Spinal cord stimulation and deep brain stimulation for disorders of consciousness: a systematic review and individual patient data analysis of 608 cases.

The application of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) and deep brain stimulation (DBS) for disorders of consciousness (DoC) has been increasingly reported. However, there is no sufficient evidence to determine how effective and safe SCS and DBS are for DoC owing to various methodological limitations. We conducted a systematic review to elucidate the safety and efficacy of SCS and DBS for DoC by systematically reviewing related literature by searching PubMed, EMBASE, Medline, and Cochrane Library. Twenty eligible studies with 608 patients were included in this study. Ten studies with 508 patients reported the efficacy of SCS for DoC, and the estimated overall effectiveness rate was 37%. Five studies with 343 patients reported the efficacy of SCS for VS, and the estimated effectiveness rate was 30%. Three studies with 53 patients reported the efficacy of SCS for MCS, and the estimated effectiveness rate was 63%. Five studies with 92 patients reported the efficacy of DBS for DoC, and the estimated overall effectiveness rate was 40%. Four studies with 63 patients reported the efficacy of DBS for VS, and the estimated effectiveness rate was 26%. Three studies with 19 patients reported the efficacy of DBS for MCS, and the estimated effectiveness rate was 74%. The adverse event rate of DoC was 8.1% and 18.2% after SCS and DBS, respectively. These results suggest that SCS and DBS can be considered reasonable treatments for DoC with considerable efficacy and safety.

Deep brain stimulation for chorea-acanthocytosis: a systematic review.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a reversible treatment for chorea-acanthocytosis (ChAc). Its safety and efficacy remain elusive due to the low prevalence of ChAc. We aimed to investigate the safety and efficacy of DBS for ChAc by systematically reviewing literature through PubMed and EMBASE. Inclusion criteria were reports on the efficacy or safety of DBS for ChAc and English language articles, and exclusion criteria were other movement disorders, non-human subjects, and studies without original data. Most studies were published as case reports, and we therefore pooled these cases in one cohort. Twenty studies with 34 patients were included. The mean age of symptom onset was 29.3 years (range, 17-48). The median follow-up was 12 months (range, 2-84). Twenty-nine patients underwent GPi-DBS, two received STN-DBS, and one underwent Vop-DBS. Electrodes were implanted into the ventralis oralis complex of the thalamus and the pallidal in two patients. Symptoms seemed to be easier relieved in chorea (88.5%) and dystonia (76.9%) but dysarthria of most patients (85.7%) was no response after DBS. The Unified Huntington's Disease Rating Scale-Motor Score was used to assess the efficacy of DBS in 25 patients; the mean score decreased from 43.2 to 22.3 and the median improvement rate was 46.7%. Of 24 patients with data on adverse events, complications occurred in 9 patients (37.5%; mostly transient and mild events). DBS is a promising treatment for ChAc with satisfactory efficacy and safety based on the review. Pallidal and thalamic DBS have been applied in ChAc; GPi-DBS seems to be more widely used.

Construction of Two Stable Co(II)-Based Hydrogen-Bonded Organic Frameworks as a Luminescent Probe for Recognition of Fe3+ and Cr2O72- in H2O.

A pair of cobalt(II)-based hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOFs), [Co(pca)2(bmimb)]n (1) and [Co2(pca)4(bimb)2] (2), where Hpca = p-chlorobenzoic acid, bmimb = 1,3-bis((2-methylimidazol-1-yl)methyl)benzene, and bimb = 1,4-bis(imidazol-1-ylmethyl)benzene were hydrothermally synthesized and characterized through infrared spectroscopy (IR), elemental and thermal analysis (EA), power X-ray diffraction (PXRD), and single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD) analyses. X-ray diffraction structural analysis revealed that 1 has a one-dimensional (1D) infinite chain network through the deprotonated pca- monodentate chelation and with a µ2-bmimb bridge Co(II) atom, and 2 is a binuclear Co(II) complex construction with a pair of symmetry-related pca- and bimb ligands. For both 1 and 2, each cobalt atom has four coordinated twisted tetrahedral configurations with a N2O2 donor set. Then, 1 and 2 are further extended into three-dimensional (3D) or two-dimensional (2D) hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks through C-H···Cl interactions. Topologically, HOFs 1 and 2 can be simplified as a 4-connected qtz topology with a Schläfli symbol {64·82} and a 4-connected sql topology with a Schläfli symbol {44·62}, respectively. The fluorescent sensing application of 1 was investigated; 1 exhibits high sensitivity recognition for Fe3+ (Ksv: 10970 M-1 and detection limit: 19 µM) and Cr2O72- (Ksv: 12960 M-1 and detection limit: 20 µM). This work provides a feasible detection platform of HOFs for highly sensitive discrimination of Fe3+ and Cr2O72- in aqueous media.

Self-absorption reduction in laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy using laser-stimulated absorption: publisher's note.

This publisher's note contains corrections to Opt. Lett.40, 5224 (2015).OPLEDP0146-959210.1364/OL.40.005224.

Female and younger subjects have lower adherence in PrEP trials: a meta-analysis with implications for the uptake of PrEP service to prevent HIV.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the medicine-taking compliance (MTC) level, explore its facilitators and barriers, and quantify the association between MTC level and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) protective efficacy in individuals at risk of acquiring HIV being administered oral PrEP. DESIGN: Meta-analysis. DATA SOURCES: We searched PubMed, Cochrane and Embase databases for published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) pertaining to MTC of oral PrEP for HIV prevention up to 16 January 2017. REVIEW METHODS: The pooled proportion of MTC and risk ratio (RR) of HIV incidences between intervention group and control group were estimated. RESULTS: We identified 10 eligible studies with 24 193 participants. The overall pooled MTC for oral HIV PrEP was 59.9% (95% CI 43.1% to 74.6%). Subgroup analyses revealed that the MTC level of participants aged <30 years was lower than those equal or older than 30 years (34.9% vs 69.6%, p<0.001); those studies that enrolled only women as participants had lower MTC than those only recruiting either only men or both men and women (31.3% vs 71.7% and 31.3% vs 71.0%, all p<0.01). Additionally, the HIV infection risk increased as the MTC level declines, with the incidence RRs being 0.28 (95% CI 0.19 to 0.41), 0.42 (95% CI 0.29 to 0.62) and 0.75 (95% CI 0.45 to 1.25) in the good (≥80%), moderate (60%~80%) and poor (<60%) MTC subgroups, respectively (linear trend test p<0.01). CONCLUSION: According to the pooled proportion, the MTC of oral HIV PrEP is almost moderate, and its proportion in women and younger participants was relatively low. The protective efficacy of oral PrEP for HIV prevention increased with MTC level. These findings indicated that it is necessary to identify measures to enhance MTC of oral PrEP in future clinical usage, especially in women and younger participants with high HIV infection risk.

[Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of phenylpropenamides compounds as anti-platelet aggregation].

Twenty phenylpropenamide analogs with structural novelty were designed and synthesized upon pharmacophore-combination strategy. The structures of target compounds were elucidated by IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR and MS, and all the target compounds were biologically evaluated for the inhibitory activities of platelet aggregation induced by adenosine diphoshate（ADP） and（AA） arachidonic acid via Bron method. As a result, compounds 6b, 9b, 9d and 9h demonstrated potent inhibitory activity against platelet aggregation induced by AA. Meanwhile, compounds 6b, 6d, 6j, 9b and 9g exhibited significant suppression of platelet aggregation induced by ADP.

[Synthesis and biological evaluation of novel chalcone aromatic oxygen alkyl acids compounds].

Six novel ligustrazine chalcone aromatic oxygen alkyl acids compounds and two pyridine chalcone aromatic oxygen alkyl acids ester compounds were synthesized according to the traditional Chinese medicine theory removing blood stasis. The structures of target compounds were identified by IR, NMR and ESI-MS. The inhibitory activities of platelet aggregation induced by adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and arachidonic acid(AA) were measured by the liver microsomal incubation method in vitro. Hypolipidemic activities of compounds were tested in vivo for better inhibitory activities of platelet aggregation. Preliminary pharmacological results showed that compounds 7c, 8a and 11 a had potent inhibitory activity against platelet aggregation induced by AA, compounds 7c, 7d, 8a and 11 b showed significant inhibitory activity against platelet aggregation induced by ADP. Compounds 7c and 8a exhibited good hypolipidemic activities in high-fat-diet(HFD) induced hyperlipidemia C57/BL6 mice and worthy for further investigation.

[Mapping Applications in Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy].

LIBS mapping was used to analyze and detect the elemental distribution of iron ore surface with self-developed software and 532 nm Nd∶YAG laser. Firstly, in order to illustrate the relationship between element content and spectral intensity, the calibration curve was established by scanning the surface of standard sample. Then, a self-made sample was homogeneously divided into three parts that was pressed by three different standard iron ore powders. For the purpose of validating the mapping technology, a two-dimensional concentration distribution profile was generated after scanning the sample surface which was compared with surface morphology phase of the sample. Finally, with the resolution of 100 microns, the surface scanning analysis of the natural iron ore within the scope of 14 mm×11 mm was implemented. With this basis, the distribution profile of the elements Ca, Al, Ti and Mn were obtained, and the analysis results were compared with the surface morphology phase of the natural iron ore. The results showed that LIBS mapping technology could be used to achieve the qualitative analysis of component gradient distribution of the heterogeneous sample surface.

Genome-Wide Function, Evolutionary Characterization and Expression Analysis of Sugar Transporter Family Genes in Pear (Pyrus bretschneideri Rehd).

The sugar transporter (ST) plays an important role in plant growth, development and fruit quality. In this study, a total of 75 ST genes were identified in the pear (Pyrus bretschneideri Rehd) genome based on systematic analysis. Furthermore, all ST genes identified were grouped into eight subfamilies according to conserved domains and phylogenetic analysis. Analysis of cis-regulatory element sequences of all ST genes identified the MYBCOREATCYCB1 promoter in sucrose transporter (SUT) and monosaccharide transporter (MST) genes of pear, while in grape it is exclusively found in SUT subfamily members, indicating divergent transcriptional regulation in different species. Gene duplication event analysis indicated that whole-genome duplication (WGD) and segmental duplication play key roles in ST gene amplification, followed by tandem duplication. Estimation of positive selection at codon sites of ST paralog pairs indicated that all plastidic glucose translocator (pGlcT) subfamily members have evolved under positive selection. In addition, the evolutionary history of ST gene duplications indicated that the ST genes have experienced significant expansion in the whole ST gene family after the second WGD, especially after apple and pear divergence. According to the global RNA sequencing results of pear fruit development, gene expression profiling showed the expression of 53 STs. Combined with quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis, two polyol/monosaccharide transporter (PLT) and three tonoplast monosaccharide transporter (tMT) members were identified as candidate genes, which may play important roles in sugar accumulation during pear fruit development and ripening. Identification of highly expressed STs in fruit is important for finding novel genes contributing to enhanced levels of sugar content in pear fruit.

Proteome analysis of pear reveals key genes associated with fruit development and quality.

MAIN CONCLUSION: Comparative and association analyses of the proteome and transcriptome for pear fruit development were conducted for the first time in this study. Pear fruit development involves complex physiological and biochemical processes, but there is still little knowledge available at proteomic and transcriptomic levels, which would be helpful for understanding the molecular mechanisms of fruit development and quality in pear. In our study, three important stages, including early development (S4-22), middle development (S6-27), and near ripening (S8-30), were investigated in 'Dangshansuli' by isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) labeling technology, identifying a total of 1,810 proteins during pear fruit development. The association analysis of proteins and transcript expression revealed 1,724, 1,722, and 1,718 associated proteins identified in stages S4-22, S6-27, and S8-30, respectively. A total of 237, 318, and 425 unique proteins were identified as differentially expressed during S4-22 vs S6-27, S6-27 vs S8-30, S4-22 vs S8-30, respectively, and the corresponding correlation coefficients of the overall differentially expressed proteins and transcripts data were 0.6336, 0.4113, and 0.7049. The phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway, which is related to lignin formation of pear fruit, was identified as a significantly enriched pathway during early stages of fruit development. Finally, a total of 35 important differentially expressed proteins related to fruit quality were identified, including three proteins related to sugar formation, seven proteins related to aroma synthesis, and sixteen proteins related to the formation of lignin. In addition, qRT-PCR verification provided further evidence to support differentially expressed gene selection. This study is the first to reveal protein and associated mRNA variations in pear during fruit development and quality conformation, and identify key genes and proteins helpful for future functional genomics studies, and provides gene resources for improvement of pear quality.

Self-absorption reduction in laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy using laser-stimulated absorption.

The self-absorption effect is one of the main bottlenecks for the laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) technique. In this Letter, LIBS assisted by laser-stimulated absorption (LSA-LIBS) is proposed to solve this problem. The process of LSA in self-absorption reduction is discussed and confirmed. The serious self-absorption phenomena of spectral lines (K, Mn, and Al) were not observed in LSA-LIBS. The full width at half-maximum (FWHM) of K, Mn, and Al was reduced by about 58%, 25%, and 52%, respectively. The results demonstrate the capability of this approach to self-absorption reduction in the LIBS technique.

Molecular characterization, transcriptional activity and nutritional regulation of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus).

Peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) is a master regulator in lipid metabolism and widely exists in vertebrates. However, the molecular structure and transcriptional activity of PPARγ in fish are still unclear. This study cloned PPARγ from Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) referred as NtPPARγ and transfected the NtPPARγ plasmids into HEK-293 cells to explore its mechanism of transcriptional regulation in fish. The expression of NtPPARγ was compared in fed and fasted fish. Two transcripts of NtPPARγ varied at the 5'-untranslated region and the DNA binding domain was highly conserved. Thirty-nine amino acid residues in the ligand binding domain in Nile tilapia were different from those in human. Two transcripts showed different expression profiles in 11 tissues, but both were highly expressed in liver, intestine and kidney. The transcriptional activity assay showed that NtPPARγ collaborates with retinoid X-receptor α (NtRXRα) to regulate the expression of Nile tilapia fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4), the compartment of which have been identified as the target gene of PPARγ in human. In the fish fasting trial, the mRNA expression of NtPPARγ1 and NtPPARγ2 in intestine and liver at 3h post-feeding (HPF) was lower than those at 8 HPF, 24 HPF and in fish fasted for 36h, but was relatively stable in kidney among different feeding treatments. In conclusion, the DNA binding domain in PPARγ was highly conserved, while the ligand binding domain was moderately conserved. In Nile tilapia, the PPARγ collaborates with RXRα to perform transcriptional regulation of FABP4 at least in vitro. The plasmid system established in this study along with a cell line from Nile tilapia will be useful tools for the further functional study of PPARγ in fish.

[Design, synthesis and anti-platelet aggregation activities of ligustrazine-tetrahydroisoquinoline derivatives].

Abstract: Fifteen novel ligustrazine-tetrahydroisoquinoline derivatives were designed and synthesized according to the association principle of pharmaceutical chemistry. The structures were identified by IR, NMR and ESI-MS. The inhibitory activities of platelet aggregation induced by ADP and AA have been measured by Bron method. Preliminary pharmacological results showed that compounds 7g, 7h and 7n had potent inhibitory activity against platelet aggregation induced by AA, and the compound 7o showed significant inhibitory activity against platelet aggregation induced by ADP.

The novel HLA-A*11:448 allele, identified by Sanger dideoxy nucleotide sequencing in a Chinese individual.

HLA-A*11:448 differs from HLA-A*11:01:01:01 by one nucleotide in exon 5.

Quantification of silica nanoparticle uptake at environmentally relevant concentrations by gold-core embedding.

The increasing use of silica nanoparticles (SiO2 NPs) has raised concerns about potential human exposure. Assessing the health risks associated with SiO2 NPs necessitates understanding their cellular uptake, yet measuring this uptake at low, environmentally relevant concentrations presents a significant challenge. In this study, we synthesized core-shell structured Au@SiO2 NPs with diameters ranging from 50 to 200 nm and quantified their cellular uptake by analyzing the concentrations of Si and Au in A549 human lung carcinoma cells. No significant differences in cytotoxicity or cellular uptake were observed between Au@SiO2 NPs and their core-less counterparts. Additionally, the comparable cellular uptake of Au@SiO2 NPs, as evidenced by both Si and Au content, supports the use of the Au core as a tracer for SiO2 NP uptake. The inclusion of the Au core facilitated the examination of SiO2 NP uptake at concentrations an order of magnitude lower than previously possible, aligning more closely with environmental exposure levels. This is important because uptake at low concentrations cannot be accurately predicted from high-concentration data due to concentration-dependent changes in particle aggregation. Overall, Au@SiO2 NPs provide a precise method for evaluating SiO2 NP uptake at low concentrations, offering a more realistic assessment of their potential health risks compared to studies conducted at higher concentrations.

The novel HLA-B*48:01:13 allele, identified by Sanger dideoxy nucleotide sequencing in a Chinese individual.

HLA-B*48:01:13 differs from HLA-B*48:01:01:01 by one nucleotide in exon 5.

Cell-excreted proteins mediate the interactions of differently sized silica nanoparticles during cellular uptake.

Exposure to different types of nanoparticles (NPs) results in their deposition in human bodies. While most studies have examined the cellular uptake of only one type of NP at a time, how the dynamics of NP uptake may change in the presence of other types of NPs remains unclear. We therefore investigated the interplay of two differently sized SiO2 NPs during their uptake by A549 human lung carcinoma cells. Both NPs contained a CdSeTe core, which was labeled with different Cd isotopes to differentiate between them. Our study showed that the uptake of one size of SiO2 NPs either increased or decreased with the concentration of the other size of SiO2 NPs. This variation in uptake was attributable to the concentration-dependent aggregation of SiO2 NPs, as determined by the amount of cell-excreted proteins adsorbed on the NP surface. Further, the effects of the protein corona on the attachment of SiO2 NPs to the cell surface and uptake competition between differently sized SiO2 NPs also played important roles. Cell-excreted proteins were then analyzed by proteomics. Overall, the complex interactions between coexisting NPs of different physicochemical properties and cell-excreted proteins should be considered during bio-applications and bio-safety evaluations of NPs.

A simple predictor for donor-specific anti-HLA antibody desensitisation in haploidentical haematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Donor-specific HLA antibody (DSA) has been recognised as an independent risk factor for graft failure in patients undergoing haploidentical haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HID HSCT). Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE), as a first-line strategy for DSA desensitisation, can promptly reduce serum DSA levels. This study aimed to investigate DSA characteristics and identify a biomarker predicting the efficacy of DSA desensitisation in patients proceeding to HID HSCT. We retrospectively enrolled 32 patients with DSA from April 2021 to January 2024, and analysed the mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) value of DSA at the different time points of desensitisation treatment. Compared with baseline DSA level before TPE, the median MFI of HLA class I DSA was reduced from 8178.6 to 795.3 (p < 0.001), and HLA class II DSA decreased from 6210.9 to 808.8 (p < 0.001) after TPE. The DSA level in 1:16 diluted pre-TPE serum correlated well with DSA value in post-TPE serum (class I, r = 0.85, p < 0.0001; class II, r = 0.94, p < 0.0001), predicting TPE efficacy in 84.4% of patients. Based on the degree of DSA reduction after TPE, patients were divided into complete responders (decreased by >70%), partial responders (decreased by 30 to 70%) and non-responders (decreased by <30%) and the percentages were 43.8%, 25% and 31.2%, respectively. Non-responders receiving aggressive immunotherapy had longer overall survival compared to those receiving standard strategies (p < 0.05). The 1:16 diluted pre-TPE serum may predict the efficacy of TPE and allow for more rational immunotherapy strategy for patients with DSA proceeding to HID HSCT.

[Design, synthesis and antitumor activity of valproic acid salicylanilide esters].

A series of valproic acid salicylanilide esters were designed and synthesized based on the principle of prodrug. The structures of the target compounds were confirmed by MS, 1H NMR and 13C NMR. Anti-tumor activities of these compounds against K562, A549, A431 cells in vitro were investigated by MTT assay and SRB assay. The results indicated that the compounds 6h-6j were found to have stronger cell growth inhibitory action than gefitinib, and comparable to niclosamide, which are worth to be intensively studied further.

Stereotactic neurosurgery as a symptomatic treatment for autism spectrum disorders: A systematic review.

Stereotactic neurosurgery has been employed in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, its safety and effectiveness remain unclear owing to limited sample size and other methodological limitations. We aimed to systematically investigate the safety and efficacy of stereotactic neurosurgery for ASD. Eleven studies with 36 patients were included. Stereotactic neurosurgery alleviated the obsessive-compulsive disorder and aggressive behavior symptoms in ASD, with a mean improvement of 42.74% and 59.59% in the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale and Overt Aggression Scale scores, respectively. Systematic studies are necessary to explore the role of deep brain stimulation for social and communication difficulties in ASD.