电针对缺血性脑卒中大鼠记忆功能及脑内突触囊泡蛋白的影响

观察电针对缺血性脑卒中大鼠记忆功能及脑内突触囊泡蛋白（synaptic vesicular protein，SYN）的影响，探讨其可能的作用机制。方法 选取90 只SD大鼠随机分为模型组、电针组、假手术组，每组各30只。线拴法制作急性大脑中动脉缺血大鼠模型。电针组取“百会”“水沟”“内关”“三阴交”穴位，应用“醒脑开窍”法进行电针，每天电针30 min，连续电针6 d休1 d，7 d为一个疗程，首次电针干预在造模成功24 h后进行。模型组和假手术组不进行电针干预。大鼠分别按7、14、21 d 3个亚组进行运动及记忆功能评分，TTC染色测定脑梗死体积、Western blot检测脑内SYN的蛋白表达。结果 电针组运动功能评分较模型组显著降低（P<0.01），电针组进入隐藏区潜伏期时间较模型组显著缩短（P<0.01），电针组脑梗死率较模型组显著缩小（P<0.01），SYN的蛋白表达电针组较模型组明显增强（P<0.01）。假手术组无神经功能缺损及脑梗死灶，SYN表达最弱。结论 电针干预能减小脑梗死体积，上调脑内SYN的表达，进而促进缺血性脑卒中大鼠的记忆及运动等神经功能的恢复。     

Animal Models of Barrett's Esophagus and Esophageal Adenocarcinoma–Past,Present, and Future

Esophageal adenocarcinoma is the fastest rising cancer in the United States. It develops from long‐standing gastroesophageal reflux disease which affects >20% of the general population. It carries a very poor prognosis with 5‐year survival <20%. The disease is known to sequentially progress from reflux esophagitis to a metaplastic precursor, Barrett''s esophagus and then onto dysplasia and esophageal adenocarcinoma. However, only few patients with reflux develop Barrett''s esophagus and only a minority of these turn malignant. The reason for this heterogeneity in clinical progression is unknown. To improve patient management, molecular changes which facilitate disease progression must be identified. Animal models can provide a comprehensive functional and anatomic platform for such a study. Rats and mice have been the most widely studied but disease homology with humans has been questioned. No animal model naturally simulates the inflammation to adenocarcinoma progression as in humans, with all models requiring surgical bypass or destruction of existing antireflux mechanisms. Valuable properties of individual models could be utilized to holistically evaluate disease progression. In this review paper, we critically examined the current animal models of Barrett''s esophagus, their differences and homologies with human disease and how they have shaped our current understanding of Barrett''s carcinogenesis.     

Daily coping moderates the relations between stress and actigraphic sleep: a daily intensive longitudinal study with ecological momentary assessments

BackgroundTheoretical models argue that coping reduces stress responses, yet no studies have tested whether coping moderates the prospective stress effects on sleep in daily life.PurposeThis study tested if coping moderates the stress-sleep association using a daily, intensive longitudinal design across 7–12 days.Methods326 young adults (M_age = 23.24 ± 5.46) reported perceived stress and coping (problem-focused, emotional-approach, and avoidance) every evening between 20:00–02:00, providing over 2400 nights of sleep data and 3000 stress surveys from all participants. Actigraphy and sleep diaries measured total-sleep-time and sleep efficiency. Multilevel models tested the interaction effects of within- and between-person stress and coping on sleep.ResultsWithin-person problem-focused and emotional-approach coping moderated the within-person stress effects on actigraphic total-sleep-time (both p = 0.02); higher stress predicted shorter total-sleep-time only during high use of problem-focused or emotional-approach coping (both p = 0.01). Between-person avoidance moderated the between-person stress effect on actigraphic total-sleep-time (p = 0.04); higher stress predicted shorter total-sleep-time for high avoidance coping (p = 0.02). Within-person emotional-approach coping buffered the between-person stress effect on actigraphic sleep efficiency (p = 0.02); higher stress predicted higher sleep efficiency for high emotional-approach coping (p = 0.04).ConclusionsThis study showed that daily coping moderates the effects of evening stress on sleep that night. More efforts to cope with stress before bedtime had a short-term cost of shorter sleep that night. However, high use of emotional-approach coping buffered the impact of stress to promote sleep efficiency.     

Correlates of Mental Illness and Health Categories among Older Adults in China: An Empirical Study Based on the Two Continua Model

Objective: Keyes’ two continua model is a useful concept in which mental health and mental illness exist on two separate axes. Based on this model, this study examined the prevalence and correlates of three mental health categories among older adults in China.

Methods: Cross-sectional data were derived from Wave 1 of the Study on Global AGEing and Adult Health. Participants were categorized into complete mental health (CMH), complete mental illness (CMI), and moderate mental health (MMH) groups. Multinomial logistic regressions were used.

Results: The prevalence of CMH, CMI, and MMH in China was 18%, 16%, and 66%, respectively. Being female, unmarried, younger, and feeling unhealthy were more likely to result in placement in the CMI category. Employment, education, and cognitive function were identified as important protective factors of CMH. Age, income, urban or rural residence, and physical function difficulty were associated with all three categories.

Discussion: We demonstrated the utility of the two continua model in identifying mental health needs in Chinese contexts. The findings suggest that future policy reforms and clinical interventions should establish a more comprehensive mental health category as a screening tool nationwide. The promotion of social engagement could play an important role in treating mental illness and improving positive mental health.     

Antimicrobial activity of selected synbiotics targeted for the elderly against pathogenic Escherichia coli strains

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of two synbiotic combinations, Lactobacillus fermentum with short-chain fructooligosaccharides (FOS-LF) and Bifidobacterium longum with isomaltooligosaccharides (IMO-BL), against enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 and enteropathogenic E. coli O86. Antimicrobial activity was determined (1) by co-culturing the synbiotics and pathogens in batch cultures, and (2) with the three-stage continuous culture system (gut model), inoculated with faecal slurry from an elderly donor. In the co-culture experiments, IMO-BL was significantly inhibitory to both E. coli strains, while FOS-LF was slightly inhibitory or not inhibitory. Factors other than acid production appeared to play a role in the inhibition. In the gut models, both synbiotics effectively inhibited E. coli O157 in the first vessel, but not in vessels 2 and 3. E. coli O86 was not significantly inhibited.     

前列地尔联合长春西汀治疗急性脑梗死的疗效观察

目的探讨前列地尔联合长春西汀治疗急性脑梗死的疗效。方法选取2015年3-12月在我科接受治疗的90例急性脑梗死患者,随机分为治疗组(45例)和对照组(45例)。两组患者均给予抗血小板、降血脂等常规对症治疗,11 d为1个疗程。对照组给予长春西汀静脉输液治疗,治疗组在对照组基础上加以前列地尔治疗。比较两组临床治疗效果,治疗前后神经功能恢复情况、日常生活能力恢复情况、并发症发生率及安全性。结果治疗组总有效率为93.3%,对照组为71.1%,治疗组明显高于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。两组患者用药11 d后,神经功能缺损评分均高于治疗前,且治疗组明显高于对照组,差异均有统计学意义(P<0.05)。治疗组患者用药11d及90 d后日常生活能力恢复情况优于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。两组均无严重药物不良反应。结论前列地尔联合长春西汀治疗急性脑梗死疗效显著,值得临床推广应用。     

Risk-based cost-benefit analysis of alternative vaccines against COVID-19 in Brazil: Coronavac vs. Astrazeneca vs. Pfizer

We propose a probabilistic model to quantify the cost-benefit of mass Vaccination Scenarios (VSs) against COVID-19. Through this approach, we conduct a six-month simulation, from August 31st, 2021 to March 3rd, 2022, of nine VSs, i.e., the three primary vaccine brands in Brazil (CoronaVac, AstraZeneca and Pfizer), each with three different vaccination rates (2nd doses per week). Since each vaccine has different individual-level effectiveness, we measure the population-level benefit as the probability of reaching herd immunity (HI). We quantify and categorize the cost-benefit of VSs through risk graphs that show: (i) monetary cost vs. probability of reaching HI; and (ii) number of new deaths vs. probability of reaching HI. Results show that AstraZeneca has the best cost-benefit when prioritizing acquisition costs, while Pfizer is the most cost-beneficial when prioritizing the number of deaths. This work provides helpful information that can aid public health authorities in Brazil to better plan VSs. Furthermore, our approach is not restricted to Brazil, the COVID-19 pandemic, or the mentioned vaccine brands. Indeed, the method is flexible so that this study can be a valuable reference for future cost-benefit analyses in other countries and pandemics, especially in the early stages of vaccination, when data is scarce and uncertainty is high.