Electroacupuncture Modulates Resting-State Functional Connectivity in the Default Mode Network for Healthy Older Adults.

Aging involves cognitive decline and prominent alterations in brain activity. Electroacupuncture (EA), a traditional Chinese medicine approach, is demonstrated to be effective in improving cognitive function of older adults. However, the specific neural mechanism underlying this modulation effect remains unclear. In this study, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate whether EA could improve cognitive performance of community-dwelling older adults and whether these potential improvements are associated with the EA-induced brain functional connectivity alterations. Thirty healthy older adults were recruited and randomly assigned to the EA group and the control group. Behaviorally, we observed an EA-induced improvement in cognitive performance of older adults in the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. On a neural perspective, the EA intervention significantly increased the functional connectivity within the default mode network. Moreover, we found a positive association between the improvement in delayed memory performance and the alterations in the ventral medial prefrontal cortex-hippocampal formation connectivity in the EA group. This study extends previous findings by showing that healthy older adults exhibit neural plasticity manifested as increased functional connectivity after EA sessions, which could induce therapeutic effects in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

[Relationship between the DO and the environmental factors of the water body in Lake Erhai].

The contents of DO and nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), chlorophyll a in water from Lake Erhai were analysed by combining the nitrogen and phosphorus forms in sediment. The results indicated that the DO contents of the water from Lake Erhai varied from 6.61 to 7.42 mg/L from 1992 to 2009, which is generally decreased. The minimum mean value was 6.42 mg/L in September. The trend of the DO contents from north to south was decreasing, and also decreased with the increasing of the water depth in Lake Erhai, the DO content was 5.15 mg/L at the water bottom. The relationship between the contents of DO and N, P was negative, and the relativity of different months was greater than that of different years. The relationship between the contents of DO and the contents of labile-P, organic-P, NH4(+) -N in sediment was negative, which was positive with the contents of Fe/Al-P, inorganic P and NO3(-) -N. The relationship between the contents of DO and chlorophyll a in water was negative, which indicated that Lake Erhai is aerobic, and is approaching anaerobic gradually. With the increasing of released content of N and P, the increasing of alga biomass was accelerated and the worsening of water body eutrophication also can be promoted by the decreased DO content in water from Lake Erhai.

[Effect of different type sediments on transformation of phosphorus forms and growth of Myriophyllum spicatum].

The changes of the different phosphorus (P) forms in sediments, overlying water and the diversity of dry weight and root forms of Myriophyllum spicatum were studied using different type sediments under simulating condition. The characteristic of transformation of P forms and growth of submerged plant Myriophyllum spicatum were illustrated. The results indicated that the P release was promoted by adding the silver sand in sediment, and their P concentrations in the overlying water were increased. The chemical characteristic of the sediments were changed by adding NH4 Cl, which restrained the P release from their sediments and decreased the P concentration in their overlying water. About 49%, 107% of their plant, root dry weight and 19% root length of Myriophyllum spicatum from different treatments were raised by adding silver sand in sediments. The root growths of the Myriophyllum spicatum from different treatments were restrained and their agings were promoted by adding NH4 Cl in sediments. The P release from sediments were accelerated by the growth of Myriophyllum spicatum, and the early decay of Myriophyllum spicatum can increase the P accumulation in sediment. The changing trend of different P forms in the sediments decreased firstly, and then increased with the Myriophyllum spicatum growthing, their contents of Fe/Al-P form in sediments varied greatly (41%-57%). The P release and adsorption in sediments were mainly affected by their root length index of Myriophyllum spicatum from different treatments. The P release in sediment was accelerated through their changing penetrate capacity by root diameter increasing.

[Phosphate adsorption characteristics onto the sediments from shallow lakes in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River].

Adsorption isotherms and kinetics of phosphate onto the 11 sediments taken from shallow lakes in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River were determined in laboratory, and the effect of physical and chemical properties of the sediments on its phosphate adsorption characteristics was also analyzed. The results indicate that: (1) The process of phosphate adsorption onto sediments mainly occurred within 0-10 h, the maximum adsorption rates occurred within 0-0.5 h, and then attends to a dynamic equilibrium; (2) Between the NAP and its organic matter, CEC, total phosphorus, inorganic phosphorus, organic phosphorus, Fe/Al-phosphorus and total nitrogen have remarkable positive correlation; between the maximum adsorption of phosphate and its CEC, inorganic phosphorus, organic matter and total phosphorus have remarkable negative correlation; between the total maximum adsorption of phosphate and its organic matter, CEC, total phosphorus, inorganic phosphorus, organic phosphorus, Fe/Al-phosphorus and total nitrogen have remarkable positive correlation; (3) As regards water quality of the shallow lakes in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River at present, its sediment exists desorption. Between the adsorption-desorption equilibrium concentrations of phosphate onto the sediments and its organic matter, CEC, total nitrogen, the total phosphorus and the content of every form phosphorous have a remarkable positive correlation. Even the sediment from heavily polluted lake also has the tendency to release phosphate into the overlying water in this study.