A technique for the long-term application of surface electrodes

A technique is reported for the long-term application of surface electrodes for ambulatory electromyographic (EMG) recording. Prior to electrode application the surrounding skin is lightly painted with tincture of benzoin. This treatment improves adherence to the skin of disposable electrodes and electrode attachment collars, reduces skin trauma associated with electrode removal, and minimizes sensitivity to electrode adhesives.This research was supported in part by NIH grant No. NS25114.     

Trend,seasonality, cycle,and irregular fluctuations in primary productivity at Lake Tahoe,California-Nevada,USA

Primary productivity has been measured routinely at Lake Tahoe since 1967, and a number of mechanisms underlying variability in the productivity record have now been identified. A long-term trend due to nutrient loading dominates the series. Seasonality also is prominent, apparently controlled by direct physical factors unrelated to the trophic cascade. A 3-yr cycle has been detected and several possible mechanisms are considered. Irregular fluctuations also are present, caused in part by isolated events (a forest fire) and recurring but variable phenomena (spring mixing). Except possibly for the 3-yr cycle, the known sources of variability appear to operate bottom-up through direct physical and chemical effects on the phytoplankton.     

Differential response of DPI-modified cardiac Na+ channels to antiarrhythmic drugs: No flicker blockade by lidocaine

Summary Elementary Na⁺ currents were recorded in cell attached patches from short-time cultured neonatal cardiocytes in order to test the hypothesis whether the open state of DPI-modified, noninactivating cardiac Na⁺ channels is basically sensitive to blocking drug molecules such as antiarrhythmics.Lidocaine (300 mol/liter) effectively reduced the open probability of cardiac Na⁺ channels and, at a stimulation rate of 1 Hz, depressed the reconstructed macroscopic peak I _Na to 40+ 3.5% of the predrug value. The same drug concentration failed to influence DPI-modified Na⁺ channels. Their open state proved almost insensitive to lidocaine. _open decreased only slightly to 85 ±2%. Still more importantly, the number of transitions between the conducting and a nonconducting configuration did not increase. At –40 mV, lidocaine may interfere with the open state with an association rate constant of 1.3×10⁵ mol^–1sec^–1 which is about two orders of magnitude smaller than the rate constant obtained with propafenone or prajmalium. Moreover, propafenone (10–20 mol/liter) or prajmalium (30 mol/liter) led to a tremendous increase in the number of transitions between the open and a nonconducting configuration. Lidocaine also failed to evoke a fast flicker blockade with reaction kinetics in the microsecond range.It is concluded that DPI-modified cardiac Na⁺ channels discriminate between lidocaine and other antiarrhythmic drugs. As a tentative explanation, this might be indicative for multiple binding sites for those drugs in cardiac Na⁺ channels.This work was supported by a grant from the Deutsche Forschungs-gemeinschagt (Ko 778/2–3), Bonn.     

盐酸右美托咪定联合瑞芬太尼在骨科手术中的应用效果及对呼吸功能的影响

本研究考察了盐酸右美托咪定联合瑞芬太尼(观察组,n=68)和丙泊酚联合瑞芬太尼(对照组,n=68)在我院136例骨科手术患者中的应用效果,应用警觉/镇静观察评分(OAA/S)评价患者用药前(T0)、用药10 min后(T1)、用药20 min后(T2)、用药30 min后(T3)和清醒后(T4)的镇静效果,并比较了两组患者在不同时间点的呼吸频率(RR)、血氧饱和度(SpO2)、心率(HR)和平均动脉压(MAP)。研究结果显示,两组患者在T0、T1和T4时间点的OAA/S评分无统计学差异(p>0.05),观察组在T2和T3时间点的OAA/S评分明显小于对照组(p<0.05)。两组患者在T0、T1和T4时间点的RR无统计学差异(p>0.05),观察组在T2和T3时间点时的RR明显大于对照组(p<0.05)。观察组在T2时间点时的SpO2明显大于对照组(p<0.05)。两组患者的SpO2在其他时间段时无明显差异(p>0.05)。两组患者的HR和MAP均未表现出明显差异(p>0.05)。观察组的不良反应发生率为2.94%,明显高于对照组的11.76%(p=0.049)。本研究结论初步表明,与丙泊酚联合瑞芬太尼相比,盐酸右美托咪定联合瑞芬太尼在骨科手术中具有更好的镇静效果,可有效保障患者的呼吸功能,具有良好的血流动力学稳定性和安全性。     

Rapid anti‐depressant‐like effects of ketamine and other candidates: Molecular and cellular mechanisms

Major depressive disorder takes at least 3 weeks for clinical anti‐depressants, such as serotonin selective reuptake inhibitors, to take effect, and only one‐third of patients remit. Ketamine, a kind of anaesthetic, can alleviate symptoms of major depressive disorder patients in a short time and is reported to be effective to treatment‐resistant depression patients. The rapid and strong anti‐depressant‐like effects of ketamine cause wide concern. In addition to ketamine, caloric restriction and sleep deprivation also elicit similar rapid anti‐depressant‐like effects. However, mechanisms about the rapid anti‐depressant‐like effects remain unclear. Elucidating the mechanisms of rapid anti‐depressant effects is the key to finding new therapeutic targets and developing therapeutic patterns. Therefore, in this review we summarize potential molecular and cellular mechanisms of rapid anti‐depressant‐like effects based on the pre‐clinical and clinical evidence, trying to provide new insight into future therapy.     

典型草原大针茅种群空间格局及对长期过度放牧的响应

种群空间格局是生态学研究的基本问题之一。典型草原带由于过度放牧退化严重, 原生群落罕见, 探讨原生群落的种群空间格局具有重要生态学意义。大针茅(Stipa grandis)草原是典型草原区广泛分布的主要群落类型, 1979年围封的大针茅样地, 是目前保存完整的大针茅草原原生群落。本文选择大针茅草原原生群落和长期过度放牧群落, 应用O-Ring函数结合不同零假设模型分析了大针茅种群的空间格局。结果表明: 在原生群落中大针茅种群在小尺度范围内呈均匀分布, 而在长期过度放牧群落中则表现为聚集分布。这说明在大针茅草原原生群落中竞争是主要的相互作用, 而在长期过度放牧群落中正相互作用居主导, 验证了胁迫梯度假说; 同时证明长期过度放牧改变了种群空间格局。     

Effects of long-term antibiotic treatment on mice urinary aromatic amino acid profiles

The gut microbiota–host co-metabolites are good indicators for representing the cross-talk between host and gut microbiota in a bi-direct manner. There is increasing evidence that levels of aromatic amino acids (AAAs) are associated with the alteration of intestinal microbial community though the effects of long-term microbial disturbance remain unclear. Here we monitored the gut microbiota composition and host–microbiota co-metabolites AAA profiles of mice after gentamicin and ceftriaxone treatments for nearly 4 months since their weaning to reveal the relationship between host and microbiome in long- term microbial disturbances. The study was performed employing targeted LC-MS measurement of AAA-related metabolites and 16S RNA sequence of mice cecal contents. The results showed obvious decreased gut microbial diversity and decreased Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio in the cecal contents after long-term antibiotics treatment. The accumulated AAA (tyrosine, phenylalanine and tryptophan) and re-distribution of their downstreaming metabolites that produced under the existence of intestinal flora were found in mice treated with antibiotics for 4 months. Our results suggested that the long-term antibiotic treatment significantly changed the composition of the gut microbiota and destroyed the homeostasis in the intestinal metabolism. And the urinary AAA could be an indicator for exploring interactions between host and gut microbiota.