The “Mozart Effect”: An Electroencephalographic Analysis Employing the Methods of Induced Event-Related Desynchronization/Synchronization and Event-Related Coherence

The event-related responses of 18 individuals were recorded while they were listening to 3 music clips of 6 s duration which were repeated 30 times each. The music clips differed in the level of their complex structure, induced mood, musical tempo and prominent frequency. They were taken from Mozart's sonata (K. 448), and Brahms' Hungarian dance (no. 5). The third clip was a simplified version of the theme taken from Haydn's symphony (no. 94) played by a computer synthesizer. Significant differences in induced event-related desynchronization between the 3 music clips were only observed in the lower-1 alpha band which is related to attentional processes. A similar pattern was observed for the coherence measures. While respondents listened to the Mozart clip, coherence in the lower alpha bands increased more, whereas in the gamma band a less pronounced increase was observed as compared with the Brahms and Haydn clips. The clustering of the three clips based on EEG measures distinguished between the Mozart clip on the one hand, and the Haydn and Brahms clips on the other, even though the Haydn and Brahms clips were at the opposite extremes with regard to the mood they induced in listeners, musical tempo, and complexity of structure. This would suggest that Mozart's music--with no regard to the level of induced mood, musical tempo and complexity--influences the level of arousal. It seems that modulations in the frequency domain of Mozart's sonata have the greatest influence on the reported neurophysiological activity.     

大鼠脑底动脉降钙素基因相关肽能神经纤维分布的形态学观察

目的　探讨 14只成年鼠和 14只老年鼠脑底主要动脉降钙素基因相关肽能神经纤维的分布特征。方法　应用免疫组织化学ABC法、神经交点计数法。结果　成年鼠脑底各主要动脉壁上均含有呈线状黑色的CGRP能免疫反应阳性神经纤维 ,分布密度以大脑前动脉最高 ,其次是大脑中动脉、大脑后动脉、基底动脉。各动脉间CGRP能神经纤维密度比较具有统计学意义 (P <0 .0 1) ,成年鼠脑底动脉壁CGRP能神经纤维以环行分布为主 ;老年鼠脑底动脉壁CGRP能神经纤维密度以大脑前动脉最高 ,走行方式以网状分布为主 ;老年鼠脑底各主要动脉壁CGRP能神经纤维分布密度低于成年鼠相应脑底动脉。结论　不同脑底动脉CGRP能神经纤维分布特征各异 ,老年鼠较成年鼠脑底动脉CGRP能神经纤维的分布密度为低     

The HLA-A,B gene frequencies in the world: Migration or selection?

Multivariate methods make it possible to condense much of the information available for a large number of alleles into one or a few synthetic variables. The geographic distribution of synthetic variables can be analyzed and plotted by the same technique used in analyzing and mapping the gene frequency of a single allele. The information contained in 21 HLA-A and HLA-B alleles from 116 world populations is condensed in principal components and discriminant functions which describe the global variation of gene frequencies along longitudes and along latitudes.

Most genetic variation is associated with longitude and shows a center of symmetry in Asia. Thus Asia, or some part of it, may have been the center, both geographically and historically of late Pleistocene migrations. However, latitude also plays a significant role (perhaps 10% of the genetic variation). A remarkable symmetry of the latitude variation in opposite (north and south) hemispheres suggests that climatic factors exercise selective pressure for certain HLA alleles. More specifically A1, A3, B7, B8, and B27 show about equally high correlation coefficients (between 0.45 and 0.55) with distance from equator. This results supports the idea that the well-known linkage disequilibria between A1 and B8, A3 and B7 are probably kept by selective pressure.     

糖尿病大鼠视网膜基因表达谱差异的初步分析

目的 建立大鼠正常视网膜和糖尿病8周视网膜基因表达谱，比较两者差异，初步分析糖尿病视网膜病变的相关基因。方法 通过限制片段差异显示 PCR（ restriction fragments differential display-PCR，RFDD-PCR）获得正常大鼠视网膜及8周糖尿病大鼠视网膜组织转录组片段。应用Fraent Analysis等软件，对差异片段进行生物信息学分析，初步确定糖尿病视网膜病变相关基因／表达序列标签（ expression sequence tag, Ksr）。结果 获得有意义的片段共3639个，有差异的片段840个，占表达数的23．08％。其中包括5个视觉传导相关基因，13个兴奋性神经递质受体基因和3个抑制性神经递质受体基因。糖尿病8周大鼠视网膜Rhodopsin kinase,β-arrestin,Phosducin, rod photoreceptor cGMP-gated channel 和 Rpe65的表达下调，离子型谷氨酸受体iGluR1-4下调，代谢性谷氨酸受体及γ-氨基丁酸受体各亚型则普遍上调，而甘氨酸受体表达无变化。结论 糖尿病8周大鼠神经视网膜已受到累及，其基因表达模式的改变，可能与糖尿病早期视功能损害有关。     

Localization of CEA,HCG, Lysozyme,alpha-1-antitrypsin,and alpha-1-antichymotrypsin in gastric cancer and prognosis

Summary Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA),-human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), alpha-1-antichymotrypsin (ACT), alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT) and Lysozyme (LYS) were traced by immunoperoxidase staining in gastric carcinomas. The immunohistological results were evaluated in relation to histological types (WHO and Laurén), stage of disease, grade and survival time. CEA was demonstrated in 96% of the tumours, HCG in 34%, ACT in 78%, AAT in 42%, and LYS in 71%. Comparing the staining patterns of the antigens and the intensity of staining some differences were notable. Except for signet-ring cell carcinomas, all of which were intensively positive, CEA expression decreased significantly with loss of differentiation. This observation was not seen with the other marker substances. None of the tested markers was characteristic for one particular histological type, nor could they be correlated with the tumour stage or grade. The marker positivity of CEA, ACT and LYS was not related to survival time. For HCG only, a correlation between tissue expression and a restricted survival time was established. Patients with AAT positive carcinomas had a significantly better survival probability.     

Paternal mosaicism for a novel PBX1 mutation associated with recurrent perinatal death: Phenotypic expansion of the PBX1‐related syndrome

Autosomal dominant (de novo) mutations in PBX1 are known to cause congenital abnormalities of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT), with or without extra‐renal abnormalities. Using trio exome sequencing, we identified a PBX1 p.(Arg107Trp) mutation in a deceased one‐day‐old neonate presenting with CAKUT, asplenia, and severe bilateral diaphragmatic thinning and eventration. Further investigation by droplet digital PCR revealed that the mutation had occurred post‐zygotically in the father, with different variant allele frequencies of the mosaic PBX1 mutation in blood (10%) and sperm (20%). Interestingly, the father had subclinical hydronephrosis in childhood. With an expected recurrence risk of one in five, chorionic villus sampling and prenatal diagnosis for the PBX1 mutation identified recurrence in a subsequent pregnancy. The family opted to continue the pregnancy and the second affected sibling was stillborn at 35 weeks, presenting with similar severe bilateral diaphragmatic eventration, microsplenia, and complete sex reversal (46, XY female). This study highlights the importance of follow‐up studies for presumed de novo and low‐level mosaic variants and broadens the phenotypic spectrum of developmental abnormalities caused by PBX1 mutations.     

Determination of serum and organ malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration, a lipid peroxidation index, in Trypanosoma brucei-infected rats

Lipid peroxidation was assessed in the sera and various organs of rats experimentally infected with Trypanosoma brucei. Thirty-six adult albino rats divided into 2 groups of eighteen rats each were used in this study. In experiment one, a group of 18 rats were used and they were divided into three groups (A, B and C) of six rats each. Groups B and C rats were infected with 1.54 × 10⁵ trypanosomes per rat intraperitoneally, whereas group A served as uninfected control. The rats were bled on day 0 and subsequently at 7-day intervals for packed cell volume (PCV), sera peroxidation index and parasitaemia. Also, temperature and weight were taken on day 0 and subsequently at 7-day intervals. In experiment 2, 18 rats were also used. Six rats each were sacrificed on days 0, 14 and 28-postinfection. Five rats each were sacrificed on day 14 and day 28 post-infection (PI) from group B, and their organs were promptly collected and washed with normal saline and used for organ malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration. The infection led to an increase in lipid peroxidation index (MDA concentration) of sera samples. The serum MDA concentration of the infected rat group was significantly (p < 0.01) higher than in the uninfected group on days 21 and 28 PI. The increase was however reversed by diminazene aceturate (Berenil; Hoechst, Ireland) treatment at the dosage of 7 mg/kg body weight administered on day 14 PI. The organ lipid peroxidation index also increased significantly (p < 0.05) in the eye, lung and spleen. However, there was no significant (p > 0.05) increase of lipid peroxidation index in the kidney, heart, liver, testes and brain. Also, the mean weekly MDA concentration increased as the disease progressed, the mean weekly temperature and parasitaemia also increased, but the reverse was the case with the mean weekly body weight and PCV which declined as the disease progressed. The findings are indication that oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathology of trypanosomosis.     

The hormonal responses to repetitive brief maximal exercise in humans

Summary The responses of nine men and nine women to brief repetitive maximal exercise have been studied. The exercise involved a 6-s sprint on a non-motorised treadmill repeated 10 times with 30 s recovery between each sprint. The total work done during the ten sprints was 37,693±3,956 J by the men and 26,555±4,589 J by the women (M > F,P<0.01). This difference in performance was not associated with higher blood lactate concentrations in the men (13.96± 1.70 mmol·^–1) than the women (13.09±3.04 mmol·l^–1). An 18-fold increase in plasma adrenaline (AD) occurred with the peak concentration observed after five sprints. The peak AD concentration in the men was larger than that seen in the women (9.2 +- 7.3 and 3.7 ± 2.4 nmol · l^–1 respectively,P<0.05). The maximum noradrenaline (NA) concentration occurred after ten sprints in the men (31.6±10.9 nmol·l^–1) and after five sprints in the women (27.4 ± 20.8 nmol · l^–1). Plasma cardiodilatin (CDN) and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) concentrations were elevated in response to the exercise. The peak ANP concentration occurred immediately postexercise and the response of the women (10.8 ± 4.5 pmol · l^–1 was greater than that of the men (5.1 ± 2.6 pmol · l^–1,P<0.05). The peak CDN concentrations were 163 ± 61 pmol · l^–1 for the women and 135 ± 61 pmol · l^–1 for the men. No increases in calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP) were detected in response to the exercise. These results indicate differences between men and women in performance and hormonal responses. There was no evidence for a role of CGRP in the control of the cardiovascular system after brief intermittent maximal exercise.     

Role of Cachexia and Fragility in the Patient Candidate for Cardiac Surgery

Frailty is the major expression of accelerated aging and describes a decreased resistance to stressors, and consequently an increased vulnerability to additional diseases in elderly people. The vascular aging related to frail phenotype reflects the high susceptibility for cardiovascular diseases and negative postoperative outcomes after cardiac surgery. Sarcopenia can be considered a biological substrate of physical frailty. Malnutrition and physical inactivity play a key role in the pathogenesis of sarcopenia. We searched on Medline (PubMed) and Scopus for relevant literature published over the last 10 years and analyzed the strong correlation between frailty, sarcopenia and cardiovascular diseases in elderly patient. In our opinion, a right food intake and moderate intensity resistance exercise are mandatory in order to better prepare patients undergoing cardiac operation.