Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings Contribute to Differentiating Solid- and Nonsolid-Type Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma in Maxillary Sinus.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate the imaging features of maxillary sinus adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) on computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and to investigate the imaging differences between solid and nonsolid maxillary sinus ACC. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 40 cases of histopathologically confirmed ACC of the maxillary sinus. All the patients underwent CT and MRI. Based on the histopathological characteristics, the patients were classified into 2 groups: ( a ) solid maxillary sinus ACC (n = 16) and ( b ) nonsolid maxillary sinus ACC (n = 24). Imaging features such as tumor size, morphology, internal structure, margin, type of bone destruction, signal intensity, enhancement changes, and perineural tumor spread on CT and MRI, were evaluated. The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) was measured. Comparisons of imaging features and ADC values were performed between the solid and nonsolid maxillary sinus ACC using χ 2 and nonparametric tests. RESULTS: The internal structure, margin, type of bone destruction, and degree of enhancement significantly differed between solid and nonsolid maxillary sinus ACC (all P < 0.05). The ADC of the solid maxillary sinus ACC was considerably lower than that of the nonsolid maxillary sinus ( P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Computed tomography and MRI may aid in the differentiation of solid and nonsolid types of maxillary sinus ACC.

Abnormal Topological Organization of White Matter Structural Networks in Normal Tension Glaucoma Revealed via Diffusion Tensor Tractography.

BACKGROUND: Normal tension glaucoma (NTG) is considered a neurodegenerative disease with glaucomatous damage extending to diffuse brain areas. Therefore, this study aims to explore the abnormalities in the NTG structural network to help in the early diagnosis and course evaluation of NTG. METHODS: The structural networks of 46 NTG patients and 19 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were constructed using diffusion tensor imaging, followed by graph theory analysis and correlation analysis of small-world properties with glaucoma clinical indicators. In addition, the network-based statistical analysis (NBS) method was used to compare structural network connectivity differences between NTG patients and healthy controls. RESULTS: Structural brain networks in both NTG and NC groups exhibited small-world properties. However, the small-world index in the severe NTG group was reduced and correlated with a mean deviation of the visual field (MDVF) and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness. When compared to healthy controls, degree centrality and nodal efficiency in visual brain areas were significantly decreased, and betweenness centrality and nodal local efficiency in both visual and nonvisual brain areas were also significantly altered in NTG patients (all p < 0.05, FDR corrected). Furthermore, NTG patients exhibited increased structural connectivity in the occipitotemporal area, with the left fusiform gyrus (FFG.L) as the hub (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: NTG exhibited altered global properties and local properties of visual and cognitive-emotional brain areas, with enhanced structural connections within the occipitotemporal area. Moreover, the disrupted small-world properties of white matter might be imaging biomarkers for assessing NTG progression.

Single-cell transcriptomic analysis reveals a systemic immune dysregulation in COVID-19-associated pediatric encephalopathy.

Unraveling the molecular mechanisms for COVID-19-associated encephalopathy and its immunopathology is crucial for developing effective treatments. Here, we utilized single-cell transcriptomic analysis and integrated clinical observations and laboratory examination to dissect the host immune responses and reveal pathological mechanisms in COVID-19-associated pediatric encephalopathy. We found that lymphopenia was a prominent characteristic of immune perturbation in COVID-19 patients with encephalopathy, especially those with acute necrotizing encephalopathy (AE). This was characterized a marked reduction of various lymphocytes (e.g., CD8+ T and CD4+ T cells) and significant increases in other inflammatory cells (e.g., monocytes). Further analysis revealed activation of multiple cell apoptosis pathways (e.g., granzyme/perforin-, FAS- and TNF-induced apoptosis) may be responsible for lymphopenia. A systemic S100A12 upregulation, primarily from classical monocytes, may have contributed to cytokine storms in patients with AE. A dysregulated type I interferon (IFN) response was observed which may have further exacerbated the S100A12-driven inflammation in patients with AE. In COVID-19 patients with AE, myeloid cells (e.g., monocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells) were the likely contributors to immune paralysis. Finally, the immune landscape in COVID-19 patients with encephalopathy, especially for AE, were also characterized by NK and T cells with widespread exhaustion, higher cytotoxic scores and inflammatory response as well as a dysregulated B cell-mediated humoral immune response. Taken together, this comprehensive data provides a detailed resource for elucidating immunopathogenesis and will aid development of effective COVID-19-associated pediatric encephalopathy treatments, especially for those with AE.

hsa_circ_0136839 regulates the malignant phenotypes of nasopharyngeal carcinoma via the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway.

With the development of RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) technology, circular RNA (circRNA), a new class of RNA, has received much attention in cancer research. However, information available on the biogenesis and functional value of circRNAs in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is scarce. In the present study, we screened the circRNA profile of the NPC cell line C666-1 compared with that of the normal control NP69 by RNA-seq and identified a novel and relatively higher expressed circRNA, hsa_circ_0136839. Hsa_circ_0136839 was markedly downregulated in NPC tissues, as confirmed by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Functional in vitro studies revealed that hsa_circ_0136839 knockdown in C666-1 cell notably promoted cell proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities, as well as affected cell cycle distribution with an S-phase arrest. However, hsa_circ_0136839 overexpression in CNE2 cells resulted in an opposite response. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that aberrant hsa_circ_0136839 expression might affect the malignant phenotypes of NPC cells by activating the wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway. Thus, our findings contribute to further the understanding of NPC pathogenesis and provide new ideas for NPC clinical diagnosis and treatment.

The alterations of brain network degree centrality in patients with neovascular glaucoma: a resting-state fMRI study.

PURPOSE: To explore the alterations of whole brain functional network using the degree centrality (DC) analysis in neovascular glaucoma (NVG) and the correlation between DC values and NVG clinical indices. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty NVG patients and twenty normal controls (NC), closely matched in age, sex, and education, were recruited for this study. All subjects underwent comprehensive ophthalmologic examinations and a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) scan. The differences in DC values of brain network between NVG and NC groups were analyzed, and correlation analysis was performed to explore the relationships between DC values and clinical ophthalmological indices in NVG group. RESULTS: Compared with NC group, significantly decreased DC values were found in the left superior occipital gyrus and left postcentral gyrus, while significantly increased DC values in the right anterior cingulate gyrus and left medial frontal gyrus in NVG group. (All P < 0.05, FDR corrected). In the NVG group, the DC value in left superior occipital gyrus showed significantly positive correlations with retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness (R = 0.484, P = 0.031) and mean deviation of visual field (MDVF) (R = 0.678, P = 0.001). Meanwhile, the DC value in the left medial frontal gyrus demonstrated significantly negative correlations with RNFL (R = - 0.544, P = 0.013) and MDVF (R = - 0.481, P = 0.032). CONCLUSIONS: NVG exhibited decreased network degree centrality in visual and sensorimotor brain regions and increased degree centrality in cognitive-emotional processing brain region. Additionally, the DC alterations might be complementary imaging biomarkers to assess disease severity.

Induction chemotherapy with sequential nimotuzumab plus concurrent chemoradiotherapy in advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma: A retrospective real-world study.

Many locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients develop local recurrence or distant metastasis. Our retrospective real-world study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of curative sequential approach with induction chemotherapy followed by concurrent chemoradiation + nimotuzumab as first-line therapy in advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma. From 2015 to 2021, the clinic data of 117 patients with advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (stage III-IV a) who were treated in the Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University were retrospectively reviewed. Fifty-four patients in observation group received taxanes, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil/taxanes and cisplatin induction chemotherapy and nimotuzumab (200 mg, weekly) combined with concurrent chemo-radiotherapy (cisplatin: 40 mg/m2 weekly; intensity-modulated radiation therapy); 63 patients in control group received same therapy without nimotuzumab. There was no significant difference in patients' characteristic baseline between 2 groups (P > .05). The complete response rate and objective response rate of the observational group was significantly higher than control group (46.30% vs 17.64%, P = .01; 96.30% vs 82.54%, P = .02). The median follow-up time was 24.77 (3.53-65.97) months. Both of the median progress free survival time and overall survival time were not reached. The 5-year progression-free survival rate of observation group was greater than control group (84.40% vs 63.70%, hazard ratios 0.365, 95% confidence intervals 0.147-0.909, P = .03). The 5-year overall survival rate of observation group and control group were 91.70% and 84.60%, respectively (P = .20). None of the patients withdrew from the study due to adverse events. Nimotuzumab combined with concurrent chemoradiotherapy as first-line therapy in advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma can improve objective response rate and 5-year progress free survival rate with good safety profile.

Metabolic alterations in the visual pathway of retinitis pigmentosa rats: A longitudinal multimodal magnetic resonance imaging study with histopathological validation.

Because retinitis pigmentosa (RP) has been shown to cause degenerative changes in the entire visual pathway, there is an urgent need to perform longitudinal assessments of RP-induced degeneration and identify imaging protocols to detect this degeneration as early as possible. In this study, we assessed a transgenic rat model of RP by using complementary noninvasive magnetic resonance imaging techniques, namely, proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1 H-MRS), to investigate the metabolic changes in RP. Our study demonstrated decreased concentrations and ratios to creatine (Cr) of N-acetylaspartate (NAA), glutamate (Glu), γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and taurine (Tau), whereas myo-inositol (Ins) and choline (Cho) were increased in the visual cortex of Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) rats compared with control rats (p < 0.05). Furthermore, with the progression of RP, the concentrations of NAA, Glu, GABA, and Tau, and the ratios of GABA/Cr and Tau/Cr significantly decreased over time, whereas the concentrations of Ins and Cho and the ratio of Ins/Cr significantly increased over time (p < 0.05). In addition, in RCS rats, NAA/Cr decreased significantly from 3 to 4 months postnatal (p < 0.001), and Cho/Cr increased significantly from 4 to 5 months postnatal (p = 0.005). Meanwhile, the 1 H-MRS indicators in 5-month postnatal RCS rats could be confirmed by immunohistochemical staining. In conclusion, with the progression of RP, the metabolic alterations in the visual cortex indicated progressive reprogramming with the decrease of neurons and axons, accompanied by the proliferation of gliocytes.

Extramedullary Plasmacytoma of the Sinonasal Cavity: Magnetic Resonance Imaging Characteristics With Readout-Segmented Diffusion-Weighted Imaging and Dual-Energy Computed Tomography Features.

PURPOSE: To determine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with readout-segmented diffusion-weighted imaging (RESOLVE-DWI) and dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) features of sinonasal extramedullary plasmacytoma (SN-EMP). METHODS: The MRI and/or DECT of 10 patients with SN-EMP confirmed by pathology were retrospectively reviewed. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values of RESOLVE-DWI were analyzed in 9 patients. The quantitative parameters derived from DECT, including the iodine concentration (IC), effective atomic number, and the slope (k) of spectral attenuation curve, were measured in 3 patients. RESULTS: On conventional MRI, typical lesions were well defined (7 of 9), and isointense to the brain on both T1WI and T2WI (9 of 9). Most lesions presented with marked enhancement on contrast-enhanced T1WI without significant necrosis (8 of 9). Notably, multiple flow-void signals were observed in all lesions (9 of 9). On RESOLVE-DWI, the average ADC value was 0.55 × 10-3 mm2/s, and the normalized ADC value was 0.66 ± 0.04. On DECT, the average values of IC, effective atomic number, and slope (k) was 2.7 mg/mL, 8.62, and 3.8, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Some typical MRI features (well-defined mass, isointensity to the brain, marked enhancement without obvious cystic changes, multiple flow voids, and a lower ADC value) strongly suggest the diagnosis of SN-EMP. The quantitative parameters derived from RESOLVE-DWI and DECT may provide more information for the diagnosis of SN-EMP.

Association of mitochondrial respiratory chain enzymes with the risk and mortality of sepsis among Chinese children.

BACKGROUND: Sepsis is a leading cause of pediatric morbidity and mortality worldwide. The aim of this study was to explore the association of decreased mitochondrial respiratory chain enzyme activities with the risk for pediatric sepsis, and explore their association with mortality among affected children. METHODS: A total of 50 incident cases with sepsis and 49 healthy controls participated in this study. The level of serum coenzyme Q10 was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography, and selected mitochondrial respiratory chain enzymes in WBC were measured using spectrophotometric. Logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: The levels of CoQ10, complex II, complex I + III and FoF1-ATPase were significantly higher in healthy controls than in children with sepsis (p < 0.001, = 0.004, < 0.001 and < 0.001, respectively). In children with sepsis, levels of CoQ10 and complex I + III were significantly higher in survived cases than in deceased cases (p < 0.001). Per 0.05 µmol/L, 50 nmol/min.mg and 100 nmol/min.mg increment in CoQ10, complex I + III and FoF1-ATPase were associated with significantly lowered risk of having sepsis, even after adjusting for confounding factors (OR = 0.85, 0.68 and 0.04, p = 0.001, < 0.001 and < 0.001, respectively). Per 0.05 µmol/L and 50 nmol/min.mg increment in CoQ10 and complex I + III was associated with significantly lowered risk of dying from sepsis during hospitalization, and significance retained after adjustment (OR = 0.73 and 0.76, 95% CI: 0.59 to 0.90 and 0.64 to 0.89, p = 0.004 and 0.001, respectively) in children with sepsis. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate the promising predictive contribution of low serum CoQ10 and complex I + III to the risk of pediatric sepsis and its associated mortality during hospitalization among Chinese children. Trial registration The trial was registered with www.chictr.org.cn , number ChiCTR-IOR-15006446 on May 05, 2015. Retrospectively registered.

Magnetic resonance imaging investigations reveal that PM2.5 exposure triggers visual dysfunction in mice.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate how PM2.5 exposure affects the microstructure, metabolites or functions of the visual system. METHODS: C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned to groups exposed to the filtered air (the control group) or the concentrated ambient PM2.5 (the PM2.5 group). Visual evoked potentials (VEP), electroretinograms (ERG), diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) and resting-state functional MRI (rsfMRI) were performed. Parameters were obtained and compared between the two groups, including latencies and amplitudes of the P1 wave, N1 wave and P2 wave from VEP, latencies and amplitudes of the a wave and b wave from ERG, fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusion (MD), axial diffusivity (AD) and radial diffusivity (RD) from DTI, visual cortex (VC) metabolites from 1H-MRS, and regional homogeneity (ReHo) from rsfMRI. RESULTS: Compared with the values of the control group, the PM2.5 group showed a prolonged N1 latency (43.11 ±â€¯7.94 ms vs. 38.75 ±â€¯4.60 ms) and lowered P1 amplitude (5.62 ±â€¯4.38 µV vs. 8.56 ±â€¯5.92 µV) on VEP (all p < 0.05). On ERG, the amplitude of the a wave was lowered (- 91.39 ±â€¯56.29 µV vs. - 138.68 ±â€¯89.05 µV), the amplitude of the b wave was lowered (194.38 ±â€¯126.27 µV vs. 284.72 ±â€¯170.99 µV), and the latency of the b wave was prolonged (37.78 ±â€¯10.72 ms vs. 33.01 ±â€¯4.34 ms) than the values of the control group (all p < 0.05). DTI indicated FA increase in the bilateral piriform cortex (Pir), FA decrease in the bilateral somatosensory cortex (S) and the bilateral striatum (Stri), AD decrease in the bilateral VC, the right S and the bilateral Pir, MD decrease in the bilateral Pir, and RD decrease in the bilateral Pir in the PM2.5 mice (all p < 0.05, Alphasim corrected). 1H-MRS showed Glutamate (Glu) increase and Phosphocholine (PCh) increase in the VC of the PM2.5 group than those of the control group (PCh 1.63 ±â€¯0.25 vs. 1.50 ±â€¯0.25; PCh/total creatine(tCr) 0.19 ±â€¯0.03 vs. 0.18 ±â€¯0.03; Glu 10.46 ±â€¯1.50 vs. 9.60 ±â€¯1.19; Glu/tcr 1.23 ±â€¯0.11 vs. 1.12 ±â€¯0.11) (all p < 0.05). rsfMRI showed higher ReHo in the PM2.5 mice in the left superior colliculus, the left motor cortex, the hippocampus, the periaqueductal gray and the right mesencephalic reticular formation (all p < 0.01, AlphaSim corrected). CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that PM2.5 exposure triggered visual dysfunction, and altered microstructure, metabolite and function in the retina and visual brain areas along the visual system.

Aberrant TGF-ß1 signaling activation by MAF underlies pathological lens growth in high myopia.

High myopia is a leading cause of blindness worldwide. Myopia progression may lead to pathological changes of lens and affect the outcome of lens surgery, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here, we find an increased lens size in highly myopic eyes associated with up-regulation of ß/γ-crystallin expressions. Similar findings are replicated in two independent mouse models of high myopia. Mechanistic studies show that the transcription factor MAF plays an essential role in up-regulating ß/γ-crystallins in high myopia, by direct activation of the crystallin gene promoters and by activation of TGF-ß1-Smad signaling. Our results establish lens morphological and molecular changes as a characteristic feature of high myopia, and point to the dysregulation of the MAF-TGF-ß1-crystallin axis as an underlying mechanism, providing an insight for therapeutic interventions.

Distance matters: Investigating how geographic proximity to ENGOs triggers green innovation of heavy-polluting firms in China.

Along with the growing concern over resource depletion and environmental damage, an increasing number of firms, especially heavy-polluting firms, have confronted with intense pressure imposed by various stakeholders like government, media and Environmental Non-Governmental Organizations (ENGOs). Specifically, ENGOs, as a classic informal institution, has gradually become as important as governments in stimulating polluting firms to reduce pollutant emissions and implement green innovation. At the same time, due to the imbalances of ENGOs' resource endowments and geographic distributions in various regions, the normative pressure from ENGOs on polluting firms may also differ by geographic distance. Given that, building on economic geography and institutional theory, the current study developed a theoretical framework to illustrate the relationship between geographic proximity to ENGOs and firms' green innovation. The roles of ownership types and regional pollution level are then examined. For a sample of Chinese heavy-polluting firms from 2009 to 2015 and employing multiple linear regression, the study found that a firm's geographic proximity to ENGOs affects green technology innovation positively and significantly. However, the effect of geographic proximity on green management innovation varies as the radius changes. In addition, the regression results also indicated that the positive relation between geographic proximity and green technology innovation is stronger in SOEs than in NSOEs. In turn, the positive relation between geographic distance beyond a 100 km radius and green management innovation is stronger in NSOEs than in SOEs. Moreover, the results further demonstrated that regional pollution level weakens the impact of geographic proximity to ENGOs on green management innovation. The study not only provides an enhanced understanding about the literature on corporate environmental responsibility but also has important practical implications for prompting heavy-polluting firms' green innovation with the aid of ENGOs.

Reference intervals established using indirect method for serum ferritin assayed on Abbott Architect i2000SR analyzer in Chinese adults.

BACKGROUND: Serum ferritin (SF) test has been widely used in clinical practice. However, its reference intervals (RIs) vary depending on the analytical method and ethnic origin. This study was to establish the RIs using indirect method for SF in Chinese adults. METHODS: SF was assayed on Abbott i2000SR analyzer. The SF test results of all health examinees (8913 males aged 18-93 years and 5397 females aged 18-90 years) between December 2010 and April 2019 were obtained from our laboratory information system. After Box-Cox transformation of raw data and exclusion of outliers, parametric and non-parametric approaches were used to calculate 95% RIs. The correlation between SF levels and ages, and the differences in SF levels between subgroups were also analyzed. RESULTS: SF levels in females were significantly different from those in males (Z = 88.96, Z* = 23.17; Z > Z*) and showed a weak positive correlation with age (r = .466, P < .0001). The RIs based on parametric approach in males were 66.12-561.58 µg/L, whereas in all females were 3.59-269.59 µg/L, females aged <50 years 3.26-148.02 µg/L and those aged ≥50 years 17.28-303.27 µg/L. The RIs based on non-parametric approach in males were 65.00-571.37 µg/L whereas in all females were 4.00-254.00 µg/L, females aged <50 years 4.00-152.00 µg/L and those aged ≥50 years 16.00-304.05 µg/L. CONCLUSIONS: Our indirect RIs for SF were markedly different from the manufacturer's recommended RIs and might be more suitable for Chinese adults, which would be helpful in interpreting laboratory data and clinical decision-making.

Survival prediction of high-grade glioma patients with diffusion kurtosis imaging.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the prognostic value of diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) for survival prediction of patients with high-grade glioma (HGG). MATERIALS AND METHODS: DKI was performed for fifty-eight patients with pathologically proven HGG by using a 3-T scanner. The mean kurtosis (MK), mean diffusivity (MD) and fractional anisotropy (FA) values in the solid part of the tumor were measured and normalized. Univariate Cox regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between overall survival (OS) and sex, age, Karnofsky performance status (KPS), tumor grade, Ki-67 labeling index (LI), extent of resection, use of chemoradiotherapy, MK, MD, and FA. Multivariate Cox regression analysis including sex, age, KPS, extent of resection, use of chemoradiotherapy, MK, MD, and FA was subsequently performed. Spearman's correlation coefficient for OS and the area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for predicting 2-year survival were calculated for each DKI parameter and further compared. RESULTS: In univariate Cox regression analyses, OS was significantly associated with the tumor grade, Ki-67 LI, extent of resection, use of chemoradiotherapy, MK, and MD (P < 0.05 for all). Multivariate Cox regression analyses indicated that MK, MD (hazard ratio = 1.582 and 0.828, respectively, for each 0.1 increase in the normalized value), extent of resection and use of chemoradiotherapy were independent predictors of OS. The absolute value of the correlation coefficient for OS and AUC for predicting 2-year survival by MK (rho = -0.565, AUC = 0.841) were higher than those by MD (rho = 0.492, AUC = 0.772), but the difference was not significant. CONCLUSION: DKI is a promising tool to predict the survival of HGG patients. MK and MD are independent predictors. MK is potentially better associated with OS than MD, which may lead to a more accurate evaluation of HGG patient survival.

Metabolic Alterations Within the Primary Visual Cortex in Early Open-angle Glaucoma Patients: A Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Study.

PURPOSE: To detect changes in metabolites and explore cortical plasticity at the metabolic level within the primary visual cortex through proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in early open-angle glaucoma (OAG) patients. METHODS: A total of 23 symmetrically bilateral early OAG patients and 21 normal controls (NC) were recruited as the early OAG group and NC group, respectively. All subjects underwent a proton magnetic resonance examination, and then, the N-acetylaspartate (NAA), glutamine-glutamate (Glx), myo-inositol (Ins), choline (Cho), and creatine (Cr) concentrations within the bilateral primary visual cortex were determined. The mean NAA/Cr ratio, mean Cho/Cr ratio, mean Glx/Cr ratio, and mean Ins/Cr ratio of the bilateral sides were compared between early OAG patients and NC using the independent samples t test. RESULTS: Compared with NC, the mean Glx/Cr ratio (corrected P=0.003) in primary visual cortex was significantly higher, whereas the mean Ins/Cr ratio (corrected P=0.001) was statistically lower in early OAG patients. However, no apparent difference was found in the mean Cho/Cr ratio or mean NAA/Cr ratio between the OAG group and NC group. CONCLUSIONS: Abnormal metabolites were found in our study through proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy and could contribute to cortical plasticity of the primary visual cortex in early OAG patients.

Association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration and pulmonary infection in children.

We assessed the relationship between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) level and community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) among Chinese children.This observational study examined children aged 3 days to 14 years (n = 1582) from the Capital Institute of Pediatrics in 2009 to 2011. There were 797 children in the CAP group and 785 controls. The CAP group was divided into 2 groups: a pneumonia group and pneumonia-induced sepsis group. The serum 25(OH)D level was estimated using micro whole blood chemiluminescence.The average serum 25(OH)D level in all samples was 25.32 ±â€Š14.07 ng/mL, with the CAP group showing a lower value than the control group (P < .001). There were also significant differences between the pneumonia group and pneumonia-induced sepsis group (P < .001). In the pneumonia-induced sepsis group, significant differences in serum 25(OH)D levels were observed in children who received mechanical ventilation or presenting with multiple organ dysfunction (P < .01).All serum 25(OH)D levels in the pneumonia group and pneumonia-induced sepsis group were below normal levels, particularly in the sepsis group. A lower serum 25(OH)D level was associated with more serious symptoms in CAP children. Children with low serum 25(OH)D levels may be at higher risk of receiving mechanical ventilation and presenting with multiple organ dysfunction. These findings suggest that vitamin D supplements are beneficial for the treatment and prevention of CAP.

Brain white matter plasticity and functional reorganization underlying the central pathogenesis of trigeminal neuralgia.

Peripheral nerve damage does not fully explain the pathogenesis of trigeminal neuralgia (TN). Central nervous system changes can follow trigeminal nerve dysfunction. We hypothesized that brain white matter and functional connectivity changes in TN patients were involved in pain perception, modulation, the cognitive-affective system, and motor function; moreover, changes in functional reorganization were correlated with white matter alterations. Twenty left TN patients and twenty-two healthy controls were studied. Diffusion kurtosis imaging was analyzed to extract diffusion and kurtosis parameters, and functional connectivity density (FCD) mapping was used to explore the functional reorganization in the brain. In the patient group, we found lower axial kurtosis and higher axial diffusivity in tracts participated in sensory, cognitive-affective, and modulatory aspects of pain, such as the corticospinal tract, superior longitudinal fasciculus, anterior thalamic radiation, inferior longitudinal fasciculus, inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, cingulated gyrus, forceps major and uncinate fasciculus. Patients exhibited complex FCD reorganization of hippocampus, striatum, thalamus, precentral gyrus, precuneus, prefrontal cortex and inferior parietal lobule in multiple modulatory networks that played crucial roles in pain perception, modulation, cognitive-affective system, and motor function. Further, the correlated structural-functional changes may be responsible for the persistence of long-term recurrent pain and sensory-related dysfunction in TN.

Altered Intranetwork and Internetwork Functional Connectivity in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus With and Without Cognitive Impairment.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with cognitive impairment. We investigated whether alterations of intranetwork and internetwork functional connectivity with T2DM progression exist, by using resting-state functional MRI. MRI data were analysed from 19 T2DM patients with normal cognition (DMCN) and 19 T2DM patients with cognitive impairment (DMCI), 19 healthy controls (HC). Functional connectivity among 36 previously well-defined brain regions which consisted of 5 resting-state network (RSN) systems [default mode network (DMN), dorsal attention network (DAN), control network (CON), salience network (SAL) and sensorimotor network (SMN)] was investigated at 3 levels (integrity, network and connectivity). Impaired intranetwork and internetwork connectivity were found in T2DM, especially in DMCI, on the basis of the three levels of analysis. The bilateral posterior cerebellum, the right insula, the DMN and the CON were mainly involved in these changes. The functional connectivity strength of specific brain architectures in T2DM was found to be associated with haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), cognitive score and illness duration. These network alterations in intergroup differences, which were associated with brain functional impairment due to T2DM, indicate that network organizations might be potential biomarkers for predicting the clinical progression, evaluating the cognitive impairment, and further understanding the pathophysiology of T2DM.

Initial Application of Diffusional Kurtosis Imaging in Evaluating Brain Development of Healthy Preterm Infants.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the parametric characteristics of diffusional kurtosis imaging (DKI) in the brain development of healthy preterm infants. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and DKI were performed in 35 preterm (29 to 36 weeks gestational age [GA]; scanned at 33 to 44 weeks postmenstrual age [PMA]) and 10 term infants (37.4 to 40.7 weeks GA; scanned at 38.3 to 42.9 weeks PMA). Fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD) and mean kurtosis (MK) values from 8 regions of interest, including both white matter (WM) and gray matter (GM), were obtained. RESULTS: MK and FA values were positively correlated with PMA in most selected WM regions, such as the posterior limbs of the internal capsule (PLIC) and the splenium of the corpus callosum (SCC). The positive correlation between MK value and PMA in the deep GM region was higher than that between FA and PMA. The MK value gradually decreased from the PLIC to the cerebral lobe. In addition, DKI parameters exhibited subtle differences in the parietal WM between the preterm and term control groups. CONCLUSIONS: MK may serve as a more reliable imaging marker of the normal myelination process and provide a more robust characterization of deep GM maturation.