Potential of Mie-Fluorescence-Raman Lidar to Profile Chlorophyll a Concentration in Inland Waters.

Vertical distribution of phytoplankton is crucial for assessing the trophic status and primary production in inland waters. However, there is sparse information about phytoplankton vertical distribution due to the lack of sufficient measurements. Here, we report, to the best of our knowledge, the first Mie-fluorescence-Raman lidar (MFRL) measurements of continuous chlorophyll a (Chl-a) profiles as well as their parametrization in inland water. The lidar-measured Chl-a during several experiments showed good agreement with the in situ data. A case study verified that MFRL had the potential to profile the Chl-a concentration. The results revealed that the maintenance of subsurface chlorophyll maxima (SCM) was influenced by light and nutrient inputs. Furthermore, inspired by the observations from MFRL, an SCM model built upon surface Chl-a concentration and euphotic layer depth was proposed with root mean square relative difference of 16.5% compared to MFRL observations, providing the possibility to map 3D Chl-a distribution in aquatic ecosystems by integrated active-passive remote sensing technology. Profiling and modeling Chl-a concentration with MFRL are expected to be of paramount importance for monitoring inland water ecosystems and environments.

[Research progress on the mechanism of pain related neural pathways above the spinal cord].

Pain is a multi-dimensional emotional experience, and pain sensation and pain emotion are the two main components. As for pain, previous studies only focused on a certain link of the pain transmission pathway or a certain key brain region, and there is a lack of evidence that connectivity of brain regions is involved in pain or pain regulation in the overall state. The establishment of new experimental tools and techniques has brought light to the study of neural pathways of pain sensation and pain emotion. In this paper, the structure and functional basis of the neural pathways involved in the formation of pain sensation and the regulation of pain emotion in the nervous system above the spinal cord level, including thalamus, amygdala, midbrain periaqueductal gray (PAG), parabrachial nucleus (PB) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), are reviewed in recent years, providing clues for the in-depth study of pain.

[Psittacosis Pneumonia with Pleural Effusion:Report of Three Cases and Literature Review].

It was generally believed that psittacosis pneumonia (pneumonia caused by Chlamydia psittaci) was rarely combined with pleural effusion and the characteristics of pleural effusion were rarely reported in the domestic literature.Herein,we reported three cases of pleural effusion due to psittacosis pneumonia,with elevated level of adenosine deaminase and lymphocyte-predominant exudative pleural effusion.Further,we reviewed the psittacosis pneumonia reports with complete clinical and lung imaging data.The imaging manifestations included pulmonary consolidation and common occurrence of a small amount of pleural effusion.The patients of psittacosis pneumonia combined with pleural effusion had severe symptoms,obvious hypoxia,and increased risk of invasive ventilation.

Prevalence and clinical implications of bronchiectasis in patients with overlapping asthma and chronic rhinosinusitis: a single-center prospective study.

BACKGROUND: As a typical "united airway" disease, asthma-chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) overlap has recently drawn more attention. Bronchiectasis is a heterogeneous disease related to a variety of diseases. Whether bronchiectasis exists and correlates with asthma-CRS patients has not been fully elucidated. The purpose of the study was to explore the presence and characteristics of bronchiectasis in patients with overlapping asthma and CRS. METHODS: This report describes a prospective study with consecutive asthma-CRS patients. The diagnosis and severity of bronchiectasis were obtained by thorax high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT), the Smith radiology scale and the Bhalla scoring system. CRS severity was evaluated by paranasal sinus CT and the Lund-Mackay (LM) scoring system. The correlations between bronchiectasis and clinical data, fraction of exhaled nitric oxide, peripheral blood eosinophil counts and lung function were analyzed. RESULTS: Seventy-two (40.91%) of 176 asthma-CRS patients were diagnosed with bronchiectasis. Asthma-CRS patients with overlapping bronchiectasis had a higher incidence rate of nasal polyps (NPs) (P = 0.004), higher LM scores (P = 0.044), higher proportion of ≥ 1 severe exacerbation of asthma in the last 12 months (P = 0.003), lower postbronchodilator forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) % predicted (P = 0.006), and elevated peripheral blood eosinophil counts (P = 0.022). Smith and Bhalla scores were shown to correlate positively with NPs and negatively with FEV1% predicted and body mass index. Cutoff values of FEV1% predicted ≤ 71.40%, peripheral blood eosinophil counts > 0.60 × 109/L, presence of NPs, and ≥ 1 severe exacerbation of asthma in the last 12 months were shown to differentiate bronchiectasis in asthma-CRS patients. CONCLUSIONS: Bronchiectasis commonly overlaps in asthma-CRS patients. The coexistence of bronchiectasis predicts a more severe disease subset in terms of asthma and CRS. We suggest that asthma-CRS patients with NPs, severe airflow obstruction, eosinophilic inflammation, and poor asthma control should receive HRCT for the early diagnosis of bronchiectasis.

Presence and sequence of bronchiectasis onset impact on the clinical characteristics in asthmatic patients.

Background: Asthmatic patients with comorbid bronchiectasis (ACB) show significantly severe condition with various inflammatory phenotypes; bronchiectasis is a heterogeneous disease caused by asthma and other multiple etiological factors. We aimed to investigate the inflammatory characteristics and their clinical significance in asthmatic patients according to the presence and onset time of bronchiectasis. Methods: This prospective cohort study recruited outpatients with stable asthma. All the enrolled patients were divided into the non-bronchiectasis group and the ACB group, and the ACB group was separated into the bronchiectasis-prior group and the asthma-prior group. Demographic and clinical data were collected, and peripheral blood and induced sputum eosinophil counts, sputum pathogens, the fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), lung function, and chest high-resolution computed tomography were examined. Results: A total of 602 patients (mean age: 55.36±14.58 years) were included, of which 255 (42.4%) were males. Bronchiectasis was present in 268 (44.5%) patients, with 171 (28.41%) in the asthma-prior group and 97 (16.11%) in the bronchiectasis-prior group. For the asthma-prior group, the presence of bronchiectasis was positively correlated with age, presence of nasal polyps, severe asthma, ≥1 pneumonia in the last 12 months, ≥1 severe exacerbation of asthma in the last 12 months (SEA), peripheral blood eosinophil counts, and sputum eosinophil ratio; the extent and severity of bronchiectasis were positively correlated with ≥1 SEA and FeNO levels; and the bronchiectasis severity index (BSI) scores were positively correlated with ≥1 SEA and immunoglobulin E levels. For the bronchiectasis-prior group, bronchiectasis was positively correlated with previous pulmonary tuberculosis or pneumonia in childhood and ≥1 pneumonia in the last 12 months and negatively correlated with forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) % and the FeNO level. The extent and severity of bronchiectasis were positively correlated with ≥1 pneumonia in the last 12 months and negatively correlated with FEV1%. The BSI scores were positively correlated with the duration of bronchiectasis. Conclusions: The sequence of bronchiectasis onset may indicate distinct inflammatory characteristics and may be helpful in targeted therapy for patients with asthma.

Changes in diaphragm contractility in cigarette smoking-exposed and smoking cessation rats are associated with alterations in mitochondrial morphology and homeostasis.

The effects of cigarette smoking (CS) cessation on the diaphragm are unknown, as are the CS-induced diaphragmatic mitochondrial changes. We examined the changes in diaphragm contractility, as well as alterations in mitochondrial morphology, function and homoeostasis during CS exposure and after cessation. Rats were randomly divided into CS exposure and CS cessation groups: 3-month CS (S3), 6-month CS (S6), 6-month CS followed by 3-month cessation (S6N3). The changes in the diaphragm were investigated, including contractile properties, the ultrastructure, mitochondrial function and the expression of markers of mitochondrial homoeostasis. CS caused irreversible histological disruption and functional depression in the lungs, along with significantly declines in diaphragmatic contractility and more severely in extensor digitorum longus muscular contractility. Such declines were recovered after 3-month CS cessation. CS exposure disrupted the diaphragmatic mitochondrial morphology and function (S6), which was significantly alleviated in the S6N3 group. The mitochondrial homoeostasis was depressed (S6), as indicated by the downregulation of Pink1 and Mfn1. Interestingly, the Mfn1 level was recovered after smoking cessation (S6N3). In conclusion, smoking cessation eased CS-induced diaphragmatic dysfunction and mitochondrial deregulation, which are likely associated with deregulated mitochondrial homoeostasis.

Functional, Ultrastructural, and Transcriptomic Changes in Rat Diaphragms with Different Durations of Cigarette Smoke Exposure.

Aims: The aim of the study was to explore the functional and structural changes of the diaphragm and underlying mechanisms in response to 12 or 24 weeks of cigarette smoke (CS) exposure in rats. Materials and Methods: Rats were exposed to CS to develop a COPD model and the rats exposed to room air served as a control group. Rats were randomly divided into four groups: CS12W, CON12W, CS24W, and CON24W. Pulmonary function, lung histopathology, and the contractile properties and ultrastructure of diaphragm muscle were examined in these rats. The changes of transcriptomic profiling of diaphragm muscle were further compared between CS and control rats by the RNA Seq. Results: Both CS groups showed lower FEV0.3/FVC, elevated mean linear intercept (MLI), and reduced mean alveolar numbers (MAN) vs the control groups. The fatigue index (FI) of the diaphragm muscle from the CS12W group, but not CS24W, was significantly increased. Conversely, the force-frequency curves of the diaphragm muscle from the CS24W group, but not CS12W group, were significantly decreased. Consistently, mitochondrial number density (NA) and volume density (Vv) were increased in the CS12W diaphragm muscle, while being decreased in the CS24W group. Furthermore, the diaphragm transcriptomic profiling results showed that genes regulating cell proliferation and energy metabolic activity were un-regulated and genes regulating protein degradation were down-regulated in the CS12W diaphragm, while CS24W diaphragm showed opposite changes. Conclusion: These observations suggested a transition of diaphragm muscle from initial compensatory to decompensatory changes in function, structure, and gene expression during the development of COPD.

Dataset of soil bacterial compositions and biochemical properties of a Moso bamboo forest under mulching-intensive management.

Bacterial 16S rRNA dataset of Moso bamboo forest was formed by 20 soil samples in four management modes corresponding to the soil properties data of each soil sample such as concentrations of soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), available phosphorus (AP), NH4 +-N, NO3 --N, water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC), Water-soluble organic nitrogen (WSON), microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN), and soil water content (SWC) and pH value. Due to the special climate in the northern edge of subtropical zone and the characteristics of non wood and non grass of bamboo plants, our data set is helpful for the further studies of soil management, microhabitats variations responding to global carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus cycle. The data is related to the research article "Response of bacterial compositions to soil biochemical properties under mulching-intensive management in a Phyllostachys edulis forest" [1].

Activation of ventrolateral orbital cortex improves mouse neuropathic pain-induced anxiodepression.

Depression and anxiety are frequently observed in patients suffering from neuropathic pain. The underlying mechanisms remained unclear. The ventrolateral orbital cortex (VLO) has attracted considerable interest in its role in antidepressive effect in rodents. In the present study, we further investigated the role of the VLO in the anxiodepressive consequences of neuropathic pain in a chronic constriction injury of infraorbital nerve-induced trigeminal neuralgia (TN) mouse model. Elevated plus maze, open field, forced swimming, tail suspension, and sucrose preference tests were used to evaluate anxiodepressive-like behaviors. The results show that chemogenetic activation of bilateral VLO neurons, especially CaMK2A+ pyramidal neurons, blocked the TN-induced anxiodepressive-like behaviors. Chemogenetic and optogenetic activation of VGLUT2+ or inhibition of VGAT+ VLO neurons was sufficient to produce an antianxiodepressive effect in TN mice. Pharmacological activation of D1-like receptors (D1Rs) but not D2Rs in the VLO significantly alleviated TN-induced depressive-like behaviors. Electrophysiological recordings revealed a decreased excitability of VLO excitatory neurons following neuropathic pain. Furthermore, activation of submedius thalamic nucleus-VLO (Sm-VLO) projection mimicked the antianxiodepressive effect of VLO excitation. Conversely, activation of VLO-periaqueductal gray matter (PAG) projection had no effect on TN-induced anxiodepressive behaviors. This study provides a potentially novel mechanism-based therapeutic strategy for the anxiodepressive consequences of neuropathic pain.

D2-like but not D1-like dopamine receptors are involved in the ventrolateral orbital cortex-induced antinociception: a GABAergic modulation mechanism.

The ventrolateral orbital cortex (VLO) is part of an endogenous analgesic system consisting of an ascending pathway from the spinal cord to VLO via the thalamic nucleus submedius (Sm) and a descending pathway to the spinal cord relaying in the periaqueductal gray (PAG). This study examines whether activation of D(1)-like and D(2)-like dopamine receptors in VLO produces antinociception and whether GABAergic modulation is involved in the VLO, D(2)-like dopamine receptor activation-evoked antinociception. The radiant heat-evoked tail flick (TF) reflex was used as an index of nociceptive response in lightly anesthetized rats. Microinjection of the D(2)-like (D(2)/D(3)) dopamine receptor agonist quinpirole (0.1-2.0 microg), but not D(1)-like (D(1)/D(5)) receptor agonist SKF-38393 (1.0, 5.0 microg), into VLO produced dose-dependent antinociception which was antagonized by the D(2)-like (D(2)/D(3)) receptor antagonist raclopride (1.5 microg). We also found that VLO application of the GABA(A) receptor antagonist bicuculline or picrotoxin (100 ng) enhanced the quinpirole-induced inhibition of the TF reflex, whereas the GABA(A) receptor agonist muscimol (250 ng) or THIP (1.0 microg) significantly attenuated the quinpirole-induced inhibition. These results suggest that D(2)-like, but not D(1)-like, dopamine receptors are involved in VLO-induced antinociception and that GABAergic disinhibitory mechanisms participate in the D(2)-like receptor mediated effect. These findings provide support for the hypothesis that D(2)-like receptor activation may inhibit the inhibitory action of the GABAergic interneurons on the output neurons projecting to PAG leading to activation of the brainstem descending inhibitory system and depression of nociceptive inputs at the spinal dorsal horn.

[Responses of changium smyrnioides seedlings survival and growth to light intensity].

Changium smyrnioides, a monotypic species in Umbellaceae, can only be found in Yangtze Rive basin in China, and its seedlings are rare in natural habitats. The study on the effects of light intensity on C. smyrnioides seedlings survival and growth showed that the seedlings had the highest survival rate under higher light intensity (65% of direct sun light) but the lowest one under 25% of direct sun light, indicating that medium light intensity was propitious to seedlings establishment. The seedlings growth of C. smyrnioides was also the best under 65% of direct sun light, showing the maximum values of growth rate, total leaf area, leaf biomass, root biomass, and total biomass. Low temperature pregermination gave five times higher seedlings biomass than normal germination, and helped the seedlings enduring disadvantageous environment, which provided a new approach to planting and protecting C. Smyrnioides.