Symptoms of Mood Disorder in Undiagnosed Aicardi Syndrome: A Case Report

Aicardi syndrome is a rare neurological disorder diagnosed at an early age with the help from radiology imaging. Therefore, the sooner it is diagnosed, the sooner the interventions can be beneficial. However, as with mood disorders, it too has a spectrum of symptoms and can cause delays in treatments. In the following case report, a 26-year-old female’s neurological symptoms were misdiagnosed as symptoms of Schizophrenia. Through this case report, the goal is to highlight the pathway to diagnose and treat an individual.

Cropland physical disturbance intensity： plot-scale measurement and its application for soil erosion reduction in mountainous areas

Various kinds of human disturbances on cropland are the main reasons for soil erosion and land degradation.Farming practices in mountainous areas vary greatly among cropland plots because of the heterogeneity of biophysical conditions and differences in farmers'management behavior.The main purpose of this paper is to develop a composite index of cropland physical disturbance intensity(CLDI)to reflect the plot-scale discrepancy of potential soil erosion in mountainous areas.The study was based on both plot survey and household interview data,collected from six typical catchments in mountainous areas of southwestern China.Four kinds of physical disturbance practices and two kinds of conservation practices during one crop rotation period were synthesized to develop the CLDI index.The rough set theory was referenced to avoid subjectivity during weight allocation.The results show that conventional tillage,deep fertilization,and manual weeding are the main causes of cropland soil erosion,whereas manure application in combination with seasonal fallow reduces soil erosion.Different crop types as well as cropland location factors determine the spatial pattern of CLDI.Crop rotation modes with major crops of tobacco and maize resulted in a maximal CLDI,and cropland plots with a distance radius of 150 meters away from households received the most intensive physical disturbance.These results are critical to help better protect rural environments in mountainous areas.Based on the results,methods to reduce cropland soil erosion are suggested.

Potent protection of Danshensu (β-3, 4-dihydroxyphenyl-lactic acid) against excitotoxic effects of maternal intragastric administration of monosodium glutamate at a late stage of pregnancy on developing mouse fetal brain

Recent studies have demonstrated that ferulic acid[3-（4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl）-2-propenoic acid]and sodium ferulate produce protective effects against glutamate-induced neurotoxicity in adult mice.Danshensu（β-3,4-dihydroxyphenyl-lactic acid）has a similar molecular structure and pharmacological action to caffeic acid.This study aimed to validate the protection conferred by Danshensu against excitotoxic effects of maternal intragastric administration of monosodium glutamate at late stages of pregnancy in the developing mouse fetal brain.Behavioral tests,as well as histopathological and immunohistochemical examination of hippocampi were performed in filial mice.Results revealed that maternal intragastric administration of excessive monosodium glutamate（1.0,2.0,4.0 g/kg body weight）at a late stage of pregnancy resulted in a series of behavioral disorders（hyperactivity,lesions of learning and memory,and disturbance in cooperation of movement ability under high-altitude stress）,histopathological impairment（neuronal edema,degeneration,necrosis,and hyperplasia）and molecular cellular biological changes（upregulated expression of N-methyI-D-aspartate receptor type 1 and neuropeptide Y in the hippocampal region of the brain of the filial mice from mothers treated with monosodium glutamate）.Simultaneous administration of sodium Danshensu partially reversed the effects of monosodium glutamate on the above mentioned phenomena.These findings indicate that sodium Danshensu exhibits obvious protective effects on the excitotoxicity of monosodium glutamate.

An overview of research efforts to understand the effects of underwater sound on cetaceans

Cetaceans are aquatic mammals living in an environment that is more suited for hearing than vision.As such,their sensory systems largely utilize acoustic cues for navigation,communication,foraging,and predator avoidance.However,the elevation of underwater sound levels from increased human activities has adversely affected cetaceans’use of sound to perform vital life functions.To address those impacts,scientific studies have been conducted to understand the behavioral,psychoacoustical,physiological,and physical responses by cetaceans that have been exposed to anthropogenic sound.These studies range from captive experiments involving auditory thresholds and noise-induced threshold shifts,to field observations of behavioral disturbance from sound exposure,to post-mortem examinations of physical manifestations in stranded animals.Over the years,results from these studies have assisted regulatory agencies in developing a series of criteria and thresholds for cetacean conservation and management around the world.This paper provides a high-level overview of worldwide research efforts that have been dedicated to understanding the effects of underwater sound on cetaceans.The review is not intended to be exhaustive but rather to capture major efforts and significant findings in this field.In addition,the review excludes synthesis studies and modeling exercises that do not involve direct research on target species.