Spatial distribution and ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in surface sediments from the northern Bohai Strait, China.

The epicontinental seas to the east of China have become highly anthropogenically impacted due to rapid economic development in recent decades, resulting in various environmental problems, including heavy metal pollution. The Bohai Strait, as a key junction connecting the material-energy exchange between the Bohai and Yellow Seas, is extremely critical in regional pollution prevention and control. To ascertain the spatial distribution and contamination levels of heavy metals in the surface sediments of the northern Bohai Strait, a systematic investigation was conducted. Geochemical analysis revealed that the concentrations (in ppm) of heavy metal elements in surface sediments vary in the range of 4.19-77.6 for As, 0.04-0.21 for Cd, 5.1-65.7 for Pb, 0.30-39.40 for Cu, 7.77-46.50 for Ni, 1.50-86.60 for Cr, 11.70-91.80 for Zn, and 0.005-0.038 for Hg. Ecological statistics indicate that the northern Bohai Strait suffers from prominent heavy metal pollution primarily induced by As, Cd, and Pb, accompanied by relatively weak pollution of Cu and Ni. Sediments collected from the submarine depressions and the southeast region exhibit higher heavy metal concentrations, and as a consequence, more serious ecological risk. Correlation analysis indicated that the accumulations of Hg, Cr, and Zn were associated with the deposition of organic matter. Preliminary provenance discrimination suggested that the pollutants were mainly derived from the eastern parts of the North Yellow Sea, rather than the Bohai region.

Individuals at ultra-high risk of psychosis and first-degree relatives of patients with schizophreniaexperience impaired family functionality and social support deficit in comparison to healthy controls.

AIM: The present study was designed to assess the role of family function and social support in the context of different phases of schizophrenia. METHODS: First-episode patients with experiences of schizophrenia (FEP), ultra-high risk for psychosis (UHR), first-degree relatives (FDR) of patients with experiences of schizophrenia, and healthy controls (HC) (40 per group) were subjected to in-person clinical interviews. The results of these interviews were then used to gauge social support and family function using the Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS) and the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scales (FACESII-CV). Data were analyzed through ANCOVA, correlation analysis and logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: We found that family function and social support showed a approximately gradual downward trend through the HC, FDR, UHR, and FEP groups but no significant differences were found in the family function of the FDR, UHR and FDR group. Logistic regression analyses indicated that UHR group patients exhibited decreased family support and family cohesion relative to members of the HC group, but had greater perceived social support than did members of the FEP group. Results for members of the FDR group were in line with those of members of the UHR group. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggested that both UHR and FDR individuals experience impaired family functionality and social support which expanded the understanding of the psychological characteristics of the prodromal period of schizophrenia. Further explorations are warranted to develop optimal psychosocial interventions.

[Current state about researches on selection of experimental indexs mechanisms of acupuncture underlying improvement of chronic fatigue syndrome].

Acupuncture therapy is effective in the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and has its own unique advantages. In the present paper, we reviewed the progress of experimental researches on the underlying mechanisms of acupuncture treatment of CFS in recent 10 years from: 1) regulating the immune system including the peripheral immune organ, immune cells and immune cytokines, proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines, and lowering the increase of positive rate of multiple mycoplasma infection; 2) regulating the neuroendocrine system including the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis and stress hormones, monoamine neurotransmitters, and opioid peptides; 3)raising the anti- oxidative stress ability by reducing malondiadehyde, and upregulating activities of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase; and 4) regulating multiple cellular molecule signaling pathways revealed by genomic and proteomic technologies. In conclusion, acupuncture can relieve CFS through multiple ways and systems, which may provide some ideas for further studies on the biological mechanisms.

Individuals at high risk for psychosis experience more childhood trauma, life events and social support deficit in comparison to healthy controls.

Evidence for psychological risk factors on prodromal state of psychosis remained limited and inconsistent. This study aimed to investigate childhood trauma, life events and social support in subjects with high risk for psychosis (HR), first episode psychosis with schizophrenia (FEP) and healthy control (HC). In the study, 56 FEP, 83 HR and 61 HC underwent face-to-face clinical interview and psychological assessment, including Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), Life Events Scale (LES) and Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS). The results showed that in univariate analysis, HR individuals had more childhood trauma, more recent life events and less social support than HC group, and these findings were also supported by ANCOVA analysis except for the results related to social support after taking age, education, marital and employment status as covariates. Logistic regression analysis revealed that HR group was significantly associated with more childhood trauma, poorer overall function and unmarried state than HC group after controlling the interfering factors. HR group was similar with FEP group in these assessments. In conclusion, HR individuals experienced more childhood trauma, life events and social support deficit than HC group, which may be risk factors of conversion to psychosis. Further explorations are warranted to develop optimal psychosocial interventions.

Cognitive functioning in individuals at ultra-high risk for psychosis, first-degree relatives of patients with psychosis and patients with first-episode schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to investigate and compare cognitive functioning of first-degree relatives of people with schizophrenia who were also at ultra-high risk (UHR) for psychosis with patients with first-episode (FE) schizophrenia, first degree relatives of patients not fulfilling UHR criteria (FDR), and healthy control (HC) subjects. METHOD: Forty subjects in each group were included, underwent a face-to-face interview and completed a neurocognitive test battery, including the Trail Making Test-A (TMT-A, psychomotor functions), Stroop Color Word Test (attention), Digit Symbol Coding Test (DST, processing speed and working memory) and Hopkins Verbal Leaning Test-Revised (HVLT-R, verbal memory). RESULTS: Functioning in all the cognitive test domains displayed a gradual decrease from the HC, FDR, UHR to FE groups. After controlling for covariates, there were still significant differences in TMT-A (F(7160)=35.4, P<0.001), DST (F(7160)=38.9, P<0.001), Stroop Color Word Test (F(7160)=35.0, P<0.001), Stroop Word Test (F(7160)=36.2, P<0.001), Stroop Color Test (F(7160)=40.9, P<0.001) and HVLT-R (F(7160)=62.5, P<0.001) between the four groups, indicating that the cognitive functioning in the UHR group was intermediate between the FE and FDR groups, while the FDR group had poorer performance than the HC group, and the FE group had the poorest cognitive functioning across all four examined domains. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that impairments in processing speed, attention, working memory and verbal memory exist in both UHR and FDR subjects. In order to clarify the associations between cognitive functioning and UHR and schizophrenia, longitudinal studies are warranted.

[Comparative study on EEG and neuroimaging of patients with cerebral cysticercosis before and after treatment].

OBJECTIVE: To study the changes of cerebral function and pathological morphology before and after the antiparasitic treatment with albendazole and praziquantel in patients with cerebral cysticercosis. METHODS: The data of EEG and neuroimaging of 412 patients with cerebral cysticercosis were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: Before the treatment, the mild abnormality, moderate abnormality, and severe abnormality were observed in 40.53%, 45.63% and 13.84% of the patients respectively, which mainly showed the diffuse or focal irregular slow waves, or epileptiform discharges found in the abnormal brain waves. CT/MRI manifestation could be divided into six types, including single sacculus type (23.59%), multiple sacculus type (44.42%), encephalitis type (13.59%), coexistence of macrocyst and sacculus type (4.85%), calcification type (2.18%), and mixed type (11.41%). After 3 courses of the treatment, the normal and improved EEGs were observed in 79.85% and 20.15%, respectively. CT/MRI showed the foci being all absorbed (77.18%), being most absorbed (20.63%), and being no changes (20.18%) which were calcified focus. When cerebral cysticercosis were in acute stage (the single and multiple sacculus type, encephalitis type, and macrocyst and sacculus coexistence type), the therapeutic effect was good; while in the mixed type, the therapeutic effect was relatively poor. If cysticercosis were in the calcification stage, the patients only needed the heteropathy. CONCLUSIONS: In the patients with cerebral cysticercosis, EEGs show the mild to severe abnormalities, and CT/MRI mainly shows the multiple sacculus type. After the treatment, the abnormal EEGs are gradually recovered and the low density foci can be all absorbed, but some calcified focus still exist in some patients.

Use of a collagen membrane loaded with recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 with collagen-binding domain for vertical guided bone regeneration.

BACKGROUND: Vertical bone regeneration of severe atrophic alveolar ridges remains a challenging procedure in implant dentistry. METHODS: The aim of this study, accordingly, is to use a rabbit vertical guided bone regeneration model to evaluate whether using a collagen membrane (CM) loaded with small doses of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 with collagen-binding domain (rhBMP-2/CBD) would enhance two-way vertical bone regeneration. In each of eight rabbits, four titanium cylinders were screwed in perforated slits made into the external cortical bones of the calvaria. The following four treatment modalities were randomly allocated: 1) cylinders filled with mineralized bone matrix and covered with CM/rhBMP-2/CBD; 2) cylinders filled with mineralized bone matrix and covered with CM/rhBMP-2; 3) cylinders filled with mineralized bone matrix and covered with CM alone; or 4) cylinders filled with mineralized bone matrix without a membrane cover. RESULTS: After 6 weeks, the new bones were examined by histologic analysis. Slender new bone trabeculae were observed in the superficial layer of the titanium cylinders covered with CM/rhBMP-2/CBD, and higher degrees of bone were observed in this group compared with the other three groups. The average area fraction of newly formed bone was significantly more in the CM/rhBMP-2/CBD group compared with the CM/rhBMP-2, CM, or the no membrane control groups (all P <0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The present study demonstrates that CMs loaded with small doses of rhBMP-2/CBD induce new bone formation not only from the surface of the native bone, but also from the superficial structures. The augmented new bone, therefore, is improved in both quantity and quality.

[Clinical analysis of 91 cases of imported falciparum malaria from Africa].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical characteristics, early diagnosis, and treatment of patients with imported falciparum malaria from Africa. METHODS: The clinical data of 91 imported falciparum malaria cases were analyzed by retrospective study. RESULTS: All the 91 cases had the history of mosquito bites. The clinical manifestation of these cases varied, including fever, headache, chill, diarrhea, anemia, thrombocytopenia, proteinuria, damage of liver function, abdominal ultrasonographic presentations (enlarged liver and spleen). All the patients were successfully treated with the combination therapy of artemether and primaquine. CONCLUSION: The key procedures for treating imported falciparum malaria are earlier diagnosis and effective therapy. The combination therapy with artemether and primaquine shows a high efficacy and low side effect and low relapsed rate.