Use of evergreen and deciduous plants by nocturnal-roosting birds:A case study in Beijing

With continually increasing urbanization,the land cover in urban areas continues to change,resulting in the loss of biodiversity.Birds are highly sensitive to changes in habitat.Most forest birds perch on plants that provide increased safety to reduce the risk of predation,and small birds may also consider insulation when using roosting plants in winter because of cold weather.Landscaping plants thus shape the nocturnal roosting environment of urban birds,and proper planting is essential for the survival of birds at night.The use of roosting plants by urban birds should therefore be studied to provide a reference for landscaping.In the current study,we observed 1865 nocturnal roosting birds in Beijing from 2021 to 2022,with 23 species of birds from 12 families and 45 species of plants from 22 families recorded.Juniperus chinensis exhibited the highest bird rarity-weighted richness,followed by Fraxinus pennsylvanica,Phyllostachys propinqua,Pinus tabuliformis,and Ulmus pumila.The diameter at breast height,tree height,and crown width of plants used by birds was largest in summer and smallest in winter,and the perch height of birds was the highest in spring and summer and the lowest in winter.Birds used the highest proportion of deciduous plants in summer and the highest proportion of evergreen plants in winter.A significant seasonal difference in the use of evergreen and deciduous plants by small birds was noted,with a preference for deciduous plants in summer and evergreen plants in winter,while this preference was not found in large birds.These findings indicate that evergreen plants provide a vital nocturnal roosting environment for small birds in winter.To provide a better nocturnal roosting habitat for urban birds,we recommend paying attention to the combination of evergreen and deciduous plants when carrying out landscape construction.

Glucocorticoid-induced thrombotic microangiopathy in paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria:A case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND Thrombotic microangiopathy(TMA)is a group of disorders that converge on excessive platelet aggregation in the microvasculature,leading to consumptive thrombocytopenia,microangiopathic hemolysis and ischemic end-organ dysfunction.In predisposed patients,TMA can be triggered by many environmental factors.Glucocorticoids(GCs)can compromise the vascular endothelium.However,GC-associated TMA has rarely been reported,which may be due to the lack of awareness of clinicians.Given the high frequency of thrombocytopenia during GC treatment,particular attention should be given to this potentially fatal complication.CASE SUMMARY An elderly Chinese man had a 12-year history of aplastic anemia(AA)and a 3-year history of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria(PNH).Three months earlier,methylprednisolone treatment was initiated at 8 mg/d and increased to 20 mg/d to alleviate complement-mediated hemolysis.Following GC treatment,his platelet counts and hemoglobin levels rapidly decreased.After admission to our hospital,the dose of methylprednisolone was increased to 60 mg/d in an attempt to enhance the suppressive effect.However,increasing the GC dose did not alleviate hemolysis,and his cytopenia worsened.Morphological evaluation of the marrow smears revealed increased cellularity with an increased percentage of erythroid progenitors without evident dysplasia.Cluster of differentiation(CD)55 and CD59 expression was significantly decreased on erythrocytes and granulocytes.In the following days,platelet transfusion was required due to severe thrombocytopenia.Observation of platelet transfusion refractoriness indicated that the exacerbated cytopenia may have been caused by the development of TMA due to GC treatment because the transfused platelet concentrates had no defects in glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins.We examined blood smears and found a small number of schistocytes,dacryocytes,acanthocytes and target cells.Discontinuation of GC treatment resulted in rapidly increased platelet counts and steady increases in hemoglobin levels.The patient’s platelet counts and hemoglobin levels returned to the levels prior to GC treatment 4 weeks after GC discontinuation.CONCLUSION GCs can drive TMA episodes.When thrombocytopenia occurs during GC treatment,TMA should be considered,and GCs should be discontinued.

Leukemic transformation during anti-tuberculosis treatment in aplastic anemia-paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria syndrome:A case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND Accumulating evidence demonstrates that autoimmune hematopoietic failure and myeloid neoplasms have an intrinsic relationship with regard to clonal hematopoiesis and disease evolution.In approximately 10%-15%of patients with severe aplastic anemia(SAA),the disease phenotype is transformed into myeloid neoplasms following antithymocyte globulin plus cyclosporine-based immunosuppressive therapy.In some of these patients,myeloid neoplasms appear during or shortly after immunosuppressive therapy.Leukemic transformation in SAA patients during anti-tuberculosis treatment has not been reported.CASE SUMMARY A middle-aged Chinese female had a 6-year history of non-SAA and a 2-year history of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria(PNH).With aggravation of systemic inflammatory symptoms,severe pancytopenia developed,and her hemoglobinuria disappeared.Laboratory findings in cytological,immunological and cytogenetic analyses of bone marrow samples met the diagnostic criteria for“SAA.”Definitive diagnosis of disseminated tuberculosis was made in the search for infectious niches.Remarkable improvement in hematological parameters was achieved within 1 mo of anti-tuberculosis treatment,and complete hematological remission was achieved within 4 mo of treatment.Frustratingly,the hematological response lasted for only 3 mo,and pancytopenia reemerged.At this time,cytological findings(increased bone marrow cellularity and an increased percentage of myeloblasts that accounted for 16.0%of all nucleated hematopoietic cells),immunological findings(increased percentage of cluster of differentiation 34+cells that accounted for 12.28%of all nucleated hematopoietic cells)and molecular biological findings(identification of somatic mutations in nucleophosmin-1 and casitas B-lineage lymphoma genes)revealed that“SAA”had transformed into acute myeloid leukemia with mutated nucleophosmin-1.The transformation process suggested that the leukemic clones were preexistent but were suppressed in the PNH and SAA stages,as development of symptomatic myeloid neoplasm through acquisition and accumulation of novel oncogenic mutations is unlikely in an interval of only 7 mo.Aggravation of inflammatory stressors due to disseminated tuberculosis likely contributed to the repression of normal and leukemic hematopoiesis,and the relief of inflammatory stressors due to anti-tuberculosis treatment contributed to penetration of neoplastic hematopoiesis.The concealed leukemic clones in the SAA and PNH stages raise the possibility of an inflammatory stress-fueled antileukemic mechanism.CONCLUSION Aggravated inflammatory stressors can repress normal and leukemic hematopoiesis,and relieved inflammatory stressors can facilitate penetration of neoplastic hematopoiesis.

Prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease in children with extraesophageal manifestations using combined-video,multichannel intraluminal impedance-pH study

BACKGROUND Gastroesophageal reflux disease(GERD)might be either a cause or comorbidity in children with extraesophageal problems especially as refractory respiratory symptoms,without any best methods or criterion for diagnosing it in children.AIM To evaluate the prevalence of extraesophageal GERD using conventional and combined-video,multichannel intraluminal impedance-pH(MII-pH),and to propose novel diagnostic parameters.METHODS The study was conducted among children suspected of extraesophageal GERD at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital between 2019 and 2022.The children underwent conventional and/or combined-video MII-pH.The potential parameters were assessed and receiver operating characteristic was used for the significant parameters.RESULTS Of 51 patients(52.9%males),aged 2.24 years were recruited.The common problems were cough,recurrent pneumonia,and hypersecretion.Using MII-pH,35.3%of the children were diagnosed with GERD by reflux index(31.4%),total reflux events(3.9%),and symptom indices(9.8%)with higher symptom recorded in the GERD group(94 vs 171,P=0.033).In the video monitoring group(n=17),there were more symptoms recorded(120 vs 220,P=0.062)and more GERD(11.8%vs 29.4%,P=0.398)by symptom indices.Longest reflux time and mean nocturnal baseline impedance were significant parameters for diagnosis with receiver operating characteristic areas of 0.907(P=0.001)and 0.726(P=0.014).CONCLUSION The prevalence of extraesophageal GERD in children was not high as expected.The diagnostic yield of symptom indices increased using video monitoring.Long reflux time and mean nocturnal baseline impedance are novel parameters that should be integrated into the GERD diagnostic criteria in children.

Construction of gene/protein interaction networks and enrichment pathway analysis for paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria and aplastic anemia

Background:To develop a protein-protein interaction network of Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria(PNH)and Aplastic anemia(AA)based on genetic genes and to predict pathways underlying the molecular complexes in the network.Methods:In this research,the PNH and AA-related genes were screened through Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man(OMIM).The plugins and Cytoscape were used to search literature and build a protein-protein interaction network.Results:The protein-protein interaction network contains two molecular complexes that are five higher than the correlation integral values.The target genes of this study were obtained:CD59,STAT3,TERC,TNF,AKT1,C5AR1,EPO,IL6,IL10 and so on.We also found that many factors regulate biological behaviors:neutrophils,macrophages,vascular endothelial growth factor,immunoglobulin,interleukin,cytokine receptor,interleukin-6 receptor,tumor necrosis factor,and so on.This research provides a bioinformatics foundation for further explaining the mechanism of common development of both.Conclusion:This indicates that the PNH and AA is a complex process regulated by many cellular pathways and multiple genes.

DEFECTIVE LYMPHOCYTES SUPPORTING HEMATOPOIESIS IN PATIENTS WITH PAROXYSMAL NOCTURNAL HEMOGLOBINURIA

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is an acquired hemo-lytic disease in which there is a stem cell disorder of clonal nature. Previous studies have demonstrated that the numbers of burst-forming units-erythroid (BFU-E) and colony-forming units-granulocyte / macrophage (CFU-GM) from bone marrow of PNH patients growing in the medium containing PHA-LCM from the normai donors were more reduced than those of normai bone marrow. The purpose of present study was to investigate if PNH lymphocytes are defective in supporting hematopoiesis in vitro. PHA-LCM from PNH blood was added to the culture medium for the growth of PNH and normai BFU-E and CFU-GM. The numbers of PNH bone marrow BFU-E and CFU-GM in the medium containing PHA-LCM from PNH blood were less than those from normai blood; the numbers of normai bone marrow BFU-E and CFU-GM grown in the medium containing PHA-LCM from PNH blood were more decreased than those from normai blood. The results suggest that diminished numbers of PNH bone marrovv BFU-

Molecular Evolution of Visual Opsin Genes during the Behavioral Shifts between Different Photic Environments in Geckos

Reptiles are the most morphologically and physiologically diverse tetrapods,with the squamates having the most diverse habitats.Lizard is an important model system for understanding the role of visual ecology,phylogeny and behavior on the structure of visual systems.In this study,we compared three opsin genes(RH2,LWS and SWS1)among 49 reptile species to detect positively selected genes as well as amino acid sites.Our results indicated that visual opsin genes have undergone divergent selection pressures in all lizards and RH2 and LWS suffered stronger positive selection than SWS1.Twelve positively selected sites were picked out for RH2 and LWS.Moreover,many diagnostic sites were found between geckos and non-gecko lizards,most of which were located near the positively selected sites and some of them have already been reported to be responsible for significant shifts of the wavelength of maximum absorption(λ_(max)).The results indicated that the gecko lineage accelerated the evolution of these genes to adapt to the dim-light environment or nocturnality as well as the switch between nocturnality and diurnality.

Diurnal Variations of Precipitation over North China Regulated by the Mountain-plains Solenoid and Boundary-layer Inertial Oscillation

The mountain-plains solenoid(MPS) and boundary-layer inertial oscillation(BLO) are two typical regional forcings at the diurnal time scale. Their relative role in regulating the diurnal variations of summer rainfall over North China and their change under different monsoon conditions are studied using a 19-yr archive of satellite rainfall and reanalysis data. It is shown that both a strong MPS and BLO can increase nocturnal rainfall in the North China plains but exhibit evident regional differences. The MPS-induced nocturnal rainfall is relatively confined to the plains adjacent to mountains from late night to morning, due to the upward branch of the nighttime MPS. In contrast, the BLO-induced nocturnal rainfall strengthens from early evening and is more extensive in early morning over the open plains further east. The contrasting effect in the evening is related to the convergent(divergent) easterly anomaly in the plains under the BLO(MPS). The BLO also induces the relatively strong enhancement of moisture convergence and high humidity by the southerly anomaly at late night. On strong monsoon days, the nocturnal rainfall amount associated with the MPS and BLO increases considerably in the plains.Both regional forcings become effective in regulating the rainfall diurnal cycle with enhanced moisture convergence under monsoon conditions. Their induced diurnal amplitudes of moisture convergence can be comparable to the daily mean by monsoon flow. The regional forcings thus couple with monsoon flow to strengthen rainfall in the plains, particularly from late night to morning. The results highlight that a combination of regional and large-scale forcings can strongly regulate the warm-season climate.

幽门螺杆菌感染与胃食管反流患者夜间酸突破的相关性研究

目的：研究幽门螺杆菌（Hp）感染与胃食管反流病（GERD）患者夜间酸突破（NAB）的相关性。方法选择2012年9月～2013年5月我院收治的胃食管反流病患者，使用活检胃窦组织快速尿素酶法及14C呼气试验法进行幽门螺杆菌感染监测，对监测确诊为Hp阳性的90例GERSD患者以数字法随机分为对照组45例和观察组45例。观察组进行根除Hp治疗，对照组服用泮托拉唑钠治疗。比较两组患者治疗前后的反流诊断问卷评分（RDQ）、NAB发生率以及夜间22 h至次日8 h内pH＜4.0占比情况。结果观察组患者夜间酸突破的发生率为62.2%，明显高于对照组患者的发生率35.6%，差异有统计学意义（P＜0.05）；治疗前，两组RDQ评分无明显差异（P〈0.05），治疗后，观察组RDQ评分为（12.43±3.79）分，明显高于对照组的（9.21±2.93）分，差异有统计学意义（P＜0.05）。且Hp感染与NAB呈正相关（r=0.812，P＜0.05）。结论 Hp感染能在一定程度上减少NAB的发生，且Hp感染对GERD的发生和发展有着较大的保护作用。

Effect of domperidone therapy on nocturnal dyspeptic symptoms of functional dyspepsia patients

AIM:To investigate the incidence of nocturnal dyspeptic symptoms in patients with functional dyspepsia(FD) and whether prokinetic drugs can alleviate them. METHODS:Eighty-five consecutive Chinese patients with FD were included in this study.One week after single-blinded placebo run-in treatment,baseline nocturnal intragastric pH,bile reflux and nocturnal dyspeptic symptoms of eligible patients,including epigastric pain or discomfort,abdominal distention and belching, were investigated with questionnaires.Patients exhibiting nocturnal dyspeptic symptoms were randomly and double-blindly assigned to domperidone group or placebo group.Nocturnal intragastric pH and percentage of duodenogastric bile reflux time were determined after treatment. RESULTS:Of the 85 FD patients,2 females withoutnocturnal symptoms,who responded to placebo run-in treatment,were excluded from the study,30(36.1%) exhibited nocturnal dyspeptic symptoms with increased duodenogastric bile reflux time(intragastric bilirubin absorbance>0.14)and mean gastric pH(confirming the existence of bile reflux)(P=0.021,0.023) at night were included in the study.Of these 30 patients,21(70%)had overt nocturnal duodenogastric bile reflux,which was significantly higher than that of those without nocturnal symptoms(P=0.026).The 30 patients were allocated to domperidone group or placebo group(n=15).The nocturnal duodenogastric bile reflux and gastric pH were significantly decreased after domperidone treatment(P=0.015,0.021).The severity score of nocturnal dyspeptic symptoms was also significantly decreased after domperidone treatment (P=0.010,0.015,0.026),which was positively correlated with the reduced nocturnal bile reflux or gastric pH(r=0.736,0.784,0.753 or r=0.679,0.715,0.697, P=0.039,0.036,0.037 or P=0.043,0.039,0.040). CONCLUSION:A subgroup of Chinese FD patients show overt nocturnal dyspeptic symptoms,which may be correlated with the excessive nocturnal duodenogastric bile reflux.Domperidone therapy can alleviate these symptoms.

Emergence,Mating and Oviposition Behavior of the Chinese Population in Pink Bollworm,Pectinophora gossypiella (Lepidoptera:Gelechiidae)

The pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella （Lepidoptera： Gelechiidae） is one of the most serious lepidopteran pests of cotton in the world. This pest invaded China at the onset of the 20th century, possibly through repeated introductions from several different locations worldwide. In this paper, we describe different behavioral parameters of this Hubei P. gossypiella strain under laboratory and field conditions. Using an infra-red video recorder, we observed （nocturnal） emergence, flight and mating activities, and oviposition patterns. Moth emergence started from 13：00 and continued up till 23：00. Under laboratory and field conditions, 2-7-d-old moths initiated flight around sunset, peaked 50 rain later and gradually declined until 04：00. Although mating started immediately after darkness （i.e., 20：00）, mating behavior was most intense from 23：00 to 03：40. Oviposition also showed distinct time-related patterns, with approx. 70% eggs laid between 20：00 and 22：00. In the studies of the relationship between flight and oviposition, the duration of flight had an effect on oviposition. The 1-d-old moths flown for 6 and 12 h began oviposition earlier than the unflown ones, and the 6-h flight had no effect on the egg production. However, the longevity of the flown moths was shortened after flight. In addition, the peaks of oviposition for the flown moths were advanced 2-3 d. The age when the moths flied affected the oviposition of adult moths. The earlier the moths started to fly after emergence, the greater the fecundity they had. The average egg production of moths flown for 24 h was less than that of non-flown moths which were of the same age. Both flight and delay in mating could advance the oviposition peak. Our study provides detailed insights in nocturnal activities and the reproductive biology of local P. gossypiella populations, which could be employed to fine-tune current pest management programs in China.

Analysis of the CHRNA7 gene mutation and polymorphism in Southern Han Chinese patients with nocturnal frontal epilepsy

Objective:To detect the CHRNA7 gene mutation and polymorphism in Southern Han Chinese patients with nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy(NFLE).Methods:Blood samples were collected from 215 Southern Han Chinese patients with NFLE and 200 healthy Southern Han Chinese control subjects.Genomic DNA was extracted,and CHRNA7 whole genome exons were amplified by the polymerase chain reaction and subjected to Sanger sequencing.Results:No CHRNA7 gene mutation was detected in all of the NFLE patients.However,five single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs)in sporadic cases were found,located in exons 5,6.and 7 of the CHRNA7 gene.Among them,c.690G>A and c.698A>G are known SNPs,while c.370G>A,c.654C>T,and c.497-498delTG were newly discovered SNPs.These SNPs were also found in some of the healthy controls.Conclusions:No CHRNA7 gene mutation was identified in Southern Han Chinese patients with NFLE.The CHRNA7 gene is probably not responsible for NFLE in this population.

Relationship between Occurrence and Progression of Lung Cancer and Nocturnal Intermittent Hypoxia, Apnea and Daytime Sleepiness

The possible relationship between lung cancer and nocturnal intermittent hypoxia,apnea and daytime sleepiness,especially the possible relationship between the occurrence and progression of lung cancer and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) was explored.Forty-five cases of primary lung cancer suitable for surgical resection at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University between January 2017 and December 2017 were recruited (lung cancer group),and there were 45 patients in the control group who had no significant differences in age,sex and other general data from lung cancer group.The analyzed covariates included general situation,snore score,the Epworth Sleeping Scale (ESS),Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI),apnea and hypopneas index (AHI),oxygen desaturation index 4 (ODk),lowest arterial oxygen saturation [LSpCh (%)],oxygen below 90% of the time [T90%(min)],the percentage of the total recorded time spend below 90% oxygen saturation (TS90%),to explore the possible relationship between lung cancer and above indicators.The participants were followed up for one year.The results showed that:(1) There was significant difference in body mass index (BMI),ESS,AHI,T90%(min),TS90%,ODh,snore score and LSpCh (%) between lung cancer group and control group (P<0.05).There was no statistically significant difference in age,gender,PSQI score,incidence of concurrent hypertension,diabetes and coronary heart disease (CHD),and smoking history between the two groups (P>0.05);(2) Patients in the lung cancer group were divided into OSAS subgroup and non- OSAS subgroup according to the international standard for the diagnosis of OSAS.There was significant difference in BMI,age,staging,incidence of concurrent hypertension and concurrent CHD,snore score,ESS score,T90%(min),TS90%,ODh and LSpCh (%) between OSAS subgroup and non-OSAS subgroup (P<0.05).There was no statistically significant difference in gender,PSQI score,incidence of concurrent diabetes,smoking history and lung cancer type between the two groups (P>0.05);(3) AHI was strongly negatively correlated with the LSpCh (%) and positively with ESS,staging,snoring score,T90%(min),TS90%,ODh and BMI (P<0.05);(4) There were 3 deaths,5 cases of recurrence,and 4 cases of metastasis in OSAS subgroup;and there was 1 death,4 cases of recurrence and 2 cases of metastasis in non-OSAS subgroup during the follow-up period of one year,respectively.There was no significant difference in mortality,recurrence rate and metastasis rate between the two subgroups,and the total rate of deterioration in OSAS subgroup was significantly increased compared to the non-OSAS subgroup (P<0.05).It was concluded that the patients with lung cancer are prone to nocturnal hypoxemia,apnea,snoring and daytime sleepiness compared to control group.The incidence of OSAS in patients with lung cancer was higher,and the difference in the hypoxemia-related indicators was statistically significant.The mortality,recurrence rate,and metastasis rate increases in lung cancer patients with OSAS during the one-year follow-up period,suggesting that OSAS may be a contributing factor to the occurrence and progression of lung cancer.

Effect of diabetes mellitus on sleep quality

Diabetes mellitus(DM) is a highly prevalent condition affecting about 347 million people worldwide. In addition to its numerous clinical implications, DM also exerts a negative effect on patient's sleep quality.Impaired sleep quality disrupts the adequate glycemic control regarded as corner stone in DM management and also lead to many deleterious effects causing a profound impact on health related quality of life. This article outlines various factors leading to impaired sleep quality among diabetics and delineates how individual factor influences sleep. The article also discusses potential interventions and lifestyle changes to promote healthy sleep among diabetics.

Partitioning tree water usage into storage and transpiration in a mixed forest

Background:Water migration and use are important processes in trees.However,it is possible to overestimate transpiration by equating the water absorbed through the plant roots to that diffused back to the atmosphere through stomatal transpiration.Therefore,it is necessary to quantify the water transpired and stored in plants.Method:The δ^(2)H/δ^(18)O technique and heat ratio method were used to explore the water usage of coniferous and broad-leaved tree species,including the proportions of water used for transpiration and water storage.Results:Platycladus orientalis and Quercus variabilis had strong plasticity in their water usage from different sources.Platycladus orientalis primarily used groundwater(30.5%)and the 60-100-cm soil layer(21.6%)throughout the experimental period and was sensitive to precipitation,absorbing water from the 0-20-cm layer(26.6%)during the rainy season.Quercus variabilis absorbed water from all sources(15.7%-36.5%)except from the 40-60-cm soil layer during the dry season.In addition,it did not change its water source but increased its groundwater uptake during the rainy season.The annual mean water fluxes of P.orientalis and Q.variabilis were 374.69 and 469.50 mm·year−1,with 93.49% and 93.91% of the water used for transpiration,respectively.However,nocturnal sap flow in P.orientalis and Q.variabilis was mainly used for water storage in the trunk rather than transpiration,which effectively alleviated drought stress and facilitated the transport of nutrients.Conclusions:The water stored in both species comprised 6%-7% of the total water fluxes and,therefore,should be considered in water balance models.

Characteristics of sildenafil erections in healthy young men

Aim： To determine the effect of sildenafil citrate on the nocturnal penile erections （i.e. time to onset, the duration of erection, and the interval between first and second erections） of healthy young men. Methods： Twenty-two potent men, 23-29 years old, were recruited for the study. All subjects completed three sessions over consecutive nights using the RigiScan monitoring device （Dacomed, Minneapolis, USA）. After a first night of adaptation, night 2 records were their baseline values, and on night 3 they received 100 mg of sildenafil citrate. Statistical comparisons were done between the second and third night data. Results： The mean time to onset of the first erection with sildenafil citrate was （34 ± 18） min, whereas it was （74 ± 24） min （P 〈 0.001） without sildenafil citrate. The number of erections observed during the first 5 h after sildenafil citrate medication was 3.6 ± 0.5 in contrast to 2.4 ± 0.5 with no medica- tion （P = 0.001）. The interval between first and second erections was shorter with sildenafil citrate： （52 ± 26） min vs. （85 ± 34） min （P = 0.01）. The duration of the last erection was statistically significantly longer with the sildenafil citrate： （64 ± 33） min vs. （42 ± 28） min （P 〈 0.01）. Conclusion： Healthy young men achieved erection within 34 min after sildenafil citrate administration, which is shorter than the 1 h interval proposed by the manufacturer. The interval between the first and second erections was shorter and the duration of the last nocturnal erection was longer.

Childhood epilepsy and sleep

Sleep and epilepsy are two well recognized conditions that interact with each other in a complex bi-directional way. Some types of epilepsies have increased activity during sleep disturbing it; while sleep deprivation aggravates epilepsy due to decreased seizure threshold. Epilepsy can deteriorate the sleep-related disorders and at the same time; the parasomnias can worsen the epilepsy. The secretion of sleep-related hormones can also be affected by the occurrence of seizures and supplementation of epileptic patients with some of these sleep-related hormones may have a beneficial role in controlling epilepsy.

美国FDA批准Noctiva(醋酸去氨加压素)治疗夜尿症

美国FDA于2017年3月3日批准Noctiva（desmopressin acetate,醋酸去氨加压素）用于治疗成人夜间多尿症（nocturnal polyuria,也称夜尿症）,适用于一晚至少起夜2次以上者。这是FDA批准的首种针对这一适用症的药物。FDA之前批准过多种含有去氨加压素成分的药物,但无一获准用于治疗夜尿症。

Effects of Reduced Nocturnal Temperature on Performance and Behavior of Nursery Pigs

Previous studies suggested that pigs prefer lower environmental temperatures during nighttime compared to daytime. So reducing nocturnal temperature in nursery barns may not jeopardize performance or welfare of pigs, but can save energy for heating the barn. A study was conducted to investigate growth performance and behavioral response of nursery pigs to reduced nocturnal temperature. This study was conducted in four replicates, each utilizing 270 newly weaned pigs and lasting for 5 wk. Temperature setpoint in the control room （CON） was started at 30℃ and decreased by 2℃ per week. In the treatment room （RNT）, temperature setpoint was maintained same as in CON between 7：00 h and 19：00 h, and reduced by 8~C between 19：00 h and 7：00 h starting from d 5. Growth performance （15 pens/room, 9 pigs/pen, BW=（6.3±0.61） kg） was monitored for 5 wk, and behaviors in 6 pens in each room were video-recorded for 24 h 3 d after being exposed to the experimental temperature. Instantaneous scan sampling was performed to determine time budgets for standing, sitting, eating, drinking, belly nosing, three postures of lying, and huddling. Two focal pigs were continuously viewed to record duration and occurrence of eating and drinking. Reduced nocturnal temperature did not affect the growth performance of the pigs, time spent standing, sitting, total lying and eating or duration and frequencies of eating and drinking （all P〉0.10）. However, RNT increased time spent lying sternal （83 vs. 72%, P〈0.001） and number of pigs that were huddling （70 vs. 50% of lying pigs, P〈0.001）, and decreased time spent lying laterally （0.8 vs. 4.6%, P〈0.001）, lying half laterally （5.3 vs. 11.0%, P〈0.001）, and belly nosing （0.9 vs. 1.7%, P=0.01） during nighttime. These results indicate that nursery pigs adopted the posture of lying sternal and huddled together to reduce heat loss from their body surface to maintain thermal balance and growth performance in RNT. Such mild reduction in nocturnal temperature in the nursery barn can save energy for heating the barn without negative effects on performance and behavior of nursery pigs.

Sleep disordered breathing in interstitial lung disease: A review

Patients with interstitial lung disease commonly exhibit abnormal sleep architecture and increased sleep fragmentation on polysomnography. Fatigue is a frequent complaint, and it is likely that poor sleep quality is a significant contributor. A number of studies have shown that sleep disordered breathing is prevalent in this population, particularly in the idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis subgroup. The factors that predispose these patients to obstructive sleep apnoea are not well understood, however it is believed that reduced caudal traction on the upper airway can enhance collapsibility. Ventilatory control system instability may also be an important factor, particularly in those with increased chemo-responsiveness, and in hypoxic conditions. Transient, repetitive nocturnal oxygen desaturation is frequently observed in interstitial lung disease, both with and without associated obstructive apnoeas. There is increasing evidence that sleep-desaturation is associated with increased mortality, and may be important in the pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension in this population.