Is there a reliable brain morphological signature for migraine?

Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) is a popular non-invasive magnetic resonance imaging technique to investigate brain gray matter (GM) differences between groups. Recently, two VBM studies in migraine have been published in The Journal of Headache and Pain. Reviewing the two and those previous published VBM studies, we found considerable variations of the results. Spatially diverse brain regions with decreased and increased GM alterations and null findings have been reported. It is interesting to know whether there is a reliable brain morphological signature for migraine. Coordinate-based meta-analysis (CBMA) is increasingly used to quantitatively pool individual neuroimaging studies to identify consistent and reliable findings. Several CBMA have been conducted, however, their results were inconsistent. The algorithms for CBMA have evolved and more eligible VBM studies in migraine have been published. We therefore conducted an updated CBMA using the latest algorithms for CBMA, seed-based d mapping with permutation of subject images (SDM-PSI). The present CBMA of 32 VBM studies (41 datasets comprising 1252 patients and 1025 healthy controls) found no evidence of consistent GM alterations in migraine. Sensitivity analysis, subgroup meta-analyses, and meta-regression analyses revealed that the result was robust. This negative result indicates that there is no reliable brain morphological signature for migraine. VBM investigations in migraine remain a heterogeneous field. Many potential confounding factors, such as underpowered sample sizes, variations in demographic and clinical characteristics, and differences in MRI scanners, head coils, scanning parameters, preprocessing procedures, and statistical strategies may cause the inconsistences of the results. Future VBM studies are warranted to enroll well-characterized and homogeneous subtype samples with appropriate sample sizes, comprehensively assess comorbidities and medication status, and use well-validated and standardized imaging protocols and processing and analysis pipelines to produce robust and replicable results in migraine.

[Difference of Species Sensitivities for Aquatic Life Criteria in China and the USA].

Recently, China has commenced water quality criteria (WQC) research using the species sensitivity distribution (SSD) method. However, it is difficult to obtain sufficient toxicity data on native species for thousands of contaminants. In this study, the feasibility of deriving aquatic life criteria using toxicity data from non-native species was analyzed (taking the USA as an example). Firstly, 10 pollutants [As(Ⅲ), Cr(Ⅵ), Hg, Cu, Pb, Zn, nitrobenzene, parathion, chlorpyrifos, tributyltin] with plenty of toxicity data (at least 3 Phyla and 8 Families) both in China and the USA were selected based on the recommended aquatic life criteria of 58 pollutants by the US EPA. Secondly, the two-sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov (K-S) test and comparison method of important points of HC5 and HC50 (hazardous concentrations for 5% of the species and 50% of the species) were used to determine the difference of species sensitivity between China and the USA. The result of two-sample K-S test showed that the difference of species sensitivity to Cu, chlorpyrifos and tributyltin between the two countries was significant (P<0.05). Additionally, there were significant differences for HC5 values [Cr(Ⅵ), chlorpyrifos] between the two countries, as well as the HC50 (chlorpyrifos). As a result, there were significant differences for the species sensitivity to some pollutants [Cr(Ⅵ), chlorpyrifos, etc.] between China and the USA. Therefore, in this situation, "over-protection" or "non-protection" may happen when using the criteria values or the toxicity data of American species directly to protect the Chinese native species.

[Ecotoxicological effect and soil environmental criteria of the heavy metal chromium(VI)].

Nowadays, systematic studies about water quality criteria are being carried out in China, but studies on soil environmental criteria are comparatively insufficient. In this study, germination and root growth of 8 terrestrial plants (Triticum aestivum, Lactuca sativa, Cucumis sativus, Zea mays, Brassica pekinensis, Glycine max, Allium tuberosum and Solanum lycopersicum) and growth inhibition of 1 terrestrial animal (Achatina fulica) were used to determine the chronic ecotoxicological effects of chromium (VI) using the agricultural moisture soil of Baoding. In addition, with the native toxicity data selected, the HC5 (hazardous concentration for 5% of species) and the ecological protected soil environmental criteria of chromium (VI) in Baoding moisture soil were calculated using the log-normal species sensitivity distribution (SSD) method. Results showed that the no observed effect concentration (NOEC) values for the growth of the terrestrial plants T. aestivum, L. sativa, C. sativus, Z. mays, B. pekinensis, G. max, A. tuberosum, S. lycopersicum, and the terrestrial invertebrate snail A. fulica were 19.0, 21.0, 28.0, 32.0, 28.0, 32.0, 32.0, 12.0 and 20.0 mg x kg(-1), respectively. The comparison of species toxicity data that were tested in the same conditions showed that the terrestrial plant S. lycopersicum was the most sensitive species to chromium (VI), T. aestivum and L. sativa had the same sensitivity to chromium (VI) exposure, whereas, plants C. sativus, Z. mays, B. pekinensis, G. max and A. tuberosum had the same sensitivity to chromium (VI) exposure. Finally, the HC5 value of chromium (VI) in the moisture soil of Baoding was calculated to be 7.7 (4.1 < CI < 11. 3) mg x kg(-1) using the log-normal SSD method, and the ecological protected soil environmental criteria of chromium (VI) was 1.5-7.7 mg x kg(-1). With the investigation of this work, we expect that it could provide useful information for the study of soil environmental criteria in China.

[Effects of lead on the growth and reproduction of Eisenia fetida with aged soils].

In this study, effects of Pb (NO3)2 on the growth and reproduction of Eisenia fetida were investigated with artificial soils. The results showed that: compared with the control group, the growth of E. fetida in contaminated soil was inhibited significantly with increasing Pb (NO3)2 concentrations. But there were great differences in the extent of inhibition after 0, 7, 28 and 84 days of aging in the artificial soils. The most obvious effect occurred in 1000 mg x kg(-1) and 1500 mg x kg(-1) experimental groups. There was a very big difference in the effects of Pb (NO3)2 on reproduction of E. fetida with different aging times. The medium effective concentration (EC50)values of cocoon production inhibition were 1085.10, 1163.32, 1666.86 and 1606.94 mg x kg(-1). In addition, the EC50 values of the number of juvenile inhibition were 700.01, 703.88, 1 031.34 and 1 017.89 mg x kg(-1), respectively. This study indicates that soil aging which affects the toxicity of Pb (NO3)2 should be taken into consideration when toxicity tests of Pb (NO3)2 were carried out. The results could provide a scientific basis for the ecological risk assessment of aging soils and soil environmental quality standards.

Oral fibrinogen-depleting agent lumbrokinase for secondary ischemic stroke prevention: results from a multicenter, randomized, parallel-group and controlled clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Elevated fibrinogen (Fg) level is a known risk factor for ischemic stroke. There are few clinical trials on oral fibrinogen-depleting therapies for secondary ischemic stroke prevention. We aimed to assess the effects of one-year therapy with oral lumbrokinase enteric-coated capsules on secondary ischemic stroke prevention. METHODS: This is a multicenter, randomized, parallel group and controlled study that began treatment in hospitalized patients with ischemic stroke and continued for 12 months. Patients were randomized to either the control group that received the standard stroke treatment or the fibrinogen-depleting group that received the standard stroke treatment plus enteric-coated lumbrokinase capsules. The NIH Stroke Scale scores (NIHSSs) and plasma Fg level were recorded. The carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) and status of plaques were examined through carotid ultrasound examination. Primary outcomes included all-cause mortality, any event of recurrent ischemic stroke/transient ischemic attack (TIA), hemorrhagic stroke, myocardial infarction and angina, and other noncerebral ischemia or hemorrhage. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and the Long-rank test were used to compare total vascular end point incidence between the two groups. Comparison of median values between two groups was done by the Student t test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), or non-parametric rank sum test. RESULTS: A total of 310 patients were enrolled, 192 patients in the treatment group and 118 patients in the control group. Compared to the control group, the treatment group showed favorable outcomes in the Fg level, carotid IMT, the detection rate of vulnerable plaques, the volume of carotid plaques, NIHSS scores, and incidence of total vascular (6.78% and 2.08%, respectively) and cerebral vascular events (5.93% and 1.04%, respectively) (P < 0.05). In the treatment group, the volume of carotid plaques was significantly related to the carotid IMT, the plaque diameter, width and number (P = 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.022; F = 13.51, 2.52, 11.33, -3.29, but there was a weak correlation with the Fg level (P = 0.056). After 1-year therapy, the incidence of overall vascular end points was reduced by 4.7%. CONCLUSION: Long-term oral fibrinogen-depleting therapy may be beneficial for secondary ischemic stroke prevention.

Progress of environmental management and risk assessment of industrial chemicals in China.

With China's rapid economic growth, chemical-related environmental issues have become increasingly prominent, and the environmental management of chemicals has garnered increased attention from the government. This review focuses on the current situation and the application of risk assessment in China's environmental management of industrial chemicals. The related challenges and research needs of the country are also discussed. The Chinese government promulgated regulations for the import and export of toxic chemicals in 1994. Regulations for new chemical substances came into force in 2003, and were revised in 2010 based on the concept of risk management. In order to support the implementation of new regulations, Guidance for Risk Assessment of Chemicals is under development in an attempt to provide the concepts and techniques of risk assessment. With increasing concern and financial support from Chinese government, China is embarking on the fast track of research and development in environmental management of industrial chemicals.