Search

Pegylated interferon-alpha (PegIFNα) therapy has limited effectiveness in hepatitis B e-antigen (HBeAg)-positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. However, the mechanism underlying this failure is poorly understood. We aimed to investigate the influence of bile acids (BAs), especially taurocholic acid (TCA), on the response to PegIFNα therapy in CHB patients. Here, we used mass spectrometry to determine serum BA profiles in 110 patients with chronic HBV infection and 20 healthy controls (HCs). We found that serum BAs, especially TCA, were significantly elevated in HBeAg-positive CHB patients compared with those in HCs and patients in other phases of chronic HBV infection. Moreover, serum BAs, particularly TCA, inhibited the response to PegIFNα therapy in HBeAg-positive CHB patients. Mechanistically, the expression levels of IFN-γ, TNF-α, granzyme B, and perforin were measured using flow cytometry to assess the effector functions of immune cells in patients with low or high BA levels. We found that BAs reduced the number and proportion and impaired the effector functions of CD3+CD8+ T cells and natural killer (NK) cells in HBeAg-positive CHB patients. TCA in particular reduced the frequency and impaired the effector functions of CD3+CD8+ T and NK cells in vitro and in vivo and inhibited the immunoregulatory activity of IFN-α in vitro. Thus, our results show that BAs, especially TCA, inhibit the response to PegIFNα therapy by impairing the effector functions of CD3+CD8+ T and NK cells in HBeAg-positive CHB patients. Our findings suggest that targeting TCA could be a promising approach for restoring IFN-α responsiveness during CHB treatment.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disorder leading to dementia in the elderly, and the mechanisms of AD are not fully defined. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been shown to contribute to memory deficits in AD. In this study, we identified that miR-204-3p was downregulated in the hippocampus and plasma of 6-month-old APPswe/PS1dE9 (APP/PS1) mice. miR-204-3p overexpression attenuated memory and synaptic deficits in APP/PS1 mice. The amyloid levels and oxidative stress were decreased in the hippocampus of APP/PS1 mice after miR-204-3p overexpression. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase 4 (Nox4) was a target of miR-204-3p, and Nox4 inhibition by GLX351322 protected neuronal cells against Aβ(1–42)-induced neurotoxicity. Furthermore, GLX351322 treatment rescued synaptic and memory deficits, and decreased oxidative stress and amyloid levels in the hippocampus of APP/PS1 mice. These results revealed that miR-204-3p attenuated memory deficits and oxidative stress in APP/PS1 mice by targeting Nox4, and miR-204-3p overexpression and/or Nox4 inhibition might be a potential therapeutic strategy for AD treatment.

Approximately 30% of medulloblastoma (MB) patients exhibit metastasis at initial diagnosis, which often leads to a poor prognosis. Here, by using univariate Cox regression analysis, two machine learning methods (Lasso-penalized Cox regression and random survival forest-variable hunting (RSF-VH)), and multivariate Cox regression analysis, we established two metastasis-related prognostic models, including the 47-mRNA-based model based on the Lasso method and the 21-mRNA-based model based on the RSF-VH method. In terms of the results of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses, we selected the 47-mRNA metastasis-associated model with the higher area under the curve (AUC). The 47-mRNA-based prognostic model could classify MB patients into two subgroups with different prognoses. The ROC analyses also suggested that the 47-mRNA metastasis-associated model may have a better predictive ability than MB subgroup. Multivariable Cox regression analysis demonstrated that the 47-mRNA-based model was independent of other clinical characteristics. In addition, a nomogram comprising the 47-mRNA-based model was built. The results of ROC analyses suggested that the nomogram had good discrimination ability. Our 47-mRNA metastasis-related prognostic model and nomogram might be an efficient and valuable tool for overall survival (OS) prediction and provide information for individualized treatment decisions in patients with MB.

The accumulation of insoluble amyloid β (Aβ) peptides is one of the pathological changes in Alzheimer's disease (AD), which induced synaptic plasticity impairment and excitatory amino acid toxicity associated with decreased memory function. Xingnaojing (XNJ), a well-known prescription in traditional Chinese medicine, has been used for the treatment of stroke for many years in China. In this study, we aim to investigate the therapeutic effects of XNJ in a hippocampus of Aβ1–42 induced mouse model of AD which showed significant memory loss and impaired synaptic morphology and function. Treatment of XNJ could attenuate spatial and working memory dysfunction, increase dendritic spine density and improve long-term potential (LTP) induction. In addition, XNJ treatment significantly increased the level of N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) and inhibit the NMDA/α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionate (AMPA) ratio in AD mice. XNJ treatment also activated the AKT/mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway, while inhibition of the mTOR pathway by rapamycin could reverse the protective effects of XNJ treatment. In conclusion, XNJ protected against synaptic plasticity and memory impairment in AD mice via the activation of AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, suggesting XNJ as an alternative treatment for AD.

While animal models of controlled cortical impact often display short-term motor dysfunction after injury, histological examinations do not show severe cortical damage. Thus, this model requires further improvement. Mice were subjected to injury at three severities using a Pin-Point™-controlled cortical impact device to establish secondary brain injury mouse models. Twenty-four hours after injury, hematoxylin-eosin staining, Fluoro-Jade B histofluorescence, and immunohistochemistry were performed for brain slices. Compared to the uninjured side, we observed differences of histopathological findings, neuronal degeneration, and glial cell number in the CA2 and CA3 regions of the hippocampus on the injured side. The Morris water maze task and beam-walking test verified long-term (14–28 days) spatial learning/memory and motor balance. To conclude, the histopathological responses were positively correlated with the degree of damage, as were the long-term behavioral manifestations after controlled cortical impact. All animal procedures were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee at Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine.

Ischemic stroke is a severe and acute neurological disorder with limited therapeutic strategies currently available. Oxidative stress is one of the critical pathological factors in ischemia/reperfusion injury, and high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) may drive neuronal apoptosis. Rescuing neurons in the penumbra is a potential way to recover from ischemic stroke. Endogenous levels of the potent ROS quencher glutathione (GSH) decrease significantly after cerebral ischemia. Here, we aimed to investigate the neuroprotective effects of γ-glutamylcysteine (γ-GC), an immediate precursor of GSH, on neuronal apoptosis and brain injury during ischemic stroke. Middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) were used to mimic cerebral ischemia in mice, neuronal cell lines, and primary neurons. Our data indicated that exogenous γ-GC treatment mitigated oxidative stress, as indicated by upregulated GSH and decreased ROS levels. In addition, γ-GC attenuated ischemia/reperfusion-induced neuronal apoptosis and brain injury in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, transcriptomics approaches and subsequent validation studies revealed that γ-GC attenuated penumbra neuronal apoptosis by inhibiting the activation of protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK) and inositol-requiring enzyme 1α (IRE1α) in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress signaling pathway in OGD/R-treated cells and ischemic brain tissues. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to report that γ-GC attenuates ischemia-induced neuronal apoptosis by suppressing ROS-mediated ER stress. γ-GC may be a promising therapeutic agent for ischemic stroke.

Introduction: We report an extremely rare case of atrial conduction block with unusual electrocardiogram (ECG) results, which has never been reported before. There are 2 types of atrial conduction block that result in atrial irregularities or complete atrial conduction block. The former is similar to other types of cardiac blocks such as sinus node to atrial block, atrial to ventricular block, or bundle branch blocks, which are characterized by 2 P waves at a specific frequency. This is due to the complete inner atrial block that results in the atrial muscle being divided into 2 parts without conduction between them so that each part has its rhythm generator. The objective of this report is to examine the cause of inner atrial conduction block and to promote awareness of this disorder. Patient concerns: An 81-year-old Chinese male patient was examined after complaining about chest discomfort, and it was found that he had atrial tachycardia; ECG results revealed a P wave loss at specific intervals (or P wave separation). Diagnosis: A diagnosis of P wave loss at specific intervals (or P wave separation) was made based on ECG results. Interventions: An ECG was performed on the patient Outcomes: It was unclear whether this patient has atrial separation or a new type of atrial conduction block, but our results revealed that this case presents a novel type of atrial conduction block, which we named ‘P wave block.’ Conclusion: The type of EKG shown in this case has never been reported. This EKG shows a new type of conduction block in the atrium, temporarily named as a new type of P wave block.

MiRNAs have been widely reported as the therapeutic target for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, mirna clusters, as the more impressive tumor regulatory factors, have received little attention. By deeply digging the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, we aimed to explore the vital mirna cluster that regulated the poor prognosis of HCC. The results showed that the upregulation of mirna cluster-767-105 in HCC was the most significant, compared with the non-tumor tissues. Besides, high expression of all three members of the cluster was positively correlated with poor prognosis of HCC and the resistance of sorafenib. Cox analysis proved that all the three mirnas were independent prognostic factors, while the mir-767 was the most compelling (HR value 8.388, 95%CI 2.524–27.897). The higher expression of the three-mirna signature also significantly indicated the worse prognosis. Through bioinformatics analysis, we screened their common potential target genes, which were highly correlated with tumor regulation. These results supported that the mirna cluster-767-105 promoted the poor outcome of HCC and could be a robust target for the therapy of HCC patients.

Post-stroke inflammation is almost involved in the whole process of stroke pathogenesis, which serves as a prime target for developing new stroke therapies. Despite known sex differences in the incidence and outcome of stroke, few preclinical or clinical studies take into account sex bias in treatment. Recent evidence suggests that poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP)-1 inhibitor exerts sex-specific neuroprotection in the ischemic stroke. This study was aimed to investigate the effects of delayed PARP-1 inhibition on post-stroke inflammation and possible sexual dimorphism, and explore the possible relevant mediators. In male and female C57BL/6 mice subjected to transit middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), we found that delayed treatment of PARP-1 inhibitor at 48 h following reperfusion could comparably alleviate neuro-inflammation at 72 h after stroke. Whereas, more remarkable reduction of iNOS and MMP9 induced by PARP-1 inhibition were found in male MCAO mice, and the improvement of behavioral outcomes was more prominent in male MCAO mice. In addition, we further identified that PARP-1 inhibitor might equivalently suppress microglial activation in males and females in vivo and in vitro. With proteomic analysis and western blotting assay, it was found that stroke-induced peroxiredoxin-1 (Prx1) expression was significantly affected by PARP-1 inhibition. Interestingly, injection of recombinant Prx1 into the ischemic core could block the anti-inflammatory effects of PARP-1 inhibitor in the experimental stroke. These findings suggest that PARP-1 inhibitor has effects on regulating microglial activation and post-stroke inflammation in males and females, and holds promise as a novel therapeutic agent for stroke with extended therapeutic time window. Efforts need to be made to delineate the actions of PARP-1 inhibition in stroke, and here we propose that Prx1 might be a critical mediator.

With the large scale deployment of multihomed mobile computing devices in today&rsquo, s Internet, the Multipath TCP (MPTCP) is being considered as a preferred data transmission technology in the future Internet due to its promising features of bandwidth aggregation and multipath transmission. However, MPTCP is more likely to be vulnerable to the transmission quality differences of multiple paths, which cause a &ldquo, hot-potato&rdquo, out-of-order arrival of packets at the receiver side, and in the absence of a related approach to fix this issue, serious application level performance degradations will occur. In this paper, we proposes MPTCP-LM 3 , a Lightweight path Management Mechanism to aid Multihomed MPTCP based mobile computing devices towards efficient multipath data transmission. The goals of MPTCP-LM 3 are: (i) to offer MPTCP a promising path management mechanism, (ii) to reduce out-of-order data reception and protect against receiver buffer blocking, and (iii) to increase the throughput of mobile computing devices in a multihomed wireless environment. Simulations show that MPTCP-LM 3 outperforms the current MPTCP schemes in terms of performance and quality of service.

Accumulating evidence implies that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a crucial role in predicting survival for Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. This study aims to capture the current research hotspots of HCC, based on the analysis of publications related to HCC research from 2013 to 2017, and to identify a novel lncRNA signature for HCC prognosis through the data mining in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). “Prognosis” and “biomarker” were located in the core of the HCC research hotspot. Moreover, long noncoding RNA was the top one research frontier in HCC research. The associations between survival outcome and the expression of lncRNAs were evaluated by the univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analyses. Four lncRNAs (LINC00261, TRELM3P, GBP1P1, and CDKN2B‐AS1) were identified as significantly correlated with overall survival (OS). These four lncRNAs were gathered as a single prognostic signature. There was a significant positive correlation between HCC patients with low‐risk scores and overall survival (HR = 1.802, 95%CI [1.224‐2.652], P = .003). Further analysis suggested that the prognostic value of this four‐lncRNA signature was independent in clinical features. The enrichment analysis of prognostic lncRNA‐related gene was performed to find out the related pathways. Our study indicates that this novel lncRNA expression signature may be a useful biomarker of the prognosis for HCC patients, based on bioinformatics analysis.

To investigate the clinical features, risk factors and outcomes of patients with interstitial pneumonia with autoimmune features (IPAF). A total of 1429 patients with idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (IIP) and undifferentiated connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung disease (UCTD-ILD) were screened to identify patients who met IPAF criteria. Clinical, serological, and morphological features of patients with IPAF were characterized. Outcomes between patients with IPAF, UCTD-ILD, and IIP who were divided into idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and non-IPF groups were compared using survival as an endpoint. Patients with IPAF were much common in young female and had lower percentage of ever smoking and a significantly shorter survival than those with non-IPAF (P

Background Recent studies suggest that serum lipids are associated with pegylated interferon-alpha (PEG-IFN-α) treatment response in chronic hepatitis C patients. However, the role of serum lipids in influencing the outcome of HBV treatment is not well understood. This study aims to investigate the association of serum lipids with the response to interferon-alpha treatment for chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. Methods We dynamically measured 11 clinical serum lipid parameters of 119 hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive CHB patients, including 53 patients who achieved sustained response (SR) and 66 patients who achieved non-response (NR) induced by PEG-IFN-α treatment for 48 weeks. Results The dynamic analysis showed that the baseline serum total cholesterol (TCHO) level was higher in the NR group than that in the SR group ( P=0.004). Moreover, the correlation analysis demonstrated a significant positive correlation between TCHO and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) at baseline ( P=0.009). In addition, CHB patients with high baseline TCHO levels exhibited higher HBV DNA, HBsAg, HBeAg and hepatitis B e antibody (HBeAb) levels during early treatment periods (weeks 0, 4, 12 and 24) than those with the low TCHO levels. Furthermore, the logistic regression analysis identified that baseline serum TCHO was a risk factor for NR achievement (OR=4.94; P=0.047). Conclusions: Our results indicated that serum TCHO was associated with PEG-IFN-α therapeutic response in HBeAg-positive CHB patients which suggested that serum TCHO could be useful as an auxiliary clinical factor to predict poor efficacy of PEG-IFN-α therapy.

// Yan Miao 1 , Si-Yi Xu 1 , Lu-Si Chen 2 , Ge-Yu Liang 1 , Yue-Pu Pu 1 and Li-Hong Yin 1 1 Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210009, P.R. China 2 Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210009, P.R. China Correspondence to: Li-Hong Yin, email: lh.yin62@gmail.com Yan Miao, email: yan.miao1@outlook.com Keywords: lncRNA, citation, bibliometric, CiteSpace IV, WoSCC Received: August 01, 2017 Accepted: August 18, 2017 Published: September 12, 2017 ABSTRACT Purpose: This study aims to analyze the scientific output of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) research and construct a model to evaluate publications from the past decade qualitatively and quantitatively. Methods: Publications from 2007 to 2016 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection database. Microsoft Excel 2016 and CiteSpace IV software were used to analyze publication outputs, journals, countries, institutions, authors, citation counts, ESI top papers, H-index, and research frontiers. Results: A total of 3,008 papers on lncRNA research were identified published by June 17, 2017. The journal, Oncotarget (IF2016, 5.168) ranked first in the number of publications. China had the largest number of publications (1,843), but the United States showed its dominant position in both citation frequency (45,120) and H-index (97). Zhang Y (72 publications) published the most papers, and Guttman M (1,556 citations) had the greatest co-citation counts. The keyword “database” ranked first in research frontiers. Conclusion: The annual number of publications rapidly increased in the past decade. China showed its significant progress in lncRNA research, but the United States was the actual leading country in this field. Many Chinese institutions engaged in lncRNA research but significant collaborations among them were not noted. Guttman M, Mercer TR, Rinn JL, and Gupta RA were identified as good candidates for research collaboration. “Database,” “Xist RNA,” and “Genome-wide association study” should be closely observed in this field.

// Yan Miao 1, * , Jing Sui 1, * , Si-Yi Xu 1 , Ge-Yu Liang 1 , Yue-Pu Pu 1 and Li-Hong Yin 1 1 Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210009, P.R. China * These authors have contributed equally to this work Correspondence to: Li-Hong Yin, email: lh.yin62@gmail.com Keywords: lncRNA, GC, prognostic biomarker, overall survival, TCGA Received: June 09, 2017 Accepted: July 26, 2017 Published: August 24, 2017 ABSTRACT Emerging evidence indicates that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a crucial role in predicting survival for gastric cancer (GC) patients. This study aims to identify a lncRNA-related signature for evaluating the overall survival of 379 GC patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The associations between survival outcome and the expression of lncRNAs were evaluated by the univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analyses. Four lncRNAs (LINC01018, LOC553137, MIR4435-2HG, and TTTY14) were identified as significantly correlated with overall survival. These four lncRNAs were gathered as a single prognostic signature. There was a significant positive correlation between GC patients with low-risk scores and overall survival (P = 0.001). Further analysis suggested that the prognostic value of this four-lncRNA signature was independent in clinical features. Gene set enrichment analysis found that these four lncRNAs were correlated with several molecular pathways of the tumor. Our study indicates that this novel lncRNA expression signature may be a useful biomarker of the prognosis for GC patients, based on bioinformatics analysis.

The long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) urothelial carcinoma-associated 1 (UCA1) has been recently shown to be dysregulated during disease occurrence and to play an important role in the progression of several cancers. However, the biological role and potential regulation mechanism of UCA1 in the carcinogenesis of gastric cancer remain unclear. In the present study, we found that UCA1 was aberrantly upregulated in gastric cancer tissues and gastric cancer cell lines, and was associated with TNM stage and metastasis. UCA1 silencing significantly inhibited gastric cancer BGC-823 cell proliferation and increased its apoptosis. We also found that UCA1 played an important role in the migration and invasion of gastric cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. The molecular mechanism of UCA1 suggested that UCA1 regulates the PI3K-Akt-mTOR signaling proteins and their downstream mediators, to alter gastric cancer progression in vitro and in vivo. Collectively, the results showed a pivotal role of UCA1 in the tumorigenesis of gastric cancer. In addition, the study characterized a novel lncRNA-mRNA regulatory network, which may lead to a better understanding of the pathogenesis of gastric cancer and assist in lncRNA-directed diagnosis and therapy for this malignancy.

Fluidic soft sensors have been widely used in wearable devices for human motion capturing. However, thus far, the biocompatibility of the conductive liquid, the linearity of the sensing signal, and the hysteresis between the loading and release processes have limited the sensing quality as well as the applications of these sensors. In this paper, silicone based strain and force sensors composed of a novel biocompatible conductive liquid (potassium iodide and glycerol solution) are introduced. The strain sensors exhibit negligible hysteresis up to 5 Hz, with a gauge factor of 2.2 at 1 Hz. The force sensors feature a novel multi-functional layered structure, with micro-cylinder-filled channels to achieve high linearity, low hysteresis (5.3% hysteresis at 1 Hz), and good sensitivity (100% resistance increase at a 5 N load). The sensors' gauge factors are stable at various temperatures and humidity levels. These bio-compatible, low hysteresis, and high linearity sensors are promising for safe and reliable diagnostic devices, wearable motion capture, and compliant human-computer interfaces.

Pregenomic RNA (pgRNA) is a direct transcription product of hepatitis B virus (HBV) covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA), and it plays important roles in viral genome amplification and replication. This study was designed to investigate whether serum pgRNA is a strong alternative marker for reflecting HBV cccDNA levels and to analyze the correlation between serum pgRNA, serum HBV DNA, and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). A total of 400 HBV-infected patients who received nucleos(t)ide analog (NA) therapy with different clinical outcomes were involved in this research. Case groups included asymptomatic hepatitis B virus carrier (ASC), chronic hepatitis B (CHB), liver cirrhosis (LC), and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients, with 100 patients in each group. The results showed that the levels of HBV pgRNA had significant differences between these 4 groups. Serum pgRNA levels correlated well with serum HBV DNA and HBsAg levels (HBV pgRNA levels versus HBV DNA levels, r = 0.58, P

Background: Despite several meta-analysis had compared the benefits of early tracheostomy with late tracheostomy for patients who need mechanical ventilation, the optimal time point to apply TS is still vague. We defined three interval of TS time and aimed to find the best time point of TS placement that brings more benefits for patients. Methods: PubMed/Medline, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, ISI Web of Science and Cochrane library were searched for relevant trials. The interval of time was within three days (Super early tracheostomy, SET), three to seven days (Early tracheostomy, ET) and after seven days or prolonged incubation (Late tracheostomy, LT). A Bayesian network meta-analysis was performed, whereby the odds ratios (OR), random effect model and the 95% credible interval (CI) were applied to evaluate the event rates and endpoints, including mortality and pulmonary infection rates. Hierarchical analysis was performed to measure the prognosis of perioperative TS (PT). Findings: Seventeen trials, including 2,113 patients, were eligible for inclusion criteria and admitted to NMA (Network Meta-Analysis). The endpoints were incidence of mortality and pulmonary infection rates, the duration of mechanical ventilation and ICU stay were not available to calculate. Thirteen studies were connected to network for mortality rates and fourteen for pulmonary infection rates. SET showed lowest incidence of both endpoints and SURCA value presented SET served as best choice for both endpoints. Moreover, hierarchical analysis indicated that pulmonary infection and mortality rates were both lower in PT (perioperative TS) compared to those in SET. Interpretation: The optimal time point to perform TS is less than three days with endotracheal intubation. Furthermore, perioperative TS could bring more benefits when compared with TS within three days. Thus, it is sooner rather than later to perform TS for those potentially needs prolonged mechanical ventilation. Funding Statement: National Natural Science Foundation of China, Shanghai Key Medical Discipline Project, Program and Project of Pudong Health Bureau of Shanghai. Declaration of Interests: The authors have no competing interests. Ethics Approval Statement: The study was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA statement).

Background Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a complex condition and remains a prominent public and medical health issue in individuals of all ages. A rapid increase in extracellular glutamate occurs after TBI, leading to glutamate-induced excitotoxicity, which causes neuronal damage and further functional impairments. Although inhibition of glutamate carboxypeptidase II (GCP II) is considered a potential approach for reducing glutamate-induced excitotoxicity after TBI, further detailed evidence regarding its efficacy is required. Therefore, in this study, we examined the differences in the metabolite status between wild-type (WT) and GCP II gene-knockout (KO) mice after TBI using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) and T2-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) imaging with a 7-tesla imaging system, and brain water-content analysis. Results Evaluation of glutamate and N-acetylaspartate concentrations revealed a decrease in both levels in the ipsilateral hippocampus at 24 h post-TBI; however, the reduction in glutamate and N-acetylaspartate levels was less marked in GCP II-KO mice than in WT mice (p

Middle fossa arachnoid cyst (MFAC) is the most common kind of arachnoid cyst. The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of endoscopic fenestration for MFACs. The authors report 26 patients of MFAC with variety symptoms such as macrocrania, epilepsy, headache, and development delay. The authors performed surgery with a neuroendoscope to drain and fenestrate the cyst to obtain nearby cystocisternal communications under general anesthesia. All of the 26 patients had a successful fenestration, most of them had an improvement of at least 1 of their pretreatment symptoms with the substantial reduction of the cyst postoperatively. The authors conclude that endoscopic fenestration may be an acceptable and minimally invasive option for the management of symptomatic MFACs.

The objective of this study is to compare the efficacy and complications of endoscopic and microscopic transsphenoidal surgery in the treatment of pituitary adenomas. A total of 105 follow-up cases including 60 in endoscopic surgery and 45 in microscopic surgery were treated in our hospital between January 2012 and November 2014. The endoscopic approach had a higher rate of gross tumor removal (81.7% versus 62.2%, P 0.05) as well as a lower rate of postoperative complications (18.3% versus 35.6%, P 0.05) than that in the microscopic group. There was no significant difference in the rates of visual improvement and cerebrospinal fluid leak between endoscopic group and microscopic group (P 0.05). The length of the operation was longer (175 ± 25 minutes versus 110 ± 17 minutes, P 0.05) but the postoperative hospital stay was significantly shorter (5.1 ± 0.7 versus 7.8 ± 0.8 days, P 0.05) for the endoscopic surgery group compared with microscopic surgery group. Endoscopic approach provides a wide surgical field and broad lateral vision making easier distinction of tumor tissue. The results of this study support the safety and short-term efficacy of endoscopic pituitary surgery.

Advanced capabilities in electrical recording are essential for the treatment of heart-rhythm diseases. The most advanced technologies use flexible integrated electronics; however, the penetration of biological fluids into the underlying electronics and any ensuing electrochemical reactions pose significant safety risks. Here, we show that an ultrathin, leakage-free, biocompatible dielectric layer can completely seal an underlying layer of flexible electronics while allowing for electrophysiological measurements through capacitive coupling between tissue and the electronics, and thus without the need for direct metal contact. The resulting current-leakage levels and operational lifetimes are, respectively, four orders of magnitude smaller and between two and three orders of magnitude longer than those of any other flexible-electronics technology. Systematic electrophysiological studies with normal, paced and arrhythmic conditions in Langendorff hearts highlight the capabilities of the capacitive-coupling approach. Our technology provides a realistic pathway towards the broad applicability of biocompatible, flexible electronic implants.

Intramedullary spinal cord metastases (ISCMs) are rare and account for 4–8.5% of central nervous system metastases. Only one case of biopsy-proven ISCM due to prostate cancer has previously been reported. The current study presents an additional unique case of a 74-year-old male who developed symptoms from an intramedullary conus medullaris metastasis as the first manifestation of prostate adenocarcinoma. To the best of our knowledge, this scenario is even more rare and has not previously been reported. The tumor was radically resected, followed by androgen blockade treatment. The patient’s neurological deficit significantly improved, with no tumor recurrence during the follow-up period. In addition, the present study provides an overview of the previous literature concerning ISCMs from prostate cancer, and discusses the treatment options.

Background Cervical cancer (CC) is a common gynecological malignancy in women worldwide. Evidence suggests that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) can be used as biomarkers in patients with CC. However, prognostic biomarkers for CC are still lacking. The aim of our study was to find lncRNA biomarkers which are able to predict prognosis in CC based on the data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Methods The patients were divided into three groups according to FIGO stage. Differentially expressed lncRNAs were identified in CC tissue compared to adjacent normal tissues based on a fold change >2 and P < 0.05 for up- and downregulated lncRNA, respectively. The relationship between survival outcome and lncRNA expression was assessed with univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. We constructed a risk score as a method to evaluate prognosis. We used receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the area under curve (AUC) analyses to assess the diagnostic value of a two-lncRNA signature. We detected the expression levels of the two lncRNAs in 31 pairs of newly diagnosed CC specimens and paired adjacent non-cancerous tissue specimens, and also in CC cell lines. Finally, the results were statistically compared using t-tests. Results In total, 289 RNA sequencing profiles and accompanying clinical data were obtained. We identified 49 differentially expressed lncRNAs, of which two related to overall survival (OS) in CC patients. These two lncRNAs (ILF3-AS1 and RASA4CP) were found together as a single prognostic signature. Meanwhile, the prognosis of patients with low-risk CC was better and positively correlated with OS (P < 0.001). Further analysis showed that the combined two-lncRNA expression signature could be used as an independent biomarker to evaluate the prognosis in CC. qRT-PCR results were consistent with TCGA, confirming downregulated expression of both lncRNAs. Furthermore, upon ROC curve analysis, the AUC of the combined lncRNAs was greater than that of the single lncRNAs alone (0.723 vs 0.704 and 0.685), respectively; P < 0.05. Conclusions Our study showed that the two-lncRNA signature of ILF3-AS1 and RASA4CP can be used as an independent biomarker for the prognosis of CC, based on bioinformatic analysis.

Choriocarcinomas generally develop in females. Non-gestational choriocarcinoma in males is extremely rare. The present study describes two cases of young males who were diagnosed with intracranial choriocarcinoma. One case was of an aggressive choriocarcinoma with multiple metastases to the brain, but with an unidentified origin. The patient was admitted in the terminal stage of the cancer. Although a tumor resection was performed, the condition of the patient rapidly deteriorated and chemotherapy was not recommended. The patient succumbed nine days after the surgery. The second case was of a primary ventricular choriocarcinoma. The patient was hospitalized for acute hydrocephalus caused by a mass that was located in the ventricle. Following a tumor resection, the patient underwent a course of whole-brain and spinal radiotherapy. The patient was followed up for more than half a year and remained in a good condition. The present study describes the two cases and a comprehensive review of the literature that was performed to identify similar studies that document choriocarcinomas in males.

To evaluate the feasibility and reproducibility of linear measurements for determining ventricular enlargement in patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) and their correlation to ventricular volume (VV).Preoperative brain computed tomography scans were retrospectively evaluated in 36 patients with iNPH. The quantitative markers of Evan index (EI), VV, frontal and occipital horn ratio (FOR), modified cella media index (mCMI), third ventricular width (TVW), temporal horn width (TPH), frontal horn width (FHW), and callosal angle (CA) at the posterior commissure (PC) were independently measured by a neurosurgeon and a radiologist. Intraclass correlation coefficients were calculated to establish inter-rater agreement among the 2 investigators. Pearson correlation coefficients were used to assess the relationship of each linear measurement with total VV.The overall inter-rater agreement among investigators was almost perfect for EI, VV, FOR, mCMI, TVW, substantial for FHW and moderate for TPH, and CA at PC. Pearson correlation coefficients showed excellent correlation between mCMI and VV. Moderate correlation was found between the VV and FHW, TVW, FOR, EI, and CA at PC. Fair correlation was found between the VV and TPH.Simple linear measurements could serve as effective alternative to volumetric analysis to determine ventricular size in patients with iNPH. The quantitative marker of mCMI is more reasonable and accurate than EI, FOR, and other simple linear measurements.

Large scale, dense arrays of plasmonic nanodisks (Au) on low modulus, high elongation elastomeric substrates (PDMS) represent a class of tunable optical system, with reversible ability to shift plasmon resonances, originating from array deformation, over a range of nearly 600nm in the visible region. At the most extreme levels of mechanical deformation (strains

Large-scale, dense arrays of plasmonic nanodisks on low-modulus, high-elongation elastomeric substrates represent a class of tunable optical systems, with reversible ability to shift key optical resonances over a range of nearly 600 nm at near-infrared wavelengths. At the most extreme levels of mechanical deformation (strains >100%), nonlinear buckling processes transform initially planar arrays into three-dimensional configurations, in which the nanodisks rotate out of the plane to form linear arrays with "wavy" geometries. Analytical, finite-element, and finite-difference time-domain models capture not only the physics of these buckling processes, including all of the observed modes, but also the quantitative effects of these deformations on the plasmonic responses. The results have relevance to mechanically tunable optical systems, particularly to soft optical sensors that integrate on or in the human body.

Tumours of the lateral ventricle are common in general neuosurgical practice with a reported incidence of 0.81–1.6% [1]. he majority of these lesions are benign or low grade and an be removed successfully through carefully planned surgical pproaches. However, even for experienced surgeons, the surgical emoval of these tumours remains a challenge and may occasionlly cause severe neurological morbidity or even death. In the resent report, we described a unique case of a lateral ventricular eurocytoma that simultaneously developed two rare but dreaded omplications in the form of a remote epidural haematoma and evere basal ganglia oedema following surgical removal of the umour using a frontal transcortical approach. The patient had an ventful clinical course, but a satisfactory outcome was achieved. he mechanism by which remote postoperative EDHs develops is nclear, but several hypotheses have been proposed. In our case, he loss of a substantial CSF volume during surgery, which caused sudden drop in intracranial pressure, may have played a signifiant role in the pathophysiological development of the remote EDH. he involvement of the thalamostriate vein during surgery and the

Metal nanostructures integrated with soft, elastomeric substrates provide an unusual platform with capabilities in plasmonic frequency tuning of mechanical strain. In this paper, we have prepared a tunable optical device, dense arrays of plasmonic nanodisks on a low-modulus, and high-elongation elastomeric substrate with a three-dimensional (3D) sinusoidal wavy, and their optical characteristics have been measured and analyzed in detail. Since surface plasmon is located and propagates along metal surfaces with sub-wavelength structures, and those dispersive properties are determined by the coupling strength between the individual structures, in this study, a 3D sinusoidal curve elastomeric substrate is used to mechanically control the inter-nanodisk spacing by applying straining and creating a frequency tunable plasmonic device. Here we study the optical resonance peak shifting generated by stretching this type of flexible device, and the role that 3D sinusoidal curve surface configuration plays in determining the tunable properties. Since only the hybrid dipolar mode has been observed in experiments, the coupled dipole approximation (CDA) method is employed to simulate the optical response of these devices, and the experimental and simulation results show that these devices have high tunability to shift optical resonance peaks at near-infrared wavelengths, which will provide strong potential for new soft optical sensors and wearable plasmonic sensors.

Hypothalamic hamartomas (HH) are rare (1:200,000), nonneoplastic heterotopic congenital malformations formed by neurons and glial cells located close to the posterior hypothalamus, tuber cinereum, or mammillary bodies [1]. The condition was first described in 1873 as a seizure presenting with laughter [2]. Later, Daly and Mulder named this condition ‘‘gelastic epilepsy’’ [3]. Gelastic seizures, central precocious puberty, and cognitive impairment are the predominant manifestations of HH in infancy [4]. The typical MRI features of HH are isoor hypo-intensity on T1weighted images and isoor slight hyper-intensity on T2-weighted images. A lack of contrast enhancement in the tuber cinereum region is valuable for radiological diagnosis to distinguish tumors from other lesions in this field, such as third-ventricular ependymomas, hypothalamic astrocytomas, germ cell tumors, Langerhans cell histiocytosis, and papillomas. Our patient was diagnosed with HH due to the similarity with previous case reports. The electroencephalogram showed interictal focal (mostly right frontal and temporal) paroxysmal activity (more frequently slow spike-andwave complexes) consistent with HH lateralization. Recent reports have demonstrated the intrinsic epileptogenicity of HH. The mechanism of gelastic epilepsy may be the spontaneous firing of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic small HH neurons, which project synaptic connections onto the larger adjacent pyramidal-like HH neurons. The combination of these neurons acts as a pacemaker that synchronizes the numerous output neurons to mediate seizure activity in the brain, and this action results in the observed clinical symptoms. This groupof lesionshas been classifiedbyDelalandeas I through IV, based onmorphology onMRI [5]. Type I has a horizontal orientation and may be lateralized to one side. Type II has a vertical orientation and an intraventricular location. Type III is a combination of types I and IIwith a vertical plane of attachmentwithin the ventricle and a horizontal plane of attachment on the underside of the hypothalamus. Type IV is a giant hamartoma. In our patient, the lesion was located in its entirety in the third ventricle (Fig. 2 of Images in Neuroscience: Question) and was thus classified as type II. Due to the insufficient number of clinical reports, there is no consensus regarding the various therapeutic options. Despite the use of higher doses and several combinations of antiepileptic drugs, freedom from seizures or good seizure control is rarely achieved in HH patients [6]. At present, surgical resection, stereotactic endoscopic disconnection, Gamma Knife radiosurgery (Elekta AB, Stockholm, Sweden), and radiofrequency thermocoagulation appear to be useful and safe approaches, particularly for the treatment of small HH [7–9]. In our patient, numerous antiepileptic drugs were utilized in various combinations for approximately 4 years; however, none of these treatments exhibited any efficacy. Subsequently, the patient underwent Gamma Knife radiosurgery and long-term follow-up. Further studies are needed to assess the prognosis.

Background Endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery has gradually come to be regarded as a preferred option in the treatment of pituitary adenomas because of its advantages of improved visualization and its minimal invasiveness. The aim of this study was to compare and evaluate the outcomes and complications of endoscopic and microscopic transsphenoidal surgery in the treatment of pituitary adenomas. Methods We performed a systematic literature search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library and the Web of Science between January 1992 and May 2013. Studies with consecutive patients that explicitly and fully compared endoscopic and microscopic approaches in the treatment of pituitary adenomas were included. Results A total of 15 studies (n = 1,014 patients) met the inclusion criteria among 487 studies that involved endoscopic surgery and 527 studies that dealt with microscopic surgery. The rate of gross tumor removal was higher in the endoscopic group than in the microscopic group. The post-operative rates of septal perforation were less frequent in patients who underwent endoscopic surgery. There was no significant difference between the two techniques in the incidence rates of meningitis, diabetes insipidus, cerebrospinal fluid leak, epistaxis or hypopituitarism. The post-operative hospital stay was significantly shorter for the endoscopic surgery group compared with the microscopic surgery group (P P > 0.05). Conclusions The present study indicates that the endoscopic transsphenoidal approach is safer and more effective than microscopic surgery in the treatment of pituitary adenomas.