biomass are converted into different species upon pyrolysis, and the biomass species are critical for the extent of the leachability of macronutrients. Further, the chemical form of each nutrient retained in the biochars will dictate the kinetics as a function of soil pH. This study's GC/MS analysis of solvent extraction of the biochars showed potential toxicity due to the leaching of light organic compounds when biochars are added to soils. Furthermore, this study also showed the influence of pH on the leaching of large aromatic organics from the biochars. Apart from the pH of leaching solution, the influence of the biomass feedstock on the leaching kinetics of large aromatic organics from biochars was demonstrated. These leached aromatic organics were characterised by UV-fluorescence spectroscopy.