Phylogenetic differences in the morphology and shape of the central sulcus in great apes and humans: implications for the evolution of motor functions.

The central sulcus divides the primary motor and somatosensory cortices in many anthropoid primate brains. Differences exist in the surface area and depth of the central sulcus along the dorso-ventral plane in great apes and humans compared to other primate species. Within hominid species, there are variations in the depth and aspect of their hand motor area, or knob, within the precentral gyrus. In this study, we used post-image analyses on magnetic resonance images to characterize the central sulcus shape of humans, chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), gorillas (Gorilla gorilla), and orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus and Pongo abelii). Using these data, we examined the morphological variability of central sulcus in hominids, focusing on the hand region, a significant change in human evolution. We show that the central sulcus shape differs between great ape species, but all show similar variations in the location of their hand knob. However, the prevalence of the knob location along the dorso-ventral plane and lateralization differs between species and the presence of a second ventral motor knob seems to be unique to humans. Humans and orangutans exhibit the most similar and complex central sulcus shapes. However, their similarities may reflect divergent evolutionary processes related to selection for different positional and habitual locomotor functions.

Exploring the emergence of morphological asymmetries around the brain's Sylvian fissure: a longitudinal study of shape variability in preterm infants.

Brain folding patterns vary within the human species, but some folding properties are common across individuals, including the Sylvian fissure's inter-hemispheric asymmetry. Contrarily to the other brain folds (sulci), the Sylvian fissure develops through the process of opercularization, with the frontal, parietal, and temporal lobes growing over the insular lobe. Its asymmetry may be related to the leftward functional lateralization for language processing, but the time course of these asymmetries' development is still poorly understood. In this study, we investigated refined shape features of the Sylvian fissure and their longitudinal development in 71 infants born extremely preterm (mean gestational age at birth: 26.5 weeks) and imaged once before and once at term-equivalent age (TEA). We additionally assessed asymmetrical sulcal patterns at TEA in the perisylvian and inferior frontal regions, neighbor to the Sylvian fissure. While reproducing renowned strong asymmetries in the Sylvian fissure, we captured an early encoding of its main asymmetrical shape features, and we observed global asymmetrical shape features representative of a more pronounced opercularization in the left hemisphere, contrasting with the previously reported right hemisphere advance in sulcation around birth. This added novel insights about the processes governing early-life brain folding mechanisms, potentially linked to the development of language-related capacities.

Disentangling the variability of the superficial white matter organization using regional-tractogram-based population stratification.

Each variation of the cortical folding pattern implies a particular rearrangement of the geometry of the fibers of the underlying white matter. While this rearrangement only impacts the ends of the long pathways, it may affect most of the trajectory of the short bundles. Therefore, mapping the short fibers of the human brain using diffusion-based tractography requires a dedicated strategy to overcome the variability of the folding patterns. In this paper, we propose a fiber-based stratification strategy splitting the population into homogeneous groups for disentangling the superficial white matter bundle organization. This strategy introduces a new refined fiber distance which includes angular considerations for inferring fine-grained atlases of the short bundles surrounding a specific sulcus and a subtractogram distance that quantifies the similitude between fiber sets of two different subjects. The stratification splits the population into groups with similar regional fiber organization using manifold learning. We first successfully test the hypothesis that the main source of variability of the regional fiber organization is the variability of the regional folding pattern. Then, in each group, we proceed with the automatic identification of the most stable bundles, at a higher granularity level than what can be achieved with the non-stratified whole population, enabling the disentanglement of the very variable configuration of the short fibers. Finally, the method searches for bundle correspondence across groups to build a population level atlas. As a proof of concept, the atlas refinement achieved by this strategy is illustrated for the fibers that surround the central sulcus and the superior temporal sulcus using the HCP dataset.

Shape variability of the central sulcus in the developing brain: A longitudinal descriptive and predictive study in preterm infants.

Despite growing evidence of links between sulcation and function in the adult brain, the folding dynamics, occurring mostly before normal-term-birth, is vastly unknown. Looking into the development of cortical sulci in infants can give us keys to address fundamental questions: what is the sulcal shape variability in the developing brain? When are the shape features encoded? How are these morphological parameters related to further functional development? In this study, we aimed to investigate the shape variability of the developing central sulcus, which is the frontier between the primary somatosensory and motor cortices. We studied a cohort of 71 extremely preterm infants scanned twice using MRI - once around 30 weeks post-menstrual age (w PMA) and once at term-equivalent age, around 40w PMA -, in order to quantify the sulcus's shape variability using manifold learning, regardless of age-group or hemisphere. We then used these shape descriptors to evaluate the sulcus's variability at both ages and to assess hemispheric and age-group specificities. This led us to propose a description of ten shape features capturing the variability in the central sulcus of preterm infants. Our results suggested that most of these features (8/10) are encoded as early as 30w PMA. We unprecedentedly observed hemispheric asymmetries at both ages, and the one captured at term-equivalent age seems to correspond with the asymmetry pattern previously reported in adults. We further trained classifiers in order to explore the predictive value of these shape features on manual performance at 5 years of age (handedness and fine motor outcome). The central sulcus's shape alone showed a limited but relevant predictive capacity in both cases. The study of sulcal shape features during early neurodevelopment may participate to a better comprehension of the complex links between morphological and functional organization of the developing brain.

Effects of activin A on the transcriptome of mouse oogenesis in vitro.

From the previous research, it has been supported that activin A (ActA) is conducive to ovarian development in vitro. In the present paper, with the aim to identify the molecular pathways through which ActA can influence processes of the fetal and early postnatal oogenesis, we analyzed the transcriptome of embryonic ovaries (12.5 days postcoitum) in vitro cultured with or without ActA for 6 days, as well as the produced oocytes for 28 days, and further compared the gene expression profile with their in vivo counterparts. With the confirmation of designed test, we found that the addition of ActA to the ovary culture tended, generally, to align oocyte gene expression to the in vivo condition, in particular of a number of genes involved in meiosis and epigenetic modifications of histones. In particular, we identified DNA recombination during the oocyte meiotic prophase I and lysine trimethylation of the histone H3K27 during the oocyte growth phase as molecular pathways modulated by ActA.

Role of high-mobility group B1 in myocardial injury induced by coronary microembolization in rats.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the effects of high-mobility group B1 (HMGB1) on coronary microembolization (CME)-induced myocardial inflammation, myocardial apoptosis, and cardiac function injury in rats. METHODS: Forty Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into sham operation group (sham group), microembolization group (CME group), CME + HMGB1 siRNA (HMGB1 siRNA) group, and CME + scrambled siRNA (control siRNA) group (10 rats in each group). The CME model group was constructed by injecting microembolism spheres into the apex of the left ventricle after clamping the ascending aorta. The sham group was constructed by injecting the same amount of saline. The HMGB1 siRNA group was injected with HMGB1 siRNA transfection complex via the tail vein 72 hours before CME modeling. The control siRNA group was injected with the same amount of scrambled siRNA mixture through the tail vein 72 hours before CME modeling. The cardiac function, serum cardiac troponin I level, and apoptotic index were examined 12 hours after the surgery. The levels of HMGB1, nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) p65, glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78), C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP), cleaved caspase-12, cleaved caspase-3, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin 1ß (IL-1ß) were detected. RESULTS: Myocardial dysfunction, enhanced serum cardiac troponin I level, and apoptotic index were induced following CME. Moreover, CME increased the expression of HMGB1, NF-κB p65, GRP78, CHOP, cleaved caspase-12, cleaved caspase-3, TNF-α, and IL-1ß. HMGB1 siRNA reversed these effects, whereas scrambled siRNA had no effect. CONCLUSIONS: Inhibition of HMGB1 expression reduced CME-induced myocardial injury and improved cardiac function. Hence, it may serve as a new target for preventing and treating the CME-induced myocardial injury.

Identification of oxidative stress-related Xdh gene as a di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) target and the use of melatonin to alleviate the DEHP-induced impairments in newborn mouse ovaries.

This study, using an in vitro ovary culture model, investigates the mechanisms through which di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) impairs germ cell cyst breakdown and primordial follicle assembly. The results indicate the latter effects exerted by 10 or 100 µmol/L DEHP in cultured newborn ovaries were associated with increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and apoptosis. Based on a transcriptome analysis, we found the expression of the oxidative stress-related gene Xdh (xanthine dehydrogenase) was significantly upregulated in DEHP-cultured ovaries. Two treatments, namely Xdh RNAi or the addition of melatonin to the ovary culture, inhibited the increase in Xdh expression and ROS levels caused by DEHP and, at the same time, reduced apoptosis and the impairment of primordial follicle assembly in the treated ovaries. Together, the results identify Xdh gene as one of the major targets of DEHP in newborn ovaries and that the consequent increased level of ROS is possibly responsible for the increment of apoptosis and primordial follicle assembly impairment. At the same time, they highlight that melatonin alleviates the effects of DEHP as with other endocrine-disrupting compounds on the ovary.

"Plis de passage" Deserve a Role in Models of the Cortical Folding Process.

Cortical folding is a hallmark of brain topography whose variability across individuals remains a puzzle. In this paper, we call for an effort to improve our understanding of the pli de passage phenomenon, namely annectant gyri buried in the depth of the main sulci. We suggest that plis de passage could become an interesting benchmark for models of the cortical folding process. As an illustration, we speculate on the link between modern biological models of cortical folding and the development of the Pli de Passage Frontal Moyen (PPFM) in the middle of the central sulcus. For this purpose, we have detected nine interrupted central sulci in the Human Connectome Project dataset, which are used to explore the organization of the hand sensorimotor areas in this rare configuration of the PPFM.

[Sun's coronal sulcus ring incision plus suprapubic liposuction versus suprapubic V-Y incision for penile elongation].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical effect of suprapubic V-Y incision versus that of Sun's coronal sulcus ring incision plus suprapubic liposuction (CSRI+SPLS) for penile elongation. METHODS: From December 2010 to January 2018, 100 adult males with congenital short penis underwent suprapubic V-Y incision (the V-Y group, n = 50) or CSRI+SPLS (n = 50) for penile elongation surgery in our department. We statistically analyzed the clinical data on the two groups of patients, including age, body mass index (BMI), pre- and post-operative penile lengths in flaccid and erectile states, operation time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative use of analgesics, postoperative hospital stay, stage-Ⅰ wound healing, incidence of postoperative complications, and quality of pre- and post-operative sexual life. RESULTS: The average ages of the patients in the V-Y and CSRI+SPLS groups were 23.5 and 23.0 years, their BMIs (26.59 ± 1.16) and (26.44 ± 0.96) kg/m2, preoperative flaccid penile lengths (5.11 ± 0.30) and (5.12 ± 0.35) cm, preoperative erectile penile lengths (7.57 ± 0.65) and (7.35 ± 0.59) cm, postoperative flaccid penile lengths (7.80 ± 0.40) and (7.79 ± 0.42) cm, postoperative erectile penile lengths (11.59 ± 0.55) and (11.47 ± 0.64) cm, none with statistically significant difference between the two groups (P > 0.05). Compared with the V-Y group, the CSRI+SPLS group showed a markedly shorter operation time (108 ï¼»90－120ï¼½ vs 51 ï¼»45－58ï¼½ min, P < 0.01), less intraoperative blood loss (30 ï¼»15－45ï¼½ vs 15 ï¼»5－25ï¼½ ml, P < 0.01), shorter postoperative hospital stay 8 ï¼»6－11ï¼½ vs 4 ï¼»2－6ï¼½ d, P < 0.01), lower incidence rates of postoperative hematoma (23.33% ï¼»7 casesï¼½ vs 0, P < 0.05) and infection (20.00% ï¼»6 casesï¼½ vs 0, P < 0.05), higher stage-Ⅰ healing rate (76.67% ï¼»23 casesï¼½ vs 100.00% ï¼»30 casesï¼½, P < 0.05), lower rate of postoperative use of analgesics (26.67% ï¼»8 casesï¼½ vs 3.33% ï¼»1 caseï¼½, P < 0.05), and higher score on the quality of postoperative sexual life (36.73 ± 5.41 vs 42.07 ± 3.64, P < 0.01) though with no statistically significant difference preoperatively (28.70 ± 4.87 vs 28.27 ± 3.40, P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: As a surgical procedure for penile elongation, Sun's coronal sulcus ring incision plus suprapubic liposuction is superior to suprapubic V-Y incision for its advantages of lower invasiveness, shorter operation time, less intraoperative blood loss, and lower incidence of postoperative complications.

[Urolastic: A new medical liquid silicone rubber elastomer compound for penile augmentation in beagle dogs].

OBJECTIVE: To study the safety, durability and effectiveness of a new medical liquid silicone rubber elastomer (LSRE) compound Urolastic in penile augmentation in beagle dogs. METHODS: A total of 30 beagle dogs were included in the experiment. The diameters of the proximal, middle and distal penis of the animals were measured and the indexes of blood routine, liver and kidney function and electrolytes obtained before and at 1 week and 3 months after penile subcutaneous injection of the LSRE compound. CT scanning and pathological examinations of the liver, kidney and penile tissues were performed at 1 and 3 months after treatment. RESULTS: The diameters of the proximal, middle and distal penis of the dogs were increased by (0.4 ± 0.3) cm, (0.6 ± 0.1) cm and (0.5 ± 0.3) cm at 1 week, and (0.4 ± 0.2) cm, (0.5 ± 0.1) cm and (0.6 ± 0.2) cm at 3 months after injection of the LSRE compound, with statistically significant difference from the baseline (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05) but not between the 1st week and the 3rd month (P > 0.05). The counts of leukocytes and neutrophils were markedly increased compared with the baseline (ï¼»18.16 ± 2.57ï¼½ vs ï¼»15.16 ± 3.17ï¼½ g/L, P < 0.05; ï¼»77.34 ± 9.21ï¼½% vs ï¼»67.18 ± 8.25ï¼½%, P < 0.05), but not the other blood routine indexes. There were no statistically significant differences in the liver and kidney functions or electrolytes before and after the injection. At 1 and 3 months after treatment, Urolastic was clearly visible and the injection points were irregular in shape at CT imaging. The anatomical findings were consistent with the CT manifestations and showed that the material was easily separated from the surrounding tissues. No significant inflammatory cell infiltration was observed in pathological examinations at 1 and 3 months. CONCLUSIONS: The new medical LSRE compound Urolastic has a good clinical application prospect in penile augmentation for its advantages of significant effectiveness and high safety.

[Continuous expression of miR-431 during lung development in Sprague-Dawley rats].

OBJECTIVE: To study the role of miR-431 in lung development and morphology. METHODS: According to the stage of lung development in rats, Sprague-Dawley rats at embryonic day 16 (E16), embryonic day (E19), embryonic day (E21), postnatal day 1 (P1), postnatal day 3 (P3), postnatal day 7 (P7), postnatal day 14 (P14) and 10 weeks after birth (P10 weeks) were selected, and lung tissue samples were collected for observation. Hematoxylin-eosin staining and transmission electron microscopy were performed to observe the morphology of lung tissue. Fluorescence in situ hybridization and real-time PCR were used to measure the expression of miR-431 during the critical stages of lung development (E19, E21 and P3). RESULTS: The E19 group had the formation of the lamellar body and type II alveolar epithelial cells in the fetal lung tissue. The number of lamellar bodies increased with the increasing gestational age, with aggregation and excretion. Pulmonary alveoli formed rapidly, the lung interstitium became thinner, and the microvascular system became mature after birth. Fluorescence in situ hybridization and real-time PCR showed that the expression of miR-431 gradually decreased with the increasing gestational age (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The systematic and continuous morphological data of lung development is obtained in this experiment. In addition, miR-431 may play an important role in the negative regulation of lung development, which provides basis and direction for further research on the mechanism of lung development and related diseases.

Ochratoxin A exposure decreased sperm motility via the AMPK and PTEN signaling pathways.

Ochratoxin A (OTA), a common mycotoxin found in nature, has been implicated as effecting the function of male reproductive systems. OTA exposure has been shown to decrease sperm production and quality, however, the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. In the current investigation boar sperm exposed to 10 and 100µM OTA in vitro for 24h resulted in significantly decreased motility, in the 100µM OTA treatment group when compared with the control group. The level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was significantly increased in both of the OTA treatment groups. The increase in ROS activated phosphatase and the tensin homolog deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN) and inhibited the activation of protein kinase B (PKB, AKT), activated adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP), and activated protein kinase (AMPK) in the exposed sperm. Furthermore, activation of AMPK was enhanced by a decrease in ATPase. These changes culminated in a decline in boar sperm motility. PTEN/AMPK inhibitors significantly inhibited the expression of the two proteins in the OTA treatment group. In addition, there was increased expression of apoptosis markers in the OTA exposed sperm. In conclusion, these data suggest that OTA exposure affects the sperm motility via the AMPK and PTEN signaling pathways.

Efficacy and tolerance of GELOXD/P-GEMOXD in newly diagnosed nasal-type extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma: A multicenter retrospective study.

OBJECTIVES: Nasal-type extranodal natural killer NK/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTCL) is a distinct type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma with poor prognosis. This research aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the GELOXD or P-GEMOXD regimens in patients with ENKTCL. METHODS: Newly diagnosed ENKTCL patients treated with either the GELOXD or the P-GEMOXD regimen were identified from three cancer centers between January 2010 and December 2016. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses were used to calculate overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) and to investigate prognostic factors. RESULTS: One hundred and eighty-four cases were identified from three cancer centers. After 1-5 treatment cycles of GELOXD or P-GEMOXD chemotherapy, 155 (84%) patients showed a complete response (CR). The 3-year OS (73.0% vs 38.2%, P = .001) and PFS (72.8% vs 32.4%, P = .000) rates were significantly higher in early-stage patients compared with advanced-stage patients. A multivariate analysis revealed that patient CR status was a significant independent factor in disease prognosis. Grade 3/4 leukopenia occurred in 43 (23.4%) patients. Major non-hematological toxicities included nausea (n = 117, 63.6%) and vomiting (n = 66, 35.9%). CONCLUSIONS: The GELOXD and P-GEMOXD chemotherapy regimens are well tolerated and provide favorable survival outcomes in patients with ENKTCL.

[Huanshao Capsules for oligoasthenospermia: A multicentered clinical trial].

Objective: To investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of Huanshao Capsules (HSC) in the treatment of oligoasthenospermia with spleen and kidney asthenia. METHODS: This randomized, open, multicentered, positive drug controlled clinical trial included 200 cases of oligoasthenospermia with spleen and kidney asthenia, which were assigned to a trial and a control group of equal number to be treated with HSC at the dose of 3 capsules tid and Wuziyanzong Pills at 6 g bid, respectively, both for 12 weeks. We compared the semen volume, sperm concentration, sperm count, sperm motility and percentage of progressively motile sperm (PMS) as the main therapeutic indicators as well as the pregnancy rate as the secondary therapeutic indicator between the two groups of patients before and at 4, 8 and 12 weeks after medication. RESULTS: Totally, 190 of the patients completed the clinical observation, 96 in the trial and 94 in the control group. Compared with the baseline, the patients of the trial group showed significant time-dependent increases at 4, 8 and 12 weeks after medication in the mean sperm concentration (14.78 vs 15.33, 20.98 and 28.78 ×106/ml, P < 0.05), percentage of grade a sperm (12.17% vs 15.05%, 21.17% and 26.97%, P < 0.05), PMS (24.78% vs 28.97%, 37.23% and 47.67%, P < 0.05), and sperm viability (38.64% vs 44.18%, 51.67% and 60.45%, P < 0.05). The pregnancy rate was significantly higher in the trial than in the control group 29.17% vs 18.09%, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Huanshao Capsules can improve the semen quality and pregnancy rate in the treatment of oligoasthenospermia patients with spleen and kidney asthenia, and therefore deserves a wide clinical application.

Is neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin a good diagnostic marker for renal injury in asphyxiated preterm infants?

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study is to evaluate the value of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) for becoming a good endogenous marker of renal function in asphyxial preterm babies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a two-center retrospective study. Between October 2016 and October 2017, 71 asphyxial preterm infants were included in asphyxia group. Seventy babies were randomly included in control group. Samples were tested at 24, 48, and 96 h after birth. Quantitative data were compared by independent sample t-test or repeated measures ANOVA. For qualitative data, Pearson's Chi-squared test was performed. Draw ROC and compare the area under the curve (AUC), 95% confidence interval for AUC, specificity (Spe), sensitivity (Sen), and Youden index (Sen+Spe-1) at 24-h, 48-h, and 96-h time points. RESULTS: (1) There are no significant differences concerning on baseline data. However, blood gas, Apgar score, and resuscitation showed a significant difference (P < 0.05). (2) In 24-h samples, only uNGAL and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) showed differences between the two groups (P < 0.05). In 48-h samples, significant differences could be found in uKIM-1, uNGAL, blood urea nitrogen, and eGFR (P < 0.05). In 96-h samples, almost all indicators have significant differences except urine output and eGFR (P < 0.05). (3) All biomarkers showed statistical difference in the three time points (P < 0.05), but only uNGAL showed a downward trend after the increase of expression. (4) uNGAL has better Sen and Spe than other indicators (24-h AUC 0.870, Youden index 0.606; 48-h AUC 0.879, Youden index 0.692; and 96-h AUC 0.806, Youden index 0.606). CONCLUSION: uNGAL has a better distinguishability in asphyxial neonates compared with other indicators. Certainly, a larger sample, prospective study is still needed.

Shape analysis of the cingulum, uncinate and arcuate fasciculi in patients with bipolar disorder.

BACKGROUND: Abnormal maturation of brain connectivity is supposed to underlie the dysfunctional emotion regulation in patients with bipolar disorder (BD). To test this hypothesis, white matter integrity is usually investigated using measures of water diffusivity provided by MRI. Here we consider a more intuitive aspect of the morphometry of the white matter tracts: the shape of the fibre bundles, which is associated with neurodevelopment. We analyzed the shape of 3 tracts involved in BD: the cingulum (CG), uncinate fasciculus (UF) and arcuate fasciculus (AF). METHODS: We analyzed diffusion MRI data in patients with BD and healthy controls. The fibre bundles were reconstructed using Q-ball-based tractography and automated segmentation. Using Isomap, a manifold learning method, the differences in the shape of the reconstructed bundles were visualized and quantified. RESULTS: We included 112 patients and 82 controls in our analysis. We found the left AF of patients to be further extended toward the temporal pole, forming a tighter hook than in controls. We found no significant difference in terms of shape for the left UF, the left CG or the 3 right fasciculi. However, in patients compared with controls, the ventrolateral branch of the left UF in the orbitofrontal region had a tendency to be larger, and the left CG of patients had a tendency to be smaller in the frontal lobe and larger in the parietal lobe. LIMITATIONS: This was a cross-sectional study. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest neurodevelopmental abnormalities in the left AF in patients with BD. The statistical tendencies observed for the left UF and left CG deserve further study.

[Gujing Maisiha Tablets combined with natural vitamin E for the treatment of idiopathic asthenospermia].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the therapeutic efficacy and safety of Gujing Maisiha Tablets combined with natural vitamin E in the treatment of idiopathic asthenospermia. METHODS: This study included 135 outpatients with idiopathic asthenospermia received in our hospital from February 2015 to January 2016. We randomly divided them into a treatment group (n = 65, aged 22－44 ï¼»mean 32.8ï¼½ yr) and a control group (n = 55, aged 21－43 ï¼»mean 33.7ï¼½ yr) to be treated with Gujing Maisiha Tablets combined with natural vitamin E or natural vitamin E only, both for 90 days. We obtained total sperm motility and the percentage of progressively motile sperm (PMS) from the patients before and after medication and evaluated the clinical effects by comparing the collected parameters and pregnancy rates between the two groups. RESULTS: The baseline total sperm motility and PMS were (25.23 ± 5.57)% and (17.53 ± 5.78)% in the treatment group, with no statistically significant differences from (26.05 ± 6.77)% and (15.11 ± 6.55)% in the control (P >0.05). After 90 days of medication, both the treatment and the control groups showed remarkable increases in total sperm motility (ï¼»48.73 ± 8.66ï¼½% and ï¼»36.54 ± 8.09ï¼½%, P <0.05) and PMS (ï¼»32.77 ± 6.04ï¼½% and ï¼»26.99 ± 6.87ï¼½%, P <0.05). However, both total sperm motility and PMS were significantly higher in the treatment than in the control group after medication (P <0.05), and so was the total rate of clinical effectiveness (73.85% vs 54.55%, P <0.05). No adverse reactions were observed in either of the two groups during the treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Gujing Maisiha Tablets combined with natural vitamin E is safe and effective for the treatment of idiopathic asthenospermia.

Shape of the Central Sulcus and Disability After Subcortical Stroke: A Motor Reserve Hypothesis.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Both brain and cognitive reserves modulate the clinical impact of chronic brain diseases. Whether a motor reserve also modulates the relationships between stroke and disability is unknown. We aimed to determine whether the shape of the central sulcus, a marker of the development of underlying motor connections, is independently associated with disability in patients with a positive history of small subcortical ischemic stroke. METHODS: Shapes of central sulci were reconstructed from high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging and ordered without supervision according to a validated algorithm in 166 patients with a positive history of small subcortical ischemic stroke caused by CADASIL (Cerebral Autosomal Dominant Arteriopathy With Subcortical Infarcts and Leukoencephalopathy), a severe monogenic cerebral small vessel disease affecting young patients. Ordinal logistic regression modeling was used to test the relationships between modified Rankin scale, a disability scale strongly weighted toward motor disability, and sulcal shape. RESULTS: Modified Rankin scale was strongly associated with sulcal shape, independent of age, sex, and level of education (proportional odds ratio =1.19, 95% confidence interval =1.06-1.35; P=0.002). Results remained significant after further adjustment for brain atrophy, volume of lacunes, and volume of white matter hyperintensities of presumed vascular origin. CONCLUSIONS: The severity of disability in patients with a positive history of small subcortical ischemic stroke caused by a severe cerebral small vessel disease is related to the shape of the central sulcus, independently of the main determinants of disability. These results support the concept of a motor reserve that could modulate the clinical severity in patients with a positive history of small subcortical ischemic stroke.

A new compound from an endophytic fungus Bambusicola massarinia.

One new chromone, rel-(1S,2S,3S)-2,8-dihydroxy-6-methoxy-1,3-dimethyl-3,4-dihydro-1H-xanthen-9(2H)-one (1), together with one known compound wentiquinone A (2), were isolated from solid culture of endophytic fungus strain Bambusicola massarinia. The structures of all compounds were determined mainly by analysis of their NMR spectroscopic data. The relative configuration of compound 1 was determined by the single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses.