Nondestructive measurement of terahertz optical thin films by machine learning based on physical consistency.

Optical scattering measurement is one of the most commonly used methods for non-contact online measurement of film properties in industrial film manufacturing. Terahertz photons have low energy and are non-ionizing when measuring objects, so combining these two methods can enable online nondestructive testing of thin films. In the visible light band, some materials are transparent, and their thickness and material properties cannot be measured. Therefore, a method based on physical consistency modeling and machine learning is proposed in this paper, which realizes the method of obtaining high-precision thin film parameters through single-frequency terahertz wave measurement, and shows good performance. Through the experimental measurement of organic material thin films, it is proved that the proposed method is an effective terahertz online detection technology with high precision and high throughput.

Urate-lowering agents do not have clinically relevant negative effects on sperm quality and reproductive hormones in men with gout: a prospective open-label cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to analyze and compare the effects of different urate-lowering agents on testicular functions in men with gout in a clinical setting. METHODS: In this prospective cohort study (Clinical Trial Registration Number: NCT04213534), a total of 49 male patients aged 18-45 years with gout were enrolled. They were divided into three groups and received treatment with either allopurinol, febuxostat or benzbromarone for a duration of 3 months. Semen parameters, reproductive hormones and biochemical assessments were evaluated at baseline, month 1, and month 3. RESULTS: Overall, 40 individuals (81.6%) completed the follow-up visits. In allopurinol group, there were no significant differences in semen parameters from baseline to month 3. Most of sperm parameters in febuxostat group did not show notable changes, except for a decrease in sperm motility at month 3(33.6%, [22.9-54.3] vs 48.4%, [27.4-67.6], p = 0.033). However, the total motile sperm count did not differ significantly after febuxostat treatment. Surprisingly, administration of benzbromarone resulted in improved sperm concentration (37.19 M/mL, [29.6-69.92] vs 58.5 M/mL, [49.8-116.6], p = 0.001). There were no significant changes observed in sperm DNA integrity and reproductive hormones in the three groups from baseline to month 3. The incidence of adverse events did not differ significantly among the three groups as well. CONCLUSION: This study is the first to demonstrate that urate-lowering agents, allopurinol and febuxostat, do not have clinically relevant negative effects on sperm quality and reproductive hormones in men with gout, and benzbromarone presents improving sperm concentration. Results provide important preliminary guidance for the development of reproductive health management guidelines for patients RCID with gout.

Effect of duck interferon-α and an anti-cap protein polyclonal antibody against duck circovirus.

Duck circovirus (DuCV) is one of the most prevalent viruses in the duck breeding industry, and causes persistent infection and severe immunosuppression. Currently, there is a serious lack of prevention and control measures and no commercial vaccine against DuCV. Therefore, effective antiviral drugs are important for treating DuCV infection. Interferon (IFN) is an important component of antiviral innate immunity, but it remains unclear whether duck IFN-α has a clinical effect against DuCV. Antibody therapy is an important way to treat viral infections. The DuCV structural protein (cap) is immunogenic, and it remains to be determined whether an anti-cap protein antibody can effectively block DuCV infection. In this study, the duck IFN-α gene and the DuCV structural protein cap gene were cloned, expressed and purified in Escherichia coli to prepare duck recombinant IFN-α and the cap protein. Then, rabbits were immunized with the recombinant cap protein to prepare a rabbit polyclonal antibody. This study investigated the antiviral effect of duck recombinant IFN-α and the anti-cap protein antibody and their combined effect on Cherry Valley ducks infected with DuCV. The results showed that the treatment significantly alleviated the clinical symptoms of immune organ atrophy and immunosuppression compared with the control. The histopathological damage of the target organs was alleviated, and replication of DuCV in the immune organs was significantly inhibited. The treatment also reduced the damage caused by DuCV to the liver and immune function, and increased the level of the DuCV antibody in the blood, thereby improving antiviral activity. Notably, the combination of duck IFN-α and the polyclonal antibody completely blocked DuCV infection after 13 days under the experimental conditions, showing a better inhibitory effect on DuCV infection than single treatments. These results showed that duck recombinant IFN-α and the anti-cap protein antibody can be used as antiviral drugs to clinically treat and control DuCV infection, particularly the vertical transmission of the virus in breeding ducks.

Cortical phase-amplitude coupling is key to the occurrence and treatment of freezing of gait.

Freezing of gait is a debilitating symptom in advanced Parkinson's disease and responds heterogeneously to treatments such as deep brain stimulation. Recent studies indicated that cortical dysfunction is involved in the development of freezing, while evidence depicting the specific role of the primary motor cortex in the multi-circuit pathology of freezing is lacking. Since abnormal beta-gamma phase-amplitude coupling recorded from the primary motor cortex in patients with Parkinson's disease indicates parkinsonian state and responses to therapeutic deep brain stimulation, we hypothesized this metric might reveal unique information on understanding and improving therapy for freezing of gait. Here, we directly recorded potentials in the primary motor cortex using subdural electrocorticography and synchronously captured gait freezing using optoelectronic motion-tracking systems in 16 freely-walking patients with Parkinson's disease who received subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation surgery. Overall, we recorded 451 timed up-and-go walking trials and quantified 7073 s of stable walking and 3384 s of gait freezing in conditions of on/off-stimulation and with/without dual-tasking. We found that (i) high beta-gamma phase-amplitude coupling in the primary motor cortex was detected in freezing trials (i.e. walking trials that contained freezing), but not non-freezing trials, and the high coupling in freezing trials was not caused by dual-tasking or the lack of movement; (ii) non-freezing episodes within freezing trials also demonstrated abnormally high couplings, which predicted freezing severity; (iii) deep brain stimulation of subthalamic nucleus reduced these abnormal couplings and simultaneously improved freezing; and (iv) in trials that were at similar coupling levels, stimulation trials still demonstrated lower freezing severity than no-stimulation trials. These findings suggest that elevated phase-amplitude coupling in the primary motor cortex indicates higher probabilities of freezing. Therapeutic deep brain stimulation alleviates freezing by both decoupling cortical oscillations and enhancing cortical resistance to abnormal coupling. We formalized these findings to a novel 'bandwidth model,' which specifies the role of cortical dysfunction, cognitive burden and therapeutic stimulation on the emergence of freezing. By targeting key elements in the model, we may develop next-generation deep brain stimulation approaches for freezing of gait.

Micro-TESE strategy in patients with NOA caused by AZFc deletion: synchronous or asynchronous?

In the treatment of infertile patients with non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) caused by the deletion of the azoospermia factor c region (AZFc) on the Y chromosome, synchronous and asynchronous surgical strategies are discussed. Clinical data from NOA patients with the AZFc deletion who underwent micro-TESE were analyzed retrospectively. The sperm retrieval rate (SRR) and sperm utilization rate of synchronous and asynchronous operation groups were followed up and compared. The fertilization rate, high-quality embryo rate, clinical pregnancy rate, abortion rate, and cumulative live birth rate of ICSI in patients with successful sperm retrieval were compared between the two groups. The two groups had sperm utilization rates of 98.9% (93/94) and 50.0% (14/28), respectively. The asynchronous group's sperm consumption rates were much lower than those of the synchronous operation group. Fertilization rate, high-quality embryo rate, clinical pregnancy rate of fresh transfer cycle, abortion rate, and cumulative live birth rate of patients in the synchronous operation group with fresh sperm, and the asynchronous operation group with thawed sperm, respectively, were 30.6% vs 33.8%, 33.8% vs 40.7%, 40.0% vs 12.5%, 30.4% vs 7.1%. Between the two groups, there was no significant difference. This suggests that individuals with NOA caused by the AZFc deletion have a high possibility of successfully acquiring sperm using micro-TESE and ICSI to conceive their own offspring. Synchronous micro-TESE is recommended to improve sperm utilization rate and the cumulative live birth rate.

Comparison study of protective effects of porcine bile acids and sheep bile acids against heat stress in chickens.

BACKGROUND: Heat stress (HS) is known to exert negative effects on the poultry and breeding industry, resulting in severe economic losses. Bile acids (BAs), an important component of bile, play a crucial role in improving the production performance of livestock and poultry, alleviating stress injury, and ensuring the health of livestock and poultry. At present, porcine BAs are widely used because of their therapeutic effects on HS; however, it remains unclear whether the same effects are exerted by sheep BAs, which are different from porcine BAs and have different compositions. In this study, we compared the anti-HS effects of porcine BAs and sheep BAs in the diet by establishing an HS model of chicks and investigating the chicken performance, HS-related genes' expression, oxidative stress markers, jejunal histoarchitecture, inflammatory cytokines' expression, jejunal secreted immunoglobulin A concentration, and cecal bacterial flora. RESULTS: The results showed that the addition of sheep BAs to the diet increased the average daily weight gain and the feed conversion ratio of chicks. Under HS, sheep BAs were more effective than porcine BAs in improving the activities of lactate dehydrogenase and glutamic pyruvic transaminase in serum and the content/activity of malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, and reduced glutathione in serum and tissue, in reducing the messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of heat shock proteins (HSP60, HSP70, and HSP90) in the liver and jejunum, and in improving the histological structure and the expression of tight junction proteins (occludin and zonula occludens-1) and enriching intestinal bacterial flora. However, porcine BAs were significantly inferior to sheep BAs in reducing the mRNA expression of inflammatory factors (interleukin-6, interleukin-1ß, and tumor necrosis factor-α). CONCLUSION: The effect of sheep BAs was more significant than porcine BAs was in alleviating HS injury in chicks, suggesting that sheep BAs have great potential as new feed nutrition and health additive to improve poultry production performance and prevent HS. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Highly Oxidized Germacranolides from Elephantopus tomentosus and the Configurational Revision of Some Previously Reported Analogues.

Highly oxidized germacranolides are mainly found in the genus Elephantopus, contain a characteristic ten-membered molecular core that is highly flexible, and exhibit potential cytotoxic properties. However, their configurations were assigned ambiguously in previous reports due to spectroscopic observation of macrocyclic systems. Herein, 17 highly oxidized germacranolides, including 12 new germacranolides (1-12), were isolated from Elephantopus tomentosus. Their structures were characterized by spectroscopic data analysis combined with X-ray crystallography and ECD calculations, and it was possible to propose configurational revisions of five previously reported analogues (13-17). Cytotoxic activities for 1-17 against two hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines (HepG2 and Hep3B) were tested, and compounds 1-10 and 13-16 generated IC50 values of 2.2-9.8 µM. Furthermore, the observed cytotoxic activity of 1 was determined as being mediated by inducing the apoptosis of HepG2 and Hep3B cells via mitochondrial dysfunction.

Long Non-coding RNA LOXL1-AS1 Facilitates Colorectal Cancer Progression via Regulating miR-1224-5p/miR-761/HK2 Axis.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play crucial roles in the development of malignant tumors. The present study aimed to explore the function and potential mechanism of lncRNA LOXL1 antisense RNA 1 (LOXL1-AS1) in CRC. The abundance of LOXL1-AS1, miR-1224-5p, miR-761, and hexokinase 2 (HK2) was detected by quantitative real-time PCR or western blot assay. Cell proliferation was assessed by Cell Counting Kit-8 and colony formation assays. Cell apoptosis, invasion, and migration were examined by flow cytometry, transwell assay, and wound healing assay. Glycolysis was evaluated by detecting glucose consumption, lactate production, and ATP/ADP ratios. Xenograft assay was used for in vivo tumor growth analysis. LOXL1-AS1 and HK2 levels were increased, while miR-1224-5p and miR-761 levels were reduced in CRC tissues and cells. Knockdown of LOXL1-AS1 suppressed CRC cell proliferation, invasion, migration, and glycolysis, and induced cell apoptosis. Silencing of LOXL1-AS1 blocked tumor growth in vivo. Moreover, LOXL1-AS1 accelerated CRC cell progression by absorbing miR-1224-5p/miR-761. Besides, miR-1224-5p and miR-761 inhibited CRC cell progression via targeting HK2. LOXL1-AS1 contributed to CRC progression via modulating miR-1224-5p/miR-761/HK2 pathway.

Insight into Isolation and Characterization of Phenolic Compounds from Hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida Bge.) with Antioxidant, Anti-Acetylcholinesterase, and Neuroprotective Activities.

Recent epidemiologic studies have demonstrated a link between the consumption of daily functional fruits rich in phenols and the prevention of disease for neurodegenerative disorders. Hawthorn products are derived from the functional fruit hawthorn, which is rich in phenols and has been used around the world for centuries. In order to explore the phenolic components in hawthorn, the investigation of the ethanol extract led to the separation of five new phenol compounds (1a/1b, 2-4), including one pair of enantiomers (1a/1b), along with seven disclosed analogs (5-11). Their structures were elucidated based on extensive spectroscopic analyses and electronic circular dichroism (ECD). The compounds (1-11) were tested for antioxidant activities by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonicacid) (ABTS), and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) methods. Apart from that, monomeric compounds 2, 4, and 6 exhibited more potent protective capabilities against H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide)-induced SH-SY5Y cells. Meanwhile, electronic analyses were performed using the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO), and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) to analyze compounds 2, 4, and 6. Furthermore, compounds (1-11) measured acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activities, and 2, 4, and 6 possessed greater AChE inhibitory activity than donepezil. At the same time, molecular docking was used to investigate the possible mechanism of the interaction between active compounds (2, 4, and 6) and AChE.

MRI Texture-Based Models for Predicting Mitotic Index and Risk Classification of Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors.

BACKGROUND: Treatment regimens and prognoses of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) are quite different for tumors in different risk categories. Accurate preoperative grading of tumors is important for avoiding under- or overtreatment. PURPOSE: To develop and validate an MRI texture-based model to predict the mitotic index and its risk classification. STUDY TYPE: Retrospective. POPULATION: Ninety-one patients with histologically-confirmed GIST; 64 patients in a training cohort, and 27 patients in a test cohort. FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: T2 -weighted imaging (T2 WI), diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), and dynamic contrast-enhanced three-dimensional volumetric interpolated breath-hold examination (3D-VIBE) at 1.5T. ASSESSMENT: GIST images were manually segmented by two independent radiologists using ITK-SNAP software and MRI features were extracted using Pyradiomics. Two pathologists reviewed the tissue specimens of the tumors to identify the mitotic index and risk classification in consensus. STATISTICAL TESTS: The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression method was used to select texture features. A logistic regression model was established based on the radiomic score (radscore), tumor location, and maximum diameter to predict tumor classification and develop a nomogram. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves were used to evaluate the ability of the nomogram to distinguish between two tumors with different risk classifications, and a calibration curve was used to evaluate the consistency between the predicted risk and the actual risk. RESULTS: The texture signature achieved high efficacy in predicting the mitotic index area under the curve ([AUC], 0.906; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.813, 0.961). A nomogram for prediction of the risk classification of GIST, which incorporated this texture signature together with maximum tumor diameter and location, allowed good discrimination in the training cohort (AUC, 0.878; 95% CI: 0.769, 0.960) and the validation cohort (AUC, 0.903; 95% CI: 0.732, 0.922). DATA CONCLUSION: The texture-based model can be used to predict GIST mitotic index and risk classification preoperatively. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 2. TECHNICAL EFFICACY STAGE: 3.

Description and genomic characterization of Streptococcus symci sp. nov., isolated from a child's oropharynx.

Using the culturomics approach, we isolated a new Streptococcus species, strain C17T, from the oropharynx mucosa sample of a healthy 5-year-old child living in Shenyang, China. We studied the phenotypic, phylogenetic, and genomic characteristics of strain C17T, which was identified as a Gram-positive, coccus-shaped, non-motile, aerobic, catalase-negative bacteria. Its growth temperatures ranged from 20 to 42 °C, with optimal growth at 37 °C. Acid production could be inhibited by two sugars, trehalose and raffinose. In C17T, the reactions for enzyme lipase (C14) were confirmed to be negative, whereas those for alkaline phosphatase, α-glucosidase, and hippuric acid hydrolysis were positive. The C17T genome contained 2,189,419 base pairs (bp), with an average G+C content of 39.95%, encoding 2092 genes in total. The 16S ribosomal RNA sequence showed 99.8% similarity with the newly identified Streptococcus pseudopneumoniae ATCC BAA-960T. The main fatty acid components in C17T were C16:0, C18:1 w7c, C18:0, and C18:1 w9c, all of which can be found in other species of the Streptococcus genus. Strain C17T showed high susceptibility to clindamycin, linezolid, vancomycin, chloramphenicol, and cefepime, and moderate susceptibility to erythromycin. The obtained dDDH value between strain C17T and the closest species was 52.9%. In addition, the whole genome sequence of strain C17T had an 82.21-93.40% average nucleotide identity (ANI) with those strains of closely related Streptococcus species, indicating that the strain C17T was unique among all Streptococcus species. Based on these characteristics, we determine that C17T is a novel species, named Streptococcus symci sp. nov. (= GDMCC 1.1633 = JCM 33582).

Streptococcus shenyangsis sp. nov., a New Species Isolated from the Oropharynx of a Healthy Child from Shenyang China.

A Gram-positive, catalase-negative, coccus-shaped, chain-forming organism isolated from the oropharynx of a healthy child in Shenyang, China, was subjected to phenotypic and molecular taxonomic analyses. 16S rRNA sequence analysis indicated that this bacterium represents a new member of the genus Streptococcus and is closely related to Streptococcus oralis subsp. dentisani DSM 27088. According to DNA-DNA hybridization analysis, strain D19T was less than 70% similar to other strains with close genetic relationships. Fatty acid analysis, physiological, and biochemical tests showed that strain D19T was different from the published Streptococcus species. The genome of strain D19T is 2,023,003 bp long with a GC content of 39.9 mol%. It contains 1889 protein-coding genes and 50 RNA genes. These results show that Streptococcus shenyangsis sp. nov. strain D19T is a new species.

Optimisation and evaluation of the random forest model in the efficacy prediction of chemoradiotherapy for advanced cervical cancer based on radiomics signature from high-resolution T2 weighted images.

PURPOSE: Our objective was to establish a random forest model and to evaluate its predictive capability of the treatment effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy-radiation therapy. METHODS: This retrospective study included 82 patients with locally advanced cervical cancer who underwent scanning from March 2013 to May 2018. The random forest model was established and optimised based on the open source toolkit scikit-learn. Byoptimising of the number of decision trees in the random forest, the criteria for selecting the final partition index and the minimum number of samples partitioned by each node, the performance of random forest in the prediction of the treatment effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy-radiation therapy on advanced cervical cancer (> IIb) was evaluated. RESULTS: The number of decision trees in the random forests influenced the model performance. When the number of decision trees was set to 10, 25, 40, 55, 70, 85 and 100, the performance of random forest model exhibited an increasing trend first and then a decreasing one. The criteria for the selection of final partition index showed significant effects on the generation of decision trees. The Gini index demonstrated a better effect compared with information gain index. The area under the receiver operating curve for Gini index attained a value of 0.917. CONCLUSION: The random forest model showed potential in predicting the treatment effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy-radiation therapy based on high-resolution T2WIs for advanced cervical cancer (> IIb).

Generation of a meter-scale THz diffraction-free beam based on multiple cascaded lens-axicon doublets: detailed analysis and experimental demonstration.

An effective approach is proposed for obtaining a long-distance THz diffraction-free beam with meter-scale length. Multiple 3D-printed lens-axicon doublets are cascaded to form the generation system. In order to manifest the physical mechanism behind the generation process of this long-distance diffraction-free beam, we make a detailed comparative analysis of three beams: the ideal Bessel beam, the quasi-Bessel beam generated by single axicon, and the diffraction-free beam generated by the lens-axicon doublets. Theoretical results show that the zero-radial-spatial-frequency component plays a key role during the generation process of the third beam. Moreover, the intensities of this component are enhanced with the increase in the number of lens-axicon doublets, making the diffraction-free length longer. An experiment containing three lens-axicon doublets is performed to demonstrate the feasibility of our design. A 0.1-THz beam with one-meter diffraction-free length was successfully generated. Further experiments indicate that this THz diffraction-free beam also has a self-healing property. We believe that such long-distance diffraction-free beams can be used in practical THz remote sensing or imaging.

Evaluating the Therapeutic Effect of Low-Intensity Transcranial Ultrasound on Traumatic Brain Injury With Diffusion Kurtosis Imaging.

BACKGROUND: Low-intensity transcranial ultrasound (LITUS) has a therapeutic effect on traumatic brain injury (TBI). Diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) might be able to evaluate the effect changes of injured brain microstructure. PURPOSE: To evaluate the therapeutic effect of LITUS in a moderate TBI rat model with DKI parameters. STUDY TYPE: Prospective case-control animal study. ANIMAL MODEL: Forty-five rats were randomly divided into sham control, TBI, and LITUS treatment groups (n = 15). FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: Single-shot spin echo echo-planar imaging and fast T2 WI sequences at 3.0T. ASSESSMENT: DKI parameters were obtained on days 1, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, and 42 after TBI. STATISTICAL TESTS: For the mean kurtosis (MK), axial kurtosis (Ka), and radial kurtosis (Kr) values, groups were compared using a two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). RESULTS: LITUS inhibited TBI and caused MK values to increase significantly during the early stage (LITUS vs. TBI, day 7, adjusted P < 0.0001) and decrease during the late stage (LITUS vs. TBI, day 42, adjusted P = 0.0156) in the damaged cortex. In the thalamus, the MK value of the TBI group began to rise on day 7, with no change observed in the LITUS group. TBI increases Ka value during the early stage in the cortex and decreases during the late stage in the cortex and thalamus. LITUS inhibited these Ka changes (LITUS vs. TBI, day 7, adjusted P = 0.0014; LITUS vs. TBI, day 42, adjusted P = 0.0026 and 0.0478, respectively, for cortex and thalamus). The Kr value increased slightly during the early stage in the cortex (TBI vs. Sham, day 1, adjusted P = 0.0016). DATA CONCLUSION: The DKI parameter, particularly the MK value, evaluates primary cortical injury as well as the secondary brain injury that could not be detected by conventional T2 WI. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 1 Technical Efficacy Stage: 4 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2020;52:520-531.

Subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation suppresses neuroinflammation by Fractalkine pathway in Parkinson's disease rat model.

Subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS) is widely used to treat patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), and recent studies have shown that it is more beneficial for early stages, suggesting a potential neuroprotective effect. And the neuroinflammation plays an indispensable role in progress of PD. However, the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of STN-DBS on neuroinflammation and the potential pathway. To address this question, we established a rat PD model by unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine injection into the left striatum and implanted stimulation leads into the ipsilateral STN to deliver electrical stimulation for a week. The neuroprotective effects of STN-DBS were examined by molecular biology techniques, including western blotting, immunohistochemistry and so on. We found that motor deficits were alleviated by STN-DBS, with increased survival of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra (SN). Furthermore, STN-DBS decreased Fractalkine (CX3CL1) and its receptor (CX3CR1) expression. Meanwhile, the suppressed microglia activation and nuclear factor-κB expression, decrease in the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-1ß and IL-6 and increase in anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-4, downregulated IL-1 receptor, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and cleaved-caspase3 were also observed in SN of PD models received STN-DBS. In conclusion, we observed a significant association between the suppressed neuroinflammation and STN-DBS, which may be attributed to CX3CL1/CX3CR1 signaling. These results provide novel insight into the mechanistic basis of STN-DBS therapy for PD.

Altered gene expression profiles of testicular tissues from azoospermic patients with maturation arrest.

Maturation arrest is a common cause of male infertility which has caused worldwide concern, and its pathophysiological process remains further elucidation. Our study aimed to identify genetic characteristics of maturation arrest by comparing gene expression between maturation arrest and normal samples using microarray technology. A total of 6,373 genes were identified differentially expressed (p < .05, fold change > 2.0 or <-2.0) and 1,594 genes were selected as statistically significant after Bonferroni correction, including 419 up-regulated and 1,175 down-regulated genes. Microarray data were validated by quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Bioinformation analysis was performed to explore genetic function of statistically significant genes. Gene Ontology results showed the statistically significant genes enriched in sexual reproduction, spermatogenesis and male gamete generation. Reactome pathway analysis highlighted the olfactory signalling pathway, fertilisation, developmental biology, etc. One module and eight hub genes were found to be involved in ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis and may affect as indicators of spermatogenic process through protein-protein interaction analysis. Our study provided a comprehensive genetic characteristic of differential expressed genes in testicular tissues from maturation arrest patients and speculated several genes as potential indicators of disease.

L-Carnitine Is Involved in Hyperbaric Oxygen-Mediated Therapeutic Effects in High Fat Diet-Induced Lipid Metabolism Dysfunction.

Lipid metabolism dysfunction and obesity are serious health issues to human beings. The current study investigated the effects of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) against high fat diet (HFD)-induced lipid metabolism dysfunction and the roles of L-carnitine. C57/B6 mice were fed with HFD or normal chew diet, with or without HBO treatment. Histopathological methods were used to assess the adipose tissues, serum free fatty acid (FFA) levels were assessed with enzymatic methods, and the endogenous circulation and skeletal muscle L-carnitine levels were assessed with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Additionally, western blotting was used to assess the expression levels of PPARα, CPT1b, pHSL/HSL, and UCP1. HFD treatment increased body/adipose tissue weight, serum FFA levels, circulation L-carnitines and decreased skeletal muscle L-carnitine levels, while HBO treatment alleviated such changes. Moreover, HFD treatment increased fatty acid deposition in adipose tissues and decreased the expression of HSL, while HBO treatment alleviated such changes. Additionally, HFD treatment decreased the expression levels of PPARα and increased those of CPT1b in skeletal muscle, while HBO treatment effectively reverted such changes as well. In brown adipose tissues, HFD increased the expression of UCP1 and the phosphorylation of HSL, which was abolished by HBO treatment as well. In summary, HBO treatment may alleviate HFD-induced fatty acid metabolism dysfunction in C57/B6 mice, which seems to be associated with circulation and skeletal muscle L-carnitine levels and PPARα expression.

Effects of different treatments of the ridge surface on the shear bondstrength between acrylic teeth and thermal polymer resin.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the shear bond strength between denture base and artificial teeth subjected to five different modifications on the ridge surface. METHODS: 30 acrylic central anterior teeth were randomly divided into five groups (n= 6). The ridge surface of these teeth were treated with different methods: (1) No treatment applied; (2) Monomer wetting; (3) Grinding; (4) Grinding followed by sandblasting; (5) Grinding followed by monomer wetting. After the ridge surface of the teeth were treated, they were packed with denture base resin. The shear bond strength between acrylic teeth and denture base resin was performed using a universal testing machine. The data was statistically analyzed using one-way ANOVA (P< 0.05). RESULTS: The monomer wetting group showed the highest shear bond strength values, and the grinding followed by sandblasting group was the lowest, both were statistically significant compared to each other. There were no statistical differences between the other groups. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Treating the surface of the denture ridge with a monomer provided the highest shear bond strength values, and the grinding followed by sandblasting group was the lowest, statistically significant compared to each other.

The Accuracy and Feasibility of Robotic Assisted Lead Implantation in Nonhuman Primates.

OBJECTIVES: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) and stereo-electroencephalography (SEEG) electrode implantation are the most important and frequent manipulations in nonhuman primates (NHP) neuromodulation research. However, traditional methods tend to be arduous and inaccurate. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twelve adult male rhesus monkeys were selected for the study, with six subthalamic nucleus (STN) DBS, six anterior nucleus of the thalamus (ANT) DBS and six hippocampus-SEEG (Hippo-SEEG) electrodes implantation. Mean Euclidean errors of entrance and the target were calculated by postoperative image fusion, and the correlation between entrance and target error, as well as the differences among the various manipulations, were analyzed. The accuracy of target was further confirmed by gross anatomy examination. Moreover, the time consumption was recorded. RESULTS: The mean (±SD) Euclidean errors of the target point and entry point of the three manipulations were STN-DBS: 1.05 ± 0.54 mm and 0.52 ± 0.17 mm; ANT-DBS: 1.12 ± 0.74 mm and 0.58 ± 0.24 mm; and Hippo-SEEG: 2.68 ± 1.03 mm and 1.47 ± 0.63 mm. Significant differences were observed in both target and entry point errors between the DBS and Hippo-SEEG groups, with superior accuracy in the DBS group. The entrance errors had a significantly positive correlation with the target errors in the STN-DBS and Hippo-SEEG groups. Moreover, the time consumption in robotic surgery was much shorter than that in the traditional method, without any severe complications. CONCLUSION: The application of robot-assisted lead implantation in NHP neuromodulation research is feasible, accurate, safe, and efficient, and can prospectively be beneficial to neurological studies.