Extensive training in a maze task reduces neurogenesis in the adult rat dentate gyrus probably as a result of stress

It has recently been shown that hippocampal neurogenesis can be modulated either directly or indirectly by ascending cholinergic inputs from the basal forebrain. In the present work, we sought to address whether extended training in a spatial navigation task would affect hippocampal neurogenesis in the presence of a severe and selective cholinergic depletion. Young female rats received stereotaxic injections of the immunotoxin 192 IgG-saporin into the basal forebrain nuclei and/or the cerebellar cortex. Starting from 4 to 5 weeks post-lesion, and for the subsequent 2 weeks, the animals were trained on paradigms of reference and working memory in the water maze and received single daily i.p. injections of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) at the end of each testing session. In line with previous observations, a dramatic 80% decrease in neuron proliferation was seen in the dentate gyrus of lesioned animals, as compared to vehicle-injected or intact controls. Interestingly, however, rats subjected to maze training over 2 weeks, irrespective of their learning success, exhibited significantly fewer newborn neurons than matched controls with no maze exposure. Thus, at least for the type of task used here, which has previously been shown to impose a certain degree of stress, extended training and learning does not appear to affect proliferation in the dentate gyrus.     

Effect of atropine on the bronchial response of asthmatic subjects to the inhalation of ultrasonically nebulized distilled water

To determine whether atropine provides protection against the bronchoconstriction that develops in asthmatic subjects after inhalation of ultrasonically nebulized distilled water, we exposed six asthmatic patients to this stimulus with and without pretreatment with atropine (0.04 mg/kg). The mean FEV1 decreased from 3.32 to 2.39 L (-28%) without and from 3.49 to 3.18 L (-9%) with atropine. This protective effect was statistically significant (p less than 0.05), suggesting that cholinergic pathways are involved in the obstructive response to the inhalation of ultrasonically nebulized distilled water.     

Infrared-spectrometric determination of D2O in biological fluids

The determination of D₂O in biological fluids by means of infrared spectrometry was reinvestigated. When the temperature of a solution, containing D₂O in the range from natural abundance to 5 ml·1^–1 increases, its absorbance decreases and the wavenumber of maximum absorption shifts to a higher value. Both changes are linearly related to the change in temperature. Storage for 17 d in either glass or polyethylene tubes does not affect the D₂O concentration. Purification of biological fluids by vacuum-sublimation removes all substances which also absorb at the O-D vibration band and the recovery of D₂O from plasma and urine is complete. The partition ratio of D₂O between plasma water and red cell water equals unity, and the same holds for plasma water and urine water over a wide range of urine flows and osmolalities. The arterial and urinary disappearance curves of D₂O, measured over several days, both permit the calculation of the total amount of body water (V ^bw), the daily water turn-over (F) and the half-time of water in the body (t _1/2), but the data derived from arterial disappearance curves are more precise. In 16 male mongrel dogs (25–32 kg body mass) the following results were obtained:V ^bw=626±28 ml·kg^–1,F=12.0±3.2% andt _1/2=6.21±1.78 d.     

Effects of sympathetic inhibition on blood pressure and renal responses to central hypervolaemia in normal humans

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of short-term sympathetic inhibition with clonidine on blood pressure and renal responses to central hypervolaemia induced by thermoneutral head-out water immersion. Eleven healthy subjects were randomly studied on two occasions, during a 1 h pre-immersion period, 2 h of water immersion and a 1 h post-immersion period, after either placebo or clonidine treatment. Clonidine caused a significant suppression of plasma adrenaline, plasma noradrenaline, urinary noradrenaline excretion and mean arterial blood pressure. Blood pressure remained constant during water immersion after both placebo and clonidine, compared with the respective pre-immersion control values. The suppression pattern of plasma catecholamines and urinary noradrenaline in response to water immersion during placebo was similar after clonidine treatment. Renal volume excretion was not affected by clonidine. In contrast, clonidine caused a significant attenuation of the immersion-induced stimulation of natriuresis (maximum -33±12%, P<0.01, compared with placebo). These data indicate that the renal capacity to excrete sodium is impaired during moderate blood pressure reduction by short-term sympathetic inhibition with clonidine, whereas the regulation of arterial blood pressure in response to central hypervolaemia is maintained.     

Effect of early outdoor experience on the activity of wild and semi-domestic deermice

The gross activity of wild and semi-domestic strains of prairie deermice was measured in two kinds of novel test apparatus (tilt-cage and activity wheel). Differences in strain activity were not obtained in either apparatus. Activity was significantly decreased in both strains by early experience in the field and by rearing wild genotype subjects in large laboratory cages. It was suggested that differential early sensory experience associated with both qualitative and quantitative aspects of the early rearing environment may be responsible for the treatment effect. Whereas no daily changes in activity were noted in the tilt-cages, activity in the wheels was sipnificantly higher on day 1 for all groups. In contrast to recent literature, wheel running activity did not change with total water deprivation.     

Environmental risk factors for hepatitis A infection in the Zenica–Doboj Canton, Bosnia and Herzegovina

In the Zenica-Doboj Canton, 1106 hepatitis A virus (HAV) infections were reported during 2000 (an incidence rate of 252/100 000 population), with 996 (90.1%) cases occurring in nine community-wide outbreaks. Analysis of water supplies showed that 398 (19.1%) samples contained coliforms, including 202 (50.8%) that were contaminated with thermotolerant Escherichia coli. Sewage sanitation systems were absent or substandard in 53 910 (81.8%) rural households. The group most affected during outbreaks comprised children aged 7-14 years (incidence rate of 598/100 000). The development of health promotion and prevention initiatives in schools, combined with rigorous hygiene measures, will be necessary to achieve control of the spread of HAV.     

Postoperative water and electrolyte changes in skeletal muscle: a clinical study with three different intravenous infusions

Twenty-seven patients admitted for cholecystectomy were matched for age and sex in three groups for different perioperative fluid therapies over a period of 3 days. Group I was given an acetated half-isotone "balanced" saline solution with the addition of 2.5% glucose, Group II an acetated Ringer solution and Group III an isotonic glucose solution. Percutaneous muscle biopsies were performed before and on the third day after surgery for the determination of water content and the concentration of sodium, potassium, magnesium and chloride in skeletal muscle. The cumulative balance of sodium and potassium was measured daily during the study. In all three groups a significant increase in the total muscle water content was demonstrated. The concentration of sodium and chloride in skeletal muscle increased significantly in Groups II and III, whereas the concentration of potassium decreased in all groups. The cumulative sodium balance was positive in Groups I and II; the potassium balance was negative in all groups. In conclusion, the patients given the balanced saline solution showed the least change in water content and electrolyte concentrations in skeletal muscle.     

重庆市某三甲医院消毒供应中心纯化水细菌污染情况和消毒效果调查

目的了解重庆市某三甲医院消毒供应中心(CSSD)纯化水处理系统的细菌水平、消毒方法及效果。方法运用无菌技术采集重庆市某三甲医院CSSD不同时期的纯化水进行细菌培养,根据细菌培养、余氯、硬度检测结果对纯化水处理系统采取一系列措施以改善水质,并对各项措施的实施效果进行评价。结果该院CSSD纯化水存在细菌总数超标的情况,分别经过调整加盐量、更换水处理机耗材、安装含氯消毒剂加药装置并在水处理机制水时将5%84消毒液持续低流量泵入纯化水储水罐后,细菌总数明显降低,纯化水水质达标。结论该院纯化水存在细菌污染现象,医院应加强管理,CSSD需按时维护水处理设备,定期监测水质。     

Optimal Household Water Access Fosters the Attainment of Minimum Dietary Diversity among Children Aged 6–23 Months in Malawi

Along with sanitation and hygiene, water is a well-known driver of child undernutrition. However, a more direct role of household (HH) water access in shaping dietary diversity remains unexplored. We assessed the association between HH water access and achievement of minimum dietary diversity (MDD) among young children. We utilized nationally-representative cross-sectional data from the 2015/16 Malawi Demographic and Health Survey, which included 4727 mother–child dyads, respectively, (26.8 ± 6.8 years, range 15–49 years) and (13.9 ± 4.9 months, range 6–23 months). HH water access was categorized as (1) basic or no access, (2) intermediate, or (3) optimal. MDD was defined as feeding a child, during the previous day, at least four of the food groups defined by the World Health Organization. Only 27.7% of the children achieved MDD standards; most of the children who achieved MDD were from HHs with optimal water access (58.4%, p < 0.001). However, only 5.9% of the mother–child dyads were from HHs with optimal water access. After adjusting for covariates, children from HHs with optimal water access had higher odds of achieving MDD than those from HHs with basic or no water access (aOR = 1.74, CI = 1.24–2.46). Our results highlight the need to incorporate water-based strategies into national nutritional policies to increase dietary diversity among Malawian infants and young children.     

石灰水对埃及伊蚊不同发育阶段影响研究

目的通过石灰水对埃及伊蚊生活史幼期不同阶段生长发育影响的实验室研究,评价生石灰对防治埃及伊蚊的干预效果,为生石灰用于埃及伊蚊的防治提供实验数据。方法将一定数量的埃及伊蚊依据不同发育阶段(卵、Ⅰ~Ⅳ龄期蚊幼、蛹)分别饲养于石灰水中,观察蚊幼活动情况,记录不同时期相应孵化时间、孵化率和死亡率,同时将实验室过夜自来水(实验室脱氯水)饲养蚊虫作对照,分析比较不同饲养环境、不同发育阶段埃及伊蚊发育的变化差异。结果对照组埃及伊蚊卵的平均孵化时间为1.75 d,而试验组(1.3 g/L石灰水饲养)埃及伊蚊卵的平均孵化时间为3.84 d,是对照组的2.19倍,孵化时间的差异具有统计学意义(t=36.02,P<0.05)。试验组埃及伊蚊卵孵化率为59.3%,对照组为89.3%,两组之间孵化率的差异具有统计学意义(χ^(2)=35.38,P<0.05)。Ⅰ~Ⅳ龄试验组蚊幼死亡率分别为44.0%、92.0%、97.3%、98.7%,显著高于对照组蚊幼死亡率,两组之间死亡率的差异具有统计学意义(χ^(2)值为65.79~276.53,P<0.05)。试验组蛹的死亡率为98.7%,显著高于对照组的死亡率,两组之间死亡率的差异具有统计学意义(χ^(2)=280.35,P<0.05)。对照组埃及伊蚊卵、蚊幼和蛹的死亡率分别为10.7%、2.3%和2.0%,三组之间死亡率的差异具有统计学意义(χ^(2)=25.09,P<0.05)。对照组埃及伊蚊卵的死亡率明显高于蚊幼和蛹。试验组埃及伊蚊卵、蚊幼和蛹的死亡率分别为40.7%、83.0%和98.7%,三组之间死亡率差异具有统计学意义(χ^(2)=170.88,P<0.05)。结论石灰水对埃及伊蚊不同发育阶段均具有明显抑制作用,对蛹的杀灭作用最大,其次是蚊幼和卵。随着埃及伊蚊幼虫年龄的增长,石灰水对其抑制效果逐渐增强。但生石灰对埃及伊蚊成蚊的防治效果有待进一步的现场验证。