Protective effect of mulberry flavonoids on sciatic nerve in alloxan-induced diabetic rats

Folhas de amoreira (Morus alba L.) é um medicamento tradicional chinês para a redução da glicose no soro sanguíneo. Avaliaram-se, neste trabalho, os efeitos protetores dos flavonóides de amora no nervo ciático em ratos diabéticos aloxano-induzidos. Dividiram-se 80 ratos Sprague-Dawley em cinco grupos: A (controle), B (diabétidos tratados com solução salina), C-D (diabéticos tratados com 0,3, 0,1 g/kg) e E (diabéticos tratados com 0,3 mg de metilcobal).A diabetes foi induzida por injeção intraperitoneal de 200 mg/kg de aloxana dissolvida em solução salina. No final do período experimental, obtiveram-se amostras de sangue e de tecido para investigação bioquímica e histopatológica. O tratamento com 0,3 g/kg de flavonóides da amoreira inibiu, significativamente, a elevação de glicose no soro (pMulberry leaves (Morus alba L.) are a traditional Chinese medicine for blood serum glucose reduction. This study evaluated the protective effects of mulberry flavonoids on sciatic nerve in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. In this study, 80 Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into five groups: A (control), B (diabetic treated with saline), C-D (diabetic treated with 0.3, 0.1 g/kg mulberry flavonoids once a day for 8 weeks) and E (diabetic treated with 0.3 mg/kg methycobal). The diabetic condition was induced by intraperitoneal injection of 200 mg/kg alloxan dissolved in saline. At the end of the experimental period, blood, and tissue samples were obtained for biochemical and histopathological investigation. Treatment with 0.3 g/kg mulberry flavonoids significantly inhibited the elevated serum glucose (P< 0.01). The increased myelin sheath area (P< 0.01), myelinated fiber cross-sectional area and extramedullary fiber number (P< 0.05) were also reduced in alloxan-induced rats treated with 0.3 g/kg mulberry flavonoids. 0.3 g/kg mulberry flavonoids also markedly decreased onion-bulb type myelin destruction and degenerative changes of mitochondria and Schwann cells. These findings demonstrate that mulberry flavonoids may improve the recovery of a severe peripheral nerve injury in alloxan-induced diabetic rats and is likely to be useful as a potential treatment on peripheral neuropathy (PN) in diabetic rats

Spatial characteristics of cadmium in topsoils in a typical e-waste recycling area in southeast China and its potential threat to shallow groundwater

Informal electrical and electronic waste (e-waste) recycling often creates secondary sources of cadmium (Cd) pollution. To characterize the total Cd concentration (Cd-total) in topsoil and evaluate the threat of Cd in topsoils to shallow groundwater, 187 topsoil samples and 12 shallow groundwater samples were collected in a typical e-waste recycling area in southeast China. Soil organic matter content, soil pH and Cd-total in topsoil, pH and dissolved Cd concentration in shallow groundwater were measured. Cd-total in the topsoils showed an inverse distribution trend with soil pH in that high Cd concentrations (and low pH values) were found in the surrounding area of the metal recycling industrial park where there were many family-operated e-waste recycling facilities before the industrial park was established and with low concentrations (and high pH values) in other areas, and they had similar spatial correlation structures. Cd accumulation and acidification were synchronous in topsoils, and soil pH was significantly correlated with Cd-total in topsoils with low to moderate negative correlation coefficient (r = -024), indicating that both of them maybe correlated with informal recycling. The shallow groundwater in the surrounding area of the metal recycling industrial park was seriously contaminated by Cd, and topsoil Cd accumulation and acidification in the surrounding area of e-waste recycling sites significantly increase the risk of shallow groundwater contaminated by Cd. Action is urgently required to control Cd accumulation and acidification by improving the recycling operations of e-wastes in order to reduce the risk of Cd leaching from topsoils and shallow groundwater contamination. (C) 2013 Published by Elsevier B.V.Informal electrical and electronic waste (e-waste) recycling often creates secondary sources of cadmium (Cd) pollution. To characterize the total Cd concentration (Cd-total) in topsoil and evaluate the threat of Cd in topsoils to shallow groundwater, 187 topsoil samples and 12 shallow groundwater samples were collected in a typical e-waste recycling area in southeast China. Soil organic matter content, soil pH and Cd-total in topsoil, pH and dissolved Cd concentration in shallow groundwater were measured. Cd-total in the topsoils showed an inverse distribution trend with soil pH in that high Cd concentrations (and low pH values) were found in the surrounding area of the metal recycling industrial park where there were many family-operated e-waste recycling facilities before the industrial park was established and with low concentrations (and high pH values) in other areas, and they had similar spatial correlation structures. Cd accumulation and acidification were synchronous in topsoils, and soil pH was significantly correlated with Cd-total in topsoils with low to moderate negative correlation coefficient (r = -024), indicating that both of them maybe correlated with informal recycling. The shallow groundwater in the surrounding area of the metal recycling industrial park was seriously contaminated by Cd, and topsoil Cd accumulation and acidification in the surrounding area of e-waste recycling sites significantly increase the risk of shallow groundwater contaminated by Cd. Action is urgently required to control Cd accumulation and acidification by improving the recycling operations of e-wastes in order to reduce the risk of Cd leaching from topsoils and shallow groundwater contamination. (C) 2013 Published by Elsevier B.V

BeiDou-3 orbit and clock quality of the IGS Multi-GNSS Pilot Project

Within the Multi-GNSS Pilot Project (MGEX) of the International GNSS Service (IGS), precise orbit and clock products for the BeiDou-3 global navigation satellite system (BDS-3) are routinely generated by a total of five analysis centers. The processing standards and specific properties of the individual products are reviewed and the BDS-3 orbit and clock product performance is assessed through direct inter-comparison, satellite laser ranging (SLR) residuals, clock stability analysis, and precise point positioning solutions. The orbit consistency evaluated by the signal-in-space range error is on the level of 4-8 cm for the medium Earth orbit satellites whereas SLR residuals have RMS values between 3 and 9 cm. The clock analysis reveals sytematic effects related to the elevation of the Sun above the orbital plane for all ACs pointing to deficiencies in solar radiation pressure modeling. Nevertheless, precise point positioning with the BDS-3 MGEX orbit and clock products results in 3D RMS values between 7 and 8 mm.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figure

Long-term unmet needs after stroke:systematic review of evidence from survey studies

OBJECTIVES: To synthesise evidence on longer term unmet needs perceived by stroke survivors, and psychometric properties of the tools used to evaluate unmet care needs after stroke. DESIGN: Systematic review. SETTING: Community or patients' home. PARTICIPANTS: Stroke survivors. METHODS: We searched PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL, EMBASE from inception to 31 March 2018 to identify survey studies that evaluated unmet needs perceived by stroke survivors after hospital discharge. Reported unmet needs were categorised under three domains: body functioning, activity/participation and environmental factors. Ranges of prevalence rates of unmet needs reported in studies were presented. RESULTS: We included 19 eligible studies, with considerable heterogeneity in patients, survey methods and results. Psychometric properties of two stroke-specific tools were formally evaluated, indicating their moderate reliability and content/concurrent validity. The median number of reported unmet needs per stroke survivor was from two to five, and the proportion of stroke survivors with at least one unmet needs was on average 73.8% (range 19.8%- 91.7%). Unmet needs perceived by stroke survivors included 55 records of unmet body functioning needs, 47 records of unmet activities/participatory needs and 101 records of unmet environmental needs. Common unmet service needs were unmet information needs (3.1%- 65.0%), transport (5.4%-53.0%), home help/personal care (4.7%-39.3%) and therapy (2.0%-35.7%). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of unmet long-term needs is high among stroke survivors, and there is considerable heterogeneity in type and frequency of specific unmet needs. More research is required to link regular assessment of long-term unmet needs of stroke survivors with the provision of cost-effective patient-centred health and social care services

Power-Law Decay of Standing Waves on the Surface of Topological Insulators

We propose a general theory on the standing waves (quasiparticle interference pattern) caused by the scattering of surface states off step edges in topological insulators, in which the extremal points on the constant energy contour of surface band play the dominant role. Experimentally we image the interference patterns on both Bi$_2$Te$_3$ and Bi$_2$Se$_3$ films by measuring the local density of states using a scanning tunneling microscope. The observed decay indices of the standing waves agree excellently with the theoretical prediction: In Bi$_2$Se$_3$, only a single decay index of -3/2 exists; while in Bi$_2$Te$_3$ with strongly warped surface band, it varies from -3/2 to -1/2 and finally to -1 as the energy increases. The -1/2 decay indicates that the suppression of backscattering due to time-reversal symmetry does not necessarily lead to a spatial decay rate faster than that in the conventional two-dimensional electron system. Our formalism can also explain the characteristic scattering wave vectors of the standing wave caused by non-magnetic impurities on Bi$_2$Te$_3$.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure