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Light therapy has been used as a non-pharmacologic treatment to modulate biorhythms in patients with mental and psychological conditions. These conditions include affective disorders and depression. Delirium is a syndrome characterized by an acute change in a patient's mental status. We hypothesized that light therapy might suppress delirium in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). A 4-week randomized controlled trial was conducted in which AD participants were randomly assigned to a treatment group or a control group. Delirium, defined by the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM), was evaluated at baseline and after 4 weeks. The Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) and Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview (ZBI) were also conducted to assess the behavior of patients and the burden of their caregivers. For this study, 61 participants were initially recruited. A total of 34 and 27 participants were included in the treatment and control groups, respectively. After treatment with light therapy, the CAM score decreased during the second and fourth week. The NPI score in the therapy group also decreased during the second and fourth week. From the caregiver's perspective, after light therapy, the ZBI score significantly decreased during the second and fourth week. Compared with the control group, patients who underwent CAM and NPI assessments showed a small but significant improvement after 4 weeks of light therapy. In conclusion, a course of 4-week light therapy significantly suppressed delirium in patients with AD. The combined effects of light therapy and conventional treatment were superior to that of conventional treatment alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spinal cord injury (SCI) causes immune activation of resident macrophages/microglia. Activated macrophages/microglia have two different phenotypes, the pro-inflammatory classically activated (M1) phenotype and the anti-inflammatory alternatively activated (M2) phenotype. M1 phenotype macrophages/microglia are the key factor in inflammation. The treatment of SCI remains a huge challenge due to the nontargeting and inefficiency of anti-inflammatory drugs through the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The purpose of this experiment was to design M2-type primary peritoneal macrophages exosomes (Exos) as a drug carrier for berberine (Ber), which can be efficiently targeted to deliver drugs to the injured spinal cord due to the natural advantage of Exos across the BBB. The Exos with particle size of 125±12 nm were loaded with by an ultrasonic method and the drug loading reached 17.13 ±1.64%. The Ber release experiment showed that the loaded sample (Exos-Ber) exhibited sustained release effect, and the cumulative release amount reached 71.44±2.86% within 48 h. In vitro and in vivo experiments confirmed that the Exos-Ber could decrease the M1 protein marker iNOS, elevate the M2 protein marker CD206 and reduce inflammatory and apoptotic cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, Caspase 9, Caspase 8), which showed that Exos-Ber had a good anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effect by inducing macrophages/microglia from the M1 phenotype to M2 phenotype polarization. Moreover, the motor function of SCI mice was significantly improved after Exos-Ber treatment, indicating that Exos-Ber is a potential agent for SCI therapy. Efficient targeting strategy for drug delivery. In addition to good biocompatibility and stealth ability, M2 macrophage-derived Exosomes present natural inflammatory targeting ability. The inflammatory microenvironment after spinal cord injury provides motivation for the targeting of exosomes. Natural drug carrier with higher safety. With the rapid development of nanomaterials, drug carriers have become more selective. However, due to the special microenvironment after central nervous system damage, some non-degradable inorganic materials will increase the pressure of self-healing and even secondary damage to neurons, which has been solved by the emergence of exosomes. Some previous studies used tumor cell line exosomes as drug carriers, but the carcinogenic factors carried by themselves have extremely high hidden dangers, and endogenous macrophage exosomes have absolute advantages over their safety. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Characteristics of CLIPPERS with or without lymphoma were summarized and compared. • Hyperreflexia, elevated CSF protein and early relapse were risk factors of lymphoma. • Disease relapses during high-dose steroids therapy can also indicate lymphoma. • A worse survival rate was demonstrated in CLIPPERS patients associated with lymphoma. We studied patients with chronic lymphocytic inflammation with pontine perivascular enhancement responsive to steroids (CLIPPERS) associated with or without lymphoma and measured risk factors suggestive of an underlying lymphoma and follow-up outcomes. CLIPPERS patients associated with or without lymphoma were included into this study. Clinical presentations were documented, risk factors suggestive of an underlying lymphoma were tested, and prognostic differences in terms of death were compared. Ten patients had a diagnosis of CLIPPERS associated with lymphoma, with 6 B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, 2 T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma and 2 Hodgkin lymphoma. Using multivariate logistic analysis, the following 3 independent risk factors were found to be related to a final diagnosis of lymphoma: hyperreflexia (HR 16.56; 95% CI 1.03–265.29; p = 0.032), elevated protein in CSF (HR 11.59; 95% CI 1.24–108.39; p = 0.047), and recurrences between 2 months and 1 year after treatment (HR 29.27; 95% CI 2.09–409.58; p = 0.012). The model calibration was satisfactory (p = 0.392 with the Hosmer-Lemeshow test), and the discrimination power was good (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.921; p < 0.001, 95% CI 0.826–1.000). Patients with CLIPPERS associated with lymphoma had higher mortality rate and lymphoma was a significant predictor of total mortality (HR 0.040; 95% CI 0.006–0.262; p = 0.001). Hyperreflexia, elevated protein in CSF and recurrences between 2 months and 1 year after treatment are risk factors suggesting an underlying lymphoma. Relapses during high-dose steroids maintenance therapy can be indicative of lymphoma, too. Patients having CLIPPERS associated with lymphoma have a worse prognosis than those without lymphoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become a worldwide epidemic and a major public health problem, with a prevalence of approximately 25%. The pathogenesis of NAFLD is complex and may be affected by the environment and susceptible genetic factors, resulting in a highly variable disease course and no approved drugs in the clinic. Notably, 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 13 (HSD17B13), which belongs to the 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase superfamily (HSD17Bs), is closely related to the clinical outcome of liver disease. HSD17Bs consists of fifteen members, most related to steroid and lipid metabolism, and may have the same biological function as HSD17B13. In this review, we highlight recent advances in basic research on the functional activities, major substrates, and key roles of HSD17Bs in the progression of NAFLD to develop innovative anti-NAFLD drugs targeting HSD17Bs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Utilizing excess sludge from a wastewater treatment plant to produce biodiesel has become an increasingly popular topic. However, the low lipid content in activated sludge has hindered the application of biodiesel production from excess sludge. This study was designed to enhance biodiesel production from granular sludge fed with synthetic sugar-containing wastewater. Granules cultivated at different initial sludge loading rates had different morphologies and microbial structure. Low seed biomass and high initial sludge loading resulted in the dominance of the white filamentous fungi Dipodascaceae in granular sludge, thereby enhancing the lipid accumulation of granular sludge and changing the biodiesel constituent produced from the sludge. However, overgrowth of filamentous fungi deteriorated the settling and compression ability of granular sludge. Thus, controlling the filamentous fungi at a moderate level through an effective operating strategy is of great importance to biodiesel production from a granular sludge system fed with sugar-containing wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forty-three surface sediment samples and one gravity core obtained from the offshore area of the Changjiang River were analyzed for selected heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, As, Hg) to evaluate the spatial distribution and potential ecological risk during the last century. The results indicated that the sediments are composed of silty sand, sandy silt and silt and were deposited in a relatively stable environment over the last century. The studied marine sediments are fine and easily adsorb heavy metals from aquatic systems. The heavy metal concentrations were found to be enriched in the sediments and were generally closely related to anthropogenic activities. However, the data analysis demonstrated that the levels of heavy metal contamination were below background values during the last century, indicating low ecological risk. Spatially, a higher concentration was found at the entrance to the Changjiang River, while it decreased to the northeast. The vertical distribution of contamination levels and ecological risk can be divided into four periods based on the downcore variation in heavy metals: pre-1940s, 1940s–1970s, 1970s–1990s and the late 1990s to the present. These conclusions form the basis for implementing appropriate policies to protect marine sediment quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Information on fine motor and basic cognitive functions in spastic diplegia is sparse in the literature. The aim of this study was to investigate index finger's tapping speed and cognitive functions in categorization and old/new recognition of pictures in patients with mild spastic diplegia. Methods Fifteen preterm-born male teenagers with mild spastic diplegia and 15 healthy male teenagers participated in this study. Finger-tapping tests and cognitive tests were performed on all participants. Outcomes were compared between the two groups. Results In the finger-tapping tests, the tapping speed was significantly slower in patients than in controls. In the tests of tapping one key persistently and tapping two keys alternately, the reaction time gaps between the left and right digits were larger in patients than in controls. In the categorization tests, the accuracies and reaction times for animal/plant and girl face pictures, but not for boy face pictures, were significantly worse in patients than in controls. In the recognition tests, the accuracies for old/new, animal/plant, and boy/girl face pictures were significantly lower in patients than in controls. The reaction times for old/new, animal/plant, and new face pictures, but not for old face pictures, were significantly longer in patients compared with controls. Conclusions Our results demonstrate delayed finger tapping and cognitive responses in preterm-born male teenagers with mild spastic diplegia. Our experimental paradigm is sensitive for the study of fine motor and cognitive functions between patients and healthy controls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The ionic mechanism of change in short-term memory (STM) during acute myocardial ischemia has not been well understood. In this paper, an advanced guinea pig ventricular model developed by Luo and Rudy was used to investigate STM property of ischemic ventricular myocardium. STM response was calculated by testing the time to reach steady-state action potential duration (APD) after an abrupt shortening of basic cycling length (BCL) in the pacing protocol. Electrical restitution curves (RCs), which can simultaneously visualize multiple aspects of APD restitution and STM, were obtained from dynamic and local S1S2 restitution portrait (RP), which consist of a longer interval stimulus (S1) and a shorter interval stimulus (S2). The angle between dynamic RC and local S1S2 RC reflects the amount of STM. Our results indicated that compared with control (normal) condition, time constant of STM response in the ischemic condition decreased significantly. Meanwhile the angle which reflects STM amount is less in ischemic model than that in control model. By tracking the effect of ischemia on intracellular ion concentration and membrane currents, we declared that changes in membrane currents caused by ischemia exert subtle influences on STM; it is only the decline of intracellular calcium concentration that give rise to the most decrement of STM. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Many experimental studies claimed that, short-term memory, an intrinsic property of paced cardiac myocytes, has been regulated by either intracellular calcium cycling or membrane ionic currents, manifested by a time constant of cellular action potential duration (APD) restitution. Although both factors play important roles in short-term memory, their respective effects have not been well understood currently. In this study, we used an ionic model of canine ventricular myocytes (CVM) to investigate the effect of calcium release from the sacroplasm reticulum (SR), as well as the effect of L-type calcium current, on cardiac short-term memory. We calculated short-term memory response by testing the time to reach steady-state APD after an abrupt shortening of basic cycling length (BCL) in pacing protocol. Our results indicated that as the release of calcium from SR was gradually prevented, short-term memory response decreased, while the blockade of L-type calcium channel had little effect on short-term memory. Finally, we declared that the amount of intracellular calcium released from SR affected short-term memory of cardiac tissues more than that of L-type calcium channel. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

As one of the most important margin seas around the west Pacific, the eastern China seas are important sink for terrigenous materials and forms multiple geology structures. So research the composition and spatial distribution of sediments could help us to understand the dynamics mechanism of the marine sedimentary environment, further to comprehend the land-sea interaction process. Based on high spatial resolution sediment survey in the eastern China seas, the distribution diagram of the sediment types was compiled to reveal the space regularities of sediment. In this study, the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) method was used to identify the controlling factors that are the main controls of the sediment distribution in the study area, which revealed three factors (F1, F2 and –F1) representing grain size categories of >5.75φ, 4.25–5.75φ and 1.50–3.00φ, respectively. F1 represents fine sediments (>5.75φ), -F1 represents coarse sediments (1.50–3.00φ), and F2 represents intermediate-sized sediments (4.25–5.75φ). The sediment transport patterns of the different grain size categories in the eastern China seas are discussed in the context of a comprehensive analysis of sediment grain size composition, material sources, flow patterns, and other factors. The results show that fine-grained sediments represent a "distant" sink of terrigenous material that formed in a stable and low-energy sedimentary environment. The coarse sediment deposits were formed in the late Pleistocene when the hydrodynamic conditions were relatively strong, and the intermediate-sized sediments were distributed in an area with a high concentration of suspension representative of mid-strength hydrodynamic conditions. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reported the distribution of phytoplankton biomarkers in surface sediments of Liaodong Bay, Bohai Sea. The primary productivity indicated by biomarkers is consistent with the results from modern water column phytoplankton surveys, indicating that the biomarkers can be used to reconstruct the primary productivity. The productivity in the bay mouth is higher than in the shallow coast area, indicating that the main controlling factor is the turbidity rather than terrestrial nutrients. The high primary productivity near Juhua Island is mainly related to eutrophication caused by human culture and land-based sewage discharge. The relative proportion of biomarkers showed that diatom and dinoflagellate contributed more to the coastal area and were mainly related to the competitive advantage under the condition of high nutrient salts, while a high proportion of haptophytes was found in the middle, which corresponded to the high salinity water. • Biomarkers can be used to reconstruct the primary productivity. • The main controlling factor of primary productivity is the turbidity of the water column. • The highest primary productivity near Juhua Island is mainly caused by human culture. • High coccolith was corresponded to the invasion path of the YSWC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benthic foraminifera can be used as an environmental bioindicator, especially in the polluted environment where their sensitivity to pollutants may be expressed by a modification in the assemblage. Based on the quantitative and qualitative analysis of 189 surface sediment samples in Liaodong Bay, 76 benthic foraminifera species which belong to 40 genera were recognized. Q-mode factor analysis was made for the 32 benthic foraminifera species, and three assemblages are recognized: Ammonia aomoriensis- Cribroelphidium magellanicum - Protelphidium tuberculatum ; Textularia foliacea - Polskiammina asiatica ; and Rotalidium annectens - Buccella frigida. To study the effects of heavy metal elements on benthic foraminifera fauna, seven heavy metals elements have been analyzed in all the surface sediment samples, the results show that the heavy metal elements in Liaodong Bay are mainly distributed in Jinzhou Port, and that the overall characteristics are high in northwest and low in southeast. The distribution of foraminifera and heavy metals elements reveals that there is a significant correlation between them. Cribroelphidium magellanicum and Protelphidium tuberculatum have maintained a high level in heavy metal enrichment areas, and may be used as an indicator of heavy metal contamination along the coast of Liaodong Bay. • We report the distributions of benthic foraminifera assemblages and heavy metals. • The population characteristics of benthic foraminifera are influenced by several environmental factors, and heavy metals enhanced this phenomenon. • The dominance of Cribroelphidium magellanicum and Protelphidium tuberculatum are positively correlated with Cu, Zn, Cr, Hg. • Assemblage Cribroelphidium magellanicum-Protelphidium tuberculatum may be used as an indicator of heavy metals along the coast of Liaodong Bay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pathogenesis of postoperative cognitive impairment of obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) individuals remains unclear. AMP activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a ubiquitous sensor/effector of cell stresses. Thus we detected the role and underlying mechanisms of AMPK in postoperative cognitive impairment of OSAHS individuals in intermittent hypoxia rats. Cognitive function was evaluated by novel object recognition test and Barnes maze during the first 4 days after laparotomy. We found that laparotomy induced postoperative cognitive impairment and AMPK activation in intermittent hypoxia rats, but not in adult rats. Inhibiting AMPK activation via Compound C during laparotomy improved postoperative cognitive impairment and alleviated surgery-induced upregulation of p-PAK2, AMPK-PAK2 complex, and neuroinflammation (marked by microglial activation and IL-1β level) in intermittent hypoxia rats. These data suggested that AMPK played an important role in postoperative cognitive impairment of OSAHS individuals via directly activating PAK2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]