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Rock burst disaster has become a major safety problem in underground coal mining worldwide. Using the true triaxial electro-hydraulic servo loading test system, the stress-strain law, failure characteristics and acoustic emission activity law of coal-rock combination, deep coal body and shallow coal body with three different stress types are studied. The strength criterion relationship of deep and shallow coal bodies is established, the energy release characteristics of deep coal body are analyzed, and the instability mechanism of deep coal body is revealed. The results show that the coal samples with different stress types are affected by the stress environment and structural differences. The shallow coal samples of the roadway rib and the coal-rock combination samples of the roadway rib under high σ2 confining pressure all produce rapid stress drop after the peak stress, and the brittle failure and impact are strong. In the failure mechanism, the shallow coal sample of the roadway is mainly controlled by the tensile-shear coupling mechanism. The deep coal sample of the roadway is mainly controlled by the shear mechanism. The area near the constraint surface and the free surface of the coal-rock combination sample is controlled by the shear and tension-shear coupling mechanism respectively. Under the condition of same confining pressure, the shallow coal body of the roadway is more likely to be destroyed. Based on the source of the impact energy release of the roadway coal rib, the instability model of the coal body in the deep roadway is established, and the instability mechanism of the coal body in the deep roadway is revealed.

Primary health care institutions should be the main force of China's medical and health service system and the cornerstone of the national health care system. During the COVID-19 pandemic, China's primary health care institutions played a critical role, but many deficiencies and weaknesses were also highlighted. Through systematic literature search and analysis, this article finds that China's primary health care institutions have some problems such as low demand for patient care, weak integration of the health system, weak service foundation, and insufficient emergency response capacity for public health emergencies. Accordingly, we put forward a strategy for the construction of primary health care institutions based on the 'Three Forces Theory', which aims to improve the primary medical and health care service system, upgrade the capacity of primary medical and health care services, and better fulfill the strategic goal of 'Healthy China 2030'.

In the period of historic intersection of energy revolution, a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, unprecedented opportunities and challenges are appearing in the development of urban gas industry. Herein, the development history of urban gas industry was reviewed briefly, four major development trends of industry future were analyzed and summarized, and the pain spots of the industry were pointed out, including the insufficient industry intelligence, the incomplete safety system and the inadequate depth of low-carbon energy transformation layout. In addition, an overall logical block diagram was constructed based on the key technologies of intelligent gas. Meanwhile, the key problems in the construction of perception layer, transmission layer and application layer were analyzed. Moreover, focusing on the key technologies of gas safety, the concept of building a safety management system of urban gas based on integrity management was proposed, coring at the establishment of a digital model for the gas transportation and distribution system and the construction of a failure database. Furthermore, the development approach for constructing a "near-zero carbon"energy ecological network of urban gas was put forward based on gas decarbonisation. Finally, the economic and safety problems faced by the technologies such as efficient utilization of natural gas and hydrogen mixing in natural gas pipelines were emphatically analyzed, and accordingly, appreciate solutions were developed.

Objective: To study the changes of physicochemical properties in Shuidouchi before and after fermentation, and to preliminarily explore the inhibitory effect of its extracts on castration-resistant prostate cancer cells (CRPC). Methods: Shuidouchi was fermented using three high-yielding protease strains. With reference to the national standard methods, contents ofamino nitrogen, total acid, pH, reducing sugar and soybean isoflavones in Shuidouchi before and after fermentation were tested, and total phenol and flavonoids were examined by chemical method. And the antioxidant capacity of Shuidouchi extracts was also determined. Finally, the inhibitory effect of Shuidouchi extracts fermented with the optimal strain was observed. Results: Fermented by high-yielding protease strains，the contents of amino nitrogen, reducing sugar, isoflavone and antioxidant capacity of soybean were all improved compared with steamed soybean, among which B19 strain fermented Shuidouchi had the best effect. And the extract of Shuidouchi fermented by B19 strain could selectively kill CRPC cells and promote their apoptosis, and inhibit the secretion of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), androgen (T) and dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Conclusion: Fermentation by high-yielding protease strains of Shuidouchi can change the physicochemical properties, and enhance its nutritional activities. Moreover, the extract of Shuidouchi fermented with B19 strain has an inhibitory effect on CRPC cells. This study provides data references and theoretical support for the research and development of health functional foods related to Shuidouchi.

The Upper Ordovician Wufeng to Lower Silurian Longmaxi formations are important exploration targets for shale gas in the western Hubei province. The lithology, sedimentary facies, gas-bearing characteristics and preservation conditions of the Wufeng-Longmaxi formations were analyzed with the samples of more than 20 survey wells. The Wufeng Formation is dominated by black carbonaceous siliceous shale of deep-water siliceous argillaceous shelf facies, while the Longmaxi Formation is dominated by gray-black carbonaceous shale of deep-water argillaceous shelf facies. The Wufeng-Longmaxi formations and the lower part of Lower Silurian Xintan Formation consist of two three-level sequences, and the gas content conforms to the characteristics of TST1 > TST2 > HST2 > HST1. The gas content of the Wufeng Formation is slightly higher than that of the Longmaxi Formation. A good gas potential has been found to the north of Tianyangping Fault and the east of Xianfeng Fault. Since most wells were in the deep shelf facies area, sedimentary facies have little effect on the plane distribution of shale gas content. The studies of preservation conditions showed that both the Xintan Formation as the roof and the Ordovician as the floor have good sealing properties. The burial history of Wufeng-Longmaxi formations can be divided into four stages, and shows the characteristics of "early uplift time" and "rapid uplift rate" when compared with the Sichuan Basin. The burial depth and the distance to normal fault have certain influence on the gas content. However, the matching pattern between fault and fold is the most important factor affecting gas content. Two structural patterns are beneficial to shale gas accumulation, one is being far away from normal fault and locating at the syncline wing or core, the other is being far away from normal fault and locating at the footwall of fault and the target stratum is not connected to the fault in the up-dip direction.

To fully utilize the historical failure data of oil and gas pipelines and minimize the subjectivity in evaluation of failure probability, the concept and evaluation method of basic failure probability of oil and gas pipelines were proposed.The mileage, accident and failure factor data of oil and gas pipelines in the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration(PHMSA) database in the United States were comprehensively analyzed, and the basic failure probability of oil and gas pipelines was evaluated based on accident statistics.The results show that the basic failure probabilities of ordinary accidents of hazardous liquid pipelines, gas gathering and transportation pipelines and gas distribution pipelines in the United States are 1.29 times/(103 km·a), 2.17 times/(104 km·a) and 4.08 times/(105 km·a), respectively, Those of larger accidents are 4.58 times/(103 km·a), 1.41 times/(103 km·a) and 2.38 times/(103 km·a), respectively, and those of serious accidents are 9.09 times/(106 km·a), 9.79 times/(106 km·a) and 1.11 times/(105 km·a), respectively.American basic failure probabilities could be used as the baseline for evaluating the failure probability of oil and gas pipelines or as the basis for risk acceptance criteria.However, they can't be directly applied to the pipeline risk assessment in China and should be amended to establish failure database for chinese pipelines.

At present, there are many difficulties in the development and production of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) tablets. This work aimed to explore the feasibility of improving dissolution difficulty and large dosage of TCM tablets by co-spray drying TCM extract with a small amount of pore-foaming agent ammonium bicarbonate. A series of porous Fagopyri Dibotryis Rhizoma powders were prepared by co-spray drying Fagopyri Dibotryis Rhizoma with different amounts of ammonium bicarbonate, and their powder pro-perties and tablet properties were comparatively investigated. At the same time, Fagopyri Dibotryis Rhizoma commercial tablets and raw material tablets were used as control drugs, the improvement degree of its compressibility and dissolution rate was investigated. The results showed that there were higher porosity, specific surface area and hollow spheroidal particles structure of powders via co-spray drying Fagopyri Dibotryis Rhizoma with NH_4HCO_3. Compared to parent and commercial Fagopyri Dibotryis Rhizoma tablets, the dissolution rates and compressibility of porous Fagopyri Dibotryis Rhizoma tablets were significantly increasing. High compressibility could increase drug loading by reducing excipients in manufacturing of tablets and lower the dose of Fagopyri Dibotryis Rhizoma tablets.

Carotid web is a rare risk factor of ischemic stroke. A total of 32 (0.54%) patients with carotid web were finally diagnosed in 5 943 patients who underwent carotid computerized tomography angiography (CTA) in two hospitals. Only one patient received carotid endarterectomy that pathological findings were fibrous tissue hyperplasia of vascular wall with mucinous degeneration. Stent implantation was administrated in two cases. Among 13 asymptomatic patients, the observational follow-up period was (20.9±12.4) months without strokes. Carotid web is a rare aberration. Asymptomatic patients with carotid web are usually silent. Large sized cohort and long-term follow-up are further needed.

Objective: To investigate the effects and related mechanisms of ghrelin on myocardial neovascularization in diabetic rats with experimental myocardial infarction (MI)., Methods: Adult male SD rats were divided into six groups (n = 20 each group): control, diabetes mellitus (DM), MI, DM+MI, DM+MI+ghrelin, DM+MI+ghrelin+D-Lys3-GHRP-6 (GHSR1a inhibitor). DM was induced by streptozotocin (STZ, 60 mg/kg), 3 months later, MI was induced by left anterior descending artery ligation in DM rats. DM+MI+ghrelin group received ghrelin 200 µg×kg(-1)×d(-1) and DM+MI+ghrelin+D-Lys3-GHRP-6 group received ghrelin 200 µg×kg(-1)×d(-1) and D-Lys3-GHRP-6 50 mg×kg(-1)×d(-1) for 4 weeks. Then, cardiac function was measured by echocardiography, microvascular density (MVD) was measured by CD34 immunohistochemistry, myocardial infarct size was determined by Masson staining, the mRNA and protein expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and receptors Flk-1, Flt-1 were detected by real-time PCR and Western-blot, respectively., Results: Compared with MI group, MVD (15.3 ± 1.0 vs.20.7 ± 1.6, P < 0.05), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ((64.2 ± 3.4)% vs. (81.3 ± 3.8)%, P < 0.01), left ventricular fractional shortening (LVFS) ((31.7 ± 1.1)% vs. (48.8 ± 3.3)%, P < 0.01) and the mRNA and protein expression of VEGF, Flk-1 and Flt-1 (P < 0.01) were reduced, while myocardial infarct size ((55.8 ± 3.1)% vs. (35.7 ± 2.5)%, P < 0.01) was increased in DM+MI group. These effects were partly reversed in DM+MI+ghrelin group and the beneficial effects of ghrelin were partly abolished by D-Lys3-GHRP-6 (all P < 0.05)., Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that ghrelin could improve microvascular density, cardiac function, and reduce myocardial infarct size of diabetic rats with myocardial infarction via modulating GHSR1a-mediated expressions of VEGF, Flk-1 and Flt-1.

Objective: To investigate the medication status of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and to analyze the clinical use of sulphasalazine (SSZ) and the adverse effect., Methods: A total of 1 096 outpatients and inpatients diagnosed with RA were investigated in 21 hospitals all over China from July 2009 to December 2010, including gender, age of onset, clinical manifestations, as well as the clinical characteristics and medication status of 160 RA patients who received SSZ therapy., Results: In the group of 160 patients who received SSZ, the male-to-female ratio was 1:7, The average age at onset was (46.1±15.0) years, while the average course was (9.9±7.8) years. The average dose of sulphasalazine was (1.87±0.52) g/d for a mean duration of (26.3± 14.6) months. Only 17% (27/160) of the patients received SSZ monotherapy. Methotrexate (63.1%), leflunomide (36.2%) and hydroxychloroquine (18.1%) were most commonly used combination drugs. And 36.2% (58/160) of the patients used the two-drug combination of methotrexate plus sulphasalazine .In this group, 41.9% (67/160) once used SSZ but withdrew for adverse events and other reasons, while 17.5% (28/160) withdrew for adverse events, of which the most common were gastrointestinal (8.8%), skin (3.8%) and liver toxicity (3.1%)., Conclusion: Sulphaszlazine is not a common choice in the RA therapeutics in China, and the average dose of SSZ is lower than the standard dose of 2 to 3 g/d . The adverse events of SSZ are common; however, there are few severe adverse events or threat to life,SSZ is relatively safe in clinical practice.

Objective: To learn about the prevalence and risk factors of coronary artery disease (CAD) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA)., Methods: Data were obtained from a 12-month retrospective investigation of the patients with RA, randomly selected from Departments of Rheumatology and Immunology in 21 big hospitals in China. The data were collected about their social conditions, clinical conditions, medications associated with RA, such as disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), glucocorticoid, biologic agents. A nonparameter test and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed., Results: In the study, 960 patients were enrolled. The prevalence of CAD was 3.5% in China, which was obviously higher than that of normal people. The prevalence of overweight and obesity, smoking, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia and cerebrovascular disease were 35.1%, 12.3%, 17.0%, 7.7%, 0.4% and 3.0%, respectively. Compared with the control group, the CAD group had higher age [(64.7±9.3) years vs. (52.3±14.0) years,P<0.001], more rheumatoid nodules (14.7% vs. 3.1%,P=0.005), lower rate of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) use (5.9% vs. 22.6%,P=0.021), higher prevalence rates of lung interstitial disease (17.5% vs. 7.0%,P<0.001), diabetes mellitus and hypertension (29.4% vs. 7.0%,P<0.001; 38.2% vs. 16.2%,P=0.001). There was no obvious correlation of CAD in RA with joint deformity, rheumatoid factor (RF) titer, glucocorticoid use, hypercholesterolemia and body mass index (BMI). Multivariate analysis showed higher age, diabetes mellitus and hypertension were independent predictors of CAD, and the use of HCQ was a protective factor of CAD., Conclusion: The prevalence of CAD is 3.5%. Higher age, diabetes mellitus and hypertension are independent predictors of CAD, and the use of HCQ is a protective factor of CAD.

Objective: To investigate the current status of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors application in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients in China and to analyze the related factors., Methods: A retrospective survey was conducted in 21 hospitals from different parts of China. The patients with RA were randomly enrolled. Data of their social backgrounds, clinical conditions, usage and adverse effects of TNF inhibitors were collected. The costs of TNF inhibitors and the indirect costs of the disease were calculated. A multivariate Logistic regression analysis was performed to analyze the factors related to TNF inhibitors application., Results: In the study, 1 095 RA patients from July 2009 to November 2010 were enrolled, of whom 112 had received TNF inhibitors, representing 10.2% of the total patients. The patients who received etanercept and infliximab were 7.4% (86/1 095) of the patients and 2.4% (26/1 095), respectively. There were 0.5% of the patients (5/1 095) who had received both of the TNF inhibitors. The patients who had accepted etanercept and treatment duration for less than 3 months and 3-6 months accounted for 38.5% and 25.0% respectively, while those treated with Infliximab were 38.1%. Their health assessment questionnaire (HAQ) scores were 1.1, 0.5 and 0.1, corresponding to treatment duration of infliximab for less than 3, 3-6 and 6-9 months and those were 1.3, 1.0, 0.3 corresponding to treatment duration of etanercept, respectively. Infliximab costs were RMB 24 525.0, 69 300.0 and 96 800.0 Yuan and etanercept costs were RMB 7 394.8, 9 158.6, 54 910.9 Yuan, respectively. Indirect costs for RA patients who accepted infliximab for less than 3, 3-6 and 6-9 months were RMB 365.6, 0 and 158.9 Yuan and those who accepted etanercept were RMB 2 158.4, 288.5 and 180.1 Yuan, respectively. Allergy and infection were the main side-effects of etanercept and both happened in 3.5% of all the patients. Liver damage happened in 2.3% of all the patients, while allergy and infection happened in 6.5% of all the patients who accepted infliximab. Logistic regression analysis showed that patients with higher education experience increased the odds of entering the TNF inhibitors group (OR: 1.292, 95%CI: 1.132-1.473, P=0.000)., Conclusion: About one-tenth of RA patients in China have accepted TNF inhibitors. Higher education experience is the key factor for using TNF inhibitors.

Objective: To investigate the association between gene expressions of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), smooth muscle alpha-actin (alpha-SMA) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and atrial fibrosis in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF)., Methods: The right atrial tissue samples were taken from 75 patients with rheumatic heart disease underwent heart valve replacement surgery (34 patients with sinus rhythm, 11 patients with paroxysmal AF and 30 patients with persistent AF) and stained with picrosirius red for quantitative analysis of collagen accumulation. The mRNA and protein levels of bFGF, alpha-SMA and PCNA were detected by semi-quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemical technique, respectively., Results: The percent volume fraction of collagen (CVF) was the highest in persistent AF group and the lowest in the sinus rhythm group (all P < 0.01). CVF significantly correlated with AF duration (r = 0.390, P = 0.010) and left atria (LA) dimension (r = 0.320, P = 0.005). The mRNA and protein levels of bFGF, alpha-SMA and PCNA were significantly higher in the persistent AF group than those in the paroxysmal AF group (all P < 0.05) and significantly higher in both AF groups than those in the sinus rhythm group (P < 0.05-0.01). The mRNA and protein levels of bFGF were positively correlated with CVF (r = 0.330, P = 0.004 and r = 0.292, P = 0.013, respectively), AF duration (r = 0.330, P = 0.005 and r = 0.299, P = 0.010, respectively) and left atrial dimension (r = 0.342, P = 0.003 and r = 0.285, P = 0.015, respectively)., Conclusion: The increased gene expressions of bFGF, alpha-SMA and PCNA in atrium during AF may contribute to atrial fibrosis by promoting fibroblast proliferation in AF patients.

Objective: To determine whether gene expression of collagen type I and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1beta) is altered in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF)., Methods: Right atrial tissue samples were taken from 75 patients with rheumatic heart disease who underwent heart valve replacement surgery. 34 patients had no history of AF, 11 patients had paroxysmal AF and 30 patients had persistent AF. The mRNA content of collagen type I and IL-1beta was measured with semi-quantitative RT-PCR., Results: The mRNA content of collagen type I was significantly increased in the persistent AF group (P < 0.001) and increased in the paroxysmal AF group (P < 0.05) as compared with that in the sinus rhythm group. The mRNA content of IL-1beta was up-regulated in the persistent AF group (P < 0.05), but the trend of increase did not reach statistical significance in the paroxysmal AF group (P > 0.05). The mRNA content of IL-1beta was significantly correlated with the mRNA content of collagen type I (r = 0.295, P = 0.011), left atrial dimension (r = 0.385, P = 0.001) and AF duration (r = 0.326, P = 0.004)., Conclusion: The upregulation of IL-1beta gene expression in atrium may contribute to the atrial fibrosis during AF through influencing collagen metabolism.

Objective: To determine the molecular mechanisms involved in atrial fibrosis which occurs in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and to investigate their effects on the initiation and maintenance of AF., Methods: The right atrial tissue samples were taken from 73 patients with rheumatic heart disease who underwent heart valve replacement surgery. 34 patients had no history of AF (sinus rhythm group), 9 patients had paroxysmal AF and 30 patients had persistent AF. The mRNA content of collagen type I, collagen type III, MMP-2, TIMP-1, TIMP-2, TIMP-3 and TIMP-4 was measured by semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and normalized to beta-actin or GAPDH., Results: Compared to sinus rhythm group, the mRNA of collagen type I and MMP-2 increased significantly in the persistent AF group (all, P < 0.01), followed by the paroxysmal AF group (all, P < 0.05). The mRNA of collagen type III was slightly higher in both AF groups than in the sinus rhythm group, but the differences were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). The mRNA of TIMP-1, TIMP-2 and TIMP-3 was down-regulated in the persistent AF group (all, P < 0.01, respectively), however, the trends of reduction did not reach statistical significance in the paroxysmal AF group (P > 0.05). The mRNA of TIMP-4 remained compatible in each group. The mRNA of collagen type I was significantly correlated with left atrial dimension (r = 0.336, P = 0.004) and AF duration (r = 0.339, P = 0.003). The mRNA of MMP-2 was significantly correlated with the mRNA of TIMP-2 (r = -0.326, P = 0.006), the mRNA of collagen type I (r = 0.322, P = 0.006), left atrial dimension (r = 0.300, P = 0.011) and AF duration (r = 0.300, P = 0.010)., Conclusion: The increased level of collagen type I associated with selective downregulation of TIMP-2 and upregulation of MMP-2 gene expression in atrium could be one of the molecular mechanisms of atrial fibrosis during atrial fibrillation, which correlates with the initiation and maintenance of AF.

Objective: To determine whether expression and activity of atrial gelatinases are altered in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF)., Methods: The right atrial tissue samples were taken from 75 patients with rheumatic heart disease who underwent heart valve replacement surgery. 34 patients were in sinus rhythm, 11 patients had paroxysmal AF and 30 patients had persistent AF. The mRNA and protein level of MMP-2, MMP-9, TIMP-1, TIMP-2 were measured by semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western-blotting analysis respectively. The activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9 was measured by zymographic analysis., Results: (1) The mRNA level of MMP-2 increased significantly in the persistent AF group followed by the paroxysmal AF group compared with the sinus rhythm group (P < 0.01, respectively). MMP-9 mRNA expression remained compatible within groups (P > 0.05). MMP-2 and MMP-9 protein expression was prominent in the persistent AF group compared with the sinus rhythm and paroxysmal AF groups (P < 0.01), the significant difference was also observed between the paroxysmal AF and sinus groups (P < 0.05). (2) TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 expression at mRNA and protein level were all down-regulated in the persistent AF group compared with the sinus rhythm group (P < 0.05), however, the trends of reduction did not reach statistical significance in the paroxysmal AF group (P > 0.05) except that of the mRNA level of TIMP-2 (P < 0.05). (3) The activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9 significantly increased in both paroxysmal AF and persistent AF groups compared with the sinus rhythm group (P < 0.05). The significant difference in MMP-9 was also observed between the persistent AF and paroxysmal AF groups (P < 0.01). (4) MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression at mRNA and protein level were positively correlated with left atrial dimension and AF duration (P < 0.05) and were negatively correlated with the mRNA and protein level of TIMP-2 and TIMP-1 respectively (P < 0.01)., Conclusions: The upregulation of MMP-2,9 gene expression and activity, along with the selective downregulation of TIMP-1,2 may have contributed to the atrial structural remodeling during AF through influencing collagen metabolism.

Objective: To evaluate the value of specific neuronal anti-Hu antibody in the early diagnosis of small cell lung cancer (SCLC)., Methods: Ninety-eight patients with SCLC were included in the study. Specific neuronal anti-Hu antibody was detected by immunohistochemistry (the ABC method) and Western blot., Results: The sera from 40% (32/80) of the patients in group A (without paraneoplastic syndrome of the nervous system) reacted with the frozen sections of human cerebra and were stained by indirect immunoperoxidase method at final dilutions of 1:1,000 to 1:8,000, while the sera from 89% of the patients (16/18) in group B (with paraneoplastic syndrome of the nervous system) reacted at final dilutions of 1:1,000 to 1:64,000. Western blot analysis revealed that the specific neuronal anti-Hu antibody was identified at several bands of approximately 35,000 approximately 40,000 with nuclear extracts, and at 40,000 with HuD clonal protein. The anti-Hu antibody was detected in only two patients from group A, but in 16 patients from group B. The antibody was not detected in sera from 32 normal human subjects., Conclusions: Specific neuronal anti-Hu antibody at high titers was detected in patients with SCLC not complicated with paraneoplastic syndrome of the nervous system. This antibody may be useful in the early diagnosis of SCLC.

The role of basolateral amygdaloid nuclei (BLN) in sleep and wakeful state (W) was investigated with polysomnography. Electrical lesion of bilateral BLN increased slow wave sleep (SWS) and paradoxical sleep (PS), but decreased W. Bilateral injection of kainic acid (KA), which selectively destroyed the soma of neurons, resulted in biphasic effects. At d 1 after KA, insomnia occurred. At d 4, SWS increased while W decreased, but PS did not change. Unilateral injection of NO donor sodium nitroferricyanide (SNP) caused an enhancement of W and a decrease of SWS. Injection of nitric oxide synthase inhibitor N-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA) led to opposite effects. L-arginine, a precursor of NO, had no direct effect on sleep and W, but blocked the effects of L-NNA. The results suggest that BLN plays an important role in regulating sleep and wakeful state. Destruction of BLN increases SWS, and NO in BLN has W-promoting and SWS-inhibiting effects, which may be mediated by activation of neurons in BLN.