The Pathway-Selective Dependence of Nitric Oxide for Long-Term Potentiation in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex of Adult Mice.

Nitric oxide (NO) is a key diffusible messenger in the mammalian brain. It has been proposed that NO may diffuse in retrograde into presynaptic terminals, contributing to the induction of hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP). Here, we present novel evidence that NO is selectively required for the synaptic potentiation of the interhemispheric projection in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC).

Recruitment of cortical silent responses by forskolin in the anterior cingulate cortex of adult mice.

Recent studies using different experimental approaches demonstrate that silent synapses may exist in the adult cortex including the sensory cortex and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). The postsynaptic form of long-term potentiation (LTP) in the ACC recruits some of these silent synapses and the activity of calcium-stimulated adenylyl cyclases (ACs) is required for such recruitment. It is unknown if the chemical activation of ACs may recruit silent synapses.

Selective enhancement of fear extinction by inhibiting neuronal adenylyl cyclase 1 (AC1) in aged mice.

Adenylyl cyclase 1 (AC1) is a selective subtype of ACs, which is selectively expressed in neurons. The activation of AC1 is activity-dependent, and AC1 plays an important role in cortical excitation that contributes to chronic pain and related emotional disorders. Previous studies have reported that human-used NB001 (hNB001, a selective AC1 inhibitor) produced analgesic effects in different animal models of chronic pain.

Sound-induced analgesia cannot always be observed in adult mice.

Music seems promising as an adjuvant pain treatment in humans, while its mechanism remains to be illustrated. In rodent models of chronic pain, few studies reported the analgesic effect of music. Recently, Zhou et al.

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Therapeutic Efficacy and Safety of Alirocumab and Evolocumab on Familial Hypercholesterolemia.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to provide the first study to systematically analyze the efficacy and safety of PCSK9-mAbs in the treatment of familial hypercholesterolemia (FH).

Methods: A computer was used to search the electronic Cochrane Library, PubMed/MEDLINE, and Embase databases for clinical trials using the following search terms: "AMG 145", "evolocumab", "SAR236553/REGN727", "alirocumab", "RG7652", "LY3015014", "RN316/bococizumab", "PCSK9", and "familial hypercholesterolemia" up to November 2020. Study quality was assessed with the Cochrane Collaboration's tool, and publication bias was evaluated by a contour-enhanced funnel plot and the Harbord modification of the Egger test.

An Overview of miRNAs Involved in PASMC Phenotypic Switching in Pulmonary Hypertension.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is occult, with no distinctive clinical manifestations and a poor prognosis. Pulmonary vascular remodelling is an important pathological feature in which pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) phenotypic switching plays a crucial role. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of evolutionarily highly conserved single-stranded small noncoding RNAs.

The efficacy and safety of rivaroxaban in coronary artery disease patients with heart failure and sinus rhythm: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: To explore the efficacy and safety of rivaroxaban in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), heart failure (HF) and sinus rhythm (SR).

Methods: Comprehensive literature searches were conducted using the PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, CNKI and Wanfang databases from inception to February 2021. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) focusing on the efficacy and safety of new oral anticoagulant (NOAC) therapy in CAD and HF patients in SR were eligible.

Nakagami-m Parametric Imaging for Atherosclerotic Plaque Characterization Using the Coarse-to-Fine Method.

The Nakagami model was used to analyze the statistical differences in ultrasound backscattered signals between different plaque types. To improve image resolution, Nakagami-m parametric imaging using the coarse-to-fine method based on the maximum likelihood estimation (CTF-BOW) was proposed for atherosclerotic plaque characterization. Simulation results confirmed that the CTF-BOW method significantly outperforms the sliding window method in precision, smoothness and resolution.

Ultrasound Contrast Plane Wave Imaging Based on Bubble Wavelet Transform: In Vitro and In Vivo Validations.

The aim of the study described here was to develop an ultrasound contrast plane wave imaging (PWI) method based on pulse-inversion bubble wavelet transform imaging (PIWI) to improve the contrast-to-tissue ratio of contrast images. A pair of inverted "bubble wavelets" with plane waves was constructed according to the modified Herring equation. The original echoes were replaced by the maximum wavelet correlation coefficients obtained from bubble wavelet correlation analysis.

Effect of erythromycin exposure on the growth, antioxidant system and photosynthesis of Microcystis flos-aquae.

Erythromycin, a macrolide antibiotic, is commonly used in human life. This compound and its derivatives have been detected in various aquatic compartments and may pose a serious threat to aquatic organisms. This study investigated the effects of erythromycin on the growth, antioxidant system and photosynthesis of Microcystis flos-aquae.

Non-invasive vascular radial/circumferential strain imaging and wall shear rate estimation using video images of diagnostic ultrasound.

The aim of this work was to develop a convenient method for radial/circumferential strain imaging and shear rate estimation that could be used as a supplement to the current routine screening for carotid atherosclerosis using video images of diagnostic ultrasound. A reflection model-based correction for gray-scale non-uniform distribution was applied to B-mode video images before strain estimation to improve the accuracy of radial/circumferential strain imaging when applied to vessel transverse cross sections. The incremental and cumulative radial/circumferential strain images can then be calculated based on the displacement field between consecutive B-mode images.

Response of the cyanobacterium Microcystis flos-aquae to levofloxacin.

The effects of levofloxacin (LEV) on Microcystis flos-aquae and its mechanism were investigated by determining the responses of some parameters of M. flos-aquae to LEV stress, including growth inhibition ratio, chlorophyll a content, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, F v/F 0 and F v/F m, etc. The results indicated that LEV at 0.