Suppression of Pro-Inflammatory M1 Polarization of LPS-Stimulated RAW 264.7 Macrophage Cells by Fucoxanthin-Rich Sargassum hemiphyllum.

Macrophages play an important role in managing the onset and progression of chronic inflammatory diseases. The primary objective of this study is to explore the antioxidant potential and anti-inflammatory properties of Sargassum hemiphyllum ethanol extract (SHE) and its fraction. SHE and its five constituent fractions were assessed for overall antioxidant capabilities and inhibitory effects on LPS-induced inflammation by modulating macrophages polarization in both RAW 264.7 macrophages and bone-marrow-derived macrophages (BMDM). Among the organic solvent fractions of SHE, the ethyl acetate fraction displayed the highest total phenolic content and total antioxidant capacity. Notably, the n-hexane (Hex) fraction showed the most substantial suppression of LPS-induced tumor necrosis factor α secretion in BMDM among the five fractions of SHE. The SHE and Hex fraction significantly reduced the heightened expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and inflammation-inducible enzymes induced by LPS in RAW 264.7 macrophages. In particular, the SHE and Hex fraction inhibited M1 macrophage polarization by reducing the mRNA expression of M1 macrophage markers in macrophages that were polarized toward the M1 phenotype. Furthermore, the SHE and Hex fraction attenuated the induction in nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 and its target genes, which was accompanied by an alteration in antioxidant gene expression in M1-polarized BMDM. The findings suggest that both SHE and its Hex fraction exhibit inhibitory effects on LPS-triggered inflammation and oxidative stress by modulating the polarization of M1 macrophages within macrophage populations.

Additive Destabilization of Porous Magnesium Borohydride Framework with Core-Shell Structure.

Design of interfaces with thermodynamic and kinetic specificity is of great importance for hydrogen storage from both an applied and fundamental perspective. Here, in order to destabilize the metal hydride and protect the dehydrogenated products from oxidizing, a unique core-shell structure of porous Mg(BH4 )2 -based framework with a thin layer (no more than 5 nm) of MgCl2 additives on the surface, has been proposed and synthesized via a wet-chemical method. The local structure and electronic state of the present complex system are systematically investigated to understand the correlation between the distribution of additives and dehydrogenation property of Mg(BH4 )2 . A significant improvement is achieved for hydrogen desorption with chlorides: initial hydrogen release from MgCl2 decorated γ-phase Mg(BH4 )2 particles commences at 100 °C and reaches a maximum of 9.4 wt% at 385 °C. Besides the decreased decomposition temperature, an activation barrier of about 76.4 kJ mol-1 lower than that of Mg(BH4 )2 without MgCl2 is obtained. Moreover, MgCl2 decoration can also prevent the whole decomposed system (both Mg- and B- elements) from oxidizing, which is a necessary condition to reversibility.

Clinical Association Between Nasopharyngeal Reflux and Aspiration.

Nasopharyngeal reflux (NPR) is a disturbing phenomenon which interferes swallowing, and the occurrence of NPR is known to be related to aspiration prevalence. The aim of this study is to verify a hypothesis that aspiration will occur more severely in patients with severe NPR, and when it occurs before NPR. Through 2650 video review of videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) conducted between January 2013 and July 2017 in a tertiary hospital, 100 patients who presented with NPR (NPR group) and age/sex-matched 100 non-NPR patients were screened. The severities of NPR and that of aspiration were analyzed by using final refluxed space and Penetration-Aspiration Scale (PAS) scores. The mean PAS score was significantly higher in the NPR group than in the non-NPR group (p = 0.01). The mean PAS score was significantly high in patients who had a higher NPR grade (p < 0.01). The PAS score was higher when aspiration occurred before NPR (p = 0.02), whereas NPR was more severe when NPR preceded aspiration (p = 0.01). A high index of suspicion is necessary in patients with regurgitating symptom toward the nasopharynx and nasal cavity. Since the severity of the NPR and that of aspiration may differ according to the order of occurrence, biomechanical study through VFSS is important.

Correlation between preoperative somatosensory evoked potentials and intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring in spinal cord tumors.

Intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM) is widely used in spinal cord tumors (SCTs) removal surgery. This study mainly hypothesized that patients with prolonged latency of preoperative somatosensory evoked potentials (preSEPLat) would have more deteriorated intraoperative evoked potentials. Among 506 patients who underwent SCTs removal surgery, 74 underwent both preSEPs and IONM. The correlation between preSEPLat and intraoperative SEPs (ioSEPs) was mainly analyzed, and subgroup analysis according to anatomical type was also conducted. Secondly, whether preSEPLat related to intraoperative motor evoked potentials (ioMEPs) or postoperative motor deterioration (PMD) was analyzed. In addition, risk factors for PMD were examined among anatomical factors, including operation level, tumor-occupying area ratio, and anatomical type, as well as electrophysiological factors, such as preSEPLat, ioSEPs, and ioMEPs. Changes in ioSEP and ioMEP were considered significant even if they were recovered before the end of the monitoring. Patients with prolonged preSEPLat were more likely to have significant ioSEP changes for intradural-extramedullary (IDEM) but not for intramedullary or extradural tumors. The anatomical type and tumor-occupying area ratio were prognostic factors for transient PMD, while the ioSEPs were the only prognostic factor for persisted PMD over 4 weeks after surgery. PreSEPs are helpful in predicting the significant changes in ioSEPs during IDEM tumor removal surgery. The tumor-occupying area ratio and anatomical type are contributing factors for the transient PMD, whereas ioSEPs are prognostic factors in predicting the PMD that persists over 4 weeks after SCTs removal surgery. To our knowledge, this is the first study that mainly focused on the correlations of preoperative and intraoperative evoked potentials.

Dietary Patterns, Ceramide Ratios, and Risk of All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality: The Framingham Offspring Study.

BACKGROUND: Prior evidence suggests that diet modifies the association of blood ceramides with the risk of incident cardiovascular disease (CVD). It remains unknown if diet quality modifies the association of very long-chain-to-long-chain ceramide ratios with mortality in the community. OBJECTIVES: Our objectives were to determine how healthy dietary patterns associate with blood ceramide concentrations and to examine if healthy dietary patterns modify associations of ceramide ratios (C22:0/C16:0 and C24:0/C16:0) with all-cause and cause-specific mortality. METHODS: We examined 2157 participants of the Framingham Offspring Study (mean age = 66 y, 55% women). Blood ceramides were quantified using a validated assay. We evaluated prospective associations of the Dietary Guidelines Adherence Index (DGAI) and Mediterranean-style Diet Score (MDS) with incidence of all-cause and cause-specific mortality using Cox proportional hazards models. Cross-sectional associations of the DGAI and MDS with ceramides were evaluated using multivariable linear regression models. RESULTS: The C22:0/C16:0 and C24:0/C16:0 ceramide ratios were inversely associated with all-cause, CVD, and cancer mortality; multivariable-adjusted HRs (95% CIs) were 0.73 (0.67, 0.80) and 0.70 (0.63, 0.77) for all-cause mortality, 0.74 (0.60, 0.90) and 0.69 (0.55, 0.86) for CVD mortality, and 0.75 (0.65, 0.87) and 0.75 (0.64, 0.88) for cancer mortality, respectively. Inverse associations of the C22:0/C16:0 and C24:0/C16:0 ceramide ratios with cancer mortality were attenuated among individuals with a higher diet quality (DGAI or MDS above the median, all P-interaction ≤0.1). The DGAI and MDS had distinct associations with ceramide ratios (DGAI: lower C22:0/C16:0 across quartiles; MDS: higher C24:0/C16:0 across quartiles; all P-trend ≤0.01). CONCLUSION: In our community-based sample, ceramide ratios (C22:0/C16:0 and C24:0/C16:0) were associated with a lower risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality. Further, we observed that a higher overall diet quality attenuates the association between blood ceramide ratios and cancer mortality and that dietary patterns have distinct relations with ceramide ratios.

End-of-Life Care of Hospitalized Children with Advanced Heart Disease.

BACKGROUND: Despite improvements in palliative care for critically ill children, the characteristics of end-of-life care for pediatric patients with advanced heart disease are not well-known. We investigated these characteristics among hospitalized children with advanced heart disease in a tertiary referral center in Korea. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 136 patients with advanced heart disease who died in our pediatric department from January 2006 through December 2013. RESULTS: The median age of patients at death was 10.0 months (range 1 day-28.3 years). The median duration of the final hospitalization was 16.5 days (range 1-690 days). Most patients (94.1%) died in the intensive care unit and had received mechanical ventilation (89.7%) and inotropic agents (91.2%) within 24 hours of death. The parents of 74 patients (54.4%) had an end-of-life care discussion with their physician, and the length of stay of these patients in the intensive care unit and in hospital was longer. Of the 90 patients who had been hospitalized for 7 days or more, the parents of 54 patients (60%) had a documented end-of-life care discussion. The time interval from the end-of-life care discussion to death was 3 days or less for 25 patients. CONCLUSION: Children dying of advanced heart disease receive intensive treatment at the end of life. Discussions regarding end-of-life issues are often postponed until immediately prior to death. A pediatric palliative care program must be implemented to improve the quality of death in pediatric patients with heart disease.

The Association of Self-Reported Muscle-Strengthening Activities With Carotid Intima-Media Thickness in Older Adults: Cooper Center Longitudinal Study.

The purpose of the current investigation was to examine the cross-sectional associations of participation in muscle-strengthening activities (MSAs) with carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) among older adults. The data are from 2,557 older adult participants enrolled in an observational cohort who reported no history of cardiovascular disease. MSA was determined using a questionnaire. Carotid ultrasound was performed to measure the CIMT of the common carotid artery bilaterally. Logistic regression models were constructed to estimate the association of MSA with CIMT after adjustment for potential confounders. The participants were aged 68.6 ± 7.0 years, and the majority were male (71.7%) and White (96.5%); 18% had abnormal CIMT. Meeting the physical activity guidelines for MSA was inversely associated with abnormal CIMT after adjustment for age and sex. However, this observed inverse relation became statistically null after further adjustment for cardiovascular disease risk factors, including aerobic physical activity.

The Association of Physical Activity With Carotid Intima Media Thickening in a Healthy Older Population: Cooper Center Longitudinal Study.

The purpose of this study was to examine the association between self-reported physical activity (PA) and mean common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CCA IMT) among older adults. The data are from 1,811 Cooper Center Longitudinal Study participants, who were aged ≥60 years, with no history of cardiovascular disease. A medical history questionnaire was used to assess PA. Carotid ultrasound was performed to measure CCA IMT and the presence of plaque and stenosis. Logistic regression models were constructed to estimate the association between PA and CCA IMT after adjustment for covariates. The participants were aged 69.2 ± 5.9 years, and the majority were male (73.3%) and White (96.7%). The odds ratio of abnormal thickening of CCA IMT was 0.72 (95% confidence interval [0.54, 0.96]) in physically active participants (≥500 metabolic equivalent·min/week) after adjustment for covariates. In the current study, meeting PA guidelines in older adulthood was associated with lower odds of abnormal thickening of CCA IMT.

Ligand for translocator protein reverses pathology in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

Ligands of the translocator protein (TSPO) elicit pleiotropic neuroprotective effects that represent emerging treatment strategies for several neurodegenerative conditions. To investigate the potential of TSPO as a therapeutic target for Alzheimer's disease (AD), the current study assessed the effects of the TSPO ligand Ro5-4864 on the development of neuropathology in 3xTgAD mice. The effects of the TSPO ligand on neurosteroidogenesis and AD-related neuropathology, including ß-amyloid accumulation, gliosis, and behavioral impairment, were examined under both early intervention (7-month-old young-adult male mice with low pathology) and treatment (24-month-old, aged male mice with advanced neuropathology) conditions. Ro5-4864 treatment not only effectively attenuated development of neuropathology and behavioral impairment in young-adult mice but also reversed these indices in aged 3xTgAD mice. Reduced levels of soluble ß-amyloid were also observed by the combination of TSPO ligands Ro5-4864 and PK11195 in nontransgenic mice. These findings suggest that TSPO is a promising target for the development of pleiotropic treatment strategies for the management of AD.

Characteristics of Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease in children compared with adults.

Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease (KFD) is a benign, self-limiting disease characterized by cervical lymphadenopathy. Although it was primarily thought to be a disease of young adults, it has been increasingly recognized in children. To define the characteristics of KFD in children, we reviewed the medical records of patients younger than 18 years of age who were diagnosed with KFD from 2001 to 2012 at Korea University Medical Center, as well as worldwide published reports of KFD. A total of 140 pediatric patients and 733 patients of all ages was analyzed. Compared to the female predominance found in adults (2:1), young boys were more commonly affected than young girls (1.4:1). Cervical lymphadenopathy was the most common clinical finding in children, as it was in adults. Lymphadenopathy was more likely to be tender (69 vs. 44 %, p < 0.001) but less generalized (1 vs. 8 %, p < 0.05) in children compared to adults. Fever (82 vs. 35 %, p < 0.001) and rash (10 vs. 4 %, p < 0.05) were observed in children more commonly than in adults. Leukopenia was observed in 50 and 38 % of children and adults, respectively. Rates of recurrence and association with autoimmune diseases in children were comparable to those of adults. Cervical lymphadenopathy was the most common clinical manifestation of KFD in all ages. While fever and rash were more common in children with KFD compared to adults, generalized lymphadenopathy was rarer.

Single stranded 1D-helical Cu coordination polymer for ultra-sensitive ammonia sensing at room temperature.

With the increasing demand for ammonia applications, there is a significant focus on improving NH3 detection performance at room temperature. In this study, we introduce a groundbreaking NH3 gas sensor based on Cu(I)-based coordination polymers, featuring semiconducting, single stranded 1D-helical nanowires constructed from Cu-Cl and N-methylthiourea (MTCP). The MTCP demonstrates an exceptional response to NH3 gas (>900% at 100 ppm) and superior selectivity at room temperature compared to current materials. The interaction mechanism between NH3 and the MTCP sensor is elucidated through a combination of empirical results and computational calculations, leveraging a crystal-determined structure. This reveals the formation of NH3-Cu and NH3-H3C complexes, indicative of a thermodynamically favorable reaction. Additionally, Ag-doped MTCP exhibits higher selectivity and a response over two times greater than the original MTCP, establishing it as a prominent NH3 detection system at room temperature.

A combined extract containing Schisandra chinensis (SCE) reduced hepatic triglyceride accumulation in rats fed a high-sucrose diet.

Excessive hepatic lipid accumulation is closely linked to inflammation, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndromes. We hypothesized that a combined extract containing Schisandra chinensis (SCE) could alleviate hepatic lipid accumulation. Male Sprague-Dawley rats fed a high-sucrose diet (HSD) were randomly assigned to three groups (n = 6): normal diet (ND), HSD (60% kcal from sucrose), and HSD + SCE (HSD with 2.44% SCE). Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry revealed that SCE contains chlorogenic acid (5.514 ± 0.009 mg/g) and schisandrin (0.179 ± 0.002 mg/g) as bioactive components. SCE did not alter the body weight, fat mass, lean mass, or glucose levels. Strikingly, SCE effectively reduced the plasma triglyceride (TG) and hepatic TG levels compared to the HSD group. Adiposity reduction is due to decreased activity of hepatic de novo lipogenic enzymes. These results indicated that SCE has nutraceutical potential for the prevention and treatment of hepatic steatosis. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10068-023-01464-1.

The long-term effects of the fenestration in patients with extracardiac Fontan circulation-a multicenter Korean cohort study based on national Fontan registry.

Introduction: The long-term effects of fenestration in patients with Fontan circulation remain unclear. We aim to evaluate the fenestration impact on early and late outcomes in patients with extracardiac Fontan (ECF) using a propensity score matching analysis. Methods: We performed an extensive retrospective multicenter clinical data review of the Korean Fontan registry and included 1,233 patients with surgical ECF (779 fenestrated, 454 non-fenestrated). Demographics, baseline, and follow-up data were collected and comprehensively analyzed. Patients were divided into two groups according to the baseline presence or absence of surgical fenestration. Subsequently, patients were sub-divided according to the fenestration status at the last follow-up. Propensity-score matching was performed to account for collected data between the 2 groups using a multistep approach. The primary outcomes were survival and freedom from Fontan failure (FFF). We also looked at postoperative hemodynamics, cardiopulmonary exercise test results, oxygen saturations, and functional status. Results: After propensity-score matching (454 matched pairs), there was no difference in survival or FFF between the 2 groups. However, ECF patients with baseline fenestration had significantly lower oxygen saturation (p = 0.001) and lower functional status (p < 0.001). Patients with fenestration had significantly longer bypass times, higher postoperative central venous pressure, higher postoperative left atrial pressure, and less prolonged pleural effusion in the early postoperative period. The propensity score matching according to the fenestration status at the last follow-up (148 matched pairs) showed that patients with a persistent fenestration had significantly lower oxygen saturation levels (p < 0.001). However there were no intergroup differences in the functional status, survival and FFF. Conclusions: Our results showed no long-term benefits of the Fenestration in terms of survival and FFF. Patients with persistent fenestration showed oxygen desaturation but no difference in exercise intolerance was shown between the 2 groups.

Incomplete clinical manifestation as a risk factor for coronary artery abnormalities in Kawasaki disease: a meta-analysis.

Incomplete Kawasaki disease (KD) comprises a large proportion of the total number of cases. Although it has the potential of delaying diagnosis, it is not conclusive whether an incomplete presentation is a risk factor for coronary artery abnormalities (CAAs). We performed a meta-analysis to establish the risk of CAA in 20 studies including 4,504 cases and 32,519 controls, and the risk of giant aneurysm in two studies including 5,390 cases and 37,648 controls. The pooled results indicated that incomplete KD was associated with an increased risk of CAA [odds ratio (OR) = 1.447, 95 % confidence interval (CI) = 1.158-1.808, p = 0.001]. Subgroup analyses demonstrated higher associations in patients younger than 12 months (OR = 2.023, 95 % CI = 1.252-3.271, p = 0.004), Asians and Indians (OR = 1.57, 95 % CI = 1.234-1.999, p < 0.001 and OR = 7.088, 95 % CI = 1.640-30.631, p = 0.009, respectively). Subgroup analysis according to the period of patient enrollment before and after 2004 showed increased association of incomplete KD with CAA only among studies with patients enrolled after 2004 (OR = 1.969, 95 % CI = 1.240-3.127, p = 0.004). In conclusion, incomplete KD seems to be associated with an increased risk of CAA, and this is more prominent in patients younger than 12 months, Asians and Indians.

A visuomotor circuit for evasive flight turns in Drosophila.

Visual systems extract multiple features from a scene using parallel neural circuits. Ultimately, the separate neural signals must come together to coherently influence action. Here, we characterize a circuit in Drosophila that integrates multiple visual features related to imminent threats to drive evasive locomotor turns. We identified, using genetic perturbation methods, a pair of visual projection neurons (LPLC2) and descending neurons (DNp06) that underlie evasive flight turns in response to laterally moving or approaching visual objects. Using two-photon calcium imaging or whole-cell patch clamping, we show that these cells indeed respond to both translating and approaching visual patterns. Furthermore, by measuring visual responses of LPLC2 neurons after genetically silencing presynaptic motion-sensing neurons, we show that their visual properties emerge by integrating multiple visual features across two early visual structures: the lobula and the lobula plate. This study highlights a clear example of how distinct visual signals converge on a single class of visual neurons and then activate premotor neurons to drive action, revealing a concise visuomotor pathway for evasive flight maneuvers in Drosophila.

Dienogest in endometriosis treatment: A narrative literature review.

Endometriosis is characterized by the implantation of endometrial cells outside the uterus. This hormone-dependent disease is highly prevalent among women of reproductive age. Clinical symptoms of endometriosis include dysmenorrhea, pelvic pain, and infertility, which can negatively impact the overall quality of life of those affected. The medical treatment of endometriosis serves as an important therapeutic option, aimed at alleviating pain associated with the condition and suppressing the growth of endometriotic lesions. As such, it is employed as an adjuvant therapy following surgery or an empirical treatment after the clinical diagnosis of endometriosis. Dienogest, a fourth-generation progestin, has received approval for the treatment of endometriosis in many countries. A growing body of evidence has demonstrated its efficacy in managing endometriosis-associated pain, preventing symptoms, and reducing lesion recurrence. In this review, we examine the clinical efficacy, safety, and tolerability of dienogest in treating endometriosis. We also provide updated findings, drawing from clinical studies that focus on the long-term use of this medication in patients with endometriosis.

Fabrication of Implantable Microelectrode Array using Cyclic Olefin Copolymer and SU-8 via Photocrosslinking Lamination.

In this work, a fabrication process for implantable electrodes using a Cyclic Olefin Copolymer (COC) substrate and a SU-8 passivation layer was presented. COC and SU-8 were shown to be suitable for implantable neural electrodes due to their biocompatibility, chemical resistance, and thermal stability. The electrodes were successfully patterned on the COC film, and the SU-8 passivation layer was coated while maintaining site-opened via photolithography. The photocrosslinking lamination of the substrate and passivation layer was used to produce electrodes with fine line widths of 20um without applying heat.

Low dead space encapsulation and integration of circuits for retinal prosthesis based on cyclic olefin copolymer.

A retinal prosthesis is a device that can provide artificial vision to people who have lost their sight from certain retinal disorder. Because the device needs to be inserted into the body, high flexibility and reliability is required. Recently, devices using thermoplastic polymers such as LCP and COC as substrates have been studied. Being a highly functional integrated device, retinal prosthesis poses many design challenges. Among them, the stimulation chip embedding can be a particularly important task. Although it is common to use a wire bonding method for chip embedding, there are several limitations that are difficult to apply to implantable device. In this investigation, a novel approach is developed for high spaceefficient electrical connections and perform reliable encapsulation of integrated circuits to replace wire bonding. Since designing and manufacturing the stimulator chip used in retinal prosthesis requires non-negligible cost, a silicon die with the identical shape was selected as a substitute for testing purposes.