Study on the antipruritic mechanism of Zanthoxylum bungeanum and Zanthoxylum schinifolium volatile oil on chronic eczema based on H1R and PAR-2 mediated GRPR pathway.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the antipruritic effect and mechanism of the volatile oil of Zanthoxylum bungeanum and Zanthoxylum schinifolium on chronic eczema to provide data support for clinical application and new drug development of Zanthoxylum bungeanum and Zanthoxylum schinifolium. METHODS: The model of chronic eczema was established by using 2-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB), and the composition and content of volatile oil in Zanthoxylum schinifolium and Zanthoxylum bungeanum was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The antipruritic effect by (EASI) score of eczema area and severity index and scratching times was then evaluated. Then, the contents of histamine, gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP), interleukin-4 (IL-4), and immunoglobulin E (IgE) in serum of rats was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The tissue morphology was observed by HE staining. The expressions of H1R, PAR-2, TRPV1, TRPA1, and GRPR was then detected by immunohistochemistry, Western blot, and QRT-PCR. RESULTS: The results revealed that there were differences in the composition of volatile oil between Zanthoxylum bungeanum and Zanthoxylum schinifolium. Compared to the model group, the medium-dose group of Zanthoxylum bungeanum and Zanthoxylum schinifolium group significantly increased the difference of EASI score and scratching times, significantly decreased the concentrations of IL-4, IgE, GRP, and histamine, and significantly decreased the expression levels of H1R, PAR-2, TRPV1, and GRPR. The degree of inhibition on the pathological manifestations of chronic eczema was evident. There was no significant difference in antipruritic effect between the two groups. The expression of TRPA1 was inconsistent at the protein and gene level, which needs to be further researched. CONCLUSION: The volatile oil of Zanthoxylum bungeanum and Zanthoxylum schinifolium can reduce the expression of H1R, PAR-2, TRPV1, and GRPR. The mechanism may be through the H1R and PAR-2-mediated GRPR pathway intervention to achieve the effect, both of which have the same antipruritic effect.

Influence of magnetic field on the seismometer in vibration correction for atom gravimeters.

Vibration correction provides a simple and flexible method of suppressing ambient vibration noise in transportable atom gravimeters. However, in the seismometers used for vibration correction, a spurious output may be induced by the magnetic field of the magnetic-optical trap, introducing errors to the gravity measurements. This paper evaluates the influence of the magnetic field on the seismometer and the corresponding errors in the gravity measurements. It is found that an error level of order 10 µGal may be present if the seismometer is not configured carefully. The dependence of the influence on the orientation of the seismometer and the lasting time of the magnetic field are investigated. The effective suppression of the influence by shielding the seismometer is also demonstrated. Our results focus attention on the possible errors related to seismometers in high-precision gravity measurements by using atom gravimeters.

The influence of polarization misalignment for modulation transfer spectrum in atom gravimeter.

The accuracy of atom gravimeters is directly related to the Raman laser, which is used to manipulate the atomic wave packet, and the frequency of the Raman laser could be affected by temperature when the laser polarization is not along the preferred axis of the electro-optic crystal employed in the modulation transfer spectrum (MTS). This effect has been researched by modulating the laser polarization in the MTS in this work. The experimental results show that both the laser frequency and gravity measurement results have a sinusoidal dependence on temperature, and the period of the fluctuation is 0.8 °C. The systematic effect can reach 12.4 µGal when the polarization misalignment is 15°, which is a remarkable contribution to the absolute gravity measurement. The amplitude of this effect could be reduced by adjusting the laser polarization to the crystal's preferred axis. According to the result, the included angle between the laser polarization and the crystal's preferred axis should be smaller than 5° if 2 µGal accuracy is required.

Pacemaker and Atrioventricular Junction Ablation in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation-A Systematic Review of Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) could be considered for heart failure (HF) patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) unless a potent ventricular capture strategy is conducted. However, the benefit of a pacemaker (PM; as part of CRT) in patients with AF and whether atrioventricular junction (or nodal) ablation (AVAB) can improve the prognosis of these patients compared with those treated medically to support ventricular capture are unclear. METHODS AND RESULTS: Systematic reviews and meta-analyses investigating the roles of PMs and AVAB in patients with AF were obtained in a search of the PubMed, Embase, and Medline databases and then analyzed with respect to the following outcomes: mortality, left ventricular ejection fraction, and clinical findings including the New York Heart Association class, 6-min walk distance (6MWD), quality of life as assessed in a specific questionnaire, and response to CRT. The quality of the included reviews was assessed using the Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews 2 tool, which includes 16 items. This study was finally based on 13 systematic reviews or meta-analyses. The results showed that patients with AF have higher all-cause mortality rates compared with patients with sinus rhythm and that AVAB can reduce all-cause mortality in patients with AF. Although the functional improvement was better in sinus rhythm than in patients with AF, in the latter, AVAB increased the 6MWD and reduced the CRT nonresponse rate in patients with AF. CONCLUSION: Atrial fibrillation is associated with a higher all-cause mortality rate in patients with CRT implantation. AVAB, by increasing the 6MWD and survival, can improve the prognosis of these patients.

A compact laser system for a portable atom interferometry gravimeter.

A compact laser system for a portable 87Rb atom interferometry gravimeter has been demonstrated in this work. This laser system is based on frequency doubling of a single seed laser at the wavelength of 1560 nm. The frequency of the seed laser is controlled by a digital unit with an analog feedback circuit. By using this frequency control method, the frequency of the laser system can be shifted over 1 GHz. Based on this method, the Raman frequency can be locked on the F = 3 → F' = 4 transition of 85Rb atoms. Moreover, the Raman sideband and the repumping laser are generated by a phase modulator, and it can generate different laser frequencies to meet the requirements of a typical atom interferometer. Additional sidebands in the Raman beam produced from the phase modulator are optimized and reduced, allowing us to observe atom interference with a free evolution time of 320 ms. The control unit including the laser system has been integrated into a box with a volume of 1.5 m × 0.6 m × 0.6 m, and the weight of which is only 150 kg. Using this compact optical scheme, our atomic gravimeter has achieved a sensitivity of 53 µGal/Hz1/2 and a resolution of better than 1 µGal (1 µGal = 1 × 10-8 m/s2) in an integration time of 3000 s.

Note: Effect of the parasitic forced vibration in an atom gravimeter.

The vibration isolator usually plays an important role in atom interferometry gravimeters to improve their sensitivity. We show that the parasitic forced vibration of the Raman mirror, which is induced by external forces acting on the vibration isolator, can cause a bias in atom gravimeters. The mechanism of how this effect induces an additional phase shift in our interferometer is analyzed. Moreover, modulation experiments are performed to measure the dominant part of this effect, which is caused by the magnetic force between the passive vibration isolator and the coil of the magneto-optic trap. In our current apparatus, this forced vibration contributes a systematic error of -2.3(2) × 10-7 m/s2 when the vibration isolator works in the passive isolation mode. Even suppressed with an active vibration isolator, this effect can still contribute -6(1) × 10-8 m/s2; thus, it should be carefully considered in precision atom gravimeters.

Note: A three-dimension active vibration isolator for precision atom gravimeters.

An ultra-low frequency active vibration isolator, simultaneously suppressing three-dimensional vibration noise, is demonstrated experimentally. The equivalent natural period of the isolator is 100 s and 12 s for the vertical and horizontal direction, respectively. The vibration noise in the vertical direction is about 50 times reduced during 0.2 and 2 Hz, and 5 times reduced in the other two orthogonal directions in the same frequency range. This isolator is designed for atom gravimeters, especially suitable for the gravimeter whose sensitivity is limited by vibration couplings.

[Comparative study on effects between electroacupuncture and acupuncture for spastic paralysis after stroke].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the differences of therapeutic effect of spastic paralysis after stroke between electroacupuncture and acupuncture and explore the mechanism. METHODS: Sixty-four cases were randomly divided into an electroacupuncture group (n = 33) and an acupuncture group (n = 31). Both groups were treated with Bobath facilitation techniques and medicine treatments. Quchi (LI 11), Hegu (LI 4), Yanglingquan (GB 34), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), et al. on the affected side were selected in each group. The needle was retained for 30 min, and the manipulation was applied for 1 min in the acupuncture group, and electroacupuncture was added in the electroacupuncture group. Stroke Impairment Assessment Set (SIAS) was adopted to assess the whole function status after sroke, and the contents of glutamate (Glu) and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in serum and clinical efficacy were observed in the two groups. RESULTS: The SIAS score increased after treatment as compared with that before treatment in either group (both P < 0.01), and the electroacupuncture group was superior to the acupuncture group (P < 0.01); the content of Glu in blood serum and ratio of Glu/GABA reduced, while the content of GABA in serum increased after treatment as compared with those before treatment in either group (all P < 0.01), but the improvement of above indices were much more apparently in the electroacupuncture group as compared with those in the acupuncture group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05); the total effective rate of 90.9% (30/33) in the electroacupuncture group was superior to that of 83.9% (26/31) in the acupuncture group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Electroacupuncture can improve therapeutic effect of spastic paralysis after stroke, it's mechanism may be ralated to ajusting the contents of Glu and GABA in serum.