Temporal dynamics of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy injuries on magnetic resonance imaging

Moderate to severe perinatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy occurs in~1 to 3/1000 live births in high-income countries and is associated with a significant risk of death or neurodevelopmental disability.Detailed assessment is important to help identify highrisk infants,to help families,and to support appropriate interventions.A wide range of monitoring tools is available to assess changes over time,including urine and blood biomarkers,neurological examination,and electroencephalography.At present,magnetic resonance imaging is unique as although it is expensive and not suited to monitoring the early evolution of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy by a week of life it can provide direct insight into the anatomical changes in the brain after hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and so offers strong prognostic information on the long-term outcome after hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.This review investigated the temporal dynamics of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy injuries,with a particular emphasis on exploring the correlation between the prognostic implications of magnetic resonance imaging scans in the first week of life and their relationship to long-term outcome prediction,particularly for infants treated with therapeutic hypothermia.A comprehensive literature search,from 2016 to 2024,identified 20 pertinent articles.This review highlights that while the optimal timing of magnetic resonance imaging scans is not clear,overall,it suggests that magnetic resonance imaging within the first week of life provides strong prognostic accuracy.Many challenges limit the timing consistency,particularly the need for intensive care and clinical monitoring.Conversely,although most reports examined the prognostic value of scans taken between 4 and 10 days after birth,there is evidence from small numbers of cases that,at times,brain injury may continue to evolve for weeks after birth.This suggests that in the future it will be important to explore a wider range of times after hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy to fully understand the optimal timing for predicting long-term outcomes.

NLRP3 inflammasome plays a vital role in the pathogenesis of age-related diseases in the eye and brain

Key points:With aging,there is increased nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-(NOD-)like receptor(NLR) protein-3(NLRP3) activation in neural and ocular tissues.Activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome appears to be a common denominator in the pathogenesis of age-related diseases of the eye and brain.Pharmacological inhibition of the NLRP3 inflammasome may be a potent therapy for preventing the development and progression of age-related eye and brain diseases.

A core-satellite self-assembled SERS aptasensor containing a“biological-silent region”Raman tag for the accurate and ultrasensitive detection of histamine

Herein,a novel interference-free surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy(SERS)strategy based on magnetic nanoparticles(MNPs)and aptamer-driven assemblies was proposed for the ultrasensitive detection of histamine.A core-satellite SERS aptasensor was constructed by combining aptamer-decorated Fe_(3)O_(4)@Au MNPs(as the recognize probe for histamine)and complementary DNA-modified silver nanoparticles carrying 4-mercaptobenzonitrile(4-MBN)(Ag@4-MBN@Ag-c-DNA)as the SERS signal probe for the indirect detection of histamine.Under an applied magnetic field in the absence of histamine,the assembly gave an intense Raman signal at“Raman biological-silent”region due to 4-MBN.In the presence of histamine,the Ag@4-MBN@Ag-c-DNA SERS-tag was released from the Fe_(3)O_(4)@Au MNPs,thus decreasing the SERS signal.Under optimal conditions,an ultra-low limit of detection of 0.65×10^(-3)ng/mL and a linear range 10^(-2)-10^5 ng/mL on the SERS aptasensor were obtained.The histamine content in four food samples were analyzed using the SERS aptasensor,with the results consistent with those determined by high performance liquid chromatography.The present work highlights the merits of indirect strategies for the ultrasensitive and highly selective SERS detection of small biological molecules in complex matrices.

Outcomes of renal transplant recipients with BK virus infection and BK virus surveillance in the Auckland region from 2006 to 2012

AIM To evaluate incidence, risk factors and treatment outcome of BK polyomavirus nephropathy(BKVN) in a cohort of renal transplant recipients in the Auckland region without a formal BK polyomavirus(BKV) surveillance programme.METHODS A cohort of 226 patients who received their renal transplants from 2006 to 2012 was retrospectively reviewed.RESULTS Seventy-six recipients(33.6%) had a BK viral load(BKVL) test and 9 patients(3.9%) developed BKVN. Cold ischaemia time(HR = 1.18, 95%CI: 1.04-1.35) was found to be a risk factor for BKVN. Four recipients with BKVN had complete resolution of their BKV infection; 1 recipient had BKVL less than 625 copies/mL; 3 recipients had BKVL more than 1000 copies/mL and 1 had graft failure from BKVN. BKVN has a negative impact on graft function [median estimated glomerular filtration rate(eG FR) 22.5(IQR 18.5-53.0) mL /min per 1.73 m^2, P = 0.015), but no statistically significant difference(P = 0.374) in renal allograft function was found among negative BK viraemia group [median e GFR 60.0(IQR 48.5-74.2) mL /min per 1.73 m^2), positive BK viraemia without BKVN group [median eG FR 55.0(IQR 47.0-76.0) mL /min per 1.73 m^2] and unknown BKV status group [median eG FR 54.0(IQR 43.8-71.0) mL /min per 1.73 m^2]. The incidence and treatment outcomes of BKVN were similar to some centres with BKV surveillance programmes.CONCLUSION Recipients with BVKN have poorer graft function. Although active surveillance for BKV has been shown to be effective in reducing incidence of BKVN, it should be tailored specifically to that transplant centre based on its epidemiology and outcomes of BKVN, particularly in centres with limited resources.

CAOSA-extracted lignin improves enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose

The conversion of biomass into sugar platform compounds is very important for the biorefinery industry.Pretreatment is essential to the biomass of the sugar platform,however,the lignin obtained by pretreatment,as a key part of lignocellulose,generally has a passive effect on the enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose into sugars.In this study,p-TsOH(p-toluenesulfonic acid),DES(Deep eutectic solvent)and CAOSA(cooking with active oxygen and solid alkali)pretreatment ways were used to fraction lignin from bamboo biomass.After CAOSA treatment,the hydrolysis efficiency of the pulp was 95.57%.Moreover,the effect of different treatment methods on lignin properties was studied and the promotion effect of lignin was investigated by adding it to the cellulose enzymatic hydrolysis system.In this work,the results showed that CAOSA-extracted lignin with lower D(1.31-1.25)had a better adsorption effect on the enzyme protein.p-TsOH-extracted lignin with a larger S/G ratio enhanced the inhibition of enzymatic hydrolysis.In addition,the presence of-COOHs in lignin could reduce its inhibitory effect on cellulose saccharification.

Does MgSO_(4) protect the preterm brain?Dissecting its role in the pathophysiology of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy

Mitigating preterm encephalopathy continues to be one of the greatest challenges in perinatal medicine.Preterm encephalopathy is associated with high mortality,serious morbidity,and significant socio-economic impacts on the individuals,their families,and public health sectors and welfare systems that last a lifetime.The cost of disability associated with preterm brain injury continues to rise.Prevention of this injury,and disability,would significantly reduce this socioeconomic burden.

The in vitro digestion fates of diacylglycerol under different intestinal conditions:a potential lipid source for lipid indigestion patients

The in vitro digestion models mimicking the gastrointestinal(GI)tract of general population and lipid indigestion patients(with lower levels of bile salts or pancreatic lipase)were selected to investigate whether diacylglycerols(DAGs)are potential good lipid sources for these patients.Linseed oil-based DAG(LD)and linseed oil(LT)were selected.LD-based emulsion((83.74±1.23)%)had higher lipolysis degree than LT-based emulsion((74.47±1.16)%)when monitoring the GI tract of normal population as previously reported.Indigestion conditions seriously decreased the digestive degree of LT-based emulsion((40.23±2.48)%-(66.50±3.70)%)while showed less influence on LD-based emulsion((64.18±2.41)%-(81.85±3.45)%).As opposed to LT-based emulsion,LD-based emulsion exhibited preference for releasing unsaturated fatty acids(especially oleic acid andα-linolenic acid)due to their different glycerolipid compositions.LD-based emulsion showed potential for providing lipids and nutrients(including essential fatty acids)for lipid indigestion patients.

A mite parasitoid,Pyemotes zhonghuajia,negatively impacts the fitness traits and immune response of the fall armyworm,Spodoptera frugiperda

Parasitoids are key regulators in ecological communities and widely used as agents in biocontrol programmes.The fall armyworm,Spodoptera frugiperda,recently invaded multiple continents and caused substantial economic losses in agriculture.Pyemotes zhonghuajia,a newly identified mite parasitoid,has shown potential for controlling various agricultural insect pests.Therefore,this study tested the performance of P.zhonghuajia in parasitising S.frugiperda.We also investigated the sublethal effects of parasitism by P.zhonghuajia on host fitness traits,transgenerational impacts,and cellular and humoral immunity.Our result showed that the fifth-instar larvae of S.frugiperda parasitised by 40 P.zhonghuajia were all dead(i.e.,a lethal effect),while parasitism by 5 or 10 P.zhonghuajia was considered sublethal since many S.frugiperda survived to adulthood and produced offspring after mating.The sublethal influences from parasitism by P.zhonghuajia resulted in reduced pupal weight,adult emergence rate and fecundity,but increased developmental time and longevity.Parasitism at both lethal(40 mites)and sublethal(10 mites)levels impaired the cellular and humoral immunity of S.frugiperda.This study presents the first empirical evidence that mite parasitoids can negatively influence host immunity.Moreover,it provides insights into the biocontrol potential of mite parasitoids and their interactions with hosts.

Glial response in the midcingulate cortex in Huntington’s disease

Huntington’s disease(HD)is a genetic disease characterized by the progressive degeneration of the striatum and cortex.Patients can present with a variety of symptoms that can broadly be classified into motor symptoms,inclusive of choreatic movements and rigidity,mood and psychiatric symptoms,such as depression and apathy,and cognitive symptoms,such as cognitive decline.The causal mutation underlying HD results from an expansion of a CAG repeat sequence on the IT15 gene,resulting in the formation and accumulation of a mutant huntingtin protein.

Neuroinflammation as a therapeutic target in Huntington's disease

In 1872, George Huntington presented his essay “On Chorea” to the Meigs and Mason Academy of Medicine and, in doing so, detailed a disease that would later bear his name. Huntington's disease(HD) is a genetic, neurodegenerative disease that manifests as the loss of motor control,cognitive impairment,and mood and psychiatric changes in paents.

椰子花粉过敏原profilin蛋白体外重折叠过程的光谱学研究

在基因工程技术中,采用原核表达系统获得的重组蛋白通常都是以包涵体的形式存在。利用圆二色性光谱、荧光光谱和同步荧光光谱对尿素诱导的重组椰子花粉泛过敏原profilin蛋白包涵体的复性过程进行了系统的光谱学研究,得到了profilin蛋白复性过程的光谱学特征;结合生物信息学方法,通过对profilin蛋白的二级结构和三级结构的预测,进一步分析了复性过程中profilin蛋白构象变化的特点,初步建立了一种新的检测重组变应原蛋白复性程度的光谱学实验方法,为重组蛋白包涵体复性机理的深入研究进行了有益的探索。

Properties of Zn-Bi composite coatings prepared by ionic co-discharge deposition

Zn-Bi composite was synthesized by ionic co-discharge deposition and its properties were investigated. The results show that the Zn-Bi composite with the incorporation of Bi has a finer grain size than the pure Zn coating and improves the mechanical properties. The microhardness is increased by approximately two times simply by adding a small amount of Bi electrolyte into a Zn bath solution. A lower volume loss of the Zn-Bi composite coating compared with the pure Zn coating also indicates that the Zn-Bi coating has a better wear resistance.

Intelligent Manufacturing in the Context of Industry 4.0： A Review

Our next generation of industry-lndustry 4.0-holds the promise of increased flexibility in manufacturing, along with mass customization, better quality, and improved productivity. It thus enables companies to cope with the challenges of producing increasingly individualized products with a short lead-time to market and higher quality. Intelligent manufacturing plays an important role in Industry 4.0. Typical resources are converted into intelligent objects so that they are able to sense, act, and behave within a smart environment. In order to fully understand intelligent manufacturing in the context of Industry 4.0, this paper provides a comprehensive review of associated topics such as intelligent manufacturing, Internet of Things （IoT）- enabled manufacturing, and cloud manufacturing. Similarities and differences in these topics are highlighted based on our analysis. We also review key technologies such as the loT, cyber-physical systems （CPSs）, cloud computing, big data analytics （BDA）, and information and communications technology （ICT） that are used to enable intelligent manufacturing. Next, we describe worldwide movements in intelligent manufacturing, including governmental strategic plans from different countries and strategic plans from major international companies in the European Union, United States, Japan, and China. Finally, we present current challenges and future research directions. The concepts discussed in this paper will spark new ideas in the effort to realize the much-anticipated Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Potential prospects of nanomedicine for targeted therapeutics in inflammatory bowel diseases

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) such as Crohn's disease are highly debilitating. There are inconsistencies in response to and side effects in the current conventional medications, failures in adequate drug delivery, and the lack of therapeutics to offer complete remission in the presently available treatments of IBD. This suggests the need to explore beyond the horizons of conventional approaches in IBD therapeutics. This review examines the arena of the evolving IBD nanomedicine, studied so far in animal and in vitro models, before comprehensive clinical testing in humans. The investigations carried out so far in IBD models have provided substantial evidence of the nanotherapeutic approach as having the potential to overcome some of the current drawbacks to conventional IBD therapy. We analyze the pros and cons of nanotechnology in IBD therapies studied in different models, aimed at different targets and mechanisms of IBD pathogenesis, in an attempt to predict its possible impact in humans.

An Exploratory Analysis of Vegetation Strategies to Reduce Shallow Landslide Activity on Loess Hillslopes, Northeast Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China

Heavy summer rainfall induces significant soil erosion and shallow landslide activity on the loess hillslopes of the Xining Basin at the northeast margin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. This study examines the mechanical effects of five native shrubs that can be used to reduce shallow landslide activity. We measured single root tensile resistance and shear resistance, root anatomical structure and direct shear and triaxial shear for soil without roots and five root- soil composite systems. Results show that Atriplex canescens （Pursh） Nutt. possessed the strongest roots, followed by Caragana korshinskii Kom., Zygophyllum xanthoxylon （Bunge） Maxim., Nitraria tangutorum Bobr. and Lycium chinense Mill. Single root strength and shear resistance relationships with root diameter are characterized by power or exponential relations, consistent with the Mohr- Coulomb law. Root mechanical strength reflects their anatomical structure, especially the percentage of phloem and xylem cells, and the degree and speed of periderm lignifications. The cohesion force of root- soil composite systems is notably higher than that of soil without roots, with increasing amplitudes of cohesion force for A. canescens, C. korshinskii, Z. xanthoxylon, N. tangutorurn and L. chinense of 75.9%, 75.1%, 36.2%, 24.6% and 17.0 % respectively. When subjected to shear forces, the soil without root samples show much greater lateral deformation thanthe root-soil composite systems, reflecting the restraining effects of roots. Findings from this paper indicate that efforts to reduce shallow landslides in this region by enhancing root reinforcement will be achieved most effectively using A. canescens and C. korshinskii.

Limbal stem cells: Central concepts of corneal epithelial homeostasis

A strong cohort of evidence exists that supports the localisation of corneal stem cells at the limbus. The distinguishing characteristics of limbal cells as stem cells include slow cycling properties, high proliferative potential when required, clonogenicity, absence of differentiation marker expression coupled with positive expression of progenitor markers, multipotency, centripetal migration, requirement for a distinct niche environment and the ability of transplanted limbal cells to regenerate the entire corneal epithelium. The existence of limbal stem cells supports the prevailing theory of corneal homeostasis, known as the XYZ hypothesis where X represents proliferation and stratification of limbal basal cells, Y centripetal migration of basal cells and Z desquamation of superficial cells. To maintain the mass of cornea, the sum of X and Y must equal Z and very elegant cell tracking experiments provide strong evidence in support of this theory. However, several recent stud-ies have suggested the existence of oligopotent stem cells capable of corneal maintenance outside of the limbus. This review presents a summary of data which led to the current concepts of corneal epithelial homeostasis and discusses areas of controversy surrounding the existence of a secondary stem cell reservoir on the corneal

Mechanisms underlying the impaired contractility of diabetic cardiomyopathy

Cardiac dysfunction is a well-known consequence of diabetes,with sustained hyperglycaemia leading to the development of a cardiomyopathy that is independent of cardiovascular disease or hypertension.Animal models of diabetes are commonly used to study the pathophysiology of diabetic cardiomyopathy,with the hope that increased knowledge will lead ultimately to better therapeutic strategies being developed.At physiological temperature,left ventricular trabeculae isolated from the streptozotocin rat model of type 1 diabetes showed decreased stress and prolonged relaxation,but with no evidence that decreased contractility was a result of altered myocardial Ca2+handling.Although sarcoplasmic reticulum(SR)Ca2+reuptake appeared slower in diabetic trabeculae,it was offset by an increase in actionpotential duration,thereby maintaining SR Ca2+content and favouring increased contraction force.Frequency analysis of t-tubule distribution by confocal imaging of ventricular tissue labeled with wheat germ agglutinin or ryanodine receptor antibodies showed a reduced T-power for diabetic tissue,but the differences were minor in comparison to other models of heart failure.The contractile dysfunction appeared to be the result of disrupted F-actin in conjunction with the increased typeⅠcollagen,with decreased myofilament Ca2+sensitivity contributing to the slowed relaxation.

Degradation of Wetlands on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau:A Comparison of the Effectiveness of Three Indicators

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau encompasses a large quantity of wetlands, some of which have been degraded to varying severity levels. In the literature, a number of degradation indicators have been proposed to evaluate ecological health of wetlands, but their effectiveness in the plateau environment remains unknown. In this study, we assessed the effectiveness of three degradation indicators, soil moisture content at lo em deep, vegetative cover, and density of pika burrows. The degradation severity of wetlands in Maduo County on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is enumerated at four levels, intact, slight, moderate and severe. Analysis of xo6 samples collected in the field demonstrates that the density of pika burrows is the least reliable indicator. By comparison, vegetative cover and underlying soil moisture content are more reliable, even though neither is a perfect indicator as the difference among adjacent levels of severity as revealed by t-test is not always statistically significant. The imperfection of vegetative cover as an indicator is due to its variation among different types of wetlands. The limitation of moisture content is attributed to its non-linear relationship with wetland degradation. Above the threshold of about 50% in moisture content wetlands are unlikely to be degraded. It is recommended that moisture be measured at the point near the surface and vegetative cover be further differentiated by species in order to improve their effectiveness.

Applications of advanced signal processing and machine learning in the neonatal hypoxic-ischemic electroencephalography

Perinatal hypoxic-ischemic-encephalopathy significantly contributes to neonatal death and life-long disability such as cerebral palsy. Advances in signal processing and machine learning have provided the research community with an opportunity to develop automated real-time identification techniques to detect the signs of hypoxic-ischemic-encephalopathy in larger electroencephalography/amplitude-integrated electroencephalography data sets more easily. This review details the recent achievements, performed by a number of prominent research groups across the world, in the automatic identification and classification of hypoxic-ischemic epileptiform neonatal seizures using advanced signal processing and machine learning techniques. This review also addresses the clinical challenges that current automated techniques face in order to be fully utilized by clinicians, and highlights the importance of upgrading the current clinical bedside sampling frequencies to higher sampling rates in order to provide better hypoxic-ischemic biomarker detection frameworks. Additionally, the article highlights that current clinical automated epileptiform detection strategies for human neonates have been only concerned with seizure detection after the therapeutic latent phase of injury. Whereas recent animal studies have demonstrated that the latent phase of opportunity is critically important for early diagnosis of hypoxic-ischemic-encephalopathy electroencephalography biomarkers and although difficult, detection strategies could utilize biomarkers in the latent phase to also predict the onset of future seizures.

Geomorphic-centered Classification of Wetlands on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Western China

In this paper a geomorphic-centered system was proposed for classifying the wetlands on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in western China, where the flora comprises primarily grasses. Although the geomorphic properties (e.g., elevation and morphology) of wetlands form the primary criteria of classification, this system also takes hydrological processes into implicit consideration. It represents an improvement over the hydrogeomorphic perspective as the relative importance of the two components (wetness and landform) of wetlands is clearly differentiated. This geomorphic-centered perspective yields insights into the hydrogeomorphic dynamics of plateau wetlands while indicates their vulnerability to change and degradation indirectly. According to this geomorphic-centered perspective, all plateau wetlands fall into one of the seven types of alpine, piedmont, valley, terrace, floodplain, lacustrine, and riverine in three elevational categories of upland, midland, and lowland. Upland (alpine and piedmont) wetlands with the steepest topography are the most sensitive to change whereas midland (floodplain, terrace and valley) wetlands are less vulnerable to degradation owing to a high water reserve except terrace wetlands. They have a dry surface caused by infrequent hydrological replenishment owing to their higher elevation than the channel. Low lying (lacustrine and riverine) wetlands are the most resilient. The geomorphic-centered perspective developed in this paper provides a framework for improving recognition and management of wetlands on the Plateau. Resilient wetlands can be grazed more intensively without the risk of degradation. Fragile and vulnerable wetlands require careful managementto avoid degradation.