High post-partum levels of corticosterone given to dams influence postnatal hippocampal cell proliferation and behavior of offspring: A model of post-partum stress and possible depression

Post-partum stress and depression (PPD) have a significant effect on child development and behavior. Depression is associated with hypercortisolism in humans, and the fluctuating levels of hormones, including corticosterone, during pregnancy and the post-partum, may contribute to PPD. The present study was developed to investigate the effects of high-level corticosterone (CORT) post-partum in the mother on postnatal neurogenesis and behavior in the offspring. Sprague-Dawley dams were treated with either CORT (40 mg/kg) or sesame oil injections daily for 26 days beginning the day after giving birth. Dams were tested in the forced swim test (FST) and in the open field test (OFT) on days 24-26 post-partum. Results showed that the dams exposed to CORT expressed "depressive-like" behavior compared to controls, with decreased struggling behavior and increased immobility in the FST. To investigate the effects of treatment on hippocampal postnatal cell proliferation and survival in the offspring, males and females from treated dams were injected with BrdU (50 mg/kg) on postnatal day 21 and perfused either 24 h (cell proliferation) or 21 days (cell survival) later. Furthermore, male and female offspring from each litter were tested in adulthood on various behavioral tests, including the forced swim test, open field test, resistance to capture test and elevated plus maze. Intriguingly, male, but not female, offspring of CORT-treated dams exhibited decreased postnatal cell proliferation in the dentate gyrus. Both male and female offspring of CORT-treated dams showed higher resistance to capture and greater locomotor activity as assessed in the open field test. As high levels of CORT may be a characteristic of stress and/or depression, these findings support a model of 'CORT-induced' post-partum stress and possibly depression and demonstrate that the offspring of affected dams can exhibit changes in postnatal neurogenesis and behavior in adulthood.     

Progesterone withdrawal effects in the open field test can be predicted by elevated plus maze performance

Allopregnanolone (3alpha-hydroxy-5alpha-pregnane-20-one) is a ring-A-reduced metabolite of progesterone, which is naturally produced during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle, during pregnancy and by stressful events. The steroid hormone inhibits neural functions through increased chloride ion flux through the GABA(A) receptor. The effects and subsequent withdrawal symptoms are similar to those caused by alcohol, benzodiazepines and barbiturates. This study examined the withdrawal effects of progesterone with regards to the influence of individual baseline exploration and risk taking. Rats were tested on the elevated plus maze (EPM) before hormonal treatment, in order to evaluate differences in risk taking and exploration of open and elevated areas. Treatment consisted of ten consecutive once a day progesterone or vehicle s.c. injections. On the last day of treatment, estradiol was injected in addition to progesterone, followed by a 24-h withdrawal before testing in the open field test (OF). Progesterone-treated rats showed a withdrawal effect of open area avoidance in the OF. The vehicle-treated control rats showed strong correlations between the EPM and OF parameters. This relationship was not found for the progesterone group at withdrawal. Rats with greater numbers of open arm entrance in the EPM pretest showed an increased sensitivity to progesterone withdrawal (PWD) compared to rats with low exploration and risk taking. The results indicate that the effects of PWD relate to individual exploration and risk taking. Furthermore, the possible analogy of PWD and PMS/PMDD in relation to individual traits is discussed.     

Synthesis, characterization and electrochemistry of bis(3-aryl-6,6-dimethylcyclohexadienyl)ruthenium complexes

Five bis(3-aryl-6,6-dimethylcyclohexadienyl)ruthenium complexes (4a-4e) are prepared by reactions between di-μ-chlorodichlorobis[(1-3η:6-8η)-2,7-dimethyl-octadienyl]diruthenium and the corresponding dienes. The larger aryl substituents increase the barrier to rotation in 4a-4e relative to bis(3-methyl-6,6-cyclohexadienyl)ruthenium (5b). The activation parameters were determined by line-shape analysis for the exchange process in 4a: ΔG^† (183 K), 8.0 ± 0.2 kcal/mol; ΔH^†, 10.3 kcal/mol; and ΔS^†, 13 cal/mol/K. The electronic effect of the aryl substituents on the cyclohexadienyl ligand on the oxidation potential of the complex are compared to the effect of methyl substituents.     

Effect of Salmonella minnesota R595 LPS on the dipalmitoylphosphatidyl-ethanolamine (DPPE)-dipalmitoylglycerol (DPG)-water model membrane system

The effect of Salmonella minnesota R595 lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on model membrane consisting of a mixture of fully hydrated lipids (dipalmitoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DPPE) and dipalmitoylglycerol (DPG)) was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and freeze–fracture methods. The DPPE–DPG/water system forms a multilamellar arrangement in the gel phase which transforms into a mixture of inverted hexagonal and cubic structures. By the presence of LPS the thermotropic behaviour of the system was affected significantly only at its high concentration (1:1 mol/mol LPS/DPPE–DPG) in the gel phase, while above the chain melting transition the ratio of the inverted cubic and the hexagonal structures was changed and at the 1:1 mol/mol LPS/DPPE–DPG ratio a complex and amorphous phase was formed. The structural parameters of the inverted hexagonal and cubic phases are modified by the temperature and also by the LPS concentration, as deduced from the characteristic SAXS curves. Summarizing the effects of the LPS molecules on the DPPE–DPG/water vesicle system a schematic phase diagram was constructed.     

桥接组合式内固定系统结合Nice结与锁定钢板治疗锁骨中段粉碎性骨折疗效比较研究

摘要 目的：对比桥接组合式内固定系统（OBS）结合Nice结与锁定钢板治疗锁骨中段粉碎性骨折的疗效。方法：回顾性选取2021年6月至2022年1月间在我院接受治疗的锁骨中段粉碎性骨折患者（n=66）的临床资料。根据手术方式的不同将患者分为A组（锁定钢板治疗,32例）和B组（桥接组合式内固定系统结合Nice结,34例）,对比两组临床症状恢复情况、并发症发生率、视觉疼痛模拟评分（VAS）、Constant-Murley评分和肩关节活动度。结果：两组骨折愈合时间对比无差异（P>0.05）。B组术中出血量少于A组,手术时间短于A组（P<0.05）。两组术后3个月Constant-Murley评分升高,VAS评分下降（P<0.05）,B组术后3个月VAS评分低于A组,Constant-Murley评分高于A组（P<0.05）。两组术后3个月前屈、后伸、内旋、外旋的肩关节活动度增大（P<0.05）,且B组术后3个月前屈、后伸、内旋、外旋的肩关节活动度均大于A组（P<0.05）。两组并发症发生率组间比较无统计学差异（P>0.05）。结论：OBS与锁定钢板治疗锁骨中段粉碎性骨折相比,OBS结合Nice结治疗可减少术中出血量,缩短手术时间,促进骨折愈合,扩大肩关节活动度,改善肩关节功能,疗效更好。     

A model study on variations in larval supply: are populations of the polychaete <Emphasis Type="Italic">Owenia fusiformis</Emphasis> in the English Channel open or closed?

The polychaete Owenia fusiformis is one of the most ecologically important species in the muddy fine sand sediments in the English Channel where it is distributed in geographically separated populations. A vertically averaged Lagrangian hydrodynamic model integrating tidal residual currents and wind-induced currents was used to drive an advection–diffusion model for investigating the variability of larval transport in order to assess the self-seeding capabilities and the degree of connectivity between local populations. Three different types of environmental forcing (i.e. tidal forcing alone, tidal forcing coupled with either NE winds or SW winds) were applied to 19 distinct populations. Without wind influence, self-seeding is the principal mechanism involved in the renewal of most populations. However, larval retention ranged from under 1% up to 81% in relation to the adult habitat size and the mean velocity of tidal residual currents. Wind forcing had a strong influence on larval dispersal patterns by modifying the origin and densities of settlers as well as the degree of connectivity between populations. As a consequence, larval supply from distant populations generally exceeded local supply and the inter-annual variability of wind forcing induced large year-to-year variations in larval settlement rates. Larval exchanges occurred mainly between neighbouring populations and three groups of interconnected local populations were thereby identified. Within each group, settlement patterns were related to inter-annual variations in the direction and magnitude of larval exchanges. Electronic Publication     

采用稳定同位素技术判定喀斯特地区植物水分来源的挑战与可能应对方案

占全球陆地面积约15%的喀斯特地区,有着不同于绝大多数非喀斯特地区的水文地质结构,使得许多在非喀斯特地区行之有效的研究方法难以直接用于喀斯特地区,而且这种限制在植物水分来源的研究上体现得尤为明显.本文从为什么要在喀斯特地区开展植物水分来源的研究、为什么一定要用稳定同位素的方法、使用该方法在喀斯特地区有何挑战,以及应对这些挑战的可能解决方案是什么等4个方面,综述了喀斯特地区植物水分来源研究普遍关注问题的由来和可能应对方案.文中重点阐述了与其他方法相比,稳定同位素技术在喀斯特地区植物水分来源研究中的优势以及难以完全满足其前提条件的挑战,结合现有相关研究的有益探索,提出在喀斯特地区的研究不必过分追求对各水源在具体深度上的细致划分,从水源特性的角度进行区分是更为适宜的途径.     

CT影像和X线平片在脊柱爆裂型骨折诊断中的对比分析

目的分析X线平片与CT影像在脊柱爆裂骨折诊断中的应用价值。方法选取2015年7月~2016年7月我院收治的脊柱爆裂骨折患者70例为研究对象,按随机数字表法分为对照组和观察组,对照组患者予以X线平片进行诊断,观察组患者予以CT影像进行诊断,对比分析两组患者的检出率、检出时间以及检查费用情况。结果对照组患者的检出率为65.71%,检出时间(9.21±0.13)min,检查费用(115±25.20)元;观察组患者的检出率为88.57%,检出时间(2.32±0.30)min,检查费用(628±52.6)元。两组比较差异均有统计学意义(均P0.05)。结论脊柱爆裂型骨折患者行CT影像学诊断的临床价值明显优于X线平片,值得作为脊柱爆裂型骨折的首选检查方法。     

口服营养补充疗法在老年患者中的应用

口服营养补充（Oral nutritional supplement,ONS）作为一种常见的日常饮食外营养补充手段,目前被广泛应用于各种疾病相关治疗。越来越多的研究证明口服营养补充在临床治疗中的重要作用,尤其对老年人群。本文通过几种主要疾病来综述口服营养补充在老年患者中的应用。     

腹腔镜胆囊手术和开腹胆囊手术对术后肠黏连的影响比较

目的:比较腹腔镜胆囊手术和开腹胆囊手术对于术后肠黏连的影响,对比两种手术的有效性和安全性。方法:回顾选取在我院接受胆囊手术治疗的196例病患,根据术式分成开腹组和腹腔组,每组均为98例患者,对比分析组间手术指标以及术后出现肠黏连的情况,同时观察手术前后患者消化道生存质量变化。结果:腹腔镜组手术耗时(123.57±4.65 min)长于开腹组,术中出血(27.52±5.69 mL)、胃肠功能恢复用时(18.03±3.51 h)、术后住院时间(4.51±1.03)、肠黏连发生率(10.20%)少于开腹组,(P0.05);两组术前GLQI评分相仿(P0.05),术后GLQI评分显著高于组内术前(P0.05),且腹腔镜组术后GLQI评分显著高于开腹组(P0.05)。结论:与开腹手术相比,腹腔镜胆囊手术不仅手术创伤小、术后恢复时间短,而且术后肠粘连发生率低,值得推广。