Cross-reaction mediated by distinct key amino acid combinations in the complementary-determining region (CDR) of a monoclonal antibody.

In immunology, cross-reaction between antigens and antibodies are commonly observed. Prior research has shown that various monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) can recognize a broad spectrum of epitopes related to influenza viruses. However, existing theories on cross-reactions fall short in explaining the phenomena observed. This study explored the interaction characteristics of H1-74 mAb with three peptides: two natural peptides, LVLWGIHHP and LPFQNI, derived from the hemagglutinin (HA) antigen of the H1N1 influenza virus, and one synthetic peptide, WPFQNY. Our findings indicate that the complementarity-determining region (CDR) of H1-74 mAb comprised five antigen-binding sites, containing eight key amino acid residues from the light chain variable region and 16 from the heavy chain variable region. These critical residues formed distinct hydrophobic or hydrophilic clusters and functional groups within the binding sites, facilitating interaction with antigen epitopes through hydrogen bonding, salt bridge formation, and π-π stacking. The study revealed that the formation of the antibody molecule led to the creation of binding groups and small units in the CDR, allowing the antibody to attach to a variety of antigen epitopes through diverse combinations of these small units and functional groups. This unique ability of the antibody to bind with antigen epitopes provides a new molecular basis for explaining the phenomenon of antibody cross-reaction.

Tongue acupuncture for the treatment of post-stroke dysphagia: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Objectives: Post-stroke dysphagia is the most common neurological impairment after stroke. The swallowing process is controlled by a network made up of the cerebral cortex, subcortical area, and brainstem structure. The disruption of the swallowing network after stroke leads to dysphagia. The affected swallowing muscles after stroke mainly include the laryngeal muscles (suprahyoid muscle and thyrohyoid muscle) and infrahyoid muscle. These muscles experience kinematic effects and muscle strength weakens, resulting in reduced movement in the swallowing process. Acupuncture can change the excitability of cerebral cortical nerve cells, promote the recovery of neurological function, and enhance neuromuscular excitability, ultimately improving the control of swallowing-related nerves and muscles and promoting swallowing functional recovery. In this meta-analysis, we systematically evaluate the clinical efficacy of acupuncture in the treatment of post-stroke dysphagia. Methods: Randomized controlled trials of tongue acupuncture therapy for post-stroke dysphagia were searched and selected from seven electronic databases (PubMed, CBM, Cochrane, Embase, CNKI, VPCS, and Wan fang). The Cochrane Collaboration tool was used to conduct methodological quality assessment. Rev. Man 5.4 software was utilized to perform data analysis. Results: A total of 15 studies with 1,094 patients were included. Meta-analysis Showed that WST score WST score (MD = -0.56, 95% CI (-1.23, 0.12), Z = 1.62, p < 0.00001), SSA score (MD = -1.65, 95% CI (-2.02, -1.28), Z = 8.77, p < 0.00001). These results suggested that the treatment group (tongue acupuncture or tongue acupuncture combined with other therapies) was superior to the control group in reducing WST scores and SSA scores. The clinical efficacy of the tongue acupuncture group was better compared with the control group (MD = 3.83, 95% CI (2.61, 5.62), Z = 6.88, p < 0.00001). Conclusion: The meta-analysis showed that the total effective rate of patients with dysphagia after stroke in the treatment group (acupuncture, tongue acupuncture, and acupuncture combined with other therapy) was higher than that in the control group. These results indicated that acupuncture, tongue acupuncture, and acupuncture combined with other therapy can improve post-stroke dysphagia.

Antiepileptic therapy in a patient with star fruit intoxication: A case report.

RATIONALE: It is rare for uremia patients to have epileptic seizures after eating star fruit, only a dozen cases are reported worldwide. Such patients usually have poor prognoses. Few patients had good prognoses, all of them were treated with expensive renal replacement therapy. At present, there is no report on the addition of drug therapy to these patients based on the initial renal replacement therapy. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 67-year-old male patient with star fruit intoxication who had a history of diabetic nephropathy, hypertension, polycystic kidney, and chronic kidney disease in the uremic phase, and regular hemodialysis 3 times a week for 2 years. Initial clinical manifestations include hiccups, vomiting, speech disturbances, delayed reactions, and dizziness, which gradually progress to hearing and visual impairment, seizures, confusion, and coma. DIAGNOSES: This patient was diagnosed with seizures caused by star fruit intoxication. The experience of eating star fruit and the electroencephalograms can prove our diagnosis. INTERVENTIONS: We performed intensive renal replacement therapy according to the recommendations in the literature. However, his symptoms did not improve significantly until he received an extra dose of levetiracetam and resumed his previous dialysis schedule. OUTCOMES: The patient was discharged after 21 days without neurologic sequelae. Five months after discharge, he was readmitted due to poor seizure control. LESSONS: To improve the prognosis of these patients and to reduce their financial burden, the use of antiepileptic drugs should be emphasized.

Applied Analytical Methods for Detecting Heavy Metals in Medicinal Plants.

For thousands of years, medicinal plants (MPs) have been one of the main sources of drugs worldwide. However, recently, heavy metal pollution has seriously affected the quality and safety of MPs. Consuming MPs polluted by heavy metals such as Pb, Hg, and Cu significantly threaten the health of consumers. To manage this situation, the levels of heavy metals in MPs must be controlled. In recent years, this field has attracted significant attention, but few researchers have systematically summarized various analytical methods. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate methods that can accurately and effectively detect the amount of heavy metals in MPs. Herein, some important analytical methods used to detect heavy metals in MPs and their applications have been introduced and summarized in detail. These include atomic absorption spectrometry, atomic fluorescence spectrometry, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry, X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, neutron activation analysis, and anodic stripping voltammetry. The characteristics of these methods were subsequently compared and analyzed. In addition, high-performance liquid chromatography, ultraviolet spectrophotometry, and disposable electrochemical sensors have also been used for heavy metal detection in MPs. To elucidate the systematic and comprehensive information, these methods have also been briefly introduced in this review.

First Report of Alternaria alternata Inciting Leaf Spot of Dangshen (Codonopsis pilosula) in China.

As a commonly traditional Chinese medicine, the perennial herb Dangshen (Codonopsis pilosula) has superior curative effects including regulating immunity, strengthening the spleen, and tonifying lungs (Bai et al. 2020). To imitate natural ecological conditions, plants were grown on hillside fields with stems prostrate on the ground, tangle-up with each other. In August 2020, leaf spots were observed on C. pilosula in Wutai county, Shanxi province, China, and indicated a high disease incidence (70%-80%) in investigated fields (6.67 ha). Small brown necrotic spots, occasionally enclosed by chlorotic halos, were observed on leaves, stems, and sepals. For identification of the pathogen, 15 small pieces (5×5 mm) of symptomatic tissues from 5 randomly-collected diseased plants were surface sterilized, placed on potato dextrose agar plates, and incubated for 4 d in darkness at 25 °C to obtain the colonies. Cultures were purified by single spore isolation from these colonies. A total of 15 isolates named as Dcp-3, and Dcp-5~Dcp-18 were recovered. They produced ovoid or obclavate spores with 15.9-57.5×9.1-20.1 µm in size, 1-6 transverse septa, and 0-4 longitudinal septa. The conidial chains with 4 to 6 spores had numerous secondary and occasionally tertiary chains on potato carrot agar plates. Because all isolates had identical morphological traits, five genes from the representative isolate Dcp-3, actin (ACT), Alternaria major allergen (Alt a1), plasma membrane ATPase (ATP), histone 3 (H3), and rDNA ITS, were amplified with primer pairs ACTDF1/ACTDR1, Alt-for/Alt-rev, ATPDF1/ATPDR1, H3-1a/H3-1b, and ITS1/ITS4, respectively (Hong et al. 2005; Lawrence et al. 2013; Ma et al. 2020). BLASTn searches indicated species of Dcp-3 could not be accurately confirmed by rDNA ITS, ATP, ACT, and Alt a1 (GenBank accession nos. OM334894, OM362504, OM326344, OM362500). Phylogenetic analysis showed it was most closely related to Alternaria alternata, A. arborescens, and A. tenuissima based on concatenated sequences of above four genes. The H3 sequence (OM362508) shared 100% homology with that of A. alternata (MN481948). The phylogenetic tree using H3 also confirmed Dcp-3 as A. alternata. Heathly, two-year-old C. pilosula were transplanted to a greenhouse. A surface-sterilized leaf was sprayed with 50 µL spore suspension (106 conidia/mL) of Dcp-3. A leaf sprayed with isometric sterile water was used as controls. Each treatment used six plants (five leaves per plant). Plants were covered with sterilized plastic bags and incubated at 22 ℃. The test was repeated twice. A week later, control leaves were healthy, but brown necrotic spots similar to field symptoms emerged on treated leaves. The A. alternata isolates were re-isolated from the border of lesions, and confirmed by morphological and molecular characteristics mentioned above, fulfilling Koch's postulates. Leaf spot of C. pilosula caused by Septoria codonopsidis has been reported in China (Wang et al. 2011). However, to our knowledge, this is the first report of A. alternata inciting leaf spot of C. pilosula in China. Our report would promote growers to enhance the field management and consider associated strategies on controlling Alternaria leaf spot of C. pilosula.

Effects of Fuyou Formula on GnRH Secretion and Related Gene Expression in Treating Precocious Puberty.

The Fuyou (Fy) formula is an in-hospital preparation consisting of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) that has been used for treating precocious puberty (PP) for more than 20 years. In this study, we aimed to clarify the effect of the Fy formula and its major components on PP. To confirm the effect of the Fy formula on the release of hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), GT1-7 cells were treated with estrogen to build the model group and subsequently treated with the Fy formula and its major components to explore their effects on the secretion of GnRH. The level of GnRH in GT1-7 cells was determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The results illustrated that, compared to the model group, the Fy formula inhibited the release of GnRH. In addition, the expression levels of proteins related to GnRH secretion, including GnRH, gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor (GnRHR), Kiss-1 metastasis-suppressor (Kiss1), G-protein coupled receptor 54 (GPR54), estrogen receptor α (ERα), insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), and insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R), were detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The results demonstrated that the Fy formula significantly reduced the level of GnRH secretion in the GT1-7 cell lines compared with the model group. Moreover, it significantly downregulated the expression of GnRH, GnRHR, Kiss1, GPR54, ERα, IGF-1, and IGF-1R. In summary, our results indicate that the Fy formula and its major components may inhibit the effects of estrogen, which alleviates PP through transcriptional regulation of target genes.

A natural anthocyanin-based multifunctional theranostic agent for dual-modal imaging and photothermal anti-tumor therapy.

Nowadays, cancer is one of the most serious diseases threatening the health of human beings, and imaging-guided photothermal therapy (PTT) is rapidly emerging as a potent oncotherapy strategy due to its unique advantages of high efficiency, noninvasiveness, visualization, and accuracy. In this study, a multifunctional nanoplatform based on gadolinium ion chelated natural anthocyanins (ACNs) is reported, which can be used not only as an excellent photoacoustic/magnetic resonance (PA/MR) dual-modal contrast agent but also for imaging-guided tumor PTT. The nanoparticles obtained have a suitable size, good dispersity, and physiological stability. The excellent biocompatibility and remarkable photothermal effect of the nanoparticles in vitro were demonstrated by CCK-8 assays and co-staining experiments. Moreover, the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and photoacoustic imaging (PAI) results obtained in vivo showed that the nanoparticles were ideal dual-modal contrast agents whether given by intravenous or intratumoral injection. After intratumoral injection, the dual-modal PAI/MRI was used for determining the maximum diffusion time of the probe in the tumor site to guide laser treatment, achieving complete tumor elimination without normal tissue injury. Importantly, ACN is a natural compound extracted from black carrots, possessing native biocompatibility and biodegradability, which was further proved by the results of the detailed safety evaluation. Overall, the as-prepared nanoparticles displayed significant tumor diagnosis and treatment effects while mitigating biosafety concerns, and thus this was found to be a promising nanotherapeutic method for cancer treatment.

[Evidence of clinical randomized controlled trial study in treatment of acute cerebral infarction with traditional Chinese medicine in recent five years].

To systematically search and sort out the clinical randomized controlled trial(RCT) on the prevention and treatment of acute cerebral infarction with traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) by using the method of evidence map, and to understand the evidence distribution of related studies. CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, CBM, PubMed, EMbase, Cochrane Library and Web of Science were retrieved from January 2016 to September 2020, and literatures related to the prevention and treatment of acute cerebral infarction with traditional Chinese medicine were included. Text description combined with table and bubble chart were used to analyze the distribution characteristics of evidence. A total of 1 102 clinical articles in recent five years were retrieved. The annual trend of clinical study publication, study size, TCM therapy category and main scheme, and study literature quality were analyzed. We find that TCM treatment of acute cerebral infarction has become a hot topic of clinical research, the number of literature showed a trend of increased year by year, various means of intervention of TCM in the treatment of the advantages of increasingly highlight. Follow-up clinical research should highlight the characteristics of TCM: in the analysis of outcome indicators; increase the neuropsychological patients after stroke and cognitive ability, and the theory of combined treatment of TCM disease when thoughts; At the same time, the quality of clinical research needs to be improved. At present, there is still a lack of unified standards for the production of evidence map. This study is the first to explore the application of evidence map to summarize and display the clinical research status of TCM treatment of acute cerebral infarction, and combine it with the setting of priority areas of TCM clinical research, so as to provide a reference basis for determining the priority topic selection of TCM treatment optimization research.

[Analysis of status quo of outcome indicators of randomized controlled trials in treatment of acute ischemic stroke with acupuncture in recent three years].

To analyze the use of outcome indicators of randomized controlled trial(RCT) of acupuncture in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke in recent three years, so as to provide a basis for building a study on the core outcome indicators for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke with acupuncture. The RCTs of acupuncture treatment for acute ischemic stroke in recent three years were collec-ted through computer retrieval of eight Chinese and English databases and two clinical trial registries at home and abroad. Literature was screened out, and data was extracted. Risk of assessment bias tool Cochrane 6.1 was used for bias risk assessment, outcome indicators were summarized and analyzed. A total of 47 RCTs were included, and 3 studies were trials registration scheme. Outcome indicators were divided into 6 categories according to functional attributes, namely physical symptoms/signs, physical and chemical examination, quality of life, traditional Chinese medicine symptoms/syndromes, safety events and long-term prognosis. The study found that in addition to the common problems in previous studies covered by the status quo of outcome indicators selection of RCT of acupuncture in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke, there were also the other problems as follows: emphasis on macroscopic efficacy indicators but neglect of acupuncture specific indicators, lack of characteristic indicators and economic indicators of traditional Chinese medicine therapy, and unification of indicators measurement tool and measurement time point. In the future, the outcome indicators set for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke with acupuncture shall be established, and the core outcome indicators set shall be in line with the characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine treatment.

[Overview of systematic reviews/Meta-analysis of Xingnaojing Injection in treatment of cerebral ischaemic stroke].

There have been many clinical trials, systematic reviews/Meta-analysis proving that Xingnaojing Injection has a good clinical efficacy in treatment of cerebral ischaemic stroke, but with fewer comprehensive descriptions. In this study, an overview of systematic reviews/Meta-analysis of Xingnaojing Injection in treating cerebral ischaemic stroke was performed to provide current situation of evidences and basis for clinical practice. CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, CBM, EMbase, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science were retrieved through computers. A total of 6 literatures were included in this study. By AMSTAR-2 checklist and GRADE, the quality of included systematic reviews and the efficacy of Xingnaojing Injection were evaluated. The results of AMSTAR-2 checklist showed an extremely low quality for all of the 6 systematic reviews. According to the results of GRADE evaluation, among 55 outcomes, there were 2 outcomes with a medium quality, 4 outcomes with a low quality and 49 outcomes with an extremely low quality. The 6 systematic reviews reached a consistent conclusion that Xingnaojing Injection was effective in the treatment of cerebral ischaemic stroke. This therapy could improve the total efficacy, neurological deficit scores, hemodynamic and hemodynamic parameters. However, the methodolo-gical quality of all literatures was extremely low. The evidence levels of outcomes were between extremely low to medium. The effectiveness of Xingnaojing Injection in the treatment of cerebral ischaemic stroke still needs to be further verified by more high-quality studies. In the future, relevant clinical studies and systematic reviews/Meta-analysis shall be carried out in a strict accordance with relevant regulations.

[Overview of systematic reviews of Panax notoginseng saponins in treatment of acute cerebral infarction].

To overview the systematic reviews of Panax notoginseng saponins in the treatment of acute cerebral infarction. CNKI, CBM, Wanfang, VIP, PubMed, Cochrane Library and EMbase databases were retrieved to collect the systematic reviews of the efficacy of P. notoginseng saponins in the treatment of acute cerebral infarction. The retrieval time was from the time of database establishment to January 2021. After two researchers independently screened out the literature and extracted the data, AMSTAR-2 scale was used to evaluate the methodological quality of the included systematic reviews, GRADE system was used to grade the quality of evidences of the outcome indicators, and the efficacy evaluation was summarized. A total of 5 systematic reviews were included. AMSTAR-2 evaluation results showed that 3 items were relatively complete, while 4 items had a poor overall quality. P. notoginseng saponins combined with conventional Western medicine therapy was superior to single conventional therapy in the recovery of neurological function, enhancement of the total effective rate in clinic, and improvement of activities of daily living. GRADE evaluation results showed that the quality of evidence was from low quality to very low quality. In conclusion, in the treatment of acute cerebral infarction, P. notoginseng saponins can improve the clinical efficacy, with a good safety but a not high methodological quality and a low evidence quality. It is suggested that high-quality clinical studies shall be further carried out to provide evidence-based basis for the application of P. notoginseng saponins in the treatment of acute cerebral infarction.

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on Randomized Controlled Trials on Efficacy and Safety of Panax Notoginseng Saponins in Treatment of Acute Ischemic Stroke.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy and safety of PNS on antiplatelet therapy in the treatment of AIS. METHODS: We searched 7 literature databases and 2 clinical studies databases for randomized controlled studies (RCTs) evaluating PNS as an adjuvant therapy for AIS. Relevant studies were retrieved and screened, and data were extracted independently by two reviewers. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Cochrane Risk Assessment Tool. Meta-analysis was carried out with the Rev Man 5.4 software. RESULTS: Of 8267 records identified, 43 RCTs met our inclusion criteria (n = 4170 patients). Patients assigned to PNS with conventional treatments (CTs) had improved functional independence at 90 days compared with those assigned to CTs alone (RR = 1.87, 95% CI = 1.37, to 2.55, P < 0.0001). Patients who received PNS combined with CTs showed significantly high improvements in neurological function among individuals with AIS on the neurologic deficit score (NDS) (MD CSS = -5.71, 95% CI = -9.55 to -1.87, P=0.004; MD NIHSS = -3.94, 95% CI = -5.65 to -2.23, P < 0.00001). The results also showed PNS contributed to a betterment in activities of daily living (ADL) on the Barthel index (MD day 10 BI = 4.86, 95% CI = 2.18, to 7.54, P < 0.00001; MD day 14 BI = 13.92, 95% CI = 11.46 to 16.38, P < 0.00001; MD day 28 BI = 7.16, 95% CI = 0.60, to 13.72, P < 0.00001). In addition, PNS, compared with CTs alone, could significantly improve overall response rate (ORR) (RR NIHSS = 1.20, 95% CI = 1.16, to 1.24, P < 0.00001; RR CSS = 1.15, 95% CI = 1.08, to 1.24, P < 0.0001), hemorheological parameters, maximum platelet aggregation rate (MPAR) (MD = -6.82, 95% CI = -9.62 to -4.02, P < 0.00001), platelet parameters (MD PLT = 4.85, 95% CI = 1.82 to 7.84, P=0.002; MD MPV = -0.79, 95% CI = -1.09 to -0.48, P < 0.00001), and serum CD62P (MD = -0.21, 95% CI = -0.29 to -0.13, P < 0.00001). The incidence of adverse reactions in PNS was lower than that in the control group (RR = 0.62, 95% CI = 0.39 to 0.97, P=0.04). Adverse reactions in the PNS were mild adverse reactions. CONCLUSION: PNS may be effective and safe in treating AIS on ameliorating neurological deficit, improving activities of daily living function, and enhancing antiplatelet effects. However, more high-quality evidence is needed before it can be recommended for routine antiplatelet therapy in patients with AIS.

Integrated Pharmacological Analysis on the Mechanism of Fuyou Formula in Treating Precocious Puberty.

Fu-you formula (FY), a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) formula composed of 12 herbs, as an in-hospital preparation, has been used treat to precocious puberty (PP) for decades. However, the lack of phytochemical characterization and mechanism of FY remains the main limitation for its spreading. In this study, we analyze the components and mechanisms of FY in PP, based on the integrated pharmacology. Investigated main constituents, targets, pathways of FY by using an integrative pharmacology, and recognized main constituents by HPLC-MS/MS. Then, observed the levels of Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and estrogen (E2) in danazol-induced PP in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Lastly, retrospective study analyzed the clinical data of 575 patients who were diagnosed PP, treated by the FY, and followed-up in our hospital from 2014-2020. The result that total of 116 important candidate targets were selected based on pharmacological analysis. Selected the top 10 values key targets such as the estrogen receptor alpha (ESR1) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1), were localized and the related gene functions were determined. Gene functions were associated with biological regulation, a cellular process, or signaling pathway, such as the Estrogen signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. By recognizing the five compounds related to the ESR1 and IGF1, which are Quercetin, kaempferol, Luteolin, Apigenin, and Emodin. The results of the molecular docking study further showed that the flavonoids had a strong binding affinity for ESR1 and IGF1 after docking into the crystal structure. The results showed that the FY could effectively reduce E2, LH, and FSH levels in SD rats. Furthermore, the results of the retrospective analysis of medical records showed that the FY could remarkably reduce E2 levels in girls with PP.

Perceived gaze direction affects concreteness effects in words memory: an event-related potentials study.

Previous studies have revealed that word concreteness effects could be influenced by contextual cues such as emotional context. However, it is unclear whether concreteness effects might be influenced by social context such as perception of gaze direction, which plays an important role in social interaction. This study uses event-related potentials (ERPs) to investigate whether perceived gaze direction could affect concreteness effects in words memory. Concrete and abstract words were presented on direct- or averted-gaze faces, and participants were asked to memorize the words. Behavioral results verified the direct-gaze memory advantage, showing that memory performance was better for words presented with direct gaze than with averted gaze. ERP results showed that concrete words were associated with a larger N400 and a smaller late positive component (LPC) than abstract words. ERP results also revealed a significant interaction between gaze direction and word concreteness on the LPC component: specifically, the LPC concreteness effect occurred only in the direct-gaze condition. Our results suggested that the gaze direction could be interpreted as a complex social context that differs from pure emotional cues in its influence on mental imagery in concreteness effects. This study provides a new perspective for investigating word concreteness effects with contextual cues.

Evoked and induced power oscillations linked to audiovisual integration of affect.

Our affective experiences are influenced by combined multisensory information. Although the enhanced effects of congruent audiovisual information on our affective experiences have been well documented, the role of neural oscillations in the audiovisual integration of affective signals remains unclear. First, it is unclear whether oscillatory activity changes as a function of valence. Second, the function of phase-locked and non-phase-locked power changes in audiovisual integration of affect has not yet been clearly distinguished. To fill this gap, the present study performed time-frequency analyses on EEG data acquired while participants perceived positive, neutral and negative naturalistic video and music clips. A comparison between the congruent audiovisual condition and the sum of unimodal conditions was used to identify supra-additive (Audiovisual > Visual + Auditory) or sub-additive (Audiovisual < Visual + Auditory) integration effects. The results showed that early evoked sub-additive theta and sustained induced supra-additive delta and beta activities are linked to audiovisual integration of affect regardless of affective content.

The different effects of concept definition and interactive imagery encoding on associative recognition for word and picture stimuli.

Traditional view holds that associative recognition require recollection while familiarity can't support associative recognition. However, recent research indicate that familiarity can also contribute to associative recognition when the stimuli are unitized in encoding. Here, we investigated the electrophysiological correlates of retrieval of word and picture stimuli in three encoding conditions. Semantically unrelated word pairs or picture pairs were encoded in concept definition, interactive imagery, and item comparison conditions, separately. In test, the participants were required to discriminate between old pairs that appeared in the same pairing as in study, rearranged pairs that appeared in different pairings in study, or completely new pairs. The behavioral results revealed that higher associative recognition was observed in interactive imagery condition than in concept definition condition, with item comparison condition eliciting the worst recognition, regardless of word or picture stimuli. ERP results of word stimuli revealed that the FN400 old/new effect was solely elicited in concept definition and interactive imagery conditions, but not in item comparison condition. However, ERP results of picture stimuli revealed that the late FN400 old/new effect was observed in three encoding conditions and that larger magnitude of old/new effect was elicited in item comparison condition than in interactive imagery condition. There may be different neural mechanisms of unitization on associative recognition for word and picture stimuli. These findings suggested that the pattern of engagement of familiarity during successful retrieval was dependent on the stimulating properties and the encoding conditions. We will discuss the possibility that top-down unitization which manipulates two unrelated stimuli through instructions may lead to the engagement of specific forms of familiarity-association familiarity and item familiarity.

Effect of dietary arginine-to-lysine ratio in lactation on biochemical indices and performance of lactating sows.

The present study investigated the effect of optimizing the total dietary arginine (Arg)-to-lysine (Lys) ratios on the metabolism of lactating sows and piglet performance by supplementation with l- Arg during lactation. A total of 200 multiparous sows (three to six parities, Yorkshire × Landrace) were selected and randomly and equally assigned to five groups in lactation, and finally, 36, 34, 35, 36, and 33 dams completed the study in the dietary treatments, respectively, where the diets consisted of five step-up Arg-to-Lys ratios (0.9, 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, and 1.3) by the addition of 0%, 0.10%, 0.20%, 0.30%, and 0.40% Arg. The diets contained 3.37 to 3.38 Mcal of digestible energy/kg energy, 17.73% to 17.75% crude protein, and 0.98% to 1.01% Lys and were fed ad libitum during lactation. The performance of sows and suckling piglets was measured, and plasma and milk samples were collected for analysis. The feed intake of sows as well as litter weight gain during lactation increased linearly (P ≤ 0.05), while maternal backfat and milk composition were not affected (P > 0.05) as the dietary Arg-to-Lys ratios increased. Analyzed plasma biochemical indices, including concentrations of free Arg, Orn, and Glu, and prolactin, insulin, and follicle-stimulating hormone, responded linearly (P ≤ 0.05) to increases in dietary Arg-to-Lys ratios. The dietary Arg-to-Lys ratios of 1.01 and 1.02 were optimal for maternal feed intake and litter weight gain, based on broken-line models. Collectively, the results of this study indicate that increasing total dietary Arg-to-Lys ratios in lactation was beneficial for the performance of lactating sows and suckling piglets, and dietary Arg-to-Lys ratios of 1.01 and 1.02 were optimal, from regression analyses, for the practical feeding of lactating sows.

Study on the Mechanism of Sarsasapogenin in Treating Precocious Puberty by Regulating the HPG Axis.

The present study aims to investigate the effects and mechanisms of sarsasapogenin resistance to precocious puberty. Female Sprague Dawley rats were divided into a normal (N) group, model (M) group, leuprolide (L) group, and sarsasapogenin (Sar) group. Rats at 5 days of age were given a single subcutaneous injection of 300 micrograms of danazol to establish the precocious puberty model. After 10 days of modeling, drug intervention was started. The development of the uterus and ovary was observed by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. The levels of the serum luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and estradiol (E2) were determined by radioimmunoassay. Also, the expressions of the hypothalamic gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH), Kiss-1, G protein-coupled receptor 54 (GPR54), and pituitary gonadotropin releasing hormone receptor (GnRH-R) were detected by RT-PCR. The results showed that compared with the model group, sarsasapogenin could significantly delay the opening time of vaginal, decreased uterine and ovarian coefficients, and reduced uterine wall thickness. Moreover, it can significantly downregulate the levels of serum hormones and reduce the expression of GnRH, GnRH-R, and kiss-1. In summary, our results indicate that sarsasapogenin can regulate the HPG axis through the kiss-1/GPR54 system for therapeutic precocious puberty.

The Traditional Chinese Medicine Fuyou Formula Alleviates Precocious Puberty by Inhibiting GPR54/GnRH in the Hypothalamus.

The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of the traditional Chinese medicine Fuyou formula on precocious puberty (PP). The Fy formula may exert an effect in female rats with PP and GT-7 cells through the GPR54/GnRH signaling pathway. To confirm the effect of the Fy formula on PP through the GPR54/GnRH signaling pathway, we first treated GT1-7 cells with the Fy formula and observed changes in the expression of related genes and proteins and in GnRH secretion. Then, we randomly divided young female Sprague-Dawley rats into the control group, model group, leuprorelin group and the Fy formula group. A PP model was established by injection of danazol on postnatal day 5, and the Fy formula was administered on PND15. The time of vaginal opening, the wet weights of the ovary and uterus, serum hormone levels and the expression of hypothalamic-related genes were observed. We found that the Fy formula delayed vaginal opening, decreased the wet weights and coefficients of the ovary and uterus, decreased the levels of serum hormones (E2, follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone) and the cellular GnRH level, and downregulated the gene expression of Kiss1, GPR54 and GnRH in the hypothalamus and the gene and protein expression of GPR54 and GnRH in GT1-7 cells. In conclusion, the Fy formula may alleviate PP via the GPR54/GnRH signaling pathway.

Animate words facilitate noun-noun integration during an imagery task: an event-related potential study.

The animate-inanimate distinction is fundamental to understand our physical world and language processing. Previous studies have shown that animate nouns are more prone to be assigned the actor role and are easier to integrate with a verb than inanimate nouns. On the basis of these characteristics of animate nouns, this study aimed to investigate whether animate nouns could facilitate the noun-noun integration. Animate-inanimate noun pairs and inanimate-inanimate noun pairs were used in an imagery task. With electroencephalogram recording, participants were instructed to integrate the two unrelated nouns in each pair to form an interactive mental imagery. These results showed a larger P600 for the animate-inanimate pairs than the inanimate-inanimate pairs. As the P600 component reflects the integration process, specifically, the more elaborate the encoding, the larger the P600 amplitude. Thus, this larger P600 amplitude indicated that a more vivid mental imagery was formed when integrating an animate noun and an inanimate noun than integrating two inanimate nouns. Thus, these results suggest that animate nouns could facilitate the integration of two unrelated nouns during the imagery task.