Application of RhD Blood Group to Simulate Antibody Identification Test in Immunohematology Education.

BACKGROUND: Immunohematology skill education is an important part of the transfusion medicine professional training. We tried to solve the difficulty of obtaining suitable and sufficient positive samples in the immunohematology education. METHODS: Different identification panels and panel cells were created by RhD-positive red blood cells (RBCs) and RhD-negative RBCs, according to the underlying antibodies. Diluted anti-D reagent was used as simulated plasma for identification. RESULTS: The antibody identification of single antibody with dose-effect and two antibodies present at the same time were successfully simulated. CONCLUSIONS: It is a practical and cheap method for antibody identification training to use RhD blood group, especially when positive samples are short.

Perceptions of attitudes toward statistics among medical undergraduates: insights from a regional medical college in China.

BACKGROUND: Among Chinese medical students, medical statistics is often perceived as a formidable subject. While existing research has explored the attitudes of Chinese postgraduate medical students towards statistics and its impact on academic performance, there is a scarcity of studies examining the attitudes of Chinese medical undergraduates on this subject. This study endeavors to scrutinize the attitudes of Chinese medical undergraduates towards statistics, assessing their ramifications on learning achievements, and delving into the influence of demographic factors. METHODS: 1266 medical undergraduates participated in this study, completing a questionnaire that included SATS-36 and additional queries. Furthermore, an examination was administered at the end of the medical statistics course. The analysis encompassed the SATS score and exam scores, examining both the overall participant population and specific demographic subgroups. RESULTS: Undergraduate medical students generally exhibit a favorable disposition towards statistics concerning Affect, Cognitive Competence, and Value components, yet harbor less favorable sentiments regarding the Difficulty component of SATS-36, aligning with previous research findings. In comparison to their postgraduate counterparts, undergraduates display heightened enthusiasm for medical statistics. However, they demonstrate a lower cognitive capacity in statistics and tend to underestimate both the value and difficulty of learning statistics. Despite these disparities, undergraduate medical students express a genuine interest in statistics and exhibit a strong dedication to mastering the subject. It is noteworthy that students' attitudes toward statistics may be influenced by their major and gender. Additionally, there exists a statistically significant positive correlation between learning achievement and the Affect, Cognitive Competence, Value, Interest, and Effort components of the SATS-36, while a negative correlation is observed with the Difficulty component. CONCLUSION: Educators should carefully consider the influence of attitudes toward statistics, especially the variations observed among majors and genders when formulating strategies and curricula to enhance medical statistics education.

Association of lifestyles and multimorbidity with mortality among individuals aged 60 years or older: Two prospective cohort studies.

Lifestyles are associated with all-cause mortality, yet limited research has explored the association in the elderly population with multimorbidity. We aim to investigate the impact of adopting a healthy lifestyle on reducing the risk of all-cause mortality in older individuals with or without multimorbidity in both China and UK. This prospective study included 29,451 and 173,503 older adults aged 60 and over from Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) and UK Biobank. Lifestyles and multimorbidity were categorized into three groups, respectively. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate the Hazard Ratios (HRs), 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs), and dose-response for all-cause mortality in relation to lifestyles and multimorbidity, as well as the combination of both factors. During a mean follow-up period of 4.7 years in CLHLS and 12.14 years in UK Biobank, we observed 21,540 and 20,720 deaths, respectively. For participants with two or more conditions, compared to those with an unhealthy lifestyle, adopting a healthy lifestyle was associated with a 27%-41% and 22%-42% reduction in mortality risk in the CLHLS and UK Biobank, respectively; Similarly, for individuals without multimorbidity, this reduction ranged from 18% to 41%. Among participants with multimorbidity, individuals with an unhealthy lifestyle had a higher mortality risk compared to those maintaining a healthy lifestyle, with HRs of 1.15 (95% CI: 1.00, 1.32) and 1.27 (95% CI: 1.16, 1.39) for two conditions, and 1.24 (95% CI: 1.06, 1.45) and 1.73 (95% CI: 1.56, 1.91) for three or more conditions in CLHLS and UK Biobank, respectively. Adherence to a healthy lifestyle can yield comparable mortality benefits for older individuals, regardless of their multimorbidity status. Furthermore, maintaining a healthy lifestyle can alleviate the mortality risks linked to a higher number of diseases.

Association of Combined Healthy Lifestyle Factors With Incident Dementia in Participants With and Without Multimorbidity: A Large Population-Based Prospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: The effect of a healthy lifestyle on dementia associated with multimorbidity is not well understood. Our objective is to examine whether the adoption of a healthy lifestyle could potentially reduce the elevated risk of dementia in individuals with and without multimorbidity. METHODS: We utilized data from the UK Biobank cohort. A comprehensive healthy lifestyle score, ranging from 0 to 6, was generated. Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine the associations between multimorbidity, the healthy lifestyle score, and the incidence risk of dementia. RESULTS: Over a median follow-up period of 12.5 years, 5 852 all-cause dementia were recorded. Multimorbidity including cardiovascular, metabolic, neuropsychiatric, and inflammation-related diseases was associated with a higher risk of subsequent dementia. Each additional chronic disease was associated with a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.38 (95% CI: 1.33, 1.44). Compared to individuals without multimorbidity and a healthy lifestyle score of 5-6, patients with multimorbidity and a lifestyle score of 0-1 had a significantly higher risk of dementia (HR: 3.13; 95% CI: 2.64, 3.72), but the risk was markedly attenuated among those with multimorbidity and a lifestyle score of 5-6. Among patients with 3 or more diseases, the HR for dementia was 0.53 (95%CI: 0.42, 0.68) when comparing a lifestyle score of 5-6 to 0-1. And we observed more pronounced association between them among people younger than 60 years old. CONCLUSIONS: Adherence to a combination of healthy lifestyle factors, especially at a young age, was associated with a significantly lower risk of dementia among participants with multimorbidity.

Graphene-Based Tunable Dual-Frequency Terahertz Sensor.

A tunable dual-band terahertz sensor based on graphene is proposed. The sensor consists of a metal bottom layer, a middle dielectric layer, and single-layer graphene patterned with four strips on the top. The numerical simulations results show that the proposed sensor exhibits two significant absorption peaks at 2.58 THz and 6.07 THz. The corresponding absorption rates are as high as nearly 100% and 98%, respectively. The corresponding quality factor (Q) value is 11.8 at 2.58 THz and 29.6 at 6.07 THz. By adjusting the external electric field or chemical doping of graphene, the positions of the dual-frequency resonance peak can be dynamically tuned. The excitation of plasma resonance in graphene can illustrate the mechanism of the sensor. To verify the practical application of the device, the terahertz response of different kinds and different thicknesses of the analyte is investigated and analyzed. A phenomenon of obvious frequency shifts of the two resonance peaks can be observed. Therefore, the proposed sensor has great potential applications in terahertz fields, such as material characterization, medical diagnosis, and environmental monitoring.

Interfacial Engineering of In2Se3/h-BN/CsPb(Br/I)3 Heterostructure Photodetector and Its Application in Automatic Obstacle Avoidance System.

Driven by the rapid development of autonomous vehicles, ultrasensitive photodetectors with high signal-to-noise ratio and ultraweak light detection capability are urgently needed. Due to its intriguing attributes, the emerging van der Waals material, indium selenide (In2Se3), has attracted extensive attention as an ultrasensitive photoactive material. However, the lack of an effective photoconductive gain mechanism in individual In2Se3 inhibits its further application. Herein, we propose a heterostructure photodetector consisting of an In2Se3 photoactive channel, a hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) passivation layer, and a CsPb(Br/I)3 quantum dot gain layer. This device manifests a signal-to-noise ratio of 2 × 106 with responsivity of 2994 A/W and detectivity of 4.3 × 1014 Jones. Especially, it enables the detection of weak light as low as 0.03 µW/cm2. These performance characteristics are ascribed to the interfacial engineering. In2Se3 and CsPb(Br/I)3 with type-II band alignment promote the separation of photocarriers, while h-BN passivates the impurities on CsPb(Br/I)3 and promises a high-quality carrier transport interface. Furthermore, this device is successfully integrated into an automatic obstacle avoidance system, demonstrating promising application prospects in autonomous vehicles.

Dysfunction of inhibitory interneurons contributes to synaptic plasticity via GABABR-pNR2B signaling in a chronic migraine rat model.

Background: According to our previous study, the loss of inhibitory interneuron function contributes to central sensitization in chronic migraine (CM). Synaptic plasticity is a vital basis for the occurrence of central sensitization. However, whether the decline in interneuron-mediated inhibition promotes central sensitization by regulating synaptic plasticity in CM remains unclear. Therefore, this study aims to explore the role of interneuron-mediated inhibition in the development of synaptic plasticity in CM. Methods: A CM model was established in rats by repeated dural infusion of inflammatory soup (IS) for 7 days, and the function of inhibitory interneurons was then evaluated. After intraventricular injection of baclofen [a gamma-aminobutyric acid type B receptor (GABABR) agonist] or H89 [a protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor), behavioral tests were performed. The changes in synaptic plasticity were investigated by determining the levels of the synapse-associated proteins postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD95), synaptophysin (Syp) and synaptophysin-1(Syt-1)]; evaluating the synaptic ultrastructure by transmission electron microscopy (TEM); and determining the density of synaptic spines via Golgi-Cox staining. Central sensitization was evaluated by measuring calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), c-Fos and substance P (SP) levels. Finally, the PKA/Fyn kinase (Fyn)/tyrosine-phosphorylated NR2B (pNR2B) pathway and downstream calcium-calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMKII)/c-AMP-responsive element binding protein (pCREB) signaling were assessed. Results: We observed dysfunction of inhibitory interneurons, and found that activation of GABABR ameliorated CM-induced hyperalgesia, repressed the CM-evoked elevation of synapse-associated protein levels and enhancement of synaptic transmission, alleviated the CM-triggered increases in the levels of central sensitization-related proteins, and inhibited CaMKII/pCREB signaling via the PKA/Fyn/pNR2B pathway. The inhibition of PKA suppressed the CM-induced activation of Fyn/pNR2B signaling. Conclusion: These data reveal that the dysfunction of inhibitory interneurons contributes to central sensitization by regulating synaptic plasticity through the GABABR/PKA/Fyn/pNR2B pathway in the periaqueductal gray (PAG) of CM rats. Blockade of GABABR-pNR2B signaling might have a positive influence on the effects of CM therapy by modulating synaptic plasticity in central sensitization.

Therapeutic plasma exchange-free treatment for first-episode TTP: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA), and therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) is currently the standard treatment. However, TPE sometimes cannot be implemented. The aim of this study was to systematically review patients with a first TTP episode who were treated without TPE. METHOD: The PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane Library databases were searched by two investigators independently to collect case reports and clinical studies on TTP patients treated without TPE. After removing duplicate records and records that did not meet the inclusion criteria, the patients' data of eligible studies, including the basic characteristics, treatment regimens, and outcomes were extracted for further analysis. RESULTS: A total of 5338 potentially relevant original studies were identified, from which 21 studies, including 14 cases, 3 case series and 4 retrospective studies, met eligibility requirements and were included. Treatment regimens in the absence of TPE were found to vary based on individual information. Most patients recovered, with normal platelet counts and ADAMT13 activity at discharge. In the meta-analysis of retrospective studies, the TPE-free group had no higher mortality than the TPE-treated group. CONCLUSION: Our study shows that TPE-free treatment may not increase the mortality of TTP patients, which provides a new treatment concept for patients with first episodes of TTP. However, the current evidence is not high due to the lack of randomized controlled trials, so more well-designed prospective clinical trials are warranted to investigate the safety and efficacy of TPE-free treatment regimens in TTP patients.

Effects of H19/SAHH/DNMT1 on the oxidative DNA damage related to benzo[a]pyrene exposure.

The mechanisms that long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) H19 binding to S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase (SAHH) interacted with DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) and then regulated DNA damage caused by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) remain unclear. A total of 146 occupational workers in a Chinese coke-oven plant in 2014 were included in the final analyses. We used high-performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) equipped to detect urine biomarkers of PAHs exposure, including 2-hydroxynaphthalene (2-NAP), 2-hydroxyfluorene (2-FLU), 9-hydroxyphenanthrene (9-PHE) and 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP). The levels of SAM and SAH in plasma were detected by HPLC-ultraviolet. By constructing various BEAS-2B cell models exposed to 16 µM benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) for 24 h, toxicological parameters reflecting distinct mechanisms were evaluated. We documented that urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) levels were positively associated with blood H19 RNA expression (OR: 1.51, 95% CI: 1.03-2.19), but opposite to plasma SAHH activity (OR: 0.63, 95% CI: 0.41-0.98) in coke oven workers. Moreover, by constructing various BEAS-2B cell models exposed to benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), we investigated that H19 binding to SAHH exaggerated DNMT1 expressions and activity. Suppression of H19 enhanced the interaction of SAHH and DNMT1 in BaP-treated cells, decreased eight-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase 1 (OGG1) methylation, reduced oxidative DNA damage and lessened S phase arrest. However, SAHH or DNMT1 single knockdown and SAHH/DNMT1 double knockdown showed the opposite trend. A H19/SAHH/DNMT1 axis was involved in OGG1 methylation, oxidative DNA damage and cell cycle arrest by carcinogen BaP.

A Polarization-Insensitive Broadband Terahertz Absorber Using Patterned Graphene.

A polarization-insensitive broadband terahertz absorber with a sandwich structure of metal−dielectric-graphene is designed and simulated. The graphene is patterned as an array of graphene square blocks with circular apertures. The results of the simulations and theoretical analysis show that the absorption exceeds 99% from 0.93 to 1.65 THz while 90% from 0.80 to 1.87 THz, and a broad relative bandwidth of 80.2% is achieved. The absorption performance is passively enhanced by altering physical dimensions of the graphene pattern and actively adjusted by changing the chemical potential of graphene. When the chemical potential increases from 0.1 eV to 0.7 eV, the corresponding terahertz absorption increases from 59.1% to 99%. The mechanism of absorption is disclosed by analyzing the impedance matching theory and distribution of electric-field intensity. In addition, different polarization modes and incident angles are also studied. The proposed absorber has the superiorities of broad relative bandwidth, high absorption rate, polarization insensitivity, and a wide incident angle, which offers some potential applications in the field of terahertz technology such as imaging, detection, and cloaking.

Expression and role of anti-oxidative damage factors in the placenta of preterm infants with premature rupture of membranes. / æŠ—æ°§åŒ–æŸä¼¤å› å­åœ¨èƒŽè†œæ—©ç ´æœªè¶³æœˆå„¿èƒŽç›˜ä¸­çš„è¡¨è¾¾åŠä½œç”¨.

OBJECTIVES: To study the association of the anti-oxidative damage factors nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), and NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase-1 (NQO1) with preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM). METHODS: A prospective study was conducted. The neonates who were hospitalized in Yanbian Hospital from 2019 to 2020 were enrolled as subjects, among whom there were 30 infants with PPROM, 32 infants with term premature rupture of membranes (TPROM), and 35 full-term infants without premature rupture of membranes (PROM). Hematoxylin and eosin staining was used to observe the inflammatory changes of placental tissue. Immunohistochemical staining was used to measure the expression of Nrf2, HO-1, and NQO1 in placental tissue. Western blot was used to measure the protein expression levels of Nrf2, HO-1, and NQO1 in placental tissue. RESULTS: Compared with the PPROM group, the TPROM group and the non-PROM full-term group had significantly higher positive expression rates and relative protein expression levels of Nrf2, HO-1, and NQO1 in placental tissue (P<0.05). There were no significant differences in the positive expression rates and relative protein expression levels of Nrf2, HO-1, and NQO1 in placental tissue between the TPROM and non-PROM full-term groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The low expression levels of Nrf2, HO-1, and NQO1 in placental tissue may be associated with PPROM, suggesting that anti-oxidative damage is one of the directions to prevent PPROM.

Fast Terahertz Imaging Model Based on Group Sparsity and Nonlocal Self-Similarity.

In order to solve the problems of long-term image acquisition time and massive data processing in a terahertz time domain spectroscopy imaging system, a novel fast terahertz imaging model, combined with group sparsity and nonlocal self-similarity (GSNS), is proposed in this paper. In GSNS, the structure similarity and sparsity of image patches in both two-dimensional and three-dimensional space are utilized to obtain high-quality terahertz images. It has the advantages of detail clarity and edge preservation. Furthermore, to overcome the high computational costs of matrix inversion in traditional split Bregman iteration, an acceleration scheme based on conjugate gradient method is proposed to solve the terahertz imaging model more efficiently. Experiments results demonstrate that the proposed approach can lead to better terahertz image reconstruction performance at low sampling rates.

Identification of Key Genes Controlling Carotenoid Metabolism during Apricot Fruit Development by Integrating Metabolic Phenotypes and Gene Expression Profiles.

To explore the metabolic basis of carotenoid accumulation in different developmental periods of apricot fruits, targeted metabonomic and transcriptomic analyses were conducted in four developmental periods (S1-S4) in two cultivars (Prunus armeniaca cv. "Kuchebaixing" with white flesh and P. armeniaca cv. "Shushangganxing" with orange flesh) with different carotenoid contents. 14 types of carotenes and 27 types of carotene lipids were identified in apricot flesh in different developmental periods. In S3 and S4, the carotenoid contents of the two cultivars were significantly different, and ß-carotene and (E/Z)-phytoene were the key metabolites that caused the difference in the total carotenoid content between the examined cultivars. Twenty-five structural genes (including genes in the methylerythritol 4-phosphate and carotenoid biosynthesis pathways) related to carotenoid biosynthesis were identified among the differentially expressed genes in different developmental periods of the two cultivars, and a carotenoid metabolic pathway map of apricot fruits was drawn according to the KEGG pathway map. The combined analysis of carotenoid metabolism data and transcriptome data showed that PSY, NCED1, and CCD4 were the key genes leading to the great differences in the total carotenoid content. The results provide a new approach to study the synthesis and accumulation of carotenoids in apricot fruits.

Fabrication of metal coordination-synergistic magnetic imprinted microspheres based on ligand-free Fe3O4-Cu for specific recognition of bovine hemoglobin.

In this work, a synergistic imprinting strategy combined with metal coordination based on ligand-free Fe3O4-Cu was proposed to fabricate molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) for the recognition and isolation of bovine hemoglobin (BHb) specifically in biological samples. Copper doped magnetic microspheres prepared solvothermally in a one-pot pathway act as both magnetic core and metal affinity substrate. Upon anchoring BHb to Fe3O4-Cu through metal coordination, the imprinted layer was formed via dopamine self-polymerization. Profiting from the synergistic effect, the obtained imprinted microspheres exhibited an enhanced adsorption performance with the adsorption capacity of 400.86 mg g-1, imprinting factor of 11.88, selectivity coefficient above 5.8, superior to most of other reported BHb-MIPs. Furthermore, kinetic adsorption analyses pointed to a chemisorption-limited process as described by the pseudo-second-order model, and the isothermal adsorption analyses implied monolayer adsorption, as described by the Langmuir model. In addition, the resultant magnetic MIPs can be used at least six adsorption-desorption cycles without re-incubation in the metallic salt solution, avoiding secondary environmental pollution. Furthermore, the well-defined materials showed selectivity both in individual protein samples and bovine serum, providing a promising potential in bioseparation.

Fabrication of acid-resistant imprinted layer on magnetic nanomaterials for selective extraction of chlorogenic acid in Honeysuckle.

The common elution process of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) is carried out in an acidic medium, which greatly affects the stability and reusability of synthetic MIPs, especially for magnetic MIPs. In this study, we fabricated an acid-resistant imprinted layer formed by phase-transitioned lysozyme on magnetic nanomaterials for selective extraction of chlorogenic acid in Honeysuckle, which often coexists with structural analogs. The newly designed acid-resistant imprinted layer can not only protect the internal magnetic core from denudation and dissolution, but also maintain the integrity of the imprinted layer during the elution process. The resultant magnetic MIPs exhibited good stability with no change on morphology after the repeatedly eluting process, and satisfactory reusability that can be used at least ten adsorption-desorption cycles with almost no decrease for adsorption capacity. In addition, the resultant materials possess satisfactory magnetism, uniform morphology with typical core-shell structure, stable crystallization, and good adsorption performance showing on high adsorption amount (10.82 mg g-1), fast kinetic equilibrium time (as short as 30 min), and satisfactory selectivity (IF = 2.85, SC > 1.5). At last, the obtained magnetic MIPs as adsorbents coupled with HPLC were successfully used to selective extract CGA in Honeysuckle samples with the high recoveries in the range of 92.0-104.4%, and the contents of CGA in Honeysuckle samples from the different origin are calculated in the range of 0.98%-1.24%.

Downregulation of metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 alleviates central sensitization by activating autophagy via inhibiting mTOR pathway in a rat model of chronic migraine.

Central sensitization is one of the important pathological mechanisms of chronic migraine (CM). Metabolic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) mediates pain by activating various intracellular pathways. However, whether mGluR5 contributes to central sensitization in CM and the exact mechanism remains unclear. Male rats were used to establish a CM model by repeated infusions of inflammatory soup (IS) for 7 days to stimulate the activation of the dural nociceptor. The mechanical and thermal thresholds were used to evaluate allodynia, and central sensitization was assessed by measuring calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and substance P (SP). Microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) and p62/SQSTM1 were used to assess autophagy. We found that the expression of mGluR5 in the trigeminal nucleus caudalis (TNC) of CM rats was significantly increased. In addition, the downregulation of mGluR5 activated autophagy by inhibiting the mTOR pathway. Moreover, the activation of autophagy alleviated allodynia and central sensitization in CM rats. This study identified a novel strategy for the treatment of CM; the downregulation of mGluR5 in a rat model of CM decreased the expression of the inflammatory factor interleukin-1 beta (IL-1ß) and the central sensitization-associated proteins CGRP and SP by activating autophagy via inhibiting the mTOR pathway.

Metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 regulates synaptic plasticity in a chronic migraine rat model through the PKC/NR2B signal.

BACKGROUND: The mechanism of chronic migraine (CM) is complex, central sensitization is considered as one of the pathological mechanism. Synaptic plasticity is the basis of central sensitization. Metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) plays a vital role in the synaptic plasticity of the central nervous system. However, whether mGluR5 can promote the central sensitization by regulating synaptic plasticity in CM is unknown. METHODS: Male Wistar rats were used to establish a CM rat model, and the expression of mGluR5 mRNA and protein were detected by qRT-PCR and western blot. The allodynia was assessed by mechanical and thermal thresholds, and central sensitization was assessed by expression of the phosphorylation of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) response element-binding protein (CREB) at Serine 133(pCREB-S133) and c-Fos. The synaptic-associated protein postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD), synaptophysin (Syp), and synaptophysin-1(Syt-1), synaptic ultrastructure, and dendritic spines were detected to explore synaptic plasticity. The expression of PKC, total NR2B(tNR2B), and phosphorylation of NR2B at Tyr1472(pNR2B-Y1472) were detected by western blot. RESULTS: We found that the expression of mGluR5 was upregulated in CM rats. Downregulated the mGluR5 with MPEP alleviated the allodynia and reduced the expression of CGRP, pCREB-S133, c-Fos, PSD, Syp and Syt-1 and synaptic transmission. Moreover, the administration of MPEP inhibited the upregulation of PKC and pNR2B-Y1472. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that mGluR5 contributes to central sensitization by regulating synaptic plasticity in CM through the PKC/NR2B signal, which suggests that mGluR5 may be a potential therapeutic candidate for CM.

Deficiency in the function of inhibitory interneurons contributes to glutamate-associated central sensitization through GABABR2-SynCAM1 signaling in chronic migraine rats.

The occurrence of pain has always been closely related to a break in the balance between excitatory and inhibitory systems, and the internal relationship between these two systems has not been studied in the pathogenesis of chronic migraine (CM). In this study, we explored how inhibitory interneurons specifically modulate the glutamate-induced hyperexcitability in the periaqueductal gray (PAG) of CM rats. The CM model was established by repeated dural infusion of inflammatory soup (IS) in rats. Then, Baclofen, a gamma-aminobutyric acid type B receptor (GABABR) agonist; CGP35348, a GABABR antagonist; H89, a protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor; and 8-Bromo-cAMP, a PKA agonist, were applied by intraventricular injection to investigate the detailed CM mechanism. Our results showed that GABABR2 mRNA and protein levels were significantly downregulated (P < .01) in the PAG of CM rats. Similarly, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and its synthetase glutamate decarboxylase 65/67 (GAD65/67) seriously decreased (P < .01), implying a deficit in the function of inhibitory interneurons in the PAG of CM rats. Afterward, the application of Baclofen and H89 alleviated the IS-evoked hyperalgesia and extenuated vesicular glutamate transporter 2 (VGLUT2), glutamate, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), and c-Fos expression by regulating the GABABR2/PKA/SynCAM1 pathway in the PAG of CM rats, while the application of CGP35348 and 8-Bromo-cAMP exactly exerted the opposite effect. Importantly, CGP35348 induced an elevation of CGRP, and VGLUT2 expression was relieved by H89. These data suggest that the loss in the function of inhibitory interneurons contributes to glutamate-associated central sensitization through the GABABR2/PKA/SynCAM1 pathway in the PAG of CM rats.

Analysis of carotenoid content and diversity in apricots (Prunus armeniaca L.) grown in China.

The carotenoids in the peel and flesh of 41 apricot cultivars were qualitatively and quantitatively analysed by UHPLC-APCI-MS/MS, and the L*, a*, b* and quality indexes of the fruits were determined. The results showed that the L*, a*, b* and quality indexes of the fruits were quite different, and 13 carotenoids were detected in the peel and flesh of apricots, among which ε-carotene, α-cryptoxanthin and apocarotenal were newly detected carotenoids in apricots. The total carotenoid content of the 41 apricot cultivars varied from 20.983 to 320.278 µg/g FW, and the total carotenoid content varied from 17.353 to 222.098 µg/g FW in the peel and from 2.536 to 98.179 µg/g FW in the flesh. The main components of apricot fruits were ß-carotene and (E/Z)-phytoene, followed by ß-cryptoxanthin and lutein. This study shows that carotenoids in apricot fruits have rich metabolic diversity.

Concealed object enhancement using multi-polarization information for passive millimeter and terahertz wave security screening.

Passive millimeter and terahertz wave imaging has become a significant potential technique for human security check and scene monitoring. Due to the small difference of the brightness temperatures between human body and concealed objects, the temperature sensitivity and spatial resolution of radiometers are always the key performance indexes which are difficult to improve. Therefore, when the hardware performance is given, improving detectivity becomes a pressing need. In this paper, a physically-based concealed object enhancement method using multi-polarization information is presented. The polarization model and polarization property of human body and concealed objects have been analyzed. By fusing multiple polarization images, we can obtain a complete polarization image in which the contrast between human body and concealed objects is enhanced and stable. The experimental results of simulation and measurement demonstrate the enhancement performance, and Differential Signal Noise Ratio (DSNR) is obviously improved by using the proposed method.