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With the use of a simple sulfur-olefin ligand, a highly enantioselective rhodium-catalyzed addition of arylboroxines to N,N-dimethylsulfamoyl-protected aldimines has been achieved, allowing access to a broad range of chiral diarylmethylamines in high yields (up to 98%) with uniformly excellent enantioselectivities (up to 99% ee). This catalyst system is also applicable to the arylation of N-tosyl arylimines. By utilizing this method, some biologically active molecules possessing a chiral 1-aryl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline core such as Solifenacin and (S)-(+)-Cryptostyline II are facilely constructed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A base-free process to access indole-fused polyheterocycles via a highly efficient and atom-economic palladium-catalyzed intramolecular cross dehydrogenetive coupling (CDC) reaction of 4-aniline substituted coumarins, quinolinones, and pyrones has been developed. A wide range of indolo[3,2-c]coumarins, indolo[3,2-c]quinolinones, and indolo[3,2-c]pyrones can be facilely afforded in good to excellent yields (up to 99%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted a study to assess the use of the chorda tympani nerve in reconstruction of the ossicular chain. We retrospectively examined the medical records of 141 patients (154 ears) who had undergone middle ear surgery with 12 months of follow-up. The study population was made up of 58 males and 83 females, aged 9 to 83 years (mean: 45). These patients were divided into three groups based on the specific type of surgery they had undergone: in 35patients, the chorda tympani nerve was used to spring and press the auricular bone prosthesis (CTN group); in 67 patients, the tympanic membrane was used to spring and press the auricular bone prosthesis (TM group); and in 39 patients, a gelatin sponge was used to support the auricular bone prosthesis (GS group). We compared pre- and postoperative air-bone gaps (ABGs) in each group, as well as the differences between these gaps among the three groups. We found significant differences between the pre- and postoperative ABGs in all three groups (all p < 0.01). These differences were also compared between the CTN and TM groups (t = 0.41; p > 0.05), between the CTN and GS groups (t = 2.07; p < 0.05), and between the TM and GS groups (t = 2.51; p < 0.05). In the CTN group, 1 patient experienced temporary postoperative hypogeusia, and another developed a mild case of delayed facial paralysis; both patients recovered within 2 weeks. We conclude that the chorda tympani nerve can be used to repair the ossicular chain to improve hearing without causing taste and facial nerve dysfunction and without the need for a second operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two modified Mayer-sampling methods are described based on Transition Matrix Monte Carlo (TMMC) and overlap sampling for calculating the integrated diagrams appearing in the coefficients of the bridge function; bn(r) constructed in terms of the total correlation function h(r) for a hard-sphere system. Calculations are performed using prescribed h(r) for reduced densities at 0.2, 0.5 and 0.8 up to the third-order expansion in density. The results from these methods compared with the generic Monte Carlo Mayer-sampling are analysed in detail. It was found that the TMMC Mayer-sampling approach shows better precision over core and tail regions of b2(r) and b3(r), and the overlap sampling method shows overall improvement in the precision of the bridge coefficients. Both methods can be straightforwardly applied to calculate higher order bridge function coefficients and to any model systems with relatively simple modifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel iron-catalyzed intermolecular decarboxylative Csp3−Csp2coupling reaction using proline derivatives as starting materials is developed. In this process, a series of potentially useful ligands (tertiary aminonaphthol) for catalysis was obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified tens of genetic variants associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Nevertheless, the genes or DNA elements that affect traits through these genetic variations are usually undiscovered. This study was the first to combine meta-analysis GWAS data and expression data to identify PD risk genes. Four known genes, CRHR1, KANSL1, NSF and LRRC37A, and two new risk genes, STX4 and BST1, were identified. Among them, CRHR1 is a known drug target, indicating that hydrocortisone may become a potential drug for the treatment of PD. Furthermore, the potential pathogenesis of CRHR1 and LRRC37A was explored by applying DNA methylation (DNAm) data, indicating a pathogenesis whereby the effect of a genetic variant on PD is mediated by genetic regulation of transcription through DNAm. Overall, this research identified the risk genes and pathogenesis that affect PD through genetic variants, which has significance for the diagnosis and treatment of PD.

We applied Mendelian randomization analyses to investigate the potential causality between blood minerals (calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, and zinc) and osteoporosis (OP), gout, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), type 2 diabetes (T2D), Alzheimer’s disease (AD), bipolar disorder (BD), schizophrenia, Parkinson’s disease and major depressive disorder. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that are independent (r2 < 0.01) and are strongly related to minerals (p < 5 × 10−8) are selected as instrumental variables. Each standard deviation increase in magnesium (0.16 mmol/L) is associated with an 8.94-fold increase in the risk of RA (p = 0.044) and an 8.78-fold increase in BD (p = 0.040) but a 0.10 g/cm2 increase in bone density related to OP (p = 0.014). Each per-unit increase in copper is associated with a 0.87-fold increase in the risk of AD (p = 0.050) and BD (p = 0.010). In addition, there is suggestive evidence that calcium is positively correlated (OR = 1.36, p = 0.030) and iron is negatively correlated with T2D risk (OR = 0.89, p = 0.010); both magnesium (OR = 0.26, p = 0.013) and iron (OR = 0.71, p = 0.047) are negatively correlated with gout risk. In the sensitivity analysis, causal estimation is not affected by pleiotropy. This study supports the long-standing hypothesis that magnesium supplementation can increase RA and BD risks and decrease OP risk and that copper intake can reduce AD and BD risks. This study will be helpful to address some controversial debates on the relationships between minerals and chronic diseases.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to observe differences in the efficacy of laser and surgical treatments of middle-ear conductive hearing loss (MECHL). MATERIALS and METHODS: A total of 276 ears of 267 patients with MECHL were divided into laser (n=172) and surgical (n=104) treatment groups according to the treatment method. Changes in the air–bone gap (ABG) after treatment and at the time of final follow-up were compared. An ABG value <20 dB was defined as effective and an ABG value <10 dB, significantly effective. The long-term treatment effects were also compared at the time of final follow-up. Additionally, postoperative adverse reactions were recorded for both the groups. RESULTS: The mean follow-up period was 76.77±43.62 months (range: 12–168 months). No significant difference in ABG was found between the two groups (21.31±11.64 dB vs. 19.14±9.79 dB, p>0.05). However, the laser treatment group showed slightly better results than the surgical treatment group at the final follow-up, although the difference between the groups was not found to be significant (11.69±9.98 dB vs. 12.62±10.94 dB, p>0.05). There was no difference in the long-term treatment effects between the two groups (effective: 87.21% vs. 88.46%, p>0.05; significantly effective: 55.81% vs. 56.73%, p>0.05). The incidence rates of postoperative adverse reactions were not significantly different. CONCLUSION: The treatment efficacy of laser and surgical treatments for MECHL are similar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease in the world, with clinical manifestations of resting tremor, akinesia (or bradykinesia), rigidity, and postural instability. However, the molecular pathogenesis of PD is still unclear, and its effective treatments are limited. Substantial evidence demonstrates that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have important functions in various human diseases, such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, the main purpose of this study is to review the role of lncRNAs in the pathogenesis of PD., Methods: The role of lncRNAs in the pathogenesis of PD is summarized by reviewing Pubmed., Results: Thirty different lncRNAs are aberrantly expressed in PD and promote or inhibit PD by mediating ubiquitin-proteasome system, autophagy-lysosomal pathway, dopamine (DA) neuronal apoptosis, mitochondrial function, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammation., Conclusion: In this direction, lncRNA may contribute to the treatment of PD as a diagnostic and therapeutic target for PD., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)