Incidence and clinical features of acute multiple small cerebellar infarction.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical and imaging features and to identify possible etiology of acute multiple small cerebellar infarction (MSCI). METHODS: We retrospectively enrolled 220 patients with acute cerebellar infarction, divided them into MSCI and large cerebellar infarction (LCI) groups, according to the quantity and size of lesions confirmed by MRI analysis. Clinical and imaging features were compared between the two groups to explore the possible etiology and pathogenesis. RESULTS: Among 220 patients, 90 patients presented MSCI symptoms. The proportions of extracerebellar lesions (P = 0.001) and bilateral infarction (P = 0.001) in the MSCI group were higher than those in the LCI group. No significant differences were found in terms of age, gender, and common vascular risk factors between the two groups. The proportions of vertigo and headache in the MSCI group were significantly lower than those in the LCI group (P < 0.000 and 0.034, respectively), and limb weakness was significantly higher (P = 0.039) in the MSCI patients. Moreover, the proportions of nystagmus and ataxia in the MSCI group were significantly lower than those in the LCI group (P < 0.043 and 0.003, respectively). The MSCI group had higher proportions of ACA and MCA stenosis, while the proportion of posterior circulation stenosis was similar between the two groups. Infarctions involving the posterior inferior cerebellar (PICA) region and mixed territories were far more frequent than those involving the anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA) region and superior cerebellar artery (SCA) territory (P < 0.05). Large-artery atherosclerosis and multiple plus undetermined etiology were the main etiological factors of MSCI. CONCLUSION: In patients with acute cerebellar infarction, 30% of patients presented with MSCI. MSCI and LCI showed similar vascular risk factors and vascular stenosis in the posterior circulation system. Patients with MSCI should pay more attention to evaluating anterior circulation vessels' anatomy. Large-artery atherosclerosis was the main pathogenesis of acute MSCI. Assessment of cerebral vessels might be critically required in patients with MSCI complicated atrial fibrillation.

Green Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticles Using Carrageenan Oligosaccharide and Their In Vitro Antitumor Activity.

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have been widely used in catalysis, photothermal therapy, and targeted drug delivery. Carrageenan oligosaccharide (CAO) derived from marine red algae was used as a reducing and capping agent to obtain AuNPs by an eco-friendly, efficient, and simple synthetic route for the first time. The synthetic conditions of AuNPs were optimized by response surface methodology (RSM), and the CAO-AuNPs obtained were demonstrated to be ellipsoidal, stable and crystalline by means of transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The CAO-AuNPs showed localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) oscillation at about 530 nm with a mean diameter of 35 ± 8 nm. The zeta potential of CAO-AuNPs was around -20 mV, which was related to the negatively charged CAO around AuNPs. The CAO-AuNPs exhibited significant cytotoxic activities to HCT-116 and MDA-MB-231 cells, which could be a promising nanomaterial for drug delivery.

Glycosaminoglycans from a Sea Snake (Lapemis curtus): Extraction, Structural Characterization and Antioxidant Activity.

Sea snakes have wide application prospects in medicine, health food and other fields. Several novel polysaccharides were successfully obtained from the skin and the meat of a sea snake (Lapemis curtus). The structures of polysaccharides LSP3 and LMP3, which were extracted and purified from Lapemis curtus, were determined to be new and highly heterogenic glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) by means of FT-IR, ESI-MS/MS and NMR. LSP3 is a hybrid dermatan sulfate (DS) and composed of 48% 4-sulfated disaccharides (Di4S), 42% 6-sulfated disaccharides (Di6S) and 5% disulfated disaccharides (Di2,6S), while LMP3 is a hybrid chondroitin sulfate (CS) and composed of 70% Di4S, 20% Di6S, and 8% Di2,6S. More importantly, LSP3 and LMP3 showed a strong scavenging ability of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals, iron (Fe2+) chelating activity and total antioxidant capacity in vitro, especially LSP3, with high contents of uronic acid and sulfate, which possessed a higher scavenging ability of DPPH radicals than other fractions. These data suggested that the sea snake polysaccharides could be promising candidates for natural antioxidant ingredients.

Electrochemical control of the morphological evolution of PEDOT on a Ni-Co(OH)2/carbon cloth surface to modulate the performance of wearable H2O2 sensors.

The slow redox rate of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in neutral environments makes the H2O2 sensor inadequate for the detection of low levels of signalling molecules. The aim of this study is to fabricate a flexible sensing electrode by hydrothermally loading micro-nanometer Ni and Co(OH)2 on carbon cloth (CC) and electrochemically depositing poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) on the surface of the electrode. The sensor presented high sensitivity (10.43 mA mM-1 cm-2), a wide detection range (0.033-120.848 mM), a low detection limit (0.92 nM), high stability, and excellent anti-interference performance in neutral solutions. Ni-Co(OH)2 provides abundant active sites while CC solves their agglomeration phenomenon and conductivity. The PEDOT film offers heightened conductivity, hydrophilicity, interfacial stability, and an electrochemically active surface area (ECSA). The side area of the chrysanthemum petal like PEDOT is 39 ± 7 times the bottom area, and PEDOT increases the ECSA of the composite to six times that of CC. Electrochemical precise control of PEDOT morphology to improve sensor performance provides a new strategy for the application of PEDOT in sensors.

Integrating transcriptome and metabolome to explore the growth-promoting mechanisms of GABA in blueberry plantlets.

Tissue culture technology is the main method for the commercial propagation of blueberry plants, but blueberry plantlets grow slowly and have long growth cycles under in vitro propagation, resulting in low propagation efficiency. In addition, the long culturing time can also result in reduced nutrient content in the culture medium, and the accumulation of toxic and harmful substances that can lead to weak growth for the plantlets or browning and vitrification, which ultimately can seriously reduce the quality of the plantlets. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a four-carbon non-protein amino acid that can improve plant resistance to various stresses and promote plant growth, but the effects of its application and mechanism in tissue culture are still unclear. In this study, the effects of GABA on the growth of in vitro blueberry plantlets were analyzed following the treatment of the plantlets with GABA. In addition, the GABA-treated plantlets were also subjected to a comparative transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis. The exogenous application of GABA significantly promoted growth and improved the quality of the blueberry plantlets. In total, 2,626 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 377 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) were detected by comparison of the control and GABA-treated plantlets. Most of the DEGs and DAMs were involved in carbohydrate metabolism and biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. The comprehensive analysis results indicated that GABA may promote the growth of blueberry plantlets by promoting carbon metabolism and nitrogen assimilation, as well as increasing the accumulation of secondary metabolites such as flavonoids, steroids and terpenes.

Descriptive and associated risk factors analysis of mental disorders among adolescents in Huangshi, China.

Descriptive analysis of adolescent mental disorders in Huangshi was performed to explore the gender differences, influencing factors, and abnormal illness behaviors. A total of 674 patients in Huangshi Mental Health Center from 2017 to 2022 were collected. A rising trend of mental disorders has been observed since 2018, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. More young cases led to suicidal attempts and self-harm, which reflects the severity of mental health in adolescents. This study aims to draw the attention of government, society, families, and schools to care about adolescents, which also provides guidance and references for clinical treatment of mental disorders.