Neuroimaging feature in identifying acute myelopathy etiologies: comparison between neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder and cervical spondylotic myelopathy.

OBJECTIVE: The clinical symptoms of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) and acute cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) may overlap in some cases. This study aimed to investigate the differences in imaging features between NMOSD and CSM in acute myelopathy. METHODS: We included 78 patients in this retrospective study, including 28 NMOSD patients and 50 CSM patients. The demographic characteristics and clinical symptoms of the two groups of patients were compared. The T1 signal intensity, length of the spinal cord involved by T2 hyperintensity, degree of intervertebral disc degeneration, proportion of thoracic and lumbar cord involvement, proportion of brain involvement and lesion enhancement rate in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were compared between the two groups of patients. The number, length, location on the sagittal image, pattern on the sagittal image, and distribution on the axial image of the lesions in the contrast-enhanced MRI of the two groups were evaluated. RESULTS: There were differences between NMOSD and CSM patients in the proportion of women, the proportion of bowel and bladder symptoms, mRS levels, the length of the spinal cord involved by T2 hyperintensity, degree of intervertebral disc degeneration, the proportion of thoracic and lumbar cord involvement, the proportion of brain involvement, the enhancement rate and number of lesions (p < 0.05). Among NMOSD patients, linear, patchy and ring or semi-ring enhancement were present in 8(30.8%) ,14 (53.8%) and 4(15.4%)patients, respectively, and axial gray and white matter were involved in 17 (65.4%) patients. Among patients with CSM, 9(36.0%) patients showed longitudinal oriented flake, 16 (64.0%) patients showed pancake-like enhancement, and 21 (84.0%) patients showed axial white matter involvement only. The differences in enhancement pattern on sagittal images and axial involvement were statistically significant (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Early differential diagnosis of NMOSD and CSM in acute myelopathy can be made by analyzing images and the number, length, sagittal enhancement pattern, and axial involvement of gadolinium-enhanced lesions.

Recent Progresses in Chalcone Derivatives as Potential Anticancer Agents.

Chalcones are members of the flavonoid family and act as intermediates in the biosynthesis of flavonoids, which are widespread in plants. Meanwhile, chalcones are important precursors for synthetic manipulations and act as mediators in the synthesis of useful therapeutic compounds, which have demonstrated a wide range of biological activities. Numerous studies have reported the synthesis and medicinal significance of chalcone derivatives. Cancer is one of the major causes of death worldwide. Although various therapies have been proposed for diverse types of cancer, their associated limitations and side effects urged researchers to develop more safe, potent and selective anticancer agents. Based on the literature review, the presence of chalcone derivatives as the main component, a substituent, or a side-chain in different biologically active compounds could serve as a reliable platform for synthetic organic chemists to synthesize new compounds bearing this moiety, owing to their similar or superior activities compared to those of the standards. The diversity of the chalcone family also lends itself to broad-spectrum biological applications in oncology. This review, therefore, sheds light on the latest structure and the anticancer potency of different synthetics (bearing other anticancer pharmacophores based on simple, functional groups, and dimer chalcone derivatives) and natural chalcone hybrids. It is confirmed that the information compiled in this review article, many chalcone hybrids have been found with promising anticancer activities. Therefore, this review may be convenient for designing novel chalcone molecules with enhanced medicinal properties according to the structure of the compounds.

Folate Status and Mortality in US Adults With Diabetes: A Nationally Representative Cohort Study.

Background: Public health concerns have gradually shifted from inadequate intakes to potential adverse effects associated with excessive folate intakes following the full implementation of mandatory folate fortification. This study aimed to examine the associations of red blood cell (RBC) folate with all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality among patients with diabetes. Methods: Data of 15,514 adults aged 20 years or older, who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1988-1994), were analyzed as the baseline examination. The participants were linked to mortality data from the survey date until December 31, 2015. The associations of RBC folate with all-cause and CVD mortality were examined using multivariable Cox regression models. Results: During 297,708 person-years of follow-up (median of 19.2 years), 6,106 total deaths occurred, including 1,867 deaths from CVD, 1452 deaths from ischemic heart disease, and 415 deaths from stroke disease. The participants with the highest quartile of RBC folate had higher odds of diabetes (fully-adjusted odds ratio: 1.94 [95% CI: 1.53-2.48]). In Cox regression analyses, compared with the participants with the lowest quartile of RBC folate for diabetes, those from quartile 3 and quartile 4 had HRs (95% CIs) of 1.12 (0.87, 1.43) and 1.30 (1.04, 1.63) in all-cause mortality, respectively; in CVD mortality, the HRs were 1.73 (1.08, 2.76) and 1.47 (0.98, 2.22); in ischemic heart disease mortality, they were 2.01 (1.19, 3.39) and 1.62 (1.05, 2.50), respectively. However, high levels of RBC folate were negatively associated with all-cause mortality, CVD mortality and ischemic heart disease mortality in non-diabetes. Conclusion: From the nationally representative data, increasing levels in RBC folate were independently associated with an increased risk of all-cause and CVD mortality among those diagnosed with diabetes, but high levels of RBC folate had a mild protective effect in non-diabetes. The underlying mechanism regarding folate and adverse outcomes in diabetes warrants further clarification.