Physiological function of plasma membrane Ca2+-ATPase isoform 2 in inner ear hair cells of mouse

AIM: To investigate the auditory and balanceable function of hair cell plasma membrane Ca²⁺-ATPase isoform 2 (PMCA2) channel in mouse inner ear.METHODS: Hearing threshold and endocochlear potential (EP) were measured in the PMCA2 homozygous mutants mice,heterozygous mice and wild-type mice by auditory brainstem response (ABR),distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) and EP recordings,respectively.RESULTS: The auditory function in PMCA2 wild-type mice was normal,the mean value for ABR thresholds in response to click sound stimulus was (13.75±11.08)dB SPL,EP was (91.3±11.0)mV.The mean value for ABR thresholds in response to click sound stimulus was (63.89±12.90)dB SPL in PMCA2 heterozygous mice and significantly increased relative to that observed in PMCA2 wild-type mice (P<0.01).EP in PMCA2 heterozygous mice was about (80.7±9.0) mV and lower than that in PMCA2 wild-type mice but no statistics significance was observed (P>0.05). DPOAE thresholds increased and reduced amplitudes at high frequencies in PMCA2 heterozygous mice compared to wild-type mice.PMCA2 homozygous mutant mice were completely deaf,the ABR wave form was not observed even 100 dB SPL sound stimuli was used,the value of EP was (56.6±13.0) mV lower than that in PMCA2 wild type mice (P<0.05).PMCA2 homozygous mutants mice did not produce DPOAEs,PMCA2 homozygous mutant mice were deaf and demonstrated difficulties in maintaining their balance.CONCLUSION: These data demonstrate that PMCA2 is required for both balance and hearing and suggest that it may be a major Ca²⁺ pump used in endolymph Ca²⁺ maintenance.     

Relationship between levels of plasma endothelin-1/serum nitric oxide and hearing impairment in type 2 diabetes

AIM: To evaluate the relationship between endothelin-1 (ET-1)/nitric oxide (NO) and hearing impairment in type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM).METHODS: Eighty-eight type 2 diabetic patients with no signs of microangiopathy (retinopathy and nephropathy) or peripheral neuropathy, and 53 healthy subjects in the same period were enrolled in this study. Auditory function was evaluated using pure tone audiometry. Totally,type 2 DM group (n=88) and normal control group (NC, n=53) were divided into subgroups based on the presence and absence of hearing impairment. The concentration of plasma ET-1 was detected by radioimmunoassay. The concentration of serum NO was measured by the method of nitric acid reductase.RESULTS: Significantly increased plasma ET-1 and decreased serum NO were observed in diabetic patients with hearing impairment compared with those in diabetic patients without hearing impairment. The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that hearing impairment in type 2 DM group was significantly associated with elevated level of HbA1c (OR＝4.525, P<0.05), LDL-C (OR=2.381,P<0.05) and plasma ET-1 (OR＝6.207,P<0.01). Besides, elevated serum level of NO (OR＝0.862, P<0.05) was associated with lower risk of hearing impairment in diabetics.CONCLUSION: Hearing impairment may happen earlier than other complications in diabetic patients. In addition to hyperglycemia and hyperlipemia, high level of ET-1 and low levels of NO might contribute to hearing impairment in diabetic patients.     

Energy Analysis and Emissions of Greenhouse Gases of Pomegranate Production in Antalya Province of Turkey

In this study, energy use patterns and the functional relationship between energy inputs and output for pomegranate production were investigated in Antalya province in Turkey. It further objective to identify greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in pomegranate production. Data were obtained from 75 farms using face-to-face interview method. The results indicated that 50,605.5?MJ ? ha^?1 of total energy input was required for 76,252.3?MG ? ha^?1 pomegranate energy output. 1.51 unit energy output was provided by using 1 unit energy input. 1 unit energy output and 1?kg pomegranate require 0.66 unit and 2.57?MJ energy input, respectively. The average CO₂ emission amounts were also calculated to be 1.73?t CO₂ per hectare and 88.1?kg CO₂ per 1000?kg pomegranate production. Electricity, fertilizers and pesticides were the highest contributors to GHG emissions. Both total energy input usage and GHG emission amounts have been found to be decreasing as the farm size increases. Increasing scale of pomegranates orchards will not only increase energy efficiency and productivity but also decrease environmental pollution and damages. The regression analysis revealed that, excessive use of machinery and fuel inputs results in a decline in energy production in pomegranate.     

温室黄瓜经济最优目标的试验研究

以黄瓜温室产出与投入比值的最大作为温室环境控制的目标进行决策,为温室作物生长提供经济适宜的环境参数和生长条件.重点研究了温室内黄瓜生长的环境参数(温度、相对湿度、光照强度)对成本的影响规律和温室环境系统最佳参数.结果表明:影响试验指标的主要因素是温度,试验因素主次排列为温度、相对湿度、光照强度.其较优组合是温度为31℃、相对湿度为85%、光照强度为16 klx.     

Level of anxiety and depression on volunteers in clinic trial

AIM: To assess the mental health level of anxiety and depression and related factors in healthy volunteers in clinic trial. METHODS: Self-rating anxiety scale (SAS), self -rating depressive scale (SDS) and Eysenck personality question (EPQ) were applied to thirty-five patients. RESULTS: Among the 35 patients, the SAS standard mean value was 35.40±9.64, which was higher than that of nation-norm (P>0.05), and significantly higher than that of volunteers after trials （P<0.05). The SDS standard mean value was 35.17±6.93 before trials and 34.91±6.93 after trials, which was lower than that of nation-norm. As compared with nation-norm, EPQ scores of intro- and extro-version were significantly lower, and neuroticism and psycho were all significantly higher (P<0.05, P<0.01). It showed that the standard mean values of SAS and SDS before trials were positively related to EPQ P and N score. CONCLUSION: Mental problems existed in healthy volunteers on clinic trials and the occurrence of mental problems are related to their personality characteristic and sociological factors.     

The application of atomic force microscope in clinic diagnosis of erythrocytes

AIM: To investigate the application of atomic force microscope (AFM) in clinic diagnosis. METHODS: Topographic images and some parameters of large range field and microstructures of erythrocytes in the blood of normal subjects, lung cancer and myelodisplastic syndrome (MDS) patients were examined by atomic force microscope. RESULTS: Many clear topographic images of many erythrocytes, single erythrocyte, and microstructure of erythrocyte membrane surface were obtained. Many erythrocytes in lung cancer patients were found to change into echinocytes. One erythrocyte had 10-20 protuberances, most of which, with a mean width of 589. 0 nm and a length of 646. 7 nm, were on the edge of cells. The protuberances on the center of echinocytes are lodged and embedded. The erythrocytes of MDS patients were biconcave in shape. Many apertures with different diameters of tens to hundreds nanometer appeared on the surface of cell membrane. CONCLUSIONS: AFM can be widely applied in clinic pathological inspection, including quantification of cells, obtainment and comparison of many parameters (such as diameter, thickness, volume, surface, surface area/volume ratio), observation of topograph of single cell, and observation and comparison of membrane surface microstructure of cells, and so on.     

Changes in TCR Vβ subfamily nave T cells in peripheral blood of patients with multiple myeloma

AIM: To detect the existence of signal joint T-cell receptor excision DNA circles (sjTRECs) of 23 TCR Vβ subfamilies in mononuclear cells of patients with multiple myeloma (MM), and to evaluate the recent thymic emigrants of corresponding Vβ subfamily nave T cells in MM patients. METHODS: 23 TCR Vβ subfamily sjTRECs were amplified in genomic DNA from 5×104 PBMCs of 12 cases in MM patients by using semi-nest PCR.10 normal individuals served as controls. RESULTS: The number of detectable Vβ subfamily sjTRECs was 5.00±2.45 from MM patients, as compared with 9.60±5.48 from normal individuals, the difference was significant (P<0.05). The frequencies of Vβ2-, Vβ10-, Vβ16-, Vβ17-, and Vβ21-Dβ1 sjTRECs were significantly lower than those from normal individuals. 2-9 Vβ subfamily sjTRECs were detected from 12 cases of MM patients. It was negative correlation between age and the number of detectable Vβ subfamily sjTRECs in MM patients (r=-0.892; P<0.01). CONCLUSION: It has been found that some of 23 Vβ subfamily nave T cells are absent or lower level of recent thymic output function in MM patients, suggesting that MM patients have severe cellular immunodeficiency and the capacity and potential of long-term TCR Vβ repertoire reconstitution are dramatically lowered.     

Synchronous neural activity recorded from the round window

AIM: To study the origin of the 1kHz peak of average spectrum electrophysiological cochleoneural activity (ASECA-1kHz), which is related to the firing of auditory neurous-a possible synchronized firing. METHODS: By using the various sound presented either ipsilaterally or contralaterally, the alterations of ASECA-1kHz were detected under the state of awakness. RESULTS: (1) Contralateral stimulation with noise bands at frequencies above 8kHz and below acoustic interaural cross-talk decreased the amplitude of ASECA-1kHz. (2) For the presentations of ipsilaterally noises, when the acoustic bandwidth was above or below 1.5kHz, then produced respectively an increase or a decrease of ASECA-1kHz. (3) Pure tones when presented contralaterally had no detectable effect, but when presented ipsilaterally pure tones with frequencies higher than 4kHz decreased the ASECA-1kHz. Moreover, the detailed time course of sound-induced variations of the 1kHz peak was measured by time averaging, the resulting response patterns were resemblance to PST histogram of the auditory nerve. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the ASECA-1kHz peak in the guinea pig originates from a restricted tonotopic area corresponding to the high frequencies of 12.5-25 kHz and that it should correspond to a synchronized spontaneous firing of fibers.     

Effects of nature sounds on the attention and physiological and psychological relaxation

This study aims to verify the effects of nature sounds on attention, and physiological and psychological relaxation. Twenty-six university students (mean age: 21.5 ± 1.9 years) participated in this study, and the experiment was conducted with one person at a time. A mixed sound of valley water and birds in a forest environment was used as the nature sound, and a road traffic sound was used as the urban sound (control). The participants performed the following steps: (1) closed their eyes and rested for 1 min; (2) opened their eyes and completed attention tasks while hearing nature or urban sounds for 1 min; (3) closed their eyes again and rested while hearing the same sound for 1 min. We used Harris and Harris grid for the attention task. We measured the participants’ oxy-hemoglobin concentration, heart rate variability, and heart rate for physiological evaluation, and used semantic differential method, and profile of mood states for psychological evaluation. As a result, ① There was no significant difference in the results of the attention task; however, the scores were slightly higher when hearing nature sound. ② The oxy-hemoglobin concentration and heart rate was lower, and parasympathetic nerve activity was enhanced when hearing nature sound than when hearing urban sound. ③ Once participants heard nature sound, they felt more comfortable, relaxed, and natural, and the negative mood state was lower, while the positive mood state was higher than urban sound. This suggests that hearing nature sounds may be an effective way to relieve stress in everyday life.     

The altered transient outward (Ito1) and ultra-rapid delayed rectifier (IKur) K+ currents in right atrial myocytes of human atrial fibrillation

AIM: To study and evaluate the changes of two main kinds of voltage-gated K+ currents in human atrial fibrillation (AF) and to discuss the role of these changes in the atrial electrical remodeling (AER) caused by AF. METHODS: Specimens of human atrial appendage were obtained from 36 RHD patients (18 with chronic AF and 18 without AF). Single atrial myocytes were acutely dissociated by tissue chunk enzymatic digestion. Ito1 and IKur in the two groups were measured respectively with the patch-clamp technique in a whole-cell configuration and the I-V curves were compared. RESULTS: Ito1 and IKur amplitudes in AF groups were significantly reduced and the current densities of both Ito1 and IKur in AF patients were lower than those in NAF patients. CONCLUSION: The reduction of Ito1 and IKur may be related to changes in atrial conduction, refractory period and may constitute two main parts of the major mechanisms in the AER of chronic AF. Whether exists a relation between changes of the above K+ currents and that of other ionic currents and the AF initiation and perpetuation deserves further investigation.     

Comparative analysis of cultured endothelial progenitor cells in vitro from PBMCs and enriched CD133+ cells

AIM: To compare the methods of two currently employed isolation methods for endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs): from total peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and from enriched CD133+ cells, by defining the cell morphology, phenotype, reproductive activities and function in vitro, providing a reference for clinic application. METHODS: PBMCs from the healthy subjects were used for CD133+ sorting or not. The two groups of isolated cells were suspended in complete medium M199 for 7 d to 14 d. EPCs phenotype were characterized by FACS. The proliferation of differentiated EPCs was studied by MTT assay, and VEGF concentration was measured using an ELISA kit. Matrigel experiment and migration assay were imitated vascularization in vivo. RESULTS: PBMCs produced more colony-forming units (CFU) than CD133+ cells from the same volume of blood (P<0.01). From 7 d to 14 d, the two groups show decreased expression of hematopoietic stem cell markers and increased level of endothelial markers, but CD144+ cells in CD133+ group were lower than those in PBMCs groups (P<0.01). Cells in PBMCs group secreted more VEGF than that in CD133+ group on 7 d (P<0.01). Compared to CD133+ group, PBMCs group showed more potential of proliferation and vascularization in vitro. CONCLUSION: CD133+ sorted cells show a lower capacity of differentiation, secretion, proliferation and vascularization in vitro, which is unable to differentiate to mature endothelial cells, indicating that its not a preferential way to obtain EPCs for clinic therapy.     

辣椒低山工厂育苗高山移栽可行性及新增固碳减排能力研究

为探索低山工厂辣椒苗对高山地区环境的适应性、增产能力和新增固碳减排能力，通过不同播期对比试验、17个品种对比试验和大面积移栽生产试验，比较分析辣椒低山工厂育苗高山移栽的适应性、丰产性以及固碳减排效应。结果表明：辣椒低山工厂育苗不仅可以完全适应宜昌市高山地区生态环境，且各项试验均实现大幅增产、增收，其中大面积移栽生产试验中辣椒667 m²产量为3 280 kg,667 m²产值达15 622.6元；较农民自育苗667 m²增产967 kg，增产率达41.8%,667 m²产值增加7 273.6元，增收率达87.1%;667 m²新增固定减排CO₂量为619 kg，固碳减排效果良好。     

Spectral changes in metal halide and high-pressure sodium lamps equipped with electronic dimming

Electronic dimming of high-intensity discharge lamps offers control of photosynthetic photon flux (PPF) but is often characterized as causing significant spectral changes. Growth chambers with 400-W metal halide (MH) and high-pressure sodium (HPS) lamps were equipped with a dimmer system using silicon-controlled rectifiers (SCR) as high-speed switches. Phase control operation turned the line power off for some period of the alternating current cycle. At full power, the electrical input to HPS and MH lamps was 480 W (root mean squared) and could be decreased to 267 W and 428 W, respectively, before the arc was extinguished. Concomitant with this decrease in input power, PPF decreased by 60% in HPS and 50% in MH. The HPS lamp has characteristic spectral peaks at 589 and 595 nm. As power to the HPS lamps was decreased, the 589-nm peak remained constant while the 595-nm peak decreased, equaling the 589-nm peak at 345-W input, and the 589-nm peak was almost absent at 270-W input. The MH lamp has a broader spectral output but also has a peak at 589 nm and another smaller peak at 545 nm. As input power to the MH lamps decreased, the peak at 589 diminished to equal the 545-nm peak. As input power approached 428 W, the 589-nm peak shifted to 570 nm. While the spectrum changed as input power was decreased in the MH and HPS lamps, the phytochrome equilibrium ratio (Pfr : Ptot) remains unchanged for both lamp types.     

Urban parks can maintain minimal resilience for Neotropical bird communities

Birds may use urban parks as shelter and refuge, contributing with numerous ecosystem services upon which humans and other organisms depend on. To safeguard these services, it is important that bird communities of urban environments hold some degree of resilience, which refers to the capacity of a system to absorb disturbances and changes, while maintaining its functions and structures. Here we assessed the resilience of the bird community inhabiting an urban park in the Southeast region of Brazil. We classified birds in feeding guilds and identified discontinuities and aggregations of body masses (i.e., scales) using hierarchical cluster analysis. We then calculated five resilience indices for our urban park and for a preserved continuous forest (reference area): the average richness of functions, diversity of functions, evenness of functions, and redundancy of functions within- and cross-scale. The urban park had less species, lower feeding guild richness, and lower within-scale redundancy than the reference area. However, they had similar proportion of species in each function, diversity of functions, evenness of functions, and cross-scale redundancy. The lower species richness and, consequently, the lack of some species performing some ecological functions may be responsible for the overall lower resilience in the urban park. Our results suggest that the bird community of the urban park is in part resilient, as it maintained many biological functions, indicating some environmental quality despite the high anthropogenic impacts of this area. We believe that urban forest remnants with more complex and diverse vegetation are possibly more likely to maintain higher resilience in the landscape than open field parks or parks with suppressed or altered vegetation. We propose that raising resilience in the urban park would possibly involve increasing vegetation complexity and heterogeneity, which could increase biodiversity in a large scale.     

不同种植模式魔芋种芋经济效益比较

通过开展3种魔芋种芋的不同种植模式比较试验,探讨魔芋种芋产量及经济效益的关系。试验结果表明,林下间作模式植株健壮,产量最高,单位投入居中,产值最高,投产比最高。露地种植模式,随着密度增加,单芋质量和膨大系数呈下降的趋势,单位投入增大,单产增加,投产比差异缩小。相近密度的林下模式单芋质量和膨大系数相对较大,林下间作模式的魔芋种芋经济效益为最佳。     

基于数据包络分析模型下的食用菌产业发展策略

为了科学评价食用菌产业发展策略的有效性,建立了食用菌产业发展策略DEA效率评价指标体系,以食用菌产业发展策略中的一系列投入型策略作为输入指标,以食用菌企业的规模、消费者满意度、科技创新能力和市场竞争力等各种产出效益和效果作为输出指标,采用DEA评价方法对食用菌产业的发展策略的效率进行模拟评价。评价结果显示,对食用菌发展策略产生影响的各种因素是有效的,结果也为为食用菌发展策略的资源投入方向和数量提供了参考。     

Change of heart function and its relationship with AMS during acute high-altitude exposure at 3 658 m in Chongqing soldiers

AIM: To observe the cardiac function during high-altitude exposure in Chongqing soldiers and to discuss its relationship with acute mountain sickness (AMS) by echocardiography. METHODS: The changes of heart function were evaluated during acute high-altitude exposure (3 658 m, 3 d) in 42 healthy young male soldiers by echocardiography. At the same time, the heart rate, blood pressure, blood oxygen saturation, and the incidence of AMS after high-altitude exposure were observed and recorded. RESULTS: Three days after arrival at 3 658 m, the left atrial end-systolic dimension (LADs), left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (LVDd) and right atrial end-systolic dimension were significantly decreased, but the right ventricular outflow tract diameter, pulmonary artery dimension, ejection fraction, cardiac output (CO), pulmonary arterial systolic pressure (PASP) and mean pulmonary arterial pressure were significantly increased compared with the baseline levels in all subjects. The mitral peak E velocity was significantly reduced (P<0.05). A total of 42 healthy young men were recruited and divided into AMS group with 15 subjects and non-AMS group with 27 subjects by Lake Louise scoring after high-altitude exposure. The cardiac function in the plain showed that aortic sinus diameter and LVDd in AMS group were significantly smaller, and PASP was significantly higher than those in non-AMS group. After high-altitude exposure, the LADs in AMS group was significantly smaller than that in non-AMS group (P<0.05). AMS scores and CO in the plain showed significant negative correlation (r=-0.3814, P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Upon acute high-altitude exposure, right ventricular functions of the young male soldiers are damaged with the compensation of the left ventricular functions. Using echocardiography to observe PASP and CO may be helpful for screening the susceptible people of AMS in the plain.     

Effects of pulse high-volume hemofiltration on serum concentration of moxifloxacin in patients with continuous renal replacement therapy

AIM: To study the changes of the serum moxifloxacin concentration in the patients with continuous renal replacement therapy when applied for pulse high-volume hemofiltration (PHVHF). METHODS: The patients applied for PHVHF were intravenously given moxifloxacin at the dose of 400 mg in 60 min. Blood samples were collected from the arterial (input) and venous (output) lines of the extracorporeal circuit immediately at different time points after the beginning of infusion, and replacement fluid was taken at the corresponding time points. The serum concentration of moxifloxacin was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The pharmacokinetics parameters were determined using DAS 2.1.1 software.RESULTS: Two-compartment model was used to achieve the best concentration-time relation of moxifloxacin. The levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine (SCr) and serum K⁺ were obviously decreased after application of PHVHF (P<0.05). The peak serum concentration (C_max) of moxifloxacin was (4.843±1.854) mg/L. The half-life (T_1/2) was (4.822±2.126) h and the peak time (T_max) was (1.31±0.59) h. The total volume of distribution (V_d) was (82.63±24.69) L. The total clearance (CL_tot) was (14.36±8.43) L/h. All the ratios of area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) to 90% minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC₉₀) were more than 100 when the values of MIC₉₀ were 0.25 mg/L, 0.12 mg/L and 0.03 mg/L. All the values of C_max/MIC₉₀ were more than 10 when the values of MIC₉₀ were 0.25 mg/L, 0.12 mg/L and 0.03 mg/L.CONCLUSION: Application of PHVHF obviously improves the renal functions and eliminates a part of moxifloxacin in the serum. However, the serum concentration of moxifloxacin remains at the effective level for controlling the pathogenic bacteria.