Morphological and metabolic asymmetries of the thalamic subregions in temporal lobe epilepsy predict cognitive functions.

Both morphological and metabolic imaging were used to determine how asymmetrical changes of thalamic subregions are involved in cognition in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). We retrospectively recruited 24 left-TLE and 15 right-TLE patients. Six thalamic subnuclei were segmented by magnetic resonance imaging, and then co-registered onto Positron emission tomography images. We calculated the asymmetrical indexes of the volumes and normalized standard uptake value ratio (SUVR) of the entire and individual thalamic subnuclei. The SUVR of ipsilateral subnuclei were extensively and prominently decreased compared with the volume loss. The posterior and medial subnuclei had persistently lower SUVR in both TLE cases. Processing speed is the cognitive function most related to the metabolic asymmetry. It negatively correlated with the metabolic asymmetrical indexes of subregions in left-TLE, while positively correlated with the subnuclei volume asymmetrical indexes in right-TLE. Epilepsy duration negatively correlated with the volume asymmetry of most thalamic subregions in left-TLE and the SUVR asymmetry of ventral and intralaminar subnuclei in right-TLE. Preserved metabolic activity of contralateral thalamic subregions is the key to maintain the processing speed in both TLEs. R-TLE had relatively preserved volume of the ipsilateral thalamic volume, while L-TLE had relatively decline of volume and metabolism in posterior subnucleus.

Allergic rhinitis as a key factor for the development of gastroesophageal reflux disease in children.

BACKGROUND: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) may cause airway symptoms and some airway diseases exacerbate GERD symptoms. Asthma and allergic rhinitis (AR) have been identified as united airway disease because of their similar epidemiology and pathophysiology. Asthma has been considered a risk factor to develop GERD. However, the association between AR and GERD is not clear. We tried to investigate whether AR could increase the development of GERD. METHODS: Children diagnosed as AR without a prior history of GERD were conducted from the National Health Insurance Research Database between 2000 and 2005. After propensity score matching, we enrolled 36,588 children with AR and 36,588 non-AR children as the controls. Cox regression models were adopted to calculate the hazard ratio (HR) of GERD. RESULTS: AR children had a significantly increased risk of GERD than non-AR children (adjusted HR 1.91, 95% CI = 1.73-2.11, p < 0.001), especially in the age less than 6 years old (adjusted HR 2.68, 95% CI = 1.64-4.38, p < 0.001). The risk factor related to increased risk of GERD including age, gender, and chronic sinusitis. CONCLUSION: AR is a risk factor associated with the development of GERD in children.

Studies of magnetic alginate-based electrospun matrices crosslinked with different methods for potential hyperthermia treatment.

The magnetic electrospun mats were lately established as an innovative biomaterial for hyperthermic cancer treatment. Unlike those surface-modified magnetic nanoparticles that may not firmly adhere onto the tumor for long-term duration, the magnetic mats with nanofibrous structure can promote cell adhesion and kill the tumor directly within an alternating magnetic field. However, most magnetic electrospun mats were fabricated using non-biodegradable polymers and organic solvents, causing the problems of removal after therapy and the suspected biotoxicity associated with residual solvent. Alginate (SA) was utilized in this investigation as the main material for electrospinning because of being biodegradable and water-soluble. The alginate-based electrospun mats were then treated by an ionic or a covalent crosslinking method, and then followed by chelation with Fe(2+)/Fe(3+) for chemical coprecipitation of Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles. Significant less cytotoxicity was noted on both liquid extracts from the ionic-crosslinked (Fe3O4-SA/PEO) and covalent-crosslinked (Fe3O4-SA/PVA) magnetic electrospun mats as well as the surface of Fe3O4-SA/PVA. In vitro hyperthermia assay indicated that the covalent-crosslinked magnetic alginate-based mats reduced tumor cell viability greater than Fe3O4 nanoparticles. Such magnetic electrospun mats are of potential for hyperthermia treatment by endoscopic/surgical delivery as well as serving as a supplementary debridement treatment after surgical tumor removal.

Effect of heat treatment on total phenolic and anthocyanin contents as well as antioxidant activity of the extract from Aspergillus awamori-fermented black soybeans, a healthy food ingredient.

Aspergillus awamori-fermented black soybeans, a healthy food ingredient, were subjected to heating at 40-100 degrees C for 30 min. After heat treatment, the methanol extract of the fermented black soybeans was examined for antioxidant activity including the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrozyl radical-scavenging effect and the Fe(2+)-chelating ability. It was found that antioxidant activity exerted by the methanol extract was stable with heating at a temperature up to 80 degrees C for 30 min. The extract showed a reduced antioxidant activity after heating the fermented black soybeans at 100 degrees C for 30 min. However, it showed approximately 70% and 40%, respectively, of the original 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrozyl radical-scavenging effect and the Fe(2+)-chelating ability. Heating also reduced the total phenolic and anthocyanin content in the fermented black soybeans, but this reduction did not coincide closely with the reduction of antioxidant activity observed.

Roasted coffees high in lipophilic antioxidants and chlorogenic acid lactones are more neuroprotective than green coffees.

Oxidative stress is involved in many neurodegenerative processes leading to age-related cognitive decline. Coffee, a widely consumed beverage, is rich in many bioactive components, including polyphenols with antioxidant potential. In this study, regular and decaffeinated samples of both roasted and green coffee all showed high hydrophilic antioxidant activity in vitro, whereas lipophilic antioxidant activities were on average 30-fold higher in roasted than in green coffee samples. In primary neuronal cell culture, pretreatment with green and roasted coffees (regular and decaffeinated) protected against subsequent H(2)O(2)-induced oxidative stress and improved neuronal cell survival (green coffees increased neuron survival by 78%, compared to 203% by roasted coffees). All coffee extracts inhibited ERK1/2 activation, indicating a potential attenuating effect in stress-induced neuronal cell death. Interestingly, only roasted coffee extracts inhibited JNK activation, evidencing a distinctive neuroprotective benefit. Analysis of coffee phenolic compounds revealed that roasted coffees contained high levels of chlorogenic acid lactones (CGLs); a significant correlation between CGLs and neuroprotective efficacy was observed (R(2) = 0.98). In conclusion, this study showed that roasted coffees are high in lipophilic antioxidants and CGLs, can protect neuronal cells against oxidative stress, and may do so by modulation of the ERK1/2 and JNK signaling pathways.