BACKGROUND:Current studies have shown that electronic moxibustion can improve memory function in amnestic mild cognitive impairment;however,its mechanism of action needs to be further investigated.The atrophy of hippocampal volume and impairment of functional connectivity are important imaging markers of amnestic mild cognitive impairment.Whether electronic moxibustion can regulate the volume of hippocampal subregion of partients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment is worth studying. OBJECTIVE:To observe the effect of electronic moxibustion on the volume of hippocampal subregions in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment. METHODS:Forty patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment were recruited from April 1,2018 to January 31,2019 at the community service centers around the Second Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University(Baoan Hospital of Southern Medical University),Shenzhen,China.They were randomly divided into treatment group(n=20)and control group(n=20).The treatment group was treated with electronic moxibustion of regulating the mind and benefiting the intelligence,while the control group was treated with placebo moxibustion.Moxibustion was given at 45 oC,20 minutes each time,once a day,5 times a week,for 8 weeks in total.Memory evaluation using Rivermead behavioral memory test and magnetic resonance imaging scanning for detecting the hippocampal subregion volume were performed for each patient before and after treatment,and cognitive function of each patient was assessed using Montreal cognitive assessment and mini-mental state examination.Correlation of hippocampal subregion volumes with scores on each scale was analyzed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:After treatment,the volumes of the left parasubiculum and the left hippocampal-amygdala migrating area increased in the treatment group but decreased in the control group,and there was a significant difference between the two groups(P＜0.05).Compared with the pre-treatment data,the Rivermead behavioral memory test,Montreal cognitive assessment,and mini-mental state examination scores were significantly higher in the treatment group after treatment(P＜0.05),while there was no significant change in the three scale scores in the control group after treatment(P＞0.05).The three scale scores were higher in the treatment group than in the control group after treatment(P＜0.05).Pearson correlation analysis showed that the changes in the volume of the left parasubiculum was significantly and positively correlated with the Rivermead behavioral memory test scale score in the treatment group(r=0.418,P=0.014).To conclude,electronic moxibustion can improve memory in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment,and the mechanism may be the regulation of structural plasticity in hippocampal subregions.

Objective:To explore the relative concentration changes of oxygenated hemoglobin (Oxy Hb) in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and brain region activation during emotional face recognition tasks in women with perimenopausal depression.Methods:From February to April 2023, forty perimenopausal women were recruited, including 20 women with perimenopausal depression (experimental group) and 20 women with non-perimenopausal depression (control group). All participants were evaluated by the modified Kupperman score, 24-item Hamilton depression scale (HAMD-24), and patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9). Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) equipment was used to measure the relative concentration of Oxy-Hb in the PFC in two groups under the emotional face recognition task. Statistical analysis was performed by SPSS 26.0 software. Data were analyzed by a t-test, rank sum test, and Pearson correlation. Results:There were statistically significant differences in the results of the modified Kupperman score((23.20±3.66), (18.10±1.28)), HAMD-24((15.95±5.47), (3.35±1.84)), and PHQ-9(7.00(5.00, 10.75), 1.50(1.00, 3.00)) scales between the the experimental group and control group ( P<0.05). There was a positive correlation between the modified Kupperman score and the HAMD-24 score in the experimental group ( r=0.685, P=0.01). The reaction time of the experimental group in identifying negative and neutral emotional faces was statistically significant compared to the control group( t=4.01, 4.80, both P<0.05). Compared with identifying neutral emotions, PFC activation was stronger in the experimental group and control group when identifying negative emotions ( P<0.05). The PFC activation in the experimental group was stronger than that in the control group when identifying negative emotions ( P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the activation level between the two groups when identifying neutral emotions ( P>0.05). Conclusion:Women with perimenopausal depression exhibit specificity in emotional processing, with increased PFC activation when identifying negative emotions, impaired emotional processing function of PFC, and dysfunction of aerobic metabolism.

Objective:To investigate the effects of single intermittent theta-burst stimulation on functional connectivity in patients with mild cognitive impairment(MCI).Methods:From July to November 2020, forty MCI patients were selected and randomly divided into iTBS true stimulation group and iTBS sham-stimulation group, with 20 patients in each group.iTBS targeted the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA), mini-mental state examination (MMSE), activity of daily living scale(ADL), Hamilton depression scale (HAMD) and Hamilton anxiety scale (HAMA) were evaluated at baseline.The resting state electroencephalography (rsEEG) was collected for 5 minutes before and after iTBS in the two groups.The phase lag index(PLI) of EEG functional connectivity was calculated, and the functional connectivity matrix diagram was drawn.SPSS 26.0 software was used for statistical analysis.Data were statistically analyzed by χ2 test, Wilcoxon rank sum test and independent sample t-test. Results:There were no significant differences in scores of MoCA, ADL, HAMD and HAMA between the two groups(all P>0.05). In the iTBS true stimulation group, compared with that before iTBS treatment(0.140(0.133, 0.144)), the PLI of β band increased significantly after iTBS treatment(0.146(0.136, 0.167))( P<0.05). The region of increased PLI was mainly concentrated in the central region(C3/C4-T7/T8). Compared with that before iTBS treatment(0.251(0.232, 0.299)), the PLI of α band increased after iTBS treatment(0.286(0.241, 0.359)), but the difference was not statistically significant( P>0.05). Conclusion:Single iTBS treatment can significantly increase the EEG functional connectivity in patients with MCI, indicating that iTBS targeting the left DLPFC can effectively regulate the EEG functional connectivity in patients with MCI, which may reveal the mechanism of iTBS in improving cognitive function in patients with MCI.

Landfill is one of the important sources of carbon tetrachloride (CT) pollution, and it is important to understand the degradation mechanism of CT in landfill cover for better control. In this study, a simulated landfill cover system was set up, and the biotransformation mechanism of CT and the associated micro-ecology were investigated. The results showed that three stable functional zones along the depth, i.e., aerobic zone (0-15 cm), anoxic zone (15-45 cm) and anaerobic zone (> 45 cm), were generated because of long-term biological oxidation in landfill cover. There were significant differences in redox condition and microbial community structure in each zone, which provided microbial resources and favorable conditions for CT degradation. The results of biodegradation indicated that dechlorination of CT produced chloroform (CF), dichloromethane (DCM) and Cl^- in anaerobic and anoxic zones. The highest concentration of dechlorination products occurred at 30 cm, which were degraded rapidly in aerobic zone. In addition, CT degradation rate was 13.2-103.6 μg/(m²·d), which decreased with the increase of landfill gas flux. The analysis of diversity sequencing revealed that Mesorhizobium, Thiobacillus and Intrasporangium were potential CT-degraders in aerobic, anaerobic and anoxic zone, respectively. Moreover, six species of dechlorination bacteria and eighteen species of methanotrophs were also responsible for anaerobic transformation of CT and aerobic degradation of CF and DCM, respectively. Interestingly, anaerobic dechlorination and aerobic transformation occurred simultaneously in the anoxic zone in landfill cover. Furthermore, analysis of degradation mechanism suggested that generation of stable anaerobic-anoxic-aerobic zone by regulation was very important for the harmless removal of full halogenated hydrocarbon in vadose zone, and the increase of anoxic zone scale enhanced their removal. These results provide theoretical guidance for the removal of chlorinated pollutants in landfills.
Bacteria/metabolism* ; Biodegradation, Environmental ; Carbon Tetrachloride/metabolism* ; Methane/metabolism* ; Waste Disposal Facilities

Objective:To investigate the therapeutic mechanism of high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in treating mild amnestic cognitive impairment (aMCI).Methods:Twenty-five patients with aMCI were randomly divided into an observation group of 13 and a control group of 12. The observation group was given 10-Hz rTMS over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex at 80% of the motor threshold-400 pulses a day, 5 times a week for 4 consecutive weeks. The control group received sham stimulation on the same schedule. Before and after the experiment, both groups were evaluated using the Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) and received fMRI scans.Results:After the intervention, the average MoCA score of the observation group had improved significantly more compared with that of the control group and compared with before the intervention. According to the fMRI results, regional homogeneity in the right middle frontal gyrus of the observation group had increased significantly, while that of the control group both there and in the left precuneus had decreased significantly.Conclusions:High-frequency rTMS can effectively improve the cognitive function of patients with aMCI and synchronize neuron activity in cognition-related brain regions.

Objective To observe the effects of mind-regulating brain-developing acupoint magnetic therapy in patients with mild cogni-tive impairment (MCI). Methods From May to October, 2015, 60 patients with MCI were randomly divided into control group (n=30) and observation group (n=30). The control group received magnetic therapy on Yangming meridians, and the observation group received magnet-ic therapy on mind-regulating brain-developing acupoints, for two months. They were assessed with Montreal Cognitive Assessment (Mo-CA), digit-span and digit symbol of Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS). Results After treatment, the scores of MoCA, digit-span and digit symbol of WAIS significantly increased in the observation group (t>4.858, P<0.001), and were higher than that in the control group (t>2.188, P<0.05), however, only the scores of MoCA and digit symbol of WAIS significantly increased in the control group (t>5.527, P<0.001). The scores of visual space and execution, and delayed recall of MoCA increased in the observation group (t>2.324, P<0.05), and were higher than that in the control group (t>2.262, P<0.05) after treatment, and no significant difference was found in other domains (P>0.05). Conclusion Magnetic therapy on acupoints related with cognition could improve the cognitive function in patients with MCI.

Objective To explore the effect of functional electrical stimulation combined with treadmill training and botulinum toxin type A injection on foot-drop and strephenopodia among stroke survivors.Methods Sixty-seven stroke survivors with foot-drop and strephenopodia were randomly divided into an electrical stimulation group (n=23),a conventional treatment group (n =22) and a combined treatment group (n =22).All 3 groups received a 400 U injection of BTX-A and electrical stimulation.After 24 hours,the patients in the conventional treatment group received conventional treatment including a brain protection agent,limb function exercises,gait training,balance training and training in the activities of daily living.The patients in the combined treatment group received that conventional treatment,plus functional electrical stimulation and weight loss training on a treadmill.The patients in the electrical stimulation group received functional electrical stimulation treatment supplementing the conventional treatment.Therapeutic effects were evaluated before and after six weeks of treatment using integral electromyography (iEMS) of the anterior tibial muscle and the lateral head of the gastrocnemius muscle,the co-contraction ratio (CR) during ankle dorsiflexion,the modified Ashworth Scale (MAS),the Berg balance scale (BBS),a functional walking score (FAC),and the active range of motion (AROM) of the ankle in dorsiflexion and eversion.Results After the treatment,significant improvement was observed in all three groups in the average iEMS value of the anterior tibial muscle and the lateral head of the gastrocnemius muscle,the CR in ankle dorsiflexion,and in their MAS,BBS,FAC and AROM results.There was no significant difference among the three groups after treatment in their average iEMS values at the lateral head of the gastrocnemius.The average values of the other indicators were,however,significantly better in the combined treatment group than in the other 2 groups.Conclusion Functional electrical stimulation combined with treadmill training and botulinum toxin type A injection can significantly improve foot-drop,strephenopodia and the walking function of stroke survivors.This combined treatment deserves popularization and application in clinical practice.

BACKGROUNDHypoxic pulmonary hypertension (HPH) contributes to the pathogenesis of cardiopulmonary diseases. Several lines of evidence indicate that the Rho A/Rho-kinase pathway play an important role in the progress of pulmonary hypertension. Stains have been shown exert numerous biological effects that are independent of their cholesterol-lowering property. We hypothesized that the Rho A/Rho-kinase pathway is involved in the pathogenesis of HPH, and that atorvastatin would attenuate involvement of the Rho A/Rho-kinase pathway in a HPH rat model.

METHODSThirty-two Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups: control group, hypoxic group, atovastatin group, and normal saline group. The control group was kept in a normoxia environment. The other groups were exposed to hypoxia for three weeks. Atovastatin was administered daily via a gastric gavage in the atovastatin group. We measured the mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP), the ratio of the right ventricular weight to the sum of the weights of the left heart ventricle and septum (RV/(LV+S)), arteriole wall thickness/vascular external diameter (WT%), vascular area/total vascular area (WA%), expression of RhoA and phos-MYPT-1 protein in lung tissue, and NF-κB activation in pulmonary vascular smooth muscle cells.

RESULTSCompared with the control group, mPAP, RV/(LV+S), WT%, WA%, NF-κB activation, expression of RhoA, and phos-MYPT-1 were increased in the hypoxic and normal saline groups (P < 0.05). Compared with the hypoxic group, mPAP, RV/(LV+S), WT%, WA%, NF-κB activation, expression of RhoA, and phos-MYPT-1 were decreased in the atovastatin group (P < 0.05). Correlations between phos-MPTY-1 and mPAP, WA%, WT%, and NF-κB activation were all positive.

CONCLUSIONSThe Rho A/Rho-kinase pathway plays an important role in the development of HPH. Atorvastatin reversed HPH by inhibiting the activity of Rho A/Rho-kinase and NF-κB.

Animals ; Atorvastatin Calcium ; Blotting, Western ; Heptanoic Acids ; therapeutic use ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; drug therapy ; enzymology ; Hypoxia ; metabolism ; Male ; NF-kappa B ; metabolism ; Pyrroles ; therapeutic use ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Signal Transduction ; drug effects ; rho-Associated Kinases ; metabolism ; rhoA GTP-Binding Protein ; metabolism

Objective To determine the effect of atorvastatin on the hypercholesterolemia in-duced lesion in the lung. Methods Fifteen male New Zealand rabbits were randomly assigned into a control group (n=5) , a high-cholesterol forage group (n=5) , and an atrovastatin treatment group (n=5). The control group received normal forage, but the high-cholesterol group and atrovastatin treatment group received high-cholesterol forage. From the 9 th week, the atrovastatin treatment group was added atorvastatin, and the experiment stopped at the end of the 14th week. At the beginning of the experiment and at the 8 th, 14 th week, blood cholesterol and body weight were detected. At the 14th week, bronchial alveolar lavage (BAL) was performed in vitro after the rabbits were executed; pathological examinations were determined in the lung tissues by staining with hamatoxylin-eosin. Oil red 0 and the activities of NF-κB in the alveolar macrophages (AMs) were investigated by immuno-cytochemistry. Proliferative cell nuclear antigen in the lung tissues was adopted by immunohistochem-istry, and the concentrations of IL-6 in the serum, BALF and the culture supematants of AMs were measured by ELISA. Pulmonary tissue paraffin section was stained with hamatoxylin-eosin. Results Atorvastatin reduced inflammatory infiltration, AM NF-κB activation, and cell proliferation in the lung, but raised IL-6 level. Conclusion Hypercholesterolemia-induced pulmonary inflammation is attenuated by atorvastatin.

Objective To compare the effect of the rehabilitation training during or after acupuncture on edema and pain of shoulder-hand syndrome after stroke. Methods 60 patients with shoulder-hand syndrome were divided into two groups. The control group performed the routine rehabilitation training after the acupuncture, while the treatment group during the acupuncture. The pain and edema of the affected hands were observed. Results The pain and edema decreased significantly after treatment compared with that of control(P<0.01). Conclusion The rehabilitation training during acupuncture is more effective on shoulder-hand syndrome than the routine rehabilitation training after acupuncture.