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Remote stimuli‐responsive movable soft robots without the need for complex 3D deformation processes and specific working environments is an unsolved problem and urgent need. In this work, under the inspiration of mother nature, a novel strategy of simple combination of the bionic bristles structure and the photothermal‐driven reversible shape change liquid crystal polymer (LCP) actuator is proposed to work out this difficulty. The combination structure is designed as unique three parts with two bionic bristle units at the two ends and one LCP unit in the center with a soft connection between them. After matching the driving force and the resistance, the prepared soft robot can realize the earthworm‐like unidirectionally crawl on the paper surface upon near‐infrared light irradiation through the contracting and stretching of LCP with a maximum average speed of 4.4 mm min−1. What's more, the crawling speed of the soft robot can be regulated by varying the irradiation distance of near‐infrared light or the length of the actuators. This strategy realizes the type of remote wireless control soft robot and has potential application ability in other soft robots with various demands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective We evaluated the efficacy of the potent antioxidant C3 to salvage nigrostriatal neuronal function after 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) exposure in nonhuman primates. C3 is a first-in-class functionalized water-soluble fullerene that reduces oxygen radical species associated with neurodegeneration in in vitro studies. However, C3 has not been evaluated as a neuroprotective agent in a Parkinson model in vivo. Methods Macaque fascicularis monkeys were used in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study design. MPTP-lesioned primates were given systemic C3 (n = 8) or placebo (n = 7) for 2 months starting 1 week after MPTP. Outcomes included in vivo behavioral measures of motor parkinsonism using a validated nonhuman primate rating scale, kinematic analyses of peak upper extremity velocity, positron emission tomography imaging of 6-[18F]fluorodopa (FD; reflects dopa decarboxylase) and [11C]dihydrotetrabenazine (DTBZ; reflects vesicular monoamine transporter type 2), ex vivo quantification of striatal dopamine, and stereologic counts of tyrosine hydroxylase-immunostained neurons in substantia nigra. Results After 2 months, C3-treated monkeys had significantly improved parkinsonian motor ratings, greater striatal FD and DTBZ uptake, and higher striatal dopamine levels. None of the C3-treated animals developed any toxicity. Interpretation Systemic treatment with C3 reduced striatal injury and improved motor function despite administration after the MPTP injury process had begun. These data strongly support further development of C3 as a promising therapeutic agent for Parkinson disease. Ann Neurol 2014;76:393-402 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Development of an effective therapy to slow the inexorable progression of Parkinson disease requires a reliable, objective measurement of disease severity. In the present study, we compare presynaptic positron emission tomography (PET) tracer uptake in the substantia nigra (SN) to cell loss and motor impairment in 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-treated nonhuman primates. Methods Presynaptic PET tracers 6-[18F]-fluorodopa (FD), [11C]-2β-methoxy-3β-4-fluorophenyltropane (CFT), and [11C]-dihydrotetrabenazine (DTBZ) were used to measure specific uptake in the SN and striatum before and after a variable dose of MPTP in nonhuman primates. These in vivo PET-based measures were compared with motor impairment, as well as postmortem tyrosine hydroxylase-positive cell counts and striatal dopamine concentration. Results We found the specific uptake of both CFT and DTBZ in the SN had a strong, significant correlation with dopaminergic cell counts in the SN ( R2 = 0.77, 0.53, respectively, p < 0.001), but uptake of FD did not. Additionally, both CFT and DTBZ specific uptake in the SN had a linear relationship with motor impairment ( rs = −0.77, −0.71, respectively, p < 0.001), but FD uptake did not. Interpretation Our findings demonstrate that PET-measured binding potentials for CFT and DTBZ for a midbrain volume of interest targeted at the SN provide faithful correlates of nigral neuronal counts across a full range of lesion severity. Because these measures correlate with both nigral cell counts and parkinsonian ratings, we suggest that these SN PET measures are relevant biomarkers of nigrostriatal function. Ann Neurol 2013;74:602-610 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Molecular imaging and clinical endpoints are frequently discordant in Parkinson disease clinical trials, raising questions about validity of these imaging measures to reflect disease severity. We compared striatal uptake for 3 positron emission tomography (PET) tracers with in vitro measures of nigral cell counts and striatal dopamine in 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-treated monkeys. Methods Sixteen macaques had magnetic resonance imaging and baseline PETs using 6-[18F]fluorodopa (FD), [11C]dihydrotetrabenazine (DTBZ), and 2beta-[11C]carbomethoxy-3beta-(4-fluorophenyl)tropane (CFT). MPTP (0-0.31mg/kg) infused unilaterally via the internal carotid artery produced stable hemiparkinsonism by 3 weeks. After 8 weeks, PETs were repeated and animals were euthanized for striatal dopamine measurements and unbiased counts of tyrosine hydroxylase-stained nigral cells. Results Striatal uptake for each radiotracer (FD, DTBZ, CFT) correlated with stereologic nigral cell counts only for nigral loss <50% ( r 2 = 0.84, r 2 = 0.86, r 2 = 0.87, p < 0.001 respectively; n = 10). In contrast, striatal uptake correlated with striatal dopamine over the full range of dopamine depletion ( r 2 = 0.95, r 2 = 0.94, r 2 = 0.94, p < 0.001; n = 16). Interestingly, indices of striatal uptake of FD, DTBZ, and CFT correlated strongly with each other ( r 2 = 0.98, p < 0.001). Interpretation Tracer uptake correlated with nigral neurons only when nigral loss was <50%. This along with previous work demonstrating that nigral cell counts correlate strongly with parkinsonism ratings may explain discordant results between neuroimaging and clinical endpoints. Furthermore, strong correlations among striatal uptake for these tracers support lack of differential regulation of decarboxylase activity (FD), vesicular monoamine transporter type 2 (DTBZ), and dopamine transporter (CFT) within 2 months after nigrostriatal injury. ANN NEUROL 2013;73:390-396 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the clinical features and assisted reproductive technology (ART) outcomes of 46,XX disorders of sex development (DSD) males, 144 males with 46,XX DSD were recruited in this retrospective study. The baseline information, clinical characteristics and ART outcomes of the participants were collected and analysed. The mean age was 29.06 ± 4.50 years. The mean volumes (95% CI) of left and right testicles were 2.16 (1.82–2.49) ml and 2.16 (1.83–2.49) ml, respectively. Cryptorchidism and/or hypospadias appeared in 19 patients (13.19%). Elevated levels of follicle‐stimulating hormone (FSH) were found in 136 patients (95.10%) and increased luteinising hormone (LH) values were detected in 125 patients (92.59%). Eighty subjects (62.99%) had low testosterone values. Among 86 patients with status of sex‐determining region Y (SRY)—gene and azoospermia factor (AZF) region available, fifteen (17.44%) patients were SRY‐negative and AZF region was absent in every patient without exception. Additionally, fertility achieved in 87 patients through ART using donor spermatozoa. In conclusion, hypergonadotropic hypogonadism appeared as the main presentation of 46,XX DSD males regardless of the SRY status. The available fertility option proved to achieve live birth was limited to ART using donor spermatozoa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]