Clinical Report of a Rare Mucinous Staphylococcus Aureus Infection.

BACKGROUND: Staphylococcus aureus is the most common pathogen in suppurative infection, which can cause local suppurative infection, pneumonia, etc. A case of double renal calculi complicated with chronic renal insufficiency and mucinous Staphylococcus aureus infection was analyzed and discussed. METHODS: Bacterial culture, identification, and next-generation sequencing. RESULTS: The mucous colony was identified as Staphylococcus aureus, and the condition improved after symptomatic treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Mucinous Staphylococcus is a rare clinical microorganism, which needs to be verified by experiments to avoid false negative results. Genetic sequencing is used to identify strains if necessary.

Multimodel MRI features of an intracranial juvenile Xanthogranuloma.

Juvenile xanthogranuloma (JXG) is a benign, self-limiting histiocytic disorder of infancy and early childhood, usually presented as a single or multiple cutaneous lesions. The central nervous system is rarely affected by JXG. There were only a few reports of intracranial JXG cases which described its features on MR spectroscopy (MRS) and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), but its features on susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) and perfusion-weighted imaging (PWI) have not been reported yet. Here, we reported an intracranial JXG case which underwent multimodal MRI examinations including DWI, SWI, and PWI. The multimodal MRI provided a thorough insight into this disease and we found that intense enhancement and high perfusion may be important clues for the diagnosis.

Quantitative MR spectroscopy reveals metabolic changes in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of patients with temporal lobe epilepsy.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize possible metabolic changes of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). METHODS: Quantitative proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) studies were performed on 24 TLE patients and 22 healthy controls. Metabolite concentrations were calculated using a linear combination model (LCModel) and corrected for cerebrospinal fluid contamination. Comparisons were performed between the TLE patients and the controls and between the left DLPFC and right DLPFC in each group. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated between the metabolite concentrations and epilepsy duration and between the metabolite concentrations and voxel tissue composition: [gray matter (GM)/(GM+white matter (WM))]. RESULTS: Metabolic asymmetry was found in controls between the left and right DLPFC, i.e., the NAA concentration of the left DLPFC was significantly higher than that of the right. However, such metabolic asymmetry was not observed in TLE patients. Compared with the controls, TLE patients showed significantly decreased NAA and Ins, and the reductions were greater in the left DLPFC. No significant correlation was found between the metabolite concentrations and epilepsy duration or between the metabolite concentrations and voxel tissue composition [GM/(GM+WM)]. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that TLE can produce metabolic changes to DLPFC that is remote from the seizure focus. KEY POINTS: • Magnetic resonance spectroscopy probes the brain metabolism noninvasively. • Dorsolateral prefrontal reductions in NAA (a neuronal marker) and Ins are observed in TLE. • Temporal lobe epilepsy can result in metabolic changes remote from the seizure focus.

Bis[2-(2H-benzotriazol-2-yl)-4-methyl-6-(phenyl-imino-methyl-κN)phenolato-κO]palladium(II).

In the title complex, [Pd(C(20)H(15)N(4)O)(2)], the Pd(II) atom is tetra-coordinated by two N atoms and two O atoms from two bidentate imine-benzotriazole phenolate ligands, forming a square-planar environment. The asymmetric unit contains two half-mol-ecules in both of which the Pd(II) atom lies on a centre of symmetry. The average distances between the Pd(II) atom and the coordinated O and N atoms are 1.9831 (12) and 2.012 (2) Å, respectively.

(E)-2-(2H-Benzotriazol-2-yl)-4-methyl-6-(phenyl-imino-meth-yl)phenol.

In the title compound, C(20)H(16)N(4)O, the non-H atoms of the benzotriazole ring system and those of the methyl-phenol group are essentially coplanar, with an r.m.s. deviation of 0.004 (2) Å. The mean plane of these atoms forms a dihedral angle of 60.9 (2)° with the phenyl ring. There is an intra-molecular O-H⋯N hydrogen bond between the phenol and benzotriazole groups.

White Matter Abnormalities in Anorexia Nervosa: Psychoradiologic Evidence From Meta-Analysis of Diffusion Tensor Imaging Studies Using Tract Based Spatial Statistics.

Background: Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a debilitating illness whose neural basis remains unclear. Studies using tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) have demonstrated differences in white matter (WM) microarchitecture in AN, but the findings are inconclusive and controversial. Objectives: To identify the most consistent WM abnormalities among previous TBSS studies of differences in WM microarchitecture in AN. Methods: By systematically searching online databases, a total of 11 datasets were identified, including 245 patients with AN and 246 healthy controls (HC). We used Seed-based d Mapping to analyze fractional anisotropy (FA) differences between AN patients and HC, and performed meta-regression analysis to explore the effects of clinical characteristics on WM abnormalities in AN. Results: The pooled results of all AN patients showed robustly lower FA in the corpus callosum (CC) and the cingulum compared to HC. These two regions preserved significance in the sensitivity analysis as well as in all subgroup analyses. Fiber tracking showed that the WM tracts primarily involved were the body of the CC and the cingulum bundle. Meta-regression analysis revealed that the body mass index and mean age were not linearly correlated with the lower FA. Conclusions: The most consistent WM microstructural differences in AN were in the interhemispheric connections and limbic association fibers. These common "targets" advance our understanding of the complex neural mechanisms underlying the puzzling symptoms of AN, and may help in developing early treatment approaches.

Automated machine learning based on radiomics features predicts H3 K27M mutation in midline gliomas of the brain.

BACKGROUND: Conventional MRI cannot be used to identify H3 K27M mutation status. This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of predicting H3 K27M mutation status by applying an automated machine learning (autoML) approach to the MR radiomics features of patients with midline gliomas. METHODS: This single-institution retrospective study included 100 patients with midline gliomas, including 40 patients with H3 K27M mutations and 60 wild-type patients. Radiomics features were extracted from fluid-attenuated inversion recovery images. Prior to autoML analysis, the dataset was randomly stratified into separate 75% training and 25% testing cohorts. The Tree-based Pipeline Optimization Tool (TPOT) was applied to optimize the machine learning pipeline and select important radiomics features. We compared the performance of 10 independent TPOT-generated models based on training and testing cohorts using the area under the curve (AUC) and average precision to obtain the final model. An independent cohort of 22 patients was used to validate the best model. RESULTS: Ten prediction models were generated by TPOT, and the accuracy obtained with the best pipeline ranged from 0.788 to 0.867 for the training cohort and from 0.60 to 0.84 for the testing cohort. After comparison, the AUC value and average precision of the final model were 0.903 and 0.911 in the testing cohort, respectively. In the validation set, the AUC was 0.85, and the average precision was 0.855 for the best model. CONCLUSIONS: The autoML classifier using radiomics features of conventional MR images provides high discriminatory accuracy in predicting the H3 K27M mutation status of midline glioma.

Psychoradiological investigations of gray matter alterations in patients with anorexia nervosa.

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a severe psychiatric disorder with high mortality. The underlying neurobiological mechanisms are not well understood, and high-resolution structural magnetic resonance brain imaging studies have given inconsistent results. Here we aimed to psychoradiologically define the most prominent and replicable abnormalities of gray matter volume (GMV) in AN patients, and to examine their relationship to demographics and clinical characteristics, by means of a new coordinate-based meta-analytic technique called seed-based d mapping (SDM). In a pooled analysis of all AN patients we identified decreased GMV in the bilateral median cingulate cortices and posterior cingulate cortices extending to the bilateral precuneus, and the supplementary motor area. In subgroup analysis we found an additional decreased GMV in the right fusiform in adult AN, and a decreased GMV in the left amygdala and left anterior cingulate cortex in AN patients without comorbidity (pure AN). Thus, the most consistent GMV alterations in AN patients are in the default mode network and the sensorimotor network. These psychoradiological findings of the brain abnormalities might underpin the neuropathophysiology in AN.

Mono-, di- and tetra-zinc complexes derived from an amino-benzotriazole phenolate ligand containing a bulkier N-alkyl pendant arm: synthesis, structure and catalysis for ring-opening polymerization of cyclic esters.

Zinc complexes constructed from the amino-modified benzotriazole phenol pro-ligand, 2-(2H-benzotriazol-2-yl)-6-((diisopropylamino)methyl)-4-(2,4,4-trimethylpentan-2-yl)phenol ((C8DIA)BTP-H, 1), were synthesized stepwise and structurally characterized. The reaction of (C8DIA)BTP-H (1) with one equivalent of diethyl zinc (ZnEt2) generates a dimeric and four-coordinated zinc complex, [(µ-(C8DIA)BTP)ZnEt]2 (2), which is doubly bridged by two phenolate groups of C8DIABTP ligands. Further reaction of 2 with benzyl alcohol (BnOH) in stoichiometric proportions affords a tetranuclear zinc benzylalkoxide complex [(µ-OBn)((C8DIA)BTP)Zn]4 (3) that possesses a saddle-shaped core with four µ2-bridging benzylalkoxy groups upon four Zn centres. Interestingly, the di-nuclear Zn alkoxide [(µ-OBn)((C8DIA)BTP)Zn(DMAP)]2 (4) could be prepared by treatment of 3 with a stoichiometric amount of 4-(dimethylamino)pyridine (DMAP). ZnEt2 reacts with two equivalents of 1 in the presence of DMAP (1.0 mol equiv.) to yield a five-coordinated mononuclear zinc complex, [((C8DIA)BTP)2Zn(DMAP)] (5). All complexes adopt an N,O-bidentate coordination mode from the phenoxy oxygen atom and benzotriazole nitrogen atom, in which the nitrogen atom of the pendent arm substituent is not coordinated to the zinc centre. Ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone and ß-butyrolactone catalysed by 2 and 3 was investigated.

Zinc and magnesium complexes incorporated by bis(amine) benzotriazole phenoxide ligand: synthesis, characterization, photoluminescent properties and catalysis for ring-opening polymerization of lactide.

A new bis(amine) benzotriazole phenoxide ligand, (C8NN)BTP-H (1) was prepared from the Mannich condensation of 2-(2H-benzotriazol-2-yl)-4-(2,4,4-trimethylpentan-2-yl)phenol with the mixtures of excess paraformaldehyde and N,N,N-trimethylethylenediamine under reflux conditions. Zinc and magnesium complexes bearing the N,N,O-tridentate (C8NN)BTP ligand were synthesized and fully characterized. The reaction of (C8NN)BTP-H with ZnEt(2) (1.2 molar equiv.) in toluene gives the monomeric tetra-coordinated zinc complex [((C8NN)BTP)ZnEt] (2). The homoleptic and monomeric complexes [((C8NN)BTP)(2)M] (M = Zn (3) and M = Mg (4)) result from treatment of ZnEt(2) or Mg(n)Bu(2) with (C8NN)BTP-H (two equiv.), in which the metal center is hexa-coordinated by two tridentate (C8NN)BTP ligands. Luminescent properties and catalysis for lactide (LA) polymerizations of complexes 2-4 are studied. Complexes 2-4 produce bright green fluorescence with emission maxima ranging from 510 to 520 nm in the solid state. Experimental results indicate that complex 2 catalyzes the ring-opening polymerization of LA in the presence of 9-anthracenemethanol (9-AnOH) with efficient catalytic activities in a controlled fashion, yielding poly(rac-lactide) with a slight isotactic predominance (P(m) = 0.59).