Revisiting the genetic diversity of classical swine fever virus: A proposal for new genotyping and subgenotyping schemes of classification

Classical swine fever (CSF ) is a highly contagious febrile viral disease caused by CSF virus (CSFV ), and it is considered one of the most important infectious diseases that affect domestic pigs and wild boar. Previous molecular epidemiology studies have revealed that the diversity of CSFV comprises three main genotypes and different subgenotypes defined using a reliable cut‐off to accurately classify CSFV at genotype and subgenotype levels. However, a growing number of CSFV both complete genome and full E2 gene sequences have been submitted to GenBank (more than 500 sequences are currently available, revised on December 1, 2017). Therefore, the aim of this study was to revisit the taxonomy of CSFV at genotype and subgenotype levels, to unify nomenclature and to provide an update to the classification of CSFV . We propose here a new genotyping scheme with five well‐defined CSFV genotypes (CSFV Genotypes 1–5) and 14 subgenotypes (seven for each of the CSFV Genotype 1 and CSFV Genotype 2). The findings showed in this study are relevant for molecular epidemiology approaches and will help to better understand the genetic diversity and spreading of CSFV at a global scale. The update in the classification of CSFV will allow the scientific community to establish more accurately the links among different outbreaks of the disease.     

Readability of printed educational materials used to inform potential and actual ostomates

• ? This paper is primarily concerned with the use of readability formulas to determine the reading ease of printed education materials (PEMs) given to ostomy patients. Whilst the particular clinical focus is stoma care nursing, the content is relevant to all nurses who use printed text to inform their patients. PEMs have significant advantages in conveying information compared with verbal presentations alone.
• ? Methods to calculate readability using the Flesch, FOG and SMOG readability formulas are described. Presentation factors that affect readability are briefly reviewed, including use of ‘white space’, font size and paper colour. The problem of functional illiteracy and the need for indirect assessment of patient literacy are discussed.
• ? PEMs in use are often found to be difficult to read. Stress is identified as a potential factor in further reducing a patient's ability to deal with information.
• ? Three commercially available PEMs are evaluated for ease of reading and their score on the FOG index indicates that only about 40% of the UK population would understand them.
• ? Nurses are advised to evaluate the readability of their PEMs and to assess indirectly the literacy of their patients, so that they can more sensitively match PEMs to patient ability and need.

     

Hold your pauses: external globus pallidus neurons respond to behavioural events by decreasing pause activity

Awareness of its rich structural pathways has earned the external segment of the globus pallidus (GPe) recognition as a central figure within the basal ganglia circuitry. Interestingly, GPe neurons are uniquely identified by the presence of prominent pauses interspersed among a high‐frequency discharge rate of 50–80 spikes/s. These pauses have an average pause duration of 620 ms with a frequency of 13/min, yielding an average pause activity (probability of a GPe neuron being in a pause) of (620 × 13)/(60 × 1000) = 0.13. Spontaneous pause activity has been found to be inversely related to arousal state. The relationship of pause activity with behavioural events remains to be elucidated. In the present study, we analysed the electrophysiological activity of 200 well‐isolated GPe pauser cells recorded from four non‐human primates (Macaque fascicularis) while they were engaged in similar classical conditioning tasks. The isolation quality of the recorded activity and the pauses were determined with objective automatic methods. The results showed that the pause probability decreased by 9.09 and 10.0%, and the discharge rate increased by 2.96 and 1.95%, around cue and outcome presentation, respectively. Analysis of the linear relationship between the changes in pause activity and discharge rate showed r² = 0.46 and r² = 0.66 upon cue onset and outcome presentation, respectively. Thus, pause activity is a pertinent element in short‐term encoding of relevant behavioural events, and has a significant, but not exclusive, role in the modulation of GPe discharge rate around these events.     

From the Cover: Classical conditioning of analgesic and hyperalgesic pain responses without conscious awareness

Pain reduction and enhancement can be produced by means of conditioning procedures, yet the role of awareness during the acquisition stage of classical conditioning is unknown. We used psychophysical measures to establish whether conditioned analgesic and hyperalgesic responses could be acquired by unseen (subliminally presented) stimuli. A 2 × 2 factorial design, including subliminal/supraliminal exposures of conditioning stimuli (CS) during acquisition/extinction, was used. Results showed significant analgesic and hyperalgesic responses (P < 0.001), and responses were independent of CS awareness, as subliminal/supraliminal cues during acquisition/extinction led to comparable outcomes. The effect was significantly larger for hyperalgesic than analgesic responses (P < 0.001). Results demonstrate that conscious awareness of the CS is not required during either acquisition or extinction of conditioned analgesia or hyperalgesia. Our results support the notion that nonconscious stimuli have a pervasive effect on human brain function and behavior and may affect learning of complex cognitive processes such as psychologically mediated analgesic and hyperalgesic responses.It has been well established that pain can be altered by associative learning procedures (1–3). In the present study, we sought to establish whether conditioned analgesic and hyperalgesic responses could be acquired by unseen (subliminally presented) stimuli.The human brain can process sensory stimuli outside of conscious awareness (4), but it is not clear to what extent learning can take place when we are not aware of the associations being made. On one hand, associative learning with subliminally presented stimuli has been demonstrated [e.g., by Degonda and colleagues (5)]; on the other hand, a sizeable literature indicates that pain conditioning is mediated by conscious expectations (6–10). Studies of fear learning in humans suggest that emotional contingencies can be acquired nonconsciously, as demonstrated by conditioned changes in autonomic and motor responses (11–14). In addition to evidence for conditioning of low-level physiological responses, a recent literature challenges the idea that nonconscious processing stops at an early perceptual level (4), suggesting that higher-order cognitive representations, such as meaning and goal pursuits, can be acquired nonconsciously (15). Moreover, findings from neuroimaging studies show that nonconscious stimuli have extensive representations in the human brain, activating a large number of cortical areas (16–18) at frequency bands previously seen as markers of conscious awareness (19). Taken together, these results suggest that nonconscious stimuli have a pervasive effect on human brain function and behavior and may affect learning of complex cognitive processes such as psychologically mediated pain responses.In a previous study, we found that consciously conditioned analgesic and hyperalgesic pain responses could be activated by means of nonconscious cues (20), yet it is not clear to what extent learning of conditioned pain responses can take place nonconsciously. Here, we studied the relationship between consciousness and associative learning in a pain perception context. Healthy participants were randomly assigned to one of four experimental groups, including an acquisition phase and a test phase, using either subliminal or supraliminal conditioned stimuli (CS), respectively (Fig. 1). Each participant was conditioned by pairing high- and low-intensity thermal pain stimuli with two different visual cues, hereafter called High CS and Low CS. During the test phase, a previously unconditioned visual cue was introduced, hereafter called the Control cue.Open in a separate windowFig. 1.Stimulus parameters and experimental design. The conditioning procedure (COND) included images of two male faces (conditional cues) presented on a computer screen. Human faces used with permission from KDEF. Each face cue was consistently paired with either a high or low heat pain stimulus on the volar forearm. After conditioning, a test sequence was performed (TEST) in which the High cue, the Low cue, and a neutral Control cue were paired with identical moderate heat stimuli. Subliminal images were shown by means of masked faces, and supraliminal images were shown unmasked. Faces were exposed for 12 ms during masked trials (followed by an 84-ms mask) and for 100 ms during unmasked trials. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four combinations of subliminal/supraliminal conditioning and subliminal/supraliminal test sequence.     

经方在慢性盆腔炎合并盆腔积液治疗中的价值探讨

慢性盆腔炎为妇科临床常见病,好发于青中年女性。病变主要涉及女性内生殖器官、盆腔腹膜及周围结缔组织,以治疗疗程长、症状易迁延反复为主要特点。慢性盆腔炎反复发作致炎性渗出物积聚于盆腔,故本病患者常并见盆腔积液,增加治疗难度。经方为历经千年传承的中医经典方剂,以用药精炼、直达病所、疗效确切为特点,在治疗常见病、疑难病方面收效颇佳。本文拟系统分析经方在治疗慢性盆腔炎合并盆腔积液中的运用价值,并结合1例临床验案进行分析,以对该类疾病的治疗有所启发。     

浅谈经方在皮肤病中的临床应用

阐述《伤寒论》中经方在皮肤病中的应用,对其各经主方主证治疗皮肤疾病进行整理分析,可拓宽经方的应用范围。     

周衡教授运用经方治病验案举隅

周衡教授致力于《金匮要略》研究50余年,湖南中医药大学资深教授,湖南省名中医．我国知名仲景学说研究专家,中国中医学会仲景专业委员会首任委员、顾问,享受国务院政府特殊津贴专家。挖掘、整理主校《金匮要略》首注本《金匮方论衍义》,并多次担任《金匮要略》全国教材编委及《中医药高级丛书·金匮要略》副主编,     

灰区淋巴瘤1例临床病理分析及文献复习

目的探讨灰区淋巴瘤（grayzonelymphoma,GZL）的临床病理特点及免疫表型特征。方法应用光镜观察、免疫组织化学检查对1例颈部GZL的病例进行临床病理学分析,并结合文献讨论。结果1例颈部GZL的组织学形态提示结节硬化性经典型霍奇金淋巴瘤（nodularsclerosisclassicalHodgkin’s lymphoma,NSCHL）,CD30（＋）、CDl5散在（＋）、LMP-1（＋）,但免疫表型显示弥漫性大B细胞淋巴瘤（diffuselargeBcelllymphoma,DLBCL）的特点,CD20弥漫（＋）、CD79a（＋）、PAX-5（＋）、Oct-2（＋）。结论GZL是一种过渡型的淋巴瘤,形态学和免疫表型介于DLBCL和NSCHL之间,不能明确归类为CHL或DLBCL。     

刘学勤活用经方治疗肝胆病经验举隅

文章以临床验案为例,分析刘学勤教授活用经方的思路,举隅说明刘学勤教授活用经方治疗肝胆病的临证经验。以逍遥散变方(以丹参易当归、赤芍易白芍、土茯苓易茯苓、生薏仁易白术)拟疏肝健脾汤,治疗慢性肝炎;以血府逐瘀汤去生地、桔梗、川芎、牛膝,加川楝子、香附、郁金拟疏肝化瘀汤,治疗肝硬化;以五苓散去桂枝,加苍术、猪苓、防己、川牛膝、怀牛膝等拟消水汤,治疗肝硬化合并胸腹水;以半夏泻心汤加枳壳、砂仁,以太子参易人参拟胃平汤,治疗脂肪性肝病。在经方原方基础上"取其意、增其效",灵活变通后,更加符合肝胆病特点。经方变方对肝胆病的治疗更具有针对性,在一定程度上提高了临床疗效,这种承古拓今的独特思路值得借鉴。