Comparison of brain functions between healthy participants and methamphetamine users with various addiction histories:Data analysis based on EEG and fNIRS

The electroencephalogram(EEG)rhythm and functional near-infrared spectroscopy(fNIRS)activation levels have not been compared between a healthy control group(HCG)and methamphetamine user group(MUG)with different addiction histories.This study used 64-electrode EEG and fNIRS to conduct an experiment that analyzed the resting and craving states.The EEG and fNIRS data of 56 participants were collected,including 14 healthy participants,14 methamphetamine users with an addiction history of 0.5–5 years,14 users with an addiction history of 5–10 years,and 14 users with an addiction history of 10–15 years.Isolated effective coherence(iCoh)within the brain network was used to process the EEG data.Statistical analysis was performed to compare differences in iCoh among the delta,theta,alpha,beta,and gamma bands and explore oxyhemoglobin activation levels in the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex,dorsolateral prefrontal cortex,orbitofrontal cortex,and frontopolar prefrontal cortex(FPC)of the control group.Finally,the Kmeans,Gaussian mixed model(GMM),linear discriminant analysis(LDA),support vector machine(SVM),Bayes,and convolutional neural networks(CNN)algorithms were used to classify methamphetamine users based on drug and neutral images.A 3-class accuracy was achieved.Changes in EEG and fNIRS activation levels of HCG and MUG with varied addiction histories were demonstrated.

Functionalized selenium nanoparticles ameliorated acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity through synergistically triggering PKCδ/Nrf2 signaling pathway and inhibiting CYP 2E1

Selenium nanoparticles(SeNPs)have been demonstrated potential for use in diseases associated with oxidative stress.Functionalized SeNPs with lower toxicity and higher biocompatibility could bring better therapeutic activity and clinical application value.Herein,this work was conducted to investigate the protective effect of Pleurotus tuber-regium polysaccharide-protein complex funtionnalized SeNPs(PTR-SeNPs)against acetaminophen(APAP)-induced oxidative injure in HepG2 cells and C57BL/6J mouse liver.Further elucidation of the underlying molecular mechanism,in particular their modulation of Nrf2 signaling pathway was also performed.The results showed that PTR-SeNPs could significantly ameliorate APAP-induced oxidative injury as evidenced by a range of biochemical analysis,histopathological examination and immunoblotting study.PTR-SeNPs could hosphorylate and activate PKCδ,depress Keap1,and increase nuclear accumulation of Nrf2,resulting in upregulation of GCLC,GCLM,HO-1 and NQO-1 expression.Besides,PTR-SeNPs suppressed the biotransformation of APAP to generate intracellular ROS through CYP 2E1 inhibition,restoring the mitochondrial morphology.Furthermore,the protective effect of PTR-SeNPs against APAP induced hepatotoxicity was weakened as Nrf2 was depleted in vivo,indicating the pivotal role of Nrf2 signaling pathway in PTR-SeNPs mediated hepatoprotective efficacy.Being a potential hepatic protectant,PTR-SeNPs could serve as a new source of selenium supplement for health-promoting and biomedical applications.

Electrostatic Attraction and Repulsion Explained and Modelled Mathematically Using Classical Physics—A Detailed Mechanism Based on Particle Wave Functions

The phenomenon of electrical attraction and repulsion between charged particles is well known, and described mathematically by Coulomb’s Law, yet until now there has been no explanation for why this occurs. There has been no mechanistic explanation that reveals what causes the charged particles to accelerate, either towards or away from each other. This paper gives a detailed explanation of the phenomena of electrical attraction and repulsion based on my previous work that determined the exact wave-function solutions for both the Electron and the Positron. It is revealed that the effects are caused by wave interactions between the wave functions that result in Electromagnetic reflections of parts of the particle’s wave functions, causing a change in their momenta.

Investigation of the structural, electronic and mechanical properties of CaO–SiO_(2) compound particles in steel based on density functional theory

CaO–SiO_(2)compounds compromise one of the most common series of oxide particles in liquid steels, which could significantly affect the service performance of the steels as crack initiation sites. However, the structural, electronic, and mechanical properties of the compounds in CaO–SiO_(2)system are still not fully clarified due to the difficulties in the experiments. In this study, a thorough investigation of these properties of CaO–SiO_(2)compound particles in steels was conducted based on first-principles density functional theory. Corresponding phases were determined by thermodynamic calculation, including gamma dicalcium silicate(γ-C2S), alpha-prime(L) dicalcium silicate(αL′-C2S), alpha-prime(H) dicalcium silicate(αH′-C2S), alpha dicalcium silicate(α-C2S), rankinite(C3S2), hatrurite(C3S), wollastonite(CS), and pseudowollastonite(Ps-CS). The results showed that the calculated crystal structures of the eight phases agree well with the experimental results. All the eight phases are stable according to the calculated formation energies, and γ-C2S is the most stable. O atom contributes the most to the reactivity of these phases. The Young’s modulus of the eight phases is in the range of 100.63–132.04 GPa. Poisson’s ratio is in the range of0.249–0.281. This study provided further understanding concerning the CaO–SiO_(2)compound particles in steels and fulfilled the corresponding property database, paving the way for inclusion engineering and design in terms of fracture-resistant steels.

Practical bipartite consensus for multi-agent systems:A barrier function-based adaptive sliding-mode control approach

This paper is concerned with bipartite consensus tracking for multi-agent systems with unknown disturbances.A barrier function-based adaptive sliding-mode control(SMC)approach is proposed such that the bipartite steady-state error is converged to a predefined region of zero in finite time.Specifically,based on an error auxiliary taking neighboring antagonistic interactions into account,an SMC law is designed with an adaptive gain.The gain can switch to a positive semi-definite barrier function to ensure that the error auxiliary is constrained to a predefined neighborhood of zero,which in turn guarantees practical bipartite consensus tracking.A distinguished feature of the proposed controller is its independence on the bound of disturbances,while the input chattering phenomenon is alleviated.Finally,a numerical example is provided to verify the effectiveness of the proposed controller.

The Probability Density Function Related to Shallow Cumulus Entrainment Rate and Its Influencing Factors in a Large-Eddy Simulation

The process of entrainment-mixing between cumulus clouds and the ambient air is important for the development of cumulus clouds.Accurately obtaining the entrainment rate(λ)is particularly important for its parameterization within the overall cumulus parameterization scheme.In this study,an improved bulk-plume method is proposed by solving the equations of two conserved variables simultaneously to calculateλof cumulus clouds in a large-eddy simulation.The results demonstrate that the improved bulk-plume method is more reliable than the traditional bulk-plume method,becauseλ,as calculated from the improved method,falls within the range ofλvalues obtained from the traditional method using different conserved variables.The probability density functions ofλfor all data,different times,and different heights can be well-fitted by a log-normal distribution,which supports the assumed stochastic entrainment process in previous studies.Further analysis demonstrate that the relationship betweenλand the vertical velocity is better than other thermodynamic/dynamical properties;thus,the vertical velocity is recommended as the primary influencing factor for the parameterization ofλin the future.The results of this study enhance the theoretical understanding ofλand its influencing factors and shed new light on the development ofλparameterization.

Combining stochastic density functional theory with deep potential molecular dynamics to study warm dense matter

In traditional finite-temperature Kohn–Sham density functional theory(KSDFT),the partial occupation of a large number of high-energy KS eigenstates restricts the use of first-principles molecular dynamics methods at extremely high temperatures.However,stochastic density functional theory(SDFT)can overcome this limitation.Recently,SDFT and the related mixed stochastic–deterministic density functional theory,based on a plane-wave basis set,have been implemented in the first-principles electronic structure software ABACUS[Q.Liu and M.Chen,Phys.Rev.B 106,125132(2022)].In this study,we combine SDFT with the Born–Oppenheimer molecular dynamics method to investigate systems with temperatures ranging from a few tens of eV to 1000 eV.Importantly,we train machine-learning-based interatomic models using the SDFT data and employ these deep potential models to simulate large-scale systems with long trajectories.Subsequently,we compute and analyze the structural properties,dynamic properties,and transport coefficients of warm dense matter.

Transplantation of fibrin-thrombin encapsulated human induced neural stem cells promotes functional recovery of spinal cord injury rats through modulation of the microenvironment

Recent studies have mostly focused on engraftment of cells at the lesioned spinal cord,with the expectation that differentiated neurons facilitate recovery.Only a few studies have attempted to use transplanted cells and/or biomaterials as major modulators of the spinal cord injury microenvironment.Here,we aimed to investigate the role of microenvironment modulation by cell graft on functional recovery after spinal cord injury.Induced neural stem cells reprogrammed from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells,and/or thrombin plus fibrinogen,were transplanted into the lesion site of an immunosuppressed rat spinal cord injury model.Basso,Beattie and Bresnahan score,electrophysiological function,and immunofluorescence/histological analyses showed that transplantation facilitates motor and electrophysiological function,reduces lesion volume,and promotes axonal neurofilament expression at the lesion core.Examination of the graft and niche components revealed that although the graft only survived for a relatively short period(up to 15 days),it still had a crucial impact on the microenvironment.Altogether,induced neural stem cells and human fibrin reduced the number of infiltrated immune cells,biased microglia towards a regenerative M2 phenotype,and changed the cytokine expression profile at the lesion site.Graft-induced changes of the microenvironment during the acute and subacute stages might have disrupted the inflammatory cascade chain reactions,which may have exerted a long-term impact on the functional recovery of spinal cord injury rats.

Greatly enhanced corrosion/wear resistances of epoxy coating for Mg alloy through a synergistic effect between functionalized graphene and insulated blocking layer

The poor corrosion and wear resistances of Mg alloys seriously limit their potential applications in various industries.The conventional epoxy coating easily forms many intrinsic defects during the solidification process,which cannot provide sufficient protection.In the current study,we design a double-layer epoxy composite coating on Mg alloy with enhanced anti-corrosion/wear properties,via the spin-assisted assembly technique.The outer layer is functionalized graphene(FG)in waterborne epoxy resin(WEP)and the inner layer is Ce-based conversion(Ce)film.The FG sheets can be homogeneously dispersed within the epoxy matrix to fill the intrinsic defects and improve the barrier capability.The Ce film connects the outer layer with the substrate,showing the transition effect.The corrosion rate of Ce/WEP/FG composite coating is 2131 times lower than that of bare Mg alloy,and the wear rate is decreased by~90%.The improved corrosion resistance is attributed to the labyrinth effect(hindering the penetration of corrosive medium)and the obstruction of galvanic coupling behavior.The synergistic effect derived from the FG sheet and blocking layer exhibits great potential in realizing the improvement of multi-functional integration,which will open up a new avenue for the development of novel composite protection coatings of Mg alloys.

Na^(+)/K^(+)-ATPase:ion pump,signal transducer,or cytoprotective protein,and novel biological functions

Na^(+)/K^(+)-ATPase is a transmembrane protein that has important roles in the maintenance of electrochemical gradients across cell membranes by transporting three Na^(+)out of and two K^(+)into cells.Additionally,Na^(+)/K^(+)-ATPase participates in Ca^(2+)-signaling transduction and neurotransmitter release by coordinating the ion concentration gradient across the cell membrane.Na^(+)/K^(+)-ATPase works synergistically with multiple ion channels in the cell membrane to form a dynamic network of ion homeostatic regulation and affects cellular communication by regulating chemical signals and the ion balance among different types of cells.Therefo re,it is not surprising that Na^(+)/K^(+)-ATPase dysfunction has emerged as a risk factor for a variety of neurological diseases.However,published studies have so far only elucidated the important roles of Na^(+)/K^(+)-ATPase dysfunction in disease development,and we are lacking detailed mechanisms to clarify how Na^(+)/K^(+)-ATPase affects cell function.Our recent studies revealed that membrane loss of Na^(+)/K^(+)-ATPase is a key mechanism in many neurological disorders,particularly stroke and Parkinson's disease.Stabilization of plasma membrane Na^(+)/K^(+)-ATPase with an antibody is a novel strategy to treat these diseases.For this reason,Na^(+)/K^(+)-ATPase acts not only as a simple ion pump but also as a sensor/regulator or cytoprotective protein,participating in signal transduction such as neuronal autophagy and apoptosis,and glial cell migration.Thus,the present review attempts to summarize the novel biological functions of Na^(+)/K^(+)-ATPase and Na^(+)/K^(+)-ATPase-related pathogenesis.The potential for novel strategies to treat Na^(+)/K^(+)-ATPase-related brain diseases will also be discussed.

Impact of stage-specific limb function exercises guided by a selfmanagement education model on arteriovenous fistula maturation status

BACKGROUND The exercise of limb function is the most economical and safe method to promote the maturation of arteriovenous fistula(AVF).However,due to the lack of a uni-fied exercise standard in China,many patients have insufficient awareness of the importance of AVF,leading to poor effectiveness of limb function exercise.The self-management education model can effectively promote patients to take pro-active health-related actions.This study focuses on the characteristics of patients during the peri-AVF period and conducts a phased limb function exercise under the guidance of the self-management education model to observe changes in fac-tors such as the maturity of AVF.AIM To assess the impact of stage-specific limb function exercises,directed by a self-management education model,on the maturation status of AVFs.METHODS This study is a randomized controlled trial involving 74 patients with forearm AVFs from the Nephrology Department of a tertiary hospital in Sichuan Province,China.Patients were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group using a random number table method.The observation group underwent tailored stage-specific limb func-tion exercises,informed by a self-management education model which took into account the unique features of AVF at various stages,in conjunction with routine care.Conversely,the control group was given standard limb function exercises along with routine care.The assessment involves the maturity of AVFs post-intervention,post-operative complications,and the self-management level of the fistula in both groups patients.Analyses were conducted using SPSS version 23.0.Count data were represented by frequency and percentage and subjected to chi-square test comparisons.Measurement data adhering to a normal distribution were presented as mean±SD.The independent samples t-test was utilized for inter-group comparisons,while the paired t-test was used for intra-group comparisons.For measurement data not fitting a normal distribution,the median and interquartile range were presented and analyzed using the Wilcoxon rank sum test.RESULTS At the 8-wk postoperative mark,the observation group demonstrated significantly higher scores in AVF symptom recognition,symptom prevention,and self-management compared to the control group(P<0.05).However,the variance in symptom management scores between the observation and control groups lacked statistical signi-ficance(P>0.05).At 4 wk after the operation,the observation group displayed a superior vessel diameter and depth from the skin of the drainage vessels in comparison to the control group(P<0.05).While the observation group did manifest elevated blood flow rates in the drainage vessels relative to the control group,this distinction was not statistically significant(P>0.05).By the 8-wk postoperative interval,the observation group outperformed the control group with notable enhancements in blood flow rates,vessel diameter,and depth from the skin of drainage vessels(P<0.01).Seven days following the procedure,the observation group manifested significantly diminished limb swelling and an overall reduced complication rate in contrast to the control group(P<0.05).The evaluation of infection,thrombosis,embolism,arterial aneurysm stenosis,and incision bleeding showed no notable differences between the two groups(P>0.05).By the 4-wk postoperative juncture,complications between the observation and control groups were statistically indistinguishable(P>0.05).CONCLUSION Stage-specific limb function exercises,under the guidance of a self-management education model,amplify the capacity of AVF patients to discern and prevent symptoms.Additionally,they expedite AVF maturation and miti-gate postoperative limb edema,underscoring their efficacy as a valuable method for the care and upkeep of AVF in hemodialysis patients.

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy in non-invasive neuromodulation

Non-invasive cerebral neuromodulation technologies are essential for the reorganization of cerebral neural networks,which have been widely applied in the field of central neurological diseases,such as stroke,Parkinson’s disease,and mental disorders.Although significant advances have been made in neuromodulation technologies,the identification of optimal neurostimulation paramete rs including the co rtical target,duration,and inhibition or excitation pattern is still limited due to the lack of guidance for neural circuits.Moreove r,the neural mechanism unde rlying neuromodulation for improved behavioral performance remains poorly understood.Recently,advancements in neuroimaging have provided insight into neuromodulation techniques.Functional near-infrared spectroscopy,as a novel non-invasive optical brain imaging method,can detect brain activity by measuring cerebral hemodynamics with the advantages of portability,high motion tole rance,and anti-electromagnetic interference.Coupling functional near-infra red spectroscopy with neuromodulation technologies offe rs an opportunity to monitor the cortical response,provide realtime feedbac k,and establish a closed-loop strategy integrating evaluation,feedbac k,and intervention for neurostimulation,which provides a theoretical basis for development of individualized precise neuro rehabilitation.We aimed to summarize the advantages of functional near-infra red spectroscopy and provide an ove rview of the current research on functional near-infrared spectroscopy in transcranial magnetic stimulation,transcranial electrical stimulation,neurofeedback,and braincomputer interfaces.Furthermore,the future perspectives and directions for the application of functional near-infrared spectroscopy in neuromodulation are summarized.In conclusion,functional near-infrared spectroscopy combined with neuromodulation may promote the optimization of central pellral reorganization to achieve better functional recovery form central nervous system diseases.

SOME RESULTS REGARDING PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL POLYNOMIALS AND THE UNIQUENESS OF MEROMORPHIC FUNCTIONS IN SEVERAL VARIABLES

In this paper,we mainly investigate the value distribution of meromorphic functions in Cmwith its partial differential and uniqueness problem on meromorphic functions in Cmand with its k-th total derivative sharing small functions.As an application of the value distribution result,we study the defect relation of a nonconstant solution to the partial differential equation.In particular,we give a connection between the Picard type theorem of Milliox-Hayman and the characterization of entire solutions of a partial differential equation.

Experimental Evaluation of Thermal Conductivity and Other Thermophysical Properties of Nanofluids Based on Functionalized (-OH) Mwcnt Nanoparticles Dispersed in Distilled Water

A possible way to increase thermal conductivity of working fluids, while keeping pressure drop at acceptable levels, is through nanofluids. Nanofluids are nano-sized particles dispersed in conventional working fluids. A great number of materials have potential to be used in nanoparticles production and then in nanofluids;one of them is Multi-Walled Carbon Nano Tubes (MWCNT). They have thermal conductivity around 3000 W/mK while other materials used as nanoparticles like CuO have thermal conductivity of 76.5 W/mK. Due to this fact, MWCNT nanoparticles have potential to be used in nanofluids production, aiming to increase heat transfer rate in energy systems. In this context, the main goal of this paper is to evaluate from the synthesis to the experimental measurement of thermal conductivity of nanofluid samples based on functionalized (-OH) MWCNT nanoparticles. They will be analyzed nanoparticles with different functionalization degrees (4% wt, 6% wt, and 9% wt). In addition, it will be quantified other thermophysical properties (dynamic viscosity, specific heat and specific mass) of the synthetized nanofluids. So, the present work can contribute with experimental data that will help researches in the study and development of MWCNT nanofluids. According to the results, the maximum increment obtained in thermal conductivity was 10.65% in relation to the base fluid (water).

Evolution of Proteinuria and Renal Function in Women with Pre-Eclampsia at the Gynecology Department of the Teaching Hospital of Cocody

Background: Pre-eclampsia has long been considered as a disease that disappears after the removal of the placenta. It has now been shown that its symptoms can persist for months after giving birth. Objectives: To study the evolution of proteinuria and renal function in women with pre-eclampsia. Patients and Methods: An analytical prospective study was carried out in the Hospitalization Unit of the Gynecology Department of the Teaching Hospital of Cocody (Abidjan) from May 3, 2021 to November 15, 2021. It focused on the follow-up of proteinuria and renal function in 50 women who had pre-eclampsia during their pregnancy, in the three months following their delivery. Results: The average age of the patients was 30.38 ± 6 years (range 18 and 40 years). Thirty-two percent were nulliparous and 62% had no risk factors for pre-eclampsia. The diagnosis of pre-eclampsia was made in 52% of cases before 37 weeks of amenorrhea. Sixty-two percent had Grade 3 arte-rial hypertension. The average proteinuria/creatininuria ratio was 3592.08 ± 7009.57 mg/g and 32% of women had glomerular grade proteinuria. The mean serum creatinine was 13.61 ± 12.62 mg/l. AKI (Acute Renal Failure) was present in 30% of women. All patients had received a central antihypertensive drug of which 88% were a calcium channel blocker. For the delivery mode, a Caesarean section was performed in 88% of cases. In the three months postpartum, 40% of women had persistent hypertension, 58% had persistent proteinuria and 6% had persistent impaired renal function. Prematurity (p = 0.0091), IUGR (intrauterine growth restriction) (p = 0.0012) and IUFD (intrauterine fetal death) (p = 0.0012) were associated with the persistence of proteinuria at M3 postpartum. Conclusion: Symptoms of pre-eclampsia do not automatically disappear after the delivery. Proteinuria and renal failure can persist beyond three months after the delivery and require treatment by a nephrologist.

Elevated brain temperature under severe heat exposure impairs cortical motor activity and executive function

Background:Excessive heat exposure can lead to hyperthermia in humans,which impairs physical performance and disrupts cognitive function.While heat is a known physiological stressor,it is unclear how severe heat stress affects brain physiology and function.Methods:Eleven healthy participants were subjected to heat stress from prolonged exercise or warm water immersion until their rectal temperatures(T_(re))attained 39.5℃,inducing exertional or passive hyperthermia,respectively.In a separate trial,blended ice was ingested before and during exercise as a cooling strategy.Data were compared to a control condition with seated rest(normothermic).Brain temperature(T_(br)),cerebral perfusion,and task-based brain activity were assessed using magnetic resonance imaging techniques.Results:T_(br)in motor cortex was found to be tightly regulated at rest(37.3℃±0.4℃(mean±SD))despite fluctuations in T_(re).With the development of hyperthermia,T_(br)increases and dovetails with the rising T_(re).Bilateral motor cortical activity was suppressed during high-intensity plantarflexion tasks,implying a reduced central motor drive in hyperthermic participants(T_(re)=38.5℃±0.1℃).Global gray matter perfusion and regional perfusion in sensorimotor cortex were reduced with passive hyperthermia.Executive function was poorer under a passive hyperthermic state,and this could relate to compromised visual processing as indicated by the reduced activation of left lateral-occipital cortex.Conversely,ingestion of blended ice before and during exercise alleviated the rise in both T_(re)and T_(bc)and mitigated heat-related neural perturbations.Conclusion:Severe heat exposure elevates T_(br),disrupts motor cortical activity and executive function,and this can lead to impairment of physical and cognitive performance.

STARLIKENESS ASSOCIATED WITH THE SINE HYPERBOLIC FUNCTION

Let q_(λ)(z)=1+λsinh(ζ),0<λ<1/sinh(1)be a non-vanishing analytic function in the open unit disk.We introduce a subclass S^(*)(q_(λ))of starlike functions which contains the functions f such that zf'/f is subordinated by q_(λ).We establish inclusion and radii results for the class S^(*)(q_(λ))for several known classes of starlike functions.Furthermore,we obtain sharp coefficient bounds and sharp Hankel determinants of order two for the class S^(*)(q_(λ)).We also find a sharp bound for the third Hankel determinant for the caseλ=1/2.

Structural and functional connectivity of the whole brain and subnetworks in individuals with mild traumatic brain injury:predictors of patient prognosis

Patients with mild traumatic brain injury have a diverse clinical presentation,and the underlying pathophysiology remains poorly understood.Magnetic resonance imaging is a non-invasive technique that has been widely utilized to investigate neuro biological markers after mild traumatic brain injury.This approach has emerged as a promising tool for investigating the pathogenesis of mild traumatic brain injury.G raph theory is a quantitative method of analyzing complex networks that has been widely used to study changes in brain structure and function.However,most previous mild traumatic brain injury studies using graph theory have focused on specific populations,with limited exploration of simultaneous abnormalities in structural and functional connectivity.Given that mild traumatic brain injury is the most common type of traumatic brain injury encounte red in clinical practice,further investigation of the patient characteristics and evolution of structural and functional connectivity is critical.In the present study,we explored whether abnormal structural and functional connectivity in the acute phase could serve as indicators of longitudinal changes in imaging data and cognitive function in patients with mild traumatic brain injury.In this longitudinal study,we enrolled 46 patients with mild traumatic brain injury who were assessed within 2 wee ks of injury,as well as 36 healthy controls.Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion-weighted imaging data were acquired for graph theoretical network analysis.In the acute phase,patients with mild traumatic brain injury demonstrated reduced structural connectivity in the dorsal attention network.More than 3 months of followup data revealed signs of recovery in structural and functional connectivity,as well as cognitive function,in 22 out of the 46 patients.Furthermore,better cognitive function was associated with more efficient networks.Finally,our data indicated that small-worldness in the acute stage could serve as a predictor of longitudinal changes in connectivity in patients with mild traumatic brain injury.These findings highlight the importance of integrating structural and functional connectivity in unde rstanding the occurrence and evolution of mild traumatic brain injury.Additionally,exploratory analysis based on subnetworks could serve a predictive function in the prognosis of patients with mild traumatic brain injury.

Chondroitinase ABC combined with Schwann cell transplantation enhances restoration of neural connection and functional recovery following acute and chronic spinal cord injury

Schwann cell transplantation is considered one of the most promising cell-based therapy to repair injured spinal cord due to its unique growth-promoting and myelin-forming properties.A the Food and Drug Administration-approved Phase I clinical trial has been conducted to evaluate the safety of transplanted human autologous Schwann cells to treat patients with spinal cord injury.A major challenge for Schwann cell transplantation is that grafted Schwann cells are confined within the lesion cavity,and they do not migrate into the host environment due to the inhibitory barrier formed by injury-induced glial scar,thus limiting axonal reentry into the host spinal cord.Here we introduce a combinatorial strategy by suppressing the inhibitory extracellular environment with injection of lentivirus-mediated transfection of chondroitinase ABC gene at the rostral and caudal borders of the lesion site and simultaneously leveraging the repair capacity of transplanted Schwann cells in adult rats following a mid-thoracic contusive spinal cord injury.We report that when the glial scar was degraded by chondroitinase ABC at the rostral and caudal lesion borders,Schwann cells migrated for considerable distances in both rostral and caudal directions.Such Schwann cell migration led to enhanced axonal regrowth,including the serotonergic and dopaminergic axons originating from supraspinal regions,and promoted recovery of locomotor and urinary bladder functions.Importantly,the Schwann cell survival and axonal regrowth persisted up to 6 months after the injury,even when treatment was delayed for 3 months to mimic chronic spinal cord injury.These findings collectively show promising evidence for a combinatorial strategy with chondroitinase ABC and Schwann cells in promoting remodeling and recovery of function following spinal cord injury.

Small but big leaps towards neuroglycomics:exploring N-glycome in the brain to advance the understanding of brain development and function

Glycosylation is a process that involves the addition of sugar moieties or glycans to different types of molecules,including proteins,lipids,and nucleic acids.Among these,protein glycosylation is one of the most prevalent forms of post-translational modification,playing a crucial role in biological complexity.With more than ten monosaccharides identified within mammalian brain cells and more than 1×1012 possible combinations,the heterogeneity of glycosylation is extensive(Conroy et al.,2021).The diversity of glycans and the complexity of their structures allow for a wide range of protein functions.N-glycans are one of the most abundant forms of glycans and are involved in various cellular functions.N-glycans can be added to proteins at specific sequons,Asn-X-Ser/Thr,and are classified into three main types in mature glycoproteins:high mannose,complex,and hybrid.High mannose N-glycans consist of 5-9 mannose residues linked to a chitobiose core and undergo processing into complex or hybrid forms in the Golgi apparatus(Varki et al.,2017).Complex N-glycans are more diverse and contain various branched structures such as antennae with fucose,galactose,and sialic acid residues.Hybrid N-glycans contain one or more complex branches in conjunction with an oligomannose branch(Fisher and Ungar,2016).Understanding the specific functions of these different types of N-glycans in protein regulation,folding,and function is an active area of research in the life sciences,including glycobiology.