[HedgeHog inhibitor targeted therapy for periocular basal cell carcinoma: a case report].

A female patient, 87 years old, presented with an irregular swelling in the left medial canthus for 7 years. Due to the patient's poor general condition, radical surgery was not considered appropriate. Surgical biopsy confirmed periocular basal cell carcinoma of the left medial canthus. The patient was administered oral HedgeHog inhibitor targeted therapy for 6 months, resulting in approximately 90% reduction in tumor size. The patient's condition improved, and the tumor remained stable during the course of follow-up.

[Research on the formulation and revision of standard limits for antimony,boron and vanadium in the "Standards for Drinking Water Quality (GB5749-2022)" in China].

China is rich in antimony, boron, and vanadium mineral resources, which have been detected in environmental water bodies and drinking water. During the revision process of the "Standards for Drinking Water Quality (GB5749-2006)", research and evaluation are focused on three indicators: antimony, boron and vanadium. Vanadium is added and the limit value of boron is adjusted. This study reviews and discusses the technical contents related to the revision of the antimony, boron and vanadium, including the environmental presence levels, exposure status, health effects, and the revision of the standard limits of these three indicators. Suggestions are also made for the implementation of this standard.

[Real-world clinical data analysis of PARPi as first-line maintenance therapy in newly diagnosed epithelial ovarian cancer patients].

Objective: The real-world clinical data of patients with newly diagnosed ovarian cancer (including fallopian tube cancer and primary peritoneal cancer) who received first-line maintenance therapy with poly adenosine diphosphate ribose polymerase inhibitor (PARPi) were retrospectively analyzed, and the prognostic factors were preliminarily explored. Methods: (1) The clinicopathological data and follow-up data of ovarian cancer patients treated with PARPi first-line maintenance therapy from August 2018 (PARPi was launched in China) to December 31, 2021 in Sichuan Cancer Hospital were collected (real-world clinical data). (2) According to the different types of PARPi, real-world clinical data were divided into olaparib group and niraparib group, which were respectively compared with the inclusion and exclusion criteria of representative domestic and foreign phase Ⅲ randomized controlled trials (RCT), including olaparib as first-line maintenance therapy for advanced ovarian cancer patients with BRCA1/2 gene mutation (SOLO-1 study), niraparib as first-line maintenance therapy (PRIMA study), and niraparib as first-line maintenance therapy for Chinese advanced ovarian cancer patients (PRIME study). (3) The prognosis of the two groups and the prognostic factors were analyzed. Results: (1) A total of 83 patients were included in this study, with a median age of 51 years (47-57 years), including 75 cases of ovarian cancer, 5 cases of fallopian tube cancer, and 3 cases of primary peritoneal cancer; 5 cases of stage Ⅰ, 9 cases of stage Ⅱ, 55 cases of stage Ⅲ, 12 cases of stage Ⅳ, and 2 cases of unknown stage; neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) was performed in 40 cases and non-NACT in 43 cases; 62 cases had no visible residual lesion after surgery (R0), 9 cases had residual disease lesions <1 cm (R1), 8 cases had residual disease lesions ≥1 cm (R2), and 4 cases with unknown postoperative residual disease. Thirty-two cases had PARPi treatment interruption, 40 cases had PARPi reduction, and 1 case terminated treatment due to acute leukemia. Of the 83 patients, 35 were in the olaparib group and 48 were in the niraparib group. The proportion of patients with high-grade serous carcinoma (100% and 75%, respectively) and the proportion of BRCA mutant patients (91% and 10%, respectively) in the olaparib group were higher than those in the niraparib group (all P<0.01). (2) Compared with the inclusion and exclusion criteria of the SOLO-1 study, the olaparib group had only 60% (21/35) coincidence rate; compared with the inclusion and exclusion criteria of PRIMA and PRIME studies, the coincidence rates of niraparib group were only 31% (15/48) and 69% (33/48). The most common reasons for non-compliance were number of chemotherapy courses, histopathological type, and surgical pathological stage. (3) Of the 83 cases received first-line maintenance therapy with PARPi, the median follow-up was 15.9 months (11.3-22.9 months), the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 29.7 months (95%CI: 25.9-33.6 months), and the median overall survival was 49.8 months (95%CI: 47.4-52.2 months). Univariate analysis showed that unilateral or bilateral ovarian cancer, efficacy after platinum-containing chemotherapy, presence or absence of measurable lesions at the end of chemotherapy, and total number of chemotherapy courses were significantly associated with PFS (all P<0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that unilateral or bilateral ovarian cancer, total number of chemotherapy courses, and efficacy after platinum-containing chemotherapy were independent factors affecting PFS in stage Ⅱ-Ⅳ patients with PARPi first-line maintenance therapy (all P<0.05). Conclusions: Unilateral ovarian cancer, the total number of chemotherapy courses no more than 9, and achieving complete response after platinum-containing chemotherapy before maintenance therapy are independent influencing factors of PFS benefit in patients with PARPi first-line maintenance therapy. Due to the large differences between the patients in real clinical practice and the research subjects of phase Ⅲ RCT, the results of representative retrospective studies still have important clinical reference significance.

[Development and clinical application of the health education knowledge assessment questionnaire for gout].

OBJECTIVE: To develop and test the health education knowledge assessment questionnaire for gout and to investigate the understanding degree of health education knowledge in patients with gout. METHODS: From June 2019 to June 2019, 150 cases of gout patients were enrolled.According to the literature review and the healthy education requirements of gout patients, the framework of education knowledge system was preliminarily formed.The pre-test questionnaire was obtained through two rounds of he Delphi technique.A survey of 150 patients with gout was carried out.The analysis and selection of the questionnaire were based on the coefficient of variation, the analysis of determination value, the correlation coefficient of the items and the total scores, and the exploratory factor analysis.In this study, we evaluated the reliability of internal consistency, semi-reliability.Validity test mainly included content validity and construct validity.In addition, a total of 150 patients with gout in our hospital and outpatient gout were selected to investigate the understanding degree of health education knowledge from June 2019 to December 2019. RESULTS: The significance of the first level index of the questionnaire was 3.83-5.00, the secondary index was 3.00-4.83, and the variation coefficient of each item was 0.31-1.23, and the critical ratio(CR) value of each item in this questionnaire was 3.168-8.333.The Pearson correlation coefficient of each item and the total score of this study was 0.319-0.544.After exploratory factor analysis, some topics were deleted in four dimensions, and there were 16 entries in the final questionnaire.Cronbach' s α coefficient of this questionnaire was 0.715, split-half reliability Spearman-Brown coefficient was 0.785, and retest reliability coefficient was 0.729. The correlation coefficient between each factor of this questionnaire and the total questionnaire was 0.300-0.701, and the correlation coefficient between each item of the questionnaire and each factor was 0.402-0.732, all P < 0.05. The results were statistically significant. By questionnaire investigation, the total score of questionnaire was (6.85±3.22), the score of disease-related knowledge was (2.03±1.24), the score of dietary guidance was (1.53± 1.06), the score of exercise guidance was (2.19±1.24), the score of medication guide was (1.24±1.22). CONCLUSION: The Health Education Knowledge Assessment Questionnaire For Gout has a good reliability and validity for measuring related content, the compilation process is scientific and the content is comprehensive, which can be further applied in clinic.The understanding degree of health education knowledge is low in Chinese patients with gout, and knowledge of gout medicine is lacking especially.

[Technical essentials and safety analysis of "rolling carpet" cytoreduction surgery in stage â ¢c epithelial ovarian cancer].

Objective: To introduce the technical essentials of cytoreduction surgery (CRS) with extensive peritonectomy （"rolling carpet" surgery） in stage Ⅲc epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) and evaluate the feasibility and safety of the operation by analyzing the incidence of surgical complications and perioperative mortality. Methods: From December 2017 to December 2019, 30 patients with stage IIIc EOC who underwent "rolled carpet" CRS and 30 patients who underwent traditional CRS at the same period in Sichuan Cancer Hospital were collected. To summarize the key points of "rolled carpet" CRS operation technology, i.e. the extraperitoneal space was the cut path of ovarian cancer operation, and the tumor in the pelvic cavity was dissociated from the extraperitoneal space of the pelvic cavity. The tumor in the pelvic cavity and all the implants or potential metastases on the parietal peritoneum were removed completely. The clinical and pathological characteristics between the two groups were analyzed retrospectively, and the feasibility and safety of "rolling carpet" CRS were evaluated by comparing the operation related indexes and the occurrence of surgical complications between the two groups. Results: (1) Clinicopathological features: the age of patients in "rolling carpet" CRS group and traditional CRS group were respectively (55.4±9.6) and (54.6±9.5) years, and the median peritoneal cancer index (PCI) was 12 (range, 4-24) and 10 (range, 5-18), respectively. There were no statistical significance between the two groups (all P>0.05). (2) Operation related indexes: in the "rolled carpet" CRS group, all patients （100%, 30/30） were performed optimal CRS, reaching completeness of cytoreduction score （CC score）, named CC-0 score, and there was no visible residual lesion after operation. While, in the traditional CRS group, 23 patients （77%, 23/30） reached CC-0 score, 5 cases （17%, 6/30） reached CC-1 score, 2 cases （7%, 2/30） reached CC-2 score, and there were statistical significance between the two groups (P=0.011). The median surgical time was 315 minutes (range, 252-446 minutes) vs 268 minutes (range, 215-372 minutes), the median intraoperative blood loss was 589 ml (range, 300-900 ml) vs 450 ml (range, 250-800 ml), the median ICU hospital stay time was 2 days (range, 1-7 days) vs 1 day (range, 0-5 days), the median total hospital stay time was 14 days (range, 9-17 days) vs 12 days (range, 7-15 days). There were no statistical significance between the two groups (all P>0.05). (3) Surgical complications: there were respectively 5 cases (17%, 5/30) and 3 cases (10%, 3/30) complications with Clavien-Dindo grading Ⅰ-Ⅱ, which was significant no difference between the "rolled carpet" CRS group and the traditional CRS groups (P>0.05). No re-operations were needed and the operative mortality was 0. Conclusion: It is safe and feasible to perform "rolled carpet" CRS in patients with advanced stage Ⅲc EOC with peritoneum implantation and metastasis, which could achieve optimal CRS, and has an acceptable incidence of perioperative complications, no perioperative death.

Long noncoding RNA MIAT promotes the growth and metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer by upregulating TDP43.

Since this article has been suspected of research misconduct and the corresponding authors did not respond to our request to prove originality of data and figures, "Long noncoding RNA MIAT promotes the growth and metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer by upregulating TDP43, by H.-L. Zhao, S.-Q. Xu, Q. Li, Y.-B. Zhao, X. Li, M.-P. Yang, published in Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2019; 23 (8): 3383-3389-DOI: 10.26355/eurrev_201904_17702-PMID: 31081093" has been withdrawn. The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. https://www.europeanreview.org/article/17702.

[Recommendations for public health protection against flood disaster].

Flood disaster is one of the most serious natural disasters in the world, and it could pose an inestimable impact on the affected people. Based on existing laws, regulations, and emergency manuals in China, extensive literature review, epidemiological and related protection evidence, and expert consultation, this study analyzed different health risk factors of flood disaster and proposed a multi-stage, multi-population, and multi-phase comprehensive protection measures for the public in the perspective of pre-event prevention, in-event intervention and post-event rescue strategy, which could provide a scientific basis for improving the level of public health protection against the flood disaster and corresponding health outcomes.

Long noncoding RNA MIAT promotes the growth and metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer by upregulating TDP43.

OBJECTIVE: Recent researches have proved that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) act and have an important role in many diseases. In this research, lncRNA MIAT was explored to identify how it functions in the development of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was utilized to detect MIAT expression in NSCLC patients. Next, we conducted cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, colony formation assay, ethynyl deoxyuridine (EdU) incorporation assay, wound healing assay and transwell assay to identify its biological function. Further experiments were performed to explore the potential mechanism. RESULTS: By comparing with MIAT expression in adjacent tissues, MIAT expression level was significantly higher in NSCLC samples. Moreover, functional assays showed that cell growth ability of NSCLC cells was inhibited after MIAT was knocked down. In addition, the migrated and invaded ability of NSCLC cells was inhibited after MIAT was knocked down. Furthermore, the expression of TDP43 was downregulated by knockdown of MIAT. Meanwhile, it was found that TDP43 expression positively correlated to MIAT expression in NSCLC tissues. CONCLUSIONS: Results above suggest that MIAT could enhance cell proliferation and metastasis of NSCLC by upregulating TDP43, which suggests that MIAT may be a potential therapeutic target in NSCLC.

C5aR antagonist inhibits occurrence and progression of complement C5a induced inflammatory response of microglial cells through activating p38MAPK and ERK1/2 signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the effect of complement C52 (C5a) and complement C5a receptor (C5aR) antagonists on inflammatory status of mouse microglial cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Primary culture was performed on mouse microglial cells. 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was used to detect effect of C5a and C5aR antagonists on vitality of microglial cells. The effect of C5a and C5aR antagonists on mRNA expression of p38MAPK and ERK1/2 was determined using quantitative PCR (qPCR). Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure expression of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in cells. RESULTS: According to quantitative fluorescent PCR, relative expression of p38MAPK and ERK1/2 mRNA in C5a antagonist treatment group was significantly higher compared to normal group and C5a+C5aR antagonist treatment group (p<0.05). However, the relative expression of the C5a+C5aR antagonist treatment group was significantly lower compared to that of the normal group (p<0.05). Expression of Iba1, p-p38MAPK and p-ERK1/2 proteins in C5a antagonist treatment group was significantly higher than normal group, in C5a+C5aR antagonist treatment group was lower than C5a antagonist treatment group (p<0.05). There were significant differences for IL-6 and TNF-α levels among 5 groups (p<0.05). Expression of cytokines was the highest in 100 nM C5a antagonist treatments and lowest in normal group. CONCLUSIONS: Complement C5a upregulated expression of inflammatory factors in mouse microglial cells, while C5aR antagonist inhibited occurrence and progression of inflammatory status. This was achieved by affecting transcriptional and translational processes of different factors in p38MAPK and ERK1/2 signaling pathway.

[Association between dietary supplementation during pregnancy and low birth weight: a prospective study].

Objective: To explore the association between dietary supplementation during pregnancy and low birth weight. Methods: 11 311 pregnant women who had regularly visited outpatient gynecology clinic of Wuhan Women and Children Medical Center with intention to delivery in the hospital were recruited in the cohort between September 2012 and October 2014. Social-demographic characteristics of pregnant women and spouses, dietary supplementation during pregnancy, pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), exercise in the third trimester, work during pregnancy, pregnancy complications and related pregnancy information were collected through self-designed questionnaires, maternal health manuals and medical records. Birth weight of the newborns was measured. Non-conditional multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the correlation between dietary supplementation and low birth weight. Results: 11 311 pregnant women were (28.21±3.70) years old, and they gave birth to 477 low birth weight newborns (4.2%). Iron supplementation during the whole period of pregnancy (OR (95%CI): 0.60 (0.43-0.63)) and folic acid supplementation during the early pregnancy (OR (95%CI): 0.74 (0.60-0.90)) were negatively associated with low birth weight. Conclusion: Supplementation of iron during the whole period of pregnancy and folic acid during the early pregnancy would reduce the risk of low birth weight.

Down-regulation of telomerase reverse transcriptase-related anti-apoptotic function in a rat model of acrylamide induced neurobehavioral deficits.

Although the precise mechanism is unknown, neuron apoptosis is believed to participate in neuropathy caused by acrylamide (ACR). Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) exhibits an anti-apoptotic function, but its contribution to the pathogenesis of ACR neurotoxicity is unclear. We investigated adult male rats that were given 30, 40 and 50 mg/kg ACR three times/week for 4 weeks. We found that ACR treatment caused significant deficits in sensory/motor function as measured by gait score, landing foot spread distance, movement initiation test and tail immersion test. Histological examination showed that the cerebral cortex in all ACR treated animals exhibited fewer neurons and more condensed nuclei than normal cortex. A significant increase in apoptosis was found in the cerebral cortex of rat brains subjected to ACR treatment in a dose-dependent manner. The expression of TERT in the brain was significantly reduced by ACR treatment. The pro-apoptotic cleaved caspase-3 protein level was increased, while the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein level was decreased by 30 - 50 mg/kg ACR. Our findings indicate that TERT and its downstream regulators of neuron apoptosis, including Bcl-2 and cleaved caspase-3, were involved in ACR neurotoxicity.

[Association between maternal body height and risk of preterm birth].

Objective: To investigate the association between maternal body height and risk of preterm birth. Methods: A total of 11 311 pregnant women who gave birth of live singletons were recruited from the Healthy Baby Cohort Study in Hubei province, China from September 2012 to October 2014. Finally 11 070 pregnant women were selected as study subjects. Data were collected by using questionnaires, their prenatal care records and medical records. The women were divided into 4 groups according to the quartiles distribution (<158 cm, 158- cm, 160- cm, and >164 cm). Gestational age was estimated according to maternal last menstrual time. Preterm birth was defined as delivering a live singleton infant at 28-37 weeks' gestational age. Logistic regression was used to calculate the odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between body height and preterm birth. Results: Among the 11 070 pregnant women, the incidence of preterm birth was 5.9%. Logistic regression analysis indicated that women in group with body height <158 cm had 46% (OR=1.46, 95%CI: 1.16-1.83) higher risk of giving preterm birth than those in group with body height >164 cm after adjustment for potential confounders. Every 1- cm increase in body height was associated with 3% lower risk of preterm birth (OR=0.97, 95%CI: 0.95-0.99). Conclusion: Shorter body height was a risk factor for preterm birth. It is necessary to strengthen the monitoring in pregnant women with short body height to reduce the risk of preterm birth.

[Transcystic biliary drainage versus nasobiliary drainage during primary closure of the laparoscopic choledochotomy].

Objective: To compare the clinical efficacy of transcystic biliary drainage with nasobiliary drainage during primary closure following laparoscopic choledochotomy. Methods: The clinical data of 106 patients with cholecystolithiasis and choledocholithiasis treated by laparoscopy at Department of General Surgery, Danyang People's Hospital from May 2014 to June 2017 were analyzed prospectively. The patients were divided into 2 groups by means of random number method: the study group was treated with transcystic biliary drainage, and the control group adopted nasobiliary drainage. The operation time, postoperative drainage volume, postoperative hospital stay and postoperative complications were compared between the 2 groups. Results: All patients in the two groups completed the operation successfully. Compared with nasobiliary drainage, the operation time of transcystic biliary drainage was shortened ((133.9±14.7) minutes vs. (143.3±21.7) minutes, t=-2.617, P<0.05). Postoperative hospital stay ((8.2±1.7) days vs. (7.7±2.5) days), the difference between the two groups was not statistically significant(P>0.05). The quantity of bile drainage was no significant difference in the two groups of patients. There were 1 case of duct obstruction and 2 cases of catheter slippage during transcystic biliary drainage, without causing bile leakage. During nasobiliary drainage, there were 3 cases of catheter obstruction, 1 case of catheter slippage, 2 cases of self extubation, 1 case of bile peritonitis caused by catheter blockage, transferred to laparotomy and T tube drainage. The patients were followed up for 1 month to 17 months, with an average of 8 months. B-ultrasound showed no bile duct stenosis and hepatic function was normal. Conclusions: Transcystic biliary drainage could achieve the same biliary drainage as well as nasobiliary drainage during primary closure following laparoscopic choledochotomy. In addition, transcystic biliary drainage maintain the physiological function of bile duct, it is simple and minimally invasive under certain conditions.

[Recovery of hemoglobin level and blood pressure in workers unfit for duties at high altitude following relocation].

Objective: To determine the hemoglobin level and blood pressure and the factors that influence their recovery in relocated workers who were unfit for duties at high altitude. Methods: The physical examination data of 693 relocated workers who previously worked at high altitude were dynamically monitored from January 2006 to June 2015 in order to examine the recovery of hemoglobin level and blood pressure. Results: The rate of hemoglobin recovery was 81.37% among the 161 relocated workers with abnormal hemoglobin levels, and the rate of blood pressure recovery was 69.51% among the 164 relocated workers with abnormal blood pressure. The rates of hemoglobin and blood pressure recovery were decreased in individuals aged 40 years and older. The peak recovery time of hemoglobin was 11-15 months following relocation, and that of blood pressure was 5-7 months and 11-13 months following relocation. The half-year blood pressure recovery rate and 2-year hemoglobin recovery rate following relocation were significantly higher in workers who worked at 2500-3000 m altitude than in those at ≥3000 m (P<0.05) . Total cholesterol and educational level were factors that influence the half-year blood pressure recovery in relocated workers (P<0.05) . Conclusion: The rate of hemoglobin and blood pressure recovery are high among relocated workers who previously worked at high altitude. Factors that influence blood pressure, such as total cholesterol, should be closely monitored so that high-altitude workers with abnormal blood pressure and hemoglobin level can be relocated as early as possible.

Trefoil factor 3 related to gastrointestinal failure in pediatric critical illness.

BACKGROUND: To determine the relationship between the serum concentration of trefoil factor 3 (TFF3) and gastrointestinal failure (GIF) in pediatric critical illness in order to provide knowledge for disease management. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We enrolled 137 cases and divided them into three groups, including a control group (group A), critical illness without GIF (group B), and critical illness with GIF (group C). The serum TFF3 concentration was determined by ELISA and compared among the groups. RESULTS: Serum TFF3 concentrations measured before the occurrence of GIF in group C were significantly higher than in groups A and B (P<0.01). Under the conditions of GIF in group C, serum TFF3 concentration was significantly related to the gastrointestinal tract function score (r=-0.712). Cox's proportional hazards model analysis showed that the serum TFF3 concentrations at the time of occurrence of GIF, and 48hours later, could be used as prognostic factors in critically ill pediatric patients with GIF (r=1.443 and 1.872, respectively). CONCLUSION: TFF3 may play an important role in predicting GIF in pediatric critical illness and has a protective function in the mucosal repair process.

20-Hydroxyecdysone stimulates nuclear accumulation of BmNep1, a nuclear ribosome biogenesis-related protein in the silkworm, Bombyx mori.

The pathway of communication between endocrine hormones and ribosome biogenesis critical for physiological adaptation is largely unknown. Nucleolar essential protein 1 (Nep1) is an essential gene for ribosome biogenesis and is functionally conserved in many in vertebrate and invertebrate species. In this study, we cloned Bombyx mori Nep1 (BmNep1) due to its high expression in silk glands of silkworms on day 3 of the fifth instar. We found that BmNep1 mRNA and protein levels were upregulated in silk glands during fourth-instar ecdysis and larval-pupal metamorphosis. By immunoprecipitation with the anti-BmNep1 antibody and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analyses, it was shown that BmNep1 probably interacts with proteins related to ribosome structure formation. Immunohistochemistry, biochemical fractionation and immunocytochemistry revealed that BmNep1 is localized to the nuclei in Bombyx cells. Using BmN cells originally derived from ovaries, we demonstrated that 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) induced BmNep1 expression and stimulated nuclear accumulation of BmNep1. Under physiological conditions, BmNep1 was also upregulated in ovaries during larval-pupal metamorphosis. Overall, our results indicate that the endocrine hormone 20E facilitates nuclear accumulation of BmNep1, which is involved in nuclear ribosome biogenesis in Bombyx.

Development of a closed-loop system for tremor suppression in patients with Parkinson's disease.

More than 70% of patients suffering Parkinson's disease (PD) exhibit resting tremor in their extremities, hampering their ability to perform daily activities. Based on our earlier studies on corticospinal transmission of tremor signals [10,11], we hypothesize that cutaneous afferents evoked by surface stimulation can produce an inhibitory effect on propriospinal neurons (PN), which in turn will suppress tremor signals passing through the PN. This paper presents the development of a closed-loop system for tremor suppression by transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) of sensory fibers beneath the skin. The closed-loop system senses EMGs of forearm muscles, and detects rhythmic bursting in the EMG signal. When a tremor is detected by the system, a command signal triggers a stimulator to output a train of bi-phasic, current regulated pulses to a pair of surface electrodes. The stimulation electrode is placed on the dorsal hand skin near the metacarpophalangeal joint of index finger, which is innervated by the superficial radial nerve that projects an inhibitory afferent to PNs of forearm muscles. We tested the closed-loop system in 3 normal subjects to verify the algorithm and in 2 tremor dominated PD subjects for feasibility of tremor detecting and suppression. Preliminary results indicate that the closed-loop system can detect tremor in all subjects, and tremor in PD patients was suppressed significantly by electrical stimulation of cutaneous afferents.

Responses of microbial respiration to nitrogen addition in two alpine soils in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

An incubation experiment was conducted to examine the effects of nitrogen (N) application on microbial respiration in alpine meadow and alpine shrub soils from eastern of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Four different levels of nitrogen fertilization were selected in this study: control (CK, 0 mg N g(-1)), low (LN, 0.04 mg N g(-1)), medium (MN, 0.16 mg N g(-1)), high (HN, 0.4 mg N g(-1)). The results showed that microbial respiration was higher in alpine shrub than in alpine meadow soil, regardless of the rate of N application. Total microbial respiration overthe course of incubation period decreased in both soils with HN and MN treatments relative to control, but no significant differences were observed in soils with LN treatments. There was significantly positive correlation between total microbial respiration and dissolved organic carbon concentration in both soils. The results indicated that DOC may be a useful indicator of microbial respiration rate in alpine soils and the increasing N inputs could drive a negative feedback to global warming effects of carbon dioxide emitted to the atmosphere in alpine soils.