Developmental and Condition-Related Changes in the Prefrontal Cortex Activity during Rest

The prefrontal cortex (PFC) plays an important role in cognitive process related to executive function, but is also active during resting states. Quantifying prefrontal cortex activity during resting states provides a baseline for interpreting task-induced brain activity. Researchers commonly use resting conditions where participants are prompted to stare at a screen (eyes open) or close their eyes (eyes closed). Are these two conditions equivalent representations of a baseline resting state? Further, does prefrontal cortex activity during these conditions change as a function of development? The aim of this study was to examine differences in prefrontal cortex activity between eyes open and eyes closed conditions during resting states in children and adults to provide a rationale of proper selection of baseline condition in future research. Thirty-six participants in 3 age groups were recruited in this study including twenty-four adults, five 12 - 15 years old children, and seven 8 - 11 years old children. Relative changes in concentrations of oxygenated hemoglobin (Δoxy-Hb) and deoxygenated hemoglobin (Δdeoxy-Hb) were obtained by using functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) in eyes closed (EC) and eyes open (EO) conditions, 3 minutes each. Contrasts were tested to compare the differences of Δoxy-Hb and Δdeoxy-Hb between eyes open and eyes closed conditions. The EC condition had significantly higher Δoxy-Hb than EO when all groups were combined (t (17.268) = 3.021, p = .008, Cohen’s d = –0.72). When comparing Δoxy-Hb between eyes conditions within each group, the younger group had significantly higher Δoxy-Hb in EC than EO (t (9.459) = 2.734, p = 0.022, Cohen’s d = –1.46). Based on these results, the EO condition may be a better baseline condition, particularly in studies with younger children, since it has less activity in the PFC that could interfere with interpretations of task-induced activity.

Changes in hippocampal neurons and memory function during the developmental stage of newborn rats with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy

BACKGROUND: Under the normal circumstance, there exist some synapses with inactive functions in central nervous system (CNS), but these functions are activated following nerve injury. At the early stage of brain injury, the abnormal functions of brain are varied, and they have very strong plasticity and are corrected easily. OBJECTIVE: To observe the changes of neuronal morphology in hippocampal CA1 region and memory function in newborn rats with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy(HIE) from ischemia 6 hours to adult. DESIGN: Completely randomized grouping, controlled experiment. SETTING: Taian Health Center for Women and Children; Taishan Medical College. MATERIALS: Altogether 120 seven-day-old Wistar rats, of clean grade, were provided by the Experimental Animal Center, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Synaptophysin (SYN) polyclonal antibody was provided by Maixin Biological Company, Fuzhou. METHODS: This experiment was carried out in the Laboratory of Morphology, Taishan Medical College between October 2000 and December 2003. ① The newborn rats were randomly divided into 2 groups: model group and control group, 60 rats in each group. Five rats were chosen from each group at postoperative 6 hours, 24 hours, 72 hours, 7 days, 2 weeks and 3 weeks separately for immunohistochemical staining. Fifteen newborn rats were chosen from each group at postoperative 4 weeks and 2 months separately for testing memory ability (After test, 5 rats from each group were sacrificed and used for immunohistochemical staining)② The right common carotid artery of newborn rats of model group was ligated under the anesthetized status. After two hours of incubation, the rats were placed for 2 hours in a container filled with nitrogen oxygen atmosphere containing 0.08 volume fraction of oxygen, thus, HIE models were created; As for the newborn rats in the control group, only blood vessels were isolated, and they were not ligated and hypoxia-treated. ③ Thalamencephal tissue sections of newborn rats of two groups were performed DAB developing and haematoxylin slight staining. Cells with normal nucleous in 250 μm-long granular layer which started from hippocampal CA1 region were counted with image analysis system under high-fold optical microscope (×600), and the thickness of granular layer was measured. The absorbance (A) of positive reactant of SYN in immunohistochemically-stained CA1 region was measured. Learning and memory ability were measured with step through test 3 times successively. ④ t test and paired t test were used for comparing intergroup and intragroup difference of measurement data respectively, and Chi-square for comparing the difference of enumeration data. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Comparison of cytological changes in hippocampal CA1 region and memory ability at different postoperative time points between two groups. RESULTS: Totally 120 newborn rats were involved in the result analysis. ① Cell morphological changes in hippocampal CA1 region: In the control group, with aging, perikaryon, nucleus and nucleolus in cortex of parietal lobe were significantly increased, Nissl body was compacted, the amount of neurons was declined, but the A of SYN positive reactant was relatively increased. In the model group, at postoperative each time point, neurons were seriously shrunk and dark-stained, nucleus was contracted, chromatin was condensed, nucleolus was unclear, even cells disappeared, especially the cells in 6 hours and 24 hours groups. The amount of neurons with normal morphology in hippocampal CA1 region and granular layer thickness in the model group at postoperative each time point were significantly less or smaller than those in the control group at postoperative 6 hours respectively (t =3.002-1.254, P < 0.01). The A value of SYN positive reactant at postoperative 2, 3 and 4 weeks was significantly higher than that at previous time point (t =2.011-2.716,P < 0.05-0.01). ② Test results of learning and memory ability: In the first test, there was no significant difference in the ratio of rats which kept memory ability between two groups (P > 0.05); In the third test, the ratio of rats which kept memory ability in the model group was significantly lower than that in the control group at postoperative 4 weeks and 2 months[53%(8/15),100%(15/15);60%(9/15),93%(14/15),χ 2=2.863,2.901,P < 0.01]. CONCLUSION: The destroyed hippocampal structure induces the decrease of learning and memory ability of developmental rats. Early interference can increase the quality of neurons and also promote functional development of the nervous system.

Annual change of the gonadal development of the amphioxus in Xiamen

The study was made by observing the annual change of the gonadal development of amphioxus in Xiamen cohtinuously for two years from November, 1986 to November, 1988. We determined the gonadal diameter, gonadosomatic index of each amphioxus, and observed the histological characteristic of the gonadal development of the female and male by cut section, which provided the basis for dividing the stages gonads and the determining level of the gonadal development of amphioxus in each month.

Adaptation of potato production to climate change by optimizing sowing date in the Loess Plateau of central Gansu, China

Potato grows in most part of China, it achieves higher yield and better quality in Gansu Province than in others. With global warming, its growth duration has been prolonged and sowing date become earlier than before. Therefore, to regulate its sowing date and growing period is of great significance for better harvest. In this study, experiments were conducted with six sowing-date treatments of potato in Dingxi, which is in the Loess Plateau of central Gansu Province in Northwest China in 2010. The growth period, morphological index and change in yield and their relationships with temperature, precipitation, and other climatic factors were investigated for each treatment. Results show that the crop with different sowing dates experienced different climate conditions, leading to distinct growth duration, plant height, and leaf area index. The growth duration was shortened due to a delay in sowing date. For each 15-day delay in sowing, the growth duration was reduced by 12 days on average. A significant linear relationship was found between numbers of days either from seeding to emergence or from flowering to harvest and mean temperature over the corresponding period. Dry matter accumulation, tuber fresh weight, and final yield were all decreased because of insufficient cumulative temperature over the shorter growing periods. Marked differences in tuber yield were discovered among the six treatments of sowing date, the potato planted on May 27 giving the highest yield. The potato planted either earlier or later would produce invariably lower yield than the treatment of May 27. Late May therefore can be taken as the optimum sowing time of potato in this region because the crop can fully utilize thermal resource. We conclude that to postpone sowing time is a good practice for potato production to adapt to climate warming in the Loess Plateau of central Gansu, China.

The changes of oligodendrocytes induced by anesthesia during brain development

With the advent of modern techniques, drugs, and monitoring, general anesthesia has come to be considered an unlikely cause of harm, particularly for healthy patients. While this is largely true, newly emerging clinical and laboratory studies have sug- gested that exposure to anesthetic agents during early childhood may have long-lasting adverse effects on cognitive function. This concern has been the focus of intense study in the field of anesthesia research. A recent high-profile review by Rappaport et al. （2015） concluded that while many questions remain un- answered, there is strong evidence from laboratory studies that commonly used anesthetics interfere with brain development and that clinical studies suggest a correlation between early childhood exposure to these agents and subsequent effects on learning and cognition. The issue is of sufficient public health importance that a public-private partnership known as Smar- Tots （Strategies for Mitigating Anesthesia-Related Neurotoxicity in Tots） was developed by the FDA to study pediatric anesthetic neurotoxicity. The mechanism of injury underlying this phe- nomenon has yet to be fully elucidated, and there is evidence to suggest that anesthetics may have direct cytotoxic effects on neurons leading to cell death or suppressed neurogenesis （Strat- mann et al., 2010） and that they may interfere with key pro- cesses in neuronal growth and development that underlie brain circuit development （Wagner et al., 2014）.

Changes in China's Regional Development Strategy and FDI Policy in Western Region

Chinahaswitnessedremarkableeconomicachievementssinceinitiatingitsreformandopening-uppolicyin1979.However,thewesternregion,coveringsome56percentofChina'sterritoryandaccountingfor50percentofveritieddepositsofmineralresources,hasnotenjoyedthesamedegreeo...

Characteristics of the Heat Island Effect in Shanghai and Its Possible Mechanism

The characteristics of the urban heat island effect and the climate change in Shanghai and its possible mechanism are analyzed based on monthly meteorological data from 1961 to 1997 at 16 stations in Shanghai and its adjacent areas. The results indicate that Shanghai City has the characteristics of a heat island of air temperature and maximum and minimum air temperature, a cold island of surface soil temperature, a weak rainy island of precipitation, and a turbid island of minimum visibility and aerosols, with centers at or near Longhua station (the urban station of Shanghai). Besides theses, the characteristics of a cloudy island and sunshine duration island are also obvious, but their centers are located in the southern part of the urban area and in the southern suburbs. A linear trend analysis suggests that all of the above urban effects intensified from 1961 to 1997. So far as the heat island effect is concerned, the heat island index (difference of annual temperature between Longhua and Songjiang s

Development and calibration of the Moon-based EUV camera for Chang'e-3

The process of development and calibration for the first Moon-based ex- treme ultraviolet （EUV） camera to observe Earth＇s plasmasphere is introduced and the design, test and calibration results are presented. The EUV camera is composed of a multilayer film mirror, a thin film filter, a photon-counting imaging detector, a mech- anism that can adjust the direction in two dimensions, a protective cover, an electronic unit and a thermal control unit. The center wavelength of the EUV camera is 30.2 nm with a bandwidth of 4.6nm. The field of view is 14.7° with an angular resolution of 0.08°, and the sensitivity of the camera is 0.11 count s-1 Rayleigh-1. The geomet- ric calibration, the absolute photometric calibration and the relative photometric cal- ibration are carried out under different temperatures before launch to obtain a matrix that can correct geometric distortion and a matrix for relative photometric correction, which are used for in-orbit correction of the images to ensure their accuracy.

BEARING IN MIND MEGATREND FOR PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT AGAINST CHANGING INTERNATIONAL PATTERN

Uncertainties in the International Situation Are on the Increase and Transformation of International Pattern and Order Accelerates and Deepens Since 2016,the world has begun to enter into a historical period of uncertainty.The fact that the Ukrainian Crisis has dragged on for long and that

The changing world of drug development

Drug development in oncology is undergoing a substantial shift nowadays. The drivers for this are multi-factorial. On the one side, drug development is performed more rationally than ever, profiting from the scientific advances in molecular biology in general and the elucidation of the various ＂omes＂ from genome to metabolome in particular.

Change of Regional Financial Development Disparity in China(1978-1999)

A large country will undoubtedly show development disparity among its regions: it is not surprising therefore that China would not have developed evenly. In analyzing China’s development features and its manner of enforcing relative policies, the various financial sectors in China cannot be simply regarded as a whole unit: a unified policy would not be suitable for the local conditions of a given area, otherwise it will lost its future direction. This paper measures China’s disparity of financial development during the period

Large Scale Infrastructure Projects: The Art of Project or Change Management?

Although it is generally understood that change is a fundamental component of managing projects in the construction industry in general and an inevitable challenge for large scale infrastructure project in particular, there has been little to no attention in the literature to understand change in this context from a more holistic perspective. For this purpose, this work looks at change through the eyes of a framework of six batteries of change that seem essential to charge an organization's capabilities for change. The framework brings together the expertise of four specialists that all have developed their insights over many years of study and practice, and has been validated through an extensive review of the management literature on organization development and change. Reflections on the application of this model in the construction industry and in large scale infrastructure projects demonstrate that energizing organizations to successfully deal with change goes beyond the traditional techniques of managing change from a program or project management perspective. Assessing the six batteries of change in this context can help organizations to develop capabilities for change that build change energy by balancing formal/rational methods with informal/emotional interventions at both a local(department/subproject) and global(business) level.

The international conference on mountain development in a context of global change with special focus on the Himalayas was held successfully in Kathmandu, Nepal

The international conference on mountain development in a context of global change with special focus on the Himalayas was held in Kathmandu, Nepal on April 21-26.

Scenario analysis of energy-based low-carbon development in China

China＇s increasing energy consumption and coal-dominant energy structure have contributed not only to severe environmental pollution,but also to global climate change. This article begins with a brief review of China＇s primary energy use and associated environmental problems and health risks. To analyze the potential of China＇s transition to low-carbon development,three scenarios are constructed to simulate energy demand and CO2 emission trends in China up to 2050 by using the Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning System（LEAP） model. Simulation results show that with the assumption of an average annual Gross Domestic Product（GDP） growth rate of 6.45%,total primary energy demand is expected to increase by 63.4%,48.8% and 12.2% under the Business as Usual（BaU）,Carbon Reduction（CR）and Integrated Low Carbon Economy（ILCE） scenarios in 2050 from the 2009 levels. Total energy-related CO2 emissions will increase from 6.7 billion tons in 2009 to 9.5,11,11.6 and11.2 billion tons; 8.2,9.2,9.6 and 9 billion tons; 7.1,7.4,7.2 and 6.4 billion tons in 2020,2030,2040 and 2050 under the BaU,CR and ILCE scenarios,respectively. Total CO2 emission will drop by 19.6% and 42.9% under the CR and ILCE scenarios in 2050,compared with the BaU scenario.To realize a substantial cut in energy consumption and carbon emissions,China needs to make a long-term low-carbon development strategy targeting further improvement of energy efficiency,optimization of energy structure,deployment of clean coal technology and use of market-based economic instruments like energy/carbon taxation.

Industrial Greening of the Dongting Lake Eco-economic Zone

Extensive industrial development is a major challenge to ecological civilization construction. Industrial energy consumption and environmental pollution reduction are desperately needed. The Dongting Lake district, located in Wuhan and the Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan(CZT)pilot zone, bears the responsibility to ensure national food security and watershed ecological security, and it is an urgent need for the Dongting Lake district to accept the ecological transition of industries. On the analysis of the industrial development status and problems of the Dongting Lake district, some proposals based on the characteristics and reality of the district are pointed out, such as industrial cooperation, proper space layout, ecological innovation, industrial structure upgrading, building of ecological parks, clean production, elimination of backward production capacity, heavy metals governance and so on, as to develop the industrial ecology of the Dongting Lake district.