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Abstract This study aimed to investigate the relationship between platelet count (PC) and mortality in patients with hemorrhagic stroke (HS). The research reviewed data from 10,466 patients hospitalized in 208 hospitals in the United States from January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2015. Of these, 3262 HS patients were included in the primary analysis for those admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). The average age of these patients was 67.05 years, with 52.79% being male. The median PC was (221.67 ± 73.78) × 109/L. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that PC was a protective factor for mortality in HS patients (OR = 0.98, 95% CI 0.97–1.00, P

For thousands of years, pearl and nacre powders have been important traditional Chinese medicines known for their skin whitening effects. To prepare the enzymatic hydrolysates of Hyriopsis cumingii nacre powder (NP-HCH), complex enzymatic hydrolysis by pineapple protease and of neutral protease was carried out after the powder was pre-treated with a high-temperature and high-pressure method. The peptides were identified using LC-MS/MS and picked out through molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations. Subsequently, the tyrosinase inhibitory and antioxidant properties of novel tyrosinase inhibitory peptides were investigated in vitro. In addition, the enzymatic activity of tyrosinase in B16F10 cells as well as melanin content and antioxidant enzyme levels were also examined. The results showed that a tyosinase inhibitory peptide (Tyr-Pro-Asn-Pro-Tyr, YPNPY) with an efficient IC50 value of 0.545 ± 0.028 mM was identified. The in vitro interaction results showed that YPNPY is a reversible competitive inhibitor of tyrosinase, suggesting that it binds to the free enzyme. The B16F10 cell whitening test revealed that YPNPY can reduce the melanin content of B16F10 cells by directly inhibiting the activity of intracellular tyrosinase. Additionally, it indirectly affects melanin production by acting as an antioxidant. These results suggest that YPNPY could be widely used as a tyrosinase inhibitor in whitening foods and drugs.

Pearl and nacre powders have been valuable traditional Chinese medicines with whitening properties for thousands of years. We utilized a high-temperature and high-pressure method along with compound enzyme digestion to prepare the enzymatic hydrolysates of nacre powder of Pinctada martensii (NP-PMH). The peptides were identified using LC–MS/MS and screened through molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations. The interactions between peptides and tyrosinase were elucidated through enzyme kinetics, circular dichroism spectropolarimetry, and isothermal titration calorimetry. Additionally, their inhibitory effects on B16F10 cells were explored. The results showed that a tyrosinase-inhibitory peptide (Ala-His-Tyr-Tyr-Asp, AHYYD) was identified, which inhibited tyrosinase with an IC50 value of 2.012 ± 0.088 mM. The results of the in vitro interactions showed that AHYYD exhibited a mixed-type inhibition of tyrosinase and also led to a more compact enzyme structure. The binding reactions of AHYYD with tyrosinase were spontaneous, leading to the formation of a new set of binding sites on the tyrosinase. The B16F10 cell-whitening assay revealed that AHYYD could reduce the melanin content of the cells by directly inhibiting the activity of intracellular tyrosinase. Additionally, it indirectly affects melanin production by acting as an antioxidant. These results suggest that AHYYD could be widely used as a tyrosinase inhibitor in whitening foods and pharmaceuticals.

The inhibition of dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-IV) is a promising approach for regulating the blood glucose levels in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Oysters, rich in functional peptides, contain peptides capable of inhibiting DPP-IV activity. This study aims to identify the hypoglycemic peptides from oysters and investigate their potential anti-T2D targets and mechanisms. This research utilized virtual screening for the peptide selection, followed by in vitro DPP-IV activity assays to validate the chosen peptide. Network pharmacology was employed to identify the potential targets, GO terms, and KEGG pathways. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations were used to provide virtual confirmation. The virtual screening identified LRGFGNPPT as the most promising peptide among the screened oyster peptides. The in vitro studies confirmed its inhibitory effect on DPP-IV activity. Network pharmacology revealed that LRGFGNPPT exerts an anti-T2D effect through multiple targets and signaling pathways. The key hub targets are AKT1, ACE, and REN. Additionally, the molecular docking results showed that LRGFGNPPT exhibited a strong binding affinity with targets like AKT1, ACE, and REN, which was further confirmed by the molecular dynamics simulations showcasing a stable peptide–target interaction. This study highlights the potential of LRGFGNPPT as a natural anti-T2D peptide, providing valuable insights for potential future pharmaceutical or dietary interventions in T2D management.

Colitis causes inflammation, diarrhoea, fever, and other serious illnesses, posing a serious threat to human health and safety. Current medications for the treatment of colitis have serious side effects. Therefore, the new strategy of creating a defence barrier for immune function by adding anti-inflammatory foods to the daily diet is worth advocating for. Low-molecular weight oyster peptides (LOPs) are a natural food with anti-inflammatory activity extracted from oysters, so intervention with LOPs is likely to be an effective preventive solution. The aim of this study was to investigate the preventive effect of LOPs on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute colitis inflammation in mice and its underlying mechanism. The results showed that LOPs not only inhibited the colonic histopathy in mice induced by LPS-induced inflammation but also reduced the inflammatory response in the blood. In addition, LOPs significantly increased the number of beneficial bacteria (Alistipes, Mucispirillum, and Oscillospira), decreased the number of harmful bacteria (Coprobacillus, Acinetobater) in the intestinal microbiota, and further affected the absorption and utilisation of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the intestinal tract. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with LOPs is a promising health-promoting dietary supplement and nutraceutical for the prevention of acute colitis by reducing the inflammatory response and modulating the intestinal microbial communities.

Although discarded as waste, shrimp heads are a potential source of antifreeze peptides, which can be used as cryoprotectants in the food industry. Their utilization in frozen foods can help mitigate the negative effects caused by the freezing technique. Litopenaeus vannamei shrimp heads were autolyzed, and the shrimp head autolysate (SHA) was separated via ultra-filtration and ion exchange chromatography. The antifreeze effect of SHA on the biochemical properties of myofibrillar proteins of peeled shrimps during five freeze-thaw cycles was evaluated. Peptide screening was done using the LC-MS/MS technique. A molecular docking (MD) study of the interaction between ice and shrimp head-derived antifreeze peptides was done. Results showed that shrimp-head autolysate has a maximum thermal hysteresis value of 1.84 °C. During the freeze-thaw cycles, the shrimp-head autolysate exhibited an antifreeze effect on frozen peeled shrimps. 1.0 and 3.0%-SHA groups showed significantly lower freeze denaturation than the negative control group. The muscle tissues of SHA-treated groups were not as severely damaged as the negative control group. The molecular docking study revealed that the shrimp head-AFPs bound to ice via hydrogen bonding, and both hydrophilic and hydrophobic amino acid residues were involved in the ice-binding interactions. 6 ice-binding sites were involved in the peptide-ice interaction. Our findings suggest that shrimp head-derived AFPs can be developed into functional additives in frozen foods and add more insights into the existing literature on antifreeze peptides.

In our previous study, two peptides with favorable anti-inflammatory effects, Asp-Gln-Thr-Phe (DQTF) and Gly-Tyr-Thr-Arg (GYTR), were screened from Ruditapes philippinarum using an in vitro–in silico strategy. The present study aims to investigate the ameliorative effect of Ruditapes philippinarum peptides (RPPs) on acute inflammation and clarify the potential mechanism through in vitro and in vivo experiments. The anti-inflammatory effects of DQTF and GYTR were verified with a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 cell acute inflammation model and the anti-inflammatory effect of the enzymatic hydrolysates of Ruditapes philippinarum was explored in vivo using an LPS-induced acute inflammatory injury model in mice. The results show that DQTF and GYTR improved the morphology of LPS-injured cells and decreased the concentrations of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6 in LPS-induced cells. Moreover, the antioxidant enzyme activity in cells was markedly increased with DQTF and GYTR. The enzymatic hydrolysates of Ruditapes philippinarum were obtained with hydrolysis using pepsin–chymotrypsin–trypsin (PeCTHC) and pepsin–trypsin (PeTHC), respectively. PeCTHC and PeTHC significantly reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines and nitric oxide (NO) in the serum. Additionally, the blood indices and levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX), and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the livers of mice were markedly improved with RPPs administration. In conclusion, RPPs have preventive and protective effects on acute inflammation, with significant prospects for development in the field of functional foods.

This study was conducted to investigate functional, physicochemical, and structural properties of abalone foot muscle proteins (AFPs) and their hydrolysates (HAFPs) obtained using animal protease (HA), papain (HPP), and Protamex® (HP) at different time points. The HA-hydrolysate obtained after 0.5 h of treatment demonstrated the highest solubility at pH 7.0 (84.19%); the HPP-hydrolysate at 4 h exhibited the highest degree of hydrolysis (11.4%); the HPP-hydrolysate at 0.5 h had the highest oil holding capacity (2.62 g/g) and emulsion stability index (39.73 min), and the HP-hydrolysate at 4 h had the highest emulsifying activity index (93.23 m2/g) and foaming stability (91.45%); Regarding the physicochemical properties, the HPP-hydrolysates revealed the largest particle size, higher absolute zeta potential, and superior interfacial activity. Structural characterization demonstrated the enzymolysis-based changes in the composition and the secondary structure of the AFPs. These results provide practical support for the theoretical basis of the use of AFPs as a source of nutritive proteins in the food industry.

Oysters contain significant amounts of the zinc element, which may also be found in their proteins. In this study, a novel zinc-binding protein was purified from the mantle of the oyster Magallana hongkongensis using two kinds of gel filtration chromatograms. Sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) showed that its molecular weight was approximately 36 kDa. The protein identified by the Q-Exactive mass spectrometer shared the highest sequence identity with carbonic anhydrase derived from Crassostrea gigas concerning amino acid sequence similarity. Based on homologous cloning and RACE PCR, the full-length cDNA of carbonic anhydrase from Magallana hongkongensis (designated as MhCA) was cloned and sequenced. The cDNA of MhCA encodes a 315-amino-acid protein with 89.74% homology to carbonic anhydrase derived from Crassostrea gigas. Molecular docking revealed that the two zinc ions primarily form coordination bonds with histidine residues in the MhCA protein. These results strongly suggest that MhCA is a novel zinc-binding protein in Magallana hongkongensis.

In order to realize the multi-level utilization of marine shellfish resources and to develop the potential biological activity of processing by-products of Atrina pectinata, gelatin was extracted from the mantle and the potential whitening effect of its enzymatic peptides was explored. Taking tyrosinase inhibitory activity as the evaluation index, the enzyme hydrolysate process was optimized by response-surface methodology, and the optimal enzyme hydrolysate conditions were as follows: pH 5.82, 238 min enzyme hydrolysate time, and temperature of 54.5 °C. Under these conditions, the tyrosinase inhibition activity of Atrina pectinata mantle gelatin peptide (APGP) was 88.6% (IC50 of 3.268 ± 0.048 mg/mL). The peptides obtained from the identification were separated by ultrafiltration and LC–MS/MS, and then four new peptides were screened by molecular docking, among which the peptide Tyr-Tyr-Pro (YYP) had the strongest inhibitory effect on tyrosinase with an IC50 value of 1.764 ± 0.025 mM. The molecular-docking results indicated that hydrogen bonding is the main driving force for the interaction of the peptide YYP with tyrosinase. From the Lineweaver–Burk analysis, it could be concluded that YYP is inhibitory to tyrosinase and exhibits a mixed mechanism of inhibition. These results suggest that YYP could be widely used as a tyrosinase inhibitor in whitening foods and pharmaceuticals.

Abstract Objective The goal of this study was to examine whether the static functional connectivity (FC) of the executive control network (ECN) and the temporal properties of dynamic FC states in the ECN can characterize the underlying nature of anti‐N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate (anti‐NMDA) receptor encephalitis and their correlations with cognitive functions. Methods In total, 21 patients with anti‐NMDA receptor encephalitis past the acute stage and 23 healthy controls (HCs) underwent a set of neuropsychological tests and participated in a resting‐state fMRI study to analyse the static FC of the ECN and the temporal properties of dynamic FC states in the ECN. In addition, correlation analyses were performed to determine the correlations between the FC metrics and cognitive performance. Results Patients with anti‐NMDA receptor encephalitis past the acute stage showed significant cognitive impairments compared to HCs. In accord with the results of neuropsychological tests, static intrinsic FC alterations and changed dynamic FC metrics of ECN were observed in the patients. Importantly, we observed significant correlations between altered ECN metrics and working memory, information processing speed, executive function performance in the patients. Interpretation Our findings suggest that cognitive impairments in patients with anti‐NMDA receptor encephalitis past the acute stage are likely related to altered static and dynamic ECN connectivity. These observations may enhance our understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying cognitive function in this population.

Ultrasonic-assisted treatment is an eco-friendly and cost-effective emulsification method, and the acoustic cavitation effect produced by ultrasonic equipment is conducive to the formation of stable emulsion. However, its effect on the underlying stability of low-molecular-weight oyster peptides (LOPs) functional-nutrition W1/O/W2 double emulsion has not been reported. The effects of different ultrasonic power (50, 75, 100, 125, and 150 W) on the stability of double emulsions and the ability to mask the fishy odor of LOPs were investigated. Low ultrasonic power (50 W and 75 W) treatment failed to form a well-stabilized double emulsion, and excessive ultrasound treatment (150 W) destroyed its structure. At an ultrasonic power of 125 W, smaller particle-sized double emulsion was formed with more uniform distribution, more whiteness, and a lower viscosity coefficient. Meanwhile, the cavitation effect generated by 125 W ultrasonic power improved storage, and oxidative stabilities, emulsifying properties of double emulsion by reducing the droplet size and improved sensorial acceptability by masking the undesirable flavor of LOPs. The structure of the double emulsion was further confirmed by optical microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy. The ultrasonic-assisted treatment is of potential value for the industrial application of double emulsion in functional-nutrition foods.

The ability of bioactive peptides to exert biological functions has mainly contributed to their exploitation. The exploitation and utilization of these peptides have grown tremendously over the past two decades. Food-derived peptides from sources such as plant, animal, and marine proteins and their byproducts constitute a more significant portion of the naturally-occurring peptides that have been documented. Due to their high specificity and biocompatibility, these peptides serve as a suitable alternative to pharmacological drugs for treating non-communicable diseases (such as cardiovascular diseases, obesity, and cancer). They are helpful as food preservatives, ingredients in functional foods, and dietary supplements in the food sector. Despite their unique features, the application of these peptides in the clinical and food sector is to some extent hindered by their inherent drawbacks such as toxicity, bitterness, instability, and susceptibility to enzymatic degradation in the gastrointestinal tract. Several strategies have been employed to eliminate or reduce the disadvantages of peptides, thus enhancing the peptide bioactivity and broadening the opportunities for their applications. This review article focuses on the current research status of various bioactive peptides and the strategies that have been implemented to overcome their disadvantages. It will also highlight future perspectives regarding the possible improvements to be made for the development of bioactive peptides with practical uses and their commercialization.

Low-molecular-weight oyster peptides (LOPs) are typical bioactive peptides with ameliorated immunomodulatory properties. However, the mechanism underlying its effect on immune functions and intestinal flora after chemotherapy has not been reported. In this study, Lewis lung cancer mice were used along with cytotoxic chemotherapy to establish model to investigate the ameliorative effects of LOPs on immunomodulatory function and intestinal flora structure. Our results showed that administration of LOPs alleviated weight loss, reduced spleen tissue damage, increased splenic T-lymphocytes, and markedly increased secretion of serum immunoglobulins and decreased inflammatory factors. Additionally, LOPs significantly increased the abundance of beneficial bacteria (Lactobacillus and Coriobacteriaceae_UCG) and decreased pathogenic bacteria (Clostridium) present in intestine. Hydrophobic amino acids and glutamate may be the underlying components to mitigate negative effects of chemotherapy. This study provides a theoretical basis for the use of LOPs as a nutritional base for the development of formula foods for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Oysters are nutritious and tasty but difficult to store. Drying can extend the storage period of oysters and give them a unique flavor. In this study, the effects of four drying procedures, namely, vacuum freeze drying (VFD), vacuum drying (VD), natural sun-drying (NSD), and hot air drying (HAD), on the flavor characteristics of oysters (Crassostrea hongkongensis) were investigated using blanched oysters as a control (CK). Results showed that HAD produced more free amino acids than the other methods, but VFD retained the most flavor nucleotides. Compared with cold drying (VFD), hot drying (VD, NSD, and HAD) increased the abundance of organic acids, betaine, and aroma substances. Glutamic acid, alanine, AMP, hexanal, octanal, heptanal, (E, E)-2,4-heptadienal, (E)-2-decenal, nonanal, etc., are defined as the characteristic flavor compounds of dried oysters, with umami, sweet, green, fatty, and fruity aromas being the main organoleptic attributes of dried oysters. Glutamic acid, glycine, betaine, IMP, pentanal, ethyl heptanoate, (E, Z)-2,4-nonadienal, 1-octen-3-one, 2-hexenal, 2-octenal, hexanal, decanal were defined as markers to distinguish different drying methods. Overall, HAD showed improved flavor qualities and characteristics and was better suited for the highly commercialized production of dried oysters.

Abstract Background Anti-GABABR encephalitis is a rare type of autoimmune encephalitis, which often presents with memory impairments, behavioral changes and seizures. This case series describes the neuropsychological function recovery pattern in five adult patients with anti-GABABR encephalitis. Case presentation We recruited five patients with clinically confirmed anti-GABABR encephalitis without any accompanying malignancy. Comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation was conducted on each patient. All the five patients were evaluated in the chronic phase. Five age and gender matched healthy adults were recruited as control group. Our study demonstrated that the neuropsychological function of the patients with anti-GABABR encephalitis was no different with respect to the control group during the chronic phase (more than 6 months after onset). Moreover, one patients with neuropsychological evaluation at acute (within 2 months after onset of symptoms), post-acute (2 to 6 months after onset) and chronic phases respectively, presented neuropsychological function recovered as early as in the post-acute phase and only showed cognition impairment in the acute phase. Conclusions The results of this retrospective study indicate a favorable long-term neuropsychological function outcome in adult patients with anti-GABABR encephalitis, despite severe memory deficits occurring during the acute phase. These findings improve our understanding related to the prognosis of neuropsychological function in anti-GABABR encephalitis.

Abstract Background Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is the most common disease that can cause muscle weakness and atrophy among adults. Normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) is characterized by the triad of gait disturbance, cognitive impairment and urinary incontinence. The association between DM1 and NPH is extremely rare. We report a Chinese female patient with DM1 in association with NPH. Case presentation The patient presented with a history of 3-year of walking instability and cognitive impairment. Her brain MRI showed ventriculomegaly with normal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure and the CSF tap-test was positive, which indicated the diagnosis of probable NPH. DM1 was confirmed by genetic testing. Conclusions Four patients with DM1-NPH association were found before. The association between NPH and DM1 may not be just a coincidence, NPH may occur in DM1 later in life and it is vital to recognize the association as a shunt surgery may improve patients’ quality of life.

Protein content, a vital component determining the nutritional quality of oysters, is unevenly distributed in different parts of oyster. In this study, the spatial distribution (visceral mass, mantle, gill, and adductor) patterns and structural characteristics of proteins, including water–soluble proteins (WSP), salt–soluble proteins (SSP), acid–soluble proteins (ASP) and alkali–soluble proteins (ALSP) of oysters (Crassostrea hongkongensis) were investigated with the amino acid analyzer, circular dichroism spectroscopy (CD), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and fluorescence spectroscopy. The results showed that oyster proteins were mainly distributed in the visceral mass and mantle. The protein composition was WSP, SSP, ALSP, and ASP in descending order, which conformed to the ideal amino acid pattern. Variations in secondary structure, molecular weight distribution, and thermal denaturation temperatures of the oyster proteins were observed. SSP had wider bands (16–270 kDa) than those of ASP (30–37 kDa) and ALSP (66–270 kDa). Among the four proteins, the SSP of the mantle showed the highest thermal stability (87.4 °C), while ALSP of the adductor muscle had the lowest the lowest the peak denaturation temperature (Tm) (53.8 °C). The proportions of secondary structures in oyster proteins were different, with a higher proportion of solid protein β–folds, and the exposure of aromatic amino acid residues and disulfide bonds and the microenvironment in which they were located were also different.

Abstract Objective To investigate whether the early administration of intravenous second‐line immunotherapy correlates with improved long‐term cognition and the potential mechanisms via imaging in adult patients with moderate‐to‐severe anti‐N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate (NMDA) receptor encephalitis. Methods Sixteen adult patients with moderate‐to‐severe anti‐NMDA receptor encephalitis past the acute stage and 15 healthy controls (HCs) performed a set of comprehensive neuropsychological tests, and underwent a resting‐state fMRI study to analyze resting state functional connectivity (FC). In addition, correlation analyses were performed between hippocampal FC and cognitive performance. All patients were received intravenous first‐line immunotherapy, and nine of them were also given intravenous second‐line immunotherapy within 3 months of disease onset. Results The patients who only received first‐line immunotherapy showed significant verbal episodic memory impairments compared with HCs and those who received second‐line immunotherapy, while no significant differences were noted between the patients with second‐line immunotherapy and the HCs. In line with the results of neuropsychological tests, significant changes in bilateral hippocampal FC were observed in the patients who only received first‐line immunotherapy compared with both HCs and those who received second‐line immunotherapy. However, no significant differences in hippocampal FC were observed in the patients with second‐line immunotherapy compared with the HCs. Importantly, hippocampal‐medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) connectivity positively correlated with memory performance. Interpretation In the long term, early administration of intravenous second‐line immunotherapy may be associated with more favorable verbal episodic memory outcomes in patients with moderate‐to‐severe anti‐NMDA receptor encephalitis. These results may provide some evidence and guidance for the use of immunotherapy in this population.

In order to illustrate the hypoglycemic mechanism of the dietary anthocyanins from black soybean, the effects of black soybean seed coat extract (BSSCE) and cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (Cy3G), the major anthocyanins of BSSCE on regulation of Akt and GLUT4 in L6 rat skeletal muscle cells were studied. BSSCE and Cy3G significantly augmented the glucose uptake in L6 myotubes in comparison to the normal control (p

In the present study, three homogeneous protein bounded acidic polysaccharides fractions (IOPS-1, IOPS-2 and IOPS-5) were isolated from I. obliquus using DEAE-52 cellulose chromatography. The relationship between their physicochemical properties and bioactivities was comparatively investigated. Results showed that IOPS-1, IOPS-2 and IOPS-5 were composed of rhamnose, arabinose, xylose, mannose, glucose and galactose with the molecular weight distribution range from 75.94 kDa to 114.30 kDa. Congo red assay and CD spectra revealed that these three polysaccharides had ordered triple-helical conformations. Among the three polysaccharides, IOPS-2 exhibited the highest enzymes inhibitory activity and protective effects against the H2O2 induced oxidative damages in hepatic L02 cells, which would be related to its specific molecular weight (97.12 kDa), protein and uronic acid contents, rough appearance and triple-helical conformation. These results might facilitate the development of polysaccharides from I. oblqiuus as alternative antioxidants and provide significant insights into the relationship of structure-bioactivity of natural polysaccharides.

Objective: To observe the dynamic characteristics of cognitive function following early application of immunotherapy in adult patients with severe anti N-methyl D-aspartate receptor (anti-NMDAR) encephalitis.Methods: Serial neuropsychological assessments were performed at three sequential time points in five adult patients with severe anti-NMDAR encephalitis following early-initiated immunotherapy. The three sequential points were 1–2, 6, and 11–12 months after treatment. Five normal subjects without psychological or neurological diseases were assessed as a control group.Results: Following early-initiated immunotherapy, all five patients demonstrated a gradual improvement of overall cognitive function over the 1-year follow-up period. All patients had suffered from a comprehensive cognitive function disorder from the early stages of the illness. Six months after the immunotherapy, the treatment group showed no significant differences in verbal episodic memory function compared with the control group. One year after the immunotherapy, non-verbal episodic memory function in the treatment group had normalized. The results of other tests related to frontoparietal cognitive function revealed damage of varying degrees during these three phases.Conclusion: The results of this sequential observation study indicated a three-phase recovery pattern of cognitive function in adult patients with severe anti-NMDAR encephalitis following early initiated immunotherapy. These findings extend current understanding of the recovery mechanisms of cognitive function impairment in this disease.

Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by declining language ability. However, the difficulty in defining the central clinical features in its earliest stage and establishing the dynamics of its progression has led to controversy. We report a 71-year-old man with Han language suffering from non-fluent/agrammatic variant of PPA but presenting as typical Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and confused with logopenic variant of PPA in its early stage, longitudinally describing his clinical characteristics, neuroanatomical basis, and genetic associations, and exploring the underlying pathology. This case highlights a longitudinal data for reliably discriminating among AD and PPA variants and helps to deepen our understanding of Han language non-fluent/agrammatic variant of PPA.

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has been proposed as an experimental approach for the treatment of disorders of consciousness (DOC). To date, there has been little research into the use of rTMS in DOC and the therapeutic effects have been variously documented. This study aimed to examine the effects of 20 Hz rTMS on the electroencephalography (EEG) reactivity and clinical response in patients with DOC and to explore the neuromodulatory effects of high-frequency rTMS. In this randomized, sham-controlled, crossover study, real or sham 20 Hz rTMS was applied to the left primary motor cortex (M1) of patients with DOC for 5 consecutive days. Evaluations were blindly performed at the baseline (T0), immediately after the end of the 5 days of treatment (T1) and 1 week after the treatment (T2) using the JFK coma recovery scale-revised (CRS-R) and resting-state EEG. Only one patient, with a history of 2 months of traumatic brain injury, showed long-lasting (T1, T2) behavioral and neurophysiological modifications after the real rTMS stimulation. The 5 remaining patients presented brain reactivity localized at several electrodes, and the EEG modification was not significant. rTMS stimulation may improve awareness and arousal of DOC. Additionally, EEG represents a potential biomarker for the therapeutic efficacy of rTMS. This trial is registered with (NCT03385278).

Prediction of memory performance (remembered or forgotten) has various potential applications not only for knowledge learning but also for disease diagnosis. Recently, subsequent memory effects (SMEs)-the statistical differences in electroencephalography (EEG) signals before or during learning between subsequently remembered and forgotten events-have been found. This finding indicates that EEG signals convey the information relevant to memory performance. In this paper, based on SMEs we propose a computational approach to predict memory performance of an event from EEG signals. We devise a convolutional neural network for EEG, called ConvEEGNN, to predict subsequently remembered and forgotten events from EEG recorded during memory process. With the ConvEEGNN, prediction of memory performance can be achieved by integrating two main stages: feature extraction and classification. To verify the proposed approach, we employ an auditory memory task to collect EEG signals from scalp electrodes. For ConvEEGNN, the average prediction accuracy was 72.07% by using EEG data from pre-stimulus and during-stimulus periods, outperforming other approaches. It was observed that signals from pre-stimulus period and those from during-stimulus period had comparable contributions to memory performance. Furthermore, the connection weights of ConvEEGNN network can reveal prominent channels, which are consistent with the distribution of SME studied previously.

Polysaccharides are natural biopolymers that have been recognized to be the most promising hosts for the synthesis of metallic nanoparticles (MNPs) because of their outstanding biocompatible and biodegradable properties. Polysaccharides are diverse in size and molecular chains, making them suitable for the reduction and stabilization of MNPs. Considerable research has been directed toward investigating polysaccharide-based metallic nanoparticles (PMNPs) through host–guest strategy. In this review, approaches of preparation, including top-down and bottom-up approaches, are presented and compared. Different characterization techniques such as scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, UV-visible spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and small-angle X-ray scattering are discussed in detail. Besides, the applications of PMNPs in the field of wound healing, targeted delivery, biosensing, catalysis and agents with antimicrobial, antiviral and anticancer capabilities are specifically highlighted. The controversial toxicological effects of PMNPs are also discussed. This review can provide significant insights into the utilization of polysaccharides as the hosts to synthesize MPNs and facilitate their further development in synthesis approaches, characterization techniques as well as potential applications.