Sclerotinia Rot of Peucedanum japonicum Thunb. Caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum

Sclerotinia rot was occurred on the leaf and stem of Peucedanum japonicum Thunb. in greenhouse field of Pohang city of Gyeongbuk province in Korea. The typical symptom of the disease was light brown spot and tipburn on infected leaves. The colony of the isolated fungus was white to light gray in color. Asci were cylindrical shape and 75‒240×5.9‒17.3 μm in size. Apothecia were cup-shaped with numerous asci and 0.5‒0.9 cm in size. Ascospores were aseptate and ellipsoid in shape, and 8.4‒10.7×4.8‒5.8 μm in size. Sclerotia formed on the plants and potato dextrose agar medium were globose to irregular in shape and black in color. Partial sequencing of rDNA of this isolate showed that it was 100% consistent with that of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. It was confirmed that the same lesion was formed by reinoculating this pathogen on a healthy P. japonicum Thunb. and the same strain was isolated. This is the first report on the Sclerotinia rot of P. japonicum Thunb. caused by S. sclerotiorum in Korea.

Course of Uncomplicated Acute Gastroenteritis in Children Presenting to Out-of-hours Primary Care

Background: The aim of this article is to describe the courses of vomiting, diarrhea, fever, and clinical deterioration, in children with uncomplicated gastroenteritis at presentation. This study was performed as a 7-day prospective follow-up study in an out-of-hours primary care service. The course of vomiting, diarrhea, and fever was analyzed by generalized linear mixed modeling. Because young children (≤12 months) and children with severe vomiting are at increased risk of dehydration, the potentially more complicated courses of these groups are described separately. The day(s) most frequently associated with deterioration and the symptoms present in children who deteriorated during follow-up were also described.Results: In total, 359 children presented with uncomplicated acute gastroenteritis to the out-of-hours primary care service. Of these, 31 (8.6%) developed a complicated illness and needed referral or hospitalization. All symptoms decreased within 5 days in most children (>90%). Vomiting and fever decreased rapidly, but diarrhea decreased at a somewhat slower pace, especially among children aged 6–12 months. Children who deteriorated during follow-up had a higher frequency of vomiting at presentation and higher frequencies of vomiting and fever during follow-up.Conclusions: The frequency of vomiting, not its duration, appears to be the more important predictor of deterioration. When advising parents, it is important to explain the typical symptom duration and to focus on alarm symptoms. Clinicians should be vigilant for children with higher vomiting frequencies at presentation and during follow-up because these children are more likely to deteriorate.

Exploring the Potential Effects of Technology Exposure on Temporary Impulsive Behaviors in Children

Objective: In this study, we examined the potential impact technology exposure has on children. We focused on its relation to temporary impulsive behaviors. Methods: We conducted a randomized, controlled experiment on kindergartners to examine whether exposure to media influenced their short-term impulsivity. Results: Our findings confirm impulsivity in the experimental group. All test score means were statistically differen- all time scores were smaller and means for all error scores were larger in the post-study. This implies children respond faster but with more errors, a typical symptom of impulsivity. Conclusion: Our results support the importance of minimizing excessive use of technologies for children to reduce educational risks. Exposure to technology has demonstrated increased tendencies among children, where there are demonstrated difficulties in slowing down and controlling the number of errors they make on complext parts of presented tasks. In contrast, children with no exposure to the technology were better able to slow down, and make fewer errors.

The Еffectiveness of Stabilometrical Training in the Complex of Rehabilitation Measures in Elderly and Senile Patients with Arterial Hypertension

The treatment and rehabilitation of elderly patients with hypertension is often hampered by their existing geriatric syndromes of senileasthenia and the risk of falls. Stabilometric balance training will allow to maintain the level of physical functioning and supporting theautonomy of this category of patients. Aim. To assess the possibilities of using stabilometric training with biofeedback to correct the risk of falls in patients aged 63 and olderwith arterial hypertension. Material and methods. On the basis of the geriatric department of the Regional Budgetary Institution of Health «Ivanovo ClinicalHospital named after Kuvaevi» conducted an open study involving 95 patients aged 63 to 92 years with arterial hypertension andfalling syndrome, diagnosed according to the results of the physical activity tests brief battery. Balance indicators were obtained whenexamining patients on a stabilometric complex concurrently with a five-day training «Restoring balance». Results. According to the stabilometrical data of all patients with hypertension and the risk of falling, a typical symptom complex ofthe main stance instability was revealed. After the training, improvement in quantitative indicators and in the balance function wererecorded in 70% of patients. Conclusion. The inclusion of stabilometrical training in the treatment and rehabilitation complex of hypertensive patients with senileasthenia syndromes and the risk of falling improves balance indicators in elderly and senile people.

Paciente con regurgitación: cómo estudiarla y cuáles son sus principales diagnósticos diferenciales

In gastroenterological practice, gastroesophageal reflux disease is one of the most frequent diagnoses. In this article the potential confounding of gastroesophageal reflux will be raised. According to the Montreal definition, “is a condition that develops when the reflux of stomach contents into the esophagus causes troublesome symptoms and/or complications.” However, it is becoming increasingly clear that sometimes symptoms suspected to be caused by gastroesophageal reflux disease are the expression of other functional and behavioral disorders or even structural lesions. From this complexity arise reflux confounding, where rumination and supragastric belching may present symptoms similar to gastroesophageal reflux disease, be initially treated with the proton pump inhibitor-based guidelines, and thus be mistakenly targeted. Likewise, regurgitation may be the symptomatic expression of different functional disorders and not exclusively a “typical” symptom of gastroesophageal reflux disease. Hence the need and the challenge for the treating physician to correctly identify the pathophysiological mechanisms responsible for the patient’s symptoms for a correct therapeutic approach.

The risk of wheat blast in rice-wheat-co-planting regions in China: MoO strains of Pyricularia oryzae cause typical symptom and host reaction on both wheat leaves and spikes

Triticum pathotype (MoT) of Magnaporthe oryzae (syn. Pyricularia oryzae) causes wheat blast, which has recently spread to Asia. To assess the potential risk of wheat blast in rice-wheat growing regions, we investigated the pathogenicity of 14 isolates of P. oryzae on 32 wheat cultivars, among which MoO isolates were completely avirulent on the wheat cultivars at 22℃, but caused various infection degrees at 25℃. These reactions at 25℃ were isolate- and cultivar- dependent like race-cultivar specificity which was also recognized at the heading stage and caused typical blast symptoms on spikes. Microscopic analyses indicated that a compatible MoO isolates produced appressoria and infection hyphae on wheat as on rice. By comparing transcriptomes in wheat-MoO interactions, a bulk of pathogen-related genes was up-/down- regulated in compatible and incompatible patterns, but that changes of gene transcription were more significant in compatible pattern. These results indicate that the temperature could influence the infection ratio of wheat with MoO, and some MoO strains could be potential pathogens that increase the risk for the outbreak of wheat blast in wheat-rice growing regions with global warming. In addition, certain wheat cultivars exhibited resistance and are assumed to carry promoting resistant genes to the MoO strains.

Lrp4 in hippocampal astrocytes serves as a negative feedback factor in seizures

Background Epilepsy is characterized by the typical symptom of seizure, and anti-seizure medications are the main therapeutic method in clinical, but the effects of these therapy have not been satisfactory. To find a better treatment, it makes sense to further explore the regulatory mechanisms of seizures at genetic level. Lrp4 regionally expresses in mice hippocampus where is key to limbic epileptogenesis. It is well known that neurons release a high level of glutamate during seizures, and it has been reported that Lrp4 in astrocytes down-regulates glutamate released from neurons. However, it is still unclear whether there is a relationship between Lrp4 expression level and seizures, and whether Lrp4 plays a role in seizures. Results We found that seizures induced by pilocarpine decreased Lrp4 expression level and increased miR-351-5p expression level in mice hippocampus. Glutamate reduced Lrp4 expression and enhanced miR-351-5p expression in cultured hippocampal astrocytes, and these effects can be partially attenuated by AP5. Furthermore, miR-351-5p inhibitor lessened the reduction of Lrp4 expression in glutamate treated hippocampal astrocytes. Local reduction of Lrp4 in hippocampus by sh Lrp4 lentivirus injection in hippocampus increased the threshold of seizures in pilocarpine or pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) injected mice. Conclusions These results indicated that high released glutamate induced by seizures down-regulated astrocytic Lrp4 through increasing miR-351-5p in hippocampal astrocytes via activating astrocytic NMDA receptor, and locally reduction of Lrp4 in hippocampus increased the threshold of seizures. Lrp4 in hippocampal astrocytes appears to serve as a negative feedback factor in seizures. This provides a new potential therapeutic target for seizures regulation.

LRP4 in Hippocampal Astrocytes Serves as A Negative Feedback Factor in Seizures

Backgroud Epilepsy is characterized by the typical symptom of seizure, and anti-seizure medications are the main therapeutic method in clinical, but the effects of these therapy have not been satisfactory. To find a better treatment, it makes sense to further explore the regulatory mechanisms of seizures at genetic level. LRP4 regionally expresses in mice hippocampus where is key to limbic epileptogenesis. It is well known that neurons release a high level of glutamate during seizures, and it has been reported that LRP4 in astrocytes down-regulates glutamate released from neurons. However, it is still unclear whether there is a relationship between LRP4 expression level and seizures, and whether LRP4 plays a role in seizures.Results We found that seizures induced by pilocarpine decreased LRP4 expression level and increased miR-351-5p expression level in mice hippocampus. Glutamate reduced LRP4 expression and enhanced miR-351-5p expression in cultured hippocampal astrocytes, and these effects can be partially attenuated by AP5. Furthermore, miR-351-5p inhibitor lessened the reduction of LRP4 expression in glutamate treated hippocampal astrocytes. Local reduction of LRP4 in hippocampus by sh Lrp4 lentivirus injection in hippocampus increased the threshold of seizures in pilocarpine or pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) injected mice. Conclutions These results indicated that high released glutamate induced by seizures down-regulated astrocytic LRP4 through increasing miR-351-5p in hippocampal astrocytes via activating astrocytic NMDA receptor, and locally reduction of LRP4 in hippocampus increased the threshold of seizures. LRP4 in hippocampal astrocytes appears to serve as a negative feedback factor in seizures. This provides a new potential therapeutic target for seizures regulation.

From madness to mental illness

Reports of psychotic episodes characterized by irrational, unintelligible behaviours and hallucinations are frequent throughout historical narratives. Appropriately contextualized, some of these descriptions appear to resemble the paranoid, and catatonic characteristics of schizophrenia, respectively, yet holistic accounts of schizophrenia-like syndromes rarely exist prior to the 19th century.1 Despite evolving diagnostic criteria and treatment approaches, and more than 100 years since the demarcation of schizophrenia by Eugen Bleuler in 1908, the etiology, neuropathology and pathophysiology of schizophrenia remain elusive.2-4 No biological markers possess the sensitivity and specificity expected of a diagnostic test, and schizophrenia persists conceptually as a broad clinical syndrome characterized by a range of subjective symptoms with varying patterns of course.5-8 This heterogeneity coupled with a lack of coherence between clinical and preclinical evidence have fueled speculation about the validity of current conceptualizations of the illness.9-12 Nevertheless, patients exhibit typical symptom progression over time, appear to respond favourably to particular treatment approaches, and despite inconsistencies in diagnostic classification, alternative proposals do not offer improvements in any of these categories.13,14 Undoubtedly, further parsing of schizophrenia and related disorders will be necessary to advance future treatment and diagnostic approaches. In this review, we briefly outline the origins of schizophrenia as it is conceptualized contemporarily by linking ancient medical descriptions with modern clinical perspectives, and discuss why historical accounts of schizophrenia may not accurately reflect its prevalence in the past.