Objective To investigate the analgesia induced by receptin (REC), a chemically modified cobratoxin (CTX, a long-chain postsynaptic α-neurotoxin from Thailand cobra venom), and the effects of atropine and naloxone...Objective To investigate the analgesia induced by receptin (REC), a chemically modified cobratoxin (CTX, a long-chain postsynaptic α-neurotoxin from Thailand cobra venom), and the effects of atropine and naloxone on antinociceptive activity of REC in rodent pain models. Methods REC was administered intraperitoneally (5 mg/kg, 7.07 mg/kg, or 10 mg/kg, i.p.) or intra-cerebral venticularly (62.5 μg/kg, i.c.v.). The antinociceptive action was determined using the hotlate test, the acetic acid writhing test and tail flick assay in mice and rats. The involvement of cholinergic and the opioid peptidergic systems in REC-induced analgesia were examined by pretreatment of animals with atropine (Atr; 0.5 mg/kg, i.m. or 10 mg/kg, i.p.) or naloxone (Nal; 3 mg/kg, i.p.). The effect of REC on motor activity was tested using the Animex test in mice. Results REC (5 mg/kg, 7.07 mg/kg or 10 mg/kg, i.p.) exhibited a dose-dependent analgesic action in mice as determined with hot-plate test and acetic acid writhing test. The significant analgesia of REC was seen 2 h to 3 h after its administration. In the rat-tail flick assay, the administration of REC at 62.5 μg/kg (1/160 of systemic dose; i.c.v.)produced marked analgesic effects. Atropine at 0.5 mg/kg (i.m.), 10 mg/kg (i.p.) or naloxone at 3 mg/kg (i.p.) failed to block the analgesic effects of REC. REC at the highest effective dose of 10 mg/kg did not change the spontaneous mobility of mice. Conclusion These results demonstrate that REC has analgesic effect. This activity appears to be mediated through the peripheral nervous system though central nervous system may contribute to REC's analgesic effects. The central cholinergic system and opioid peptidergic system appear not to be involved in the antinociceptive action of REC.展开更多
A simple procedure to plan, verify and implement craniospinal irradiation(CSI) with patients supine is presented. Treatment is conducted with a single posterior spinal field abutting two lateral cranial fields. The ...A simple procedure to plan, verify and implement craniospinal irradiation(CSI) with patients supine is presented. Treatment is conducted with a single posterior spinal field abutting two lateral cranial fields. The opposed lateral fields are half-blocked and the inferior line is perpendicular. The posterior field uses some fixed field parameters so that the cephalad edge of the posterior field is coplanar with the caudal edges of the lateral fields and it is independent of the height of the couch. A steel-shot ball is used to measure the size of overlap or gap at the junction using portal images of an electron portal image device or portal films. The results of analyzing the portal images show that the errors of the junction are within ± 1 mm. The dose-volume histograms (DVHs)show that there are not unbearable hot or cold spots in the clinic target volumes (CTVs). Supine craniospinal treatment is a reliable and convenient alternative to treatment in the prone position and avoids the technical difficulties of the latter. The use of fixed field geometry greatly facilitates treatment planning and effectively reduces the amount of time of setup, verification and treatment.展开更多
NF-κB family is a kind of nuclear factors in B lymphocyte that can bind to the immunoglobulin κ-chain enhancer and enhance transcriptional activity. NF-κB/Rel proteins, as a dimeric transcription factor, control th...NF-κB family is a kind of nuclear factors in B lymphocyte that can bind to the immunoglobulin κ-chain enhancer and enhance transcriptional activity. NF-κB/Rel proteins, as a dimeric transcription factor, control the expression of genes that regulate a broad range of biological processes through canonical and non-canonical pathways. In the central nervous system, NF-κB controls inflammatory reactions and the apoptotic cell death following nerve injury. It also contributes to the infarction and cell death in stroke models and patients. However, NF-κB is essential for neurosurvival as well. NF-κB activation is a part of recovery process that may protect neurons against oxidative-stresses or brain ischemia-induced apoptosis and neurodegeneration. Inhibition of NF-κB may reduce its neuroprotection activity. Hence the dual opposite effects of NF-κB on cells. The ultimate survival or death of neurons depends on which, where and when the NF-κB factors are activated.展开更多
It has been well established that the recovery ability of central nervous system (CNS) is very poor in adult mammals. As a result, CNS trauma generally leads to severe and persistent functional deficits. Thus, the i...It has been well established that the recovery ability of central nervous system (CNS) is very poor in adult mammals. As a result, CNS trauma generally leads to severe and persistent functional deficits. Thus, the investigation in this field becomes a "hot spot". Up to date, accumulating evidence supports the hypothesis that the failure of CNS neurons to regenerate is not due to their intrinsic inability to grow new axons, but due to their growth state and due to lack of a permissive growth environment. Therefore, any successful approaches to facilitate the regeneration of injured CNS axons will likely include multiple steps: keeping neurons alive in a certain growth-state, preventing the formation of a glial scar, overcoming inhibitory molecules present in the myelin debris, and giving direction to the growing axons. This brief review focused on the recent progress in the neuron regeneration of CNS in adult mammals.展开更多
Planarian is among the simplest animals that possess a centralized nervous system (CNS), and its neural regenera- tion involves the replacement of cells lost to normal 'wear and tear' (cell turnover), and/or inj...Planarian is among the simplest animals that possess a centralized nervous system (CNS), and its neural regenera- tion involves the replacement of cells lost to normal 'wear and tear' (cell turnover), and/or injury. In this review, we state and discuss the recent studies on molecular control of neural regeneration in planarians. The spatial and temporal expression patterns of genes in intact and regenerating planarian CNS have already been described relatively clearly. The bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) and Wnt signaling pathways are identified to regulate neural regeneration. During neural regeneration, conserved axon guidance mechanisms are necessary for proper wiring of the nervous system. In addition, apoptosis may play an important role in controlling cell numbers, eliminating unnecessary tissues or cells and remodeling the old tissues for regenerating CNS. The bilateral symmetry is established by determination of anterior-posterior (A-P) and dorsal-ventral (D-V) patterns. Moreover, neurons positive to dopamine, serotonin (5-HT), and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) have been detected in planarians. Therefore, planarians present us with new, experimentally accessible contexts to study the molecular actions guiding neural regeneration.展开更多
OBJECTIVE To analyze the clinical manifestations, neuroimaging and pathological characteristics of primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) with a normal immunity, and to explore the methods of treatment and ...OBJECTIVE To analyze the clinical manifestations, neuroimaging and pathological characteristics of primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) with a normal immunity, and to explore the methods of treatment and diagnosis. METHODS The clinical, laboratory, imaging data and pathological findings and therapeutic efficacy of 31 cases with pathologically proved PCNSL, during a period from July 1995 to June 2006, were analyzed retrospectively. The method of surgery, used in combination with chemotherapy and radiotherapy, was evaluated in 18 cases versus a simple surgical procedure used in 5. Among the total cases, a CHOP regimen was employed in 11 and Teniposide (VM26) plus Semustine (me-CCUN) was used in 7 cases. RESULTS PCNSL had a variety of clinical features, so that its misdiagnosis rate was high. The main clinical findings of PCNSL included intracranial hypertension and (focal) neurologic impairment. No positive result was found in the CSF cellular examination. All of the 31 cases were B-cell lymphoma. Twenty-four of the 31 cases were followed-up, with a follow-up period from 6 to 98 months. The median period of survival of the group who underwent surgery in combination with chemotherapy and radiotherapy was 20 months, while the group with simple surgical therapy was 10 months. CONCLUSION Specific clinical manifestations were usually absent in the patients with PCNSL, giving an uncertain preoperative diagnosis and a poor prognosis. Pathological examination is the only reliable method for a final diagnosis of the disease. The main objective of surgical therapy is to relieve the intracranial hypertension caused by the tumor. Recurrence may occur in a short period following the simple operation. Therefore combined therapy, i.e. surgery plus additional radiotherapy and chemotherapy, should be adopted. This is the key point for extending survival time and improving the quality of life.展开更多
To solve the problem of inaccurate angle adjustment in the self-assembly process, a new homogenous hybrid modular self-reconfigurable robot-Xmobot is designed. Each module has four rotary joints and a self-turning mec...To solve the problem of inaccurate angle adjustment in the self-assembly process, a new homogenous hybrid modular self-reconfigurable robot-Xmobot is designed. Each module has four rotary joints and a self-turning mechanism. With the proposed self-turning mechanism, the angle adjusting accuracy of the module is increased to 2°, and the relative position adjusting efficiency of the module in the self-assembly process is also improved. The measured maximum moving distance of the proposed module in a gait cycle is 11.0 cm. Aiming at the multiple degree of freedom (MDOF) feature of the proposed module, a motion controller based on the central pattern generator (CPG) is proposed. The control of five joints of the module only requires two CPG oscillators. The CPG-based motion controller has three basic output modes, i. e. the oscillation, the rotation, and the fixed modes. The serpentine and the wheeled movements of the H-shaped robot are simulated, respectively. The results show that the average velocities of the two movements are 15. 2 and 20. 1 m/min, respectively. The proposed CPG-based motion controller is evaluated to be effective.展开更多
γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is an inhibitory neurotransmitter in adult mammalian central nervous system (CNS). During CNS development, the role of GABA is switched from an excitatory transmitter to an inhibitory t...γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is an inhibitory neurotransmitter in adult mammalian central nervous system (CNS). During CNS development, the role of GABA is switched from an excitatory transmitter to an inhibitory transmitter, which is caused by an inhibition of calcium influx into postsynaptic neuron derived from release of GABA. The switch is influenced by the neuronal chloride concentration. When the neuronal chloride concentration is at a high level, GABA acts as an excitatory neurotransmitter. When neuronal chloride concentration decreases to some degree, GABA acts as an inhibitory neurotransmitter. The neuronal chloride concentration is increased by Na^+-K^+-Cl^-Cl^- cotransporters 1 (NKCC 1), and decreased by K^+-Cl^- cotransporter 2 (KCC2).展开更多
Functional gastrointestinal disorders are commonly encountered in clinical practice, and pain is their commonest presenting symptom. In addition, patients with these disorders often demonstrate a heightened sensitivit...Functional gastrointestinal disorders are commonly encountered in clinical practice, and pain is their commonest presenting symptom. In addition, patients with these disorders often demonstrate a heightened sensitivity to experimental visceral stimulation, termed visceral pain hypersensitivity that is likely to be important in their pathophysiology. Knowledge of how the brain processes sensory information from visceral structures is still in its infancy. However, our understanding has been propelled by technological imaging advances such as functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Positron Emission Tomography, Magnetoencephalography, and Electroencephalography (EEG). Numerous human studies have non-invasively demonstrated the complexity involved in functional pain processing, and highlighted a number of subcortical and cortical regions involved. This review will focus on the neurophysiological pathways (primary afferents, spinal and supraspinal transmission), brainimaging techniques and the influence of endogenous and psychological processes in healthy controls and patients suffering from functional gastrointestinal disorders. Special attention will be paid to the newer EEG source analysis techniques. Understanding the phenotypic differences that determine an individual's response to injurious stimuli could be the key to understanding why some patients develop pain and hyperalgesia in response to inflammation/injury while others do not. For future studies, an integrated approach is required incorporating an individual's psychological, autonomic, neuroendocrine, neurophysiological, and genetic profile to define phenotypic traits that may be at greater risk of developing sensitised states in response to gut inflammation or injury.展开更多
From a pure motor disorder of the bowel,in the past few years,irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) has become a multifactorial disease that implies visceral hypersensitivity,alterations at the level of nervous and humoral c...From a pure motor disorder of the bowel,in the past few years,irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) has become a multifactorial disease that implies visceral hypersensitivity,alterations at the level of nervous and humoral communications between the enteric nervous system and the central nervous system,alteration of the gut microflora,an increased intestinal permeability and minimum intestinal inflammation.Psychological and social factors can interfere with the communication between the central and enteric nervous systems,and there is proof that they are involved in the onset of IBS and influence the response to treatment and outcome.There is evidence that abuse history and stressful life events are involved in the onset of functional gastrointestinal disorders.In order to explain clustering of IBS in families,genetic factors and social learning mechanisms have been proposed.The psychological features,such as anxiety,depression as well as the comorbid psychiatric disorders,health beliefs and coping of patients with IBS are discussed in relation to the symptoms and outcome.展开更多
Many behavioral activities of the horseshoe crab Limulus are rhythmic, and most of these are produced in large part by central pattern generators within the CNS. The chain of opisthosomal (‘abdominal') ganglia con...Many behavioral activities of the horseshoe crab Limulus are rhythmic, and most of these are produced in large part by central pattern generators within the CNS. The chain of opisthosomal (‘abdominal') ganglia controls gill movements of ventilation and gill cleaning, and the prosomal ring of fused ganglia (brain and segmental ‘thoracic' ganglia) controls generation of feeding and locomotor movements of the legs. Both the opisthosomal CNS and the prosomal CNS can generate behaviorally ap- propriate patterns of motor output in isolation, without movements or sensory input. Preparations of the isolated opisthosomal CNS generate rhythmic output patterns of motor activity characterized as fictive ventilatory and gill cleaning rhythms. Moreover, CNS preparations also express longer-term patterns, such as intermittent ventilation or sequential bouts of ventilation and gill cleaning. Such longer-term patterns are commonly observed in intact animals. The isolated prosomal CNS does not spontaneously generate the activity patterns characteristic of walking, swimming, and feeding. However, perfusion of octopamine in the isolated prosomal CNS activates central pattern generators underlying rhythmic chewing movements, and injection of octopamine into in- tact Limulus promotes the chewing pattern of feeding, whether or not food is presented. Our understanding of the ability of neu-romodulators such as octopamine to elicit or alter central motor programs may help to clarify the central neural circuits of pattern generation that oroduce and coordinate these rhythmic behaviors展开更多
Upon activation, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) receptor can engage apoptotic or survival pathways. Inhibition of macromolecular synthesis is known to sensitize cells to TNF-α-induced cell death. It is believ...Upon activation, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) receptor can engage apoptotic or survival pathways. Inhibition of macromolecular synthesis is known to sensitize cells to TNF-α-induced cell death. It is believed that this sensitization is due to the transcriptional blockade of genes regulated by NF-κB. Nevertheless, such evidence has remained elusive in the nervous system. Here, we show that TNF-α cannot normally induce apoptosis in PC12 cells or cortical neurons. However, cells treated with Actinomycin D (ActD) become susceptible to TNF-α-induced cell death through the activation of caspase-8, generation of tBid and activation of caspase-9 and -3. Analysis of several proteins involved in TNF-α receptor signaling showed no significant downregulation of NF-κB target genes, such as IAPs or FLIP, under such conditions. However, Bcl-XL protein levels, but not those of Bcl-2, Bax and Bak, are reduced by ActD or TNF-α/ ActD treatments. Moreover, Bcl-xL overexpression fully protects cells against TNF-α/ActD-induced cell death. When endogenous levels of Bcl-XL are specifically downregulated by lentiviral-based RNAi, cells no longer require ActD to be sensitive to TNF-α-triggered apoptosis. Furthermore, Bcl-xL downregulation does not affect TNF-α-mediated NF-κB activation. Altogether, our results demonstrate that Bcl-XL, and not Bci-2, FLIP or IAPs, acts as the endogenous regulator of neuronal resistance/sensitivity to TNF-α-induced apoptosis in an NF-κB-independent manner.展开更多
With the unique erggdicity, i rregularity, and.special ability to avoid being trapped in local optima, chaos optimization has been a novel global optimization technique and has attracted considerable attention for a...With the unique erggdicity, i rregularity, and.special ability to avoid being trapped in local optima, chaos optimization has been a novel global optimization technique and has attracted considerable attention for application in various fields, such as nonlinear programming problems. In this article, a novel neural network nonlinear predic-tive control (NNPC) strategy baseed on the new Tent-map chaos optimization algorithm (TCOA) is presented. Thefeedforward neural network'is used as the multi-step predictive model. In addition, the TCOA is applied to perform the nonlinear rolling optimization to enhance the convergence and accuracy in the NNPC. Simulation on a labora-tory-scale liquid-level system is given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.展开更多
The cholinergic system plays an important role in the central nervous system of insects and is closely related to the complex behavior of insects. The immunohistochemical technique was performed to detect the expressi...The cholinergic system plays an important role in the central nervous system of insects and is closely related to the complex behavior of insects. The immunohistochemical technique was performed to detect the expression of like-muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M2 in the brain of three castes of Polyrhachis vicina. A positive expression of like-muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M2 was observed in the mushroom body, central body and antennal lobes of the ant brain; but there is great diversity in their location and intensity among worker, queen and male ants. It is speculated that like-muscafinic acetylcholine receptor M2 plays a critical role in the central nervous system, in terms of projecting visual information and olfactory information into the protocerebrum and integrating many inputs.展开更多
Objective: To evaluate the short-term and middle-long-term therapeutic effects of deep puncture of Tianshu (天枢 ST 25) for slow transit constipation (STC). Methods: Sixty cases of STC patients were evenly rando...Objective: To evaluate the short-term and middle-long-term therapeutic effects of deep puncture of Tianshu (天枢 ST 25) for slow transit constipation (STC). Methods: Sixty cases of STC patients were evenly randomized into Methods: group and medication group. In acupuncture group, electroaoupuncture (EA, 20 Hz, continuous waves and tolerable strength) was applied to bilateral Tienshu (ST 25) for 30 min after deep puncture. The treatment was given once daily, 5 sessions every week, two weeks altogether. Patients of control group were ordered to take Lactulose ( 10mL/time, b. i. d), two weeks altogether. Cleveland Constipation Score (CCS) and colonic transit time (COT) were used to evaluate the therapeutic effect. Results: After treatment, both COS and COT showed that the therapeutic effect of acupuncture group was significantly superior to that of medication group (P〈0.05). Six-months' follow up showed that the therapeutic effect of acupuncture still maintained in 13 of the 22 cases visited, while that of control group only maintained in 1 of the 19 cases. Conclusion: The therapeutic effect of deep puncture of Tianshu (ST 25) for STC is definite and has a middle-long-term effect. The patients have no any unfavorable reactions.展开更多
The virtual backbone is an approach for solving routing problems in wireless ad hoc and sensor networks. A connected dominating set (CDS) was proposed as a virtual backbone to improve the performance of wireless netwo...The virtual backbone is an approach for solving routing problems in wireless ad hoc and sensor networks. A connected dominating set (CDS) was proposed as a virtual backbone to improve the performance of wireless networks. The quality of a virtual backbone is measured not only by approximation factor, which is the ratio of its size to that of minimum CDS, but also time complexity and message complexity. In this paper, a distributed algorithm is presented to construct a minimum CDS for ad hoc and sensor networks. By destroying triangular loops in the virtual backbone, the proposed algorithm can effectively construct a CDS with smaller size. Moreover, our algorithm, which is fully localized, has a constant approximation ratio, linear message and time complexity, and low implementation complexity. The simulation results and theoretical analysis show that our algorithm has better efficiency and performance than conventional approaches.展开更多
文摘Objective To investigate the analgesia induced by receptin (REC), a chemically modified cobratoxin (CTX, a long-chain postsynaptic α-neurotoxin from Thailand cobra venom), and the effects of atropine and naloxone on antinociceptive activity of REC in rodent pain models. Methods REC was administered intraperitoneally (5 mg/kg, 7.07 mg/kg, or 10 mg/kg, i.p.) or intra-cerebral venticularly (62.5 μg/kg, i.c.v.). The antinociceptive action was determined using the hotlate test, the acetic acid writhing test and tail flick assay in mice and rats. The involvement of cholinergic and the opioid peptidergic systems in REC-induced analgesia were examined by pretreatment of animals with atropine (Atr; 0.5 mg/kg, i.m. or 10 mg/kg, i.p.) or naloxone (Nal; 3 mg/kg, i.p.). The effect of REC on motor activity was tested using the Animex test in mice. Results REC (5 mg/kg, 7.07 mg/kg or 10 mg/kg, i.p.) exhibited a dose-dependent analgesic action in mice as determined with hot-plate test and acetic acid writhing test. The significant analgesia of REC was seen 2 h to 3 h after its administration. In the rat-tail flick assay, the administration of REC at 62.5 μg/kg (1/160 of systemic dose; i.c.v.)produced marked analgesic effects. Atropine at 0.5 mg/kg (i.m.), 10 mg/kg (i.p.) or naloxone at 3 mg/kg (i.p.) failed to block the analgesic effects of REC. REC at the highest effective dose of 10 mg/kg did not change the spontaneous mobility of mice. Conclusion These results demonstrate that REC has analgesic effect. This activity appears to be mediated through the peripheral nervous system though central nervous system may contribute to REC's analgesic effects. The central cholinergic system and opioid peptidergic system appear not to be involved in the antinociceptive action of REC.
文摘A simple procedure to plan, verify and implement craniospinal irradiation(CSI) with patients supine is presented. Treatment is conducted with a single posterior spinal field abutting two lateral cranial fields. The opposed lateral fields are half-blocked and the inferior line is perpendicular. The posterior field uses some fixed field parameters so that the cephalad edge of the posterior field is coplanar with the caudal edges of the lateral fields and it is independent of the height of the couch. A steel-shot ball is used to measure the size of overlap or gap at the junction using portal images of an electron portal image device or portal films. The results of analyzing the portal images show that the errors of the junction are within ± 1 mm. The dose-volume histograms (DVHs)show that there are not unbearable hot or cold spots in the clinic target volumes (CTVs). Supine craniospinal treatment is a reliable and convenient alternative to treatment in the prone position and avoids the technical difficulties of the latter. The use of fixed field geometry greatly facilitates treatment planning and effectively reduces the amount of time of setup, verification and treatment.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 30571909) the Youth Teacher's Research Foundation of Jiangsu Province, China (No. BU 134701 ) the Medical Development Foundation of Soochow University (No. EE134615).
文摘NF-κB family is a kind of nuclear factors in B lymphocyte that can bind to the immunoglobulin κ-chain enhancer and enhance transcriptional activity. NF-κB/Rel proteins, as a dimeric transcription factor, control the expression of genes that regulate a broad range of biological processes through canonical and non-canonical pathways. In the central nervous system, NF-κB controls inflammatory reactions and the apoptotic cell death following nerve injury. It also contributes to the infarction and cell death in stroke models and patients. However, NF-κB is essential for neurosurvival as well. NF-κB activation is a part of recovery process that may protect neurons against oxidative-stresses or brain ischemia-induced apoptosis and neurodegeneration. Inhibition of NF-κB may reduce its neuroprotection activity. Hence the dual opposite effects of NF-κB on cells. The ultimate survival or death of neurons depends on which, where and when the NF-κB factors are activated.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.30571909,No.30872666)the Youth Teacher Foundation of Jiangsu Pro-vince(No.BU134701)China,and the Medical Development Foundation of Soochow University(No.EE134615)
文摘It has been well established that the recovery ability of central nervous system (CNS) is very poor in adult mammals. As a result, CNS trauma generally leads to severe and persistent functional deficits. Thus, the investigation in this field becomes a "hot spot". Up to date, accumulating evidence supports the hypothesis that the failure of CNS neurons to regenerate is not due to their intrinsic inability to grow new axons, but due to their growth state and due to lack of a permissive growth environment. Therefore, any successful approaches to facilitate the regeneration of injured CNS axons will likely include multiple steps: keeping neurons alive in a certain growth-state, preventing the formation of a glial scar, overcoming inhibitory molecules present in the myelin debris, and giving direction to the growing axons. This brief review focused on the recent progress in the neuron regeneration of CNS in adult mammals.
基金the Southeast University Foundation for Excellent Young Scholars (No. 4023001013)the Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University.
文摘Planarian is among the simplest animals that possess a centralized nervous system (CNS), and its neural regenera- tion involves the replacement of cells lost to normal 'wear and tear' (cell turnover), and/or injury. In this review, we state and discuss the recent studies on molecular control of neural regeneration in planarians. The spatial and temporal expression patterns of genes in intact and regenerating planarian CNS have already been described relatively clearly. The bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) and Wnt signaling pathways are identified to regulate neural regeneration. During neural regeneration, conserved axon guidance mechanisms are necessary for proper wiring of the nervous system. In addition, apoptosis may play an important role in controlling cell numbers, eliminating unnecessary tissues or cells and remodeling the old tissues for regenerating CNS. The bilateral symmetry is established by determination of anterior-posterior (A-P) and dorsal-ventral (D-V) patterns. Moreover, neurons positive to dopamine, serotonin (5-HT), and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) have been detected in planarians. Therefore, planarians present us with new, experimentally accessible contexts to study the molecular actions guiding neural regeneration.
文摘OBJECTIVE To analyze the clinical manifestations, neuroimaging and pathological characteristics of primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) with a normal immunity, and to explore the methods of treatment and diagnosis. METHODS The clinical, laboratory, imaging data and pathological findings and therapeutic efficacy of 31 cases with pathologically proved PCNSL, during a period from July 1995 to June 2006, were analyzed retrospectively. The method of surgery, used in combination with chemotherapy and radiotherapy, was evaluated in 18 cases versus a simple surgical procedure used in 5. Among the total cases, a CHOP regimen was employed in 11 and Teniposide (VM26) plus Semustine (me-CCUN) was used in 7 cases. RESULTS PCNSL had a variety of clinical features, so that its misdiagnosis rate was high. The main clinical findings of PCNSL included intracranial hypertension and (focal) neurologic impairment. No positive result was found in the CSF cellular examination. All of the 31 cases were B-cell lymphoma. Twenty-four of the 31 cases were followed-up, with a follow-up period from 6 to 98 months. The median period of survival of the group who underwent surgery in combination with chemotherapy and radiotherapy was 20 months, while the group with simple surgical therapy was 10 months. CONCLUSION Specific clinical manifestations were usually absent in the patients with PCNSL, giving an uncertain preoperative diagnosis and a poor prognosis. Pathological examination is the only reliable method for a final diagnosis of the disease. The main objective of surgical therapy is to relieve the intracranial hypertension caused by the tumor. Recurrence may occur in a short period following the simple operation. Therefore combined therapy, i.e. surgery plus additional radiotherapy and chemotherapy, should be adopted. This is the key point for extending survival time and improving the quality of life.
基金The National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.61375076)Research&Innovation Program for Graduate Student in Universities of Jiangsu Province(No.CXLX13-085)the Scientific Research Foundation of Graduate School of Southeast University(No.YBJJ1350)
文摘To solve the problem of inaccurate angle adjustment in the self-assembly process, a new homogenous hybrid modular self-reconfigurable robot-Xmobot is designed. Each module has four rotary joints and a self-turning mechanism. With the proposed self-turning mechanism, the angle adjusting accuracy of the module is increased to 2°, and the relative position adjusting efficiency of the module in the self-assembly process is also improved. The measured maximum moving distance of the proposed module in a gait cycle is 11.0 cm. Aiming at the multiple degree of freedom (MDOF) feature of the proposed module, a motion controller based on the central pattern generator (CPG) is proposed. The control of five joints of the module only requires two CPG oscillators. The CPG-based motion controller has three basic output modes, i. e. the oscillation, the rotation, and the fixed modes. The serpentine and the wheeled movements of the H-shaped robot are simulated, respectively. The results show that the average velocities of the two movements are 15. 2 and 20. 1 m/min, respectively. The proposed CPG-based motion controller is evaluated to be effective.
文摘γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is an inhibitory neurotransmitter in adult mammalian central nervous system (CNS). During CNS development, the role of GABA is switched from an excitatory transmitter to an inhibitory transmitter, which is caused by an inhibition of calcium influx into postsynaptic neuron derived from release of GABA. The switch is influenced by the neuronal chloride concentration. When the neuronal chloride concentration is at a high level, GABA acts as an excitatory neurotransmitter. When neuronal chloride concentration decreases to some degree, GABA acts as an inhibitory neurotransmitter. The neuronal chloride concentration is increased by Na^+-K^+-Cl^-Cl^- cotransporters 1 (NKCC 1), and decreased by K^+-Cl^- cotransporter 2 (KCC2).
基金Supported by A Medical Research Council Career Establi-shment Award and the Rosetrees Trust
文摘Functional gastrointestinal disorders are commonly encountered in clinical practice, and pain is their commonest presenting symptom. In addition, patients with these disorders often demonstrate a heightened sensitivity to experimental visceral stimulation, termed visceral pain hypersensitivity that is likely to be important in their pathophysiology. Knowledge of how the brain processes sensory information from visceral structures is still in its infancy. However, our understanding has been propelled by technological imaging advances such as functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Positron Emission Tomography, Magnetoencephalography, and Electroencephalography (EEG). Numerous human studies have non-invasively demonstrated the complexity involved in functional pain processing, and highlighted a number of subcortical and cortical regions involved. This review will focus on the neurophysiological pathways (primary afferents, spinal and supraspinal transmission), brainimaging techniques and the influence of endogenous and psychological processes in healthy controls and patients suffering from functional gastrointestinal disorders. Special attention will be paid to the newer EEG source analysis techniques. Understanding the phenotypic differences that determine an individual's response to injurious stimuli could be the key to understanding why some patients develop pain and hyperalgesia in response to inflammation/injury while others do not. For future studies, an integrated approach is required incorporating an individual's psychological, autonomic, neuroendocrine, neurophysiological, and genetic profile to define phenotypic traits that may be at greater risk of developing sensitised states in response to gut inflammation or injury.
基金Supported by The Sectorial Operational Programme Human Resources Development,Contract POSDRU 6/1.5/S/3-,Doctoral studies: through science towards society
文摘From a pure motor disorder of the bowel,in the past few years,irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) has become a multifactorial disease that implies visceral hypersensitivity,alterations at the level of nervous and humoral communications between the enteric nervous system and the central nervous system,alteration of the gut microflora,an increased intestinal permeability and minimum intestinal inflammation.Psychological and social factors can interfere with the communication between the central and enteric nervous systems,and there is proof that they are involved in the onset of IBS and influence the response to treatment and outcome.There is evidence that abuse history and stressful life events are involved in the onset of functional gastrointestinal disorders.In order to explain clustering of IBS in families,genetic factors and social learning mechanisms have been proposed.The psychological features,such as anxiety,depression as well as the comorbid psychiatric disorders,health beliefs and coping of patients with IBS are discussed in relation to the symptoms and outcome.
基金the U.S. Public Health Service for research grant funding for much of the work in my laboratory
文摘Many behavioral activities of the horseshoe crab Limulus are rhythmic, and most of these are produced in large part by central pattern generators within the CNS. The chain of opisthosomal (‘abdominal') ganglia controls gill movements of ventilation and gill cleaning, and the prosomal ring of fused ganglia (brain and segmental ‘thoracic' ganglia) controls generation of feeding and locomotor movements of the legs. Both the opisthosomal CNS and the prosomal CNS can generate behaviorally ap- propriate patterns of motor output in isolation, without movements or sensory input. Preparations of the isolated opisthosomal CNS generate rhythmic output patterns of motor activity characterized as fictive ventilatory and gill cleaning rhythms. Moreover, CNS preparations also express longer-term patterns, such as intermittent ventilation or sequential bouts of ventilation and gill cleaning. Such longer-term patterns are commonly observed in intact animals. The isolated prosomal CNS does not spontaneously generate the activity patterns characteristic of walking, swimming, and feeding. However, perfusion of octopamine in the isolated prosomal CNS activates central pattern generators underlying rhythmic chewing movements, and injection of octopamine into in- tact Limulus promotes the chewing pattern of feeding, whether or not food is presented. Our understanding of the ability of neu-romodulators such as octopamine to elicit or alter central motor programs may help to clarify the central neural circuits of pattern generation that oroduce and coordinate these rhythmic behaviors
文摘Upon activation, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) receptor can engage apoptotic or survival pathways. Inhibition of macromolecular synthesis is known to sensitize cells to TNF-α-induced cell death. It is believed that this sensitization is due to the transcriptional blockade of genes regulated by NF-κB. Nevertheless, such evidence has remained elusive in the nervous system. Here, we show that TNF-α cannot normally induce apoptosis in PC12 cells or cortical neurons. However, cells treated with Actinomycin D (ActD) become susceptible to TNF-α-induced cell death through the activation of caspase-8, generation of tBid and activation of caspase-9 and -3. Analysis of several proteins involved in TNF-α receptor signaling showed no significant downregulation of NF-κB target genes, such as IAPs or FLIP, under such conditions. However, Bcl-XL protein levels, but not those of Bcl-2, Bax and Bak, are reduced by ActD or TNF-α/ ActD treatments. Moreover, Bcl-xL overexpression fully protects cells against TNF-α/ActD-induced cell death. When endogenous levels of Bcl-XL are specifically downregulated by lentiviral-based RNAi, cells no longer require ActD to be sensitive to TNF-α-triggered apoptosis. Furthermore, Bcl-xL downregulation does not affect TNF-α-mediated NF-κB activation. Altogether, our results demonstrate that Bcl-XL, and not Bci-2, FLIP or IAPs, acts as the endogenous regulator of neuronal resistance/sensitivity to TNF-α-induced apoptosis in an NF-κB-independent manner.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.60374037, No.60574036), the Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University of China (NCET), the Specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China (No.20050055013), .and the 0pening Project Foundation of National Lab of Industrial Control Technology (No.0708008).
文摘With the unique erggdicity, i rregularity, and.special ability to avoid being trapped in local optima, chaos optimization has been a novel global optimization technique and has attracted considerable attention for application in various fields, such as nonlinear programming problems. In this article, a novel neural network nonlinear predic-tive control (NNPC) strategy baseed on the new Tent-map chaos optimization algorithm (TCOA) is presented. Thefeedforward neural network'is used as the multi-step predictive model. In addition, the TCOA is applied to perform the nonlinear rolling optimization to enhance the convergence and accuracy in the NNPC. Simulation on a labora-tory-scale liquid-level system is given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
基金the Natural Science Foundation of Shaanxi, China (2005 Cl 25)
文摘The cholinergic system plays an important role in the central nervous system of insects and is closely related to the complex behavior of insects. The immunohistochemical technique was performed to detect the expression of like-muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M2 in the brain of three castes of Polyrhachis vicina. A positive expression of like-muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M2 was observed in the mushroom body, central body and antennal lobes of the ant brain; but there is great diversity in their location and intensity among worker, queen and male ants. It is speculated that like-muscafinic acetylcholine receptor M2 plays a critical role in the central nervous system, in terms of projecting visual information and olfactory information into the protocerebrum and integrating many inputs.
文摘Objective: To evaluate the short-term and middle-long-term therapeutic effects of deep puncture of Tianshu (天枢 ST 25) for slow transit constipation (STC). Methods: Sixty cases of STC patients were evenly randomized into Methods: group and medication group. In acupuncture group, electroaoupuncture (EA, 20 Hz, continuous waves and tolerable strength) was applied to bilateral Tienshu (ST 25) for 30 min after deep puncture. The treatment was given once daily, 5 sessions every week, two weeks altogether. Patients of control group were ordered to take Lactulose ( 10mL/time, b. i. d), two weeks altogether. Cleveland Constipation Score (CCS) and colonic transit time (COT) were used to evaluate the therapeutic effect. Results: After treatment, both COS and COT showed that the therapeutic effect of acupuncture group was significantly superior to that of medication group (P〈0.05). Six-months' follow up showed that the therapeutic effect of acupuncture still maintained in 13 of the 22 cases visited, while that of control group only maintained in 1 of the 19 cases. Conclusion: The therapeutic effect of deep puncture of Tianshu (ST 25) for STC is definite and has a middle-long-term effect. The patients have no any unfavorable reactions.
基金The National Natural Science Foundation ofChina(No.60272082)The Important Science and Technology Key Item of Shanghai(No.05dzl5004)
文摘The virtual backbone is an approach for solving routing problems in wireless ad hoc and sensor networks. A connected dominating set (CDS) was proposed as a virtual backbone to improve the performance of wireless networks. The quality of a virtual backbone is measured not only by approximation factor, which is the ratio of its size to that of minimum CDS, but also time complexity and message complexity. In this paper, a distributed algorithm is presented to construct a minimum CDS for ad hoc and sensor networks. By destroying triangular loops in the virtual backbone, the proposed algorithm can effectively construct a CDS with smaller size. Moreover, our algorithm, which is fully localized, has a constant approximation ratio, linear message and time complexity, and low implementation complexity. The simulation results and theoretical analysis show that our algorithm has better efficiency and performance than conventional approaches.