Novel Cervical Endoscopic Unilateral Laminoforaminotomy for Bilateral Decompression in Cervical Spondylosis Myeloradiculopathy: A Technical Note and Clinical Results.

Background: This study investigates the efficacy of the Cervical Endoscopic Unilateral Laminoforaminotomy for Bilateral Decompression (CE-ULFBD) technique in treating cervical myeloradiculopathy, primarily caused by degenerative spondylosis. Traditionally managed through multisegmental anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) or laminoplasty combined with foraminotomy, this condition has recently experienced a promising shift towards minimally invasive approaches, particularly endoscopic spinal decompression. While empirical evidence is still emerging, these techniques show potential for effective treatment. Method: The objective was to evaluate the outcomes of CE-ULFBD in achieving single or multilevel bilateral foraminal and central decompression, emphasizing the reduction of injury to posterior cervical muscles and the associated postoperative neck soreness common in conventional procedures. This paper delineates the surgical procedures involved in CE-ULFBD and presents the clinical outcomes of nine patients diagnosed with myeloradiculopathy due to severe cervical stenosis. Result: Assessments were conducted using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for neck and arm pain and the Modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association scale (mJOA) for the activity measurement of daily living. Results indicated a considerable decrease in pain levels according to the VAS, coupled with significant improvements in functional capacities as measured by the mJOA scale. Additionally, no major postoperative complications were noted during the follow-up period. Conclusion: The study concludes that CE-ULFBD is a safe and effective approach for the treatment of cervical myeloradiculopathy resulting from severe cervical stenosis, offering a viable and less invasive alternative to traditional decompressive surgeries.

Relationship between the impacted mandibular third molar and adjacent second molar' external root resorption by conebean computed tomography analysi / Relación entre la reabsorción de la raíz externa del tercer molar mandibular impactado y el segundo molar adyacente mediante análisis de tomografía computarizada de cono

Background: The relationship between the impacted mandibular third molar (IMTM) and the external root re-sorption (ERR) of the mandibular second molar (MSM) was analysed with cone-beam computed tomography(CBCT). The risk factors affecting the ERR of the MSM were examined to provide a reference.Material and Methods: A total of 327 patients (total: 578 teeth) admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of YanbianUniversity for IMTM extraction from January 2017 to December 2019 was chosen and divided according togender and age. The correlation between the IMTM and ERR of MSM was analysed, including inclination angle,impaction direction and depth. The relationship of mandibular ascending ramus classification with ERR of MSMwas also analysed. In addition, the correlation between the MTM impaction type and the severity of ERR wasanalysed.Results: The incidence of ERR of MSM in male patients was higher than in females (27.9% vs.17.6%, p = 0.018).The occurrence and the site of ERR showed statistical differences in the inclination angle [(≤20°, 3.6%) vs. (21°-40°, 27.1%) vs. (41°-60°, 27.6%) vs. (61°-80°, 25.6%) vs. (>80°, 31.7%), p <0.001], impaction direction [(Vertical,1.1%) vs. (Mesial, 32.7%) vs. (Horizontal, 25.3%), p <0.001] and depth of MTM [(Low position, 38.6%) vs. (Medi-an position, 32.0%) vs. (High position, 13.7%), p <0.001]. Also, there was a significant difference in the mandib-ular ascending ramus type [(Class I, 17.4%) vs. (Class II, 32.3%) vs. (Class III, 44.9%), p <0.001]. In addition, theseverity of ERR showed statistical differences in the mesial (40.9%, p<0.05), lower impaction (54.5%, p<0.05)depth of MTM and type III of mandibular ascending ramus (63.6%, p<0.05).Conclusions: The inclination angle, impaction direction, and depth of MTM were the influencing factors for theoccurrence and site of ERR.(AU)

The novel Kambin Torpedo full-endoscopic lumbar interbody fusion technique: a case series.

PURPOSE: Full-endoscopic lumbar interbody fusion (FELIF) is a new-generation treatment for spondylolisthesis. However, owing to their unique characteristics, the two main endoscopic fusion trajectories, the trans-Kambin and posterolateral approaches, have important limitations. Herein, we aimed to introduce a new technique called Kambin Torpedo FELIF (KT-FELIF). METHODS: The KT-FELIF technique is based on the trans-Kambin approach. It additionally completes ipsilateral total facetectomy and contralateral direct decompression. Thus, this novel technique combines the advantages of the trans-Kambin and posterolateral approaches. RESULTS: We reported on the indications and technical steps of KT-FELIF and provided intraoperative and animated videos to clarify the procedure. Short-term follow-up based on 3-month postoperative computed tomography and plain films images taken at least 3 months after surgery showed adequate bony decompression, a large bone graft contact area, and good intervertebral trabecular bone growth without radiolucent lines between the graft, cage, and end plate. The clinical results, such as ipsilateral and contralateral visual analog scale and Oswestry disability index values, gradually improved at 1 and 3 months postoperatively. No complications were observed. CONCLUSIONS: KT-FELIF is a promising FELIF technique for achieving bilateral direct decompression through a unilateral approach while accomplishing thorough discectomy and endplate preparation.

Single-cell RNA sequencing uncovers the cell type-dependent transcriptomic changes in the retrosplenial cortex after peripheral nerve injury.

The retrosplenial cortex (RSC) is a vital area for storing remote memory and has recently been found to undergo broad changes after peripheral nerve injury. However, little is known about the role of RSC in pain regulation. Here, we examine the involvement of RSC in the pain of mice with nerve injury. Notably, reducing the activities of calcium-/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase type II-positive splenial neurons chemogenetically increases paw withdrawal threshold and extends thermal withdrawal latency in mice with nerve injury. The single-cell or single-nucleus RNA-sequencing results predict enhanced excitatory synaptic transmissions in RSC induced by nerve injury. Local infusion of 1-naphthyl acetyl spermine into RSC to decrease the excitatory synaptic transmissions relieves pain and induces conditioned place preference. Our data indicate that RSC is critical for regulating physiological and neuropathic pain. The cell type-dependent transcriptomic information would help understand the molecular basis of neuropathic pain.

The Effectiveness of a Community Nurse-Led Support Program for Dementia Caregivers in Chinese Communities: The Chongqing Ageing and Dementia Study.

Background: As the primary caregivers for people with dementia in China, family caregivers face a significant care burden that can negatively impact their mental and physical health. It is vital to investigate ways to support these caregivers. Objective: To assess the effectiveness of a program led by community nurses to support caregivers of individuals with dementia. Methods: A total of 30 caregivers received nurse-led support in addition to usual care, while 28 caregivers received only usual care. The primary outcome was caregivers' sense of competency in providing dementia care, which was measured using the Short Sense of Competence Questionnaire (SSCQ). Secondary outcomes included caregivers' ability to perform daily activities, behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) using a neuropsychiatric inventory questionnaire, and quality of life using the short form health survey (SF-36). The trial was registered at the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR 2300071484). Results: Compared to the control group, the intervention group had significantly higher SSCQ scores and a lower caregiver distress index over time. Physical and mental health-related quality of life also improved significantly among caregivers in the intervention group. However, there was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of activities of daily living and BPSD. Conclusions: The community nurse-led support program significantly improved caregivers' competency in providing dementia care and quality of life and reduced distress. These findings have important implications for dementia care policies, resources, and workforce development in China, including strengthening community dementia care services through collaboration with specialists in hospitals.

Clarity on the blazing trail: clearing the way for amyloid-removing therapies for Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder with a complex pathogenesis. Senile plaques composed of the amyloid-ß (Aß) peptide in the brain are the core hallmarks of AD and a promising target for the development of disease-modifying therapies. However, over the past 20 years, the failures of clinical trials directed at Aß clearance have fueled a debate as to whether Aß is the principal pathogenic factor in AD and a valid therapeutic target. The success of the recent phase 3 trials of lecanemab (Clarity AD) and donanemab (Trailblazer Alz2), and lessons from previous Aß clearance trials provide critical evidence to support the role of Aß in AD pathogenesis and suggest that targeting Aß clearance is heading in the right direction for AD treatment. Here, we analyze key questions relating to the efficacy of Aß targeting therapies, and provide perspectives on early intervention, adequate Aß removal, sufficient treatment period, and combinatory therapeutics, which may be required to achieve the best cognitive benefits in future trials in the real world.

[Effect of High-volume Straw Returning and Applying Bacillus on Bacterial Community and Fertility of Desertification Soil].

This study was conducted to explore the fertilization potential of the high-volume straw returning mode in cooperation with Bacillus and other functional flora on desertification soil and to analyze the changing characteristics of soil carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus components and functional activities of flora, so as to provide a basis for efficiently improving desertification soil fertility. A randomized block experiment was conducted, setting straw not returning to field (CK) and high-volume straw returning of 6.00 kg·m-2 (ST1), 12.00 kg·m-2 (ST2), 24.00 kg·m-2+(ST3), 6.00 kg·m-2+Bacillus (SM1), 12.00 kg·m-2+Bacillus (SM2), and 24.00 kg·m-2+Bacillus (SM3). In this study, we conducted a randomized block experiment to investigate the effect of the treatment for soil microbial and nutrient contents using 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing and soil biochemical properties analysis. Our results showed that:① the α diversity of the soil bacterial community was significantly reduced by the combination of high-volume straw returning and Bacillus application. ② The single mode of high-volume straw returning significantly enriched Proteobacteria and decreased the relative abundance of Actinobacteriota, and the effect of the combined application of Bacillus on the variability of bacterial community structure was more significant. At the genus level, the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria such as Pseudomonas, Rhodanobacter, and Bacillus increased significantly. ③ The functional prediction based on FAPROTAX found that the high-volume straw returning combined with Bacillus could significantly improve the decomposition potential of soil flora to organic substances and the transformation potential of nitrogen components. ④ Compared with that in the control, the application of Bacillus with high-volume straw returning significantly increased the contents of soil organic matter, total phosphorus, and available phosphorus by 31.20-32.75 g·kg-1, 0.11-0.18 g·kg-1, and 29.69-35.09 mg·kg-1, respectively. In conclusion, the application of Bacillus in the sand-blown area with a high-volume straw returning can notably improve the contents of soil organic matter and phosphorus components, the functional activity of bacteria, and the abundance of beneficial bacteria, which is of great significance to the rapid improvement of soil fertility in the middle- and low-yield fields in arid areas.

Trimethylated chitosan-coated flexible liposomes with resveratrol for topical drug delivery to reduce blue-light-induced retinal damage.

LED-related blue-light-induced damage can cause eye diseases. However, drug delivery in patients with ocular diseases is faced with various challenges. In this study, we developed flexible liposomes based on trimethylated chitosan (TMC-Lipo) to deliver resveratrol for the treatment of retinal diseases. Flexible liposomes can easily cross various biological barriers. Chitosan and its derivatives have adhesive properties and are widely used in mucoadhesive drug delivery systems. Therefore, we wrapped flexible liposomes with trimethylated chitosan via electrostatic adsorption. The charge of the flexible liposomes became positive after encapsulation in TMC, and they remained stable in artificial tears. We assessed the safety of TMC-Lipo in cellular and zebrafish experiments and found that it can be safely used. In addition, treatment with TMC-Lipo significantly reduced H2O2-induced damage to ARPE-19 cells, restored mitochondrial membrane potential, and protected the cells. TMC-Lipo more easily reached the posterior ocular segment of the mice than liposome nanoparticles and attenuated blue-light-induced retinal cytopathy. Our study demonstrates that effective eye drop formulations can be developed based on trimethylated chitosan, which provides a promising approach for the treatment of ocular diseases.

The long-term effects of intermittent theta burst stimulation on Alzheimer's disease-type pathologies in APP/PS1 mice.

Intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS), an emerging and highly efficient paradigm of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), has been demonstrated to mitigate cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's disease. Previous clinical studies have shown that the cognitive improvement of iTBS could last several weeks after treatment. Nonetheless, it is largely uncertain how the long-term effects of iTBS treatment are sustained. To investigate whether iTBS has a long-term effect on AD-type pathologies, 6-month-old APP/PS1 mice are administrated with 30 consecutive days of iTBS treatment. After a 2-month interval, morphological alterations in the brain are examined by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence staining, while levels of associated proteins are assessed by Western blot at the age of 9 months. We find that iTBS treatment significantly diminishes Aß burden in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus of APP/PS1 mice. Moreover, we observe that iTBS treatment inhibits the expression of BACE1 and elevates the level of IDE, suggesting that the reduction of Aß load could be attributed to the inhibition of Aß production and facilitation of Aß degradation. Furthermore, iTBS treatment attenuates neuroinflammation, neuronal apoptosis, and synaptic loss in APP/PS1 mice. Collectively, these data indicate that 1 month of iTBS treatment ameliorates pathologies in the brain of AD mice for at least 2 months. We provide the novel evidence that iTBS may exert after-effects on AD-type pathologies via inhibition of Aß production and facilitation of Aß degradation.

The potential of activator protein 1 (AP-1) in cancer targeted therapy.

Activator protein-1 (AP-1) is a transcription factor that consists of a diverse group of members including Jun, Fos, Maf, and ATF. AP-1 involves a number of processes such as proliferation, migration, and invasion in cells. Dysfunctional AP-1 activity is associated with cancer initiation, development, invasion, migration and drug resistance. Therefore, AP-1 is a potential target for cancer targeted therapy. Currently, some small molecule inhibitors targeting AP-1 have been developed and tested, showing some anticancer effects. However, AP-1 is complex and diverse in its structure and function, and different dimers may play different roles in different type of cancers. Therefore, more research is needed to reveal the specific mechanisms of AP-1 in cancer, and how to select appropriate inhibitors and treatment strategies. Ultimately, this review summarizes the potential of combination therapy for cancer.

The correlation between modifications to corneal topography and changes in retinal vascular density and retinal thickness in myopic children after undergoing orthokeratology.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the relationship among changes in corneal topography, retinal vascular density, and retinal thickness in myopic children who underwent orthokeratology for 3 months. Method: Thirty children with myopia wore orthokeratology lenses for 3 months. Using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA), the retina was imaged as 6 × 6 mm en-face images at baseline and 3 months after orthokeratology. Cornea data was acquired by topography and analyzed by customer MATLAB software. The cornea was divided into 3 zones and 9 sectors. The relative corneal refractive power shift (RCRPS) was used in this study. Changes in retinal vascular density (RVDC) and retinal thickness change (RTC) were associated with RCRPS by using spearman test. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Result: A significant correlation was observed between the RVDC and the RCRPS in many regions (the r was 0.375 ~ 0.548, all p value <0.05). Significant positive correlations were found between RVDC in inner and outer temple regions with RCRPS at inner and outer nasal sectors. There were no significant correlations between RTC and RCRPS in other sectors except in the central cornea and the outer nasal retina (r:0.501, p:0.006). At baseline and 3 months after wearing the orthokeratology lens, no significant differences in the retinal microvasculature or thickness (p > 0.05) were observed at any regions. Conclusion: The correlation between the cornea and the retina was observed after orthokeratology. Cornea changes may affect regional retinal responses accordingly，which may explain how orthokeratology delays myopia progression partially.

Cingulate protein arginine methyltransferases 1 regulates peripheral hypersensitivity via fragile X messenger ribonucleoprotein.

The deficit of fragile X messenger ribonucleoprotein (FMRP) leads to intellectual disability in human and animal models, which also leads to desensitization of pain after nerve injury. Recently, it was shown that the protein arginine methyltransferases 1 (PRMT1) regulates the phase separation of FMRP. However, the role of PRMT1 in pain regulation has been less investigated. Here we showed that the downregulation of PRMT1 in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) contributes to the development of peripheral pain hypersensitivity. We observed that the peripheral nerve injury decreased the expression of PRMT1 in the ACC; knockdown of the PRMT1 via shRNA in the ACC decreased the paw withdrawal thresholds (PWTs) of naïve mice. Moreover, the deficits of FMRP abolished the effects of PRMT1 on pain sensation. Furthermore, overexpression of PRMT1 in the ACC increased the PWTs of mice with nerve injury. These observations indicate that the downregulation of cingulate PRMT1 was necessary and sufficient to develop peripheral hypersensitivity after nerve injury. Thus, we provided evidence that PRMT1 is vital in regulating peripheral pain hypersensitivity after nerve injury via the FMRP.

Associations of Leisure Activities and Sleep Duration with Cognitive Function: A Nationwide Prospective Cohort Study of Chinese Old Adults.

BACKGROUND: Leisure activities and sleep duration are correlated and have been linked to cognitive function, but most studies have examined only one of these factors. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the independent and joint associations of leisure activities and sleep duration with cognitive function among older adults. METHODS: We included 7,796 participants aged≥65 years from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey during 2008-2018 (waves 5-8). Self-reported leisure activities and sleep duration were assessed at baseline, and cognitive function was measured repeatedly using the Chinese version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) at baseline and during follow-up. We used linear mixed models to estimate regression coefficients (ß) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS: The median follow-up duration was 5.77 years. After adjusting for each other and potential confounders, both lower leisure activity score (each 1-point decrease ß= -0.33, 95% CI: -0.36 to -0.30) and longer sleep duration (each 1-hour increase ß= -0.17, 95% CI: -0.22 to -0.11) were independently associated with lower MMSE score. Furthermore, we observed an additive interaction between leisure activities and sleep duration (pinteraction < 0.001). A combination of low leisure activity score and long sleep duration was strongly associated with decreased MMSE score (ß= -2.51, 95% CI: -2.85 to -2.16) compared with the group with combined high leisure activity score and normal sleep duration. CONCLUSION: Both leisure activities and sleep duration were independently associated with cognitive function. Moreover, the combination of leisure inactivity and prolonged sleep duration predicted worse cognitive function (a preclinical hallmark of Alzheimer's disease) in an additive manner.

The effect of orthokeratology lenses on optical quality and visual function in children.

Purpose: To assess changes in optical quality and visual function in children after 3 months of wearing orthokeratology (OK) lenses. Methods: A total of 25 myopic children aged 8-12 years were recruited and completed the follow-up study. Optical quality, visual function and corneal morphology were assessed at baseline and at follow-ups 1 and 3 months after wearing OK lenses. Optical quality parameters mainly included the modulation transfer function (MTF) cutoff, objective scattering index (OSI), Strehl ratio (SR) and the predicted visual acuities (PVAs). Visual function was assessed by visual acuity, monocular contrast sensitivity function (CSF) across five spatial frequencies and the area under the log contrast sensitivity function (AULCSF) that was also computed as an index for overall CSF. Results: The MTF cutoff and SR values both increased after 1 month of wearing the OK lenses (baseline vs. 1 month: P MTF = 0.008 and P SR = 0.049); this improvement plateaued after 3 months of lens wear (1 month vs. 3 months: P MTF = 0.626, P SR = 0.428). The corneal morphology also showed the similar change trend. The OSI showed the opposite change trend (baseline vs. 1 month: P OSI < 0.001; 1 month vs. 3 months: P OSI = 0.720). The mean CSF at 1.5 cpd decreased significantly after 1 month of wearing the lenses (baseline vs. 1 month: p = 0.001) and recovered after 3 months of lens wear (baseline vs. 3 months: p = 0.076). CSF at spatial frequencies of 3, 6, 12 and 18 cpd as well as the AULCSF did not significantly differ between any two timepoints (all Ps > 0.05). Conclusion: After 3 months of wearing OK lenses, the subjects exhibited a decrease in optical quality, similar to corneal morphology, whereas their visual function remained largely unchanged. Thus, the optical quality was more susceptible to OK lenses than visual function in children. The initial month of OK treatment of children is a key period to be paid close attention to deterioration of optical quality and visual function.

Effects of cerebellar transcranial alternating current stimulation in cerebellar ataxia: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

Background: Cerebellar ataxia (CA) is a movement disorder that can affect balance and gait, limb movement, oculomotor control, and cognition. Multiple system atrophy-cerebellar type (MSA-C) and spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) are the most common forms of CA, for which no effective treatment is currently available. Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) is a non-invasive method of brain stimulation supposed to alter cortical excitability and brain electrical activity, modulating functional connectivity within the brain. The cerebellar tACS can modulate the cerebellar outflow and cerebellum-linked behavior and it is a proven safe technique for humans. Therefore, the aim of this study is to 1) examine whether cerebellar tACS improves ataxia severity and various non-motor symptoms in a homogeneous cohort of CA patients consisting of MSA-C and SCA3, 2) explore the time course of these effects, and 3) assess the safety and tolerance of cerebellar tACS in all participants. Methods/design: This is a 2-week, triple-blind, randomised, sham-controlled study. 164 patients (MSA-C: 84, SCA3: 80) will be recruited and randomly assigned to either active cerebellar tACS or sham cerebellar tACS, in a 1:1 ratio. Patients, investigators, and outcome assessors are unaware of treatment allocation. Cerebellar tACS (40 min, 2 mA, ramp-up and down periods of 10s each) will be delivered over 10 sessions, distributed in two groups of five consecutive days with a two-day break in between. Outcomes are assessed after the tenth stimulation (T1), and after 1 month (T2) and 3 months (T3). The primary outcome measure is the difference between the active and sham groups in the proportion of patients with an improvement of 1.5 points in the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA) score after 2 weeks of treatment. In addition, effects on a variety of non-motor symptoms, quality of life, and autonomic nerve dysfunctions are assessed via relative scales. Gait imbalance, dysarthria, and finger dexterity are objectively valued via relative tools. Finally, functional magnetic resonance imaging is performed to explore the possible mechanism of treatment effects. Discussion: The results of this study will inform whether repeated sessions of active cerebellar tACS benefit CA patients and whether this form of non-invasive stimulation might be a novel therapeutic approach to consider in a neuro-rehabilitation setting.Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT05557786; https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05557786.

Excited-State THz Vibrations in Aggregates of PtII Complexes Contribute to the Enhancement of Near-Infrared Emission Efficiencies.

The exploration of deactivation mechanisms for near-infrared(NIR)-emissive organic molecules has been a key issue in chemistry, materials science and molecular biology. In this study, based on transient absorption spectroscopy and transient grating photoluminescence spectroscopy, we demonstrate that the aggregated PtII complex 4H (efficient NIR emitter) exhibits collective out-of-plane motions with a frequency of 32 cm-1 (0.96 THz) in the excited states. Importantly, similar THz characteristics were also observed in analogous PtII complexes with prominent NIR emission efficiency. The conservation of THz motions enables excited-state deactivation to proceed along low-frequency vibrational coordinates, contributing to the suppression of nonradiative decay and remarkable NIR emission. These novel results highlight the significance of excited-state vibrations in nonradiative processes, which serve as a benchmark for improving device performance.

Cone-Beam Computed Tomography Analysis on the Relationship between the Mandibular Third Molar and the Position of the Mandibular Canal in Koreans from the Yanbian Area and the Han People.

Objective: To analyze differences in the positional relationships between the mandibular third molar (MTM) and the mandibular canal in Korean and Han patients using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and to provide a basis for preoperative risk assessments. Materials and Methods: The CBCT imaging data of 260 Korean and Han patients were collected. The patients' genders, ages, impaction types and depths, relative positions between the MTMs and the mandibular nerve canals, and the shortest distances and shapes at the root tips and cortical bones were all recorded and analyzed. All data were compared using the nonparametric test, ordered logistic regression analysis, a chi-square test, and Fisher's exact test. Results: The relationship between the mandibular canal and the relative position of the MTM differed between Korean and Han patients, mainly in the different types of impactions, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The shortest distance between the mesioangular and horizontally impacted mandibular canals and the buccal side of the MTM in Korean patients was less than in Han patients, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). For horizontal impactions, the probability of cortical bone interruption was 1.980 times greater in Korean patients than in Han patients, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The significance threshold was set at 0.05. Conclusion: There are some differences in the positional relationship between the mandibular canal in the MTM region and the rate of cortical bone disruption between Koreans from the Yanbian area and the Hans. This should gain clinical attention.

Age-Related Association Between APOE ɛ4 and Cognitive Progression in de novo Parkinson's Disease.

BACKGROUND: APOE ɛ4 genotype was correlated with exacerbation of pathology and higher risk of dementia in Parkinson's disease (PD). Meanwhile, the differential influence of APOE ɛ4 on cognition in young and old individuals interpreted as antagonistic pleiotropy. OBJECTIVE: To examine whether the effect of APOE ɛ4 on cognitive progression in de novo PD is age dependent. METHODS: In this study, 613 de novo PD patients were recruited from Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI). To examine the age-dependent relationship between APOE ɛ4 and cognitive changes, we added 3-way interaction of APOE ɛ4*baseline age*time to the linear mixed-effect (LME) models and evaluated the specific roles of APOE ɛ4 in the middle age group and elderly group separately. Cox regression was utilized to examine the progression of cognition in age-stratified PD participants. RESULTS: Age significantly modified relationship between APOE ɛ4 and cognitive changes in most cognitive domains (pinteraction <0.05). In the elderly group, APOE ɛ4 carriers showed steeper decline in global cognition (p = 0.001) as well as in most cognitive domains, and they had a greater risk of cognitive progression (adjusted HR 1.625, 95% CI 1.143-2.310, p = 0.007), compared with non-carriers. However, in the middle age group, no significant relationships between APOE ɛ4 and cognitive decline can be detected. CONCLUSION: Our results indicated that the APOE ɛ4 allele has an age-dependent effect on cognitive decline in PD patients. The underlying mechanisms need to be investigated in the future.

Radical annulation using a radical reagent as a two-carbon unit.

Radical annulation has emerged as one of the most efficient and straightforward methods for synthesizing cyclic/polycyclic compounds as the core structures can be constructed through a single procedure comprising multiple bond-forming steps. Particularly, radical annulation using a radical reagent as a cyclization partner and two-carbon unit greatly expands the diversity of cyclic skeletons and the functionality of radical reagents. We herein have highlighted the representative processes reported in the past decade for radical annulation using a radical reagent as a two-carbon unit, including [2 + 2 + 2], [3 + 2], [4 + 2], and [5 + 2] modes, with an emphasis on their reaction mechanisms. These studies not only pave the way toward annulation but also provide insight into the exploration of a new reaction mode for radical chemistry.