Measuring Human Auditory Evoked Fields with a Flexible Multi-Channel OPM-Based MEG System.

Background: Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is a non-invasive imaging technique for directly measuring the external magnetic field generated from synchronously activated pyramidal neurons in the brain. The optically pumped magnetometer (OPM) is known for its less expensive, non-cryogenic, movable and user-friendly custom-design provides the potential for a change in functional neuroimaging based on MEG.

Methods: An array of OPMs covering the opposite sides of a subject's head is placed inside a magnetically shielded room (MSR) and responses evoked from the auditory cortices are measured.

Role of the extracellular matrix in COVID-19.

An outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread globally, with over 500 million cases and 6 million deaths to date. COVID-19 is associated with a systemic inflammatory response and abnormalities of the extracellular matrix (ECM), which is also involved in inflammatory storms. Upon viral infection, ECM proteins are involved in the recruitment of inflammatory cells and interference with target organ metabolism, including in the lungs.

Differential diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 pneumonia or influenza A pneumonia by clinical characteristics and laboratory findings.

Background: Pneumonia caused by the 2019 novel Coronavirus (COVID-2019) shares overlapping signs and symptoms, laboratory findings, imaging features with influenza A pneumonia. We aimed to identify their clinical characteristics to help early diagnosis.

Methods: We retrospectively retrieved data for laboratory-confirmed patients admitted with COVID-19-induced or influenza A-induced pneumonia from electronic medical records in Ningbo First Hospital, China.

Advances in genome-wide association study of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by irreversible airflow obstruction and chronic airway inflammation, caused by a combination of environmental and genetic factors. It is the third leading cause of death worldwide. In recent years, researchers have applied the genome-wide association study (GWAS) and identified a large number of genetic variants associated with lung functions and potential drug targets for treating COPD.

Detection and analysis of MEG signals in occipital region with double-channel OPM sensors.

Background: Magnetoencephalography (MEG) has high temporal and spatial resolution and good spatial accuracy in determining the locations of source activity among most non-invasive imaging. The recently developed technology of optically-pumped magnetometer (OPM) has sensitivity comparable to that of the superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) used in commercial MEG system.

New Method: Double-channel OPM-MEG system detects human photic blocking of alpha rhythm at the occipital region of skull in the magnetically shielded environment via a wearable whole-cortex 3D-printed helmet.

Coronavirus disease 19 with gastrointestinal symptoms as initial manifestations: a case report.

Since the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in December 2019, an epidemic has spread rapidly worldwide. COVID-19 is caused by the highly infectious severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2. A 42-year-old woman presented to hospital who was suffering from epigastric discomfort and dyspepsia for the past 5 days.

[Recent advances in nephronectin].

Nephronectin (NPNT) is a novel extracellular matrix protein and a new ligand of integrin α8β1. Recent studies showed that NPNT is highly expressed in kidney, lung, thyroid, etc, and it may play an important role in many pathological conditions. NPNT is involved in the process of kidney development and acute kidney injury, regulates proliferation and differentiation of osteoblast, and induces the vasculogenesis in vitro.

[The effect of chimonin on collagen metabolism of pulmonary arterioles in chronic hypoxic rats].

Objective: To study the effect and mechanism of chimonin on pulmonary arterioles I and III type collagen metabolism in pulmonary hypertension rats induced by chronic hypoxic hypercapnia.

Methods: Thirty-six Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups: normal control group(A), hypoxic hypercapnic group(B), hypoxic hypercapnia + chimonin group(C). Collagen I, III and their mRNA, Blood CO concentration (COHb%), activity of HO-1 in blood serum and lung homogenate, content of hydroxyproline in lung homogenate, pulmonary arteriole micromorphometric index were observed.

[Primary cell culture and identification methods of rat pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells].

Objective: Set up a method to isolate and identify the small pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) in vitro.

Methods: In sterile conditions, separated the male SD rat pulmonary artery, digested by collagenase I and cultured primary PASMCs. Measured cell viability; observed by phase contrast microscope; identified by immunocytochemistry and immunofluorescence staining as a label for smooth muscle alpha-actin.

Effects and mechanism of oridonin on pulmonary hypertension induced by chronic hypoxia-hypercapnia in rats.

Background: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is characterized by suppressing apoptosis and enhancing cell proliferation in the vascular wall. Inducing pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMC) apoptosis had been regarded as a therapeutic approach for PAH. Oridonin can cause apoptosis in many cell lines, while little has been done to evaluate its effect on PASMC.