Altered Intrinsic Brain Activity in Ischemic Stroke Patients Assessed Using the Percent Amplitude of a Fluctuation Method.

Ischemic stroke is a vascular disease that may cause cognitive and behavioral abnormalities. This study aims to assess abnormal brain function in ischemic stroke patients using the percent amplitude of fluctuation (PerAF) method and further explore the feasibility of PerAF as an imaging biomarker for investigating ischemic stroke pathophysiology mechanisms. Sixteen ischemic stroke patients and 22 healthy controls (HCs) underwent resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) scanning, and the resulting data were analyzed using PerAF. Then a correlation analysis was conducted between PerAF values and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores. Finally, the abnormal PerAF values were extracted and defined as features for support vector machine (SVM) analysis. Compared with HCs, ischemic stroke patients showed decreased PerAF in the bilateral cuneus, left middle frontal gyrus, precuneus and right inferior temporal gyrus, and increased PerAF in the bilateral orbital part of middle frontal gyrus and right orbital part of superior frontal gyrus. Correlation analyses revealed that PerAF values in the left orbital part of middle frontal gyrus was negatively correlated with the MoCA scores. The SVM classification of the PerAF values achieved an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.98 and an accuracy of 94.74%. Abnormal brain function has been found among ischemic stroke patients, which may be correlated with visual impairment, attention deficits, and dysregulation of negative emotions following a stroke. Our findings may support the potential of PerAF as a sensitive biomarker for investigating the underlying mechanisms of ischemic stroke.

Cordycepin ameliorates kidney injury by inhibiting gasdermin D-mediated pyroptosis of renal macrophages through nuclear factor kappa-B.

To explain the effect and mechanism of cordycepin (COR) in resisting acute kidney injury (AKI). Network pharmacology was employed to analyze the correlations between COR, AKI, and pyroptosis, as well as the action target of COR. A mouse model of AKI was established by ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI), and after treatment with COR, the renal function, tissue inflammatory cytokine levels, and pyroptosis-related signals were detected in mice. In in-vitro experiments, damage of renal macrophages was caused by the oxygen-glucose deprivation model, and pyroptosis indicators and inflammatory cytokine levels were assayed after COR treatment. Network pharmacological analysis revealed that nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) was the primary action target of COR and that COR could inhibit kidney injury and tissue inflammation during IRI by inhibiting NF-κB-mediated gasdermin D cleavage. When NF-κB was inhibited, the effect of COR was weakened. COR in renal macrophages could inhibit pyroptosis and lower the levels of inflammatory cytokines, whose effect was associated with NF-κB. Our study finds that COR can play an anti-inflammatory role and inhibit the progression of AKI through the NF-κB-mediated pyroptosis, which represents its nephroprotective mechanism.

Cordycepin inhibits kidney injury by regulating GSK-3ß-mediated Nrf2 activation.

We explored the role and mechanism of cordycepin (COR) in inhibiting kidney injury. A mouse model of kidney injury was established using cisplatin (CDDP), and the kidney function, histopathology, and ferroptosis indices in mice were detected after intervening with COR. The targets of COR-ferroptosis-kidney injury were analyzed by network pharmacology, based on which the association between glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta (GSK-3ß) and COR was determined. HK-2 cells were cultured in vitro and treated separately with ferroptosis inducers erastin and CDDP. After the COR intervention, the level of ferroptosis was monitored. In vitro experiments found that COR could inhibit ferroptosis and CDDP-induced kidney injury. Network pharmacological analysis revealed that GSK-3ß was the target of COR. After inhibiting GSK-3ß expression, COR could not further inhibit the occurrence of ferroptosis. In vitro results also indicated that COR could inhibit ferroptosis in HK-2 cells. According to our findings, COR can ameliorate CDDP-induced kidney injury through GSK-3ß-mediated ferroptosis signaling. We identify new pharmacological effect and target for COR, the major component of Cordyceps sinensis.

Cryptotanshinone Inhibits Bladder Cancer Cell Malignant Progression in a Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammatory Microenvironment through NLRP3 Inhibition.

Background: Bladder cancer (BC) is one of the most common malignancies of the urogenital system. This study assessed the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain and leucine-rich repeat and pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) in BC as well as the effects of cryptotanshinone on changes in BC malignant behaviors and NLRP3 expression under a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory microenvironment. Methods: BC tissue specimens from 62 patients were collected for immunohistochemical detection of NLRP3 protein. BC and normal urothelial cell lines were cultured for the detection of NLRP3 mRNA and protein. Then, BC cells were pretreated with LPS to mimic the inflammatory tumor microenvironment. Next, these cells were incubated with a low or high dose of cryptotanshinone to assess its effects on tumor cell malignant behaviors as well as transfected with NLRP3 cDNA to confirm the role of NLRP3 in BC cells in vitro. Results: High NLRP3 expression was associated with larger tumor diameters (>2 cm), muscle invasion, and metastasis. The levels of NLRP3 mRNA and protein were greater in BC cells than in normal urothelial cells. LPS pretreatment significantly promoted NLRP3 and inflammatory cytokine expression in BC cells, and induced cell viability, migration, and invasion. However, cryptotanshinone was able to reduce the LPS-induced increase of NLRP3 and inflammatory cytokine expression as well as the BC cell malignant progression. NLRP3 overexpression using NLRP3 cDNA further promoted BC cell malignant progression after LPS stimulation and reversed cryptotanshinone-reduced LPS-induced BC cell malignant behaviors. Conclusion: NLRP3 might possess oncogenic activity in BC, and the antitumor activity of cryptotanshinone in BC in vitro might be related to its inhibition of NLRP3 expression.

PM2.5 exposure promotes the progression of acute kidney injury by activating NLRP3-mediated macrophage inflammatory response.

AIM: We reveal the mechanism of action whereby ambient PM2.5 promotes kidney injury. METHODS: Using C57BL/6 mice, the effects of PM2.5 exposure on the acute kidney injury (AKI) were investigated, including renal function changes, expression of inflammatory cytokines, histopathological changes, as well as activation of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain, leucine-rich repeat and pyrin domain-containing 3（NLRP3）. The effects of PM2.5 on renal injury after NLRP3 inhibition were explored using NLRP3 inhibitor (MCC950) and NLRP3 knockout mice. The effects of PM2.5 on the inflammatory response of renal macrophages were investigated at the cellular level. RESULTS: PM2.5 exposure could promote kidney injury, NLRP3 activation and inflammatory response in mice. After using MCC950 and NLRP3 knockout mice, the effects of PM2.5 and the kidney injury could be inhibited. The cellular-level results also suggested that MCC950 could inhibit the effects of PM2.5. CONCLUSION: PM2.5 can promote the progression of AKI and aggravate tissue inflammation through NLRP3, which is an important environmental toxicological mechanism of PM2.5.

Fuzzy-Based Efficient Healthcare Data Collection and Analysis Mechanism Using Edge Nodes in the IoMT.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is an advanced technology that comprises numerous devices with carrying sensors to collect, send, and receive data. Due to its vast popularity and efficiency, it is employed in collecting crucial data for the health sector. As the sensors generate huge amounts of data, it is better for the data to be aggregated before being transmitting the data further. These sensors generate redundant data frequently and transmit the same values again and again unless there is no variation in the data. The base scheme has no mechanism to comprehend duplicate data. This problem has a negative effect on the performance of heterogeneous networks.It increases energy consumption; and requires high control overhead, and additional transmission slots are required to send data. To address the above-mentioned challenges posed by duplicate data in the IoT-based health sector, this paper presents a fuzzy data aggregation system (FDAS) that aggregates data proficiently and reduces the same range of normal data sizes to increase network performance and decrease energy consumption. The appropriate parent node is selected by implementing fuzzy logic, considering important input parameters that are crucial from the parent node selection perspective and share Boolean digit 0 for the redundant values to store in a repository for future use. This increases the network lifespan by reducing the energy consumption of sensors in heterogeneous environments. Therefore, when the complexity of the environment surges, the efficiency of FDAS remains stable. The performance of the proposed scheme has been validated using the network simulator and compared with base schemes. According to the findings, the proposed technique (FDAS) dominates in terms of reducing energy consumption in both phases, achieves better aggregation, reduces control overhead, and requires the fewest transmission slots.

Recent Progress in Metal Oxide-Based Photocatalysts for CO2 Reduction to Solar Fuels: A Review.

One of the challenges in developing practical CO2 photoconversion catalysts is the design of materials with a low cost, high activity and good stability. In this paper, excellent photocatalysts based on TiO2, WO3, ZnO, Cu2O and CeO2 metal oxide materials, which are cost-effective, long-lasting, and easy to fabricate, are evaluated. The characteristics of the nanohybrid catalysts depend greatly on their architecture and design. Thus, we focus on outstanding materials that offer effective and practical solutions. Strategies to improve CO2 conversion efficiency are summarized, including heterojunction, ion doping, defects, sensitization and morphology control, which can inspire the future improvement in photochemistry. The capacity of CO2 adsorption is also pivotal, which varies with the morphological and electronic structures. Forms of 0D, 1D, 2D and 3DOM (zero/one/two-dimensional- and three-dimensional-ordered macroporous, respectively) are involved. Particularly, the several advantages of the 3DOM material make it an excellent candidate material for CO2 conversion. Hence, we explain its preparation method. Based on the discussion, new insights and prospects for designing high-efficient metallic oxide photocatalysts to reduce CO2 emissions are presented.

Long noncoding RNA-LINC00478 promotes the progression of clear cell renal cell carcinoma through PBX3.

Long noncoding RNAs play an important regulatory role in the development and progression of tumors. Our study found that LINC00478 was upregulated in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), so we made an in-depth exploration into its mechanism. In Caki-2 cells, we established the oe-LINC00478 cell line overexpressing LINC00478, and established underexpressing sh-LINC00478 cell line by short hairpin RNA silencing. The abilities of oe-LINC00478 cell invasion and metastasis were significantly enhanced, and the cell proliferative potential was also improved. The cellular expressions of PBX3, CDCA8, and CDK2 were upregulated, while in the sh-LINC00478 cells, the proliferative potential and metastatic and invasive abilities were weakened. Similarly, we established the PBX3-overexpressing oe-PBX3 cell line and the PBX3-underexpressing sh-PBX3 cell line, finding that the PBX3 overexpression enhanced the metastatic and invasive abilities of Caki-2 cells. When we overexpressed LINC00478 in PBX3-knockout Caki-2-PBX3- / - cells, no significant changes were noted in the metastatic or invasive ability. Through RNA pull-down and RNA-binding protein immunoprecipitation assays, we found that LINC00478 could facilitate the transcription-translation processes of PBX3 by binding to it, thus further promoting the expression of downstream cyclins to exert its action. In animal experimentation, the oe-LINC00478 and sh-LINC00478 Caki-2 cells were separately seeded, revealing that the tumor volume was significantly larger in the oe-LINC00478 group than in the sh-LINC00478 group. This study finds that by promoting the PBX3 transcription, LINC00478 can further regulate the expressions of downstream cyclins, thereby facilitating the metastasis and invasion of ccRCC.

Short-term mortality risks among patients with non-metastatic bladder cancer.

BACKGROUND: Population-based analysis for the short-term non-bladder cancer related mortality among patients with non-metastatic bladder cancer is currently lacking. The objective of the current study was to assess and quantify cause of death after bladder cancer diagnosis. METHODS: The custom Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) dataset for standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) was utilized to identify 24,074 patients who were diagnosed with nonmetastatic (M0) bladder cancer from 2014 to 2015. SMRs for causes of death were calculated. Risk factors for bladder cancer-specific mortality, competing mortality, second-cancer mortality, and noncancer mortality were determined using either multivariable Cox or competing risk regression models. RESULTS: Among all the 4179 (17.4%) deaths occurred during the follow-up period, almost half of them (44.2%) were attributed to non-bladder cancer cause, including second non-bladder cancer (10%) and other non-cancer causes (34.2%). The most common noncancer causes of death were heart diseases followed by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Patients had a higher risk of death from second malignancies (SMR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.47-1.74) compared with death from first malignancies in the US general population, and also had higher risks of death from heart diseases (SMR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.18-1.40) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (SMR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.29-1.79) compared with the US general population. Additionally, some risk factors for competing second malignancies or noncancer mortality were determined, such as age, gender, marital status and treatment modalities. CONCLUSIONS: Death from non-bladder cancer cause contributed to almost half of all deaths in bladder cancer survivors during the short-term follow-up period. These findings can inform medical management and assist clinicians in counseling those survivors regarding their short-term health risks.

Morphology-Controlled 9,10-Diphenylanthracene Nanoblocks as Electrochemiluminescence Emitters for MicroRNA Detection with One-Step DNA Walker Amplification.

The electrochemiluminescence (ECL) properties of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are excellent on account of the high photoluminescence quantum yield. However, the poor solubility and radical instability of PAHs in the aqueous solution severely restricted further biological application. Here 9,10-diphenylanthracene (DPA) nanoblocks (NBs) with good dispersibility and stability in aqueous solution were prepared according to morphology-controlled technology employing water-soluble polymers as a protectant. Furthermore, an ECL "off-on" switch biosensor was developed based on a novel ECL ternary system with DPA NBs as luminophore, dissolved O2 as coreactant, and Pt-Ag alloy nanoflowers as the coreaction accelerator, which achieved a high-intense initial ECL signal. Subsequently, the Fc-DNA as ECL signal quencher was assembled on the electrode surface to quench the initial ECL signal for a "signal-off" state. Meanwhile, DNA swing arm was modified on the electrode surface for one-step DNA walker amplification. Interestingly, in the presence of miRNA-141 and T7 Exo, the one-step DNA walker amplification was executed to recover a strong ECL signal as a "signal-on" state by the digestion of Fc-DNA. Thus the developed ECL "off-on" switch biosensor possesses a detection limit down to 29.5 aM for ultrasensitive detection of miRNA-141, which is expected to be applicable to the detection of miRNA in clinic tumor cells.

Effects of human enhancer of filamentation 1 (HEF1) gene on the proliferation, invasion and metastasis of bladder cancer cells.

PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of human enhancer of filamentation 1 (HEF1) gene on the proliferation, invasion and metastasis of bladder cancer cells. METHODS: Three human bladder cancer cell lines (T24, EJ and BIU-87) were selected to extract total RNA at logarithmic growth phase. The relative expression level of HEF1 in these cell lines was detected by semi-quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR), and the cell lines with relatively high expression and relatively low expression level of HEF1 cells were identified. HEF1 overexpression recombinant adenovirus was transfected into the bladder cancer cells with low expression level of HEF1, and HEF1 siRNA was transfected into the bladder cancer cells with high expression level of HEF1. MTT assay, migration assay and invasion assay were performed to detect the proliferation, migration and invasion of bladder cancer cells. RESULTS: The relative expression level of HEF1 mRNA in T24 cell line was significantly higher than that in EJ and BIU-87 cells, and BIU-87 cell line showed the lowest expression level (p<0.05). After transfection with HEF1 overexpression recombinant adenovirus, the proliferation, migration and invasion of BIU-87 cells were significantly improved (p<0.05). After siRNA silencing, the proliferation, migration and invasion of T24 cells were significantly inhibited (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: High expression level of HEF1 gene can promote the proliferation, invasion and metastasis of bladder cancer cells.

Ternary Electrochemiluminescence System Based on Rubrene Microrods as Luminophore and Pt Nanomaterials as Coreaction Accelerator for Ultrasensitive Detection of MicroRNA from Cancer Cells.

As the only endogenous coreactant in the electrochemiluminescence (ECL) system, the dissolved O2 was the ideal candidate due to the mild reaction and easy operation, but compared to S2O82-, the dissolved O2 with weaker redox activity suffers from the poor enhancement effect of the luminophore, which restricted the further application in bioanalysis. Here, a high-intense ECL signal was gained by the employing of Pt nanomaterials as a coreaction accelerator to generate more of the intermediate of dissolved O2 to promote the coreaction efficiency. On the basis of a new ternary ECL system of Pt nanomaterials as the coreaction accelerator, dissolved O2 as the coreactant, and a neotype rubrene microrods as the luminophore, an efficient "on-off-on" solid-state ECL switch platfrom was designed for ultrasensitive microRNA (miRNA) detection with a background reduction strategy of ferrocene-labeled single-stranded DNA (Fc-DNA) as a quencher. In the presence of miRNA 141, the Pt nanoparticles labeled hairpin (HP1/PtNPs) was opened to produce plenty of Pt nanoparticles labeled output DNA (S1/PtNPs) and release the miRNA-141 to participate in the next cycle. Then, the S1/PtNPs were captured on the surface of the electrode by the complementary strand to obtain the super "signal on" state with extremely high ECL signal. This novel solid-state ECL platform exhibited excellent sensitivity from 10 aM to 100 pM with a detection limit of 2.1 aM, which provided a new approach for ultrasensitive ECL bioanalysis.

RF Spectrum Sensing Based on an Overdamped Nonlinear Oscillator Ring for Cognitive Radios.

Existing spectrum-sensing techniques for cognitive radios require an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) to work at high dynamic range and a high sampling rate, resulting in high cost. Therefore, in this paper, a spectrum-sensing method based on a unidirectionally coupled, overdamped nonlinear oscillator ring is proposed. First, the numerical model of such a system is established based on the circuit of the nonlinear oscillator. Through numerical analysis of the model, the critical condition of the system's starting oscillation is determined, and the simulation results of the system's response to Gaussian white noise and periodic signal are presented. The results show that once the radio signal is input into the system, it starts oscillating when in the critical region, and the oscillating frequency of each element is fo/N, where fo is the frequency of the radio signal and N is the number of elements in the ring. The oscillation indicates that the spectrum resources at fo are occupied. At the same time, the sampling rate required for an ADC is reduced to the original value, 1/N. A prototypical circuit to verify the functionality of the system is designed, and the sensing bandwidth of the system is measured.

Secondary bladder stone caused by delayed penetration of the bladder by a pubic fracture: A case report and literature review.

Pelvic fractures sometimes lead to injuries of the urinary bladder, which commonly present as gross hematuria, dysuria and lower abdominal pain. As a type of urinary stone, bladder stones are usually secondary to lower urinary tract obstruction, such as benign prostatic hyperplasia, urethral stricture, and neurogenic bladder. The present case report examines an unusual case of a delayed pubic fracture penetrating the bladder, which caused a secondary bladder stone. A 53-year-old man was first hospitalized at The Second Hospital of Jiaxing (Jiaxing, China) in January 2020 because of trauma-induced bleeding in the scalp and abdominal pain. The patient underwent abdominal exploration and partial bowel resection, and his condition stabilized after surgery. After discharge, the patient had regular outpatient check-ups every 2-3 weeks. However, after 3 months, in April 2020, the patient was readmitted to the hospital because of frequent urination, an urgent need for urination and dysuria. Abdominal computed tomography imaging and cystoscopy revealed a pubic fracture that had penetrated the bladder wall, accompanied by a bladder stone. Subsequently, cystolithotomy was performed, which provided significant relief of symptoms once the catheter was removed after 2 weeks. Since then, the patient has been followed up until January 2023 and had remained asymptomatic. Bladder stones caused by necrotic bone fragmentation are rare. Bladder injuries resulting from pelvic fractures can have delayed onset; therefore, clinicians should be aware of the possibility of urogenital injury in such patients. It is crucial for clinicians to comprehend the potential mechanisms involved, analyze the clinical data of patients, closely monitor their condition and implement appropriate treatment measures when necessary.

Dynamic analysis of amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation in children with growth hormone deficiency.

OBJECTIVE: Growth hormone (GH) affects brain activities and promotes growth and development. GH is a peptide hormone secreted by the anterior pituitary gland and is tied to behavior and cognitive function. Growth hormone deficiency (GHD) is the most common type of pathological short stature in children. Existing studies provide evidence that GHD may impact functional brain activities. The aim of this study was to investigate dynamic local brain activity in GHD children. METHOD: In this study, we combined amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) and sliding-window techniques to examine the local brain activity of children with GHD. The resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data were collected from 26 children with GHD and 15 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HC). RESULT: Our results showed significant abnormal temporal variability of dynamic ALFF in widespread regions in children with GHD, primarily in the frontal gyrus, temporal gyrus, and parietal lobule. CONCLUSION: The dALFF can capture dynamic changes in brain spontaneous activity, which are related to behavior and cognition. Based on this dynamic local brain activity, the results of this study provide a better understanding of the pathophysiological mechanism in children with GHD.

Abnormal degree centrality as a potential imaging biomarker for ischemic stroke: A resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study.

OBJECTIVE: To explore degree centrality (DC) abnormalities in ischemic stroke patients and determine whether these abnormalities have potential value in understanding the pathological mechanisms of ischemic stroke patients. METHODS: Sixteen ischemic stroke patients and 22 healthy controls (HCs) underwent resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) scanning, and the resulting data were subjected to DC analysis. Then we conducted a correlation analysis between DC values and neuropsychological test scores, including Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Finally, extracted the abnormal DC values of brain regions and defined them as features for support vector machine (SVM) analysis. RESULTS: Compared with HCs, ischemic stroke patients showed increased DC in the bilateral supplementary motor area, and median cingulate and paracingulate gyri and decreased DC in the left postcentral gyrus, right calcarine fissure and surrounding cortex, lingual gyrus, and orbital parts of the right superior frontal gyrus and bilateral cuneus. Correlation analyses revealed that DC values in the right lingual gyrus, calcarine fissure and surrounding cortex, and orbital parts of the right superior frontal gyrus were positively correlated with the MMSE scores. The SVM classification of the DC values achieved an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.93, an accuracy of 89.47%. CONCLUSION: Our research results indicate that ischemic stroke patients exhibit abnormalities in the global connectivity mechanisms and patterns of the brain network. These abnormal changes may provide neuroimaging evidence for stroke-related motor, visual, and cognitive impairments, contribute to a deeper comprehension of the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms implicated in ischemic stroke.

Changes in Resting-State Networks in Children with Growth Hormone Deficiency.

Purpose: Growth hormone deficiency (GHD) refers to the partial or complete lack of growth hormone. Short stature and slow growth are characteristic of patients with GHD. Previous neuroimaging studies have suggested that GHD may cause cognitive and behavioral impairments in patients. Resting-state networks (RSNs) are regions of the brain that exhibit synchronous activity and are closely related to our cognition and behavior. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to explore cognitive and behavioral abnormalities in children with GHD by investigating changes in RSNs. Methods: Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data of 26 children with GHD and 15 healthy controls (HCs) were obtained. Independent component analysis was used to identify seven RSNs from rs-fMRI data. Group differences in RSNs were estimated using two-sample t-tests. Correlation analysis was employed to investigate the associations among the areas of difference and clinical measures. Results: Compared with HCs, children with GHD had significant differences in the salience network (SN), default mode network (DMN), language network (LN), and sensorimotor network (SMN). Moreover, within the SN, the functional connectivity (FC) value of the right posterior supramarginal gyrus was negatively correlated with the adrenocorticotropic hormone and the FC value of the left anterior inferior parietal gyrus was positively correlated with insulin-like growth factor 1. Conclusions: These results suggest that alterations in RSNs may account for abnormal cognition and behavior in children with GHD, such as decreased motor function, language withdrawal, anxiety, and social anxiety. These findings provide neuroimaging support for uncovering the pathophysiological mechanisms of GHD in children. Impact statement Children with growth hormone deficiency (GHD) generally experience cognitive and behavioral abnormalities. However, there are few neuroimaging studies on children with GHD. Moreover, prior research has not investigated the aberrant brain function in patients with GHD from the perspective of brain functional networks. Therefore, this study employed the independent component analysis method to investigate alterations within seven commonly observed resting-state networks due to GHD. The results showed that children with GHD had significant differences in the salience network, default mode network, language network, and sensorimotor network. This provides neuroimaging support for revealing the pathophysiological mechanisms of GHD in children.

[Study on the regulation role of semen persicae to cAMP-PKA signal pathway in the rats with cold and heat blood stasis syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To study the regulation role of with neutral property to cAMP-PKA pathway in the rats with cold and heat blood stasis syndromes and it's mechanism. METHODS: 60 rats were randomly divided into normal control group, model control group, Semen Persicae group, radix salvia miltiorrhiza group, rhizoma chuanxiong group, 12 rats per group. The three herb groups were orally given relative herbs decoction, whose dosages were equal to 10 times the human clinical dose, normal and model control groups were orally given water, 2 times/day, 20 mL/kg, for 7 days. Experiments in rats with cold and heat blood stasis syndromes were carried on respectiverly. In heat blood stasis syndromes, except normal control group, the other groups were intraperitoneally injected 10% carrageenan, 5 mL/kg, 1 times/day, for 3 days;24 hours after the last injection, subcutaneously injected 20% dry yeast suspension, 10 mL/kg. In cold blood stasis syndromes, except normal control group, the other groups were put into fridge, temperature--(18 +/- 2) degrees C, 2 hours/ times, 2 times/day, for 7 days. Separately draw 5 ml abdominal aortic blood and taken abdominal aorta, 6 hours and 12 hours after finishing the model in the two syndromes. Tested the cAMP content by elisa, tested the PKA protein expression by Western blot. RESULTS: Semen Persicae with neutral property, could decrease the content of cAMP in plasma (P < 0.01), inhibit the expression of protein PKA (P < 0.05) in rats with heat stagnation and blood stasis syndrome, increase the plasma content of cAMP (P < 0.01) and increase the expression of protein PKA (P < 0.01) in rats with cold stagnation and blood stasis syndrome. Semen Persicae had two-way adjustment action on CAMP-PKA signal pathway. CONCLUSION: In different internal environment of heat stagnation and blood stasis syndrome, cold stagnation and blood stasis syndrome, Semen Persicae with neutral property has two-way adjustment to cAMP-PKA signaling channel, which may be one of the mechanism of it's two-way application.

[Experimental study on two-way application of drugs with neutral property for promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis on cold and heat blood stasis syndromes II].

OBJECTIVE: To further study the characteristics of drugs with neutral property in two-way application and conditioned dominance by observing the action characteristic of 10 traditional Chinese medicines with neutral property in hemorheological indicators of heat stagnation and blood stasis syndrome and cold stagnation and blood stasis syndrome rats. METHOD: The model of heat stagnation and blood stasis syndrome rats was established by injecting carrageenan and dry yeast, while the model of cold stagnation and blood stasis syndrome rats was established by body freezing. Subsequently, 10 traditional Chinese medicines with neutral property, 5 traditional Chinese medicines with heat property and 5 traditional Chinese medicines with cold property were selected for intervention to observe the changes in such indicators as whole blood viscosity, plasma viscosity and hematocrit and analyze the action characteristics of drugs with neutral property. RESULT: ANOVA showed that among six of the 10 traditional Chinese medicines with neutral property, including Typhae Pollen, Sarcandrae Herba and Sappan lignum, could obviously increase the hemorheological indicators of both heat stagnation and blood stasis syndrome and cold stagnation and blood stasis syndrome rats; five traditional Chinese medicines with cold property, such as Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Leonuri Herba, Rhei Radix et Rhizoma, could significantly ameliorate the hemorheological indicators of heat stagnation and blood stasis syndrome rats (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05), and Salvia Miltiorrhiza Radix et Rhizoma alone could ameliorate the hemorheological indicators of cold stagnation and blood stasis syndrome rats (P < 0.05); all of the five traditional Chinese medicines with heat property could significantly ameliorate the hemorheological indicators of cold stagnation and blood stasis syndrome rats (P < 0.01), among which Carthami Flos and Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma could significantly ameliorate the hemorheological indicators of cold stagnation and blood stasis syndrome rats. According to the average high-shear blood viscosity analysis, drugs with neutral property showed similar action characteristics to those with cold property in ameliorating hemorheology indicators of heat stagnation and blood stasis syndrome rat and better effect than those with heat property in reducing whole blood viscosity; and traditional Chinese medicines with neutral property have the similar action characteristics to those with heat property in improving the hemorheology indicators of cold stagnation and blood stasis syndrome rat and better effect than those with heat property in reducing whole blood viscosity. CONCLUSION: Under the condition of heat stagnation and blood stasis syndrome, traditional Chinese medicines with neutral property show the similar action characteristics to those with cold property; but under the condition of cold stagnation and blood stasis syndrome, traditional Chinese medicines with neutral property show the similar action characteristics to those with heat property. This indicates that traditional Chinese medicines with neutral property show both heat and cold properties under he conditions of heat stagnation and blood stasis syndrome and cold stagnation and blood stasis syndrome.

Frequency Dependent Changes of Regional Homogeneity in Children with Growth Hormone Deficiency.

Abnormal spontaneous neural activity in children with growth hormone deficiency (GHD) has been found in previous resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) studies. Nevertheless, the spontaneous neural activity of GHD in different frequency bands is still unclear. Here, we combined rs-fMRI and regional homogeneity (ReHo) methods to analyze the spontaneous neural activity of 26 GHD children and 15 healthy controls (HCs) with age- and sex-matching in four frequency bands: slow-5 (0.014-0.031 Hz), slow-4 (0.031-0.081 Hz), slow-3 (0.081-0.224 Hz), and slow-2 (0.224-0.25 Hz). In the slow-5 band, GHD children compared with HCs displayed higher ReHo in the left dorsolateral part of the superior frontal gyrus, triangular part of the inferior frontal gyrus, precentral gyrus and middle frontal gyrus, and right angular gyrus, while lower ReHo in the right precentral gyrus, and several medial orbitofrontal regions. In the slow-4 band, GHD children relative to HCs revealed increased ReHo in the right middle temporal gyrus, whereas reduced ReHo in the left superior parietal gyrus, right middle occipital gyrus, and bilateral medial parts of the superior frontal gyrus. In the slow-2 band, compared with HCs, GHD children showed increased ReHo in the right anterior cingulate gyrus, and several prefrontal regions, while decreased ReHo in the left middle occipital gyrus, and right fusiform gyrus and anterior cingulate gyrus. Our findings demonstrate that regional brain activity in GHD children exhibits extensive abnormalities, and these abnormalities are related to specific frequency bands, which may provide bases for understanding its pathophysiology significance.