Soil microbiomes divergently respond to heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in contaminated industrial sites.

Contaminated sites from electronic waste (e-waste) dismantling and coking plants feature high concentrations of heavy metals (HMs) and/or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soil. Mixed contamination (HMs + PAHs) hinders land reclamation and affects the microbial diversity and function of soil microbiomes. In this study, we analyzed HM and PAH contamination from an e-waste dismantling plant and a coking plant and evaluated the influences of HM and PAH contamination on soil microbiomes.

Maternal Deprivation Enhances Contextual Fear Memory via Epigenetically Programming Second-Hit Stress-Induced Reelin Expression in Adult Rats.

Background: Early-life stress increases the risk for posttraumatic stress disorder. However, the epigenetic mechanism of early-life stress-induced susceptibility to posttraumatic stress disorder in adulthood remains unclear.

Methods: Rat pups were exposed to maternal deprivation during postnatal days 1 to 14 for 3 hours daily and treated with the DNA methyltransferase inhibitor zebularine, L-methionine, or vehicle 7 days before contextual fear conditioning, which was used as a second stress and to mimic the reexperiencing symptom of posttraumatic stress disorder in adulthood.

Knockdown of CLC-3 in the hippocampal CA1 impairs contextual fear memory.

Previous studies support a critical role of hippocampus in contextual fear memory. Structural and functional alterations of hippocampus occur frequently in posttraumatic stress disorders (PTSD). Recent reports reveal that knockout of CLC-3, a member of the CLC family of anion channels and transporters, leads to neuronal degeneration and loss of hippocampus.

Involvement of the dopaminergic system in the consolidation of fear conditioning in hippocampal CA3 subregion.

The hippocampus, the primary brain structure related to learning and memory, receives sparse but comprehensive dopamine innervations and contains dopamine D1 and D2 receptors. Systematic hippocampal dopaminergic dysfunction can cause deficits in spatial working memory and impair consolidation of contextual fear memories. CA3 is involved in the rapid acquisition of new memories and has extensive nerve fibre connections with other brain structures such as CA1, the amygdala, and the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC).

[Ornithine aspartate and naloxone combined therapy for hepatic encephalopathy affects cognitive function, prognosis, and neuropeptide levels].

Objective: To investigate the potential effects on cognitive function, prognosis, and neuropeptide levels of patients in response to combination therapy with ornithine aspartate plus naloxone for hepatic encephalopathy.

Methods: Eighty-four consecutive patients diagnosed with hepatic encephalopathy were randomly divided into two equal groups. The control group (n = 42) received traditional medical treatment, and the research group (n = 42) received the traditional medical treatment as well as the combination therapy with ornithine aspartate plus naloxone.

Prevalence and risk factors of fatty liver disease in young and middle-aged population: one center study in Southwestern China.

Background And Aim: Fatty liver disease has become common hepatic disease not only in western countries but also in developing countries in Asia-Pacific area. Our aim was to determine the prevalence and risk factors of fatty liver disease as well as its correlation with metabolic syndrome in young and middle-aged population.

Methods: Data were collected from check-up center at the 1st Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University in 2011.

[Meta-analysis of laparoscopic and open repair of perforated peptic ulcer].

Objective: To assess the safety and feasibility of laparoscopic and open repair of perforated peptic ulcer.

Methods: Studies on comparison between laparoscopic repair(LR) and open repair(OR) of perforated peptic ulcer were collected. Data of operating time, blood loss, time to first flatus, postoperative hospital stay, postoperative complications and mortality between LR group and OR group were meta-analyzed using fixed effect model and random effect model.

The prevalence of dementia in the People's Republic of China: a systematic analysis of 1980-2004 studies.

Background: Dementia has been a major public health problem. However, there has not yet been a nationwide investigation or systematic analysis of the prevalence of dementia in China from 1980 to 2004.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to analyse the prevalence of dementia and its major subtypes [Alzheimer disease (AD), vascular dementia (VD)] among the population aged 60 years and older in China from 1980 to 2004.

[Applications of multiple seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model on predictive incidence of tuberculosis].

Objective: To discuss the application of multiple seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) predictive model of time series and to establish a predictive incidence model of tuberculosis.

Methods: Parameters of the model were estimated using conditional least squares method according to the data of tuberculosis incidence and the averaged population in a district in Chongqing from 1993 to 2004. In a structure determined according to criteria of residual un-correlation and conclusion, ARIMA predictive model was established and the order of model was confirmed by Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC, for short) and Schwartz's Bayesian Information Criterion (SBC or BIC, for short).

[Prediction of food allergy by using cord blood IgE levels].

Objective: As more attention is paid to food allergy which is already regarded as a public health problem, there is still a lot of uncertainty as to the mechanisms and there are limited therapeutic methods for this problem. It is of importance to screen the susceptible infants as early as possible. The present study was conducted to learn whether cord blood IgE levels (CBIgE) could be used as a predictor of food allergy, and to find out factors which influence the predictive accuracy of CBIgE.