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1.
Front Psychol ; 14: 1154243, 2023.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37377699

RESUMO

As COVID-19 continues to spread worldwide, the record number of graduates in China and pressure resulting from the economic downturn have led to low confidence in employment among college students, and the difficulties associated with career decision-making have gradually developed into a psychological barrier to the successful employment of Chinese college students. Using the "purposive sampling" approach to qualitative research, this study selected 20 undergraduates exhibiting delayed employment from a university as our research sample and used the career self-management model of social cognitive career theory (SCCT) as an analytical framework to conduct semistructured interviews with the aim of exploring influencing factors associated with and generation mechanism underlying the career decision-making difficulties experienced by Chinese undergraduates during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the career self-management model of SCCT theory, the four variables of individual, parents, peers and social environment influence Chinese undergraduates' career decision-making difficulties. On this basis, this study proposes a multivariable and single-subject generation mechanism to explain undergraduates' career decision-making difficulties and tries to explicate the mental changes associated with the career decision-making difficulties encountered by undergraduates exhibiting delayed employment by reference to mind sponge theory.

2.
Med Phys ; 50(3): e25-e52, 2023 Mar.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36512742

RESUMO

Since the publication of AAPM Task Group (TG) 148 on quality assurance (QA) for helical tomotherapy, there have been many new developments on the tomotherapy platform involving treatment delivery, on-board imaging options, motion management, and treatment planning systems (TPSs). In response to a need for guidance on quality control (QC) and QA for these technologies, the AAPM Therapy Physics Committee commissioned TG 306 to review these changes and make recommendations related to these technology updates. The specific objectives of this TG were (1) to update, as needed, recommendations on tolerance limits, frequencies and QC/QA testing methodology in TG 148, (2) address the commissioning and necessary QA checks, as a supplement to Medical Physics Practice Guidelines (MPPG) with respect to tomotherapy TPS and (3) to provide risk-based recommendations on the new technology implemented clinically and treatment delivery workflow. Detailed recommendations on QA tests and their tolerance levels are provided for dynamic jaws, binary multileaf collimators, and Synchrony motion management. A subset of TPS commissioning and QA checks in MPPG 5.a. applicable to tomotherapy are recommended. In addition, failure mode and effects analysis has been conducted among TG members to obtain multi-institutional analysis on tomotherapy-related failure modes and their effect ranking.


Assuntos
Radioterapia de Intensidade Modulada , Radioterapia de Intensidade Modulada/métodos , Planejamento da Radioterapia Assistida por Computador/métodos , Dosagem Radioterapêutica , Controle de Qualidade , Imagens de Fantasmas
3.
Front Public Health ; 10: 940285, 2022.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35844886

RESUMO

Public health crises pose challenges for governments and health systems, and the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has presented major challenges to humans worldwide. In the context of COVID-19 in China, we explore the impacts of the pandemic on the mental health of undergraduate students. We examine pandemic prevention and control measures in Chinese universities through a rapid review and use our findings to explain the difficulties that undergraduate students face. Moreover, our analysis examines the impacts on five aspects of mental health: emotional aspects, personality, interpersonal relationships, learning behavior and employment options. Additionally, we provide implications in four areas based on the application of the study: strengthening psychological intervention, promoting government information disclosure, improving family communication and adjusting self-awareness.


Assuntos
COVID-19 , COVID-19/epidemiologia , China/epidemiologia , Humanos , Saúde Mental , SARS-CoV-2 , Estudantes/psicologia
4.
JCI Insight ; 7(4)2022 02 22.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35041619

RESUMO

Defective primary cilia cause a range of diseases called ciliopathies, which include hearing loss (HL). Variants in the human oxysterol-binding protein like 2 (OSBPL2/ORP2) are responsible for autosomal dominant nonsyndromic HL (DFNA67). However, the pathogenesis of OSBPL2 deficiency has not been fully elucidated. In this study, we show that the Osbpl2-KO mice exhibited progressive HL and abnormal cochlear development with defective cilia. Further research revealed that OSBPL2 was located at the base of the kinocilia in hair cells (HCs) and primary cilia in supporting cells (SCs) and functioned in the maintenance of ciliogenesis by regulating the homeostasis of PI(4,5)P2 (phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate) on the cilia membrane. OSBPL2 deficiency led to a significant increase of PI(4,5)P2 on the cilia membrane, which could be partially rescued by the overexpression of INPP5E. In addition, smoothened and GL13, the key molecules in the Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) signaling pathway, were detected to be downregulated in Osbpl2-KO HEI-OC1 cells. Our findings revealed that OSBPL2 deficiency resulted in ciliary defects and abnormal Shh signaling transduction in auditory cells, which helped to elucidate the underlying mechanism of OSBPL2 deficiency in HL.


Assuntos
DNA/genética , Células Ciliadas Auditivas/patologia , Perda Auditiva/genética , Proteínas Hedgehog/genética , Mutação , Receptores de Esteroides/genética , Animais , Análise Mutacional de DNA , Modelos Animais de Doenças , Células Ciliadas Auditivas/metabolismo , Perda Auditiva/metabolismo , Perda Auditiva/patologia , Proteínas Hedgehog/metabolismo , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Camundongos Transgênicos , Receptores de Esteroides/metabolismo , Transdução de Sinais
5.
Stat Med ; 40(9): 2230-2238, 2021 04.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33576023

RESUMO

Estimation and inference are two key components toward the solution of any statistical problem; however, the inferential issues of statistical assessment of agreement among two or more raters have not been well developed as compared to the development of estimation procedures in this area. The fundamental reason for this gap is the complex expression of the concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) that is frequently used in assessing agreement among raters. Large sample-based statistical tests for CCC often fail to produce desired results for small samples. Hence, inferential procedures for small samples are urgently needed to evaluate agreement between raters. We argue that hypothesis testing of CCC has little value in practice due to the absence of a gold standard of agreement. In this article, we construct the generalized confidence interval (GCI) for CCC utilizing a bivariate normal distribution of measurements, and also develop a large sample-based confidence interval (LSCI). We establish satisfactory performance of GCI by providing the desired coverage probability (CP) via simulation. Results of GCI and LSCI are illustrated and compared with a data set of a recent study performed at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Hines.


Assuntos
Modelos Estatísticos , Projetos de Pesquisa , Simulação por Computador , Intervalos de Confiança , Humanos , Variações Dependentes do Observador , Reprodutibilidade dos Testes
6.
Biochem Biophys Res Commun ; 521(1): 42-49, 2020 01 01.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31629475

RESUMO

In our previous study, Oxysterol-binding protein-related protein 2 (OSBPL2) was first identified as a new deafness-causative gene contribute to non-syndromic hearing loss. However, the underlying mechanism of OSBPL2-induced hearing loss remains unknown. Here, we used hearing-specific cells and tissues OC-1 cells and zebrafish inner ear tissues as models to identify common transcriptome changes in genes and pathways in the absence of human OSBPL2 orthologues by RNA-seq analysis. In total, 2112 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between wild-type (WT) and Osbpl2-/- OC-1 cells, and 877 DEGs were identified between WT and osbpl2b-/- zebrafish inner ear tissues. Functional annotation implicated Osbpl2/osbpl2b in lipid metabolism, cell adhesion and the extracellular matrix in both OC-1 cells and zebrafish inner ear tissues. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis indicated that Osbpl2/osbpl2b were also involved in ubiquitination. Further experiments showed that Osbpl2-/- OC-1 cells exhibited an abnormal focal adhesion morphology characterized by inhibited FAK activity and impaired cell adhesion. In conclusion, we identified novel pathways modulated by OSBPL2 orthologues, providing new insight into the mechanism of hearing loss induced by OSBPL2 deficiency.


Assuntos
Orelha Interna/metabolismo , Receptores de Esteroides/genética , Animais , Adesão Celular , Células Cultivadas , Orelha Interna/patologia , Matriz Extracelular/metabolismo , Humanos , Metabolismo dos Lipídeos , Análise de Componente Principal , Controle de Qualidade , Receptores de Esteroides/deficiência , Análise de Sequência de RNA , Transcriptoma , Peixe-Zebra/genética
7.
Cell Death Dis ; 10(9): 627, 2019 08 19.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31427568

RESUMO

Oxysterol-binding protein like 2 (OSBPL2) was identified as a novel causal gene for autosomal dominant nonsyndromic hearing loss. However, the pathogenesis of OSBPL2 deficits in ADNSHL was still unclear. The function of OSBPL2 as a lipid-sensing regulator in multiple cellular processes suggested that OSBPL2 might play an important role in the regulation of cholesterol-homeostasis, which was essential for inner ear. In this study the potential roles of OSBPL2 in cholesterol biosynthesis and ROS production were investigated in Osbpl2-KO OC1 cells and osbpl2b-KO zebrafish. RNA-seq-based analysis suggested that OSBPL2 was implicated in cholesterol biosynthesis and AMPK signaling pathway. Furthermore, Osbpl2/osbpl2b-KO resulted in a reduction of AMPK activity and up-regulation of Srebp2/srebp2, Hmgcr/hmgcr and Hmgcs1/hmgcs1, key genes in the sterol biosynthetic pathway and associated with AMPK signaling. In addition, OSBPL2 was also found to interact with ATIC, key activator of AMPK. The levels of total cholesterol and ROS in OC1 cells or zebrafish inner ear were both increased in Osbpl2/osbpl2b-KO mutants and the mitochondrial damage was detected in Osbpl2-KO OC1 cells. This study uncovered the regulatory roles of OSBPL2 in cellular cholesterol biosynthesis and ROS production. These founds might contribute to the deep understanding of the pathogenesis of OSBPL2 mutation in ADNSHL.


Assuntos
Proteínas Quinases Ativadas por AMP/antagonistas & inibidores , Colesterol/biossíntese , Perda Auditiva/genética , Espécies Reativas de Oxigênio/metabolismo , Receptores de Esteroides/genética , Proteínas de Peixe-Zebra/genética , Proteínas Quinases Ativadas por AMP/metabolismo , Animais , Deleção de Genes , Técnicas de Inativação de Genes , Células HEK293 , Perda Auditiva/metabolismo , Humanos , Receptores de Esteroides/metabolismo , Transdução de Sinais , Peixe-Zebra , Proteínas de Peixe-Zebra/metabolismo
8.
Neurology ; 91(3): e258-e267, 2018 07 17.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29950436

RESUMO

OBJECTIVE: To assess the reliability and usefulness of an EEG-based brain-computer interface (BCI) for patients with advanced amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) who used it independently at home for up to 18 months. METHODS: Of 42 patients consented, 39 (93%) met the study criteria, and 37 (88%) were assessed for use of the Wadsworth BCI. Nine (21%) could not use the BCI. Of the other 28, 27 (men, age 28-79 years) (64%) had the BCI placed in their homes, and they and their caregivers were trained to use it. Use data were collected by Internet. Periodic visits evaluated BCI benefit and burden and quality of life. RESULTS: Over subsequent months, 12 (29% of the original 42) left the study because of death or rapid disease progression and 6 (14%) left because of decreased interest. Fourteen (33%) completed training and used the BCI independently, mainly for communication. Technical problems were rare. Patient and caregiver ratings indicated that BCI benefit exceeded burden. Quality of life remained stable. Of those not lost to the disease, half completed the study; all but 1 patient kept the BCI for further use. CONCLUSION: The Wadsworth BCI home system can function reliably and usefully when operated by patients in their homes. BCIs that support communication are at present most suitable for people who are severely disabled but are otherwise in stable health. Improvements in BCI convenience and performance, including some now underway, should increase the number of people who find them useful and the extent to which they are used.


Assuntos
Esclerose Lateral Amiotrófica/terapia , Interfaces Cérebro-Computador/normas , Serviços de Assistência Domiciliar/normas , Autocuidado/normas , Terapia Assistida por Computador/normas , United States Department of Veterans Affairs/normas , Adulto , Idoso , Esclerose Lateral Amiotrófica/diagnóstico , Esclerose Lateral Amiotrófica/fisiopatologia , Interfaces Cérebro-Computador/tendências , Eletroencefalografia/normas , Eletroencefalografia/tendências , Serviços de Assistência Domiciliar/tendências , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Autocuidado/tendências , Terapia Assistida por Computador/tendências , Estados Unidos/epidemiologia , United States Department of Veterans Affairs/tendências
9.
Front Aging Neurosci ; 6: 123, 2014.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24987368

RESUMO

Increase of inhibitor-2 of protein phosphatase-2A [Formula: see text] is associated with protein phosphatase-2A (PP2A) inhibition and tau hyperphosphorylation in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Down-regulating [Formula: see text] attenuated amyloidogenesis and improved the cognitive functions in transgenic mice expressing amyloid precursor protein (tg2576). Here, we found that silencing [Formula: see text] by hippocampal infusion of [Formula: see text] down-regulated [Formula: see text] (~45%) with reduction of tau phosphorylation/accumulation, improvement of memory deficits, and dendritic plasticity in 12-month-old human tau transgenic mice. Silencing [Formula: see text] not only restored PP2A activity but also inhibited glycogen synthase kinase-3ß (GSK-3ß) with a significant activation of protein kinase A (PKA) and Akt. In HEK293/tau and N2a/tau cells, silencing [Formula: see text] by [Formula: see text] also significantly reduced tau hyperphosphorylation with restoration of PP2A activity and inhibition of GSK-3ß, demonstrated by the decreased GSK-3ß total protein and mRNA levels, and the increased inhibitory phosphorylation of GSK-3ß at serine-9. Furthermore, activation of PKA but not Akt mediated the inhibition of GSK-3ß by [Formula: see text] silencing. We conclude that targeting [Formula: see text] can improve tau pathologies and memory deficits in human tau transgenic mice, and activation of PKA contributes to GSK-3ß inhibition induced by silencing [Formula: see text]in vitro, suggesting that [Formula: see text] is a promising multiple target of AD.

10.
Mol Ther ; 21(12): 2247-57, 2013 Dec.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-23922015

RESUMO

Deficits of protein phosphatase-2A (PP2A) play a crucial role in tau hyperphosphorylation, amyloid overproduction, and synaptic suppression of Alzheimer's disease (AD), in which PP2A is inactivated by the endogenously increased inhibitory protein, namely inhibitor-2 of PP2A (I2(PP2A)). Therefore, in vivo silencing I2(PP2A) may rescue PP2A and mitigate AD neurodegeneration. By infusion of lentivirus-shRNA targeting I2(PP2A) (LV-siI2(PP2A)) into hippocampus and frontal cortex of 11-month-old tg2576 mice, we demonstrated that expression of LV-siI2(PP2A) decreased remarkably the elevated I2(PP2A) in both mRNA and protein levels. Simultaneously, the PP2A activity was restored with the mechanisms involving reduction of the inhibitory binding of I2(PP2A) to PP2A catalytic subunit (PP2AC), repression of the inhibitory Leu309-demethylation and elevation of PP2AC. Silencing I2(PP2A) induced a long-lasting attenuation of amyloidogenesis in tg2576 mice with inhibition of amyloid precursor protein hyperphosphorylation and ß-secretase activity, whereas simultaneous inhibition of PP2A abolished the antiamyloidogenic effects of I2(PP2A) silencing. Finally, silencing I2(PP2A) could improve learning and memory of tg2576 mice with preservation of several memory-associated components. Our data reveal that targeting I2(PP2A) can efficiently rescue Aß toxicities and improve the memory deficits in tg2576 mice, suggesting that I2(PP2A) could be a promising target for potential AD therapies.


Assuntos
Doença de Alzheimer/terapia , Lentivirus/genética , Proteínas Oncogênicas/antagonistas & inibidores , Proteínas Oncogênicas/genética , Proteína Fosfatase 2/metabolismo , Interferência de RNA , Proteínas tau/metabolismo , Doença de Alzheimer/genética , Doença de Alzheimer/metabolismo , Doença de Alzheimer/patologia , Peptídeos beta-Amiloides/metabolismo , Animais , Domínio Catalítico , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Proteínas de Ligação a DNA , Modelos Animais de Doenças , Regulação da Expressão Gênica , Vetores Genéticos , Células HEK293 , Hipocampo/metabolismo , Chaperonas de Histonas , Humanos , Lentivirus/metabolismo , Camundongos , Camundongos Transgênicos , Terapia de Alvo Molecular , Proteína Fosfatase 2/química , RNA Interferente Pequeno/genética
11.
Biochim Biophys Acta ; 1833(5): 1235-43, 2013 May.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-23428800

RESUMO

Protein phosphatase-2A (PP2A), an important phosphatase in dephosphorylating tau and preserving synapse, is significantly suppressed in Alzheimer's disease (AD), but the mechanism is not well understood. Here, we studied whether phosphotyrosyl phosphatase activator (PTPA) could activate PP2A by reducing its inhibitory phosphorylation at tyrosine 307 (P-PP2AC). We found that overexpression of PTPA activated PP2A by decreasing the level of P-PP2AC with reduced phosphorylation of tau, while knockdown of PTPA inhibited PP2A by increasing the level of P-PP2AC with enhanced tau phosphorylation. We also observed that expression of PTPA could upregulate the protein and mRNA levels of protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) and simultaneous downregulation of PTP1B eliminated PTPA-induced PP2A activation. Importantly, we also found that the protein level of PTPA is downregulated in the brains of AD patients, and the AD transgenic mouse models with expression of mutant human amyloid precursor protein (hAPP) or the longest human tau (htau), respectively. Our data indicate that PTPA may activate PP2A through activating PTP1B and thus reducing the level of P-PP2AC, therefore upregulation of PTPA may represent a potential strategy in rescuing PP2A and arresting tau pathology in AD.


Assuntos
Doença de Alzheimer/metabolismo , Fosfoproteínas Fosfatases/metabolismo , Proteína Fosfatase 2/metabolismo , Proteína Tirosina Fosfatase não Receptora Tipo 1/metabolismo , Doença de Alzheimer/patologia , Precursor de Proteína beta-Amiloide/metabolismo , Animais , Encéfalo/metabolismo , Encéfalo/patologia , Regulação para Baixo , Humanos , Camundongos , Camundongos Transgênicos , Neurônios/metabolismo , Neurônios/patologia , Fosforilação , Tirosina/metabolismo , Regulação para Cima , Proteínas tau/metabolismo
12.
Ultrasonics ; 49(8): 779-85, 2009 Dec.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-19640556

RESUMO

We have previously reported on the equivalent scatterer size, attenuation coefficient, and axial strain properties of atherosclerotic plaque ex vivo. Since plaque structure and composition may be damaged during a carotid endarterectomy procedure, characterization of in vivo properties of atherosclerotic plaque is essential. The relatively shallow depth of the carotid artery and plaque enables non-invasive evaluation of carotid plaque utilizing high frequency linear-array transducers. We investigate the ability of the attenuation coefficient and equivalent scatterer size parameters to differentiate between calcified, and lipidic plaque tissue. Softer plaques especially lipid rich and those with a thin fibrous cap are more prone to rupture and can be classified as unstable or vulnerable plaque. Preliminary results were obtained from 10 human patients whose carotid artery was scanned in vivo to evaluate atherosclerotic plaque prior to a carotid endarterectomy procedure. Our results indicate that the equivalent scatterer size obtained using Faran's scattering theory for calcified regions are in the 120-180 microm range while softer regions have larger equivalent scatterer size distribution in the 280-470 microm range. The attenuation coefficient for calcified regions as expected is significantly higher than that for softer regions. In the frequency bandwidth ranging from 2.5 to 7.5 MHz, the attenuation coefficient for calcified regions lies between 1.4 and 2.5 dB/cm/MHz, while that for softer regions lies between 0.3 and 1.3 dB/cm/MHz.


Assuntos
Algoritmos , Estenose das Carótidas/diagnóstico por imagem , Aumento da Imagem/métodos , Interpretação de Imagem Assistida por Computador/métodos , Imageamento Tridimensional/métodos , Ultrassonografia Doppler/métodos , Humanos , Projetos Piloto , Reprodutibilidade dos Testes , Espalhamento de Radiação , Sensibilidade e Especificidade
13.
J Alzheimers Dis ; 16(1): 39-47, 2009.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-19158420

RESUMO

The autophagic lysosomal system contributes to the removal of cytosolic components, and abnormality of lysosomal proteases has been reported in the brain of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the role of lysosome in tau degradation is still elusive. Here, we infused chloroquine, 3-methyladenine or rapamycin into rat hippocampus or the lateral ventricle to manipulate the autophagic activity and measured the levels of tau protein by Western blotting. We unexpectedly observed that the level of different tau species decreased upon inhibition of lysosomal proteases or macroautophagy by chloroquine or 3-methyladenine. Furthermore, induction of autophagic activity by rapamycin did not induce degradation of tau proteins. To explore the underlying mechanisms for the increased tau degradation induced by autophagic inhibition, we used MG-132, an inhibitor of proteasome and calpain. We found that simultaneous inhibition of proteasome and calpain by MG-132 prevented the chloroquine-induced tau degradation. Further studies demonstrated that the activity of calpain was elevated whereas the activity of proteasome was suppressed in response to inhibition of autophagy by 3-methyladenine or chloroquine. Our data suggest that the lysosomal autophagic system may not degrade tau in the normal adult rat brain and inhibition of autophagy may induce tau proteolysis through activating calpain.


Assuntos
Autofagia/fisiologia , Calpaína/metabolismo , Proteínas tau/metabolismo , Animais , Antibacterianos/farmacologia , Autofagia/efeitos dos fármacos , Western Blotting , Calpaína/antagonistas & inibidores , Cloroquina/farmacologia , Quimotripsina/metabolismo , Ativação Enzimática/fisiologia , Lisossomos/enzimologia , Masculino , Inibidores de Proteases/administração & dosagem , Inibidores de Proteases/farmacologia , Complexo de Endopeptidases do Proteassoma/metabolismo , Inibidores de Proteassoma , Ratos , Ratos Sprague-Dawley , Sirolimo/farmacologia , Tripsina/metabolismo
14.
Phys Med Biol ; 53(22): 6377-94, 2008 Nov 21.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-18941278

RESUMO

In this paper, we explore two parameters or strain indices related to plaque deformation during the cardiac cycle, namely, the maximum accumulated axial strain in plaque and the relative lateral shifts between plaque and vessel wall under in vivo clinical ultrasound imaging conditions for possible identification of vulnerable plaque. These strain indices enable differentiation between calcified and lipidic plaque tissue utilizing a new perspective based on the stiffness and mobility of the plaque. In addition, they also provide the ability to distinguish between softer plaques that undergo large deformations during the cardiac cycle when compared to stiffer plaque tissue. Soft plaques that undergo large deformations over the cardiac cycle are more prone to rupture and to release micro-emboli into the cerebral bloodstream. The ability to identify vulnerable plaque, prone to rupture, would significantly enhance the clinical utility of this method for screening patients. We present preliminary in vivo results obtained from ultrasound radio frequency data collected over 16 atherosclerotic plaque patients before these patients undergo a carotid endarterectomy procedure. Our preliminary in vivo results indicate that the maximum accumulated axial strain over a cardiac cycle and the maximum relative lateral shift or displacement of the plaque are useful strain indices that provide differentiation between soft and calcified plaques.


Assuntos
Aterosclerose/diagnóstico por imagem , Estenose das Carótidas/diagnóstico por imagem , Idoso , Aterosclerose/complicações , Aterosclerose/patologia , Aterosclerose/cirurgia , Calcinose/complicações , Calcinose/diagnóstico por imagem , Calcinose/patologia , Estenose das Carótidas/complicações , Estenose das Carótidas/patologia , Estenose das Carótidas/cirurgia , Endarterectomia das Carótidas , Humanos , Curva ROC , Ultrassonografia
15.
Ultrasound Med Biol ; 34(10): 1622-37, 2008 Oct.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-18514999

RESUMO

Two anthropomorphic uterine phantoms were developed that allow assessment and comparison of strain imaging systems adapted for use with saline-infused sonohysterography (SIS). Tissue-mimicking (TM) materials consist of dispersions of safflower oil in gelatin. TM fibroids are stiffer than the TM myometrium/cervix, and TM polyps are softer. The first uterine phantom has 3-mm-diameter TM fibroids distributed randomly in TM myometrium. The second uterine phantom has a 5-mm and 8-mm spherical TM fibroid, in addition to a 5-mm spherical and a 12.5-mm-long (medicine capsule-shaped) TM endometrial polyp protruding into the endometrial cavity; also, a 10-mm spherical TM fibroid projects from the serosal surface. Strain images using the first phantom show the stiffer 3-mm TM fibroids in the myometrium. Results from the second uterine phantom show that, as expected, parts of inclusions projecting into the uterine cavity will appear very stiff, whether they are stiff or soft. Results from both phantoms show that although there is a five-fold difference in the Young's moduli values, there is not a significant difference in the strain in the transition from the TM myometrium to the TM fat. These phantoms allow for realistic comparison and evolution of SIS strain imaging techniques and can aid clinical personnel to develop skills for SIS strain imaging.


Assuntos
Técnicas de Imagem por Elasticidade/métodos , Endossonografia/métodos , Imagens de Fantasmas , Neoplasias Uterinas/diagnóstico por imagem , Técnicas de Imagem por Elasticidade/instrumentação , Endossonografia/instrumentação , Desenho de Equipamento , Feminino , Gelatina , Humanos , Leiomioma/diagnóstico por imagem , Teste de Materiais/métodos , Pólipos/diagnóstico por imagem , Óleo de Cártamo , Cloreto de Sódio
16.
Ultrasound Med Biol ; 34(10): 1666-77, 2008 Oct.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-18490099

RESUMO

Many ultrasonic parameters, primarily related to attenuation and scatterer size, have been used to characterize the composition of atherosclerotic plaque tissue. In this study, we combine elastographic (axial strain ratio) and ultrasonic tissue characterization parameters, namely the attenuation coefficient and a scattering parameter associated with an "equivalent" scatterer size to delineate between fibrous, calcified, and lipidic plaque tissue. We present results obtained from 44 ex vivo atherosclerotic plaque specimens obtained after carotid endarterectomy on human patients. Our results in the frequency range 2.5 - 7.5 MHz indicate that softer plaques (with higher values of the strain ratio) are usually associated with larger equivalent scatterer size estimates (200 - 500 microm) and lower values of the attenuation coefficient slope (<1 dB/cm/MHz). On the other hand, stiffer plaques (with lower strain ratio values) are associated with smaller equivalent scatterer size estimates (100 - 200 microm) and higher values of the attenuation coefficient slope (1 - 3 dB/cm/MHz). These results indicate that ultrasonic tissue characterization and strain parameters have the potential to differentiate between different plaque types. These parameters can be estimated from radio-frequency data acquired under in vivo conditions and may help the clinician decide on appropriate interventional techniques.


Assuntos
Aterosclerose/diagnóstico por imagem , Doenças das Artérias Carótidas/diagnóstico por imagem , Técnicas de Imagem por Elasticidade/métodos , Aterosclerose/fisiopatologia , Aterosclerose/cirurgia , Calcinose/diagnóstico por imagem , Calcinose/fisiopatologia , Doenças das Artérias Carótidas/fisiopatologia , Doenças das Artérias Carótidas/cirurgia , Elasticidade , Endarterectomia das Carótidas , Gelatina , Humanos , Interpretação de Imagem Assistida por Computador/métodos , Imagens de Fantasmas
17.
Neurochem Res ; 33(9): 1811-20, 2008 Sep.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-18338250

RESUMO

Protein kinase A (PKA) plays a crucial role in tau hyperphosphorylation, an early event of Alzheimer disease (AD), and 17beta-estradiol replacement in aging women forestalls the onset of AD. However, the role of estradiol in PKA-induced tau hyperphosphorylation is not known. Here, we investigated the effect of 17beta-estradiol on cAMP/PKA activity and the PKA-induced tau hyperphosphorylation in HEK293 cells stably expressing tau441. We found that 17beta-estradiol effectively attenuated forskolin-induced overactivation of PKA and elevation of cAMP, and thus prevented tau from hyperphosphorylation. These data provide the first evidence that 17beta-estradiol can inhibit PKA overactivation and the PKA-induced tau hyperphosphorylation, implying a preventive role of 17beta-estradiol in AD-like tau pathology.


Assuntos
Proteínas Quinases Dependentes de AMP Cíclico/metabolismo , Estradiol/metabolismo , Proteínas tau/metabolismo , Doença de Alzheimer/metabolismo , Doença de Alzheimer/patologia , Animais , Linhagem Celular , Colforsina/farmacologia , AMP Cíclico/metabolismo , Proteínas Quinases Dependentes de AMP Cíclico/genética , Estradiol/farmacologia , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Fosforilação/efeitos dos fármacos , Proteínas Recombinantes de Fusão/genética , Proteínas Recombinantes de Fusão/metabolismo , Regulação para Cima
18.
J Neural Transm (Vienna) ; 115(6): 879-88, 2008 Jun.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-18217188

RESUMO

Decline of estrogen is associated with high incidence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) characterized pathologically with tau hyperphosphorylation, and glycogen synthase kinase-3beta (GSK-3beta) is a major tau kinase. However, the role of estrogen on GSK3beta-induced tau hyperphosphorylation is elusive. Here, we treated N2a cells with wortmannin (Wort) and GF-109203X (GFX) or gene transfection to activate GSK-3beta and to induce tau hyperphosphorylation and then the effects of 17beta-estradiol (betaE2) on tau phosphorylation and GSK-3beta activity were studied. We found that betaE2 could attenuate tau hyperphosphorylation at multiple AD-related sites, including Ser396/404, Thr231, Thr205, and Ser199/202, induced by Wort/GFX or transient overexpression of GSK-3beta. Simultaneously, it increased the level of Ser9-phosphorylated (inactive) GSK-3beta. To study whether the protective effect of betaE2 on GSK-3beta and tau phosphorylation involves protein kinase B (Akt), an upstream effector of GSK-3, we transiently expressed the dominant negative Akt (dnAkt) in the cells. We found that betaE2 could attenuate Wort/GFX-induced GSK-3beta activation and tau hyperphosphorylation with Akt-independent manner. It suggests that betaE2 may arrest AD-like tau hyperphosphorylation by directly targeting GSK-3beta.


Assuntos
Doença de Alzheimer/metabolismo , Estradiol/farmacologia , Quinase 3 da Glicogênio Sintase/metabolismo , Neurônios/metabolismo , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas c-akt/metabolismo , Proteínas tau/metabolismo , Androstadienos/farmacologia , Animais , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Citoproteção/efeitos dos fármacos , Citoproteção/genética , Ativação Enzimática/efeitos dos fármacos , Ativação Enzimática/genética , Inibidores Enzimáticos/farmacologia , Quinase 3 da Glicogênio Sintase/efeitos dos fármacos , Glicogênio Sintase Quinase 3 beta , Indóis/farmacologia , Maleimidas/farmacologia , Camundongos , Emaranhados Neurofibrilares/efeitos dos fármacos , Emaranhados Neurofibrilares/metabolismo , Emaranhados Neurofibrilares/patologia , Neurônios/efeitos dos fármacos , Fármacos Neuroprotetores/metabolismo , Fármacos Neuroprotetores/farmacologia , Fosforilação/efeitos dos fármacos , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas c-akt/efeitos dos fármacos , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas c-akt/genética , Transfecção/métodos , Regulação para Cima/efeitos dos fármacos , Regulação para Cima/genética , Wortmanina , Proteínas tau/efeitos dos fármacos
19.
Ultrason Imaging ; 29(1): 15-30, 2007 Jan.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-17491296

RESUMO

Many studies have shown that atherosclerosis changes the ultrasonic attenuation properties of the vessel wall and plaque. Accurate estimation of the attenuation coefficient slope could therefore provide an early indication of atherosclerosis and the differentiation between low, mild and highly-attenuating plaque within the vessel. However, the traditional reference phantom method that fits the power spectrum in a region of interest fails to accurately estimate the attenuation coefficient for small irregular shaped ex-vivo plaque specimens. This discrepancy was primarily due to partial volume effects and the unknown backscatter coefficient of the plaque sample. We have developed a method based on the reference-phantom method that utilizes the difference in the acoustic power above and below the sample to accurately compute values of the attenuation coefficient ex vivo. Our results demonstrate that this approach overcomes the two drawbacks mentioned earlier and provides accurate estimates of the attenuation coefficient slope for small excised tissue samples.


Assuntos
Aterosclerose/diagnóstico por imagem , Aumento da Imagem/métodos , Ultrassonografia/métodos , Algoritmos , Humanos , Técnicas In Vitro , Modelos Estatísticos , Imagens de Fantasmas
20.
Neurochem Res ; 32(8): 1329-35, 2007 Aug.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-17401652

RESUMO

Decreased level of melatonin and hyperphosphorylation of neurofilament proteins have been reported in Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the direct evidence linking melatonin and neurofilament phosphorylation is still lacking. Here, we investigated the effect of inhibiting melatonin biosynthesis on phosphorylation of neurofilament proteins and the involvement of cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (cdk-5) in rats. We observed that injection of haloperidol, a specific inhibitor of 5-hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase, resulted in significantly decreased level of serum melatonin with a concomitantly increased phosphorylation of neurofilament proteins and activation of cdk-5 in rats. Exogenous supplementation of melatonin partially arrested the hyperphosphorylation of neurofilament and the activation of cdk-5. These results suggest that inhibition of melatonin biosynthesis may activate cdk-5 and thus induces Alzheimer-like hyperphosphorylation of neurofilament proteins.


Assuntos
Quinase 5 Dependente de Ciclina/metabolismo , Melatonina/biossíntese , Proteínas de Neurofilamentos/metabolismo , Doença de Alzheimer/metabolismo , Doença de Alzheimer/fisiopatologia , Animais , Córtex Cerebral/citologia , Córtex Cerebral/metabolismo , Antagonistas de Dopamina/metabolismo , Ativação Enzimática , Haloperidol/metabolismo , Hipocampo/citologia , Hipocampo/metabolismo , Humanos , Masculino , Melatonina/sangue , Fosforilação , Ratos , Ratos Wistar
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