Administration of recombinant Reishi immunomodulatory protein (rLZ-8) diet enhances innate immune responses and elicits protection against nervous necrosis virus in grouper Epinephelus coioides

Nervous necrosis virus (NNV) infection during larvae and juvenile stage in grouper (Epinephelus coioides) has caused severe economic losses in the aquaculture industry in Asia. The aims of this study were to evaluate the influence of recombinant Reishi protein, rLZ-8, on the innate immune responses and the viral resisting ability in fish. Groupers were fed with rLZ-8 supplemented diet (1.25-37.5 mg (rLZ-8)/kg(diet)), and the cytokine gene expression, innate immune responses, and survival rate after NNV challenge were examined. The fish fed with rLZ-8 diet showed 6- to 11-fold upregulated TNF-α and IL-1β gene expression, along with significant increased respiratory burst and phagocytic activity. Moreover, feeding the fish with 37.5 mg/kg rLZ-8 diet elicited significant improvement in post viral challenge survival rate (85.7%). These discoveries indicated that rLZ-8 could be utilized as an ant-pathogen immunostimulant, and provided a new candidate to fight against NNV infection in fish.

Characteristics of a waveguide mode in a trilayer Ag/SiO(2)/Au plasmonic thermal emitter

A suitably designed trilayer Ag/SiO(2)/Au thermal emitter can be used as the narrow bandwidth infrared light source. The thermal radiation generated in the SiO(2) layer resonates between the two metal films and results in not only the Ag/SiO(2) surface plasmon polaritons but also the waveguide mode (WM) in the Ag/SiO(2)/Au structure owing to the thick SiO(2) layer. This study investigated the influence of dielectric thickness on energy dispersion relations and derived the theoretical dispersion relation, which fit well with experimental results. This WM light source can be applied in the area of gas sensing and probing the response of the animal cells and plants to infrared radiation.

Effect of Wood's anomalies on the profile of extraordinary transmission spectra through metal periodic arrays of rectangular subwavelength holes with different aspect ratio

The extraordinary transmission through silver film perforated with rectangular hole array with different aspect ratio was investigated. It was found that when the aspect ratio exceeded 7, the propagating surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) transformed to localized resonance mode. The role of the Wood's anomaly on the shape of the transmission spectrum is investigated. By designing the rectangular hole arrays in a rectangular lattice, the Wood's anomaly can be shifted far apart from the transmission peak, the real localized resonance peak wavelength was identified and fitted well with the theoretical calculation using a simplified transmission-line model.

Reflection and emission properties of an infrared emitter

The reflection and emission properties of an infrared emitter, which is a plasmonic multilayer structure consisting of a relief metallic grating, a waveguide layer, and a metallic substrate are investigated both experimentally and theoretically. A localized surface plasmon polariton (SPP) mode which is angular-independent in almost the full range of incident angles is observed. The thermal emission of this structure is also measured. It is found that the emission peak coincides with the angular-independent localized SPP mode. In addition, the emission spectrum of the plasmonic emitter can be predicted by investigating the reflectance spectrum.

Development of interesting step-climbing styles

OBJECTIVES

This study was to investigate the influence of stepping styles (forward, side, and cross steppings) and inclinations (25 and 45 degrees) on cardiorespiratory responses (C-R responses).

METHODS

Twenty volunteers were recruited and randomly arranged into two ten-people groups, exercising on step-climbing machines respectively of 25 and 45 degrees of inclination. C-R responses were recorded during each test which lasted for six minutes at 50 steps per minute on a step-climbing machine.

RESULTS

The group on 25-degree inclination had significantly lower C-R responses than the group on 45-degree inclination. Although only small differences, probably statistically insignificant, were found among the three step-climbing styles, these differences showed interesting trends independent of inclination.

CONCLUSIONS

Climbing stairs with the three interesting step-climbing styles in this study could be considered as an exercise of moderate intensity (60-80% HRmax ). Climbing on 25-degree inclination at 50 steps per minute is recommended for less fit individuals because of lower cardiovascular stress as compared with on 45-degree inclination.

Functional electrical stimulation on chronic and acute hemiplegic shoulder subluxation

OBJECTIVE

The present study investigated and assessed the effectiveness of a functional electrical stimulation (FES) program in the management of acute and chronic shoulder subluxation.

DESIGN

By their postonset duration, hemiplegic subjects with subluxation participating in the study were placed into a short-duration group and a long-duration group. Subjects in each group were further assigned randomly to either a control subgroup or an experimental subgroup. The experimental subgroups of both short and long duration received FES therapy in which supraspinatus and posterior deltoid were induced to contract repetitively up to 6 hr/day for 6 wk. The duration of the FES session and muscle contraction/relaxation ratio were progressively increased as performance improved.

RESULTS

The experimental subgroup of short duration showed significant improvements in reducing subluxation as indicated by x-ray compared with the control subgroup of short duration after the first FES treatment. The same effect was not shown for the experimental subgroup of long duration. The second FES treatment program only resulted in an insignificant change of shoulder subluxation for both the short- and long-duration subgroups.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study suggests that hemiplegic subjects with short postonset duration are effectively trained for shoulder subluxation by the first FES treatment program. The same FES showed not to be effective when applied to the subjects with subluxation of > 1 yr.

Effects of thoraco-lumbar electric sensory stimulation on knee extensor spasticity of persons who survived cerebrovascular accident (CVA)

Spasticity is mostly due to an excess of impulses to alpha motor neurons partly resulting from a change of interneuron activity. Low threshold afferent has been reported to change the activity in interneuron. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of surface spinal paravertebral stimulation on knee extensor spasticity. Ten survivors of stroke, with knee extensor spasticity, received electric stimulation for five 45-minute periods through surface electrodes applied to the skin in the twelfth thoracic and first lumbar areas. The electric stimulations had an amplitude modulated alternating current (AC), with a carrier frequency of 2500 Hz, modulated to "beats" frequency of 20 Hz. Stimulation amplitude was raised to elicit sensory stimulation. The pre- and post-treatment evaluation included the modified Ashworth scale, active torque during controlled knee movements at various velocities, and electromyographic (EMG) activity during the torque measurements. Our results indicate that nine of ten subjects demonstrated a decrease in the modified Ashworth scale post-treatment. The EMG activity of the spastic quadriceps during active knee flexion was decreased post-treatment as compared with the value before treatment. The active torque value of knee flexion or extension at 30 degrees, 60 degrees, or 90 degrees/sec of angular velocity did not change significantly post-treatment. A trend of increasing spastic quadriceps EMG activity with respect to the angular velocity during an active knee flexion was established, with Ashworth scale considered. The level of EMG activity is higher when the Ashworth scale is higher. According to our results, the surface paravertebral sensory stimulation was effective in reducing quadriceps muscle spasticity of the subjects. Both the modified Ashworth scale and the EMG activity of spastic quadriceps during eccentric contraction are suggested as sensitive tools for measuring spasticity of persons who survived cerebrovascular accident (CVA).

Effects of surface spinal cord stimulation on spasticity and quantitative assessment of muscle tone in hemiplegic patients

Spasticity after a stroke interferes with the normal function of a limb. Electric stimulation has been used in a variety of ways to decrease spasticity. The purposes of this study were (1) to quantify the effectiveness of electric stimulation on decreasing ankle spasticity and (2) to develop a quantitative assessment of muscle tone, which could be replicated in the clinic. Ten patients with hemiparesis resulting from ischemic stroke participated in the study according to the selection criteria. Their mean age was 57 yr, with a mean stroke interval of 12.5 months. Patients received electric stimulation for 45 min through surface electrodes applied to the skin in the 12th thoracic and 1st lumbar areas. All patients received five electric stimulation treatment sessions. The electrical pulses were amplitude modulated frequency beat with a carry frequency of 2500 Hz and a stimulation frequency of 20 Hz. The stimulation intensity was adjusted to each patient to produce a sensory stimulation. The pre- and posttreatment evaluation included surface electromyography activity during passive ankle dorsiflexion, passive ankle dorsiflexion resistance at different angular velocities, as measured by an isokinetic machine and the modified Ashworth scale. Our results indicate that the surface spinal cord stimulation with middle frequency modulated to low frequency for sensory stimulation on the skin of 12th thoracic and first lumbar area is effective in reducing calf muscle spasticity of hemiplegic patients. The isokinetic torque measures for spasticity are a sensitive tool to document the effects of the treatment.

Detection and distribution of aromatase in hypothalamus of the male rat

Conversion of androgen to estrogen in the rat brain is catalyzed by aromatase. An in vitro assay for aromatase activity, which quantitates the production of 3H2O during the conversion of 1 beta-3H-androstenedione to estrone, was developed and validated in the present study. The distribution of aromatase activity in discrete hypothalamic nuclei was also explored. Individual hypothalamic nuclei were microdissected from 200-micron frozen sections. Tissues from 3 animals were pooled and assayed for aromatase activity. It was found that the rate of aromatase activity was linear with time up to 1 hour, and with protein concentrations up to 900 micrograms/ml tissue homogenate. A maximal rate was obtained with a substrate concentration of 0.3 microM. The aromatase activity was heterogeneously distributed within the rat brain. The greatest amount of aromatase activity was found in the preoptic area. The suprachiasmatic nucleus also contained a high level of aromatase activity. The aromatase activities in the anterior hypothalamus, ventromedial nucleus, arcuate nucleus and dorsomedial nucleus were less than half that found in the preoptic area.