Effects of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells transfected with Ang-1 gene on hyperoxia-induced optic nerve injury in neonatal mice.

Optic nerve injury triggered retinal ganglion cell (RGC) death and optic nerve atrophy lead to visual loss. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) are stromal cells, capable of proliferating and differentiating into different types of tissues. This aims of this study is to investigate the role of BMSCs transfected with angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1) in optic nerve injury induced by hyperoxia in a neonatal mice model. Ang-1 overexpression vector was constructed and used to transfect BMSCs. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction was performed to detect Ang-1 expression in BMSCs. The hyperoxia-induced optic nerve injury model was established. The optic nerves at 6-7 mm posterior to the eyeball were extracted, and were treated with luxol fast blue staining, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, and transmission electron microscopy to examine the effects of Ang-1-modified BMSCs on optic nerve injury induced by hyperoxia. The mice in the Ang-1 + BMSCs and BMSCs groups showed remarkably improved myelin sheaths of nerve fibers compared to the hyperoxia saline group. The positive expression and integrated optic density of Ang-1 in the Ang-1 + BMSCs group were significantly higher compared to the air control, hyperoxia saline and BMSCs groups. The number and diameter of myelinated nerve fibers, the diameter of axons and the thickness of myelin sheath in the air control and Ang-1 + BMSCs groups were higher compared to the hyperoxia saline group. Our study provides evidence supporting that Ang-1-modified BMSCs may have preventive and therapeutic effects on hyperoxia-induced optic nerve injury in neonatal mice.

Variational solutions and random dynamical systems to SPDEs perturbed by fractional Gaussian noise.

This paper deals with the following type of stochastic partial differential equations (SPDEs) perturbed by an infinite dimensional fractional Brownian motion with a suitable volatility coefficient Φ: dX(t) = A(X(t))dt+Φ(t)dB (H) (t), where A is a nonlinear operator satisfying some monotonicity conditions. Using the variational approach, we prove the existence and uniqueness of variational solutions to such system. Moreover, we prove that this variational solution generates a random dynamical system. The main results are applied to a general type of nonlinear SPDEs and the stochastic generalized p-Laplacian equation.

Existence and uniqueness of solution for a class of stochastic differential equations.

A class of stochastic differential equations given by dx(t) = f(x(t))dt + g(x(t))dW(t), x(t 0) = x 0, t 0 ≤ t ≤ T < +∞, are investigated. Upon making some suitable assumptions, the existence and uniqueness of solution for the equations are obtained. Moreover, the existence and uniqueness of solution for stochastic Lorenz system, which is illustrated by example, are in good agreement with the theoretical analysis.

Lateral Supraorbital Approach for the Surgical Clipping of Ruptured Tiny Anterior Circulation Aneurysms.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and usefulness of clipping procedure by lateral supraorbital approach for tiny anterior circulation aneurysms. STUDY DESIGN: An observational study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, China, from January 2013 to March 2018. METHODOLOGY: Thirty-eight patients who had suffered aneurysm rupture, resulting in subarachnoid hemorrhage, were selected. Fourty-four very small aneurysms with a maximum diameter of ≤3 mm that presented different configurations, were identified using digital subtraction angiography (DSA). Clinical data of patients, including clinical information, microsurgery procedure, procedural complications, clinical outcomes, and follow-up were analysed. RESULTS: All ruptured aneurysms involved the anterior circulation, located in middle cerebral artery (19/38), anterior communicating artery (10/38), posterior communicating artery (6/38), anterior choroidal artery (2/38), and ophthalmic artery (1/38). Complete occlusions were achieved in all of the lesions by surgical clipping via the lateral supraorbital approach. There were no intra-procedural ruptures or procedure-related vasospasm, epilepsy, hydrocephalus. Glasgow outcome scale (GOS) scores showed that 34 patient (86.84%) had good outcomes (GOS 4-5) at the time of discharge. There was no residual neck or recurrence following computed tomography angiography (CTA) and DSA at follow-up in 20 cases. CONCLUSION: Surgical clipping via lateral supraorbital approach presented a low rate of adverse events related to the procedure, and was safe and effective in ruptured tiny aneurysms. Key Words: Tiny aneurysm; Surgical clipping; Clinical outcome; Lateral supraorbital approach.

Odor-mediated contextual learning induced memory consolidation and hippocampus development in neonate rat.

The hippocampus in neonatal rats is not fully developed after birth, and the effect of odor-aversion learning on memory consolidation in the immature hippocampus is not well understood. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to explore the effects of odor-aversion learning in neonatal rats on memory consolidation and neurodevelopment in the immature hippocampus. The effect of hippocampal-induced learning was measured at two different developmental stages using the Y-maze and c-Fos protein levels. Furthermore, hippocampal cell proliferation and growth-associated protein 43 (GAP-43) expression were evaluated at different developmental stages, namely, postnatal day 7 (PN7) and PN24, after odor-aversion learning. Both PN7 and PN24 rats avoided conditioned odor stimuli after odor-aversion learning. PN7 and PN24 rats in the odor-averse learning groups exhibited high c-Fos protein levels. PN7 rats exhibited high cell proliferation rates and GAP-43 protein levels after odor-aversion learning. These results showed that the immature hippocampus can participated in odor-aversion learning, which may induce cell proliferation and axonal development.

Equivalent conditions and applications of a class of Hilbert-type integral inequalities involving multiple functions with quasi-homogeneous kernels.

Let K ( x 1 , … , x n ) satisfy K ( x 1 , … , t x i , … , x n ) = t λ λ i K ( t - λ i λ 1 x 1 , … , x i , … , t - λ i λ n x n ) for t > 0 . With this integral kernel, by using the method and technique of weight coefficients, the equivalent conditions and the best constant factors for the validity of Hilbert-type integral inequalities involving multiple functions are discussed. Finally, the applications of the integral inequalities are considered.

Trace elements in four freshwater fish from a mine-impacted river: spatial distribution, species-specific accumulation, and risk assessment.

The concentrations of 16 elements (Mg, Al, Ca, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Sr, Cd, Ba, and Pb) were determined in four fish species (Carassius auratus, Squaliobarbus curriculus, Pelteobagrus fulvidraco, and Silurus asotus) collected in the Xiang River, a mine-impacted river in Southern China. The mean values of the elements analyzed in fish muscles were in the decreasing order of Mg > Ca > Zn > Fe > Sr > Al > Cu > Mn > Ba > As > Cr > Pb > Ni > V > Co > Cd. The concentrations of Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, and Cu in omnivorous species were found to be significantly higher (p < 0.05) than those in carnivorous species. Negative correlations observed between most element concentrations and fish sizes indicated the younger individuals accumulated more elements than the older ones. Principle component analysis and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis were employed to characterize the effects on element bioaccumulation using the element concentration matrix. The elemental profiles preferred to cluster according to differences in fish species rather than in sampling sites. The potential health risk evaluated through Monte Carlo simulation showed no appreciable adverse impact on human health from exposure to trace elements in fish muscles through consumption.

Species-specific bioaccumulation and correlated health risk of arsenic compounds in freshwater fish from a typical mine-impacted river.

Arsenic (As) speciation and bioaccumulation in fish muscle tissues have been intensively investigated in marine ecosystem. However, little is known about these in freshwater fish. In this study, freshwater fish including 120 specimens and 8 species were collected from the Xiang River, a typical mine-impacted river in China. Six As species including arsenite (AsIII), arsenate (AsV), monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), dimethylarsinic acid (DMA), arsenocholine (AsC) and arsenobetaine (AsB) were simultaneously separated and determined using HPLC-ICP-MS. The mean (±SD) concentration of total As (tAs) in the dried fish muscle was 0.748±0.651mg·kg-1. AsB was found as the predominant As species in most of the studied fish samples, in accordance with the reports in marine fish. However, the diversity of inorganic/organic As proportion observed in the studied freshwater fish species was larger than that in marine fish species due to greater spatial variability of As contamination, mobilization and origination in the studied catchments. The percentage of AsB (AsB%) in fish muscle was irrelevant to tAs concentration, while the percentage of iAs (iAs%) decreased with tAs concentration in a hyperbolic pattern. This can be attributed to restricted assimilation and accumulation of toxic iAs with increasing tAs concentration in fish. Chronic non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risks were evaluated through Monte-Carlo simulation. The result indicated that consuming freshwater fish in the Xiang River could cause considerable carcinogenic risk to local inhabitants.