Subsequent Acupuncture Reverses the Aftereffects of Intermittent Theta-Burst Stimulation

Objective

This study explored whether acupuncture affects the maintenance of long-term potentiation (LTP)-like plasticity induced by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and the acquisition of motor skills following repetitive sequential visual isometric pinch task (SVIPT) training.

Methods

Thirty-six participants were recruited. The changes in the aftereffects induced by intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) and followed acupuncture were tested by the amplitude motor evoked potential (MEP) at pre-and-post-iTBS for 30 min and at acupuncture-in and -off for 30 min. Secondly, the effects of acupuncture on SVIPT movement in inducing error rate and learning skill index were tested.

Results

Following one session of iTBS, the MEP amplitude was increased and maintained at a high level for 30 min. The facilitation of MEP was gradually decreased to the baseline level during acupuncture-in and did not return to a high level after needle extraction. The SVIPT-acupuncture group had a lower learning skill index than those in the SVIPT group, indicating that acupuncture intervention after SVIPT training may restrain the acquisition ability of one’s learning skills.

Conclusion

Acupuncture could reverse the LTP-like plasticity of the contralateral motor cortex induced by iTBS. Subsequent acupuncture may negatively affect the efficacy of the acquisition of learned skills in repetitive exercise training.

Effect of different types of sugar on gut physiology and microbiota in overfed goose

To explored the difference of goose fatty liver formation induced-by different types of sugar from the intestinal physiology and the gut microflora, an integrated analysis of intestinal physiology and gut microbiota metagenomes was performed using samples collected from the geese including the normal-feeding geese and the overfed geese which were overfed with maize flour or overfeeding dietary supplementation with 10% sugar (glucose, fructose or sucrose, respectively), respectively. The results showed that the foie gras weight of the fructose group and the sucrose group was heavier (P < 0.05) than other groups. Compared with the control group, the ileum weight was significantly higher (P < 0.01), and the cecum weight was significantly lower in the sugar treatment groups (P < 0.001). Compared with the control group, the ratio of villi height to crypt depth in the fructose group was the highest in jejunum (P < 0.05); the trypsin activity of the ileum was higher in the fructose group and the sucrose group (P < 0.05). At the phylum level, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes were the main intestinal flora of geese; and the abundance of Firmicutes in the jejunum was higher in the sugar treatment groups than that of the maize flour group. At the genus level, the abundance of Lactobacillus in the jejunum was higher (P < 0.05) in the sugar treatment groups than that of the maize flour group. In conclusion, forced-feeding diet supplementation with sugar induced stronger digestion and absorption capacity, increased the abundance of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes and the abundance of Lactobacillus (especially fructose and sucrose) in the gut. So, the fructose and sucrose had higher induction on hepatic steatosis in goose fatty liver formation.

Comparison of overfeeding effects on gut physiology and microbiota in two goose breeds

To have a better understanding of how the “gut–liver axis” mediates the lipid deposition in the liver, a comparison of overfeeding influence on intestine physiology and microbiota between Gang Goose and Tianfu Meat Goose was performed in this study. After force-feeding, compared with Gang Goose, Tianfu Meat Goose had better fat storage capacity in liver (397.94 vs. 166.54 for foie gras weight (g), P < 0.05; 6.37 vs. 2.92% for the ratio of liver to body, P < 0.05; 60.01 vs. 46.64% for fat content, P < 0.05) and the less subcutaneous adipose tissue weight (1240.96 g vs. 1440.46 g, P < 0.05). After force-feeding, the digestion–absorption capacity of Tianfu Meat Goose was higher than that of Gang Goose (5.56 vs. 3.64 and 4.63 vs. 3.68 for the ratio of villus height to crypt depth in duodenum and ileum, respectively, P < 0.05; 1394.96 vs. 782.59 and 1314.76 vs. 766.17 for the invertase activity (U/mg-prot), in duodenum and ileum, respectively, P < 0.05; 6038.36 vs. 3088.29 and 4645.29 vs. 3927.61 for the activity of maltase (U/mg-prot), in duodenum and ileum, respectively, P < 0.05). Force-feeding decreased the gene expression of Escherichia coli in the ileum of Tianfu Meat Goose; force-feeding increased the number of gut microbiota Enterobacterial Repetitive Intergenic Consensus-Polymerase Chain Reaction band in Tianfu Meat Goose and decreased the number in Gang Goose. In conclusion, compared with Gang Goose, the lipid deposition in the liver and the intestine digestion–absorption capacity and stability were higher in Tianfu Meat Goose. Thereby, Tianfu Meat Goose is the better breed for foie gras production for prolonged force-feeding; Gang Goose possesses better fat storage capacity in subcutaneous adipose tissue. However, Gang Goose has lower gut stability responding to force-feeding, so Gang Goose is suited to force-feeding in a short time to gain the body weight and subcutaneous fat as an overfed duck for roast duck.

[Effect of endoscopic vidian neurectomy in patients with coexisting allergic rhinitis and bronchial asthma]

Objective: To evaluate the clinical significance of endoscopic vidian neurectomy (EVN) on outcomes in patients with coexisting refractory allergic rhinitis (AR) and bronchial asthma, and to analyze its influence factor. Methods: Clinical data of 109 patients with moderate to severe persistent intractable AR and bronchial asthma who were allocated to the bilateral EVN group (surgery group, 70 cases) or conservative medication group (drug group, 39 cases) from 1 May 2008 to 30 April 2013 in Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University were retrospectively analyzed, including 47 cases of male and 62 cases of female aged (32.7±6.8) years.Ninety-five patients were followed up for at least 3 years. The Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ), Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ), Total Asthma Symptom Score (TASS), forced expiratory volume in 1 second of predicted (FEV1) and medication scores were evaluated at 6 months, 1 year and 3 years after undergoing the initial treatments in the two groups. Multiple factor analysis was used to determine the factors influencing the improvement after EVN. Results: Postoperative scores of RQLQ were significantly lower than preoperative scores during follow-up in surgery group (the preoperative score and postoperative score at 6 months, 1 year, 3 years after operation was 2.39±0.61 (x±s), 0.81±0.43, 0.89±0.32, 1.06±0.24, respectively, all P<0.001). Postoperative scores of VAS were significantly lower than preoperative scores during follow-up in surgery group (the preoperative score and postoperative score at 6 months, 1 year,3 years after operation was 7.13±1.04, 2.52±1.47, 2.70±1.42, 2.85±1.64, respectively, all P<0.05). Scores of RQLQ and VAS in surgery group were significantly lower than those of drug group. Postoperative scores of AQLQ were significantly higher than preoperative scores during follow-up in surgery group (the preoperative score and postoperative score at 6 months, 1 year, 3 years after operation was 3.78±0.81, 4.99±0.45, 4.75±0.71, 4.62±0.64, respectively, all P<0.05), and were significantly higher than those of drug group. The TASS and FEV1 were not significantly changed in surgery group. The postoperative medication scores for AR were gradually reduced after surgery (the preoperative score and postoperative score at 6 months, 1 year, 3 years after operation was 0.99±0.21, 0.37±0.12, 0.39±0.26, 0.45±0.11, respectively, all P<0.05), and the postoperative medication scores for Asthma were gradually reduced after surgery too (the preoperative score and postoperative score at 6 months, 1 year, 3 years after operation was 1.27±0.31, 0.82±0.29, 0.85±0.23, 0.96±0.19, respectively, all P<0.05), and all the postoperative medication scores were significantly lower than those of drug group. At the end of the follow-up, the improvement rates for AR and asthma were 90.6% (58/64) and 45.3% (29/64), respectively. Asthma outcomes were significantly improved by controlling rhinitis symptoms in patients whose asthma attacks were induced by "rhinitis onset" or "climate change" . Conclusion: For patients with AR and bronchial asthma, EVN can significantly control AR symptoms, and improve asthma outcomes in patients whose asthma attacks are induced by rhinitis onset and/or climate change.

High Incidence of Axillary Web Syndrome among Breast Cancer Survivors after Breast Reconstruction

Objective

The aim of this study was to identify if breast reconstruction is a surgical risk factor for axillary web syndrome (AWS) in breast cancer (BC) patients.

Methods

The data of 207 patients who have been diagnosed with unilateral BC and who had mastectomy and lymph node dissection were retrospectively reviewed. Information of their clinical and pathological data, whether they had immediate -reconstruction and intraoperative radiotherapy, surgical methods, and postoperative complications during the 3 months after their surgery (AWS, lymphedema, seroma, and myofascial adhesion) were collected, and the incidence of AWS was compared between different surgical methods.

Results

The overall incidence of AWS was 48.8% in 207 patients. Of the 22 patients who received reconstruction, 19 developed AWS, yielding an incidence of 86%. Multivariate logistic regression modeling showed that patients who underwent reconstruction had a significantly higher incidence of AWS (odds ratio, 4.74), as did patients with postoperative complication of myofascial adhesion (odds ratio, 7.07).

Conclusions

BC survivors after breast reconstruction are susceptible to AWS, and there is a significant association between myofascial adhesion and AWS. Our results can stimulate further investigation and provide an evidence base for the development of educational guidance for patients who plan to undergo breast reconstruction.

Temperature-sensitive pathways may be involved in duck embryonic developmental recovery from blastoderm dormancy during hatching

1. Birds' newly oviposited blastoderms can survive several weeks in a dormant state during low-temperature storage. Previous studies demonstrated that there is a critical temperature range from 19 to 27°C for chicken embryos. Within this range, the embryo will diapause in a dormant state; once the temperature rises above this range, the blastoderm will break dormancy. 2. Clarifying the mechanism that initiates duck embryo developmental recovery from blastoderm dormancy will be helpful to change temperature control to improve hatching in poultry production. It was hypothesised that there might be some temperature-sensitive genes involved in initiating duck embryo developmental recovery from blastoderm dormancy. 3. To test this hypothesis, the transcriptome of the newly oviposited duck blastoderm and duck embryo (incubated for 48 hours) were sequenced to screen for differentially expressed genes with functions that had been predicted by bioinformatics. 4. The results showed that there were 2416 differentially expressed genes between the two groups, 53 of which were involved in temperature-sensitive pathways. The protein-protein interaction network combined these 53 temperature-sensitive genes and another group of 65 genes, which enriched the development pathway. These results suggested that temperature-sensitive genes may be involved in growth and development related pathways.

POMC gene expression, polymorphism, and the association with reproduction traits in chickens

Reproduction trait is one of the most important economic traits in poultry industry. This study was aimed to investigate the mRNA expression levels, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of POMC gene, and the association with reproduction traits in chickens. Five SNP (g.958 G > A, g.1374 G > C, g.1393 G > A, g.1817 C > T, and g.1918G > A) were detected in introns of POMC gene in 317 Zhenning yellow chickens. Association analysis revealed that g.958 G > A and g.1817 C > T showed significantly associations with fertilization rate, hatching rate of hatching eggs, and hatching rate of fertilized eggs in chickens. Simultaneously, g.1374 G > C and g.1918G > A were both associated with egg weight at 300 D of age (P < 0.05). The SNP of g.958 G > A, g.1393 G > A, and g.1817 C > T were all associated with E2 hormone levels (P < 0.05). The result of mRNA expression levels in different tissues showed that POMC mRNA expression level in the pituitary was higher than those in the other tissues and varied in different genotypes. In conclusion, the results in this study provided new evidences that polymorphisms of the POMC gene have potential effects on reproduction traits in chickens. The 5 SNP detected in this study could be potential markers for improving reproduction traits in chickens.

[Epidemiological characteristics of amoebic dysentery in China, 2015-2018]

Objective: To understand the characteristics and changes of the incidence of amoebic dysentery in China during 2015-2018, explore the causes of high incidence in some areas and provide a data base for the development of national prevention and control strategies and measures. Methods: Data were collected from the infectious disease reporting management information system from Chinese Disease Control and Prevention. To understand the seasonal, population and area distributions of amoebic dysentery, descriptive epidemiological method and software SPSS 16.0 were used to analyze the amoebic dysentery data. Results: A total of 4 366 amoebic dysentery cases were reported without death in China during 2015-2018. The reported average annual incidence was 0.08/100 000, and the overall proportion of laboratory confirmed cases was 68.23%(2 979/4 366). Amoeba dysentery mainly occurred during May to October. One seasonal peak was observed in 2015 and 2017 (July and June, respectively), and two seasonal peaks were observed in 2016 and 2018 (June and October). The patients were mainly children aged under 5 years (42.28%, 1 846/4 366), and the incidence rate decreased with age in children aged under 10 years. Of these, children under 1 years of age had the highest incidence rate (1.28/100 000). The number of cumulative reported cases in Guangxi, Henan, Guangdong, Heilongjiang and Jiangxi provinces ranked top five from 2015-2018, accounting for 64.50% (2 816/4 366) of the total. The cumulative cases in Dongxing county, Guangxi, in Suixian county, Henan and in Ranghulu district, Heilongjiang, respectively accounted for more than 50.00% of the total number of cases in their provinces. Conclusions: The incidence rate of amoebic dysentery reported in China during 2015-2018 showed a decreasing trend, with a higher incidence in children under 5 years old and a higher number of cases in some areas. It is suggested to further investigate and analyze the diagnosis and reporting of amoeba dysentery in key areas and promote the update of the diagnostic standards for amoeba dysentery.

Early transcranial direct current stimulation treatment exerts neuroprotective effects on 6-OHDA-induced Parkinsonism in rats

BACKGROUND

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been proven to be able to modulate motor cortical plasticity might have potential as an alternative, adjunctive therapy for Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the efficacy of tDCS in PD is still uncertain. A disease animal model may be useful to clarify the existence of a treatment effect and to explore an effective therapeutic strategy using tDCS protocols.

OBJECTIVE

The current study was designed to identify the comprehensive therapeutic effects of tDCS in 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-lesioned PD rats.

METHODS

Following early and long-term tDCS application (starting 24 h after PD lesion, 300 μA anodal tDCS, 20 min/day, 5 days/week) in awake PD animals for a total of 4 weeks, the effects of tDCS on motor and non-motor behaviors as well as dopaminergic neuron degeneration levels, were identified.

RESULTS

We found that the 4-week tDCS intervention significantly alleviated 6-OHDA-induced motor deficits in locomotor activity, akinesia, gait pattern and anxiety-like behavior, but not in apomorphine-induced rotations, recognition memory and depression-like behavior. Immunohistochemically, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-positive neurons in the substantia nigra were significantly preserved in the tDCS intervention group.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that early and long-term tDCS could exert neuroprotective effects and reduce the aggravation of motor dysfunctions in a 6-OHDA-induced PD rat model. Furthermore, this preclinical model may enhance the promising possibility of the potential use of tDCS and serve as a translational platform to further identify the therapeutic mechanism of tDCS for PD or other neurological disorders.

Expression of MSTN gene and its correlation with pectoralis muscle fiber traits in the domestic pigeons (Columba livia)

Myostatin (MSTN) is a negative regulator of skeletal muscle growth and plays an important role in muscle development. In this research, we constructed a tissue expression profile of the pigeon MSTN gene in eight tissues and a spatio-temporal expression profile in the pectoral muscle using qRT-PCR method. And the pectoralis muscle fiber traits during pigeon post-hatching stages at 1, 7, 14, 21, and 28 D were analyzed through the paraffin sections. Then the correlations between the muscle fiber diameter, cross-sectional area, density, and the expression of MSTN in the pectoral muscle were analyzed. Results showed that MSTN mRNA was mainly expressed in breast muscle, heart, spleen, and kidney and it was almost unexpressed in the liver and lungs. Moreover, the MSTN mRNA expression level in breast muscle was significantly higher than that in other tissues (P < 0.05), and showed an interesting trend that it decreased in the first week and then increased with age. Meanwhile, decrease of myostatin transcripts was accompanied by the down-regulation of Myf5 and the up-regulation of MyoG during the first week post-hatching. In addition, the paraffin sections analysis results revealed that the diameter and cross-sectional area of pectoralis muscle fiber significantly increased with age (P < 0.05), and a significant positive correlation was shown between the MSTN gene expression level and muscle fiber diameter (P < 0.05). These fundamental researches might contribute to further understanding of the roles MSTN played in the post-hatching muscle fiber development in pigeon.

Neuromodulatory Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Motor Excitability in Rats

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a noninvasive technique for modulating neural plasticity and is considered to have therapeutic potential in neurological disorders. For the purpose of translational neuroscience research, a suitable animal model can be ideal for providing a stable condition for identifying mechanisms that can help to explore therapeutic strategies. Here, we developed a tDCS protocol for modulating motor excitability in anesthetized rats. To examine the responses of tDCS-elicited plasticity, the motor evoked potential (MEP) and MEP input-output (IO) curve elicited by epidural motor cortical electrical stimulus were evaluated at baseline and after 30 min of anodal tDCS or cathodal tDCS. Furthermore, a paired-pulse cortical electrical stimulus was applied to assess changes in the inhibitory network by measuring long-interval intracortical inhibition (LICI) before and after tDCS. In the results, analogous to those observed in humans, the present study demonstrates long-term potentiation- (LTP-) and long-term depression- (LTD-) like plasticity can be induced by tDCS protocol in anesthetized rats. We found that the MEPs were significantly enhanced immediately after anodal tDCS at 0.1 mA and 0.8 mA and remained enhanced for 30 min. Similarly, MEPs were suppressed immediately after cathodal tDCS at 0.8 mA and lasted for 30 min. No effect was noted on the MEP magnitude under sham tDCS stimulation. Furthermore, the IO curve slope was elevated following anodal tDCS and presented a trend toward diminished slope after cathodal tDCS. No significant differences in the LICI ratio of pre- to post-tDCS were observed. These results indicated that developed tDCS schemes can produce consistent, rapid, and controllable electrophysiological changes in corticomotor excitability in rats. This newly developed tDCS animal model could be useful to further explore mechanical insights and may serve as a translational platform bridging human and animal studies, establishing new therapeutic strategies for neurological disorders.

[The expression of VHL/HIF signaling pathway in the erythroid progenitor cells with chronic mountain sickness]

Objective: To investigate the expression and interaction of VHL/HIF-α pathways including HIF-1α, HIF-2α as well as VHL in erythroid progenitor cells of bone marrow from chronic mountain sickness (CMS) patients. Methods: A total of 25 patients with CMS and 21 healthy controls were recruited for this study. The CD71(+)CD235a(+) cells in bone marrow mononuclear cells, marked as erythroid progenitor cells, were isolated using MACS separation technology. The expression levels of HIF-1α, HIF-2α and VHL in erythroid progenitor cells were detected by Western blotting and real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR. Results: The mRNA levels of HIF-2α were higher in erythroid progenitor cells of CMS than in healthy controls [1.68 (0.81, 2.22) vs 0.98 (0.60, 1.19), P<0.05], while HIF-1α and VHL mRNA levels were similar between the two groups (P>0.05). Spearman analyses indicated that HIF-2α mRNA was positively associated with hemoglobin (Hb) levels in the erythroid progenitor cells of CMS (ρ=0.504, P<0.05). Furthermore, the mRNA level of HIF-2α was correlated with the mRNA level of VHL in the erythroid progenitor cells of CMS (ρ=0.647, P<0.05).The protein levels of HIF-2α in the erythroid progenitor cells of CMS were higher than that of healthy controls [0.94(0.68, 3.30) vs 0.59(0.30, 0.88), P<0.05], but the protein levels of HIF-1α and VHL were similar between the two groups (P>0.05). Conclusions: The abnormal increased expression of HIF-2α in the erythroid progenitor cells of CMS patients leads to the abnormal expression of hypoxia sensitive genes downstream, participating in the occurrence and development of CMS.

[Epidemiological characteristics of imported acute infectious diseases in the border areas of Yunnan province, 2008-2017]

Objective: To understand the epidemiological characteristics of imported acute infectious diseases between 2008 and 2017 in the border areas of Yunnan province. Methods: All the cases occurred between January 2008 and December 2017 and related information was from the Chinese CDC infectious disease report information management system, according to definition of imported cases diagnosed by clinicians. Epidemiological characteristics of the imported cases of related information were gathered. Results: A total of 13 157 imported acute infectious diseases were reported from the border areas of Yunnan province, which accounted for 6.03% (13 157/218 284) of the total number of acute infectious diseases in the same areas from 2008 to 2017. Malaria, dengue fever and hand-foot-mouth disease were accounted for 56.05% (7 374/13 157), 21.82% (2 871/13 157) and 4.62% (608/13 157), of all the case, respectively. The number of imported malaria cases decreased annually. However, dengue fever showed a sharp increase. Peaks of the epidemics appeared as: May for malaria and October for dengue fever. Male patients were accounting for the majority (73.22%, 9 634/13 157), so as the patients with Chinese nationality (54.91%, 7 225/13 157). The age distribution appeared as: 67.12% (8 829/13 157) for the 15-44 year olds and 19.26% (2 535/13 157) were children below 14 years of age. Proportions of occupation appeared as: farmers (45.23%, 5 596/13 157), migrant workers (21.30%, 2 802/13 157) and children living at home (11.12%, 1 463/13 157). Most of the imported cases were coming from Myanmar and appearing in the following three counties: Ruili city, Tengchong city, and Yingjiang of Yunnan province. Cities/counties that with number of imported cases more than 10% of the local reported cases, would include Ruili city, Tengchong city, Zhenkang county and Mangshi of Yunnan province. Conclusions: Imported acute infectious disease was a serious public health problem in Yunnan province, 2008-2017. The main imported acute infectious diseases were malaria, dengue fever and hand-foot-mouth disease. The majority imported cases were accounting for Chinese, male, young adults and farmers. It is also important for immigration workers to carry out surveillance, prevention and control programs on infectious diseases when working in neighboring countries.

Association of ADSL gene polymorphisms with meat quality and carcass traits in domestic pigeons (Columba livia)

1. Adenylosuccinate lyase (ADSL) plays an important role in the synthesis of inosine monophosphate (IMP). In this trial, a total of 200 pigeons were sampled and slaughtered. Seven meat quality traits and 11 carcass traits were measured. DNA sequencing was used to detect nucleotide mutations, and associations between ADSL gene polymorphisms and meat quality and carcass traits were analysed. 2. Sequencing results showed that 9 nucleotide mutations were found in the exons of the ADSL gene. All the mutations were synonymous except C13065G, which caused a change in amino acids (Ser to Arg). In addition, two of the detected single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) had significant associations with meat quality and carcass traits. 3. For the C13065G SNP located in exon11, the IMP content of breast muscle in AA and AB genotype was higher than in the BB genotype (P < 0.01). The SNP G10696A located in exon10 was significantly associated with carcass rate, in which AA and AB genotype were higher than the BB genotype (P < 0.01). 4. The results indicated that the ADSL gene has a close association with meat quality and carcass traits in domestic pigeons, and G10696A and C13065G SNPs could be applied as genetic markers in molecular marker-assisted breeding of pigeons.

Observation of a_{0}^{0}(980)-f_{0}(980) Mixing

We report the first observation of a_{0}^{0}(980)-f_{0}(980) mixing in the decays of J/ψ→ϕf_{0}(980)→ϕa_{0}^{0}(980)→ϕηπ^{0} and χ_{c1}→a_{0}^{0}(980)π^{0}→f_{0}(980)π^{0}→π^{+}π^{-}π^{0}, using data samples of 1.31×10^{9}  J/ψ events and 4.48×10^{8}  ψ(3686) events accumulated with the BESIII detector. The signals of f_{0}(980)→a_{0}^{0}(980) and a_{0}^{0}(980)→f_{0}(980) mixing are observed at levels of statistical significance of 7.4σ and 5.5σ, respectively. The corresponding branching fractions and mixing intensities are measured and the constraint regions on the coupling constants, g_{a_{0}K^{+}K^{-}} and g_{f_{0}K^{+}K^{-}}, are estimated. The results improve the understanding of the nature of a_{0}^{0}(980) and f_{0}(980).

Precision Study of η^{'}→γπ^{+}π^{-} Decay Dynamics

Using a low background data sample of 9.7×10^{5}  J/ψ→γη^{'}, η^{'}→γπ^{+}π^{-} events, which are 2 orders of magnitude larger than those from the previous experiments, recorded with the BESIII detector at BEPCII, the decay dynamics of η^{'}→γπ^{+}π^{-} are studied with both model-dependent and model-independent approaches. The contributions of ω and the ρ(770)-ω interference are observed for the first time in the decays η^{'}→γπ^{+}π^{-} in both approaches. Additionally, a contribution from the box anomaly or the ρ(1450) resonance is required in the model-dependent approach, while the process specific part of the decay amplitude is determined in the model-independent approach.

[Relationship between overnight urinary sodium to potassium ratio and the risk of cardiovascular disease]

Objective: To explore the relationship between overnight urinary sodium to potassium ratio and the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Methods: A subsample of 10 percent of the participants (35-59 years old) from the People's Republic of China-United States Collaborative Study of Cardiovascular and Cardiopulmonary Epidemiology (prospective survey) were used. Three consecutive overnight urine samples were collected in the autumn of 1983-1984 and the spring in 1985-1986, respectively. Urinary sodium and potassium were detected and calculated for 8 hours excretion. The occurrences of cardiovascular events were recorded in 2 years interval from 1987-1988 until December 31, 2005. Participants were divided into first ratio group, second ratio group, and third ratio group based on the tertiles of sodium to potassium ratio. Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to determine the relationship between sodium to potassium ratio and risk of CVD. In addition, participants were divided into 2 subgroups by the median of overnight urinary sodium and potassium, and then combined each other for 4 subgroups including low sodium-low potassium group, low sodium-high potassium group, high sodium-low potassium group, and high sodium-high potassium group, to explore the relationship between different sodium-potassium combinations and the risk of CVD. Results: A total of 954 participants were included in the final analysis, of whom 459 (48.1%) were males. There were 318 cases in the first, second and third ratio group, respectively. There were 347 cases in low sodium-low potassium group and high sodium-high potassium group, and 130 cases in low sodium-high potassium group and high sodium-low potassium group. After a median follow-up of 18.6 (18.3, 19.3) years, cardiovascular events occurred in 81 participants, including 64 stroke and 20 coronary heart disease events. Multivariate analysis showed that comparing with the first ratio group, the hazard ratios (HR) in the second and the third ratio groups were 2.04 (95%CI 1.06-3.95, P=0.034) and 2.07 (95%CI 1.07-4.03, P=0.032), respectively. The CVD risk in low sodium-low potassium group was 24% higher than the low sodium-high potassium group (reference), but this result did not reach statistical significant level (P=0.685). The risks in high sodium-high potassium group (HR=3.32, 95%CI 1.26-8.76,P=0.015) and high sodium-low potassium (HR=3.04, 95%CI 1.05-8.83, P=0.041) group were both significantly increased. Conclusions: Overnight urinary sodium to potassium ratio is positively correlated with the risk of cardiovascular events. High urinary sodium plays a more important role for the increased risk of cardiovascular events than low potassium.

Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Alpha7 Subunit Mediates Vagus Nerve Stimulation-Induced Neuroprotection in Acute Permanent Cerebral Ischemia by a7nAchR/JAK2 Pathway

Background

The role of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor alpha7 subunit (a7nAchR) in the treatment of acute cerebral ischemia by VNS has not been thoroughly clarified to date. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the specific role of a7nAchR and explore whether this process is involved in the mechanisms of VNS-induced neuroprotection in rats undergoing permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (PMCAO) surgery.

Material/Methods

Rats received a7nAChR antagonist (A) or antagonist placebo injection for control (AC), followed by PMCAO and VNS treatment, whereas the a7nAChR agonist (P) was utilized singly without VNS treatment but only with PMCAO pretreatment. The rats were randomly divided into 6 groups: sham PMCAO, PMCAO, PMCAO+VNS, PMCAO+VNS+A, PMCAO+VNS+AC, and PMCAO+P. Neurological function and cerebral infarct volume were measured to evaluate the level of brain injury at 24 h after PMCAO or PMCAO-sham. Moreover, the related proteins levels of a7nAChR, p-JAK2, and p-STAT3 in the ischemic penumbra were assessed by Western blot analysis.

Results

Rats pretreated with VNS had significantly improved neurological function and reduced cerebral infarct volume after PMCAO injury (p<0.05). In addition, VNS enhanced the levels of a7nAchR, p-JAK2, and p-STAT3 in the ischemic penumbra (p<0.05). However, inhibition of a7nAchR not only attenuated the beneficial neuroprotective effects induced by VNS, but also decreased levels of p-JAK2 and p-STAT3. Strikingly, pharmacological activation of a7nAchR can partially substitute for VNS-induced beneficial neurological protection.

Conclusions

These results suggest that a7nAchR is a pivotal mediator of VNS-induced neuroprotective effects on PMCAO injury, which may be related to suppressed inflammation via activation of the a7nAchR/JAK2 anti-inflammatory pathway.

Determination of the Spin and Parity of the Z_{c}(3900)

The spin and parity of the Z_{c}(3900)^{±} state are determined to be J^{P}=1^{+} with a statistical significance larger than 7σ over other quantum numbers in a partial wave analysis of the process e^{+}e^{-}→π^{+}π^{-}J/ψ. We use a data sample of 1.92  fb^{-1} accumulated at sqrt[s]=4.23 and 4.26 GeV with the BESIII experiment. When parametrizing the Z_{c}(3900)^{±} with a Flatté-like formula, we determine its pole mass M_{pole}=(3881.2±4.2_{stat}±52.7_{syst})  MeV/c^{2} and pole width Γ_{pole}=(51.8±4.6_{stat}±36.0_{syst})  MeV. We also measure cross sections for the process e^{+}e^{-}→Z_{c}(3900)^{+}π^{-}+c.c.→J/ψπ^{+}π^{-} and determine an upper limit at the 90% confidence level for the process e^{+}e^{-}→Z_{c}(4020)^{+}π^{-}+c.c.→J/ψπ^{+}π^{-}.

[Retrospective analysis of the four kinds of virus in adeno tonsillar tissues from children using PCR]

Objective:To investigate the seasonal disturbations and the rates of detection of EpsteinBarr virus (EBV), Human Bocavirus(HBoV), and polyomaviruses KI and WU (KIPyV and WUPyV) in adenoid and tonsil tissues during the absence of acute infection symptoms.Method:DNA expressions of EBV, HBoV, polyomaviruses KIPyV and WUPyV were investigated in children with chronic tonsillar and adenoidal diseases using real time polymerase chain reaction. The patients were divided into three group: adenoid group, chronic tonsillit group and hypertrophic tonsillitis group. The relationships of the expressions of these viruses with age, gender, recurrent infection and airway obstruction were analyzed. Seasonal variations in rates of detection of these viruses in adenoid and tonsil tissues were also investigated.Result:Considering adenoid specimens, HBoV was found to be the most frequent virus with the rate of 43.1%. In specimens of chronic tonsillitis and hypertrophic tonsils, EBV was the most frequently encountered virus (53.8%, and 32.0%, respectively). In children with hypertrophic adenoids, while HBoV was detected to be positive throughout the year, EBV was present throughout the year in children with recurrent tonsillitis.Conclusion:The detection of HBoV and EBV throughout the year in samples of children with asymptomatic chronic adenotonsillar diseases may indicate that these viruses may remain persistently in lymphoepithelial tissues of upper respiratory tract. Virus persistence may have a pathogenetic potential for development of lymphoid hypertrophy and a chronic stimulatory effect for inflammation.

[Effects of noise competition on monosyllabic and disyllabic word perception in children]

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of noise competition on word perception in normal hearing (NH) children and children with cochlear implantation (CI). Methods: To estimate the contribution of noise competition on speech perception, word perception in speech-shaped noise(SSN)and 4-talker babble noise(BN) with Mandarin Lexical Neighborhood Test were performed in 80 NH children and 89 children with CI. Corrected perception percentages were acquired in each group. Results: Both signal to noise ratio (SNR) and noise type influenced the word perception. In NH group, corrected percentages of disyllabic word perception in SSN were 24.2%, 55.9%, 77.1%, 85.1% and 88.9% at -8, -4, 0, 4 and 8 dB SNR, corresponding corrected percentages of monosyllabic word were 13.9%, 39.5%, 60.1%, 68.8% and 80.1%, respectively. In BN noise, corrected percentages of disyllabic word were 2.4%, 24.3%, 55.6%, 74.3% and 86.2%, corresponding monosyllabic word were 2.3%, 20.8%, 47.2%, 61.1% and 74.8%, respectively. In CI group, corrected percentages of dissyllabic word in SSN and BN at 10 dB SNR were 65.5% and 58.1%, respectively. Corresponding monosyllabic word were 49.0% and 41.0%. For SNR=5 dB, corrected percentages of disyllabic word in SSN and BN were 50.0% and 38.1%, corresponding corrected percentages of monosyllabic word were 40.8% and 25.1%, respectively. Analysis indicated that the masking effect were significantly higher in BN compared with SSN. Conclusions: Noise competition influence word perception performance significantly. In specific, the influence of noise on word perception is bigger in children with CI than in NH children. The masking effect is higher in BN noise when compared with SSN.