Unnamed: 0 int64 0 2.34M | titles stringlengths 5 21.5M | abst stringlengths 1 21.5M |
|---|---|---|
2,330,600 | Progesterone receptor-Src kinase signaling pathway mediates neuroprogesterone induction of the luteinizing hormone surge in female rats. | Neural circuits in female rats are exposed to sequential estradiol and progesterone to regulate the release of luteinizing hormone (LH) and ultimately ovulation. Estradiol induces progesterone receptors (PGRs) in anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV) kisspeptin neurons, and as estradiol reaches peak concentrations, neuroprogesterone (neuroP) synthesis is induced in hypothalamic astrocytes. This local neuroP signals to PGRs expressed in kisspeptin neurons to trigger the LH surge. We tested the hypothesis that neuroP-PGR signaling through Src family kinase (Src) underlies the LH surge. As observed in vitro, PGR and Src are co-expressed in AVPV neurons. Estradiol treatment increased the number of PGR immunopositive cells and PGR and Src colocalization. Furthermore, estradiol treatment increased the number of AVPV cells that had extranuclear PGR and Src in close proximity (< 40 nm). Infusion of the Src inhibitor (PP2) into the AVPV region of ovariectomized/adrenalectomized (ovx/adx) rats attenuated the LH surge in trunk blood collected 53 h post-estradiol (50 µg) injection that induced neuroP synthesis. Although PP2 reduced the LH surge in estradiol benzoate treated ovx/adx rats, activation of either AVPV PGR or Src in 2 µg estradiol-primed animals significantly elevated LH concentrations compared to dimethyl sulfoxide infused rats. Finally, antagonism of either AVPV PGR or Src blocked the ability of PGR or Src activation to induce an LH surge in estradiol-primed ovx/adx rats. These results indicate that neuroP, which triggers the LH surge, signals through an extranuclear PGR-Src signaling pathway. |
2,330,601 | Sox-positive cell population in the adult cerebellum increases upon tissue degeneration. | Adult neurogenesis is well-described in the subventricular and subgranular zones of the mammalian brain. Recent observations that resident glia express stem cell markers in some areas of the brain not traditionally associated with neurogenesis hint to a possible role in tissue repair. The Bergmann glia (BG) population in the cerebellum displays markers and in vitro features associated with neural stem cells (NSC), however the physiological relevance of this phenotypic overlap remains unclear in the absence of established in vivo evidence of tissue regeneration in the adult cerebellum. Here, this BG population was analysed in the adult cerebellum of different species and showed conservation of NSC-associated marker expression including Sox1, Sox2 and Sox9, in chick, primate and mouse cerebellum tissue. NSC-like cells isolated from adult mouse cerebellum showed slower growth when compared to lateral ventricle NSC, as well as differences upon differentiation. In a mouse model of cerebellar degeneration, progressive Purkinje cell loss was linked to cerebellar cortex disorganisation and a significant increase in Sox-positive cells compared to matching controls. These results show that this Sox-positive population responds to cerebellar tissue disruption, suggesting it may represent a mobilisable cellular resource for targeted strategies to promote tissue repair. |
2,330,602 | Changes of healthy brain tissue after salvage radiotherapy of glioblastoma. | Salvage radiotherapy (SRT) with photons is a valid treatment option for patients suffering from recurrent glioblastoma (GBM). However, the tolerance of healthy brain to ionizing radiation (IR) is limited. The aim of this study was to determine to what extent brain structures in the radiographically tumor-free hemisphere change after repeated radiotherapy.</AbstractText>Five of 26 patients treated with SRT for local recurrence of GBM were found to have magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies available for complete volumetric analysis before and after primary chemo-radiation and after SRT. Manual segmentation and joint segmentation (JS) based on a convolutional neural network were used for the segmentation of the gray matter, the white matter and the ventricles in T1 MRIs.</AbstractText>Qualitative results of manual segmentation and JS were comparable. After primary chemo-radiation and SRT, the volume of the contralateral ventricles increased steadily by 1.3-4.75% (SD ± 2.8 %, R</i> 2</sup> = 0.82; P</i> = <.01) with a manual segmentation and by 1.4-7.4% (SD 2.1%, R</i> 2</sup> = 0.48; P</i> = .025) with JS. The volume of the cortex decreased by 3.4-7.3% except in one patient, the cortex volume increased by 2.5% (SD ± 2.9%, R</i> 2</sup> = 0.18; P</i> = .19) when measured manually. When measured with JS GM decreased by 1.0-7.4%, in one case it increased by 3.0% (SD = 3.2%, P</i> = .22, R</i> 2</sup> = 0.18). The white matter remained stable when assessed with manual segmentation (P</i> = .84, R</i> 2</sup> = 0.004) or JS (P</i> = .44, R</i> 2</sup> = 0.07).</AbstractText>SRT of relapsed GBM leads to continuous changes of the tumor-free contralateral brain by means of manual segmentation or JS. The cortex seems more susceptible to repeated RT compared to the white matter. Larger cohort studies and complementary functional analysis are encouraged.</AbstractText>© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press, the Society for Neuro-Oncology and the European Association of Neuro-Oncology.</CopyrightInformation> |
2,330,603 | Erratum: A Dense RNN for Sequential Four-Chamber View Left Ventricle Wall Segmentation and Cardiac State Estimation. | [This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.696227.]. |
2,330,604 | Cerebellar Liponeurocytoma Mimicking Medulloblastoma: Case Report of a Childhood and Literature Review. | Cerebellar liponeurocytoma is a rare benign neoplasm of the central nervous system, which arises mainly in adult patients with only 3 cases reported in children. Due to its rarity, the diagnosis and treatment strategies for cerebellar liponeurocytoma remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to explore the epidemiology, clinical features, imaging findings, pathological characteristics, different diagnoses, treatment, and prognosis of cerebellar liponeurocytoma in juveniles.</AbstractText>A 5-year-old boy was admitted to the department of neurosurgery due to a 5-month history of headaches, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, dysphoria, as well as visual blurring associated with the peak of the headache. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a 4.9×5.4×6.2 cm mass located in the fourth ventricle and cerebellar vermis combined with hydrocephalus and periventricular edema. The mass was completely removed, and pathological examination indicated a cerebellar liponeurocytoma of the World Health Organization Grade II classification.</AbstractText>The present study was the first to report a cerebellar liponeurocytoma with total tumor resection and adjuvant radiotherapy in a pediatric patient. Total tumor resection and postoperative radiotherapy together with close and long-term follow-up seem to be the optimal treatment strategy for juvenile patients. However, the side-effect of radiation needs to be considered.</AbstractText>Copyright © 2021 Dong, Jiang, Zhao, Wang, Bai, Sun and Li.</CopyrightInformation> |
2,330,605 | Lipopolysaccharide, Identified Using an Antibody and by PAS Staining, Is Associated With <i>Corpora amylacea</i> and White Matter Injury in Alzheimer's Disease and Aging Brain. | <i>Corpora amylacea</i> (CA) increase in number and size with aging. Their origins and functions remain unknown. Previously, we found that Alzheimer's disease (AD) brains have more <i>CA</i> in the periventricular white matter (PVWM) compared to aging controls. In addition, CA is associated with neurodegeneration as indicated by colocalization of degraded myelin basic protein (dMBP) with periodic acid-Schiff (PAS), a CA marker. We also found that bacterial lipopolysaccharide is present in aging brains, with more LPS in AD compared with controls. Periodic acid-Schiff staining is used to identify CA by virtue of their high polysaccharide content. Despite the growing knowledge of CA as a contributor to AD pathology, the molecules that contribute to the polysaccharides in CA are not known. Notably, lipopolysaccharides (LPS) are important cell-surface polysaccharides found in all Gram-negative bacteria. However, it is unknown whether PAS could detect LPS, whether the LPS found in aging brains contribute to the polysaccharide found in CA, and whether LPS associate with myelin injury. In this study, we found that aging brains had a myelin deficit zone (MDZ) adjacent to the ventricles in PVWM. The MDZ contained vesicles, most of which were CA. LPS and dMBP levels were higher in AD than in control brains. LPS was colocalized with dMBP in the vesicles/CA, linking white matter injury with a bacterial pro-inflammatory molecule. The vesicles also contained oxidized fibers, C-reactive protein, NG2, and GALC, markers of oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) and oligodendrocyte cells (OLs), respectively. The vesicles/CA were surrounded by dense astrocyte processes in control and AD brains. LPS was co-localized with CA by double staining of PAS with LPS in aging brains. The relationship of LPS with PAS staining was confirmed by PAS staining of purified LPS on nitrocellulose membranes. These findings reveal that LPS is one of the polysaccharides found in CA which can be stained with PAS. In addition, vesicles/CA are associated with oxidized and damaged myelin. The LPS in these vesicles/CA may have contributed to this oxidative myelin damage and may have contributed to oxidative stress to OPCs and OLs which could impair the ability to repair damaged myelin in AD and control brains. |
2,330,606 | The Up-regulation of TNF-α Maintains Trigeminal Neuralgia by Modulating MAPKs Phosphorylation and BKCa Channels in Trigeminal Nucleus Caudalis. | Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is a severe chronic neuropathic pain. Despite numerous available medical interventions, the therapeutic effects are not ideal. To control the pain attacks, the need for more contemporary drugs continues to be a real challenge. Our previous study reported that Ca<sup>2+</sup>-activated K<sup>+</sup> channels (BK <sub><i>Ca</i></sub> ) channels modulated by mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in the trigeminal ganglia (TG) neurons play crucial roles in regulating TN, and some research studies demonstrated that inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) could promote neuropathic pain. Meanwhile, the trigeminal nucleus caudalis (TNC), the first central site of the trigeminal nociceptive pathway, is responsible for processing sensory and pain signals from the peripheral orofacial area. Thus, this study is aimed to further investigate whether TNF-α and MAPKs phosphorylation in the TNC could mediate the pathogenesis of TN by modulating BK <sub><i>Ca</i></sub> channels. The results showed that TNF-α of the TNC region is upregulated significantly in the chronic constriction injury of infraorbital nerve (ION-CCI) rats model, which displayed persistent facial mechanical allodynia. The normal rats with target injection of exogenous TNF-α to the fourth brain ventricle behaved just like the ION-CCI model rats, the orofacial mechanical pain threshold decreased clearly. Meanwhile, the exogenous TNF-α increased the action potential frequency and reduced the BK <sub><i>Ca</i></sub> currents of TNC neurons significantly, which could be reversed by U0126 and SB203580, the inhibitors of MAPK. In addition, U0126, SB203580, and another MAPK inhibitor SP600125 could relieve the facial mechanical allodynia by being injected into the fourth brain ventricle of ION-CCI model rats, respectively. Taken together, our work suggests that the upregulation of TNF-α in the TNC region would cause the increase of MAPKs phosphorylation and then the negative regulation of BK <sub><i>Ca</i></sub> channels, resulting in the TN. |
2,330,607 | The cell type-specific ER membrane protein UGS148 is not essential in mice. | Genomes of higher eukaryotes encode many uncharacterized proteins, and the functions of these proteins cannot be predicted from the primary sequences due to a lack of conserved functional domains. In this study, we focused on a poorly characterized protein UGS148 that is highly expressed in a specialized cell type called tanycytes that line the ventral wall of the third ventricle in the hypothalamus. Immunostaining of UGS148 revealed the fine morphology of tanycytes with highly branched apical ER membranes. Immunoprecipitation revealed that UGS148 associated with mitochondrial ATPase at least in vitro, and ER and mitochondrial signals occasionally overlapped in tanycytes. Mutant mice lacking UGS148 did not exhibit overt phenotypes, suggesting that UGS148 was not essential in mice reared under normal laboratory conditions. We also found that RNA probes that were predicted to uniquely detect UGS148 mRNA cross-reacted with uncharacterized RNAs, highlighting the importance of experimental validation of the specificity of probes during the hybridization-based study of RNA localization. |
2,330,608 | Acidic environments trigger intracellular H+-sensing FAK proteins to re-balance sarcolemmal acid-base transporters and auto-regulate cardiomyocyte pH. | In cardiomyocytes, acute disturbances to intracellular pH (pHi) are promptly corrected by a system of finely tuned sarcolemmal acid-base transporters. However, these fluxes become thermodynamically re-balanced in acidic environments, which inadvertently causes their set-point pHi to fall outside the physiological range. It is unclear whether an adaptive mechanism exists to correct this thermodynamic challenge, and return pHi to normal.</AbstractText>Following left ventricle cryo-damage, a diffuse pattern of low extracellular pH (pHe) was detected by acid-sensing pHLIP. Despite this, pHi measured in the beating heart (13C NMR) was normal. Myocytes had adapted to their acidic environment by reducing Cl-/HCO3- exchange (CBE)-dependent acid-loading and increasing Na+/H+ exchange (NHE1)-dependent acid-extrusion, as measured by fluorescence (cSNARF1). The outcome of this adaptation on pHi is revealed as a cytoplasmic alkalinization when cells are superfused at physiological pHe. Conversely, mice given oral bicarbonate (to improve systemic buffering) had reduced myocardial NHE1 expression, consistent with a needs-dependent expression of pHi-regulatory transporters. The response to sustained acidity could be replicated in vitro using neonatal ventricular myocytes incubated at low pHe for 48 h. The adaptive increase in NHE1 and decrease in CBE activities was linked to Slc9a1 (NHE1) up-regulation and Slc4a2 (AE2) down-regulation. This response was triggered by intracellular H+ ions because it persisted in the absence of CO2/HCO3- and became ablated when acidic incubation media had lower chloride, a solution manoeuvre that reduces the extent of pHi-decrease. Pharmacological inhibition of FAK-family non-receptor kinases, previously characterized as pH-sensors, ablated this pHi autoregulation. In support of a pHi-sensing role, FAK protein Pyk2 (auto)phosphorylation was reduced within minutes of exposure to acidity, ahead of adaptive changes to pHi control.</AbstractText>Cardiomyocytes fine-tune the expression of pHi-regulators so that pHi is at least 7.0. This autoregulatory feedback mechanism defines physiological pHi and protects it during pHe vulnerabilities.</AbstractText>© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.</CopyrightInformation> |
2,330,609 | Experimental Hemodynamics Within the Penn State Fontan Circulatory Assist Device.<ELocationID EIdType="pii" ValidYN="Y">071004</ELocationID><ELocationID EIdType="doi" ValidYN="Y">10.1115/1.4053210</ELocationID><Abstract><AbstractText>For children born with a single functional ventricle, the Fontan operation bypasses the right ventricle by forming a four-way total cavopulmonary connection and adapts the existing ventricle for the systemic circulation. However, upon reaching adulthood, many Fontan patients exhibit low cardiac output and elevated venous pressure, eventually requiring a heart transplantation. Despite efforts in developing a new device or using an existing device for failing Fontan support, there is still no Food and Drug Administration-approved device for subpulmonary support. Penn State University is developing a hydrodynamically levitated Fontan circulatory assist device (FCAD) for bridge-to-transplant or destination therapy. The hemodynamics within the FCAD, at both steady and patient averaged pulsatile conditions for three physiological pump operating conditions, were quantified using particle image velocimetry (PIV) to determine the velocity magnitudes and Reynolds normal and shear stresses within the device. Data were acquired at three planes (0 mm and ±25% of the radius) for the inferior and superior vena cavae inlets and the pulmonary artery outlet. The inlets had a blunt velocity profile that became skewed toward the collecting volute as fluid approached the rotor. At the outlet, regardless of the flow condition, a high-velocity jet exited the volute and moved downstream in a helical pattern. Turbulent stresses observed at the volute exit were influenced by the rotor's rotation. Regardless of inlet conditions, the pump demonstrated advantageous behavior for clinical use with a predictable flow field and a low risk of platelet adhesion and hemolysis based on calculated wall shear rates and turbulent stresses, respectively.</AbstractText><CopyrightInformation>Copyright © 2022 by ASME.</CopyrightInformation></Abstract><AuthorList CompleteYN="Y"><Author ValidYN="Y"><LastName>Ponnaluri</LastName><ForeName>Sailahari V</ForeName><Initials>SV</Initials><AffiliationInfo><Affiliation>Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, Suite 122 Chemical and Biomedical Engineering Building, University Park, PA 16802.</Affiliation></AffiliationInfo></Author><Author ValidYN="Y"><LastName>Christensen</LastName><ForeName>Emma J</ForeName><Initials>EJ</Initials><AffiliationInfo><Affiliation>Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, Suite 122 Chemical and Biomedical Engineering Building, University Park, PA 16802.</Affiliation></AffiliationInfo></Author><Author ValidYN="Y"><LastName>Good</LastName><ForeName>Bryan C</ForeName><Initials>BC</Initials><AffiliationInfo><Affiliation>Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, Suite 122 Chemical and Biomedical Engineering Building, University Park, PA 16802.</Affiliation></AffiliationInfo></Author><Author ValidYN="Y"><LastName>Kubicki</LastName><ForeName>Cody J</ForeName><Initials>CJ</Initials><AffiliationInfo><Affiliation>Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, Suite 122 Chemical and Biomedical Engineering Building, University Park, PA 16802.</Affiliation></AffiliationInfo></Author><Author ValidYN="Y"><LastName>Deutsch</LastName><ForeName>Steven</ForeName><Initials>S</Initials><AffiliationInfo><Affiliation>Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, Suite 122 Chemical and Biomedical Engineering Building, University Park, PA 16802.</Affiliation></AffiliationInfo></Author><Author ValidYN="Y"><LastName>Cysyk</LastName><ForeName>Joshua P</ForeName><Initials>JP</Initials><AffiliationInfo><Affiliation>Department of Surgery, Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, H151 Surgery, Hershey, PA 17033.</Affiliation></AffiliationInfo></Author><Author ValidYN="Y"><LastName>Weiss</LastName><ForeName>William J</ForeName><Initials>WJ</Initials><AffiliationInfo><Affiliation>Department of Surgery, Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, H151 Surgery, Hershey, PA 17033.</Affiliation></AffiliationInfo></Author><Author ValidYN="Y"><LastName>Manning</LastName><ForeName>Keefe B</ForeName><Initials>KB</Initials><AffiliationInfo><Affiliation>Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, Suite 122 Chemical and Biomedical Engineering Building, University Park, PA 16802; Department of Surgery, Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, H151 Surgery, Hershey, PA 17033.</Affiliation></AffiliationInfo></Author></AuthorList><Language>eng</Language><PublicationTypeList><PublicationType UI="D016428">Journal Article</PublicationType><PublicationType UI="D013485">Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't</PublicationType><PublicationType UI="D013486">Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.</PublicationType></PublicationTypeList></Article><MedlineJournalInfo><Country>United States</Country><MedlineTA>J Biomech Eng</MedlineTA><NlmUniqueID>7909584</NlmUniqueID><ISSNLinking>0148-0731</ISSNLinking></MedlineJournalInfo><CitationSubset>IM</CitationSubset><MeshHeadingList><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D000328" MajorTopicYN="N">Adult</DescriptorName></MeshHeading><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D002648" MajorTopicYN="N">Child</DescriptorName></MeshHeading><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D018729" MajorTopicYN="Y">Fontan Procedure</DescriptorName><QualifierName UI="Q000379" MajorTopicYN="N">methods</QualifierName></MeshHeading><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D006352" MajorTopicYN="N">Heart Ventricles</DescriptorName></MeshHeading><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D006353" MajorTopicYN="Y">Heart-Assist Devices</DescriptorName></MeshHeading><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D006439" MajorTopicYN="N">Hemodynamics</DescriptorName></MeshHeading><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D006801" MajorTopicYN="N">Humans</DescriptorName></MeshHeading><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D008955" MajorTopicYN="N">Models, Cardiovascular</DescriptorName></MeshHeading></MeshHeadingList></MedlineCitation><PubmedData><History><PubMedPubDate PubStatus="received"><Year>2021</Year><Month>7</Month><Day>29</Day></PubMedPubDate><PubMedPubDate PubStatus="pubmed"><Year>2021</Year><Month>12</Month><Day>14</Day><Hour>6</Hour><Minute>0</Minute></PubMedPubDate><PubMedPubDate PubStatus="medline"><Year>2022</Year><Month>4</Month><Day>28</Day><Hour>6</Hour><Minute>0</Minute></PubMedPubDate><PubMedPubDate PubStatus="entrez"><Year>2021</Year><Month>12</Month><Day>13</Day><Hour>13</Hour><Minute>23</Minute></PubMedPubDate></History><PublicationStatus>ppublish</PublicationStatus><ArticleIdList><ArticleId IdType="pubmed">34897373</ArticleId><ArticleId IdType="doi">10.1115/1.4053210</ArticleId><ArticleId IdType="pii">1129243</ArticleId></ArticleIdList></PubmedData></PubmedArticle><PubmedArticle><MedlineCitation Status="MEDLINE" Owner="NLM" IndexingMethod="Automated"><PMID Version="1">34897043</PMID><DateCompleted><Year>2021</Year><Month>12</Month><Day>14</Day></DateCompleted><DateRevised><Year>2021</Year><Month>12</Month><Day>14</Day></DateRevised><Article PubModel="Print"><Journal><ISSN IssnType="Print">1512-0112</ISSN><JournalIssue CitedMedium="Internet"><Issue>320</Issue><PubDate><Year>2021</Year><Month>Nov</Month></PubDate></JournalIssue><Title>Georgian medical news</Title><ISOAbbreviation>Georgian Med News</ISOAbbreviation></Journal>COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF NEUROSURGICAL ASPECTS OF NEONATAL INTRAVENTRICULAR HEMORRHAGE TREATMENT. | For children born with a single functional ventricle, the Fontan operation bypasses the right ventricle by forming a four-way total cavopulmonary connection and adapts the existing ventricle for the systemic circulation. However, upon reaching adulthood, many Fontan patients exhibit low cardiac output and elevated venous pressure, eventually requiring a heart transplantation. Despite efforts in developing a new device or using an existing device for failing Fontan support, there is still no Food and Drug Administration-approved device for subpulmonary support. Penn State University is developing a hydrodynamically levitated Fontan circulatory assist device (FCAD) for bridge-to-transplant or destination therapy. The hemodynamics within the FCAD, at both steady and patient averaged pulsatile conditions for three physiological pump operating conditions, were quantified using particle image velocimetry (PIV) to determine the velocity magnitudes and Reynolds normal and shear stresses within the device. Data were acquired at three planes (0 mm and ±25% of the radius) for the inferior and superior vena cavae inlets and the pulmonary artery outlet. The inlets had a blunt velocity profile that became skewed toward the collecting volute as fluid approached the rotor. At the outlet, regardless of the flow condition, a high-velocity jet exited the volute and moved downstream in a helical pattern. Turbulent stresses observed at the volute exit were influenced by the rotor's rotation. Regardless of inlet conditions, the pump demonstrated advantageous behavior for clinical use with a predictable flow field and a low risk of platelet adhesion and hemolysis based on calculated wall shear rates and turbulent stresses, respectively.<CopyrightInformation>Copyright © 2022 by ASME.</CopyrightInformation></Abstract><AuthorList CompleteYN="Y"><Author ValidYN="Y"><LastName>Ponnaluri</LastName><ForeName>Sailahari V</ForeName><Initials>SV</Initials><AffiliationInfo><Affiliation>Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, Suite 122 Chemical and Biomedical Engineering Building, University Park, PA 16802.</Affiliation></AffiliationInfo></Author><Author ValidYN="Y"><LastName>Christensen</LastName><ForeName>Emma J</ForeName><Initials>EJ</Initials><AffiliationInfo><Affiliation>Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, Suite 122 Chemical and Biomedical Engineering Building, University Park, PA 16802.</Affiliation></AffiliationInfo></Author><Author ValidYN="Y"><LastName>Good</LastName><ForeName>Bryan C</ForeName><Initials>BC</Initials><AffiliationInfo><Affiliation>Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, Suite 122 Chemical and Biomedical Engineering Building, University Park, PA 16802.</Affiliation></AffiliationInfo></Author><Author ValidYN="Y"><LastName>Kubicki</LastName><ForeName>Cody J</ForeName><Initials>CJ</Initials><AffiliationInfo><Affiliation>Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, Suite 122 Chemical and Biomedical Engineering Building, University Park, PA 16802.</Affiliation></AffiliationInfo></Author><Author ValidYN="Y"><LastName>Deutsch</LastName><ForeName>Steven</ForeName><Initials>S</Initials><AffiliationInfo><Affiliation>Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, Suite 122 Chemical and Biomedical Engineering Building, University Park, PA 16802.</Affiliation></AffiliationInfo></Author><Author ValidYN="Y"><LastName>Cysyk</LastName><ForeName>Joshua P</ForeName><Initials>JP</Initials><AffiliationInfo><Affiliation>Department of Surgery, Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, H151 Surgery, Hershey, PA 17033.</Affiliation></AffiliationInfo></Author><Author ValidYN="Y"><LastName>Weiss</LastName><ForeName>William J</ForeName><Initials>WJ</Initials><AffiliationInfo><Affiliation>Department of Surgery, Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, H151 Surgery, Hershey, PA 17033.</Affiliation></AffiliationInfo></Author><Author ValidYN="Y"><LastName>Manning</LastName><ForeName>Keefe B</ForeName><Initials>KB</Initials><AffiliationInfo><Affiliation>Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, Suite 122 Chemical and Biomedical Engineering Building, University Park, PA 16802; Department of Surgery, Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, H151 Surgery, Hershey, PA 17033.</Affiliation></AffiliationInfo></Author></AuthorList><Language>eng</Language><PublicationTypeList><PublicationType UI="D016428">Journal Article</PublicationType><PublicationType UI="D013485">Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't</PublicationType><PublicationType UI="D013486">Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.</PublicationType></PublicationTypeList></Article><MedlineJournalInfo><Country>United States</Country><MedlineTA>J Biomech Eng</MedlineTA><NlmUniqueID>7909584</NlmUniqueID><ISSNLinking>0148-0731</ISSNLinking></MedlineJournalInfo><CitationSubset>IM</CitationSubset><MeshHeadingList><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D000328" MajorTopicYN="N">Adult</DescriptorName></MeshHeading><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D002648" MajorTopicYN="N">Child</DescriptorName></MeshHeading><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D018729" MajorTopicYN="Y">Fontan Procedure</DescriptorName><QualifierName UI="Q000379" MajorTopicYN="N">methods</QualifierName></MeshHeading><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D006352" MajorTopicYN="N">Heart Ventricles</DescriptorName></MeshHeading><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D006353" MajorTopicYN="Y">Heart-Assist Devices</DescriptorName></MeshHeading><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D006439" MajorTopicYN="N">Hemodynamics</DescriptorName></MeshHeading><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D006801" MajorTopicYN="N">Humans</DescriptorName></MeshHeading><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D008955" MajorTopicYN="N">Models, Cardiovascular</DescriptorName></MeshHeading></MeshHeadingList></MedlineCitation><PubmedData><History><PubMedPubDate PubStatus="received"><Year>2021</Year><Month>7</Month><Day>29</Day></PubMedPubDate><PubMedPubDate PubStatus="pubmed"><Year>2021</Year><Month>12</Month><Day>14</Day><Hour>6</Hour><Minute>0</Minute></PubMedPubDate><PubMedPubDate PubStatus="medline"><Year>2022</Year><Month>4</Month><Day>28</Day><Hour>6</Hour><Minute>0</Minute></PubMedPubDate><PubMedPubDate PubStatus="entrez"><Year>2021</Year><Month>12</Month><Day>13</Day><Hour>13</Hour><Minute>23</Minute></PubMedPubDate></History><PublicationStatus>ppublish</PublicationStatus><ArticleIdList><ArticleId IdType="pubmed">34897373</ArticleId><ArticleId IdType="doi">10.1115/1.4053210</ArticleId><ArticleId IdType="pii">1129243</ArticleId></ArticleIdList></PubmedData></PubmedArticle><PubmedArticle><MedlineCitation Status="MEDLINE" Owner="NLM" IndexingMethod="Automated"><PMID Version="1">34897043</PMID><DateCompleted><Year>2021</Year><Month>12</Month><Day>14</Day></DateCompleted><DateRevised><Year>2021</Year><Month>12</Month><Day>14</Day></DateRevised><Article PubModel="Print"><Journal><ISSN IssnType="Print">1512-0112</ISSN><JournalIssue CitedMedium="Internet"><Issue>320</Issue><PubDate><Year>2021</Year><Month>Nov</Month></PubDate></JournalIssue><Title>Georgian medical news</Title><ISOAbbreviation>Georgian Med News</ISOAbbreviation></Journal><ArticleTitle>COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF NEUROSURGICAL ASPECTS OF NEONATAL INTRAVENTRICULAR HEMORRHAGE TREATMENT.</ArticleTitle><Pagination><StartPage>41</StartPage><EndPage>46</EndPage><MedlinePgn>41-46</MedlinePgn></Pagination><Abstract>Intraventricular hemorrhage is the major cause for neonatal hydrocephalus. This study aims to provide the comparative analysis of existing methods of intraventricular hemorrhage treatment. 39 medical cases were studied retrospectively, all the patients were treated at Neonatology Department of O. Ghudushauri National Medical Center, in 2016-2020. As an initial neurosurgical intervention, 23 and 11 neonates underwent ventricular reservoir implantation (A) and ventriculostomy (B), respectively; 5 newborns received the serial ventricular/lumbar punctures (C). Complications, eventual need for shunting, the frequency of intracranial cyst formation and the rate of complication with meningitis were studied retrospectively. The patients were divided into three groups - A, B and C. The Group A, Group B and Group C neonates slightly differed by the gestational ages. In Group A, 17 (73.91%) newborns required shunting during their stay at the clinic, and 2 of them were transferred abroad for further treatment. In group B, 8 newborns required shunting and 2 patients died. In Group C, ventriculoperitoneal shunting was applied in 100% of cases. Among 39 patients, shunting was required for 30 (76.92%) neonates, 2 out of whom were transferred abroad. 7 (17,98%) patients died. The average number of neurosurgical interventions among the deceased patients was 2 (minimum 1, maximum 5). Complications of the neonate intraventricular hemorrhage pose a serious threat to life and further neurological development. There is no optimum method for treatment of this disease, each case requires differentiated approach and individual identification of treatment tactics. |
2,330,610 | Pathophysiology of the choroid plexus in brain diseases. | The choroid plexus, located in the ventricular system of the central nervous system (CNS), obtains numerous roles critical for the proper development and operating of the CNS. The functions range from the best-known ones of the barrier and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) producer, through participation in immune answer, 'nourishment, detoxification and reparation of the rest of the CNS. Increase number of studies point out the association between choroid plexus dysfunction, characterized by alterations in secretory, transport and barrier capabilities, and the broad spectrum of clinical conditions, as well as physiological aging. We present a brief overview of pathological states known or speculated to be connected to choroid plexus dysfunction, ranging from neurodevelopmental, to autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases. We also cover the topic of choroid plexus tumors, as well explained involvement of the choroid plexus in pathogen invasion of the CNS, also referring to the currently actual SARS-CoV-2 infection. Finally, we have also touched conducted studies on the choroid plexus regenerative potential. With the information provided in the review we want to point out the importance and call for further research on the role of the choroid plexus in the sustainability of central nervous system health. |
2,330,611 | Adult Neural Stem Cell Migration Is Impaired in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease. | Neurogenesis in the adult brain takes place in two neurogenic niches: the ventricular-subventricular zone (V-SVZ) and the subgranular zone. After differentiation, neural precursor cells (neuroblasts) have to move to an adequate position, a process known as neuronal migration. Some studies show that in Alzheimer's disease, the adult neurogenesis is impaired. Our main aim was to investigate some proteins involved both in the physiopathology of Alzheimer's disease and in the neuronal migration process using the APP/PS1 Alzheimer's mouse model. Progenitor migrating cells are accumulated in the V-SVZ of the APP/PS1 mice. Furthermore, we find an increase of Cdh1 levels and a decrease of Cdk5/p35 and cyclin B1, indicating that these cells have an alteration of the cell cycle, which triggers a senescence state. We find less cells in the rostral migratory stream and less mature neurons in the olfactory bulbs from APP/PS1 mice, leading to an impaired odour discriminatory ability compared with WT mice. Alzheimer's disease mice present a deficit in cell migration from V-SVZ due to a senescent phenotype. Therefore, these results can contribute to a new approach of Alzheimer's based on senolytic compounds or pro-neurogenic factors. |
2,330,612 | Motion Extraction of the Right Ventricle from 4D Cardiac Cine MRI Using A Deep Learning-Based Deformable Registration Framework. | Cardiac Cine Magnetic Resonance (CMR) Imaging has made a significant paradigm shift in medical imaging technology, thanks to its capability of acquiring high spatial and temporal resolution images of different structures within the heart that can be used for reconstructing patient-specific ventricular computational models. In this work, we describe the development of dynamic patient-specific right ventricle (RV) models associated with normal subjects and abnormal RV patients to be subsequently used to assess RV function based on motion and kinematic analysis. We first constructed static RV models using segmentation masks of cardiac chambers generated from our accurate, memory-efficient deep neural architecture - CondenseUNet - featuring both a learned group structure and a regularized weight-pruner to estimate the motion of the right ventricle. In our study, we use a deep learning-based deformable network that takes 3D input volumes and outputs a motion field which is then used to generate isosurface meshes of the cardiac geometry at all cardiac frames by propagating the end-diastole (ED) isosurface mesh using the reconstructed motion field. The proposed model was trained and tested on the Automated Cardiac Diagnosis Challenge (ACDC) dataset featuring 150 cine cardiac MRI patient datasets. The isosurface meshes generated using the proposed pipeline were compared to those obtained using motion propagation via traditional non-rigid registration based on several performance metrics, including Dice score and mean absolute distance (MAD). |
2,330,613 | Segmentation of Cardiac Structures via Successive Subspace Learning with Saab Transform from Cine MRI. | Assessment of cardiovascular disease (CVD) with cine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been used to non-invasively evaluate detailed cardiac structure and function. Accurate segmentation of cardiac structures from cine MRI is a crucial step for early diagnosis and prognosis of CVD, and has been greatly improved with convolutional neural networks (CNN). There, however, are a number of limitations identified in CNN models, such as limited interpretability and high complexity, thus limiting their use in clinical practice. In this work, to address the limitations, we propose a lightweight and interpretable machine learning model, successive subspace learning with the subspace approximation with adjusted bias (Saab) transform, for accurate and efficient segmentation from cine MRI. Specifically, our segmentation framework is comprised of the following steps: (1) sequential expansion of near-to-far neighborhood at different resolutions; (2) channel-wise subspace approximation using the Saab transform for unsupervised dimension reduction; (3) class-wise entropy guided feature selection for supervised dimension reduction; (4) concatenation of features and pixel-wise classification with gradient boost; and (5) conditional random field for post-processing. Experimental results on the ACDC 2017 segmentation database, showed that our framework performed better than state-of-the-art U-Net models with 200× fewer parameters in delineating the left ventricle, right ventricle, and myocardium, thus showing its potential to be used in clinical practice.Clinical relevance- Delineation of the left ventricular cavity, myocardium, and right ventricle from cardiac MR images is a common clinical task to establish diagnosis and prognosis of CVD. |
2,330,614 | Optimization of a Thermal Flow Meter for Failure Management of the Shunt in Pediatric Hydrocephalus Patients<sup/>. | Hydrocephalus patients suffer from an abnormal buildup of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in their ventricles, and there is currently no known way to cure hydrocephalus. The most prevalent treatment for managing hydrocephalus is to implant a ventriculoperitoneal shunt, which diverts excess CSF out of the brain. However, shunts are prone to failure, resulting in vague symptoms. Our patient survey results found that the lack of specificity of symptoms complicates the management of hydrocephalus in the pediatric population. The consequences include persistent mental burden on caretakers and a significant amount of unnecessary utilization of emergency healthcare resources due to the false-positive judgement of shunt failure. In order to reliably monitor shunt failures for hydrocephalus patients and their caretakers, we propose an optimized design of the thermal flow meter for precise measurements of the CSF flow rate in the shunt. The design is an implantable device which slides onto the shunt and utilizes sinusoidal heating and temperature measurements to improve the signal-to-noise ratio of flow-rate measurements by orders of magnitude.Clinical Relevance- An implantable flow meter would be transformative to allow hydrocephalus patients to monitor their shunt function at home, resulting in reduced hospital visits, reduced exposure to radiation typically required to rule out shunt failure, and reduced caretaker anxiety. |
2,330,615 | Long-standing overt ventriculomegaly in adulthood with primary presentation of psychiatric disturbance: A case report. | Hydrocephalus is a common disease in neurosurgery. The typical symptoms of hydrocephalus include urinary incontinence, gait instability, and cognitive decline. Irritability rarely occurs in patients with hydrocephalus. Irritability rarely occurs in patients with hydrocephalus, especially in long-standing overt ventriculomegaly of adulthood (LOVA).</AbstractText>A 30-year-old female was admitted to our hospital because of mental retardation and unstable gait for more than 15 years. She had undergone ventriculoperitoneal shunt 15 years prior due to ventriculomegaly and related symptoms. However, the shunt catheter was removed shortly after surgery because of blockage, with no further postoperative treatment.</AbstractText>The patient was diagnosed with long-standing overt ventriculomegaly according to her head circumference and clinical symptoms, including adult hydrocephalus development, overt triventriculomegaly and absence of a secondary cause for aqueductal stenosis in adulthood.</AbstractText>After considerable discussion, she underwent ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement and showed dramatic and sustained improvement.</AbstractText>The patient has been followed at 3-month intervals for over 2 years since discharge, and both the patient and family have reported a significant change in their daily life. She was able to live independently and control her emotions. Slight epilepsy was noted approximately 5 months after surgery but recovered 2 months later.</AbstractText>It is difficult to decide whether to treat LOVA when the in patients whose symptoms are not significant. We believe that early diagnosis and positive treatment can help improve outcomes and would recommend ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunting in patients with LOVA.</AbstractText>Copyright © 2021 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.</CopyrightInformation> |
2,330,616 | Defining the Spectrum, Treatment and Outcome of Patients With Genetically Confirmed Gorlin Syndrome From the HIT-MED Cohort. | Gorlin syndrome is a genetic condition associated with the occurrence of SHH activated medulloblastoma, basal cell carcinoma, macrocephaly and other congenital anomalies. It is caused by heterozygous pathogenic variants in <i>PTCH1</i> or <i>SUFU</i>. In this study we included 16 patients from the HIT2000, HIT2000interim, I-HIT-MED, observation registry and older registries such as HIT-SKK87, HIT-SKK92 (1987 - 2020) with genetically confirmed Gorlin syndrome, harboring 10 <i>PTCH1</i> and 6 <i>SUFU</i> mutations. Nine patients presented with desmoplastic medulloblastomas (DMB), 6 with medulloblastomas with extensive nodularity (MBEN) and one patient with classic medulloblastoma (CMB); all tumors affected the cerebellum, vermis or the fourth ventricle. SHH activation was present in all investigated tumors (14/16); DNA methylation analysis (when available) classified 3 tumors as iSHH-I and 4 tumors as iSHH-II. Age at diagnosis ranged from 0.65 to 3.41 years. All but one patient received chemotherapy according to the HIT-SKK protocol. Ten patients were in complete remission after completion of primary therapy; four subsequently presented with PD. No patient received radiotherapy during initial treatment. Five patients acquired additional neoplasms, namely basal cell carcinomas, odontogenic tumors, ovarian fibromas and meningioma. Developmental delay was documented in 5/16 patients. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) between patients with <i>PTCH1</i> or <i>SUFU</i> mutations did not differ statistically (10y-OS 90% <i>vs</i>. 100%, p=0.414; 5y-PFS 88.9% ± 10.5% <i>vs</i>. 41.7% ± 22.2%, p=0.139). Comparing the Gorlin patients to all young, SHH activated MBs in the registries (10y-OS 93.3% ± 6.4% <i>vs</i>. 92.5% ± 3.3%, p=0.738; 10y-PFS 64.9%+-16.7% <i>vs</i>. 83.8%+-4.5%, p=0.228) as well as comparing Gorlin M0 SKK-treated patients to all young, SHH activated, M0, SKK-treated MBs in the HIT-MED database did not reveal significantly different clinical outcomes (10y-OS 88.9% ± 10.5% <i>vs</i>. 88% ± 4%, p=0.812; 5y-PFS 87.5% ± 11.7% <i>vs</i>. 77.7% ± 5.1%, p=0.746). Gorlin syndrome should be considered in young children with SHH activated medulloblastoma, especially DMB and MBEN but cannot be ruled out for CMB. Survival did not differ to patients with SHH-activated medulloblastoma with unknown germline status or between <i>PTCH1</i> and <i>SUFU</i> mutated patients. Additional neoplasms, especially basal cell carcinomas, need to be expected and screened for. Genetic counselling should be provided for families with young medulloblastoma patients with SHH activation. |
2,330,617 | Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulations of Mitral Paravalvular Leaks in Human Heart. | In recent years, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has been extensively used in biomedical research on heart diseases due to its non-invasiveness and relative ease of use in predicting flow patterns inside the cardiovascular system. In this study, a modeling approach involving CFD simulations was employed to study hemodynamics inside the left ventricle (LV) of a human heart affected by a mitral paravalvular leak (PVL). A simplified LV geometry with four PVL variants that varied in shape and size was studied. Predicted blood flow parameters, mainly velocity and shear stress distributions, were used as indicators of how presence of PVLs correlates with risk and severity of hemolysis. The calculations performed in the study showed a high risk of hemolysis in all analyzed cases, with the maximum shear stress values considerably exceeding the safe level of 300 Pa. Results of our study indicated that there was no simple relationship between PVL geometry and the risk of hemolysis. Two factors that potentially played a role in hemolysis severity, namely erythrocyte exposure time and the volume of fluid in which shear stress exceeded a critical value, were not directly proportional to any of the characteristic geometrical parameters (shape, diameters, circumference, area, volume) of the PVL channel. Potential limitations of the proposed simplified approach of flow analysis are discussed, and possible modifications to increase the accuracy and plausibility of the results are presented. |
2,330,618 | Expression of D5 dopamine receptors in the lateral ventricle walls during post-weaning rat development. | Even before the first synapses appear, neurotransmitters and their receptors are present in the developing brain, regulating the cell fate of neuronal progenitors in neurogenic niches, such as the lateral ventricle. In particular, dopamine appears to play a pivotal role in the neurogenesis of the subventricular zone by controlling the proliferation and differentiation of progenitors through activation of different receptors. Although dopamine receptor 5 (D5R) is expressed prenatally, there is little information regarding its role in either pre- or postnatal forebrain development. To examine the role of D5Rs in neurogenesis in the rat lateral ventricle subventricular zone (V-SVZ), we immunohistochemically defined D5R expression, as well as BrdU incorporation in progenitor cells of various post-weaning stages (Post-natal day (P) 20 until P80). We found that the level of proliferating cells is stable from postnatal day 20 until 50, and then declines sharply on P80. Concomitantly, D5R is expressed in all ages examined, but we detected a progressive decrease in the density of D5R+ cells from P40 until P80. Moreover, double immunostaining for BrdU and D5R revealed that proliferating cells in V-SVZ also express D5R. Collectively, our data suggest that D5R is expressed in the post-weaning V-SVZ of rat at least until P80, and its expression pattern coincides with that of proliferating cells in the V-SVZ, hinting at a possible role of D5Rs in the regulation of neuronal progenitor division/differentiation. |
2,330,619 | Osteopontin levels are associated with late-time lower regional brain volumes in multiple sclerosis. | Osteopontin (OPN) is a proinflammatory marker produced by systemic immune and central nervous system (CNS) resident cells. We examined, if the level of OPN in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood is associated with late-time regional brain volumes and white matter (WM) lesion load in MS. Concentrations of OPN in blood and CSF were related to MRI findings 10.1 ± 2.0 years later in 46 patients with MS. OPN concentration was measured by ELISA, while regional brain volumes and lesion load was assessed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using 3D MPRAGE sequence and automated MR volumetry. OPN measured in the CSF was associated with several regional brain volumes and WM lesion load measured 10.1 ± 2.0 years later. CSF OPN concentration correlated with long-term enlargement of lateral- and inferior lateral ventricles and the elevation of gross CSF volume, in conjunction with the reduction of several cortical/subcortical gray matter and WM volumes. Serum OPN showed no long-term association with regional brain volumes. OPN measured from the CSF but not from the serum was associated with lower regional brain volumes measured a decade later, indicating the primary role of inflammation within the CNS in developing long-term brain related alterations. |
2,330,620 | Reference Ranges for Corpus Callosum and Cavum Septi Pellucidi Biometry on Prenatal Ultrasound: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. | We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of published nomograms for fetal corpus callosum and cavum septi pellucid biometry. A structured literature search was conducted to identify studies that reported normal measurements of the fetal corpus callosum and cavum septi pellucidi. Random effects metaanalysis was used to calculate normal ranges, and reference curves are provided. The quality assessment demonstrated that there was generally poor reporting regarding maternal characteristics and neonatal outcomes. Our findings emphasize that standardization of research protocols and publishing criteria for normal biometric ranges is needed. |
2,330,621 | Effects of a personalized home-based training program among patients suffering from Marfan syndrome: a pilot randomized and controlled study. | Marfan syndrome (MFS) is an autosomal hereditary pathology affecting 1:5000 peoples. Alteration of the fibrillin 1 gene (FBN1) results in haplo-insufficiency of the FBN1 protein mainly altering the vascular system. International recommendations have gradually allowed MFS patients to perform training programs because of its potential benefits. However, to date, there are no data on the effect of a long training period in these patients. The aim of the present study is to investigate the effect of a 3-month personalized home-based training on quality of life (QoL) of patients suffering from MFS. At least 50 MFS patients were included in the study. They were randomly placed into 4 groups: control group; endurance; resistance and endurance + resistance training groups. The training program lasted 3 months and is performed at patients' home. There were 2 training sessions per week telemonitored by a specialist of physical activity and cardiology. Pre and post-training evaluations were performed at the Bichat-Paris Hospital, France. They consisted of assessing psychometrics based on self-administered questionnaires (FiRST, GPAQ, ISP-25, MOS SF-36) and physiological parameters such as the peak oxygen consumption, aorta diameter, cardiac ventricle function and skeletal muscle power at rest and during exercise. Our preliminary results showed an improvement of 50% in QoL, cardiorespiratory fitness and skeletal muscle power in a patient who completed the combined training program. This experimental approach might be a new alternative way for MFS patients' care that may improve their QoL, cardiorespiratory fitness and skeletal muscle power. |
2,330,622 | Intracranial hemorrhage in a patient with severe COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome on Veno-venous extra corporeal membrane oxygenation: A case report. | COVID-19 can lead to severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) where Veno-Venous Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation (V-V ECMO) may be utilized for patients with severe respiratory failure. Our case report highlights a life threatening complication of V-V ECMO - intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), in a patient being treated for severe COVID-19 ARDS.</AbstractText>A 41-year-old male of Indian ethnicity with no known comorbidities presented with an 8 day history of fever and dyspnoea. The patient was diagnosed with COVID-19 through a positive RT PCR test and his clinical condition progressively deteriorated requiring mechanical ventilation. Inspite of lung protective ventilation strategies and prone ventilation, there was no improvement in oxygenation. Therefore, the patient was placed on extra corporeal life support. On day three of V-V ECMO, the patient developed anisocoria and his GCS dropped to E1VTM1. A non-contrast CT brain scan revealed a large intraparenchymal hemorrhage in the right frontoparietal lobe with an extension into the right lateral and third ventricles leading to an emergency decompressive craniectomy with lax duroplasty.Post intracranial hemorrhage,ECMO support was continued without systemic anticoagulation. Despite a transient improvement in his GCS post surgery, the patient eventually succumbed to refractory septic shock with multi organ dysfunction syndrome.</AbstractText>Balancing anticoagulation therapy is one of the biggest challenges in managing ECMO support for COVID-19 ARDS. ICH is a rare and potentially fatal complication of V-V ECMO with an apparently higher incidence among COVID-19 patients. Neurosurgical procedures may be considered in such patients when no other possible management strategies are available (and the risk of death is imminent).</AbstractText>© 2021 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of IJS Publishing Group Ltd.</CopyrightInformation> |
2,330,623 | Structural MRI profiles and tau correlates of atrophy in autopsy-confirmed CTE. | Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a neurodegenerative tauopathy, cannot currently be diagnosed during life. Atrophy patterns on magnetic resonance imaging could be an effective in vivo biomarker of CTE, but have not been characterized. Mechanisms of neurodegeneration in CTE are unknown. Here, we characterized macrostructural magnetic resonance imaging features of brain donors with autopsy-confirmed CTE. The association between hyperphosphorylated tau (p-tau) and atrophy on magnetic resonance imaging was examined.</AbstractText>Magnetic resonance imaging scans were obtained by medical record requests for 55 deceased symptomatic men with autopsy-confirmed CTE and 31 men (n = 11 deceased) with normal cognition at the time of the scan, all >60 years Three neuroradiologists visually rated regional atrophy and microvascular disease (0 [none]-4 [severe]), microbleeds, and cavum septum pellucidum presence. Neuropathologists rated tau severity and atrophy at autopsy using semi-quantitative scales.</AbstractText>Compared to unimpaired males, donors with CTE (45/55=stage III/IV) had greater atrophy of the orbital-frontal (mean diff.=1.29), dorsolateral frontal (mean diff.=1.31), superior frontal (mean diff.=1.05), anterior temporal (mean diff.=1.57), and medial temporal lobes (mean diff.=1.60), and larger lateral (mean diff.=1.72) and third (mean diff.=0.80) ventricles, controlling for age at scan (ps<0.05). There were no effects for posterior atrophy or microvascular disease. Donors with CTE had increased odds of a cavum septum pellucidum (OR = 6.7, p < 0.05). Among donors with CTE, greater tau severity across 14 regions corresponded to greater atrophy on magnetic resonance imaging (beta = 0.68, p < 0.01).</AbstractText>These findings support frontal-temporal atrophy as a magnetic resonance imaging finding of CTE and show p-tau accumulation is associated with atrophy in CTE.</AbstractText>© 2021. The Author(s).</CopyrightInformation> |
2,330,624 | Lithium administered to pregnant, lactating and neonatal rats: entry into developing brain. | Little is known about the extent of drug entry into developing brain, when administered to pregnant and lactating women. Lithium is commonly prescribed for bipolar disorder. Here we studied transfer of lithium given to dams, into blood, brain and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in embryonic and postnatal animals as well as adults.</AbstractText>Lithium chloride in a clinically relevant dose (3.2 mg/kg body weight) was injected intraperitoneally into pregnant (E15-18) and lactating dams (birth-P16/17) or directly into postnatal pups (P0-P16/17). Acute treatment involved a single injection; long-term treatment involved twice daily injections for the duration of the experiment. Following terminal anaesthesia blood plasma, CSF and brains were collected. Lithium levels and brain distribution were measured using Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry and total lithium levels were confirmed by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry.</AbstractText>Lithium was detected in blood, CSF and brain of all fetal and postnatal pups following lithium treatment of dams. Its concentration in pups' blood was consistently below that in maternal blood (30-35%) indicating significant protection by the placenta and breast tissue. However, much of the lithium that reached the fetus entered its brain. Levels of lithium in plasma fluctuated in different treatment groups but its concentration in CSF was stable at all ages, in agreement with known stable levels of endogenous ions in CSF. There was no significant increase of lithium transfer into CSF following application of Na+</sup>/K+</sup> ATPase inhibitor (digoxin) in vivo, indicating that lithium transfer across choroid plexus epithelium is not likely to be via the Na+</sup>/K+</sup> ATPase mechanism, at least early in development. Comparison with passive permeability markers suggested that in acute experiments lithium permeability was less than expected for diffusion but similar in long-term experiments at P2.</AbstractText>Information obtained on the distribution of lithium in developing brain provides a basis for studying possible deleterious effects on brain development and behaviour in offspring of mothers undergoing lithium therapy.</AbstractText>© 2021. The Author(s).</CopyrightInformation> |
2,330,625 | Dual feature correlation guided multi-task learning for Alzheimer's disease prediction. | Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a gradually progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting cognition functions. Predicting the cognitive scores from neuroimage measures and identifying relevant imaging biomarkers are important research topics in the study of AD. Despite machine learning algorithms having many successful applications, the prediction model suffers from the so-called curse of dimensionality. Multi-task feature learning (MTFL) has helped tackle this problem incorporating the correlations among multiple clinical cognitive scores. However, MTFL neglects the inherent correlation among brain imaging measures. In order to better predict the cognitive scores and identify stable biomarkers, we first propose a generalized multi-task formulation framework that incorporates the task and feature correlation structures simultaneously. Second, we present a novel feature-aware sparsity-inducing norm (FAS-norm) penalty to incorporate a useful correlation between brain regions by exploiting correlations among features. Three multi-task learning models that incorporate the FAS-norm penalty are proposed following our framework. Finally, the algorithm based on the alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) is developed to optimize the non-smooth problems. We comprehensively evaluate the proposed models on the cross-sectional and longitudinal Alzheimer's disease neuroimaging initiative datasets. The inputs are the thickness measures and the volume measures of the cortical regions of interest. Compared with MTFL, our methods achieve an average decrease of 4.28% in overall error in the cross-sectional analysis and an average decrease of 7.97% in the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale cognitive total score longitudinal analysis. Moreover, our methods identify sensitive and stable biomarkers to physicians, such as the hippocampus, lateral ventricle, and corpus callosum. |
2,330,626 | Guide to the Larval Zebrafish-Aspergillus Infection Model. | The larval zebrafish is an increasingly popular host model for the study of Aspergillosis. The visual accessibility, genetic resources, small size, and ease of handling make zebrafish larvae compatible with higher-throughput investigation of fungal virulence and host resistance mechanisms. This article provides the protocols needed to prepare Aspergillus fumigatus spore inocula and use microinjection to infect the hindbrain ventricle of zebrafish larvae. Furthermore, we include protocols for analyzing host survival, immobilizing larvae for live imaging, and suggestions for image analysis. © 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC. Support Protocol 1: Preparing Aspergillus spores Support Protocol 2: Dechorionating zebrafish embryos Support Protocol 3: Generating transparent larvae with 1-phenyl 2-thiourea (PTU) Basic Protocol 1: Hindbrain microinjection of zebrafish larvae with Aspergillus spores Basic Protocol 2: Survival analysis Basic Protocol 3: Multi-day imaging of infected larvae Alternate Protocol: Embedding larvae in low-melting-point agarose. |
2,330,627 | Toxicity of internalized polyalanine to cells depends on aggregation. | In polyalanine (PA) diseases, the disease-causing transcription factors contain an expansion of alanine repeats. While aggregated proteins that are responsible for the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders show cell-to-cell propagation and thereby exert toxic effects on the recipient cells, whether this is also the case with expanded PA has not been studied. It is also not known whether the internalized PA is toxic to recipient cells based on the degree of aggregation. In this study, we therefore prepared different degrees of aggregation of a peptide having 13 alanine repeats without flanking sequences of PA disease-causative proteins (13A). The aggregated 13A was spontaneously taken up by neuron-like cultured cells. Functionally, strong aggregates but not weak aggregates displayed a deficit in neuron-like differentiation in vitro. Moreover, the injection of strong but not weak 13A aggregates into the ventricle of mice during the neonatal stage led to enhanced spontaneous motor activity later in life. Thus, PA in the extracellular space has the potential to enter adjacent cells, and may exert toxicity depending on the degree of aggregation. |
2,330,628 | Prediction of severe reflux after oesophageal cancer surgery. | A common and burdensome consequence of oesophagectomy for cancer is reflux. This study aimed to develop a risk prediction model for postoperative reflux using variables available at the time of surgery enabling tailored preventive symptom management.</AbstractText>Data were obtained from a nationwide, population-based cohort of 921 adults who underwent oesophagectomy for cancer between 2013 and 2019. Among 569 eligible patients, 383 (67%) participated in the study. Patient and clinical characteristics were retrieved from national health registries and medical records. Postoperative reflux was self-reported 1 year after surgery in the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire module for gastroesophageal symptoms. Multivariable regression models provided odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). The performance of the model was evaluated using the area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve.</AbstractText>Female sex (OR 2.24, 95% CI: 1.00-5.00), preoperative reflux (OR 2.99, 95% CI: 1.61-5.52), and preoperative body mass index ≥30 (OR 2.45, 95% CI: 1.32-4.54) increased the risk of postoperative reflux. A model based on age, sex, preoperative reflux, body mass index, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and ventricle substitute predicted 72% of the severe cases.</AbstractText>Female sex, preoperative reflux, and preoperative body mass index increased the risk of postoperative reflux. A combination of readily available patient and preoperative clinical variables showed fairly good accuracy in predicting postoperative reflux after oesophagectomy. The clinical risk prediction model may be helpful for early symptom management but needs to be externally validated before wider use.</AbstractText>Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.</CopyrightInformation> |
2,330,629 | Rare case report and literature review of intracranial mesenchymal chondrosarcoma. | Intracranial mesenchymal chondrosarcoma (IMC) is a rare primary malignant tumor in the skull, but mostly originates from the abnormal residual chondrocytes in the embryonic period, which grow slowly, and primarily occurs at the junction of the cartilage of the skull base. IMC is difficult to diagnose by preoperative imaging and is easily misdiagnosed. It needs to be differentiated from meningiomas, gliomas, hemangioma, fibroids, etc.; this article introduces a case of primary IMC in a 38-year-old female teacher, and reviews the literature on the diagnosis and treatment of symptoms. The patient suffered from persistent severe headaches without nausea and vomiting. There was no obvious abnormality in the physical examination. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the head showed a circular space-occupying lesion on the right frontal bone and forehead; the mass was approximately 5.9 cm × 5.2 cm × 5.5 cm, and there was a large edema band surrounding it. The space-occupying effect was obvious; bilateral ventricles were compressed, and on the right side, the midline structure was shifted to the left. The patient was initially diagnosed with simple meningioma. After admission, the right frontal lobe meningioma was resected under general anesthesia, and the tumor tissue was completely removed in blocks. The postoperative pathology report stated: malignant tumor of the right frontal lobe; consider mesenchymal chondrosarcoma. Following a difficult pathological consultation at the Provincial Medical Association, the tumor was found to be consistent with mesenchymal chondrosarcoma. Intracranial chondrosarcoma is a very rare malignant tumor. Other intracranial masses, such as meningioma and glioma, should be distinguished through differential diagnosis. At present, more attention is paid to surgical intervention and combined radiotherapy and chemotherapy for the treatment of IMC, which should also be the future treatment option. |
2,330,630 | Direct left-ventricular global longitudinal strain (GLS) computation with a fully convolutional network. | This study's purpose was to develop a direct MRI-based, deep-learning semantic segmentation approach for computing global longitudinal strain (GLS), a known metric for detecting left-ventricular (LV) cardiotoxicity in breast cancer. Displacement Encoding with Stimulated Echoes cardiac image phases acquired from 30 breast cancer patients and 30 healthy females were unwrapped via a DeepLabV3 + fully convolutional network (FCN). Myocardial strains were directly computed from the unwrapped phases with the Radial Point Interpolation Method. FCN-unwrapped phases of a phantom's rotating gel were validated against quality-guided phase-unwrapping (QGPU) and robust transport of intensity equation (RTIE) phase-unwrapping. FCN performance on unwrapping human LV data was measured with F1 and Dice scores versus QGPU ground-truth. The reliability of FCN-based strains was assessed against RTIE-based strains with Cronbach's alpha (C-α) intraclass correlation coefficient. Mean squared error (MSE) of unwrapping the phantom experiment data at 0 dB signal-to-noise ratio were 1.6, 2.7 and 6.1 with FCN, QGPU and RTIE techniques. Human data classification accuracies were F1 = 0.95 (Dice = 0.96) with FCN and F1 = 0.94 (Dice = 0.95) with RTIE. GLS results from FCN and RTIE were -16 ± 3% vs. -16 ± 3% (C-α = 0.9) for patients and -20 ± 3% vs. -20 ± 3% (C-α = 0.9) for healthy subjects. The low MSE from the phantom validation demonstrates accuracy of phase-unwrapping with the FCN and comparable human subject results versus RTIE demonstrate GLS analysis accuracy. A deep-learning methodology for phase-unwrapping in medical images and GLS computation was developed and validated in a heterogeneous cohort. |
2,330,631 | Severe fetal ventriculomegaly: Fetal morbidity and mortality, caesarean delivery rates and obstetrical challenges in a large prospective cohort. | Severe fetal ventriculomegaly (VM) is defined as an enlargement of the atria of the lateral cerebral ventricles (Vp) of greater than 15 mm. While it is well established that it confers significant risk of morbidity and mortality to the neonate, there is limited information pertaining to the caesarean delivery rates and the obstetric management of these complex cases. The aim of this study was twofold: firstly, to determine survival rates in fetuses with severe VM, and secondly to determine the caesarean delivery rates in continuing pregnancies. We explore the obstetric challenges associated with these difficult cases.</AbstractText>This was a prospective observational study of patients with antenatal severe VM, attending the Department of Fetal Medicine, National Maternity Hospital, Dublin, Ireland, from 1st January 2011 to 31st July 2020. Data were obtained from the hospital database and those with severe VM (Vp > 15 mm) were identified. The rates of chromosomal abnormalities, the survival rates and the caesarean delivery (CD) rates for the overall group were then determined. The data were then further sub-divided into two groups: 1. Vp < 20 mm and 2. Vp > 20 mm, and the results compared. Statistical analysis was performed using the Chi-Square test.</AbstractText>A total of N = 95 pregnancies with severe VM were included for analysis, of which additional structural abnormalities on ultrasound were apparent in 67/95 (70.5%) and 28/95 (29.5%) had isolated severe VM. Chromosomal abnormalities were diagnosed in 15/95 (15.8%) of cases, with (2/28) 7.1% in the isolated SVM group versus (13/67) 19.4% in the non-isolated SVM group. The overall survival rate (excluding TOP) was 53/74 (71.6%), with 20/23 (86.9%) in the isolated SVM group. The overall CD rate was 47/72 (65.3%), which was significantly higher than the CD for the hospital during the same time period of 25.4% (P < 0.01). The data were subdivided into Vp < 20 and Vp > 20 and those with a Vp > 20 had higher rates of additional intracranial findings on ultrasound (Vp < 20 13/41 (31.7%) versus Vp > 20 32/54 (59.3%) (P < 0.05)) and macrocrania (Vp < 20 14/41 (34.1%) versus Vp > 20 35/54 (64.8%) (P < 0.05)). No significant difference was observed in the overall survival or CD rates between the two groups.</AbstractText>In conclusion this study reports significant fetal morbidity and mortality with severe VM with high CD rates observed in this cohort. Significant challenges exist in relation to the obstetric management and counseling of parents regarding an often uncertain neonatal prognosis. In continuing pregnancies with significant macrocrania delivery plans should be individualized to improve neonatal outcomes where possible and minimize harm to the mother.</AbstractText>© 2021 The Authors. Prenatal Diagnosis published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.</CopyrightInformation> |
2,330,632 | Clinical Analysis of Risk Factors of Postoperative Psychiatric Disorders in Patients With Adult Craniopharyngioma. | <b>Objective:</b> To analyze the risk factors relative to postoperative psychiatric disorders in adult patients with craniopharyngioma. <b>Methods:</b> A retrospective case-control study design was used in this study. The Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Questionnaire (NPI-Q) assessment tool was used to assess psychiatric disorders in postoperative patients with craniopharyngioma at Beijing Tiantan Hospital from January 2018 to December 2020. The relationship between the psychiatric disorders and basic demographic data as well as several risk factors, such as the tumor characteristics (tumor location, tumor size, pathological finding of the tumor, etc.) and treatment-related factors (the extent of the resection), were analyzed. <b>Results:</b> A total of 173 patients were included in this study. The prevalence of psychiatric disorders was 14.5% among adult craniopharyngioma patients. Irritability represented the most common type of psychological symptom (64%, <i>n</i> = 16), followed by agitation (36%, <i>n</i> = 9), and delusions (28%, <i>n</i> = 7). The risk factors relative to postoperative psychiatric disorders that were identified were a tumor volume larger than 7 cm<sup>3</sup> (HR = 3.292, <i>P</i> = 0.042), tumor location (<i>P</i> = 0.003), hypothalamic invasion (HR = 9.766, <i>P</i> = 0.036), and gross-total resection (HR = 0.085, <i>P</i> = 0.042). <b>Conclusion:</b> Neurocognitive assessment and intervention before and after surgery are important in patients with larger tumors, invading the third ventricle, and tumors with hypothalamic invasion. Prediction of these risk factors is essential for the treatment. |
2,330,633 | The Impact of Multimorbidity Burden, Frailty Risk Scoring, and 3-Directional Morphological Indices vs. Testing for CSF Responsiveness in Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus. | <b>Objective:</b> Multimorbidity burden across disease cohorts and variations in clinico-radiographic presentations within normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) confound its diagnosis, and the assessment of its amenability to interventions. We hypothesized that novel imaging techniques such as 3-directional linear morphological indices could help in distinguishing between hydrocephalus vs. non-hydrocephalus and correlate with responsiveness to external lumbar drainage (CSF responsiveness) within NPH subtypes. <b>Methodology:</b> Twenty-one participants with NPH were recruited and age-matched to 21 patients with Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and 21 healthy controls (HC) selected from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) database. Patients with NPH underwent testing <i>via</i> the NPH programme with external lumbar drainage (ELD); pre- and post-ELD MRI scans were obtained. The modified Frailty Index (mFI-11) was used to stratify the NPH cohort, including Classic and Complex subtypes, by their comorbidity and frailty risks. The quantitative imaging network tool 3D Slicer was used to derive traditional 2-dimensional (2d) linear measures; Evans Index (EI), Bicaudate Index (BCI) and Callosal Angle (CA), along with novel 3-directional (3d) linear measures; z-Evans Index and Brain per Ventricle Ratio (BVR). 3-Dimensional (3D) ventricular volumetry was performed as an independent correlate of ventriculomegaly to CSF responsiveness. <b>Results:</b> Mean age for study participants was 71.14 ± 6.3 years (18, 85.7% males). The majority (15/21, 71.4%) of participants with NPH comprised the Complex subtype (overlay from vascular risk burden and AD); 12/21 (57.1%) were Non-Responders to ELD. Frailty alone was insufficient in distinguishing between NPH subtypes. By contrast, 3d linear measures distinguished NPH from both AD and HC cohorts, but also correlated to CSF responsiveness. The z-Evans Index was the most sensitive volumetric measure of CSF responsiveness (<i>p</i> = 0.012). Changes in 3d morphological indices across timepoints distinguished between Responders vs. Non-Responders to lumbar testing. There was a significant reduction of indices, only in Non-Responders and across multiple measures (z-Evans Index; <i>p</i> = 0.001, BVR at PC; <i>p</i> = 0.024). This was due to a significant decrease in ventricular measurement (<i>p</i> = 0.005) that correlated to independent 3D volumetry (<i>p</i> = 0.008). <b>Conclusion.</b> In the context of multimorbidity burden, frailty risks and overlay from neurodegenerative disease, 3d morphological indices demonstrated utility in distinguishing hydrocephalus vs. non-hydrocephalus and degree of CSF responsiveness. Further work may support the characterization of patients with Complex NPH who would best benefit from the risks of interventions. |
2,330,634 | Astaxanthin Ameliorates high-fat diet-induced cardiac damage and fibrosis by upregulating and activating SIRT1. | This study evaluated the protective effect of astaxanthin (ASX) against high-fat diet (HFD)-induced cardiac damage and fibrosis in rats and examined if the mechanism of protection involves modulating SIRT1. Rat were divided into 5 groups (n = 10/group) as: 1) control: fed normal diet (3.82 kcal/g), 2) control + ASX (200 mg/kg/orally), 3) HFD: fed HFD (4.7 kcal/g), 4) HFD + ASX (200 mg/kg/orally), and HFD + ASX + EX-527 (1 mg/kg/i.p) (a selective SIRT1 inhibitor). All treatments were conducted for 14 weeks. Administration of ASX reduced cardiomyocyte damage, inhibited inflammatory cell infiltration, preserved cardiac fibers structure, prevented collagen deposition and protein levels of TGF-β 1 in the left ventricles (LVs) of HFD-fed rats. In the LVs of both the control and HFD-fed rat, ASX significantly reduced levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and p-smad2/3 (Lys19) but increased the levels of glutathione (GSH), catalase, and manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD). Concomitantly, it increased the nuclear activity of Nrf2 and reduced that of NF-κB p65. Furthermore, administration of ASX to both the control and HFD-fed rats increased total and nuclear levels of SIRT1, stimulated the nuclear activity of SIRT1, and reduced the acetylation of Nrf2, NF-κB p65, and Smad3. All these cardiac beneficial effects of ASX in the HFD-fed rats were abolished by co-administration of EX-527. In conclusion, ASX stimulates antioxidants and inhibits markers of inflammation under basal and HFD conditions. The mechanism of protection involves, at least, activation SIRT1 signaling. |
2,330,635 | Echo planar imaging-induced errors in intracardiac 4D flow MRI quantification. | To assess errors associated with EPI-accelerated intracardiac 4D flow MRI (4DEPI) with EPI factor 5, compared with non-EPI gradient echo (4DGRE).</AbstractText>Three 3T MRI experiments were performed comparing 4DEPI to 4DGRE: steady flow through straight tubes, pulsatile flow in a left-ventricle phantom, and intracardiac flow in 10 healthy volunteers. For each experiment, 4DEPI was repeated with readout and blip phase-encoding gradient in different orientations, parallel or perpendicular to the flow direction. In vitro flow rates were compared with timed volumetric collection. In the left-ventricle phantom and in vivo, voxel-based speed and spatio-temporal median speed were compared between sequences, as well as mitral and aortic transvalvular net forward volume.</AbstractText>In steady-flow phantoms, the flow rate error was largest (12%) for high velocity (>2 m/s) with 4DEPI readout gradient parallel to the flow. Voxel-based speed and median speed in the left-ventricle phantom were ≤5.5% different between sequences. In vivo, mean net forward volume inconsistency was largest (6.4 ± 8.5%) for 4DEPI with nonblip phase-encoding gradient parallel to the main flow. The difference in median speed for 4DEPI versus 4DGRE was largest (9%) when the 4DEPI readout gradient was parallel to the flow.</AbstractText>Velocity and flow rate are inaccurate for 4DEPI with EPI factor 5 when flow is parallel to the readout or blip phase-encoding gradient. However, mean differences in flow rate, voxel-based speed, and spatio-temporal median speed were acceptable (≤10%) when comparing 4DEPI to 4DGRE for intracardiac flow in healthy volunteers.</AbstractText>© 2021 The Authors. Magnetic Resonance in Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.</CopyrightInformation> |
2,330,636 | A subject-specific assessment of measurement errors and their correction in cerebrospinal fluid velocity maps using 4D flow MRI. | Phase-contrast MRI (PC-MRI) of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) velocity is used to evaluate the characteristics of intracranial diseases, such as normal-pressure hydrocephalus (NPH). Nevertheless, PC-MRI has several potential error sources, with eddy-current-based phase offset error being non-negligible in CSF measurement. In this study, we assess the measurement error of CSF velocity maps obtained using 4D flow MRI and evaluate correction methods.</AbstractText>CSF velocity maps of 10 patients with NPH were acquired using 4D flow MRI (velocity-encoding = 5 cm/s). Distributed phase offset error was estimated for a whole 3D background field by polynomial fitting using robust regression analysis. This estimated phase offset error was then used to correct the CSF velocity maps. The estimated error profiles were compared with those obtained using an existing 2D correction approach involving local background information near the region of interest.</AbstractText>The residual standard error of the polynomial fitting against the phase offset error extracted from the measured velocities was within 0.2 cm/s. The spatial dependencies of the phase offset errors showed similar tendencies in all cases, but sufficient differences in these values were found to indicate requirement of velocity correction. Differences of the estimated errors among other correction approaches were in the order of 10-2</sup> cm/s, and the estimated errors were in good agreement with those obtained using existing approaches.</AbstractText>Our method is capable of estimating the measurement error of CSF velocity maps obtained from 4D flow MRI and provides quantitatively reasonable characteristics for the main CSF profile in the cerebral aqueduct in patients with NPH.</AbstractText>© 2021 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.</CopyrightInformation> |
2,330,637 | Frequency, shape, and estimated volume of intracranial physiologic calcification in different age groups investigated by brain computed tomography scan: a retrospective study. | Intracranial calcification is referred to calcification of parenchyma and vascular structures in brain which can be physiologic or pathologic. This study was conducted with the purpose of investigating the frequency, location, pattern, dimensions and estimated volume of intracranial physiologic calcification (IPC) by computer tomography in different age groups. In this cross-sectional retrospective study, brain computed tomography scans of 216 patients were analyzed in 9 age groups each containing 24 patients from 2 to 89 years old. Data were analyzed by SPSS software using one way analysis of variance (ANOVA, post hoc Tukey), chi square, and linear regression tests (P≤0.05 was considered significant). Rate of calcification in different areas were as follows: pineal gland (75.0%), habenula (36.4%), pineohabenula (15.0%), right lateral ventricle choroid plexus (RCP) (67.7%), left lateral ventricle choroid plexus (LCP) (62.7%), falx cerebri (26.8%), petroclinoid ligament (13.2%), tentorium cerebelli (6.8%), third ventricle choroid plexus (0.9%), fourth ventricle choroid plexus (2.7%), basal ganglia (0.9%). A significant correlation exists between the presence of calcification in pineal, habenula, RCP, and LCP (P≤0.001). Nodular shape of calcification was dominant (47.9%). Estimated volume of pineal calcification showed increased levels in group 8 (70-79 years old) compared to group 2 (10-19 years old) (P≤0.05). Since the accurate description of radiologic appearance of IPCs (location, shape, and size) accompanied with age and clinical manifestation is of great importance in diagnosis and distinguishing from pathologic calcification-for example in patients with melatonin dysregulation or schizophrenic patients-this study was required. |
2,330,638 | [Clinical features and CT findings of Takayasu's arteritis associated pulmonary hypertension].<Pagination><StartPage>462</StartPage><EndPage>467</EndPage><MedlinePgn>462-467</MedlinePgn></Pagination><ELocationID EIdType="doi" ValidYN="Y">10.3760/cma.j.cn112147-20200510-00576</ELocationID><Abstract><AbstractText><b>Objective:</b> Takayasu's arteritis involving the pulmonary artery (PTA) is uncommon, and those with pulmonary hypertension (PH) are even rarer. This study investigated the clinical features and CT findings in PTA patients with PH. <b>Methods:</b> A total of 40 PTA patients were retrospective selected in the First Hospital of Air Force Medical University from January 2008 to January 2018. There were 14 PTA patients with PH, including 3 male and 11 female cases, aged from 18 to 53 (29.7±9.4) years, as the study group (PTA+PH group). There were 26 PTA patients without PH, including 4 males and 22 females, aged 15-52 (28.9±8.5) years, as the control group (PTA group). The <i>Chi-square</i> or <i>Fisher's</i> test, <i>T</i> test of two independent samples and Mann-Whitney <i>U</i> rank sum test were used to compare the general information, symptoms, signs, laboratory examination data, right ventricular and pulmonary artery measurement data, and pulmonary artery CT findings between the two groups. <b>Results:</b> Compared with the PTA group, the patients in the PTA+PH group had longer disease duration, fewer active cases, more shortness of breath, chest distress and lower limb edema, lower blood oxygen partial pressure (PaO<sub>2</sub>) and lower ESR (all <i>P</i><0.05). The width of right atrium and right ventricle in PTA+PH group was greater than that in PTA group (all <i>P<</i>0.05). The main CT findings of the involved pulmonary artery included lumen stenosis (39 cases, 97.5%), lumen occlusion (16 cases, 40%), wall thickening (9 cases, 22.5%), and lumen dilation (2 cases, 5.0%). Patients in the PTA+PH group had less wall thickening and mild lumen stenosis (<50%), more severe lumen stenosis (≥50%) and occlusion than those in the PTA group (all <i>P</i><0.05). <b>Conclusions:</b> PTA patients with PH showed certain characteristics in clinical, laboratory and CT findings, which may be correlated to the stage of the disease duration, the severity, and the prognosis.</AbstractText></Abstract><AuthorList CompleteYN="Y"><Author ValidYN="Y"><LastName>Lyu</LastName><ForeName>R</ForeName><Initials>R</Initials><AffiliationInfo><Affiliation>Department of Radiology, the Third Central Hospital of Tianjin, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Extracorporeal Life Support for Critical Diseases, Artificial Cell Engineering Technology Research Center, Tianjin Institute of Hepatobiliary Disease, Tianjin 300170, China.</Affiliation></AffiliationInfo></Author><Author ValidYN="Y"><LastName>Yu</LastName><ForeName>C L</ForeName><Initials>CL</Initials><AffiliationInfo><Affiliation>Department of Radiology, the Third Central Hospital of Tianjin, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Extracorporeal Life Support for Critical Diseases, Artificial Cell Engineering Technology Research Center, Tianjin Institute of Hepatobiliary Disease, Tianjin 300170, China.</Affiliation></AffiliationInfo></Author><Author ValidYN="Y"><LastName>Zhang</LastName><ForeName>X</ForeName><Initials>X</Initials><AffiliationInfo><Affiliation>Department of Radiology, the Third Central Hospital of Tianjin, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Extracorporeal Life Support for Critical Diseases, Artificial Cell Engineering Technology Research Center, Tianjin Institute of Hepatobiliary Disease, Tianjin 300170, China.</Affiliation></AffiliationInfo></Author><Author ValidYN="Y"><LastName>Hu</LastName><ForeName>W J</ForeName><Initials>WJ</Initials><AffiliationInfo><Affiliation>Department of Radiology, the Third Central Hospital of Tianjin, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Extracorporeal Life Support for Critical Diseases, Artificial Cell Engineering Technology Research Center, Tianjin Institute of Hepatobiliary Disease, Tianjin 300170, China.</Affiliation></AffiliationInfo></Author><Author ValidYN="Y"><LastName>Li</LastName><ForeName>J</ForeName><Initials>J</Initials><AffiliationInfo><Affiliation>Department of Radiology, the First Hospital of Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, China.</Affiliation></AffiliationInfo></Author><Author ValidYN="Y"><LastName>Wen</LastName><ForeName>D D</ForeName><Initials>DD</Initials><AffiliationInfo><Affiliation>Department of Radiology, the First Hospital of Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, China.</Affiliation></AffiliationInfo></Author><Author ValidYN="Y"><LastName>Zheng</LastName><ForeName>M W</ForeName><Initials>MW</Initials><AffiliationInfo><Affiliation>Department of Radiology, the First Hospital of Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, China.</Affiliation></AffiliationInfo></Author></AuthorList><Language>chi</Language><PublicationTypeList><PublicationType UI="D016428">Journal Article</PublicationType></PublicationTypeList></Article><MedlineJournalInfo><Country>China</Country><MedlineTA>Zhonghua Jie He He Hu Xi Za Zhi</MedlineTA><NlmUniqueID>8712226</NlmUniqueID><ISSNLinking>1001-0939</ISSNLinking></MedlineJournalInfo><CitationSubset>IM</CitationSubset><MeshHeadingList><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D005260" MajorTopicYN="N">Female</DescriptorName></MeshHeading><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D006801" MajorTopicYN="N">Humans</DescriptorName></MeshHeading><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D006976" MajorTopicYN="Y">Hypertension, Pulmonary</DescriptorName><QualifierName UI="Q000000981" MajorTopicYN="N">diagnostic imaging</QualifierName></MeshHeading><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D008297" MajorTopicYN="N">Male</DescriptorName></MeshHeading><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D011651" MajorTopicYN="N">Pulmonary Artery</DescriptorName><QualifierName UI="Q000000981" MajorTopicYN="N">diagnostic imaging</QualifierName></MeshHeading><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D012189" MajorTopicYN="N">Retrospective Studies</DescriptorName></MeshHeading><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D013625" MajorTopicYN="Y">Takayasu Arteritis</DescriptorName><QualifierName UI="Q000150" MajorTopicYN="N">complications</QualifierName><QualifierName UI="Q000000981" MajorTopicYN="N">diagnostic imaging</QualifierName></MeshHeading><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D014057" MajorTopicYN="N">Tomography, X-Ray Computed</DescriptorName></MeshHeading></MeshHeadingList><OtherAbstract Type="Publisher" Language="chi"><AbstractText><b>目的：</b> 探讨大动脉炎累及肺动脉（PTA）伴肺动脉高压（PH）患者的临床及影像学特征。 <b>方法：</b> 回顾性分析空军军医大学第一附属医院2008年1月至2018年1月间确诊为PTA的40例患者，其中伴PH患者14例（PTA+PH组），不伴PH的PTA患者26例（PTA组），分别采用<i>χ<sup>2</sup></i>或<i>Fisher</i>精确检验、两独立样本<i>t</i>检验以及 Mann-Whitney <i>U</i>秩和检验比较两组的一般资料、症状、体征、实验室检查结果、右心及肺动脉测量数据和CT血管成像（CTA）表现。 <b>结果：</b> 与PTA组比较，PTA+PH组患者病程时间更长［48.0（18.5，73.5）个月比24.5（10.5，48.5）个月］，活动期患者占比较低（4/14比17/26），多存在气短、气喘、胸闷症状和下肢水肿体征，PaO<sub>2</sub>较低，ESR较慢，右心房及右心室宽度增加（均<i>P</i><0.05）。患者肺动脉受累的主要CT征象包括管腔狭窄（39/40）、管腔闭塞（16/40）、管壁增厚（9/40）和管腔扩张（2/40）。PTA+PH组管腔重度狭窄（≥50%）比例高于PTA组，管壁增厚和管腔轻度狭窄（<50%）比例较低（均<i>P</i><0.05）。 <b>结论：</b> 伴有PH的PTA患者的临床表现、实验室检查结果及CTA均可见特征性表现，可能与疾病所处的病程阶段、严重程度、是否有活动性、预后等有相关性，临床应给予重视。.</AbstractText></OtherAbstract></MedlineCitation><PubmedData><History><PubMedPubDate PubStatus="entrez"><Year>2021</Year><Month>12</Month><Day>6</Day><Hour>0</Hour><Minute>24</Minute></PubMedPubDate><PubMedPubDate PubStatus="pubmed"><Year>2021</Year><Month>12</Month><Day>7</Day><Hour>6</Hour><Minute>0</Minute></PubMedPubDate><PubMedPubDate PubStatus="medline"><Year>2021</Year><Month>12</Month><Day>15</Day><Hour>6</Hour><Minute>0</Minute></PubMedPubDate></History><PublicationStatus>ppublish</PublicationStatus><ArticleIdList><ArticleId IdType="pubmed">34865367</ArticleId><ArticleId IdType="doi">10.3760/cma.j.cn112147-20200510-00576</ArticleId></ArticleIdList></PubmedData></PubmedArticle><PubmedArticle><MedlineCitation Status="Publisher" Owner="NLM"><PMID Version="1">34865191</PMID><DateRevised><Year>2021</Year><Month>12</Month><Day>05</Day></DateRevised><Article PubModel="Print-Electronic"><Journal><ISSN IssnType="Electronic">1875-8312</ISSN><JournalIssue CitedMedium="Internet"><PubDate><Year>2021</Year><Month>Dec</Month><Day>04</Day></PubDate></JournalIssue><Title>The international journal of cardiovascular imaging</Title><ISOAbbreviation>Int J Cardiovasc Imaging</ISOAbbreviation></Journal>Usefulness of second trimester left ventricular global longitudinal strain for predicting adverse maternal outcome in pregnant women aged 35 years or older. | <b>Objective:</b> Takayasu's arteritis involving the pulmonary artery (PTA) is uncommon, and those with pulmonary hypertension (PH) are even rarer. This study investigated the clinical features and CT findings in PTA patients with PH. <b>Methods:</b> A total of 40 PTA patients were retrospective selected in the First Hospital of Air Force Medical University from January 2008 to January 2018. There were 14 PTA patients with PH, including 3 male and 11 female cases, aged from 18 to 53 (29.7±9.4) years, as the study group (PTA+PH group). There were 26 PTA patients without PH, including 4 males and 22 females, aged 15-52 (28.9±8.5) years, as the control group (PTA group). The <i>Chi-square</i> or <i>Fisher's</i> test, <i>T</i> test of two independent samples and Mann-Whitney <i>U</i> rank sum test were used to compare the general information, symptoms, signs, laboratory examination data, right ventricular and pulmonary artery measurement data, and pulmonary artery CT findings between the two groups. <b>Results:</b> Compared with the PTA group, the patients in the PTA+PH group had longer disease duration, fewer active cases, more shortness of breath, chest distress and lower limb edema, lower blood oxygen partial pressure (PaO<sub>2</sub>) and lower ESR (all <i>P</i><0.05). The width of right atrium and right ventricle in PTA+PH group was greater than that in PTA group (all <i>P<</i>0.05). The main CT findings of the involved pulmonary artery included lumen stenosis (39 cases, 97.5%), lumen occlusion (16 cases, 40%), wall thickening (9 cases, 22.5%), and lumen dilation (2 cases, 5.0%). Patients in the PTA+PH group had less wall thickening and mild lumen stenosis (<50%), more severe lumen stenosis (≥50%) and occlusion than those in the PTA group (all <i>P</i><0.05). <b>Conclusions:</b> PTA patients with PH showed certain characteristics in clinical, laboratory and CT findings, which may be correlated to the stage of the disease duration, the severity, and the prognosis.</Abstract><AuthorList CompleteYN="Y"><Author ValidYN="Y"><LastName>Lyu</LastName><ForeName>R</ForeName><Initials>R</Initials><AffiliationInfo><Affiliation>Department of Radiology, the Third Central Hospital of Tianjin, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Extracorporeal Life Support for Critical Diseases, Artificial Cell Engineering Technology Research Center, Tianjin Institute of Hepatobiliary Disease, Tianjin 300170, China.</Affiliation></AffiliationInfo></Author><Author ValidYN="Y"><LastName>Yu</LastName><ForeName>C L</ForeName><Initials>CL</Initials><AffiliationInfo><Affiliation>Department of Radiology, the Third Central Hospital of Tianjin, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Extracorporeal Life Support for Critical Diseases, Artificial Cell Engineering Technology Research Center, Tianjin Institute of Hepatobiliary Disease, Tianjin 300170, China.</Affiliation></AffiliationInfo></Author><Author ValidYN="Y"><LastName>Zhang</LastName><ForeName>X</ForeName><Initials>X</Initials><AffiliationInfo><Affiliation>Department of Radiology, the Third Central Hospital of Tianjin, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Extracorporeal Life Support for Critical Diseases, Artificial Cell Engineering Technology Research Center, Tianjin Institute of Hepatobiliary Disease, Tianjin 300170, China.</Affiliation></AffiliationInfo></Author><Author ValidYN="Y"><LastName>Hu</LastName><ForeName>W J</ForeName><Initials>WJ</Initials><AffiliationInfo><Affiliation>Department of Radiology, the Third Central Hospital of Tianjin, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Extracorporeal Life Support for Critical Diseases, Artificial Cell Engineering Technology Research Center, Tianjin Institute of Hepatobiliary Disease, Tianjin 300170, China.</Affiliation></AffiliationInfo></Author><Author ValidYN="Y"><LastName>Li</LastName><ForeName>J</ForeName><Initials>J</Initials><AffiliationInfo><Affiliation>Department of Radiology, the First Hospital of Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, China.</Affiliation></AffiliationInfo></Author><Author ValidYN="Y"><LastName>Wen</LastName><ForeName>D D</ForeName><Initials>DD</Initials><AffiliationInfo><Affiliation>Department of Radiology, the First Hospital of Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, China.</Affiliation></AffiliationInfo></Author><Author ValidYN="Y"><LastName>Zheng</LastName><ForeName>M W</ForeName><Initials>MW</Initials><AffiliationInfo><Affiliation>Department of Radiology, the First Hospital of Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, China.</Affiliation></AffiliationInfo></Author></AuthorList><Language>chi</Language><PublicationTypeList><PublicationType UI="D016428">Journal Article</PublicationType></PublicationTypeList></Article><MedlineJournalInfo><Country>China</Country><MedlineTA>Zhonghua Jie He He Hu Xi Za Zhi</MedlineTA><NlmUniqueID>8712226</NlmUniqueID><ISSNLinking>1001-0939</ISSNLinking></MedlineJournalInfo><CitationSubset>IM</CitationSubset><MeshHeadingList><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D005260" MajorTopicYN="N">Female</DescriptorName></MeshHeading><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D006801" MajorTopicYN="N">Humans</DescriptorName></MeshHeading><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D006976" MajorTopicYN="Y">Hypertension, Pulmonary</DescriptorName><QualifierName UI="Q000000981" MajorTopicYN="N">diagnostic imaging</QualifierName></MeshHeading><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D008297" MajorTopicYN="N">Male</DescriptorName></MeshHeading><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D011651" MajorTopicYN="N">Pulmonary Artery</DescriptorName><QualifierName UI="Q000000981" MajorTopicYN="N">diagnostic imaging</QualifierName></MeshHeading><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D012189" MajorTopicYN="N">Retrospective Studies</DescriptorName></MeshHeading><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D013625" MajorTopicYN="Y">Takayasu Arteritis</DescriptorName><QualifierName UI="Q000150" MajorTopicYN="N">complications</QualifierName><QualifierName UI="Q000000981" MajorTopicYN="N">diagnostic imaging</QualifierName></MeshHeading><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D014057" MajorTopicYN="N">Tomography, X-Ray Computed</DescriptorName></MeshHeading></MeshHeadingList><OtherAbstract Type="Publisher" Language="chi"><b>目的：</b> 探讨大动脉炎累及肺动脉（PTA）伴肺动脉高压（PH）患者的临床及影像学特征。 <b>方法：</b> 回顾性分析空军军医大学第一附属医院2008年1月至2018年1月间确诊为PTA的40例患者，其中伴PH患者14例（PTA+PH组），不伴PH的PTA患者26例（PTA组），分别采用<i>χ<sup>2</sup></i>或<i>Fisher</i>精确检验、两独立样本<i>t</i>检验以及 Mann-Whitney <i>U</i>秩和检验比较两组的一般资料、症状、体征、实验室检查结果、右心及肺动脉测量数据和CT血管成像（CTA）表现。 <b>结果：</b> 与PTA组比较，PTA+PH组患者病程时间更长［48.0（18.5，73.5）个月比24.5（10.5，48.5）个月］，活动期患者占比较低（4/14比17/26），多存在气短、气喘、胸闷症状和下肢水肿体征，PaO<sub>2</sub>较低，ESR较慢，右心房及右心室宽度增加（均<i>P</i><0.05）。患者肺动脉受累的主要CT征象包括管腔狭窄（39/40）、管腔闭塞（16/40）、管壁增厚（9/40）和管腔扩张（2/40）。PTA+PH组管腔重度狭窄（≥50%）比例高于PTA组，管壁增厚和管腔轻度狭窄（<50%）比例较低（均<i>P</i><0.05）。 <b>结论：</b> 伴有PH的PTA患者的临床表现、实验室检查结果及CTA均可见特征性表现，可能与疾病所处的病程阶段、严重程度、是否有活动性、预后等有相关性，临床应给予重视。.</OtherAbstract></MedlineCitation><PubmedData><History><PubMedPubDate PubStatus="entrez"><Year>2021</Year><Month>12</Month><Day>6</Day><Hour>0</Hour><Minute>24</Minute></PubMedPubDate><PubMedPubDate PubStatus="pubmed"><Year>2021</Year><Month>12</Month><Day>7</Day><Hour>6</Hour><Minute>0</Minute></PubMedPubDate><PubMedPubDate PubStatus="medline"><Year>2021</Year><Month>12</Month><Day>15</Day><Hour>6</Hour><Minute>0</Minute></PubMedPubDate></History><PublicationStatus>ppublish</PublicationStatus><ArticleIdList><ArticleId IdType="pubmed">34865367</ArticleId><ArticleId IdType="doi">10.3760/cma.j.cn112147-20200510-00576</ArticleId></ArticleIdList></PubmedData></PubmedArticle><PubmedArticle><MedlineCitation Status="Publisher" Owner="NLM"><PMID Version="1">34865191</PMID><DateRevised><Year>2021</Year><Month>12</Month><Day>05</Day></DateRevised><Article PubModel="Print-Electronic"><Journal><ISSN IssnType="Electronic">1875-8312</ISSN><JournalIssue CitedMedium="Internet"><PubDate><Year>2021</Year><Month>Dec</Month><Day>04</Day></PubDate></JournalIssue><Title>The international journal of cardiovascular imaging</Title><ISOAbbreviation>Int J Cardiovasc Imaging</ISOAbbreviation></Journal><ArticleTitle>Usefulness of second trimester left ventricular global longitudinal strain for predicting adverse maternal outcome in pregnant women aged 35 years or older.</ArticleTitle><ELocationID EIdType="doi" ValidYN="Y">10.1007/s10554-021-02485-9</ELocationID><Abstract>The present study was primarily designed to accurately determine biventricular and biatrial myocardial function, assessed by two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2D-STE), in a prospective cohort of pregnant women aged ≥ 35 years, at the second trimester of pregnancy. Secondly, we aimed at investigating the main independent predictors of adverse maternal outcome (AMO) in the same study population. 80 consecutive pregnant women aged ≥ 35 years, 80 gestational week-matched (18.4 ± 1.6 vs 18.5 ± 1.8 weeks, p = 0.71) pregnant women aged < 35 years and 80 non-pregnant women aged ≥ 35 years without any comorbidity were included in this prospective study. All pregnant women underwent obstetric evaluation, modified Haller index (MHI) assessment and a conventional two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography implemented with complete 2D-STE analysis of both ventricles and atria at the second trimester of pregnancy. AMO was defined as the occurrence of any of the following: gestational hypertension (GH) including preeclampsia; gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM); preterm delivery (PD); emergency caesarean section (ECS); postpartum haemorrhage (PPH); premature rupture of membranes (PROM); maternal death. Compared to younger pregnant women, pregnant women aged ≥ 35 years were more likely to be found with: (1) body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30 kg/m<sup>2</sup> (37.5% of total); (2) significantly increased inflammatory markers; (3) significantly greater left ventricular mass index; (4) significantly impaired hemodynamics; (5) significantly reduced bi-atrial and bi-ventricular myocardial strain parameters, despite normal ejection fraction. A strong inverse correlation between second trimester BMI and left ventricular (LV)-global longitudinal strain (GLS) (r =  - 0.84) and between second trimester MHI and LV-GLS (r =  - 0.81) was demonstrated in pregnant women aged ≥ 35 years. GH, GDM, PD, ECS, PPH and PROM were detected in 15%, 12.5%, 10%, 8.7%, 8.7% and 7.5% of women, respectively. Age (OR 2.04, 95% CI 1.46-2.84), second trimester BMI (OR 2.40, 95% CI 1.64-3.51) and second trimester LV-GLS (OR 0.07, 95%C I 0.01-0.34) were independently associated with outcome. Age ≥ 37 years, BMI ≥ 30 kg/m<sup>2</sup> and LV-GLS less negative than - 18% were the best cut-off values for predicting AMO. A LV-GLS less negative than - 18% allows to identify, among older pregnant women, those with an increased risk of AMO. Both intrinsic myocardial dysfunction and extrinsic compressive mechanical phenomena might affect global myocardial deformation during gestation. |
2,330,639 | Recent advances on bioengineering approaches for fabrication of functional engineered cardiac pumps: A review. | The field of cardiac tissue engineering has advanced over the past decades; however, most research progress has been limited to engineered cardiac tissues (ECTs) at the microscale with minimal geometrical complexities such as 3D strips and patches. Although microscale ECTs are advantageous for drug screening applications because of their high-throughput and standardization characteristics, they have limited translational applications in heart repair and the in vitro modeling of cardiac function and diseases. Recently, researchers have made various attempts to construct engineered cardiac pumps (ECPs) such as chambered ventricles, recapitulating the geometrical complexity of the native heart. The transition from microscale ECTs to ECPs at a translatable scale would greatly accelerate their translational applications; however, researchers are confronted with several major hurdles, including geometrical reconstruction, vascularization, and functional maturation. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to review the recent advances on bioengineering approaches for fabrication of functional engineered cardiac pumps. We first review the bioengineering approaches to fabricate ECPs, and then emphasize the unmatched potential of 3D bioprinting techniques. We highlight key advances in bioprinting strategies with high cell density as researchers have begun to realize the critical role that the cell density of non-proliferative cardiomyocytes plays in the cell-cell interaction and functional contracting performance. We summarize the current approaches to engineering vasculatures both at micro- and meso-scales, crucial for the survival of thick cardiac tissues and ECPs. We showcase a variety of strategies developed to enable the functional maturation of cardiac tissues, mimicking the in vivo environment during cardiac development. By highlighting state-of-the-art research, this review offers personal perspectives on future opportunities and trends that may bring us closer to the promise of functional ECPs. |
2,330,640 | Orthogonal external ventricular drain (EVD) trajectory from burr holes sited by junior neurosurgical staff is superior to freehand placement: An in-silico model. | External ventricular drain (EVD) or ventriculostomy placement is one of the most common neurosurgical procedures performed worldwide and is associated with complications including haemorrhage, malposition and infection. Several authors have attempted to define an ideal trajectory for placement, and scalp-mounted guidance devices have been devised to exploit the theoretical ideal orthogonal trajectory from the scalp to the lateral ventricles. However, uptake has been limited due to lack of demonstrated superiority to freehand placement. Previous modelling studies have failed to include a true-to-life sample of patients undergoing EVD insertion and excluded cases with midline shift or non-hydrocephalus indications. Further, none have attempted to model the orthogonal insertion of EVD via actual burr holes placed by junior neurosurgical staff. In our report of 58 cases of frontal EVD insertion in a low-volume Australian neurosurgical unit freehand EVD insertion resulted in acceptable placement in the ipsilateral frontal horn in 62% of cases, any ventricle in 22%, and in eloquent or non-eloquent brain in 16% of cases. The modelled orthogonal trajectory from the same burr holes, using post-procedural computed tomography scans and the S8 Stealth Station (Medtronic), resulted in superior placement; 80% in the ipsilateral frontal horn and 20% contralateral (p = 0.007). There were no significant malpositions associated with the modelled trajectories. In our series, 18% of freehand catheters required multiple placement attempts. In conclusion, our data suggests that an orthogonal trajectory may result in improved EVD positioning compared to freehand placement. |
2,330,641 | Virtual endoscopy assisted pure ventriculoscopic resection of cavernomas occluding foramen of Monroe: Technical note and literature review. | Cavernomas at Foramen of Monroe (FoM) are rare cases among the intracranial cavernomas. Pure ventriculoscopic removal of cavernoma at FoM through a single burr hole is challenging and rarely reported.</AbstractText>We herein introduced the virtual endoscopy (VE) assisted ventriculoscopic resection to treat the cavernomas at FoM. Two cases diagnosed with cavernomas at FoM, a 31-year-old male patient (case 1) and a 26-year-old male patient (case 2), were included. Both of them suffered from headache, nausea and vomiting. The pre-operative MRI revealed masses at the FoM. We reconstructed the VE on a free and open-source platform (3D Slicer) for the pre-surgical evaluation. And then ventriculoscopic operation through a single burr hole was made to remove the cavernomas at FoM.</AbstractText>The VE displayed a 14×19×16 mm lesion in case 1 and an 18×20×29 mm lesion in case 2 and both cases revealed some attachment between the lesions and the periventricular tissue. The ventriculoscopic operations indicated by VE were performed to achieve total resection of the cavernomas without neurological deficit.</AbstractText>Although the neuroendoscopic treatment to cavernoma at FoM through a single burr hole was rarely reported among the previous literatures, it was a quite effective and useful method in our cases. And the application of VE before ventriculoscopic operation could help to provide a three-dimensional and panorama view of the intraventricular lesions.</AbstractText>Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.</CopyrightInformation> |
2,330,642 | Elevated CSF inflammatory markers in patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus do not promote NKCC1 hyperactivity in rat choroid plexus. | Idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) is a potentially reversible neurological condition of unresolved etiology characterized by a clinical triad of symptoms; gait disturbances, urinary incontinence, and cognitive deterioration. In the present study, we aimed to elucidate the molecular coupling between inflammatory markers and development of iNPH and determine whether inflammation-induced hyperactivity of the choroidal Na+</sup>/K+</sup>/2Cl-</sup> cotransporter (NKCC1) that is involved in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) secretion could contribute to the iNPH pathogenesis.</AbstractText>Lumbar CSF samples from 20 iNPH patients (10 with clinical improvement upon CSF shunting, 10 without clinical improvement) and 20 elderly control subjects were analyzed with the novel proximity extension assay technique for presence of 92 different inflammatory markers. RNA-sequencing was employed to delineate choroidal abundance of the receptors for the inflammatory markers found elevated in the CSF from iNPH patients. The ability of the elevated inflammatory markers to modulate choroidal NKCC1 activity was determined by addition of combinations of rat version of these in ex vivo experiments on rat choroid plexus.</AbstractText>11 inflammatory markers were significantly elevated in the CSF from iNPH patients compared to elderly control subjects: CCL28, CCL23, CCL3, OPG, CXCL1, IL-18, IL-8, OSM, 4E-BP1, CXCL6, and Flt3L. One inflammatory marker, CDCP1, was significantly decreased in iNPH patients compared to control subjects. None of the inflammatory markers differed significantly when comparing iNPH patients with and without clinical improvement upon CSF shunting. All receptors for the elevated inflammatory markers were expressed in the rat and human choroid plexus, except CCR4 and CXCR1, which were absent from the rat choroid plexus. None of the elevated inflammatory markers found in the CSF from iNPH patients modulated the choroidal NKCC1 activity in ex vivo experiments on rat choroid plexus.</AbstractText>The CSF from iNPH patients contains elevated levels of a subset of inflammatory markers. Although the corresponding inflammatory receptors are, in general, expressed in the choroid plexus of rats and humans, their activation did not modulate the NKCC1-mediated fraction of choroidal CSF secretion ex vivo. The molecular mechanisms underlying ventriculomegaly in iNPH, and the possible connection to inflammation, therefore remains to be elucidated.</AbstractText>© 2021. The Author(s).</CopyrightInformation> |
2,330,643 | Capsule-dependent impact of MAPK signalling on host cell invasion and immune response during infection of the choroid plexus epithelium by Neisseria meningitidis. | The Gram-negative bacterium Neisseria meningitidis (Nm) can cause meningitis in humans, but the host signalling pathways manipulated by Nm during central nervous system (CNS) entry are not completely understood.</AbstractText>We investigate the role of the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) Erk1/2 and p38 in an in vitro model of the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier (BCSFB) based on human epithelial choroid plexus (CP) papilloma (HIBCPP) cells during infection with Nm serogroup B (NmB) and serogroup C (NmC) strains. A transcriptome analysis of HIBCPP cells following infection with Nm by massive analysis of cDNA ends (MACE) was done to further characterize the cellular response to infection of the barrier.</AbstractText>Interestingly, whereas NmB and NmC wild type strains required active Erk1/2 and p38 pathways for infection, invasion by capsule-deficient mutants was independent of Erk1/2 and, in case of the NmB strain, of p38 activity. The transcriptome analysis of HIBCPP cells following infection with Nm demonstrated specific regulation of genes involved in the immune response dependent on Erk1/2 signalling. Gene ontology (GO) analysis confirmed loss of MAPK signalling after Erk1/2 inhibition and revealed an additional reduction of cellular responses including NFκB and JAK-STAT signalling. Interestingly, GO terms related to TNF signalling and production of IL6 were lost specifically following Erk1/2 inhibition during infection with wild type Nm, which correlated with the reduced infection rates by the wild type in absence of Erk1/2 signalling.</AbstractText>Our data point towards a role of MAPK signalling during infection of the CP epithelium by Nm, which is strongly influenced by capsule expression, and affects infection rates as well as the host cell response.</AbstractText>© 2021. The Author(s).</CopyrightInformation> |
2,330,644 | Outcome of Initial 3 Years of Cranial Endoscopy at DG Khan Medical College and Teaching Hospital, Dera Ghazi Khan. | With the evolution of surgical approaches, endoscopic skull base surgery has emerged as a suitable alternative to many other invasive methods. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and outcome of cranial endoscopy in treating various neurosurgical intracranial pathologies in terms of procedural success and complications.</AbstractText>This observational, prospective case series was conducted at the Department of Neurosurgery of DG Khan Medical College from November 2017 to October 2020. The study enrolled 74 patients with indications for cranial neuroendoscopy. Clinical examination was performed, and a detailed history of the disease was obtained. Follow-up was conducted in the outpatient department. The collected data were analyzed using statistical analysis software.</AbstractText>Of 77 procedures performed, endoscopic third ventriculostomy, arachnoid cyst fenestration, septostomy, colloid cyst excision, endoscopic assisted ventricular catheter placement, and intraventricular tumor biopsy were performed in 53.3%, 18.2%, 10.4%, 7.8%, 6.5%, and 3.9% of patients. Aqueductal stenosis was identified as the most common cause of obstructive hydrocephalus. Seizures and cerebrospinal fluid leaks were the most commonly reported complications (12% and 8.1%, respectively). The observed mortality rate was 2.7%.</AbstractText>Neuroendoscopic surgery has become safe and effective, as surgeon experience and learning have lowered the risk of complications, and offers a low-cost alternative intervention.</AbstractText>Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.</CopyrightInformation> |
2,330,645 | Associations Between Traumatic Stress, Brain Volumes and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms in Children: Data from the ABCD Study. | Reduced volumes in brain regions of interest (ROIs), primarily from adult samples, are associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We extended this work to children using data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study® (N = 11,848; M<sub>age</sub> = 9.92). Structural equation modeling and an elastic-net (EN) machine-learning approach were used to identify potential effects of traumatic events (TEs) on PTSD symptoms (PTSDsx) directly, and indirectly via the volumes 300 subcortical and cortical ROIs. We then estimated the genetic and environmental variation in the phenotypes. TEs were directly associated with PTSDsx (r = 0.92) in children, but their indirect effects (r < 0.0004)-via the volumes of EN-identified subcortical and cortical ROIs-were negligible at this age. Additive genetic factors explained a modest proportion of the variance in TEs (23.4%) and PTSDsx (21.3%), and accounted for most of the variance of EN-identified volumes of four of the five subcortical (52.4-61.8%) three of the nine cortical ROIs (46.4-53.3%) and cerebral white matter in the left hemisphere (57.4%). Environmental factors explained most of the variance in TEs (C = 61.6%, E = 15.1%), PTSDsx (residual-C = 18.4%, residual-E = 21.8%), right lateral ventricle (C = 15.2%, E = 43.1%) and six of the nine EN-identified cortical ROIs (C = 4.0-13.6%, E = 56.7-74.8%). There is negligible evidence that the volumes of brain ROIs are associated with the indirect effects of TEs on PTSDsx at this age. Overall, environmental factors accounted for more of the variation in TEs and PTSDsx. Whereas additive genetic factors accounted for most of the variability in the volumes of a minority of cortical and in most of subcortical ROIs. |
2,330,646 | Fourth Ventricle Dimensions Increase in Chiari Malformation Type 1. | To investigate whether fourth ventricle dimensions and tentorial angulation differ in a healthy control population in our evaluation of patients with CM-1 malformation using MRI.</AbstractText>The radiological and demographic data from 251 patients with CM-1 followed in our clinic between 2014 and 2019 were compared with data from 273 persons in a healthy control group. Fourth ventricle dimensions, amount of cerebellar tonsillar herniation, and tentorium twinning angle were measured. Statistical analysis was performed.</AbstractText>The mean tentorial twinning angle, craniocaudal length, and anteroposterior length of the fourth ventricle were significantly greater than the mean of the same measurements in the healthy control group. In addition, in a subgroup analysis conducted according to treatment modalities of patients with CM-1, the length between the bilateral recesses of the fourth ventricle was found to be statistically significantly greater in the subgroup of patients who underwent surgery compared with those in the nonsurgical subgroup.</AbstractText>Fourth ventricle enlargement is a radiographic finding in patients with CM-1. Studies evaluating clinical presentation, severity, and outcome after treatment will be useful in revealing the importance of this entity.</AbstractText> |
2,330,647 | Comparison of Different Endoscopic Techniques for the Treatment of Hydrocephalus in Children. | To present a series of hydrocephalus cases treated with different endoscopic techniques, and to compare their surgical outcomes.</AbstractText>Sixty-one patients underwent endoscopic approach for treating hydrocephalus over a 5-year period. Forty-six patients were children. Three surgical techniques [i.e., endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV), ETV plus shunting, and simultaneous ETV plus aqueductoplasty] were used in these patients. Surgical results were statistically analyzed based on age, gender, and type of surgery.</AbstractText>Of the 46 children, 24 (52.17%) were female with a mean age of 25.33 months. Twenty-one (45.65%) children underwent ETV alone, 19 underwent ETV plus ventriculoperitoneal shunting, and six underwent simultaneous ETV plus aqueductoplasty. Five (10.87%) children died during the follow-up period. No correlation was observed between surgery type and patient age. No statistically significant differences in sex and complications were found between the surgical techniques.</AbstractText>ETV alone is the safest method for treating hydrocephalus in children. Mortality is higher in patients younger than 12 months who underwent combined surgical methods, instead of ETV alone.</AbstractText> |
2,330,648 | Isolated Lumbar Atypical Choroid Plexus Papilloma: A Case Report. | To report the first case of an isolated lumbar grade II atypical choroid plexus papilloma (CPP).</AbstractText>A 42-year-old man was admitted to the hospital because of back and leg pain. No urinary or rectal dysfunction was detected. Lumbar magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a well-circumscribed, contrast-enhancing, intradural extramedullary mass at L2-3. He underwent L2 and L3 partial laminectomies for tumor resection and complete resection was achieved without causing neurological deficit. Histopathologic examination of the tumor resulted in a diagnosis of grade II atypical CPP. The Ki-67 staining index was 7%. No lesion was detected on postoperative craniospinal MRI.</AbstractText>Isolated lumbar atypical CPP in the lumbar region has not been previously reported. In the presence of a single spinal lesion, the diagnosis of CPP should be considered. Unlike metastatic and synchronous tumors, the pathogenesis of isolated choroid plexus tumors within the spinal canal has not been explained.</AbstractText> |
2,330,649 | Single-cell RNA sequencing of mouse left ventricle reveals cellular diversity and intercommunication. | Previous studies have revealed the diversity of the whole cardiac cellulome but not refined the left ventricle, which was essential for finding therapeutic targets. Here, we characterized single-cell transcriptional profiles of the mouse left ventricular cellular landscape using single-cell RNA sequencing (10× Genomics). Detailed t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (tSNE) analysis revealed the cell types of left ventricle with gene markers. Left ventricular cellulome contained cardiomyocytes highly expressed <i>Trdn</i>, endothelial cells highly expressed <i>Pcdh17</i>, fibroblast highly expressed <i>Lama2</i>, and macrophages highly expressed <i>Hpgds</i>, also proved by in situ hybridization. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway (KEGG) enrichment analysis (ListHits > 2, <i>P</i> < 0.05) were employed with the DAVID database to investigate subtypes of each cell type with the underlying functions of differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Endothelial cells included 5 subtypes, fibroblasts comprising 7 subtypes, and macrophages contained 11 subtypes. The key representative DEGs (<i>P</i> < 0.001) were <i>Gja4</i> and <i>Gja5</i> in cluster 3 of endothelial cells, <i>Aqp2</i> and <i>Thbs4</i> in cluster 2 of fibroblasts, and <i>Clec4e</i> and <i>Trem-1</i> in cluster 3 of macrophages perhaps involved in the occurrence of atherosclerosis, heart failure, and acute myocardial infarction proved by literature review. We also revealed extensive networks of intercellular communication in left ventricle. We suggested possible therapeutic targets for cardiovascular disease and autocrine and paracrine signaling underpins left ventricular homeostasis. This study provided new insights into the structure and function of the mammalian left ventricular cellulome and offers an important resource that will stimulate studies in cardiovascular research. |
2,330,650 | Leptomeningeal disease in neurosurgical brain metastases patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis. | Leptomeningeal disease (LMD) is a complication distinguished by progression of metastatic disease into the leptomeninges and subsequent spread via cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Although treatments for LMD exist, it is considered fatal with a median survival of 2-4 months. A broader overview of the risk factors that increase the brain metastasis (BM) patient's risk of LMD is needed. This meta-analysis aimed to systematically review and quantitatively assess risk factors for LMD after surgical resection for BM.</AbstractText>A systematic literature search was performed on 7 May 2021. Pooled effect sizes were calculated using a random-effects model for variables reported by three or more studies.</AbstractText>Among 503 studies, thirteen studies met the inclusion criteria with a total surgical sample size of 2105 patients, of which 386 patients developed LMD. The median incidence of LMD across included studies was 16.1%. Eighteen unique risk factors were reported as significantly associated with LMD occurrence, including but not limited to: larger tumor size, infratentorial BM location, proximity of BM to cerebrospinal fluid spaces, ventricle violation during surgery, subtotal or piecemeal resection, and postoperative stereotactic radiosurgery. Pooled results demonstrated that breast cancer as the primary tumor location (HR = 2.73, 95% CI: 2.12-3.52) and multiple BMs (HR = 1.37, 95% CI: 1.18-1.58) were significantly associated with a higher risk of LMD occurrence.</AbstractText>Breast cancer origin and multiple BMs increase the risk of LMD occurrence after neurosurgery. Several other risk factors which might play a role in LMD development were also identified.</AbstractText>© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press, the Society for Neuro-Oncology and the European Association of Neuro-Oncology.</CopyrightInformation> |
2,330,651 | The effects of cumulative antipsychotic dose on brain structures in patients with schizophrenia: Observational study of multiple CT scans over a long-term clinical course. | Multiple lines of evidence indicate that antipsychotic agents could affect brain structures of schizophrenia patients. However, the effect of antipsychotic dosage or type on brain structure is uncertain. The present study retrospectively analyzed brain computed tomography (CT) images from a psychiatric hospital to examine the relationship between cumulative dose of antipsychotics and brain volume reduction in schizophrenia patients. A total of 43 patients with repeated relapse episode of psychosis were included and CT scans that were performed an average of 3.2 times per patient during nearly 13 years of follow-up were analyzed. The results revealed significant positive relationships of expansion of cerebrospinal fluid space with cumulative dosage of all antipsychotics and that of typical antipsychotics. Patients treated with antipsychotics including typical antipsychotics exhibited a greater volume reduction compared to patients treated with only atypical antipsychotics. The present study was one of the longest longitudinal studies examining the effects of antipsychotics on brain volume in schizophrenia patients. These results suggest a relation between cumulative lifetime antipsychotic dosage and progressive brain volume reduction in patients with schizophrenia. However, the effects of specific agent on brain structure are still uncertain, and more detailed analysis is needed. |
2,330,652 | Qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the ventricular system and brain parenchyma in healthy dogs of different skull conformation on computed tomography scans. | This study aimed to perform quantitative and qualitative evaluations of the lateral and third ventricles, and brain parenchyma, in healthy dogs of different skull conformations on CT scans. Forty-five adult client-owned dogs were divided into three groups according to skull conformation: G1 (dolichocephalic)-15 German Shepherds; G2 (mesaticephalic)-15 Rottweilers; G3 (brachycephalic)-15 Boxers. Transverse plane images were used for quantitative and qualitative evaluations of the lateral ventricles and third ventricle, and pre- and post-contrast brain parenchyma. The height of both ventricles and brain was measured at the level of the interthalamic adhesion. Ventricle height, brain height, and ventricle/brain height ratio were statistically higher in G3 compared with G1 and G2 that were similar. The third ventricle was visible but unmeasurable in five dogs from G1 and three from G2. In G3, all dogs had third ventricle visible and measurable in all images. Asymmetric ventricles were seen in five dogs in Group 1 and Group 2, and seven in Group 3. Brain parenchyma had homogenous density in 80% of the dogs in all groups. Contrast enhancement of the rostral midline was visualized in all dogs. In conclusion, brain CT scans of healthy dogs showed that the qualitative data were similar among groups, but lateral ventricle and brain measurements in brachycephalic dogs differed from the dolichocephalic and mesaticephalic dogs. |
2,330,653 | Not all voxels are created equal: Reducing estimation bias in regional NODDI metrics using tissue-weighted means. | Neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) estimates microstructural properties of brain tissue relating to the organisation and processing capacity of neurites, which are essential elements for neuronal communication. Descriptive statistics of NODDI tissue metrics are commonly analyzed in regions-of-interest (ROI) to identify brain-phenotype associations. Here, the conventional method to calculate the ROI mean weights all voxels equally. However, this produces biased estimates in the presence of CSF partial volume. This study introduces the tissue-weighted mean, which calculates the mean NODDI metric across the tissue within an ROI, utilising the tissue fraction estimate from NODDI to reduce estimation bias. We demonstrate the proposed mean in a study of white matter abnormalities in young onset Alzheimer's disease (YOAD). Results show the conventional mean induces significant bias that correlates with CSF partial volume, primarily affecting periventricular regions and more so in YOAD subjects than in healthy controls. Due to the differential extent of bias between healthy controls and YOAD subjects, the conventional mean under- or over-estimated the effect size for group differences in many ROIs. This demonstrates the importance of using the correct estimation procedure when inferring group differences in studies where the extent of CSF partial volume differs between groups. These findings are robust across different acquisition and processing conditions. Bias persists in ROIs at higher image resolution, as demonstrated using data obtained from the third phase of the Alzheimer's disease neuroimaging initiative (ADNI); and when performing ROI analysis in template space. This suggests that conventional ROI means of NODDI metrics are biased estimates under most contemporary experimental conditions, the correction of which requires the proposed tissue-weighted mean. The tissue-weighted mean produces accurate estimates of ROI means and group differences when ROIs contain voxels with CSF partial volume. In addition to NODDI, the technique can be applied to other multi-compartment models that account for CSF partial volume, such as the free water elimination method. We expect the technique to help generate new insights into normal and abnormal variation in tissue microstructure of regions typically confounded by CSF partial volume, such as those in individuals with larger ventricles due to atrophy associated with neurodegenerative disease. |
2,330,654 | Longitudinal magnetic resonance evaluation of the schizophrenia model of neonatal lesion in the ventral hippocampus. | To evaluate the progression by means of nuclear magnetic resonance of the lesion in the schizophrenia model of lesion of the ventral hippocampal nucleus (LVNH).</AbstractText>Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were performed in male Wistar rats, from 8 days postnatal to 139 days, in animals with LNHV and without lesion (sham). The MRI were carried out on a Variant 7 T equipment. The data were analyzed with the Amira software, for a voxel-based morphometric analysis.</AbstractText>We observed the presence of hypersignals with a significant enhancement in the structures analyzed in the group with LVNH, and greater volume in the lateral ventricles, presenting a larger size of the lesion on day PD96 and significantly reducing on day PD139.</AbstractText>We found a cell rearrangement during the progression of the lesion, which could be the effect of the activation of immune cells.</AbstractText> |
2,330,655 | Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging for segmentation and white matter extraction of the hypothalamus. | Since the hypothalamus is involved in many neuroendocrine, metabolic, and affective disorders, detailed hypothalamic imaging has become of major interest to better characterize disease-induced tissue damages and abnormalities. Still, image contrast of conventional anatomical magnetic resonance imaging lacks morphological detail, thus complicating complete and precise segmentation of the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus' position lateral to the third ventricle and close proximity to white matter tracts including the optic tract, fornix, and mammillothalamic tract display one of the remaining shortcomings of hypothalamic segmentation, as reliable exclusion of white matter is not yet possible. Recent studies found that quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (qMRI), a method to create maps of different standardized tissue contents, improved segmentation of cortical and subcortical brain regions. So far, this has not been tested for the hypothalamus. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the usability of qMRI and diffusion MRI for the purpose of detailed and reproducible manual segmentation of the hypothalamus and data-driven white matter extraction and compared our results to recent state-of-the-art segmentations. Our results show that qMRI presents good contrast for delineation of the hypothalamus and white matter, and that the properties of these images differ between subunits, such that they can be used to reliably exclude white matter from hypothalamic tissue. We propose that qMRI poses a useful addition to detailed hypothalamic segmentation and volumetry. |
2,330,656 | Cilia locally synthesize proteins to sustain their ultrastructure and functions. | Cilia are microtubule-based hair-like organelles propelling locomotion and extracellular liquid flow or sensing environmental stimuli. As cilia are diffusion barrier-gated subcellular compartments, their protein components are thought to come from the cell body through intraflagellar transport or diffusion. Here we show that cilia locally synthesize proteins to maintain their structure and functions. Multicilia of mouse ependymal cells are abundant in ribosomal proteins, translation initiation factors, and RNA, including 18 S rRNA and tubulin mRNA. The cilia actively generate nascent peptides, including those of tubulin. mRNA-binding protein Fmrp localizes in ciliary central lumen and appears to function in mRNA delivery into the cilia. Its depletion by RNAi impairs ciliary local translation and induces multicilia degeneration. Expression of exogenous Fmrp, but not an isoform tethered to mitochondria, rescues the degeneration defects. Therefore, local translation defects in cilia might contribute to the pathology of ciliopathies and other diseases such as Fragile X syndrome. |
2,330,657 | Numerical wave speed sensitivity study for assessment of myocardial elasticity in a simplified linear elastic and isotropic left ventricle model. | Since tissue elasticity can change with pathology, noninvasive assessment of elasticity has received increasing attention. Emerging methods for assessing cardiac elasticity utilize either an external source to induce propagating shear waves or intrinsic longitudinal waves created by natural cardiac events such as left ventricle stretching that occurs due to atrial kick during late diastole. However, the effect of morphological variations that occur in diseased hearts on this longitudinal stretch wave and the corresponding estimate of elasticity is not well understood and is an active area of research. This study investigated the sensitivity of longitudinal wave speed to material properties and chamber geometry parameters through numerical simulations using a finite element model of a bullet-shaped chamber with homogeneous isotropic linear elastic material properties. A longitudinal impulse displacement was applied to the base edge of the model to investigate wave propagation from this boundary. Parametric studies were performed for variables of interest related to geometry and material properties. The wave speeds estimated from simulation results were used to determine wave speed sensitivity to each variable. Wave speed was found to be a strong function of material elasticity and a weak function of chamber geometry and viscous damping. Simulated wave speed as a function of elasticity was in good agreement with wave speeds determined from an analytical expression for longitudinal wave speed in elastic thin plates. These promising preliminary results increase our understanding of how these parameters affect intrinsic longitudinal wave speed and warrant future studies addressing the impact of patient-specific model geometry, material anisotropy and hyperelasticity, and boundary conditions on wave speed. |
2,330,658 | Pre- and post-operative cardiovascular CT in Stage I single ventricle palliation. | The aim of this study is to describe clinical utility of low dose cardiac computed tomography (CT) in the evaluation of single ventricle physiology before and after Stage I palliation.</AbstractText>Despite the increased utilization of CT imaging and advancement of CT technology, there are limited studies describing the routine clinical use of cardiac CT and radiation dose parameters in the single ventricle Stage I palliation.</AbstractText>This single center, retrospective study included 57 infants with single ventricle physiology who underwent cardiac CT scans between January 1, 2016 and November 30, 2020. Patients' demographic information, diagnosis, indication, total dose length product (DLP), computed tomographic dose index volume (CTDIvol), cardiac CT findings and intraoperative or intraprocedural findings were reviewed. Estimated effective radiation dose was calculated using a previously published conversion rate.</AbstractText>The studies were performed using different generations of CT scanners over the 4 years period: Somatom AS 128, Somatom definition edge, Somatom Force (Siemens Medical Solutions). The studies performed with dual source scanner with prospective gated technique have lower radiation dose exposure with median effective radiation dose of 0.32 mSv.</AbstractText>Pre- and post-operative cardiovascular CT in Stage I single ventricle palliation using newer generation scanners with prospective gated technique can be done with minimal radiation exposure and good image quality. Cardiac CT is a powerful imaging modality for better management planning in this group of patients.</AbstractText>© 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.</CopyrightInformation> |
2,330,659 | Antagonism of the ghrelin receptor type 1a in the rat brain induces status epilepticus in an electrical kindling model of epilepsy. | Studies have shown the anti-seizure properties of the ghrelin hormone in different models of epilepsy. Nevertheless, the role of the endogenous ghrelin is unknown in the electrical kindling model of epilepsy. In this study, we evaluated the effect of the antagonism of the ghrelin receptors in the brain of fully kindled rats. Adult male Wistar rats weighing 300 g were used. Animals were stereotaxically implanted with two uni-polar electrodes in the skull surface and a tri-polar electrode in the basolateral amygdala, and a guide cannula in the left lateral ventricle. Animals underwent a rapid kindling protocol. After showing three consecutive stages of five seizures, the animals were considered fully kindled. D-Lys-3-GHRP-6 (1, 50, and 100 μg/rat) was injected intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.) in the kindled animals. Each rat was considered as its control and received a single dose of D-Lys-3-GHRP-6. Seizure parameters including after discharge duration (ADD), seizure stage (SS), stage four latency (S4L), and stage five duration (S5D) were recorded. The paired t test indicated a significant increase in seizure induction. D-Lys-3-GHRP-6 (1 μg/rat; i.c.v.) prolonged ADD in the kindled rats, significantly. D-Lys-3-GHRP-6 (50 and 100 μg/rat; i.c.v.) induced spontaneous seizures, which led to status epilepticus in the kindled rats. The results indicate that the antagonism of the ghrelin functional receptors prolongs seizures and induces status epilepticus in the kindling model of epilepsy, and propose that the endogenous ghrelin signaling has crucial antiepileptic properties. |
2,330,660 | Predicting neurodevelopmental outcomes in fetuses with isolated mild ventriculomegaly. | Fetal ventriculomegaly is the the most common intracranial abnormality detected antenatally. When ventriculomegaly is mild and the only, isolated, abnormality detected (isolated mild ventriculomegaly (IMVM)) the prognosis is generally considered to be good. We aim to determine if there are features on in utero MRI (iuMRI) that can identify fetuses with IMVM who have lower risks of abnormal neurodevelopment outcome.</AbstractText>We studied cases recruited into the MRI to enhance the diagnosis of fetal developmental brain abnormalities in utero (MERIDIAN) study, specifically those with: confirmed IMVM, 3D volume imaging of the fetal brain and neurodevelopmental outcomes at 3 years. We explored the influence of sex of the fetus, laterality of the ventriculomegaly and intracranial compartmental volumes in relation to neurodevelopmental outcome.</AbstractText>Forty-two fetuses met the criteria (33 male and 9 female). There was no obvious correlation between fetal sex and the risk of poor neurodevelopmental outcome. Unilateral IMVM was present in 23 fetuses and bilateral IMVM in 19 fetuses. All fetuses with unilateral IMVM had normal neurodevelopmental outcomes, while only 12/19 with bilateral IMVM had normal neurodevelopmental outcomes. There was no obvious correlation between measure of intracranial volumes and risk of abnormal developmental outcomes.</AbstractText>The most important finding is the very high chance of a good neurodevelopmental outcome observed in fetuses with unilateral IMVM, which is a potentially important finding for antenatal counselling. There does not appear to be a link between the volume of the ventricular system or brain volume and the risk of poor neurodevelopmental outcome.</AbstractText>© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.</CopyrightInformation> |
2,330,661 | Establishment and validation of prognosis model for patients with cerebral contusion. | Cerebral Contusion (CC) is one of the most serious injury types in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). In this study, the baseline data, imaging features and laboratory examinations of patients with CC were summarized and analyzed to develop and validate a prediction model of nomogram to evaluate the clinical outcomes of patients.</AbstractText>A total of 426 patients with cerebral contusion (CC) admitted to the People's Hospital of Qinghai Province and Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University from January 2018 to January 2021 were included in this study, We randomly divided the cohort into a training cohort (n = 284) and a validation cohort (n = 142) with a ratio of 2:1.At Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso) regression were used for screening high-risk factors affecting patient prognosis and development of the predictive model. The identification ability and clinical application value of the prediction model were analyzed through the analysis of receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC), calibration curve, and decision curve analysis (DCA).</AbstractText>Twelve independent prognostic factors, including age, Glasgow Coma Score (GCS), Basal cistern status, Midline shift (MLS), Third ventricle status, intracranial pressure (ICP) and CT grade of cerebral edema,etc., were selected by Lasso regression analysis and included in the nomogram. The model showed good predictive performance, with a C index of (0.87, 95% CI, 0.026-0.952) in the training cohort and (0.93, 95% CI, 0.032-0.965) in the validation cohort. Clinical decision curve analysis (DCA) also showed that the model brought high clinical benefits to patients.</AbstractText>This study established a high accuracy of nomogram model to predict the prognosis of patients with CC, its low cost, easy to promote, is especially applicable in the acute environment, at the same time, CSF-glucose/lactate ratio(C-G/L), volume of contusion, and mean CT values of edema zone, which were included for the first time in this study, were independent predictors of poor prognosis in patients with CC. However, this model still has some limitations and deficiencies, which require large sample and multi-center prospective studies to verify and improve our results.</AbstractText>© 2021. The Author(s).</CopyrightInformation> |
2,330,662 | Brain copper clearance by the blood-cerebrospinal fluid-barrier: Effects of lead exposure. | Lead (Pb) is a heavy metal commonly found in the environment and is known to have neurotoxic, hematological, and other toxic effects. It has been reported that Pb exposure can disturb metal regulation in the blood-cerebrospinal fluid-barrier (BCB). Copper (Cu) plays a key role in maintaining normal brain function and can accumulate in the brain after Pb exposure. However, the mechanism by which Pb affects Cu levels in the brain is still unknown. This study investigated Cu clearance by the BCB in the central nervous system (CNS) of Sprague-Dawley rats after Pb exposure by focusing on the Cu transporter protein CTR1/ATP7A. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used to examine how heavy metal levels change in the hippocampus, cortex, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) after Pb exposure. Ventriculo-cisternal perfusion measurements suggested that the ability of the BCB to deliver Cu from the CSF to the blood decreased after Pb exposure. The presence of excess Cu in the choroid plexus led to CTR1/ATP7A shifting toward the apical microvilli facing the CSF after Pb exposure. We further evaluated microstructure of the choroid plexus by transmission electron microscopy, revealing altered mitochondrial morphology with decreased microvilli after Pb exposure. Conclusively, exposure to Pb alters the cellular structure of the BCB and its Cu clearance function, which can cause further brain damage. |
2,330,663 | Direct Removal of Fourth Ventricle Hematoma in Massive Intraventricular Hemorrhage. | Various grading systems and surgical techniques have been developed for the treatment of intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH); however, little attention has been paid to the fourth ventricle hematoma. Nonetheless, hemorrhagic dilation of the fourth ventricle may lead to catastrophic consequences for patients with massive IVH. We present two cases of massive IVH accompanied by massive fourth ventricle hematoma which was successfully removed with combination of suboccipital craniotomy for fourth ventricle hematoma and intraventricular fibrinolysis for supratentorial hematoma. |
2,330,664 | Use of Cardiac Contractility Modulation in an Older Patient with Non-Ischemic Dilated Cardiomyopathy: A Case Report. | Cardiac contractility modulation (CCM) is a novel device-based therapy used in patients with HFrEF. CCM therapy is associated with an improvement in exercise tolerance, increased quality of life, reduced HF hospitalizations, and reverse remodelling of the left ventricle in patients with HFrEF. In this case, we report the clinical benefit of CCM in an older patient with advanced HFrEF due to ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy with frequent heart failure-related hospitalizations and poor quality of life despite optimal medical therapy. |
2,330,665 | Quadriparesis Due to Delayed Tension Pneumoventricle. | Although pneumocephalus is very common after intracranial or spinal surgeries, pneumoventricle is uncommon. Tension pneumoventricle (tPV) occurs when air in the ventricles expands to cause neurological deficits or mass effect. It is usually seen with a combination of a ball-valve defect postoperatively that sucks in air and a ventriculoperitoneal shunt that drains cerebrospinal fluid and allows the ingress of air.</AbstractText>A young man developed delayed tPV after surgery for craniopharyngioma. He required multiple surgeries and occlusion of the ventriculoperitoneal shunt before the tPV resolved.</AbstractText>The probable mechanisms of tPV and the importance of early recognition and treatment are discussed. A review of the literature of this uncommon entity has also been performed.</AbstractText>Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.</CopyrightInformation> |
2,330,666 | [Correlation of fetal ventriculomegaly with copy number variations and pregnancy outcome]. | To assess the correlation of borderline fetal ventriculomegaly with genomic copy number variations (CNVs) and outcome of pregnancy.</AbstractText>For 84 singleton pregnancies diagnosed with VM, chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) was carried out to detect the CNVs of the fetal genome. Outcome of the pregnancy and neonatal development were analyzed. The pregnant women were divided into mild group (10-12 mm), moderate group (12-15 mm) and severe group (>= 15 mm) based on the severity of fetal ventriculomegaly. The detection rate of pathogenic CNVs and pregnancy outcome were compared. Multivariate logistic regression was carried out to analyze the predictors for pregnancy outcome.</AbstractText>Respectively, 24, 28 and 32 fetuses were assigned into the mild, moderate and severe groups. CMA has detected 15 cases of chromosomal abnormalities, including 11 pathogenic CNVs and 4 abnormal karyotypes. Abnormal pregnancy outcomes were found in 20 fetuses, including 12 with hydrocephalus and 8 with chromosomal microdeletion syndromes. A significant difference was found in the detection rate of fetal pathogenic CNVs and abnormal pregnancy outcome among the three groups (P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the largest change of lateral ventricle width (OR = 1.868, 95%CI = 1.120-3.116) and the extent of lateral ventricle widening (OR = 1.571, 95%CI = 1.120-2.206) were the key factors affecting the outcome of pregnancy (P<0.05).</AbstractText>Borderline fetal VM is associated with the risk of pathogenic CNVs and adverse pregnancy outcome. A comprehensive examination is required after prenatal ultrasound diagnosis, which is conducive to prenatal consultation and prognostic evaluation of the fetus.</AbstractText> |
2,330,667 | Tongmai granules improve rat hippocampal injury by regulating TLR4/MyD88/AP-1 signaling pathway. | Tongmai granules (TMG) is composed of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge., Radix puerariae Lobata., and Ligusticum chuanxiong hort. TMG is mainly used for ischemic cardiovascular, cerebrovascular diseases, atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, cerebral infarction and cerebral ischemia. TMG is a kind of traditional compound granule, which has a protective effect on brain injury. However, the potential protective mechanism of the TMG has not been elucidated.</AbstractText>TMG has a good effect on brain injury, but its brain protective mechanism is still unclear. The purpose of this study was to confirm the neuroprotective mechanism of TMG, reveal its target genes and identify the active components of TMG.</AbstractText>High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to identify the fingerprint of TMG. UPLC-Q-TOF-MSE was used to analyze the base peak intensity (BPI) chromatograms of TMG. TMG was pre-administered for one week, brain injury and edema were induced by injection of glutamate (Glu) into the lateral ventricles of rats. HE staining was used to investigate the pathological damage caused by Glu in the hippocampus of rats, and the RNA-seq was used to analyze the changes of different genes before and after TMG treatment. Finally, changes of related proteins were analyzed by qRT-PCR, Western blot, and other molecular biological methods. Dosage of TMG were set to 0.6 g/kg, 1.2 g/kg and 2.4 g/kg.</AbstractText>We found that TMG contained many active components, including salvianolic acid, puerarin, ferulic acid, etc. TMG could improve cerebral edema and brain injury induced by Glu. After TMG treatment, differential gene analysis showed that differential genes were significantly enriched in toll-like receptor signaling pathway. qRT-PCR validation results were consistent with RNA-Seq analysis results. Combined with Western blot analysis, we found that TMG ultimately regulated the expression of inflammatory cytokines by affecting the TLR4/MyD88/AP-1 pathway.</AbstractText>In this study, we combined TMG with RNA-seq analysis to demonstrate that TMG may play a neuroprotective role by regulating Toll-like receptor signaling pathway and down-regulating the expression of inflammatory cytokine. TMG may become a kind of traditional Chinese medicine with neuroprotective potential.</AbstractText>Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.</CopyrightInformation> |
2,330,668 | Association of blood pressure in the first-week of hospitalization and long-term mortality in patients with acute left ventricular myocardial infarction. | Previous studies have shown that optimal blood pressure (BP) control is necessary to outcomes in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Acute left ventricular MI is a prevalent type of AMI with poor prognosis. We aimed to analyze the associations between BP control in the first 7 days of hospitalization and long-term mortality specific to patients with isolated left ventricular MI.</AbstractText>A total of 3108 acute left ventricular MI patients were included in this analysis. The average BP on the first seven days of hospitalization was categorized into 10-mmHg increments. The primary and secondary outcomes were all-cause death and cardiac death, respectively. Cox models were used to assess the association of outcomes with BP during hospitalization.</AbstractText>The median length-of-stay was 7 (IQR 6-10) days. The relationship between systolic BP (SBP) or diastolic BP (DBP) followed a U-shaped curve association with outcomes. All-cause mortality was higher in patients with lower SBP (≤90 mmHg) (adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) 7.12, 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.13-16.19; p < 0.001) and DBP (<60 mmHg) (HR 1.76, 95% CI 1.14-2.71; p = 0.011) [reference: 110 < SBP ≤120 mmHg; 70 < DBP ≤ 80 mmHg], respectively. Furthermore, primary outcome was higher in patients with higher SBP (>130 mmHg) (HR 1.51, 95% CI 1.12-2.03; p = 0.007) and DBP (>80 mmHg) (HR 1.61, 95% CI 1.20-2.18; p = 0.002), respectively.</AbstractText>Maintaining a SBP from 90 to 130 mmHg and a DBP from 60 to 80 mmHg may be beneficial to patients with acute left ventricular MI in the long run.</AbstractText>Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.</CopyrightInformation> |
2,330,669 | Pathophysiology of Vascular Calcification and Bone Loss: Linked Disorders of Ageing? | Vascular Calcification (VC), low bone mass and fragility fractures are frequently observed in ageing subjects. Although this clinical observation could be the mere coincidence of frequent age-dependent disorders, clinical and experimental data suggest that VC and bone loss could share pathophysiological mechanisms. Indeed, VC is an active process of calcium and phosphate precipitation that involves the transition of the vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) into osteoblast-like cells. Among the molecules involved in this process, parathyroid hormone (PTH) plays a key role acting through several mechanisms which includes the regulation of the RANK/RANKL/OPG system and the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway, the main pathways for bone resorption and bone formation, respectively. Furthermore, some microRNAs have been implicated as common regulators of bone metabolism, VC, left ventricle hypertrophy and myocardial fibrosis. Elucidating the common mechanisms between ageing; VC and bone loss could help to better understand the potential effects of osteoporosis drugs on the CV system. |
2,330,670 | The Anti-Tumoral Potential of Phosphonate Analog of Sulforaphane in Zebrafish Xenograft Model. | Isothiocyanates (ITCs) show strong activity against numerous human tumors. Five structurally diverse ITCs were tested in vivo using the zebrafish embryos 6 and 48 h post-fertilization (hpf). The survival rate, hatching time, and gross morphological changes were assessed 24, 48, and 72 h after treatment with all compounds in various doses (1-10 µM). As a result, we selected a phosphonate analog of sulforaphane (P-ITC; 1-3 µM) as a non-toxic treatment for zebrafish embryos, both 6 and 48 hpf. Furthermore, the in vivo anti-cancerogenic studies with selected 3 µM P-ITC were performed using a set of cell lines derived from the brain (U87), cervical (HeLa), and breast (MDA-MB-231) tumors. For the experiment, cells were labeled using red fluorescence dye Dil (1,1'-Dioctadecyl-3,3,3',3'-Tetramethylindocarbocyanine, 10 μg/mL) and injected into the hindbrain ventricle, yolk sac region and Cuvier duct of zebrafish embryos. The tumor size measurement after 48 h of treatment demonstrated the significant inhibition of cancer cell growth in all tested cases by P-ITC compared to the non-treated controls. Our studies provided evidence for P-ITC anti-cancerogenic properties with versatile activity against different cancer types. Additionally, P-ITC demonstrated the safety of use in the living organism at various stages of embryogenesis. |
2,330,671 | Novel Galectin-3 Roles in Neurogenesis, Inflammation and Neurological Diseases. | Galectin-3 (Gal-3) is an evolutionarily conserved and multifunctional protein that drives inflammation in disease. Gal-3's role in the central nervous system has been less studied than in the immune system. However, recent studies show it exacerbates Alzheimer's disease and is upregulated in a large variety of brain injuries, while loss of Gal-3 function can diminish symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's. Several novel molecular pathways for Gal-3 were recently uncovered. It is a natural ligand for TREM2 (triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells), TLR4 (Toll-like receptor 4), and IR (insulin receptor). Gal-3 regulates a number of pathways including stimulation of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling and modulating Wnt signalling in a context-dependent manner. Gal-3 typically acts in pathology but is now known to affect subventricular zone (SVZ) neurogenesis and gliogenesis in the healthy brain. Despite its myriad interactors, Gal-3 has surprisingly specific and important functions in regulating SVZ neurogenesis in disease. Gal-1, a similar lectin often co-expressed with Gal-3, also has profound effects on brain pathology and adult neurogenesis. Remarkably, Gal-3's carbohydrate recognition domain bears structural similarity to the SARS-CoV-2 virus spike protein necessary for cell entry. Gal-3 can be targeted pharmacologically and is a valid target for several diseases involving brain inflammation. The wealth of molecular pathways now known further suggest its modulation could be therapeutically useful. |
2,330,672 | Myelin-Independent Therapeutic Potential of Canine Glial-Restricted Progenitors Transplanted in Mouse Model of Dysmyelinating Disease. | Dysfunction of glia contributes to the deterioration of the central nervous system in a wide array of neurological disorders, thus global replacement of glia is very attractive. Human glial-restricted precursors (hGRPs) transplanted intraventricularly into neonatal mice extensively migrated and rescued the lifespan in half of the studied mice, whereas mouse GRPs (mGRPs) presented no therapeutic benefit. We studied in the same experimental setting canine GRPs (cGRP) to determine whether their therapeutic potential falls between hGRPs and mGRPs. Additional motivation for the selection of cGRPs was a potential for use in veterinary medicine.</AbstractText>cGRPs were extracted from the brain of dog fetuses. The cells were transplanted into the anterior or posterior aspect of the lateral ventricle (LV) of neonatal, immunodeficient, dysmyelinated mice (Mbp</i>shi</sup>, Rag2</i> KO; shiv/rag2). Outcome measures included early cell biodistribution, animal survival and myelination assessed with MRI, immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy.</AbstractText>Grafting of cGRP into posterior LV significantly extended animal survival, whereas no benefit was observed after anterior LV transplantation. In contrast, myelination of the corpus callosum was more prominent in anteriorly transplanted animals.</AbstractText>The extended survival of animals after transplantation of cGRPs could be explained by the vicinity of the transplant near the brain stem.</AbstractText> |
2,330,673 | TRPA1-Mediated Src Family Kinases Activity Facilitates Cortical Spreading Depression Susceptibility and Trigeminovascular System Sensitization. | Transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) plays a role in migraine and is proposed as a promising target for migraine therapy. However, TRPA1-induced signaling in migraine pathogenesis is poorly understood. In this study, we explored the hypothesis that Src family kinases (SFKs) transmit TRPA1 signaling in regulating cortical spreading depression (CSD), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) release and neuroinflammation. CSD was monitored in mouse brain slices via intrinsic optical imaging, and in rats using electrophysiology. CGRP level and IL-1β gene expression in mouse trigeminal ganglia (TG) was detected using Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay and Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction respectively. The results showed a SFKs activator, pYEEI (EPQY(PO3H2)EEEIPIYL), reversed the reduced cortical susceptibility to CSD by an anti-TRPA1 antibody in mouse brain slices. Additionally, the increased cytosolic phosphorylated SFKs at Y416 induced by CSD in rat ipsilateral cerebral cortices was attenuated by pretreatment of the anti-TRPA1 antibody perfused into contralateral ventricles. In mouse TG, a SFKs inhibitor, saracatinib, restored the CGRP release and IL-1β mRNA level increased by a TRPA1 activator, umbellulone. Moreover, umbellulone promoted SFKs phosphorylation, which was reduced by a PKA inhibitor, PKI (14-22) Amide. These data reveal a novel mechanism of migraine pathogenesis by which TRPA1 transmits signaling to SFKs via PKA facilitating CSD susceptibility and trigeminovascular system sensitization. |
2,330,674 | Relationships of Telomere Homeostasis with Oxidative Stress and Cardiac Dysfunction in Human Ischaemic Hearts. | Although the roles of telomeres and oxidative stress in ischaemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) are known, mechanisms of telomere homeostasis and their relationship with oxidative stress are incompletely understood. We performed two RNA-seq analyses (mRNA <i>n</i> = 23; ncRNA <i>n</i> = 30) and protein validation on left ventricles of explanted hearts from ICM and control subjects. We observed dysregulation of the shelterin and cohesin complexes, which was related to an increase in the response to cellular oxidative stress. Moreover, we found alterations at mRNA level in the mechanisms of telomeric DNA repair. Specifically, increased <i>RAD51D</i> mRNA levels were correlated with left ventricular diameters. RAD51D protein levels were unaltered, however, and were inversely corelated with the miR-103a-3p upregulation. We also observed the overexpression of lncRNAs (<i>TERRA</i> and <i>GUARDIN)</i> involved in telomere protection in response to stress and alterations in their regulatory molecules. Expression of the <i>TERRA</i> transcription factor <i>ATF7</i> was correlated with superoxide dismutase 1 expression and left ventricular diameters. The levels of <i>GUARDIN</i> and its transcription factor <i>FOSL2</i> were correlated with those of catalase. Therefore, we showed specific alterations in the mechanisms of telomeric DNA repair and protection, and these alterations are related to an increase in the response mechanisms to oxidative stress and cardiac dysfunction in ICM. |
2,330,675 | The Interplay between Myocardial Fibrosis, Strain Imaging and Collagen Biomarkers in Adults with Repaired Tetralogy of Fallot. | We sought to assess the interplay between right ventricle (RV) fibrosis, biventricular dysfunction based on global longitudinal strain (GLS) analysis, and biomarkers such as Galectin-3 (Gal-3), procollagen type III (PCIII), and NTproBNP.</AbstractText>We studied 35 adult patients with rToF. All patients underwent a cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) scan including feature tracking for deformation imaging. Blood biomarkers were measured.</AbstractText>LGE RV was detected in all patients, mainly at surgical sites. Patients with the highest RV LGE scoring had greater RV dilatation and dysfunction whereas left ventricular (LV) function was preserved. LV GLS correlated with RV total fibrosis score (p</i> = 0.007). A LV GLS value of -15.9% predicted LGE RV score > 8 (AUC 0.754 (p</i> = 0.02)). Neither RV GLS nor biomarker levels were correlated with the extent of RV fibrosis. A cut-off value for NTproBNP of 145.25 pg/mL predicted LGE RV score > 8 points (AUC 0.729, (p</i> = 0.03)). A cut-off value for Gal-3 of 7.42 ng/mL predicted PR Fraction > 20% [AUC 0.704, (p</i> = 0.05)].</AbstractText>A significant extent of RV fibrosis was mainly detected at surgical sites of RV, affecting RV performance. CMR-FT reveals subtle LV dysfunction in rToF patients, due to decreased performance of the fibrotic RV. Impaired LV function and elevated NTproBNP in rToF reflect a dysfunctional fibrotic RV.</AbstractText> |
2,330,676 | Zebrafish Model to Study Angiotensin II-Mediated Pathophysiology. | Hypertension, a common chronic condition, may damage multiple organs, including the kidney, heart, and brain. Thus, it is essential to understand the pathology upon ectopic activation of the molecular pathways involved in mammalian hypertension to develop strategies to manage hypertension. Animal models play a crucial role in unraveling the disease pathophysiology by allowing incisive experimental procedures impossible in humans. Zebrafish, a small freshwater fish, have emerged as an important model system to study human diseases. The primary effector, Angiotensin II of the RAS pathway, regulates hemodynamic pressure overload mediated cardiovascular pathogenesis in mammals. There are various established mammalian models available to study pathophysiology in Angiotensin II-induced hypertension. Here, we have developed a zebrafish model to study pathogenesis by Angiotensin II. We find that intradermal Angiotensin II injection every 12 h can induce cardiac remodeling in seven days. We show that Angiotensin II injection in adult zebrafish causes cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and enhances cardiac cell proliferation. In addition, Angiotensin II induces ECM protein-coding gene expression and fibrosis in the cardiac ventricles. Thus, this study can conclude that Angiotensin II injection in zebrafish has similar implications as mammals, and zebrafish can be a model to study pathophysiology associated with AngII-RAS signaling. |
2,330,677 | Pectins from various sources inhibit galectin-3-related cardiac fibrosis. | A major challenge in cardiology remains in finding a therapy for cardiac fibrosis. Inhibition of galectin-3 with pectins attenuates fibrosis in animal models of heart failure. The purpose of this study is to identify pectins with the strongest galectin-3 inhibitory capacity. We evaluated the in vitro inhibitory capacity, identified potent pectins, and tested if this potency could be validated in a mouse model of myocardial fibrosis.</AbstractText>Various pectin fractions were screened in vitro. Modified rhubarb pectin (EMRP) was identified as the most potent inhibitor of galectin-3 and compared to the well-known modified citrus pectin (MCP). Our findings were validated in a mouse model of myocardial fibrosis, which was induced by angiotensin II (Ang II) infusion.</AbstractText>Ang II infusion was associated with a 4-5-fold increase in fibrosis signal in the tissue of the left ventricle, compared to the control group (0•22±0•10 to 1•08±0•53%; P < 0•001). After treatment with rhubarb pectin, fibrosis was reduced by 57% vs. Ang II alone while this reduction was 30% with the well-known MCP (P = NS, P < 0•05). Treatment was associated with a reduced cardiac inflammatory response and preserved cardiac function.</AbstractText>The galectin-3 inhibitor natural rhubarb pectin has a superior inhibitory capacity over established pectins, substantially attenuates cardiac fibrosis, and preserves cardiac function in vivo. Bioactive pectins are natural sources of galectin-3 inhibitors and may be helpful in the prevention of heart failure or other diseases characterized by fibrosis.</AbstractText>Dr. Meijers is supported by the Mandema-Stipendium of the Junior Scientific Masterclass 2020-10, University Medical Center Groningen and by the Netherlands Heart Foundation (Dekkerbeurs 2021)Dr. de Boer is supported by the Netherlands Heart Foundation (CVON SHE-PREDICTS-HF, grant 2017-21; CVON RED-CVD, grant 2017-11; CVON PREDICT2, grant 2018-30; and CVON DOUBLE DOSE, grant 2020B005), by a grant from the leDucq Foundation (Cure PhosphoLambaN induced Cardiomyopathy (Cure-PLaN), and by a grant from the European Research Council (ERC CoG 818715, SECRETE-HF).</AbstractText>Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.. All rights reserved.</CopyrightInformation> |
2,330,678 | Ultra-long-TE arterial spin labeling reveals rapid and brain-wide blood-to-CSF water transport in humans. | The study of brain clearance mechanisms is an active area of research. While we know that the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) plays a central role in one of the main existing clearance pathways, the exact processes for the secretion of CSF and the removal of waste products from tissue are under debate. CSF is thought to be created by the exchange of water and ions from the blood, which is believed to mainly occur in the choroid plexus. This exchange has not been thoroughly studied in vivo. We propose a modified arterial spin labeling (ASL) MRI sequence and image analysis to track blood water as it is transported to the CSF, and to characterize its exchange from blood to CSF. We acquired six pseudo-continuous ASL sequences with varying labeling duration (LD) and post-labeling delay (PLD) and a segmented 3D-GRASE readout with a long echo train (8 echo times (TE)) which allowed separation of the very long-T<sub>2</sub> CSF signal. ASL signal was observed at long TEs (793 ms and higher), indicating presence of labeled water transported from blood to CSF. This signal appeared both in the CSF proximal to the choroid plexus and in the subarachnoid space surrounding the cortex. ASL signal was separated into its blood, gray matter and CSF components by fitting a triexponential function with T<sub>2</sub>s taken from literature. A two-compartment dynamic model was introduced to describe the exchange of water through time and TE. From this, a water exchange time from the blood to the CSF (T<sub>bl->CSF</sub>) was mapped, with an order of magnitude of approximately 60 s. |
2,330,679 | IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF HEPATIC NUCLEAR FACTOR 4 ALPHA EXPRESSION IN THE CHOROID PLEXUS OF THE LATERAL AND 4TH VENTRICLES OF ADULT MALE RAT BRAIN. | The aim: This study aims to compare the lateral and fourth ventricles of CPs using hepatocyte nuclear factor 4 alpha (HNF4α), metabolism marker, to evaluate the functional activity of this tissue in two regions.</AbstractText>Materials and methods: Ten adult male albino rats were used to study the histological features of the CPs and to study the functional activity by quantitative immunohistochemical labelling with HNF4α marker.</AbstractText>Results: The CP of the fourth ventricle had more functional activity than the CP of the lateral ventricle. A quantitative assessment of HNF4α using Aperio ImageScope Software Analysis showed that the lateral ventricle CP mean positivity equalled 0.264 ± 0.083 pixel/micron² while the fourth ventricle CP has mean positivity 0.297 ± 0.043 pixel/micron². The immunohistochemical expression of marker in the fourth ventricle CP was significantly (p ≤ 0.05) higher than those in the lateral ventricle (P ≤ 0.05).</AbstractText>Conclusions: Immunohistochemical detection of metabolism marker went along with findings of other histological and biochemical studies to define the CP as a highly dynamic structure with regional variations forming a continuum of one entity tissue capable of functional adaptation according to body needs.</AbstractText> |
2,330,680 | Expression of cerebellar degeneration-related proteins CDR2 and CDR2L in human and rat brain tissue. | Patients with ovarian cancer and paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration, a cancer-related immune disorder, often have anti-Yo antibody. Here we studied the distributions of anti-Yo antigens CDR2L and CDR2 in rat and human brain using immunohistochemistry and western blot. CDR2L localized mainly to the Purkinje cells and large neurons scattered in the brain stem. CDR2 was detected in vascular smooth muscle cells of rat and human and in cells lining the ventricle system in rats. The observed distribution of CDR2L is compatible with the hypothesis that this antigen is the major target of anti-Yo. CDR2 and CDR2L are expressed by different cell subtypes. |
2,330,681 | Choroid Plexus Tumors in Children: Long-Term Follow-Up of Consecutive Single-Institutional Series of 59 Patients Treated over a Period of 8 Decades (1939-2020). | To present long-term follow-up of a consecutive single-institutional series of patients treated for choroid plexus tumors over 8 decades.</AbstractText>From 1939 to 2020, 59 children were treated for choroid plexus tumors. Median age at diagnosis was 1.7 years.</AbstractText>Gross total resection was achieved in 51 patients (86%). Ten patients (17%) underwent >1 resection. During the first 4 decades of the study (1939-1979), 14 patients with plexus papillomas were treated. Operative mortality was 50%, with 6 of the remaining 7 patients experiencing excellent survival with follow-up periods of 41-81 years. In the last 4 decades (1980-2020), 38 patients had low-grade tumors, and all were alive at the latest follow-up (range, 0.5-39 years). Observed 5-year survival in this subgroup was 100% (n = 30), as was observed 10-year survival (n = 26). One of 7 (14%) patients with atypical choroid plexus papilloma and 3 of 31 patients (10%) with choroid plexus papilloma underwent a second resection owing to recurrent tumor. At last follow-up, 47 patients (80%) were alive; 45 (96%) had a Barthel Index score of 100 and 2 had a Barthel Index score of 50. Today 25 patients are adults (20-59 years old); 17 work full-time, 4 work part-time, and 4 are unable to work.</AbstractText>Low-grade choroid plexus tumors can be cured with gross total resection alone, with excellent long-term survival and functionality. The vast majority of survivors live independently as adults and work full-time. Recurrences are uncommon (8.7%), appear within the first few years after primary surgery, and can be treated with repeat resections.</AbstractText>Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.</CopyrightInformation> |
2,330,682 | Prion protein complexed to a DNA aptamer induce behavioral and synapse dysfunction in mice. | Conversion of the cellular prion protein (PrP<sup>C</sup>) into the scrapie form (PrP<sup>Sc</sup>) is the leading step to the development of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), still incurable neurodegenerative disorders. Interaction of PrP<sup>C</sup> with cellular and synthetic ligands that induce formation of scrapie-like conformations has been deeply investigated in vitro. Different nucleic acid (NA) sequences bind PrP and convert it to β-sheet-rich or unfolded species; among such NAs, a 21-mer double-stranded DNA, D67, was shown to induce formation of PrP aggregates that were cytotoxic. However, in vivo effects of these PrP-DNA complexes were not explored. Herein, aggregates of recombinant full-length PrP (rPrP<sup>23-231</sup>) induced by interaction with the D67 aptamer were inoculated into the lateral ventricle of Swiss mice and acute effects were investigated. The aggregates had no influence on emotional, locomotor and motor behavior of mice. In contrast, mice developed cognitive impairment and hippocampal synapse loss, which was accompanied by intense activation of glial cells in this brain region. Our results suggest that the i.c.v. injection of rPrP:D67 aggregates is an interesting model to study the neurotoxicity of aggregated PrP in vivo, and that glial cell activation may be an important step for behavioral and cognitive dysfunction in prion diseases. |
2,330,683 | The posterior interhemispheric transparieto-occipital fissure approach to the atrium of the lateral ventricle: a fiber microdissection study with case series. | The surgical approach to the atrium of the lateral ventricle remains a challenge because of its deep location and close relationship to important neurovascular structures. We present an alternative and safer approach to lesions of the atrium using a natural pathway through the parieto-occipital fissure. We demonstrate this approach through cadaveric anatomical microdissection and a case series. Five formalin-fixed brain specimens (10 hemispheres) were dissected with the Klingler technique. Transillumination was used to show the trajectory of the approach in cadaveric specimens. Clinical data from five patients who underwent this approach were reviewed. This data included intraoperative ultrasound images, operative images, pre- and postoperative magnetic resonance imaging, MR tractography, and visual field examination. The parieto-occipital fissure is a constant, uninterrupted fissure that can be easily identified in cadavers. Our anatomical dissection study revealed that the atrium of the lateral ventricle can be approached through the parieto-occipital fissure with minor damage to the short association fibers between the precuneus and cuneus, and a few fibers of the forceps major. In our series, five patients underwent total resection of their atrial lesions via the posterior interhemispheric transparieto-occipital fissure. No morbidity or mortality was observed, and the disruption of white matter was minimal, as indicated on postoperative tractography. The postoperative visual fields were normal. The posterior interhemispheric transparieto-occipital fissure approach is an alternative to remove lesions in the atrium of the lateral ventricle, causing the least damage to white matter tracts and preserving visual cortex and optic radiation. |
2,330,684 | Epigenetic State Changes Underlie Metabolic Switch in Mouse Post-Infarction Border Zone Cardiomyocytes. | Myocardial infarction causes ventricular muscle loss and formation of scar tissue. The surviving myocardium in the border zone, located adjacent to the infarct, undergoes profound changes in function, structure and composition. How and to what extent these changes of border zone cardiomyocytes are regulated epigenetically is not fully understood. Here, we obtained transcriptomes of PCM-1-sorted mouse cardiomyocyte nuclei of healthy left ventricle and 7 days post myocardial infarction border zone tissue. We validated previously observed downregulation of genes involved in fatty acid metabolism, oxidative phosphorylation and mitochondrial function in border zone-derived cardiomyocytes, and observed a modest induction of genes involved in glycolysis, including <i>Slc2a1</i> (Glut1) and <i>Pfkp</i>. To gain insight into the underlying epigenetic regulatory mechanisms, we performed H3K27ac profiling of healthy and border zone cardiomyocyte nuclei. We confirmed the switch from Mef2- to AP-1 chromatin association in border zone cardiomyocytes, and observed, in addition, an enrichment of PPAR/RXR binding motifs in the sites with reduced H3K27ac signal. We detected downregulation and accompanying epigenetic state changes at several key PPAR target genes including <i>Ppargc1a</i> (PGC-1α), <i>Cpt2</i>, <i>Ech1</i>, <i>Fabpc3</i> and <i>Vldrl</i> in border zone cardiomyocytes. These data indicate that changes in epigenetic state and gene regulation underlie the maintained metabolic switch in border zone cardiomyocytes. |
2,330,685 | [An improved method for isolation and culture of primary cardiomyocytes from SD neonatal rats]. | <b>Objective:</b> To establish a stable, rapid and improved method for isolation and culture of primary cardiomyocytes from neonatal rats. <b>Methods:</b> Ventricular tissues from neonatal SD rats were digested with 0.12% collagenase Ⅱ, and then subjected to Percoll density gradient centrifugation. The original cardiomyocytes were cultured in modified DMEM/F12 containing 5% horse serum and 5-bromodeoxyuracil(5-BrdU) <i>in vitro</i> for further purification, and medium was changed to normal high glucose DMEM with 10% FBS the next day. The difference between the improved method and traditional differential attachment one used for isolation and culture of primary cardiomyocytes was compared. <b>Results:</b> Cardiacmyocytes obtained through the improved method grew well. 24 hours after plating, most cells adhered to the dishes, with shapes looked triangular, fusiform or irregular, and some of them showed spontaneously contract at a frequency varying from 10～30 times/min. After 48 h culture, the cardiomyocytes became longer and stretched out pseudopodia. Some cells showed synchronous beats with the frequency close to 50～80 times/min. 72 hours later, cardiomyocytes were interwoven into a network in chrysanthemum patterns, and spontaneous beats tended to be more synchronous, with a frequency of 80-100 times/min. After 96 h, cells gathered into clusters as islands, with synchronous beat at a frequency of around 100～120 times/min. All cardiomyocytes were in good condition within one week. Yields((1.17±0.15)×10<sup>6</sup> <i>vs</i> (1.21±0.22)×10<sup>6</sup>,<i>P</i>＞0.05)and survival rate of primary cardiomyocytes obtained by the improved method was comparable to that gained using traditional differential attachment way (93.3%±1.4% <i>vs</i> 92.2%±0.7%, <i>P</i>＞0.05), but the purity of primary cardiomyocytes obtained through the improved method was much higher (94.7%±2.1% <i>vs</i> 89.5%±1.3%, <i>P</i>＜0.05), while with less time consuming ((3.1±0.4)h <i>vs</i> (4.3±0.3)h, <i>P</i>＜0.01). <b>Conclusion:</b> This improved method is an ideal and simple method for the isolation and culture of primary cardiomyocytes with shorter time-consuming, high purity, intact structure and function, and with great repeatability and stability.</Abstract><AuthorList CompleteYN="Y"><Author ValidYN="Y"><LastName>Meng</LastName><ForeName>Xiang-Hong</ForeName><Initials>XH</Initials><AffiliationInfo><Affiliation>Department of Medical Technology, Ningbo College of Health Sciences, Ningbo 315104.</Affiliation></AffiliationInfo></Author><Author ValidYN="Y"><LastName>Zeng</LastName><ForeName>Bin</ForeName><Initials>B</Initials><AffiliationInfo><Affiliation>Department of Medical Technology, Ningbo College of Health Sciences, Ningbo 315104.</Affiliation></AffiliationInfo></Author><Author ValidYN="Y"><LastName>Chen</LastName><ForeName>Hui-Ling</ForeName><Initials>HL</Initials><AffiliationInfo><Affiliation>Department of Medical Technology, Ningbo College of Health Sciences, Ningbo 315104.</Affiliation></AffiliationInfo></Author><Author ValidYN="Y"><LastName>Li</LastName><ForeName>Wei-Dong</ForeName><Initials>WD</Initials><AffiliationInfo><Affiliation>Department of Medical Technology, Ningbo College of Health Sciences, Ningbo 315104.</Affiliation></AffiliationInfo></Author><Author ValidYN="Y"><LastName>Li</LastName><ForeName>Na</ForeName><Initials>N</Initials><AffiliationInfo><Affiliation>Department of Medical Technology, Ningbo College of Health Sciences, Ningbo 315104.</Affiliation></AffiliationInfo></Author><Author ValidYN="Y"><LastName>Xu</LastName><ForeName>Xiao-Yong</ForeName><Initials>XY</Initials><AffiliationInfo><Affiliation>Department of Cardiovascular Disease, Ningbo Medical Treatment Centre Li Huili Hospital, Ningbo 315040, China.</Affiliation></AffiliationInfo></Author></AuthorList><Language>chi</Language><PublicationTypeList><PublicationType UI="D016428">Journal Article</PublicationType></PublicationTypeList></Article><MedlineJournalInfo><Country>China</Country><MedlineTA>Zhongguo Ying Yong Sheng Li Xue Za Zhi</MedlineTA><NlmUniqueID>9426407</NlmUniqueID><ISSNLinking>1000-6834</ISSNLinking></MedlineJournalInfo><CitationSubset>IM</CitationSubset><MeshHeadingList><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D000818" MajorTopicYN="N">Animals</DescriptorName></MeshHeading><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D000831" MajorTopicYN="N">Animals, Newborn</DescriptorName></MeshHeading><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D002478" MajorTopicYN="N">Cells, Cultured</DescriptorName></MeshHeading><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D006352" MajorTopicYN="Y">Heart Ventricles</DescriptorName></MeshHeading><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D032383" MajorTopicYN="Y">Myocytes, Cardiac</DescriptorName></MeshHeading><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D051381" MajorTopicYN="N">Rats</DescriptorName></MeshHeading><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D017207" MajorTopicYN="N">Rats, Sprague-Dawley</DescriptorName></MeshHeading></MeshHeadingList><OtherAbstract Type="Publisher" Language="chi"><b>目的:</b>建立一种稳定、快速的SD新生乳鼠原代心肌细胞分离培养改良方法。 <b>方法:</b>取SD新生乳鼠心室,0.12%Ⅱ型胶原酶消化,Percoll密度梯度离心结合5-溴脱氧尿嘧啶(5-BrdU)化学抑制法纯化心肌细胞,体外培养于含5%马血清的改良DMEM/F12中,次日更换为普通含10%胎牛血清的高糖DMEM继续培养,并比较此改良方法与传统差速贴壁法的差异。 <b>结果:</b>改良法获得的心肌细胞生长良好,接种24 h 后几乎全部贴壁生长,细胞呈三角形、梭形或不规则形,个别细胞出现自主搏动,频率为10～30 beats/min不等。48 h后心肌细胞变长伸出伪足,部分细胞呈现同步搏动, 频率接近50～80 beats/min。72 h后心肌细胞成菊花样交织成网,自发搏动趋于同步,频率加快至80～100 beats/min;96 h后细胞聚集成簇,呈岛屿样,同步搏动频率在100～120 beats/min左右,一周内细胞状态良好。改良法纯化原代心肌细胞的得率((1.17±0.15)×10<sup>6</sup> <i>vs</i> (1.21±0.22)×10<sup>6</sup>,<i>P</i>＞0.05)和存活率与传统差速贴壁法相当(93.3%±1.4% <i>vs</i> 92.2%±0.7%, <i>P</i>＞0.05 ),但是改良方法获得的原代心肌细胞纯度更高 (94.7%±2.1% <i>vs</i> 89.5%±1.3%, <i>P</i>＜0.05),且用时较短((3.1±0.4)h <i>vs</i> (4.3±0.3)h, <i>P</i>＜0.01)。 <b>结论:</b>改良法获得心肌细胞耗时短、纯度高、结构功能保存完整,且实验重复和稳定性好,是一种理想且简单易行的的原代心肌细胞分离培养方法。. |
2,330,686 | Isolation, culture, and immunostaining of neonatal rat ventricular myocytes. | Isolation and culture of ventricular cardiomyocytes from neonatal rats (NRVMs) is a powerful model to study neonatal cardiac development, cell cycle regulation, and cardiac physiology and pathology <i>in vitro</i>. Here, we present our modified enzymatic digestion protocol followed by two-step discontinuous Percoll gradient centrifugation to isolate a high yield of viable ventricular cardiomyocytes from neonatal rats. Finally, here we describe an immunostaining protocol for cytosolic and nuclear staining of NRVMs. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Pereira et al. (2020). |
2,330,687 | Anterograde venous bullet embolism from the left facial vein to the right ventricle. | A young man presented to the emergency department reporting he had been recently shot in the face and chest with an unknown weapon. Initial physical examination only found bruising by the left hemimandible, but CT angiography of the thorax revealed a BB in the right ventricle. A subsequent CT angiography of the head and neck showed no major arterial injury but noted stranding and irregularity of the left facial vein directly deep to the injury site. The findings favoured anterograde venous bullet embolism from the left facial vein to the right ventricle. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a relatively small diameter and superficial vein of the face resulting in this phenomenon. |
2,330,688 | Acupuncture for treating symptoms associated with chorea-acanthocytosis: A CARE-compliant case report. | Chorea-acanthocytosis (ChAc) is the most common type of neuroacanthocytosis syndromes. Characteristic movement disorders of ChAc are choreiform movements affecting both trunk and extremities. Acanthocytosis in peripheral blood smear, elevated serum creatine kinase, atrophy of heads of caudate nuclei and dilation of the anterior horn of the lateral ventricles in magnetic resonance imaging could assist the diagnosis of ChAc.</AbstractText>We aimed to report on the use of acupuncture to successfully improve ChAc symptoms.</AbstractText>A patient with definite ChAc was admitted, who had suffered from involuntary tongue protrusion for about 10 years. Acupuncture treatment was administrated for 3 times a week for 2 months. The chorea tremor control area, Baihui (GV20), Sishencong (EX-HN1), Shenting (GV24), Benshen (GB13, bilateral), Yintang (GV29), Neiguan (PC6, bilateral), Tongli (HT5, bilateral), Zusanli (ST36, bilateral), Sanyinjiao (SP6, bilateral), Dicang (ST4, bilateral), Chengjiang (CV24), Lianquan (CV23), Jinjin (EX-HN12) and Yuye (EX-HN13) were selected as acupunture points.</AbstractText>Previous drug dosage was reduced and the frequency of involuntary tongue protrusion was significantly reduced. Other clinical symptoms were also well controlled. Peripheral blood smear still indicated an increased proportion of red lineage, but blood analyses revealed improvement at follow-up.</AbstractText>For patients who do not response well to conventional medical treatments, acupuncture might be used as an alternative treatment for symptoms related to ChAc.</AbstractText>Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Inc.</CopyrightInformation> |
2,330,689 | Medical image segmentation with generative adversarial semi-supervised network. | Recent medical image segmentation methods heavily rely on large-scale training data and high-quality annotations. However, these resources are hard to obtain due to the limitation of medical images and professional annotators. How to utilize limited annotations and maintain the performance is an essential yet challenging problem. In this paper, we try to tackle this problem in a self-learning manner by proposing a generative adversarial semi-supervised network. We use limited annotated images as main supervision signals, and the unlabeled images are manipulated as extra auxiliary information to improve the performance. More specifically, we modulate a segmentation network as a generator to produce pseudo labels for unlabeled images. To make the generator robust, we train an uncertainty discriminator with generative adversarial learning to determine the reliability of the pseudo labels. To further ensure dependability, we apply feature mapping loss to obtain statistic distribution consistency between the generated labels and the real labels. Then the verified pseudo labels are used to optimize the generator in a self-learning manner. We validate the effectiveness of the proposed method on right ventricle dataset, Sunnybrook dataset, STACOM, ISIC dataset, and Kaggle lung dataset. We obtain 0.8402-0.9121, 0.8103-0.9094, 0.9435-0.9724, 0.8635-0.886, and 0.9697-0.9885 dice coefficient with 1/8 to 1/2 proportion of densely annotated labels, respectively. The improvements are up to 28.6 points higher than the corresponding fully supervised baseline. |
2,330,690 | Microscopic focus on ependymal cells of the spinal cord of the one-humped camel (Camelus dromedarius): Histological, immunohistochemical, and transmission microscopic study. | The current study was designed to give a complete microscopic description of the ependymal cells of the one-humped camel (Camelus dromedarius) using histological, immunohistochemical, and transmission microscopic descriptions of the ependymal cells of the fresh 35 spinal cord samples immediately after their slaughtering. In our findings, the central canal of the spinal cord was lined by multilayered stratified cuboidal or columnar ependymal cells. The ependymal cells had an irregular striated border at their free surface. The ependymal cells do not exhibit a basement membrane. The simple oval nucleus was occupied a large part of the cell with spherical mitochondria. The apical surface of the ependymal cells possesses long cilia; each cilium was bounded by an evagination of the luminal plasma membrane. Some ependymal cells had minute finger-like projections on their luminal plasma membrane. In the perinuclear zone of ependymal cells, many cristiform mitochondria, free ribosomes, and Golgi complexes usually occur. Vacuoles with homogenous and clear fluid were observed. The lateral surface of the adjacent ependymal cells exhibits several tight junctions represented by zonulae occludens and adherens. There were many desmosomes between the neighboring ependymal cells. A perinuclear whorl of filaments fills the lateral part of these ependymal cells. The ependymal cells revealed a clear immunohistochemical reaction with proliferating cell nuclear antigen and nestin stain. There were no obvious differences between the different segments of the spinal cord. Our data concluded that the ependymal cells display clear differences in anatomy as well as ultrastructure that may reflect their distinct functional activity. |
2,330,691 | The role of hypoxia in stem cell regulation of the central nervous system: From embryonic development to adult proliferation. | Hypoxia is involved in the regulation of various cell functions in the body, including the regulation of stem cells. The hypoxic microenvironment is indispensable from embryonic development to the regeneration and repair of adult cells. In addition to embryonic stem cells, which need to maintain their self-renewal properties and pluripotency in a hypoxic environment, adult stem cells, including neural stem cells (NSCs), also exist in a hypoxic microenvironment. The subventricular zone (SVZ) and hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) are the main sites of adult neurogenesis in the brain. Hypoxia can promote the proliferation, migration, and maturation of NSCs in these regions. Also, because most neurons in the brain are non-regenerative, stem cell transplantation is considered as a promising strategy for treating central nervous system (CNS) diseases. Hypoxic treatment also increases the effectiveness of stem cell therapy. In this review, we firstly describe the role of hypoxia in different stem cells, such as embryonic stem cells, NSCs, and induced pluripotent stem cells, and discuss the role of hypoxia-treated stem cells in CNS diseases treatment. Furthermore, we highlight the role and mechanisms of hypoxia in regulating adult neurogenesis in the SVZ and DG and adult proliferation of other cells in the CNS. |
2,330,692 | Abdominal Pseudocyst: A Rare Complication of Ventriculoperitoneal Shunts. | We present the case of a 69-year-old man patient who was brought with a history of gait disturbances, memory impairment, and urinary incontinence with gradual worsening over the past six months. The patient underwent magnetic resonance imaging of the brain which demonstrated enlarged ventricles, widening of the Sylvian fissure, and narrow sulci at the vertex. Subsequently, the patient underwent a lumbar puncture which revealed a normal opening pressure with normal cerebrospinal fluid analysis. The diagnosis of normal pressure hydrocephalus was established. The patient underwent a ventriculoperitoneal shunt for the management of his symptoms. Three years after the placement of the shunt, the patient was brought to the emergency department with an expanding right-sided subcutaneous abdominal mass. A computed tomography scan of the abdomen showed the subcutaneous mass superficial to the right rectus muscle and was containing the coiled distal end of the shunt. Such findings were consistent with a subcutaneous cerebrospinal fluid pseudocyst. The mass was aspirated and the fluid analysis was in keeping with the cerebrospinal fluid characteristics. The fluid culture revealed no bacterial growth. The ventriculoperitoneal shunt was replaced with a minimally invasive technique. |
2,330,693 | Direct effect of RFRP-3 microinjection into the lateral ventricle on the hypothalamic kisspeptin neurons in ovariectomized estrogen-primed rats. | RFamide-related peptide-3 (RFRP-3) may be involved in the inhibition of kisspeptin, but there is no direct evidence that RFRP-3 can directly act on kisspeptin neurons. The present study aimed to investigate the role and mechanism of RFRP-3 and kisspeptin in the hypothalamic-pituitary reproductive axis. In order to detect the expression and localization of RFRP-3 and kisspeptin in dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus, double immunofluorescence method combined with confocal microscopy were performed. RFRP-3 was injected into the lateral ventricle of ovariectomized estrogen primed rats. Blood and brain tissues were collected at 60-, 120-, 240- and 360-min. Serum levels of gonadotropin-releasing hormone, luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone were detected by ELISA. Kisspeptin expression in hypothalamus was detected by western blotting. Finally, surface plasmon resonance was used to verify whether RFRP-3 can directly interact with kisspeptin. Confocal images indicated that RFRP-3 and kisspeptin were co-expressed in the same neurons in the hypothalamus of ovariectomized estrogen-primed rats. Serum concentrations of gonadotropin-releasing hormone, luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone were demonstrated to be significantly reduced following microinjection of RFRP-3 into the lateral ventricle for 60, 120, 240 and 360 min compared with the corresponding saline groups. The expression levels of kisspeptin in hypothalamus were gradually decreased following microinjection of RFRP-3 into the lateral ventricle. In addition, the affinity constant (K<sub>D</sub>) of RFRP-3 binding to kisspeptin was 6.005x10<sup>-5</sup> M, indicating that RFRP-3 bound directly to kisspeptin in the range of protein-protein binding strength (K<sub>D</sub>, 10<sup>-3</sup>-10<sup>-6</sup> M). In conclusion, RFRP-3 may regulate the hypothalamic-pituitary reproductive axis by inhibiting the expression of hypothalamic kisspeptin and direct binding. |
2,330,694 | Loss of RNA-Binding Protein HuR Leads to Defective Ependymal Cells and Hydrocephalus. | Multiciliated ependymal cells line the ventricle wall and generate CSF flow through ciliary beating. Defects in ependymal cells cause hydrocephalus; however, there are still significant gaps in our understanding the molecular, cellular and developmental mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of hydrocephalus. Here, we demonstrate that specific deletion of RNA-binding protein (RBP) Hu antigen R (HuR) in the mouse brain results in hydrocephalus and causes postnatal death. HuR deficiency leads to impaired ependymal cell development with defective motile ciliogenesis in both female and male mice. Transcriptome-wide analysis reveals that HuR binds to mRNA transcripts related to ciliogenesis, including cilia and flagella associated protein 52 (<i>Cfap52</i>), the effector gene of Foxj-1 and Rfx transcriptional factors. HuR deficiency accelerates the degradation of <i>Cfap52</i> mRNA, while overexpression of Cfap52 is able to promote the development of HuR-deficient ependymal cells. Taken together, our results unravel the important role of HuR in posttranscriptional regulation of ependymal cell development by stabilizing <i>Cfap52</i> mRNA.<b>SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT</b> This study identifies Hu antigen R (HuR) as a genetic factor involved in the pathogenesis of hydrocephalus. Mechanistically, HuR regulates ependymal cell differentiation and ciliogenesis through stabilizing <i>Cfap52</i> mRNA, the effector gene of Foxj-1 and Rfx transcriptional factors. |
2,330,695 | Comparative anatomy of dissected optic lobes, optic ventricles, midbrain tectum, collicular ventricles, and aqueduct: evolutionary modifications as potential explanation for non-tumoral aqueductal anomalies in humans. | An extensive literature has postulated multiple etiologies for aqueductal stenosis. No publications were found, discussing that evolutionary modifications might explain aqueductal anomalies. This study's objectives were to review the evolutionary modifications of vertebrates' tectum structures that might explain human aqueduct anomalies. Undertaking vertebrate comparative study is currently not feasible in view of limitations in obtaining vertebrate material. Thus, vertebrate material collected, injected, dissected, and radiographed in the early 1970s was analyzed, focusing on the aqueduct and components of the midbrain tectum.</AbstractText>Photographs of brain dissections and radiographs of the cerebral ventricles and arteries of adult shark, frog, iguana, rabbit, cat, dog, and primate specimens, containing a barium-gelatin radiopaque compound, were analyzed focusing on the aqueduct, the optic ventricles, the quadrigeminal plate, and collicular ventricles. The anatomic information provided by the dissections and radiographs is not reproducible by any other radiopaque contrast currently available.</AbstractText>Dissected and radiographed cerebral ventricular and arterial systems of the vertebrates demonstrated midbrain tectum changes, including relative size modifications of the mammalian components of the tectum, simultaneously with the enlargement of the occipital lobe. There is a transformation of pre-mammalian optic ventricles to what appear to be collicular ventricles in mammals, as the aqueduct and collicular ventricle form a continuous cavity.</AbstractText>The mammalian tectum undergoes an evolutionary cephalization process consisting of relative size changes of the midbrain tectum structures. This is associated with enlargement of the occipital lobe, as part of overall neocortical expansion. Potentially, aqueductal anomalies could be explained by evolutionary modifications.</AbstractText>© 2021. The Author(s).</CopyrightInformation> |
2,330,696 | A historical appraisal of the techniques of left ventricular volume reduction in ischemic cardiomyopathy: Who did what? | Resection or exclusion of scars following a myocardial infarction on the left anterior descending artery territory started even before the beginning of the modern era of cardiac surgery. Many techniques were developed, but there is still confusion on who did what. The original techniques underwent modifications that brought to a variety of apparently new procedures that, however, were only a "revisitation" of what described before. In some case, old techniques were reproposed and renamed, without giving credit to the surgeon that was the original designer. Herein we try to describe which are the seminal procedures and some of the most important modifications, respecting however the merit of who first communicated the procedure to the scientific world. |
2,330,697 | The effects of altered neurogenic microRNA levels and their involvement in the aggressiveness of periventricular glioblastoma. | Glioblastoma multiforme is the most common primary brain tumour, with the least favourable prognosis. Despite numerous studies and medical advances, it continues to be lethal, with an average life expectancy of 15 months after chemo-radiotherapy.</AbstractText>Recent research has addressed several factors associated with the diagnosis and prognosis of glioblastoma; one significant factor is tumour localisation, particularly the subventricular zone, which represents one of the most active neurogenic niches of the adult human brain. Glioblastomas in this area are generally more aggressive, resulting in unfavourable prognosis and a shorter life expectancy. Currently, the research into microRNAs (miRNA) has intensified, revealing different expression patterns under physiological and pathophysiological conditions. It has been reported that the expression levels of certain miRNAs, mainly those related to neurogenic processes, are dysregulated in oncogenic events, thus favouring gliomagenesis and greater tumour aggressiveness. This review discusses some of the most important miRNAs involved in subventricular neurogenic processes and their association with glioblastoma aggressiveness.</AbstractText>MiRNA regulation and function play an important role in the development and progression of glioblastoma; understanding the alterations of certain miRNAs involved in both differentiation and neural and glial maturation could help us to better understand the malignant characteristics of glioblastoma.</AbstractText>Copyright © 2019 Sociedad Española de Neurología. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.</CopyrightInformation> |
2,330,698 | Non-contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging for characterization of Fontan associated liver disease. | To evaluate the ability of non-contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques to characterize Fontan associated liver disease (FALD) in adolescent and adult Fontan patients.</AbstractText>Fontan patients (n = 29) and healthy controls (n = 13) underwent an MRI protocol with T1</sub>, T2</sub> and Apparent Diffusion Coefficient (ADC) mapping. Routine FALD screening included abdominal ultrasound and laboratory testing.</AbstractText>Median follow-up after Fontan operation was 15.1 (IQR 12.0-16.8) years. Distinct differences in tissue characteristics were visualized. T1</sub> and T2</sub> relaxation times were prolonged in Fontan patients, particularly of the right lobe (T1</sub>: 745 (IQR 715-784) ms vs. 586 (IQR 555-602) ms, p < 0.001; T2</sub>: 63 (IQR 59-64) ms vs. 58 (IQR 56-60) ms, p = 0.002). Left lobe ADC was lower in Fontan patients (1.10 (IQR 1.06-1.18) x 10-3</sup> mm2</sup>/s vs. 1.23 (IQR 1.19-1.29) x 10-3</sup> mm2</sup>/s, p < 0.001). T2</sub> mapping was able to differentiate between controls and Fontan patients with different FALD severity. Right lobe T2</sub> was higher in patients with moderate or severe in comparison to those with no or mild changes and healthy controls (64 (IQR 61-67) ms vs. 60 (IQR 59-63) ms vs. 58 (IQR 56-60) ms, p = 0.001).</AbstractText>Non-contrast enhanced MRI methods are able to visualize regional differences in liver tissue characteristics. T1</sub> and T2</sub> relaxation times were prolonged in Fontan patients suggestive of fibrosis or congestive hepatopathy, while reduced ADC might reflect impaired microperfusion. These methods have promising clinical potential for detection of liver abnormalities in Fontan patients. The usefulness of T2</sub> mapping to grade FALD severity merits further investigation.</AbstractText>Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.</CopyrightInformation> |
2,330,699 | Smaller spared subcortical nuclei are associated with worse post-stroke sensorimotor outcomes in 28 cohorts worldwide. | Up to two-thirds of stroke survivors experience persistent sensorimotor impairments. Recovery relies on the integrity of spared brain areas to compensate for damaged tissue. Deep grey matter structures play a critical role in the control and regulation of sensorimotor circuits. The goal of this work is to identify associations between volumes of spared subcortical nuclei and sensorimotor behaviour at different timepoints after stroke. We pooled high-resolution T<sub>1</sub>-weighted MRI brain scans and behavioural data in 828 individuals with unilateral stroke from 28 cohorts worldwide. Cross-sectional analyses using linear mixed-effects models related post-stroke sensorimotor behaviour to non-lesioned subcortical volumes (Bonferroni-corrected, <i>P</i> < 0.004). We tested subacute (≤90 days) and chronic (≥180 days) stroke subgroups separately, with exploratory analyses in early stroke (≤21 days) and across all time. Sub-analyses in chronic stroke were also performed based on class of sensorimotor deficits (impairment, activity limitations) and side of lesioned hemisphere. Worse sensorimotor behaviour was associated with a smaller ipsilesional thalamic volume in both early (<i>n</i> = 179; <i>d </i>=<i> </i>0.68) and subacute (<i>n</i> = 274, <i>d </i>=<i> </i>0.46) stroke. In chronic stroke (<i>n</i> = 404), worse sensorimotor behaviour was associated with smaller ipsilesional putamen (<i>d </i>=<i> </i>0.52) and nucleus accumbens (<i>d </i>=<i> </i>0.39) volumes, and a larger ipsilesional lateral ventricle (<i>d </i>=<i> </i>-0.42). Worse chronic sensorimotor impairment specifically (measured by the Fugl-Meyer Assessment; <i>n</i> = 256) was associated with smaller ipsilesional putamen (<i>d </i>=<i> </i>0.72) and larger lateral ventricle (<i>d</i> = -0.41) volumes, while several measures of activity limitations (<i>n</i> = 116) showed no significant relationships. In the full cohort across all time (<i>n</i> = 828), sensorimotor behaviour was associated with the volumes of the ipsilesional nucleus accumbens (<i>d </i>=<i> </i>0.23), putamen (<i>d </i>=<i> </i>0.33), thalamus (<i>d </i>=<i> </i>0.33) and lateral ventricle (<i>d</i> = -0.23). We demonstrate significant relationships between post-stroke sensorimotor behaviour and reduced volumes of deep grey matter structures that were spared by stroke, which differ by time and class of sensorimotor measure. These findings provide additional insight into how different cortico-thalamo-striatal circuits support post-stroke sensorimotor outcomes. |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.