Unusual form of strongyloidiasis with gastric involvements: A case report

Rationale: Strongyloides stercoralis (S. stercoralis) is an intestinal nematode with a complicated life cycle that can involve the gastrointestinal system. Infected patients are generally asymptomatic;but if symptomatic, the symptoms will include skin rash, respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms like abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. Patient concerns: A 77-year old man presented with edema of the lower extremities and insignificant tenderness in the epigastric region. Diagnosis: The histopathology of gastric tissue showed severe inflammation and multiple ulcers in the cardia, antrum and proximal duodenum. A large number of rhabditiform larvae of S. stercoralis along with tissue hyperemia and infiltration of lymphoplasma cells, eosinophils, and neutrophils were found. Intervention: Treatment with albendazole. Outcome: Despite the albendazole treatment, the patient's condition deteriorated and eventually died because of a sepsis-like syndrome. Lesson: Physicians should remain alert to the urgency due to threadworm, especially among the elderly people and immunosuppressed cases;and should ensure accurate diagnosis, suitable treatment and careful follow-up of these cases.

Disentangling brain PrP^(C)proteoforms and their roles in physiology and disease

The cellular prion protein(PrPC),a cell surface glycoprotein of 209 amino acids,has been considerably studied over the decades mainly due to its critical involvement in transmissible spongiform encephalopathies,or prion diseases.Indeed,it is the misfolding and aggregation of PrPC into pathological assemblies-named PrPSc-that constitute prions,the agents causing these unusual neurodegenerative diseases affecting humans and animals(Prusiner,1982).Furthermore,increasing evidence support its relevance also in other neurodegenerative diseases(NDDs),such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases(Corbett et al.,2020).

Multifunctional glycolipids as multi-targeting therapeutics for neural regeneration

Many patients with neurodegenerative diseases,such as Alzheimer’s(AD)and Parkinson’s(PD)diseases suffer from disease progression without any satisfying clinical intervention,likely due to our lack of knowledge on how normal aging impacts the pathogenic mechanisms of these debilitating diseases.A growing body of literature has emerged in recent years that clearly demonstrates the involvement of glycolipids in the protein-oligomerization of neurodegenerative disorders.We hypothesize that changes in glycolipids composition are a common mechanism underlying the shift from healthy brain aging to the neuropathological processes of neurodegenerative diseases.

Brain-wide activation involved in 15 mA transcranial alternating current stimulation in patients with first-episode major depressive disorder

Background Although 15 mA transcranial alternating current stimulation(tACS)has a therapeutic effect on depression,the activations of brain structures in humans accounting for this tACS configuration remain largely unknown.Aims To investigate which intracranial brain structures are engaged in the tACS at 77.5 Hz and 15 mA,delivered via the forehead and the mastoid electrodes in the human brain.Methods Actual human head models were built using the magnetic resonance imagings of eight outpatient volunteers with drug-naïve,first-episode major depressive disorder and then used to perform the electric field distributions with SimNIBS software.Results The electric field distributions of the sagittal,coronal and axial planes showed that the bilateral frontal lobes,bilateral temporal lobes,hippocampus,cingulate,hypothalamus,thalamus,amygdala,cerebellum and brainstem were visibly stimulated by the 15 mA tACS procedure.Conclusions Brain-wide activation,including the cortex,subcortical structures,cerebellum and brainstem,is involved in the 15 mA tACS intervention for first-episode major depressive disorder.Our results indicate that the simultaneous involvement of multiple brain regions is a possible mechanism for its effectiveness in reducing depressive symptoms.

Corrigendum:Sorl1 knockout inhibits expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor:involvement in the development of late-onset Alzheimer’s disease

https://doi.org/10.4103/1673-5374.393108 In the article titled“Sorl1 knockout inhibits expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor:involvement in the development of late-onset Alzheimer’s disease”,published on pages 1602-1607,Issue 7,Volume 19 of Neural Regeneration Research(Zhao et al.,2024),the first author’s affiliations were incorrectly tagged.

Multifaceted superoxide dismutase 1 expression in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients:a rare occurrence?

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis(ALS)is a neuromuscular condition resulting from the progressive degeneration of motor neurons in the cortex,brainstem,and spinal cord.While the typical clinical phenotype of ALS involves both upper and lower motor neurons,human and animal studies over the years have highlighted the potential spread to other motor and non-motor regions,expanding the phenotype of ALS.Although superoxide dismutase 1(SOD1)mutations represent a minority of ALS cases,the SOD1 gene remains a milestone in ALS research as it represents the first genetic target for personalized therapies.Despite numerous single case reports or case series exhibiting extramotor symptoms in patients with ALS mutations in SOD1(SOD1-ALS),no studies have comprehensively explored the full spectrum of extramotor neurological manifestations in this subpopulation.In this narrative review,we analyze and discuss the available literature on extrapyramidal and non-motor features during SOD1-ALS.The multifaceted expression of SOD1 could deepen our understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms,pointing towards a multidisciplinary approach for affected patients in light of new therapeutic strategies for SOD1-ALS.

The burden of upper motor neuron involvement is correlated with the bilateral limb involvement interval in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis:a retrospective observational study

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a rare neurodegenerative disease characterized by the involvement of both upper and lower motor neurons.Early bilateral limb involvement significantly affects patients'daily lives and may lead them to be confined to bed.However,the effect of upper and lower motor neuron impairment and other risk factors on bilateral limb involvement is unclear.To address this issue,we retrospectively collected data from 586 amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients with limb onset diagnosed at Peking University Third Hospital between January 2020 and May 2022.A univariate analysis revealed no significant differences in the time intervals of spread in different directions between individuals with upper motor neuron-dominant amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and those with classic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.We used causal directed acyclic graphs for risk factor determination and Cox proportional hazards models to investigate the association between the duration of bilateral limb involvement and clinical baseline characteristics in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients.Multiple factor analyses revealed that higher upper motor neuron scores(hazard ratio[HR]=1.05,95%confidence interval[CI]=1.01–1.09,P=0.018),onset in the left limb(HR=0.72,95%CI=0.58–0.89,P=0.002),and a horizontal pattern of progression(HR=0.46,95%CI=0.37–0.58,P<0.001)were risk factors for a shorter interval until bilateral limb involvement.The results demonstrated that a greater degree of upper motor neuron involvement might cause contralateral limb involvement to progress more quickly in limb-onset amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients.These findings may improve the management of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients with limb onset and the prediction of patient prognosis.

Spousal Involvement in the Workplace of Doctors: What Is Defined as Appropriate or Inappropriate

Background: Workers spend a significant amount of time in the workspace. Involvement of a spouse in a doctor’s workplace can take different forms and come with different intentions. Objectives: The survey aimed to determine the prevalence and extent of spousal involvement in physicians’ workplaces as well as the outcome of such involvement on doctor’ swell-being, productivity, and relationship with colleagues. Methods: This cross-sectional online survey on spousal involvement in the workplace of doctors was conducted among 83 responding doctors from July to August 2023. Results: Among the respondents, 60 (72.3%) had witnessed a doctor’s spouse being involved in the workplace. The most common reason for spousal involvement in the workplace was to protect the spouse from what they perceived as a threat 34 (54.0%). Spouse’s ignorance of boundaries in the workplace (OR: 6.09 (95% CI: 1.70, 21.79) P: 0.003) and exertion of control by the spouse (OR: 11.2 (95% CI: 2.26, 56.41) P: 0.002) were significantly associated with higher odds of inappropriate spousal involvement in the workplace, while expression of love for spouse with acts of kindness was significantly associated with a lowered odd of inappropriate spousal involvement (OR: 0.11 (95% CI: 0.03, 0.36) P: 0.0001). Conclusion: Spousal involvement in the workplace is relatively common. Ignorance of the boundaries of the workplace and exertion of control by the spouse were significant enablers of inappropriate spousal involvement in the workplace of doctors. The establishment of workplace policies that define the limits of spousal involvement in the doctor’s workplace can foster a healthy workspace environment, enhance doctors’ well-being, and improve patient care.

Navigating Silence: A Comprehensive Review of Parental Roles in the Rehabilitation of Children with Hearing Loss

This narrative literature review delves into the multifaceted realm of parental involvement in the rehabilitation of children with permanent hearing loss. While existing research has made strides in elucidating parental roles in this context, critical gaps persist, necessitating a comprehensive exploration to inform future endeavors. Our review synthesizes a wide array of studies, identifying these gaps and emphasizing the significance of addressing them. Themes emerging from the literature include the varying degrees of parental engagement, the impact of cultural and socio-economic factors, and the challenges faced by families navigating rehabilitation processes. The synthesis of this literature not only highlights the current state of knowledge but also provides a roadmap for future research efforts. By addressing these gaps, we aim to contribute to a more nuanced understanding of parental involvement in the rehabilitation of children with permanent hearing loss, ultimately fostering improved support systems and holistic care for affected families.

Post-war Sustainability-Driven School Buildings: A Review of the Literature

The Safe Schools Declaration of 2015 is an inter-governmental political agreement signed by several countries designed to protect the schooling of the school-aged population during armed conflicts.Yet,in countries where civil war erupted,schools were demolished.Several school-aged children were either forcibly recruited by governments or coerced by rebel groups to serve in armed fights.As a result,several children were deprived of their education and have remained suffering from deep psychological scars.The central question of the study is:What kind of sustainability-driven school buildings can be initiated in countries that are now enduring peace so that the learning environments are more comfortable and improve the well-being of the war-impacted children and school employees?After reviewing the literature,a strategic conceptual framework that incorporated the synergistic relationship between economic,social,and environmental aspects of sustainability was initiated to map out sustainable school buildings.In short,the conceptual framework proposed to construct school buildings in some of the war-affected developing countries includes assembling cost-efficiency and eco-effectiveness inputs,using renewable energy sources powered by natural sunlight,collecting rainwater in mud cisterns,reducing emissions of carbon oxides,and empowering the local community to be the main actors to design sustainable buildings during the preconstruction,construction,and post-construction stages to serve as learning spaces for the war-affected occupants and their neighborhoods.

Determinants of Occipital Involvement in Males and Females with Pattern Hair Loss: A Retrospective Study

Background: Pattern hair loss (PHL) is the most common form of hair loss affecting both men and women. The occipital region, located at the back of the scalp, has been considered resistant to hair loss in PHL. It is often used as a donor site for hair transplantation procedures. However, evidence suggests that the occipital region may also be affected by PHL, although to a lesser extent compared to the frontal and vertex regions. Objective: To assess the levels and determinants of occipital involvement in PHL, focusing on gender and disease severity. Such data would enhance the comprehensive understanding of PHL progression and inform development of improved treatment strategies. Methods: This retrospective study involved 1993 adults (1000 males, 993 females) following for PHL at a specialized hair clinic in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Any patient who had hair transplantation in the past and any male who had balding areas (Hamilton-Norwood scales 4 to 7) at the initial consultation was excluded. The primary outcome was occipital involvement, defined as >10% thin hairs in the trichometry assessments of the occipital region. Additional data included patients age, treatment status, disease severity, and other trichometry parameters. Results: The prevalence of occipital involvement was found to be 23.8% overall, significantly more frequent in females (35.6%) than males with early PHL (Hamilton-Norwood scales 2 and 3) (12.1%) (p Conclusion: This study underscored the relevance of gender and disease severity in occipital involvement in PHL. Females had significantly higher rates of occipital involvement, suggesting that gender differences are critical in understanding PHL progression. Future research should aim to validate these findings, with an aim to refine therapeutic and surgical approaches to improve patient outcomes.

Experienced Involvement (ExIn) in Social-Psychiatric Care of Germany-Challenges and Chances

This study explores the integration of Experienced Involvement(ExIn)in social-psychiatric care in Germany,emphasizing both the challenges and opportunities it presents.The European Leonardo da Vinci Project(2005-2007)established a curriculum for ExIn,promoting participatory structures in psychiatric services.While peer support is well-established in other European countries,Germany’s experience is still developing.This research uses a mixed methods design,combining quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews,to investigate the professional experiences of ExIn recovery companions and team colleagues in German clinics and support services.The findings reveal numerous benefits:for social-psychiatric services,ExIn enhances service quality,inclusivity,and accessibility;for team colleagues,it fosters reflexivity,hope,and trust,and improves self-care;for service users,it provides empowerment,easy access to support,trust,and hope,and offers credible role models.Despite these benefits,challenges such as stigmatization,lack of recognition,and financial constraints remain and require to be addressed.The study highlights the need and provides implications for a dedicated and inclusive approach to effectively implementing ExIn,ultimately enriching psychiatric care through experiential knowledge and reducing prejudice within mental health services.

ChatGPT Chats on Computational Experiments:From Interactive Intelligence to Imaginative Intelligence for Design of Artificial Societies and Optimization of Foundational Models

POWERED by the rapid development of Internet,the penetration of the Internet of Things,the emergence of big data,and the rise of social media,more and more complex systems are exhibiting the characteristics of social,physical,and information fusion.These systems are known as cyber-physicalsocial systems(CPSS)[1],[2].These CPSS face unprecedented challenges in design,analysis,management,control and integration due to their involvement with human and social factors[3],[4].To cope with this challenge,there are two main approaches to CPSS research.

Mutation-associated transcripts reconstruct the prognostic features of oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma

Tongue squamous cell carcinoma is highly malignant and has a poor prognosis.In this study,we aimed to combine whole-genome sequencing,whole-genome methylation,and whole-transcriptome analyses to understand the molecular mechanisms of tongue squamous cell carcinoma better.Oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma and adjacent normal tissues from five patients with tongue squamous cell carcinoma were included as five paired samples.After multi-omics sequencing,differentially methylated intervals,methylated loop sites,methylated promoters,and transcripts were screened for variation in all paired samples.Correlations were analyzed to determine biological processes in tongue squamous cell carcinoma.We found five mutated methylation promoters that were significantly associated with mRNA and lncRNA expression levels.Functional annotation of these transcripts revealed their involvement in triggering the mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade,which is associated with cancer progression and the development of drug resistance during treatment.The prognostic signature models constructed based on WDR81 and HNRNPH1 and combined clinical phenotype-gene prognostic signature models showed high predictive efficacy and can be applied to predict patient prognostic risk in clinical settings.We identified biological processes in tongue squamous cell carcinoma that are initiated by mutations in the methylation promoter and are associated with the expression levels of specific mRNAs and lncRNAs.Collectively,changes in transcript levels affect the prognosis of tongue squamous cell carcinoma patients.

LITTIP/Lgr6/HnRNPK complex regulates cementogenesis via Wnt signaling

Orthodontically induced tooth root resorption(OIRR)is a serious complication during orthodontic treatment.Stimulating cementum repair is the fundamental approach for the treatment of OIRR.Parathyroid hormone(PTH)might be a potential therapeutic agent for OIRR,but its effects still lack direct evidence,and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear.This study aims to explore the potential involvement of long noncoding RNAs(lncRNAs)in mediating the anabolic effects of intermittent PTH and contributing to cementum repair,as identifying lncRNA-disease associations can provide valuable insights for disease diagnosis and treatment.Here,we showed that intermittent PTH regulates cell proliferation and mineralization in immortalized murine cementoblast OCCM-30 via the regulation of the Wnt pathway.In vivo,daily administration of PTH is sufficient to accelerate root regeneration by locally inhibiting Wnt/β-catenin signaling.Through RNA microarray analysis,lncRNA LITTIP(LGR6 intergenic transcript under intermittent PTH)is identified as a key regulator of cementogenesis under intermittent PTH.Chromatin isolation by RNA purification(ChIRP)and RNA immunoprecipitation(RIP)assays revealed that LITTIP binds to mRNA of leucine-rich repeatcontaining G-protein coupled receptor 6(LGR6)and heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein K(HnRNPK)protein.Further cotransfection experiments confirmed that LITTIP plays a structural role in the formation of the LITTIP/Lgr6/HnRNPK complex.Moreover,LITTIP is able to promote the expression of LGR6 via the RNA-binding protein HnRNPK.Collectively,our results indicate that the intermittent PTH administration accelerates root regeneration via inhibiting Wnt pathway.The lncRNA LITTIP is identified to negatively regulate cementogenesis,which activates Wnt/β-catenin signaling via high expression of LGR6 promoted by HnRNPK.

Hepatopancreatoduodenectomy for the treatment of extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

To the Editor:Extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma(ECC)is an uncommon neoplasm associated with a poor prognosis[1-3].Surgical resection represents the only curative approach,since systemic treatments have scarce efficacy in achieving disease control.However,only 10%-40%of patients with ECC are resectable at diagnosis[1].Ma-jor hepatectomy and portal lymphadenectomy are usually required for hilar ECC,while pancreatoduodenectomy is the standard operation for distal ECC[3-5].However,ECC may spread horizon-tally along the biliary tree,causing tumor involvement of the entire extrahepatic biliary system.In these circumstances,hep-atopancreatoduodenectomy(HPD)has been proposed as a pro-cedure with curative intent[2,6,7].

理解运动行为抑制调控的新视角:乙酰胆碱门控氯离子通道受体

Acetylcholine,the first identified neurotransmitter,plays crucial roles in various brain functions.One well-known case is its involvement as an activating neurotransmitter in the regulation of locomotion.However,its inhibitory regulatory role,particularly in locomotion,remains poorly understood.

A faraway complex bifurcation hidden behind an occluded left main in an elderly patient

A82-year-old man,with a previous history of ischemic heart disease due to 3-vessel disease with left main(LM)involvement.Twenty years before he underwent a double coronary artery bypass graft(left internal mammary artery(LIMA)to left anterior descending coronary artery(LAD)and saphein graft to Posterior Descending coronary artery(PDA));subsequent follow-up was uneventful.He was admitted to our hospital due to an acute coronary syndrome with ST segment abnormalities in the lateral and inferior leads on baseline EKG.

Myocarditis in scrub typhus-An uncommon presentation

Scrub typhus is a disease caused by bacteria i.e.Orientia tsutsugamushi and spreads through bites of infected larval mites rapidly emerging particularly in Asia-Pacific countries[1].The disease became severe with organ involvement due to vascular injury,interstitial pneumonia,encephalitis,and renal or liver failure[2].

Pseudomembranous conjunctivitis in a patient with DRESS syndrome

Dear Editor,Drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms(DRESS)syndrome is a drug reaction featuring high fever,eosinophilia,skin rashes,and multi-organ involvement that may be fatal.Ocular manifestations,including cicatrizing conjunctivitis,corneal infiltration,and anterior uveitis,are rarely reported[1-6]but may cause serious complications if untreated.Therefore,it is important to diagnose DRESS syndrome in patients with ocular features promptly with appropriate treatment.This article reports a case diagnosed with DRESS syndrome associated with pseudomembranous conjunctivitis secondary to carfilzomib.