Is Female Visual Signaling to Male Song Socially Regulated in Brown‐headed Cowbirds?

This research focused on how adult female brown‐headed cowbirds, Molothrus ater, regulate social feedback on a group level to shape the development of male song. Specifically, females produce rapid wing movements in response to male song, termed ‘wing strokes,’ which have been shown to shape male song and predict song quality. These effects have been documented in captive dyads and triads, but not in more naturalistic flocks, where song development actually occurs. Here, we studied wing stroking in small seminatural flocks of differing female‐to‐male ratios. Despite differences in the number of females and their social selectivity, the same pattern of female feedback emerged in seven of eight flocks: One female produced the majority of wing strokes to male song, making her the primary wing stroker in her flock. Previous studies on large flocks have demonstrated females to facilitate male song improvisation and development if they exhibited higher social selectivity by approaching immature males less. Here, we found that primary wing strokers were indeed more socially selective than non‐primary wing strokers. This research is the first to document social stimulation being facilitated at the group level to ensure that more highly selective females deliver the most feedback.     

Cardiorespiratory responses to haemolytic anaemia in rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss

To quantify cardiorespiratory response to experimental anaemia in rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss, a 24 h phenylhydrazine treatment was used to reduce haematocrit to almost one third of its initial value over 4–5 days. In response, relative blood velocity in the ventral aorta (an index of cardiac output) progressively increased to more than double to its normocythaemic value and there was no significant change in routine oxygen uptake. Thus, the primary compensatory response to anaemia was an increase in cardiac output.     

Nuclear-translocated Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate Dehydrogenase Promotes Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase-1 Activation during Oxidative/Nitrosative Stress in Stroke

In addition to its role in DNA repair, nuclear poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) mediates brain damage when it is over-activated by oxidative/nitrosative stress. Nonetheless, it remains unclear how PARP-1 is activated in neuropathological contexts. Here we report that PARP-1 interacts with a pool of glyceradehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) that translocates into the nucleus under oxidative/nitrosative stress both in vitro and in vivo. A well conserved amino acid at the N terminus of GAPDH determines its protein binding with PARP-1. Wild-type (WT) but not mutant GAPDH, that lacks the ability to bind PARP-1, can promote PARP-1 activation. Importantly, disrupting this interaction significantly diminishes PARP-1 overactivation and protects against both brain damage and neurological deficits induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion in a rat stroke model. Together, these findings suggest that nuclear GAPDH is a key regulator of PARP-1 activity, and its signaling underlies the pathology of oxidative/nitrosative stress-induced brain damage including stroke.     

KATP通道对缺血性心肌电平衡的维护作用及机制

目的：利用异丙肾上腺素（ISO）诱导大鼠心肌缺血性损伤模型和心肌细胞损伤模型,并对其进行药物干预,探讨心肌ATP敏感性钾 通道（KATP通道）维持缺血性心肌电平衡的作用与机制。方法：在动物实验中,将雄性SD大鼠,随机分为5组,正常对照组大鼠皮下注射0.9% 氯化钠溶液,其余各组大鼠均皮下注射等量1 g ? L -1 ISO（qd）,连续9 d,其间,在第7~9 d,除了正常对照组和模型组外,其他3组大鼠还 分别灌胃给予1.75 g ? L -1 普萘洛尔（PRO）2 mL ? kg -1 ? d -1 、5 g ? L -1 曲美他嗪（VAS）2 mL ? kg -1 ? d -1 或腹腔注射给予5 g ? L -1 二苯基碘（DPI） 1 mL ? kg -1 ? d -1 。在造模期间不同时间点,对各组大鼠进行心电图检查,并制备心肌标本,检测其中KATP通道亚基KIR6.2蛋白表达水平。 在细胞实验中,将H9C2心肌细胞分成对照组（不给药）、ISO组、ISO+ PRO组、ISO+DPI组和ISO+VAS组,后3组细胞均在1 μmol ? L -1 ISO加入前30 min,分别给予2 μmol ? L -1 PRO、10 μmol ? L -1 DPI和10 μmol ? L -1 VAS,且在加入ISO后,与ISO组细胞一样,再孵育1 和24 h,采用实时荧光定量 PCR法测定各组细胞中KATP通道亚基KIR6.2和SUR2A基因表达水平。结果：大鼠实验显示,与正常对照组相比, 模型组大鼠在造模的第3、7 d,心电图参数QTc明显缩短,心率加快（P ＜0.05）,且心肌中KIR6.2蛋白表达明显增多（P ＜0.01）,而造 模9 d后,其QTc明显延长（P ＜0.01）,心率减慢（P ＜0.05）,心肌中KIR6.2蛋白表达显著降低（P ＜0.01）;ISO+ PRO、ISO+DPI 和ISO+VAS各组大鼠在持续3 d分别接受3种药物治疗后,其QTc较模型组明显缩短,心率升高,均趋于恢复正常水平。细胞实验显示, 与对照组相比,ISO组H9C2细胞经ISO孵育1 h后,KIR6.2和SUR2A的mRNA表达显著上调（P ＜0.05）,而在ISO孵育24 h后, KIR6.2和SUR2A的mRNA表达显著下调（ P ＜0.01）;与ISO组相比,各给药组细胞经ISO孵育1 h后,KIR6.2和SUR2A的mRNA表 达均有不同程度下调,而在ISO孵育24 h后,KIR6.2和SUR2A的mRNA表达均显著上调（P ＜0.05或P ＜0.01）。结论：KATP通道对 维护缺血性心肌电平衡起重要作用。持续性激动β受体、氧化应激或能量供应不足等体内多条途径都会影响KATP通道的表达和功能,而保护 KATP通道功能,对于维持心电平衡,抑制心律失常基质形成,意义重大。     

Radix/Rhizoma Notoginseng extract (Sanchitongtshu) for ischemic stroke: A randomized controlled study

Agents of sanchi have been widely used as a complementary medicine for stroke in China. Sanchitongshu is a new Chinese patent medicine extracted from sanchi which has stronger anti-platelet activity than other agents of sanchi. Our aim was to investigate the synergistic action of low dose of aspirin combined with sanchitongshu capsule in the treatment of patients with light and moderate ischemic stroke in acute and subacute stages.This was a multi-center, double-blinded, randomized controlled clinical trial conducted in four hospitals in China from July 2004 to 2006. 140 patients of ischemic stroke in anterior cerebral circulation within 30 days of onset were enrolled. Participants were assigned either to receive aspirin (50 mg per day) and sanchitongshu capsule (200 mg three times a day) or aspirin (50 mg per day) and placebo capsule.Low dose of aspirin combined with sanchitongshu capsule significantly ameliorated neurological deficit (increased score of ESS: t = −5.02, p < 0.0001) and activities of daily living (increased score of BI: t = −2.4, p = 0.0178) after treatment compared with aspirin alone. Adverse reaction which occurred equally in both arms, was light to moderate and disappeared without special treatment.Sanchitongshu capsule, as a complementary medicine to aspirin, was effective in improving outcomes after ischemic stroke. It was a safe drug in our trial.     

Early stages of the recovery stroke in myosin II studied by molecular dynamics simulations

The recovery stroke is a key step in the functional cycle of muscle motor protein myosin, during which pre-recovery conformation of the protein is changed into the active post-recovery conformation, ready to exersice force. We study the microscopic details of this transition using molecular dynamics simulations of atomistic models in implicit and explicit solvent. In more than 2 μs of aggregate simulation time, we uncover evidence that the recovery stroke is a two-step process consisting of two stages separated by a time delay. In our simulations, we directly observe the first stage at which switch II loop closes in the presence of adenosine triphosphate at the nucleotide binding site. The resulting configuration of the nucleotide binding site is identical to that detected experimentally. Distribution of inter-residue distances measured in the force generating region of myosin is in good agreement with the experimental data. The second stage of the recovery stroke structural transition, rotation of the converter domain, was not observed in our simulations. Apparently it occurs on a longer time scale. We suggest that the two parts of the recovery stroke need to be studied using separate computational models.     

新发缺血性脑卒中患者实施单病种质量管理的预后评价

目的 调查分析上海市某三甲医院缺血性脑卒中单病种质量管理实施情况并评价其效果。方法 采用回顾性调查的方法,以NIHSS评分为疗效评价依据,对新发缺血性脑卒中单病种质量管理实施组和未实施组的预后情况进行分析评估。结果 在2组基线资料均衡的情况下,缺血性脑卒中单病种质量管理实施组的疗效显著优于未实施组,尤其是发病初始疾病严重程度一般者的疗效最好。结论 缺血性脑卒中单病种质量管理通过对诊疗过程的质量控制,规范了诊疗行为,改善了新发缺血性脑卒中患者的预后。