Cortical activation by a salient sound modulates visual temporal order judgments: An electrophysiological study of multisensory attentional processes

Previous event-related potential (ERP) studies show that a salient lateral sound activates the visual cortex more strongly contralateral to the sound, observed as an auditory-evoked contralateral occipital positivity (ACOP). Studies showed that this activation enhances the early cortical processing of co-localized visual stimuli presented after, reflected by better detection rates, better discrimination, and sharper perceived contrast. We replicated the ACOP, using earphones, and tested whether auditory cuing can influence temporal order judgments (TOJ) for two visual stimuli (horizontal arrangement) as well as if the ACOP would predict the amplitude of this influence. A lateral salient sound was followed, after 150 or 630 ms, by the visual presentation of a pair of disks, one in left and one in right hemifield, with variable SOA. The TOJ task was to indicate which disk appeared first or which disk appeared second (controlling for response bias). We observed an ACOP at posterior electrode sites and confirmed our hypothesis that the lateral sound influenced TOJ by accelerating the perception of the disk presented on the cued side, even though the sound was irrelevant to the task. Furthermore, the ACOP amplitude was correlated to this visual perceptual change, indicating that a larger change in brain activity was associated with a faster processing of co-localized visual stimuli.     

维吾尔医“库西提”法炮制技术规范化研究及巴豆脂肪油含量测定

目的:评价维吾尔医“各立衣克买提”泥法炮制技术和在这种炮制方法前提下改进的新“库西提”法炮制技术对巴豆中脂肪油的含量测定的影响。方法:利用两种炮制方法炮制生巴豆,按《中国药典》2015年版一部巴豆项下的脂肪油含量测定方法进行测定。结果:采用这两种方法炮制的巴豆根据炮制时间不同脂肪油含量依次递减。结论:采用新“库西提”法炮制技术炮制的巴豆的脂肪油含量明显降低。     

Effect of carbon-rich biochar on mechanical properties of PLA-biochar composites

Agricultural biomass residues are emerged from harvesting and processing of agricultural crops. When the crop production increases, a large amount of biomass residues is produced and remained after cutting of peel, bunch, straw and stalk of crops. In this work, agricultural biomass residues (cassava rhizome, durian peel, pineapple peel and corncob) were selected as feedstock for carbon-rich biochar (CRB) production using a facile pyrolysis method. Proximate analysis and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were used to characterize biomass feedstock. The results showed that the percentage of fixed carbon in biomass feedstock ranged between 11.91% and 17.51%. Characteristic differences of the CRB were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy. The carbon content in the CRB was found to significantly depend on biomass origin. Interestingly, cassava rhizome, which has a higher percentage of fixed carbon, is a superior precursor for CRB production. The study of different pyrolysis temperature indicated that the carbon content of cassava rhizome derived CRB is increased with pyrolysis temperature. The tensile properties of composite between poly(lactic acid) PLA and different types of biomass-derived CRB were investigated. PLA composite incorporated with a higher carbon content-CRB tended to exhibit improved mechanical properties. Specifically, the elastic modulus and impact energy of PLA/CRB composite specimens increased remarkably with the incorporation of CRB powder. The current research indicates that CRB prepared from agricultural biomass residues could be a sustainable material for utilization in PLA biocomposites.     

中药临床应用的适当性探索

目的 探讨和阐述中药临床应用的适当性原则，提高临床中药师运用适当性原则指导临床用药的技能，促进临床合理用药。方法 通过文献梳理及理论分析，结合中医药理论基础以及中药临床应用的复杂性，探讨中药临床应用的适当性原则，明确中药临床应用"适当性"的学术内涵。结果 中药临床应用的适当性表现在用药过程的各个环节，是合理用药的基本要求之一。中药临床应用适当性的基本内容应充分考虑用药对象、适当的药物、适当的剂量及疗程、适当的给药途径和煎煮方式、适当的服药方法、适当的治疗目标等各个用药环节。结论 中药临床应用的适当性是合理用药的基本要求，将适当的药品，以适合的剂量，在合适的时间内经适当的用药途径给相应的患者使用，以达到预期的治疗目的。     

不同骨密度老年人群的体成分、肌力及心脏功能特点

目的 分析不同骨密度老年人群的体成分、肌力和心脏功能特点。方法 选择2019年1月至2021年12月在内蒙古自治区人民医院健康管理中心行骨密度检查年龄为65~80岁的500名受试者作为研究对象。采用人体成分分析仪检测并记录受试者骨骼肌指数、体脂肪率、脂肪控制、肌肉控制、右臂肌肉量、肌力；采用超声诊断仪检查并记录受试者心脏功能（EF、EDV、ESV、FS、HR、e/a）。结果 在500例研究对象中，骨量异常人数较多，占77 %，其中骨质疏松者93人（18.6 %），骨量减少者292人（58.4 %），骨量正常者115人（23%）。在男性中，骨质疏松者21人（8.4 %），骨量减少者153人（61.2 %），骨量正常者76人（30.4 %）；在女性中，骨质疏松者72人（28.8 %），骨量减少者139人（55.6 %），骨量正常者39人（15.6 %）；女性患骨质疏松的比例高于男性。女性的体脂肪率（37.20±4.13）高于男性（28.15±5.38）；女性骨骼肌指数（8.20±0.58）低于男性（9.23±0.55）（P＜0.05）。500例研究对象中需进行肌肉控制（增肌）的比例为55.6 % (278人),需进行脂肪控制（减脂）的比例为100 %（500人）。男性、女性分别按照骨密度分为骨质疏松组、骨量减少组及骨质正常组，三组体质量指数（body mass index, BMI)、T值、 Z值、骨骼肌指数、肌肉控制、右臂肌肉量、右手握力、左手握力比较，差异有统计学意义（P＜0.05）；年龄、体脂肪率、脂肪控制比较，差异无统计学意义（P＞0.05）。组间两两比较男性组BMI、T值、 Z值、骨骼肌指数、肌肉控制、右臂肌肉量、右手握力、左手握力组间比较差异有统计学意义（P＜0.05）；女性组T值、 Z值、骨骼肌指数、肌肉控制、右臂肌肉量、右手握力、左手握力组间比较差异有统计学意义（P＜0.05）。Pearson 相关分析显示，T值与骨骼肌指数、BMI、右臂肌肉量及右手握力呈正相关；相较BMI，T值与骨骼肌指数、右臂肌肉量相关性更高；与肌肉控制（增肌）呈负相关（r值= – 0.326，P=0.000）；与体脂肪率及脂肪控制无相关性。心脏功能EDV（F=0.042,P=0.958）、ESV（F=0.008,P=0.992）、EF值（F=0.060,P=0.942）、FS值（F=0. 057,P=0.945）、HR（F=0. 032,P=0.969）组间比较差异无统计学意义（P＞0.05）；e/a（F=3.768,P=0.034）比较差异有统计学意义（P＜0.05）。结论 老年人群骨量异常比率较高，随着骨密度减低，骨骼肌指数及肌力也会下降，且骨质疏松患者易出现心脏舒张功能减低。利用生物电阻抗测定人体成分可以分析骨质疏松患者人体成分变化，能够更细化地了解其肌肉和脂肪的含量，为进一步预防、治疗骨质疏松及优化老年人人体成分提供依据。     

Developing a measure of blind patients’ interactions with their healthcare providers

BackgroundPeople who are blind (PWB) are often perceived as being incompetent with common tasks and functions. When patients detect that their healthcare providers (HCPs) have negative perceptions of them, they often report less satisfaction with their healthcare and disengage in their own healthcare.ObjectiveA scale assessing the experiences of PWB interacting with HCPs was developed and validated across two studies.MethodsIn Study 1, 144 participants completed the scale and provided feedback. In Study 2, 214 participants completed the scale and 4 additional scales to assess construct validity.ResultsAn exploratory factor analysis in Study 1 revealed a two-factor model consisting of General Quality of Health Care (30.5% variance explained) and Stereotype Content-related items (9.4% variance explained). Study 2 confirmed and validated this two-factor structure (RMSEA (90% CI) = 0.068 (0.057, 0.079), CFI = 0.898, SRMR = 0.066, AIC = 14568.902).ConclusionsThis scale is one of the first tools developed from the perspectives of PWB. Results from these studies highlight and elaborate on how PWB perceive that they are viewed by their HCPs in terms of competence and how they perceive to be treated by these HCPs. This scale can be used in training HCPs to better serve their patients with disabilities.