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Objectives Fluoxetine has been used as the first line for the therapy of depression. However, lack of therapeutic efficacy and time lag still limit the application of fluoxetine. Gap junction dysfunction is a potentially novel pathogenic mechanism for depression. To clarify the mechanism underlying these limitations, we investigated whether gap junction was related to the antidepressant effects of fluoxetine. Methods and key findings After chronic unpredictable stress (CUS), animals showed decreases in gap junction intracellular communication (GJIC). Treatment with fluoxetine 10 mg/kg significantly improved GJIC and anhedonia of rats until six days. These results indicated that fluoxetine improved gap junction indirectly. Furthermore, to test the role of gap junction on antidepressant effects of fluoxetine, we blocked gap junction using carbenoxolone (CBX) infusion in the prefrontal cortex. CBX dampened fluoxetine-induced decrease in immobility time of mice in tail suspension test (TST). Conclusions Our study suggested that gap junction dysfunction blocks antidepressant effects of fluoxetine, contributing to understanding the mechanism underlying the time lag of fluoxetine.

The tropiduchid genus Catullioides Bierman, 1910 is redescribed and illustrated. Catullioides includes two species, C. rubrolineata Bierman, 1910 (the type species) and C. taishunensis Zhu, Wang & Song, sp. nov. A key to the species of the genus is provided.

This paper provides an improved algorithm which is proposed for the deviating optimal solution, non-target and path non-smooth problem of the original Rapidly-exploring Random Trees (RRT). The improved algorithm is based on the new parent node selection method to ensure that the random tree extends the asymptotic optimality of the new node. On this basis, the heuristic value function is introduced according to the Euclidean shortest distance thought, which improves the planning efficiency of the algorithm. In addition, the method of regression analysis is adopted to improve the search ability of the algorithm and solve the local minimum problem caused by the heuristic value function. The Bezier curve fitting method is then used to generate a smooth path, which further reduces the jitter during the 6-DOF manipulator motion. The simulation experiment of improved RRT algorithm is established in MATLAB platform, and the effectiveness and rationality of the algorithm are verified.

The reduction in chemical fertilizers combined with organic fertilizers is a national strategy to achieve environmental friendliness and maintain the quality of cultivated land. It is of great significance for the prevention and control of soil pollution and the sustainable development of agriculture. In this study, purple soil and sloping land in the Three Gorges Reservoir area was studied. The field experiment method was used to study the control, conventional fertilization, optimized fertilization, biochar (fertilizer combined with biochar), and straw under rapeseed/corn rotation mode. The effects of five treatments on soil nitrogen/phosphorus form, crop nitrogen and phosphorus content, fertilizer utilization rate, and crop yield were studied in the field (fertilizer reduction combined with straw returning). The results showed that the soil ammonium nitrogen content was the highest in the rapeseed season, which was 4.51 mg·kg

Ethnopharmacological relevance Korean red ginseng (KRG), a processed product of Panax ginseng C. A. Mey, show significant anti-depressive effect in clinic. However, its mechanism is still unclear. Aim of the study Gap junction intercellular communication (GJIC) dysfunction is a potential pathogenesis of depression. Therefore, this study's objective is to investigate whether the antidepressant effect of KRG is related to GJIC. Materials and methods Rat were restraint 8 h every day for 28 consecutive days to prepare depression models, and meanwhile, rats were intragastrically administrated with normal saline, KRG solutions (25, 50 or 100 mg/kg) or fluoxetine (10 mg/kg) 1 h before stress. The behavioral performance was determined by forced swimming test, sucrose preference test and open field test. GJIC was determined by the Lucifer yellow (LY) diffusion distance in prelimb cortex (PLC). In addition, the level of Cx43, one of executors of GJIC, was tested by Western blot. To find out the protective effect of KRG against GJIC dysfunction directly, rats were intracranially injected with carbenoxolone (CBX, blocker of GJIC), and meanwhile normal saline, KRG (100 mg/kg) or fluoxetine (10 mg/kg) was administered daily. The behavioral performance of these rats was detected, and the LY localization injection PLC area was used to detect the gap junction function. Results Chronic resistant stress (CRS) induced depressive symptoms, as manifested by prolonged immobility time in forced swimming test and decreased sucrose consumption ratio. Administration of KRG alleviated these depressive symptoms significantly. GJIC determination showed that KRG improved the LY diffusion and increased Cx43 level in prefrontal cortex (PFC) significantly, indicated that GJIC dysfunction was alleviated by the treatment of KRG. However, the astrocytes number was also increased by the treatment of KRG, which maybe alleviate depression-like symptoms by increasing the number of astrocytes rather than improving GJIC. Injection of CBX produced depressive symptoms and GJIC dysfunction, as manifested by decreased sucrose consumption ratio and prolonged immobility time in forced swimming test, but no astrocytes number changes, KRG also reversed depressive symptoms and GJIC dysfunction, suggested that the improvement of depressive-like symptoms was improved by GJIC. Conclusions KRG alleviate depressive disorder by improving astrocytic gap junction function.

We previously reported that helicid, an active plant monomer of Helicid nilgirica Bedd, had good antidepressant pharmacological activities. However, the potential mechanism of action remains unknown. Current investigation showed the antidepressant-like effects of helicid and its effects on the neurocalcin delta (NCALD) gene, and its mechanism of action through a depression model in rats exposed to chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS). We evaluated depression symptoms using the sucrose preference test (SPT), open field test (OFT), and forced swimming test (FST). By silencing NCALD and using rescue experiments, the IL-6, iNOS, IL-1β, COX-2, and TNF-α levels in the hippocampus or peripheral blood were determined using western blotting and ELISAs. The expression of IKKβ, p-IкBα, p-IKKβ, NF-кB p65, and IкBα were tested using western blots of the cytoplasmic or nuclear samples. Helicid and silencing NCALD relieved the CUMS-irritated depressive-like actions of rats, which were shown by increased consumption of sucrose, numbers of rearings, total running distance, zone crossings, and reduced immobility times. Helicid or silencing NCALD reversed the CUMS-induced high levels of IL-1β, COX-2, IL-6, TNF-α, and iNOS in the hippocampus or peripheral blood. Helicid or silencing NCALD also reduced the expressions of p-IκBα and p-IKKβ in the cytoplasm and the expression of nuclear NF-κB p 65 in hippocampus, and simultaneously elevated cytoplasmic expressions of IκBα, IKKβ, and NF-κB p65 in the hippocampus. Notably, after NCALD overexpression, the biochemical indices of rat helicid administration were reversed. In conclusion, the antidepressant action of helicid was mediated through NCALD in rats of CUMS by repressing hippocampal neuro-inflammation and abating the activation of the IKK/IκBα/NF-κB pathway.

Trigeminal neuralgia is a common disease in Chinese people. Minimal invasive transforaminal pathway is widely used in treating trigeminal neuralgia. The Hartel pathway is the most commonly used operation route, but it has potential to injure vessels such as arteria meningea media and the internal carotid artery. We measured the location of operation route, foramen spinosum, and foramen lacerum in a three-dimensional pattern. We found that to protect those 2 vessels, the angle and depth of puncture should be well regulated. The horizontal component of the angle between the needle axis and y axis should be more than 22 degrees in women and 20 degrees in men to avoid the injury of arteria meningea media. And for protecting the internal carotid artery, the depth of puncture should be less than 85 mm for women and 93 mm for men, or less than 9 mm after penetrating the meninges.

When the listed company was treated specially, the ST Company will be under tremendous pressure. So the Commission will take action. Firstly, it will monitor the ST Company to improve the operation and production conditions. Then, it will clean up bad assets. At last, it will put into good assets. After all these actions, the ST Company will restore normal listed company. In this paper, we use financial distress prediction model to analysis financial statements and related management data. After analysis, we can tell business operators and other related party the Pre-losing hazard which the company will confront. We use A-share listed small and medium-banks as samples to construct financial distress prediction model. Fist, we will use principal factor analysis to extract common factors which can reflect financial information. Then, we will use the decision tree analysis to find out the common factors which can give maximum gain ratio. So we can provide the banks with comprehensive financial risk control indicators and we can find out the reasons for financial crisis. So these companies can do early job to avoid business losses and get ST treatment.

Aimed at overcoming the deficiency of methods applied to existing evaluation of enterprise managers’ performance, this paper introduces an evaluation method based on unascertained measurement. In the evaluating process, for the second-rate indicators we use information entropy to determine their weights, and for the first-rate indicators we use the Analytic Hierarchy Process to determine their weights, realizing the combination of quantitative and qualitative analysis, achieving the unascertained comprehensive evaluation results of performance of enterprise managers. Then we take an example to analyze and explain the model. This result proves that unascertained measure model with a more simple calculation process and a higher recognition accuracy is applicable to the performance evaluation of enterprise managers.