Bioinformatic Identification of Signaling Pathways and Hub Genes in Vascular Dementia.

BACKGROUND: Vascular dementia (VaD) is a prevalent neurodegenerative disease characterized by cognitive impairment due to cerebrovascular factors, affecting a significant portion of the aging population and highlighting the critical need to understand specific targets and mechanisms for effective prevention and treatment strategies. We aimed to identify pathways and crucial genes involved in the progression of VaD through bioinformatics analysis and subsequently validate these findings. METHODS: We conducted differential expression analysis, Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA), Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis, and Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) analysis. We utilized pheochromocytoma 12 (PC12) cells to create an in vitro oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) model. We investigated the impact of overexpression and interference of adrenoceptor alpha 1D (ADRA1D) on OGD PC12 cells using TdT-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL), reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), western blot (WB), and Fluo-3-pentaacetoxymethyl ester (Fluo-3 AM) analysis. RESULTS: We found 187 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the red module that were strongly associated with VaD and were primarily enriched in vasoconstriction, G protein-coupled amine receptor activity, and neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway, and cell adhesion. Among these pathways, we identified ADRA1D as a gene shared by vasoconstriction, G protein-coupled amine receptor activity, and neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction. The TUNEL assay revealed a significant decrease in PC12 cell apoptosis with ADRA1D overexpression (p < 0.01) and a significant increase in apoptosis upon silencing ADRA1D (p < 0.01). RT-qPCR and WB analysis revealed elevated ADRA1D expression (p < 0.001) and decreased phospholipase C beta (PLCß) and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP3R) expression (p < 0.05) with ADRA1D overexpression. Moreover, the Fluo-3 AM assessment indicated significantly lower intracellular Ca2+ levels with ADRA1D overexpression (p < 0.001). Conversely, interference with ADRA1D yielded opposite results. CONCLUSION: Our study provides a new perspective on the pathogenic mechanisms of VaD and potential avenues for therapeutic intervention. The results highlight the role of ADRA1D in modulating cellular responses to OGD and VaD, suggesting its potential as a target for VaD treatment.

Electroacupuncture pretreatment alleviates spasticity after stroke in rats by inducing the NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway and the gut-brain axis.

OBJECTIVE: Spasticity is one of the most prevalent ischemic stroke sequelae and the leading cause of disability after stroke. Although electroacupuncture pretreatment has been shown to be effective in the treatment of ischemic stroke, its therapeutic effect and mechanism on post-stroke spasm remain unknown. The purpose of this study was to look into the potential mechanism of electroacupuncture pretreatment in inducing the NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway and the gut-brain axis in the therapy of spasm after stroke. METHODS: After electroacupuncture treatment at Baihui (DU20) and Qubin (G87), the rat model of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) was first established. HE, Nissl, and TUNEL staining were used to detect pathological alterations in the rat brain. The relative levels of IL-4, IL-6, TNF-α, and TMAO were determined by ELISA. qRT-PCR and Western blot were used to evaluate the mRNA and protein levels of NF-κB p65, NLRP3, caspase3 and caspase9. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to determine the levels of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in rat gut. RESULTS: Hippocampal cells from rats with spasticity following stroke in the MCAO group were chaotic and loosely distributed with an unclear border, a blurred nucleolus, and vanished cytoplasm when compared to those from the sham operation group. Furthermore, the number of surviving neurons decreased while the number of apoptotic cells increased. In the I/R group, relative levels of IL-6, TNF-α, and TMAO increased considerably, while NF-κB p65, NLRP3, caspase3, and caspase9 were dramatically downregulated. The intestinal contents of n-propyl acetate and propyl butyrate were lowered in rats with spasticity following stroke. Electroacupuncture treatments miraculously remedied all of the foregoing pathogenic alterations. CONCLUSION: Pretreatment with electroacupuncture relieves spasticity after stroke by decreasing the inflammatory response, suppressing the NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway, and modulating the gut-brain axis by increasing n-propyl acetate and propyl butyrate levels in the bowel. Our findings establish a new molecular mechanism and theoretical foundation for electroacupuncture therapy of ischemic stroke.

Multiple ossified intracranial and spinal meningiomas: a rare case report and literature review.

Ossified intracranial meningiomas (OIM) and ossified spinal meningiomas (OSM) are rare neoplasms of mesenchymal origin that predominantly manifest in the spinal cord and infrequently in the cranial region, accounting for ~0. 7-5.5% of all meningiomas. It is extremely rare to have multiple intracranial and spinal lesions accompanied by ossification. Herein, we report this rare case for the first time. A 34-year-old woman presented with paresthesia and limb weakness in the right lower limb and gradually worsened. Approximately half a year later, she could only walk with crutches. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain and spinal cord showed multiple meningiomas, and histopathological examination confirmed multiple OIM and OSM (WHO grade 1). Multiple OIM and OSM are extremely rare with diverse imaging features, and it is easily confused with other tumors. Histopathological examination is the final diagnostic method.

The relationship between anxiety and smartphone addiction in the context of Covid-19: The mediating effect of attentional control and executive dysfunction.

In the context of Covid-19, the present study examined the relationship between anxiety and smartphone addiction and tested the mediation role of attentional control and executive dysfunction. Four hundred and twenty-one Chinese undergraduate students completed anxiety, attentional control, executive dysfunction, and smartphone addiction measures. The findings of correlation analysis indicated that anxiety was negatively associated with attentional control, and positively with executive dysfunction and smartphone addiction. The results of structural equation model showed that attentional control and executive dysfunction played a mediation role between anxiety and smartphone addiction in series. Moreover, anxiety did not directly predict smartphone addiction in the final model including attentional control and executive dysfunction as mediators, suggesting that attentional control and executive dysfunction were full mediators in the relation between anxiety and smartphone addiction.

Practical Application of Li-Rich Materials in Halide All-Solid-State Batteries and Interfacial Reactions between Cathodes and Electrolytes.

Benefiting from the advanced solid-state electrolytes (SSEs), conventional cathodes have been widely applied in all-solid-state lithium batteries (ASSLBs). However, Li-rich Mn-based (LRM) cathodes, which possess enhanced discharge capacities beyond 250 mA h g-1, have not yet been studied in ASSLBs. In this work, the practical application of LRM cathodes in ASSLBs using a high-voltage-stability halide SSE (Li3InCl6, LIC) is reported for the first time. Furthermore, we decipher that the active oxygen released from LRM cathodes at a high operation voltage seriously oxidizes the LIC electrolytes, thus resulting in the large interfacial resistance between cathodes and electrolytes and hindering their industrialized application in ASSLBs. Therefore, surface chemistry engineering of LRM cathodes with an ionic conductive coating material of LiNbO3 (LNO) is employed to stabilize the LRM/LIC interface. Consequently, the LRM-based ASSLBs deliver a high specific capacity of 221 mA h g-1 at 0.1 C and a decent cycle life of 100 cycles. This contribution gives insights into studying the interfacial issues between LRM cathodes and halide electrolytes and sheds light on the application of LRM cathode materials in ASSLBs.

Manipulating Charge-Transfer Kinetics of Lithium-Rich Layered Oxide Cathodes in Halide All-Solid-State Batteries.

Employing lithium-rich layered oxide (LLO) as the cathode of all-solid-state batteries (ASSBs) is highly desired for realizing high energy density. However, the poor kinetics of LLO, caused by its low electronic conductivity and significant oxygen-redox-induced structural degradation, has impeded its application in ASSBs. Here, the charge transfer kinetics of LLO is enhanced by constructing high-efficiency electron transport networks within solid-state electrodes, which considerably minimizes electron transfer resistance. In addition, an infusion-plus-coating strategy is introduced to stabilize the lattice oxygen of LLO, successfully suppressing the interfacial oxidation of solid electrolyte (Li3 InCl6 ) and structural degradation of LLO. As a result, LLO-based ASSBs exhibit a high discharge capacity of 230.7 mAh g-1 at 0.1 C and ultra-long cycle stability over 400 cycles. This work provides an in-depth understanding of the kinetics of LLO in solid-state electrodes, and affords a practically feasible strategy to obtain high-energy-density ASSBs.

Multi-roles of SO2 to enhance the removal of arsenic from wastewater in sulfidation processes.

Sulfidation has been an efficient method for arsenic (As) removal from acid wastewater, yet it is inefficient under neutral and weak acid conditions. The higher pH values resulted in the formation of the unstable As-S precipitates, especially employing Na2S as the vulcanizing agent as it can increase the pH value dramatically. Here, we found that SO2 exhibited excellent multi-roles in As removal when applying H2S-sulfidation method. The acidification effect of SO2 lead to the decreasing of pH values, guaranteed the stable As-S precipitates formation. Through the SO2 pre-treatment method, the results indicated that the pH values decreased from 7 to 2.8, with the increased H2S utilization efficiencies for As(III) removal from 20.9% to 92.0%. Moreover, SO2 post-treatment not only increased the As(III) removal efficiency, but also eliminated the excessive sulfides in solution. The reaction mechanism analysis indicated that the liquid comproportionation reaction between SO2 and excessive sulfides plays a vital role. The generated nascent sulfur (N-S0) can adsorb arsenic species and promote the agglomeration of As(III)-S precipitates. Furthermore, the SO2 and H2S co-treatment exhibited excellent As(V) removal performance. This study provides a new alternative method to improve the H2S-sulfidation process with SO2 for As removal from wastewater.

Electric Acupuncture Treatment Promotes Angiogenesis in Rats with Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion Through EphB4/EphrinB2 Mediated Src/PI3K Signal Pathway.

BACKGROUND: Cerebral infarction is one of the most common causes of disability and death worldwide. It is reported that electric acupuncture was able to improve the prognosis of cerebral infarction by promoting angiogenesis. However, the corresponding signal pathways of angiogenesis promotes by electric acupuncture treatment needs to be further explored. METHODS: MCAO rat was employed as the animal model, and clopidogrel hydrogen sulfate treatment was set as the positive control. Behaviors of rats, H&E staining, and TTC-staining was used to evaluate the recovery of infarcted brain tissue and nervous function. After that, immunocytochemical and immunofluorescence staining was used to quantify the angiogenesis and compensatory circulation, which including the analysis of microvessel density, field/ microvessel area ratio, and microvessel diameter. Western blot and RT-PCR for the detection of the related signal molecule, PI3K, Src, and EphB4/ephrinB2. RESULTS: The neurologic impairment scores were decreased, and the brain tissue damage that showed with H&E and TTC-staining was relieved by the treatment of electric acupuncture in MCAO rat. The quantification of microvessel density and field/ microvessel area ratio was improved obviously, and the microvessel diameter was decreased which represent the angiogenesis of capillary in day 3 and 7 by the electric acupuncture treatment. We also found that the level of Src and PI3K was increased markedly followed by the up-regulation of EphB4 and EphrinB2 mRNA during the electric acupuncture treatment, and the pre-treatment of Src and/or PI3K inhibitor was able to disturb the angiogenesis of capillary. CONCLUSIONS: We proved that electric acupuncture was able to accelerate the recovery of infarcted brain tissue and nervous function in MCAO rat by the promotion of angiogenesis, which was regulated by EphB4/EphrinB2 mediated Src/PI3K signal pathway. Our study provides a potential therapy and theoretical basis for the clinical treatment of cerebral infarction by the use of electric acupuncture.

High Breakdown Voltage and Low Dynamic ON-Resistance AlGaN/GaN HEMT with Fluorine Ion Implantation in SiNx Passivation Layer.

In this study, we proposed and experimentally demonstrated a high breakdown voltage (BV) and low dynamic ON-resistance (RON, D) AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) by implanting fluorine ions in the thick SiNx passivation layer between the gate and drain electrodes. Instead of the fluorine ion implantation in the thin AlGaN barrier layer, the peak position and vacancy distributions are far from the two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) channel in the case of fluorine ion implantation in the thick passivation layer, which effectively suppresses the direct current (DC) static and pulsed dynamic characteristic degradation. The fluorine ions in the passivation layer also extend the depletion region and increase the average electric field (E-field) strength between the gate and drain, leading to an enhanced BV. The BV of the proposed HEMT increases to 803 V from 680 V of the conventional AlGaN/GaN HEMT (Conv. HEMT) with the same dimensional parameters. The measured RON, D of the proposed HEMT is only increased by 23% at a high drain quiescent bias of 100 V, while the RON, D of the HEMT with fluorine ion implantation in the thin AlGaN barrier layer is increased by 98%.

A High-Accuracy AlGaN/GaN Reverse Blocking CRD (RB-CRD) with Hybrid Trench Cathode.

An AlGaN/GaN lateral reverse blocking current regulating diode (RB-CRD) with trench Schottky anode and hybrid trench cathode has been proposed and experimentally demonstrated on silicon substrate. The Schottky barrier diode (SBD) integrated in the anode exhibits a turn-on voltage of 0.7 V and a reverse breakdown voltage of 260 V. The hybrid trench cathode acts as a CRD, which is in series connection with the anode SBD. A knee voltage of 1.3 V and a forward operation voltage beyond 200 V can be achieved for the RB-CRD. The RB-CRD is capable of outputting an excellent steady current in a wide temperature range from 25 to 300 °C. In addition, the forward regulating current exhibits small negative temperature coefficients less than - 0.152%/oC.

Investigation of Bulk Traps by Conductance Method in the Deep Depletion Region of the Al2O3/GaN MOS Device.

Conductance method was employed to study the physics of traps (e.g., interface and bulk traps) in the Al2O3/GaN MOS devices. By featuring only one single peak in the parallel conductance (G p/ω) characteristics in the deep depletion region, one single-level bulk trap (E C-0.53 eV) uniformly distributed in GaN buffer was identified. While in the subthreshold region, the interface traps with continuous energy of E C-0.4~0.57 eV and density of 0.6~1.6 × 1012 cm-2 were extracted from the commonly observed multiple G p/ω peaks. This methodology can be used to investigate the traps in GaN buffer and facilitates making the distinction between bulk and interface traps.

Detection of minimum activity fragment of a novel Cry7Ab3 protein specific to Henosepilachna vigintioctomaculata (Coleopteran: Coccinellidae).

Bacillus thuringiensis Cry7Ab3 toxin has insecticidal activity against larvae of Henosepilachna vigintioctomaculata. Cry7Ab3 toxin is solubilized under alkaline condition and activated by proteases within the larval gut. In order to assess the functions of the N- and C-terminal regions, several N- and C-terminal truncated forms of Cry7Ab3 were constructed. It was determined that amino acid removal at the N-terminal, which disrupt the α-helico structure, resulted in the inactivation of the protein. The deletion of 512 amino acids from the C-terminus reduced the toxicity. However, the deletion of 481 amino acids from the C-terminus resulted in the highest activity. These findings directly demonstrated the critical roles of N- and C-terminal amino acids on the toxicity of Cry7Ab3.