A novel derivative synchronous fluorescence method for the rapid, non-destructive and intuitive differentiation of denitrifying bacteria.

It is challenging to differentiate bacteria residing in the same habitat by direct observation. This difficulty impedes the harvest, application and manipulation of functional bacteria in environmental engineering. In this study, we developed a novel method for rapid differentiation of living denitrifying bacteria based on derivative synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy, as exemplified by three heterotrophic nitrification-aerobic denitrification bacteria having the maximum nitrogen removal efficiencies greater than 90%. The intact bacteria and their living surroundings can be analyzed as an integrated target, which eliminates the need for the complex pre-processing of samples. Under the optimal synchronous scanning parameter (Δλ = 40 nm), each bacterium possesses a unique fluorescence spectral structure and the derivative synchronous fluorescence technique can significantly improve the spectral resolution compared to other conventional fluorescence methods, which enables the rapid differentiation of different bacteria through derivative synchronous fluorescence spectra as fast as 2 min per spectrum. Additionally, the derivative synchronous fluorescence technique can extract the spectral signals contributed by bacterial extracellular substances produced in the biological nitrogen removal process. Moreover, the results obtained from our method can reflect the real-time denitrification properties of bacteria in the biological nitrogen removal process of wastewater. All these merits highlight derivative synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy as a promising analytic method in the environmental field.

Multi-process and multi-pollutant control technology for ultra-low emissions in the iron and steel industry.

The iron and steel industry is not only an important foundation of the national economy, but also the largest source of industrial air pollution. Due to the current status of emissions in the iron and steel industry, ultra-low pollutant emission control technology has been researched and developed. Liquid-phase proportion control technology has been developed for magnesian fluxed pellets, and a blast furnace smelting demonstration project has been established to use a high proportion of fluxed pellets (80%) for the first time in China to realize source emission reduction of SO2 and NOx. Based on the characteristics of high NOx concentrations and the coexistence of multiple pollutants in coke oven flue gas, low-NOx combustion coupled with multi-pollutant cooperative control technology with activated carbon was developed to achieve efficient removal of multiple pollutants and resource utilization of sulfur. Based on the characteristics of co-existing multiple pollutants in pellet flue gas, selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR) coupled with ozone oxidation and spray drying adsorption (SDA) was developed, which significantly reduces the operating cost of the system. In the light of the high humidity and high alkalinity in flue gas, filter materials with high humidity resistance and corrosion resistance were manufactured, and an integrated pre-charged bag dust collector device was developed, which realized ultra-low emission of fine particles and reduced filtration resistance and energy consumption in the system. Through source emission reduction, process control and end-treatment technologies, five demonstration projects were built, providing a full set of technical solutions for ultra-low emissions of dust, SO2, NOx, SO3, mercury and other pollutants, and offering technical support for the green development of the iron and steel industry.

Machine Learning-Assisted Synchronous Fluorescence Sensing Approach for Rapid and Simultaneous Quantification of Thiabendazole and Fuberidazole in Red Wine.

Rapid analysis of components in complex matrices has always been a major challenge in constructing sensing methods, especially concerning time and cost. The detection of pesticide residues is an important task in food safety monitoring, which needs efficient methods. Here, we constructed a machine learning-assisted synchronous fluorescence sensing approach for the rapid and simultaneous quantitative detection of two important benzimidazole pesticides, thiabendazole (TBZ) and fuberidazole (FBZ), in red wine. First, fluorescence spectra data were collected using a second derivative constant-energy synchronous fluorescence sensor. Next, we established a prediction model through the machine learning approach. With this approach, the recovery rate of TBZ and FBZ detection of pesticide residues in red wine was 101% ± 5% and 101% ± 15%, respectively, without resorting complicated pretreatment procedures. This work provides a new way for the combination of machine learning and fluorescence techniques to solve the complexity in multi-component analysis in practical applications.

Smart Nano-switch with Flexible Modulation of Ion Transport Using Multiple Environmental Stimuli.

In this work, we demonstrate a unique nano-switch with triple environmental stimuli based on the action of functional copolymer brushes in a single conical nanochannel. This nanodevice flexibly and efficiently modulates ion transport properties under the influence of three environmental stimuli: light, pH and temperature. The triple factors can not only play a regulatory role independently, but their synergistic cooperation could fully activate the ionic gate and reversibly control the gating direction. In addition, the nano-switch can switch transport properties on demand in the face of complex combinations of different factors. This work promotes the development of intelligent bionic ion channels, which holds promise for biosensing, energy conversion and biomedical research.

Au-Ag Alloy Nanoshuttle Mediated Surface Plasmon Coupling for Enhanced Fluorescence Imaging.

Surface plasmon-coupled emission (SPCE), a novel signal enhancement technology generated by the interactions between surface plasmons and excited fluorophores in close vicinity to metallic film, has shown excellent performance in bioimaging. Variable-angle nanoplasmonic fluorescence microscopy (VANFM), based on an SPCE imaging system, can selectively modulate the imaging depth by controlling the excitation angles. In order to further improve the imaging performance, Au-Ag alloy nanoshuttles were introduced into an Au substrate to mediate the plasmonic properties. Benefiting from the strong localized plasmon effect of the modified SPCE chip, better imaging brightness, signal-to-background ratio and axial resolution for imaging of the cell membrane region were obtained, which fully displays the imaging advantages of SPCE system. Meanwhile, the imaging signal obtained from the critical angle excitation mode was also amplified, which helps to acquire a more visible image of the cell both from near- and far-field in order to comprehensively investigate the cellular interactions.

Disrupted topological properties of the structural brain network in patients with cerebellar infarction on different sides are associated with cognitive impairment.

Purpose: To explore changes in the brain structural network in patients with cerebellar infarction on different sides and their correlations with changes in cognitive function. Methods: Nineteen patients with acute left posterior cerebellar infarction and 18 patients with acute right posterior cerebellar infarction seen from July 2016 to September 2019 in the Department of Neurology, Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, were selected. A total of 27 healthy controls matched for sex, age, and years of education were recruited. The subjects underwent head diffusion magnetic resonance imaging examination and neuropsychological cognitive scale evaluation, and we analyzed changes in brain structural network properties in patients with cerebellar infarction and their correlation with changes in patients' cognitive function. Results: The Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA) and the Rey auditory verbal learning test (RAVLT) scores in the left and right cerebellar infarction groups were significantly lower than those in the healthy control group (p < 0.05). In addition, the digit span test (DST) scores were lower in the left cerebellar infarction group (p < 0.05); the trail-making test (TMT) times in the right cerebellar infarction group were significantly higher than those in the left cerebellar infarction group (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, the left and right cerebellar infarction groups had abnormal brain topological properties, including clustering coefficient, shortest path length, global efficiency, local efficiency and nodal efficiency. After unilateral cerebellar infarction, bilateral cerebral nodal efficiency was abnormal. Correlation analysis showed that there was a close correlation between decreased processing speed in patients with left cerebellar infarction and decreased efficiency of right cerebral nodes (p < 0.05), and there was a close relationship between executive dysfunction and decreased efficiency of left cerebral nodes in patients with right cerebellar infarction (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Patients with cerebellar infarction have cognitive impairment. Unilateral cerebellar infarction can reduce the network efficiency of key regions in the bilateral cerebral hemispheres, and these abnormal changes are closely related to patient cognitive impairment. The results of this study provide evidence for understanding the underlying neural mechanisms of cerebellar cognitive impairment and suggest that brain topological network properties may be markers of cerebellar cognitive impairment.

Derivative Matrix-Isopotential Synchronous Spectrofluorimetry and Hantzsch Reaction: A Direct Route to Simultaneous Determination of Urinary δ-Aminolevulinic Acid and Porphobilinogen.

Early and sensitive detection of δ-aminolevulinic acid (δ-ALA) and porphobilinogen (PBG) is the cornerstone of diagnosis and effective treatment for acute porphyria. However, at present, the quantifying strategies demand multiple solvent extraction steps or chromatographic approaches to separate δ-ALA and PBG prior to quantification. These methods are both time-consuming and laborious. Otherwise, in conventional spectrofluorimetry, the overlapping spectra of the two analytes cause false diagnosis. To overcome this challenge, we present a two-step approach based on derivative matrix-isopotential synchronous fluorescence spectrometry (DMISFS) and the Hantzsch reaction, realizing the simple and simultaneous detection of δ-ALA and PBG in urine samples. The first step is chemical derivatization of the analytes by Hantzsch reaction. The second step is the determination of the target analytes by combining MISFS and the first derivative technique. The proposed approach accomplishes following advantages: 1) The MISFS technique improves the spectral resolution and resolves severe spectral overlap of the analytes, alleviating tedious and complicated pre-separation processes; 2) First derivative technique removes the background interference of δ-ALA on PBG and vice versa, ensuring high sensitivity; 3) Both the analytes can be determined simultaneously via single scanning, enabling rapid detection. The obtained detection limits for δ-ALA and PBG were 0.04 µmol L-1 and 0.3 µmol L-1, respectively. Within-run precisions (intra and inter-day CVs) for both the analytes were <5%. Further, this study would serve to enhance the availability of early and reliable quantitative diagnosis for acute porphyria in both scientific and clinical laboratories.

Effect of cerebellum stimulation on cognitive recovery in patients with Alzheimer disease: A randomized clinical trial.

INTRODUCTION: Evidence indicates that the cerebellum is involved in cognitive processing. However, the specific mechanisms through which the cerebellum repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) contributes to the cognitive state are unclear. METHODS: In the current randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trial, 27 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) were randomly allotted to one of the two groups: rTMS-real or rTMS-sham. We investigated the efficacy of a four-week treatment of bilateral cerebellum rTMS to promote cognitive recovery and alter specific cerebello-cerebral functional connectivity. RESULTS: The cerebellum rTMS significantly improves multi-domain cognitive functions, directly associated with the observed intrinsic functional connectivity between the cerebellum nodes and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), medial frontal cortex, and the cingulate cortex in the real rTMS group. In contrast, the sham stimulation showed no significant impact on the clinical improvements and the cerebello-cerebral connectivity. CONCLUSION: Our results depict that 5 Hz rTMS of the bilateral cerebellum is a promising, non-invasive treatment of cognitive dysfunction in AD patients. This cognitive improvement is accompanied by brain connectivity modulation and is consistent with the pathophysiological brain disconnection model in AD patients.

Label-Free Fluorescent Nanofilm Sensor Based on Surface Plasmon Coupled Emission: In Situ Monitoring the Growth of Metal-Organic Frameworks.

We have proposed a universal label-free fluorescent nanofilm sensor based on surface plasmon coupled emission (SPCE). A metal-dye-dielectric (MDD) structure was fabricated to mediate the label-free monitoring based on SPCE. The nonfluorescent dielectric film smartly borrowed the fluorescence signal from the bottom dye layer and led to a new SPCE response through the adjacent metal film. The fluorescence emission angle and polarization strongly depended on the thickness of the nonfluorescent dielectric film on the MDD structure. As a demonstration, the growth of a two-dimensional zeolitic imidazolate framework film (ZIF-L) was in situ monitored in the liquid phase by MDD-SPCE for the first time. The label-free fluorescent sensors are facilely prepared by a spin coating technique, with the potential to be widely spread for in situ studies, especially toward nanomaterial growth processes.

Long non-coding RNA maternally expressed 3 (MEG3) regulates isoflurane-induced cognitive dysfunction by targeting miR-7-5p.

This study aimed to investigate the role and mechanism of long non-coding RNA maternally expressed gene 3 (MEG3) in cognitive dysfunction induced by isoflurane (ISO). Morrier water maze analysis was performed to evaluate the cognitive function of rats. Modified modified neurological severity score (mNSS) scores were assessed for neurological damage. The levels of MEG3 in hippocampal tissues of rats and hippocampal neuron cell lines HT22 were examined by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Moreover, the cell viability and apoptosis were assessed by the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and flow cytometry assay. Indicators of inflammation and oxidative stress were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and commercial assay kits. Relationship between MEG3 and microRNA (miR)-7-5p was verified by the dual-luciferase reporter gene assay. MEG3 was increased in hippocampal tissues and HT22 after ISO treatment (p < 0.05). MEG3 downregulation alleviated the increase in neurological severity score and cognitive dysfunction caused by ISO treatment (p < 0.05). In vitro, MEG3 downregulation alleviates the decrease in cell activity and increased apoptosis induced by ISO. What's more, MEG3 reduction eliminated activation of neuroinflammation and oxidative stress promoted by ISO treatment in rats and HT22 (p < 0.05). MEG3 was confirmed to specifically bind to miR-7-5p. Inhibition of miR-7-5p eliminated the alleviating effects of MEG3 downregulation on cognitive dysfunction caused by ISO treatment. Decreased MEG3 alleviates cognitive dysfunction caused by ISO by targeting miR-7-5p and play a neuroprotective effect. We present a strategy for MEG3 as a potential target for brain protection during anesthesia.

Altered effective connectivity in migraine patients during emotional stimuli: a multi-frequency magnetoencephalography study.

BACKGROUND: Migraine is a common and disabling primary headache, which is associated with a wide range of psychiatric comorbidities. However, the mechanisms of emotion processing in migraine are not fully understood yet. The present study aimed to investigate the neural network during neutral, positive, and negative emotional stimuli in the migraine patients. METHODS: A total of 24 migraine patients and 24 age- and sex-matching healthy controls were enrolled in this study. Neuromagnetic brain activity was recorded using a whole-head magnetoencephalography (MEG) system upon exposure to human facial expression stimuli. MEG data were analyzed in multi-frequency ranges from 1 to 100 Hz. RESULTS: The migraine patients exhibited a significant enhancement in the effective connectivity from the prefrontal lobe to the temporal cortex during the negative emotional stimuli in the gamma frequency (30-90 Hz). Graph theory analysis revealed that the migraine patients had an increased degree and clustering coefficient of connectivity in the delta frequency range (1-4 Hz) upon exposure to positive emotional stimuli and an increased degree of connectivity in the delta frequency range (1-4 Hz) upon exposure to negative emotional stimuli. Clinical correlation analysis showed that the history, attack frequency, duration, and neuropsychological scales of the migraine patients had a negative correlation with the network parameters in certain frequency ranges. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggested that the individuals with migraine showed deviant effective connectivity in viewing the human facial expressions in multi-frequencies. The prefrontal-temporal pathway might be related to the altered negative emotional modulation in migraine. These findings suggested that migraine might be characterized by more universal altered cerebral processing of negative stimuli. Since the significant result in this study was frequency-specific, more independent replicative studies are needed to confirm these results, and to elucidate the neurocircuitry underlying the association between migraine and emotional conditions.

Neuroimaging alterations in dementia with Lewy bodies and neuroimaging differences between dementia with Lewy bodies and Alzheimer's disease: An activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to identify brain regions with local, structural, and functional abnormalities in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and uncover the differences between DLB and Alzheimer's disease (AD). The neural networks involved in the identified abnormal brain regions were further described. METHODS: PubMed, Web of Science, OVID, Science Direct, and Cochrane Library databases were used to identify neuroimaging studies that included DLB versus healthy controls (HCs) or DLB versus AD. The coordinate-based meta-analysis and functional meta-analytic connectivity modeling were performed using the activation likelihood estimation algorithm. RESULTS: Eleven structural studies and fourteen functional studies were included in this quantitative meta-analysis. DLB patients showed a dysfunction in the bilateral inferior parietal lobule and right lingual gyrus compared with HC patients. DLB patients showed a relative preservation of the medial temporal lobe and a tendency of lower metabolism in the right lingual gyrus compared with AD. The frontal-parietal, salience, and visual networks were all abnormally co-activated in DLB, but the default mode network remained normally co-activated compared with AD. CONCLUSIONS: The convergence of local brain regions and co-activation neural networks might be potential specific imaging markers in the diagnosis of DLB. This might provide a pathway for the neural regulation in DLB patients, and it might contribute to the development of specific interventions for DLB and AD.

Reorganization of rich clubs in functional brain networks of dementia with Lewy bodies and Alzheimer's disease.

The purpose of this study was to reveal the patterns of reorganization of rich club organization in brain functional networks in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). The study found that the rich club node shifts from sensory/somatomotor network to fronto-parietal network in DLB. For AD, the rich club nodes switch between the temporal lobe with obvious structural atrophy and the frontal lobe, parietal lobe and cerebellum with relatively preserved structure and function. In addition, compared with healthy controls, rich club connectivity was enhanced in the DLB and AD groups. The connection strength of DLB patients was related to cognitive assessment. In conclusion, we revealed the different functional reorganization patterns of DLB and AD. The conversion and redistribution of rich club members may play a causal role in disease-specific outcomes. It may be used as a potential biomarker to provide more accurate prevention and treatment strategies.

An Information-Entropy Position-Weighted K-Mer Relative Measure for Whole Genome Phylogeny Reconstruction.

Alignment methods have faced disadvantages in sequence comparison and phylogeny reconstruction due to their high computational costs in handling time and space complexity. On the other hand, alignment-free methods incur low computational costs and have recently gained popularity in the field of bioinformatics. Here we propose a new alignment-free method for phylogenetic tree reconstruction based on whole genome sequences. A key component is a measure called information-entropy position-weighted k-mer relative measure (IEPWRMkmer), which combines the position-weighted measure of k-mers proposed by our group and the information entropy of frequency of k-mers. The Manhattan distance is used to calculate the pairwise distance between species. Finally, we use the Neighbor-Joining method to construct the phylogenetic tree. To evaluate the performance of this method, we perform phylogenetic analysis on two datasets used by other researchers. The results demonstrate that the IEPWRMkmer method is efficient and reliable. The source codes of our method are provided at https://github.com/ wuyaoqun37/IEPWRMkmer.

Comparison of PET/CT and MRI in the Diagnosis of Bone Metastasis in Prostate Cancer Patients: A Network Analysis of Diagnostic Studies.

BACKGROUND: Accurate diagnosis of bone metastasis status of prostate cancer (PCa) is becoming increasingly more important in guiding local and systemic treatment. Positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have increasingly been utilized globally to assess the bone metastases in PCa. Our meta-analysis was a high-volume series in which the utility of PET/CT with different radioligands was compared to MRI with different parameters in this setting. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three databases, including Medline, Embase, and Cochrane Library, were searched to retrieve original trials from their inception to August 31, 2019 according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) statement. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed by two independent investigators utilizing Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS-2). A Bayesian network meta-analysis was performed using an arm-based model. Absolute sensitivity and specificity, relative sensitivity and specificity, diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and superiority index, and their associated 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to assess the diagnostic value. RESULTS: Forty-five studies with 2,843 patients and 4,263 lesions were identified. Network meta-analysis reveals that 68Ga-labeled prostate membrane antigen (68Ga-PSMA) PET/CT has the highest superiority index (7.30) with the sensitivity of 0.91 and specificity of 0.99, followed by 18F-NaF, 11C-choline, 18F-choline, 18F-fludeoxyglucose (FDG), and 18F-fluciclovine PET/CT. The use of high magnetic field strength, multisequence, diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), and more imaging planes will increase the diagnostic value of MRI for the detection of bone metastasis in prostate cancer patients. Where available, 3.0-T high-quality MRI approaches 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT was performed in the detection of bone metastasis on patient-based level (sensitivity, 0.94 vs. 0.91; specificity, 0.94 vs. 0.96; superiority index, 4.43 vs. 4.56). CONCLUSIONS: 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT is recommended for the diagnosis of bone metastasis in prostate cancer patients. Where available, 3.0-T high-quality MRI approaches 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT should be performed in the detection of bone metastasis.

Plasmon Coupling Enhanced Micro-Spectroscopy and Imaging for Sensitive Discrimination of Membrane Domains of a Single Cell.

Different cell membrane domains play different roles in many cell processes, and the discrimination of these domains is of considerable importance for the elucidation of cellular functions. However, the strategies available for distinguishing these cell membrane domains are limited. A novel technique called plasmon coupling enhanced micro-spectroscopy and imaging to discriminate basal and lateral membrane domains of a single cell combines the application of an additional plasmonic silver film for surface plasmon (SP) excitation to selectively excite and enhance the basal membranes in the near-field with directional enhanced microscopic imaging and spectroscopy. The SP and critical evanescent fields are induced upon excitation through a silver-coated semitransparent coverslip at the surface plasmon resonance and critical angles, respectively. The basal and lateral membrane domains located within the SP and critical evanescent fields can be selectively excited and distinguished by adjusting the incident angle of laser irradiation. Moreover, the brighter images and more intense spectra of membrane-targeting fluorescence-Raman probes under directional excitation than in conventional EPI mode allow clear identification of the membrane domains.

1-year outcomes in hospital survivors with COVID-19: a longitudinal cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The full range of long-term health consequences of COVID-19 in patients who are discharged from hospital is largely unclear. The aim of our study was to comprehensively compare consequences between 6 months and 12 months after symptom onset among hospital survivors with COVID-19. METHODS: We undertook an ambidirectional cohort study of COVID-19 survivors who had been discharged from Jin Yin-tan Hospital (Wuhan, China) between Jan 7 and May 29, 2020. At 6-month and 12-month follow-up visit, survivors were interviewed with questionnaires on symptoms and health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and received a physical examination, a 6-min walking test, and laboratory tests. They were required to report their health-care use after discharge and work status at the 12-month visit. Survivors who had completed pulmonary function tests or had lung radiographic abnormality at 6 months were given the corresponding tests at 12 months. Non-COVID-19 participants (controls) matched for age, sex, and comorbidities were interviewed and completed questionnaires to assess prevalent symptoms and HRQoL. The primary outcomes were symptoms, modified British Medical Research Council (mMRC) score, HRQoL, and distance walked in 6 min (6MWD). Multivariable adjusted logistic regression models were used to evaluate the risk factors of 12-month outcomes. FINDINGS: 1276 COVID-19 survivors completed both visits. The median age of patients was 59·0 years (IQR 49·0-67·0) and 681 (53%) were men. The median follow-up time was 185·0 days (IQR 175·0-198·0) for the 6-month visit and 349·0 days (337·0-361·0) for the 12-month visit after symptom onset. The proportion of patients with at least one sequelae symptom decreased from 68% (831/1227) at 6 months to 49% (620/1272) at 12 months (p<0·0001). The proportion of patients with dyspnoea, characterised by mMRC score of 1 or more, slightly increased from 26% (313/1185) at 6-month visit to 30% (380/1271) at 12-month visit (p=0·014). Additionally, more patients had anxiety or depression at 12-month visit (26% [331/1271] at 12-month visit vs 23% [274/1187] at 6-month visit; p=0·015). No significant difference on 6MWD was observed between 6 months and 12 months. 88% (422/479) of patients who were employed before COVID-19 had returned to their original work at 12 months. Compared with men, women had an odds ratio of 1·43 (95% CI 1·04-1·96) for fatigue or muscle weakness, 2·00 (1·48-2·69) for anxiety or depression, and 2·97 (1·50-5·88) for diffusion impairment. Matched COVID-19 survivors at 12 months had more problems with mobility, pain or discomfort, and anxiety or depression, and had more prevalent symptoms than did controls. INTERPRETATION: Most COVID-19 survivors had a good physical and functional recovery during 1-year follow-up, and had returned to their original work and life. The health status in our cohort of COVID-19 survivors at 12 months was still lower than that in the control population. FUNDING: Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the National Key Research and Development Program of China, Major Projects of National Science and Technology on New Drug Creation and Development of Pulmonary Tuberculosis, the China Evergrande Group, Jack Ma Foundation, Sino Biopharmaceutical, Ping An Insurance (Group), and New Sunshine Charity Foundation.

Differences Changes in Cerebellar Functional Connectivity Between Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's Disease: A Seed-Based Approach.

Background: Recent studies have discovered that functional connections are impaired among patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), even at the preclinical stage. The cerebellum has been implicated as playing a role in cognitive processes. However, functional connectivity (FC) among cognitive sub-regions of the cerebellum in patients with AD and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) remains to be further elucidated. Objective: Our study aims to investigate the FC changes of the cerebellum among patients with AD and MCI, compared to healthy controls (HC). Additionally, we explored the role of cerebellum FC changes in the cognitive performance of all subjects. Materials: Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data from three different groups (28 AD patients, 26 MCI patients, and 30 HC) was collected. We defined cerebellar crus II and lobule IX as seed regions to assess the intragroup differences of cortico-cerebellar connectivity. Bias correlational analysis was performed to investigate the relationship between changes in FC and neuropsychological performance. Results: Compared to HC, AD patients had decreased FC within the caudate, limbic lobe, medial frontal gyrus (MFG), middle temporal gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, parietal lobe/precuneus, inferior temporal gyrus, and posterior cingulate gyrus. Interestingly, MCI patients demonstrated increased FC within inferior parietal lobe, and MFG, while they had decreased FC in the thalamus, inferior frontal gyrus, and superior frontal gyrus. Further analysis indicated that FC changes between the left crus II and the right thalamus, as well as between left lobule IX and the right parietal lobe, were both associated with cognitive decline in AD. Disrupted FC between left crus II and right thalamus, as well as between left lobule IX and right parietal lobe, was associated with attention deficit among subjects with MCI. Conclusion: These findings indicate that cortico-cerebellar FC in MCI and AD patients was significantly disrupted with different distributions, particularly in the default mode networks (DMN) and fronto-parietal networks (FPN) region. Increased activity within the fronto-parietal areas of MCI patients indicated a possible compensatory role for the cerebellum in cognitive impairment. Therefore, alterations in the cortico-cerebellar FC represent a novel approach for early diagnosis and a potential therapeutic target for early intervention.

Isoflurane induces liver injury by modulating the expression of miR-125a-5p.

BACKGROUND: Isoflurane can cause hepatotoxicity, and microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in the regulation of liver injury. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the effect of miR-125a-5p on isoflurane-induced liver injury. BASIC PROCEDURES: Sprague-Dawley (SD) male rats and BRL-3A cells were exposed to isoflurane to construct animal and cell models. Serum alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) levels of rats were detected. RT-qPCR was performed for the measurement of miR-125a-5p levels. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were also detected. MAIN FINDINGS: After isoflurane treatment, serum ALT and AST levels of rats increased in a time-dependent manner, and the differences reached significant levels from 3 days after isoflurane treatment. MiR-125a-5p levels increased significantly in the liver tissues of isoflurane-treated rats. MiR-125a-5p downregulation significantly attenuated isoflurane-induced increasing trend of serum ALT and AST levels in rats. In BRL-3A cells, isoflurane treatment significantly inhibited cell proliferation and promoted cell apoptosis, which was reversed by miR-125a-5p downregulation. PRINCIPAL CONCLUSIONS: Isoflurane exposure significantly elevates the level of miR-125a-5p in the liver tissues of rats. Downregulation of miR-125a-5p may protect against isoflurane-induced liver injury through regulating liver cell proliferation and apoptosis. Dysregulation of miR-125a-5p might be a possible mechanism of isoflurane-induced liver injury.

Neuroprotective effect of miR-212-5p on isoflurane-induced cognitive dysfunction by inhibiting neuroinflammation.

BACKGROUND: Isoflurane is a commonly used inhalation anesthetic in the clinic, which can induce cognitive dysfunction and neuroinflammation. miR-212-5p has been demonstrated to be involved in the neuronal system and play vital roles in memory formation. Its function in the learning and memory impairment and neuroinflammation induced by isoflurane was investigated in this study. METHODS: Cognitive dysfunction rat models were established by 3% isoflurane inhalation. The neurological function was evaluated by the modified Neurological Severity Scale. The learning and memory ability of rats was assessed by the Morris water maze test. The expression level of miR-212-5p was analyzed by RT-qPCR, and the protein levels of proinflammatory cytokines were detected by ELISA. RESULTS: Isoflurane induced cognitive dysfunction in rats with the neurological scores and the escape latency increased, and time spent in the target quadrant decreased. The protein levels of IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α were increased in isoflurane treated rats. miR-212-5p was downregulated in cognitive impairment rats. The upregulation of miR-212-5p by the agomir injection decreased the neurological scores of rats and increased the learning and memory ability of impaired rats. Moreover, the neuroinflammation was inhibited by the overexpression of miR-212-5p. CONCLUSION: miR-212-5p showed a neuroprotective effect in isoflurane-induced cognitive dysfunction rats by inhibiting neuroinflammation.