Int J Med Sci
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Observational Study
Distinct Patterns of Brain Atrophy associated with Mild Behavioral Impairment in Cognitively Normal Elderly Adults.
A cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate patterns of gray matter changes in cognitively normal elderly adults with mild behavioral impairment (MBI). Sixteen MBI patients and 18 healthy controls were selected. All the participants underwent a neuropsychological assessment battery, including the Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE), Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), and Chinese version of the mild behavioral impairment-checklist scale (MBI-C), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. ⋯ This suggests a link between MBI and decreased grey matter volume in cognitively normal elderly adults. Atrophy in the left frontal cortex and right thalamus in MBI patients is in line with frontal-subcortical circuit deficits, which have been linked to neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) in dementia. These initial results imply that MBI might be an early harbinger for subsequent cognitive decline and dementia.
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Dual emissions at ~700 and 800 nm have been achieved from a single NIR-AZA fluorophore 1 by establishing parameters in which it can exist in either its isolated molecular or aggregated states. Dual near infrared (NIR) fluorescence color lymph node (LN) mapping with 1 was achieved in a large-animal porcine model, with injection site, channels and nodes all detectable at both 700 and 800 nm using a preclinical open camera system. The fluorophore was also compatible with imaging using two clinical instruments for fluorescence guided surgery. ⋯ Emissions at 700 and 800 nm can be achieved from a single fluorophore by establishing molecular and aggregate forms. Fluorophore was compatible with clinical systems for fluorescence guided surgery and no toxicity was observed in high dosage testing. Conclusion: A new, biomedical compatible form of NIR-dual emission wavelength imaging has been established using a readily accessible fluorophore with significant scope for clinical translation.
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Endometriosis is a common gynecological disease, affecting up to 10% of women of reproductive age and approximately 50% of women with infertility. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been shown to be involved in a number of diseases. Dysregulated expression of circRNAs in endometriosis has been reported, and circ_0000673 was significantly downregulated. ⋯ We found that the effect of circ_0000673 knockdown could be recovered by miR-616-3p inhibitor and enhanced by miR-616-3p mimics. qPCR and western blot assays showed that circ_0000673 knockdown could decrease the expression of PTEN and increase the expression of PI3K and p-AKT. PTEN was confirmed to be a target of miR-616-3p. These results demonstrated that the downregulation of circ_0000673 could promote the progression of endometriosis by inactivating PTEN via the deregulation of miR-616-3p.
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Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are a heterogeneous population of immature myeloid cells with immunosuppressive functions; these cells play a key role in infection, immunization, chronic inflammation, and cancer. Recent studies have reported that immunosuppression plays an important role in the healing process of tissues and that Treg play an important role in fracture healing. MDSCs suppress active T cell proliferation and reduce the severity of arthritis in mice and humans. ⋯ These data is suggesting that MDSCs emerge to suppress inflammation and support new bone formation. Here, we report, for the first time (to our knowledge), the role of MDSCs in the initiation of bone formation. MDSC appeared at the transition from inflammation to bone making and regulates bone healing by suppressing inflammation.
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Anemia, for which erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) and iron supplements (ISs) are used as preventive measures, presents important difficulties for hemodialysis patients. Nevertheless, the number of physicians able to manage such medications appropriately is not keeping pace with the rapid increase of hemodialysis patients. Moreover, the high cost of ESAs imposes heavy burdens on medical insurance systems. ⋯ For the system, appropriate data selection and rectification techniques play important roles. Decision making related to ESAs poses a multi-class classification problem for which a two-step classification technique is introduced. Several validations have demonstrated that AISACS exhibits high performance with correct classification rates of 72%-87% and clinically appropriate classification rates of 92%-98%.