Search

Due to the uncertainty of trauma or infection, customized bone substitutes are often required in clinic. Meanwhile, excessive use of antibiotics may lead to drug resistance. Therefore, the design of anti-infection bone tissue engineering scaffold is of very important. In this study, porous titanium alloy bone tissue engineering scaffolds were designed and fabricated by 3D printing. TiO2 nanotubes were further constructed on the scaffolds through electrochemical anodic oxidation, achieving the drug loading and anti-infection functions. The micron-level bionic pores were fabricated by the 3D printing process, and the secondary nanoscale-level nanotubes were achieved through the anodic oxidation process. Thereafter, the micro–nano structured porous bone tissue engineering scaffolds are presented. This structure features that the drug release rate can be regulated by loading the anti-infection drug minocycline and coating them with poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) in the nanotubes. According to the results, the micro–nano composite porous scaffold showed uniform and controllable micro–nano pores, it may load anti-infection drugs and shown anti-infection ability. In addition, the PLGA coating may delay the drug release and maintain a sustained anti-infection function for the scaffold in a week. This study provides new ideas for designing antibacterial bone tissue engineering scaffold.

Porous structures and surface morphology of bone tissue scaffolds play an important role in improving the biocompatibility and antibacterial properties for bone repair. In this study, we investigated the effect of different anodic oxidation parameters on the nanotubes morphology in 3D printed porous titanium scaffolds. Micron-scale pores were fabricated by 3D printing first, and then the nano-scale tubes were obtained via anodizing treatments. The results demonstrated that the morphology of the nanotubes depended on the anodic oxidation time and voltage, respectively. Longer anodic oxidation led to the formation of circle-like nanotubes, and the diameter of the nanotubes increased with the voltage. The scaffolds anodized at 30 V showed the best cell proliferation potential. The presence of nanotubes on the surface of scaffold altered the adhesion of bacteria so that it improved the antibacterial properties of scaffold. The formation of nanotubes improved the drug-loading ability of the scaffold, which are used for loading of minocycline antibacterial drugs. The proposed 3D printed porous Ti6Al4V scaffold with nanotubes surface modification showed obvious antibacterial effect, which is expected to have a promising application in antibacterial bone prosthesis.

Bone defect is a common clinical disease. Due to the uncertainty of trauma or infection areas, customized size features are often required for bone substitutes. By inspiration of the natural bone structure, this study designs porous scaffolds with a biomimetic design perspective by using different inner and outer pore units. The outer pore units adopt body‐centered cubic (BCC) structure to simulate the weight‐bearing function of human cortical bone, while inner pore units using I‐Wrapped Package structure, a kind of three periods minimum surface, to obtain a good permeability and simulates the inner layer of cancellous bone. To further regulate the overall modulus of the scaffold within the range of natural bone modulus in the human body, the scaffold was designed to axial gradient structure. Compression experiments were conducted, and the results indicated that when the volume fraction linearly increased from 20% to 50%, the Young's modulus was close to the cortical bone modulus in the human body. In vitro cell experiments further proved that osteoblasts have good cellular activity and spreading morphology on the surface of this scaffold. The customized 3D‐printed heterogeneous porous titanium scaffold has great application potential in bone tissue engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Congenital disorders of glycosylation (CDG) are a type of inborn error of metabolism (IEM) resulting from defects in glycan synthesis or failed attachment of glycans to proteins or lipids. One rare type of CDG is caused by homozygous or compound heterozygous loss‐of‐function variants in mannosidase alpha class 2B member 2 (MAN2B2). To date, only two cases of MAN2B2‐CDG have been reported worldwide. Methods: Trio whole‐exome sequencing (Trio‐WES) was conducted to screen for candidate variants. N‐glycan profiles were measured by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). MAN2B2 expression was evaluated by western blotting. MX dynamin like GTPase 1 (MX1) function was estimated via Thogoto virus (THOV) minireplicon assay. Results: Trio‐WES identified compound heterozygous MAN2B2 (hg19, NM_015274.1) variants (c.384G>T; c.926T>A) in a CDG patient. This patient exhibited metabolic abnormalities, symptoms of digestive tract dysfunction, infection, dehydration, and seizures. Novel immune dysregulation characterized by abnormal lymphocytes and immunoglobulin was observed. The MAN2B2 protein level was not affected, while LC–MS/MS showed obvious disruption of N‐glycans and N‐linked glycoproteins. Conclusion: We described a CDG patient with novel phenotypes and disruptive N‐glycan profiling caused by compound heterozygous MAN2B2 variants (c.384G>T; c.926T>A). Our findings broadened both the genetic and clinical spectra of CDG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To clarify the damage losses of invasive insects, the economic cost of global invasive insects were assessed in monetized form. InvaCost database was used to analyze all insecta data, and the conservative economic costs, expenditure costs, management and loss costs, and major invasive insect species from 1970 to 2017 were counted separately, based on which generalized least squares regression, robust regression, and quantile regression 3 models to predict the possible costs from 2010 to 2019. The results showed that the economic cost due to insect invasion from 1970 to 2017 was 500 438 million dollar, with an annual average of 10 426 million dollar. The United States had the highest spending cost in the world, and China ranked second about 50 352 million dollar (340 113 million yuan), and the economic cost of Aedes spp. was the highest among all invasive insect species. The model predicted a possible economic cost of 292.362~709.725 billion dollar in the 21st century 10s, with a maximum confidence value of 367.224 billion dollar. The assessment showed that the global economic costs of invasive insects over the past few decades had been enormous, but proactive management was clearly lacking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the proliferation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in both commercial and military use, the public is paying increasing attention to UAV identification and regulation. The micro-Doppler characteristics of a UAV can reflect its structure and motion information, which provides an important reference for UAV recognition. The low flight altitude and small radar cross-section (RCS) of UAVs make the cancellation of strong ground clutter become a key problem in extracting the weak micro-Doppler signals. In this paper, a clutter suppression method based on an orthogonal matching pursuit (OMP) algorithm is proposed, which is used to process echo signals obtained by a linear frequency modulated continuous wave (LFMCW) radar. The focus of this method is on the idea of sparse representation, which establishes a complete set of environmental clutter dictionaries to effectively suppress clutter in the received echo signals of a hovering UAV. The processed signals are analyzed in the time–frequency domain. According to the flicker phenomenon of UAV rotor blades and related micro-Doppler characteristics, the feature parameters of unknown UAVs can be estimated. Compared with traditional signal processing methods, the method based on OMP algorithm shows advantages in having a low signal-to-noise ratio (−10 dB). Field experiments indicate that this approach can effectively reduce clutter power (−15 dB) and successfully extract micro-Doppler signals for identifying different UAVs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Sepsis is a rare phenotype in adenosine kinase deficiency. • Neutrophil dysfunction contributes to sepsis in adenosine kinase deficiency. • Adenosine kinase deficiency causes metabolites disturbances in methionine pathway. • Homozygous ADK c.518_519delCA variants lead to loss-of-function of the ADK gene. Adenosine kinase deficiency (OMIM #614300) is a type of inborn errors of metabolism with multiorgan symptoms primarily neurological disorders, hepatic impairment, global developmental delay, and mild dysmorphism. The genetic causes of adenosine kinase deficiency are homozygous or compound heterozygous loss-of-function variants of ADK. To date, fewer than 25 cases of adenosine kinase deficiency have been reported worldwide and none have been reported in China. In this research, trio whole-exome sequencing (Trio-WES) identified a novel homozygous ADK (NM_001123.4) out-of-frame deletion, c.518_519delCA (p.Thr173Serfs*15), in a Chinese patient with rare phenotypes of sepsis, metabolites disruption and neutrophil dysfunction. This variant was dysfunctional, with marked reduction of ADK level in both the patient's peripheral blood and cells transfected with the corresponding variant. Additionally, metabolomics detected by high-throughput mass spectrometry showed disturbances in the methionine (Met) and energy pathway. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) of the patient's peripheral blood suggested a defective anti-inflammatory response characterized by impaired neutrophil activation, migration, and degranulation, which might be the primary cause for the sepsis. To our knowledge, we identified the first Chinese patient of adenosine kinase deficiency with a novel homozygous out-of-frame deletion in ADK causing multiorgan disorders, metabolites disruption, rare phenotypes of sepsis, and neutrophil dysfunction. Our findings broaden the genetic spectrum and pathogenic mechanisms of adenosine kinase deficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Transition from insomnia to stupor are rare phenotype in DRPLA. • The largest CAG expansion in ATN1 and the earliest onset age of DRPLA in China. • The onset age of DRPLA patients is negatively correlated with the repeat times of CAG. • Pneumonia and dysphagia were common causes of death in polyQ-related diseases. • Ataxia is the most common and presenting symptom in Chinese DRPLA patients. Dentatorubral-pallidoluysian atrophy (DRPLA) is an inherited neurodegenerative disease caused by CAG overexpansion (≥48 tandem copies) in ATN1. The aim of this research was to explore the genetic cause of a large Chinese DRPLA pedigree and to review the characteristics of Chinese DRPLA patients. Suspected variants were screened by high-throughput sequencing. The number of CAG repeats was assessed by polymerase chain reaction using FAM-labeled primers followed by capillary electrophoresis. Literature on previously reported DRPLA cases with overexpanded ATN1 CAG repeats in China was reviewed. After contracting a lung infection, the proband suffered early-onset DRPLA symptoms and novel phenotypes, transitioning from insomnia to stupor. The numbers of CAG repeats in the proband, her grandfather, father, mother, brother, and aunt were 8/81, 17/54, 10/57, 8/10, 10/10, and 10/17, respectively. Possible incomplete penetrance was observed in this pedigree. We described a large Chinese DRPLA pedigree in which the proband carried the largest CAG expansion reported in China. We also reviewed the characteristics of Chinese DRPLA patients and broadened the phenotypic spectrum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of the manufacturing industry, demand forecasting has been important. In view of this, considering the influence of environmental complexity and diversity, this study aims to find a more accurate method to forecast manufacturing industry demand. On this basis, this paper utilizes a deep learning model for training and makes a comparative study through other models. The results show that: (1) the performance of deep learning is better than other methods; by comparing the results, the reliability of this study is verified. (2) Although the prediction based on the historical data of manufacturing demand alone is successful, the accuracy of the prediction results is significantly lower than when taking into account multiple factors. According to these results, we put forward the development strategy of the manufacturing industry in Guangdong. This will help promote the sustainable development of the manufacturing industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary familial brain calcification (PFBC, OMIM#213600), also known as Fahr's disease, is characterized by bilateral and symmetric brain calcification in the basal ganglia (globus pallidus, caudate nucleus, and putamen), thalamus, subcortical white matter, and cerebellum. PFBC can be caused by loss-of-function mutations in any of the six known causative genes. The most common clinical manifestations include movement disorders, cognitive impairment, and neuropsychiatric signs that gradually emerge in middle-aged patients. To broaden the PFBC mutation spectrum, we examined nine members of a family with PFBC and two sporadic cases from clinical departments, and sequenced all PFBC-causative genes in the index case. Two novel frameshift mutations in SLC20A2 [NM_001257180.2; c.806delC, p.(Pro269Glnfs*49) and c.1154delG, p.(Ser385Ilefs*70)] and one novel splice donor site mutation (NM_002608.4, c.456+1G>C, r.436_456del) in PDGFB were identified in the patient cohort. c.806delC co-segregated with brain calcification and led to SLC20A2 haploinsufficiency among the affected family members. The c.456+1G>C mutation in PDGFB resulted in aberrant mRNA splicing, thereby forming mature transcripts containing an in-frame 21 base pair (bp) deletion, which might create a stably truncated protein [p.(Val146_Gln152del)] and exert a dominant negative effect on wild-type PDGFB. All three mutations were located in highly conserved regions among multiple species and predicted to be pathogenic, as evaluated by at least eight common genetic variation scoring systems. This study identified three novel mutations in SLC20A2 and PDGFB , which broadened and enriched the PFBC mutation spectrum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Primary familial brain calcification (PFBC, OMIM#213600), also known as Fahr's disease, is a rare autosomal dominant or recessive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by bilateral and symmetrical microvascular calcifications affecting multiple brain regions, particularly the basal ganglia (globus pallidus, caudate nucleus, and putamen) and thalamus. The most common clinical manifestations include cognitive impairment, neuropsychiatric signs, and movement disorders. Loss-of-function mutations in SLC20A2 are the major genetic causes of PFBC. Objective: This study aimed to investigate whether Slc20a2 knockout mice could recapitulate the dynamic processes and patterns of brain calcification and neurological symptoms in patients with PFBC. We comprehensively evaluated brain calcifications and PFBC-related behavioral abnormalities in Slc20a2 -deficient mice. Methods: Brain calcifications were analyzed using classic calcium-phosphate staining methods. The Morris water maze, Y-maze, and fear conditioning paradigms were used to evaluate long-term spatial learning memory, working memory, and episodic memory, respectively. Sensorimotor gating was mainly assessed using the prepulse inhibition of the startle reflex program. Spontaneous locomotor activity and motor coordination abilities were evaluated using the spontaneous activity chamber, cylinder test, accelerating rotor-rod, and narrowing balance beam tests. Results: Slc20a2 homozygous knockout (Slc20a2 -HO) mice showed congenital and global developmental delay, lean body mass, skeletal malformation, and a high proportion of unilateral or bilateral eye defects. Brain calcifications were detected in the hypothalamus, ventral thalamus, and midbrain early at postnatal day 80 in Slc20a2 -HO mice, but were seldom found in Slc20a2 heterozygous knockout (Slc20a2 -HE) mice, even at extremely old age. Slc20a2 -HO mice exhibited spatial learning memory impairments and sensorimotor gating deficits while exhibiting normal working and episodic memories. The general locomotor activity, motor balance, and coordination abilities were not statistically different between Slc20a2 -HO and wild-type mice after adjusting for body weight, which was a major confounding factor in our motor function evaluations. Conclusion: The human PFBC-related phenotypes were highly similar to those in Slc20a2 -HO mice. Therefore, Slc20a2 -HO mice might be suitable for the future evaluation of neuropharmacological intervention strategies targeting cognitive and neuropsychiatric impairments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Watchkeeping is a significant activity during maritime operations, and failures of sustained attention and decision‐making can increase the likelihood of a collision. Methods: A study was conducted in a ship bridge simulator where 40 participants (20 experienced/20 inexperienced) performed: (1) a 20‐min period of sustained attention to locate a target vessel and (2) a 10‐min period of decision‐making/action selection to perform an evasive maneuver. Half of the participants also performed an additional task of verbally reporting the position of their vessel. Activation of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) was captured via a 15‐channel functional near‐infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) montage, and measures of functional connectivity were calculated frontal using graph‐theoretic measures. Results: Neurovascular activation of right lateral area of the PFC decreased during sustained attention and increased during decision‐making. The graph‐theoretic analysis revealed that density declined during decision‐making in comparison with the previous period of sustained attention, while local clustering declined during sustained attention and increased when participants prepared their evasive maneuver. A regression analysis revealed an association between network measures and behavioral outcomes, with respect to spotting the target vessel and making an evasive maneuver. Conclusions: The right lateral area of the PFC is sensitive to watchkeeping and decision‐making during operational performance. Graph‐theoretic measures allow us to quantify patterns of functional connectivity and were predictive of safety‐critical performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The DEPDC5 gene (OMIM 614191) has been proven to be a frequent cause of familial and sporadic focal epilepsy. A human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) line was generated from a child diagnosed with focal epilepsy, which was caused by DEDPC5 mutation. The iPSC line expresses high pluripotency markers, carries the DEDPC5 mutation, and can differentiate into three germ layers in vitro. The iPSC lines offer a promising technique for studying the pathogenesis and conducting drug screening of DEDPC5-related epilepsy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Belt and Road (B&R) initiative was introduced by the Chinese government to promote the worldwide economic development and multilateral cooperation between China and the associated countries. As a crucial part of global supply chains, transportation plays a key role to ensure the implementation of the B&R. Safety is one of the issues with great importance in transportation research. However, its foci have been expanded from traditional risk through security to resilience and sustainability. Resilience has attracted considerable interests from both researchers and practitioners across different research domains in recent years. Various studies have been conducted on transportation resilience from different perspectives. Consequently, different definitions have been developed to define and describe resilience. This paper presents a systematic review on transportation resilience with emphasis on its definitions, characteristics, and research methods applied in different transportation systems/contexts. It aims to figure out what transportation resilience is and what kind of essential characters it usually has. More importantly, research challenges are analysed and a future research agenda on the resilience of transportation systems is proposed. This paper will provide comprehensive insights into understanding the transportation resilience, as well as establish new horizons for relevant research topics within the context of the B&R. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study is to explore the effects of Nitrogen (N) rates on the speciation of Cadmium (Cd) in soil with oilseed rape (Brassica napusL.). A pot experiment was conducted at N1 (0 g/kg), N2 (0.125 g/kg), N3 (0.25 g/kg) and N4 (0.375 g/kg) rates. Correlation between Cd speciation and bioavailability, soil pH were analyzed. Cd speciation was significantly affected by N rates. Exchangeable Cd (EXC-Cd) and carbonate Cd (CAR-Cd) in soil showed a contrary pattern with residual Cd (RES-Cd) and organic Cd (ORG-Cd), respectively. Correlation analysis demonstrated EXC-Cd and CAR-Cd positively correlated with Cd bioavailability but negatively correlated with soil pH at later phase of oilseed rape (p < 0.05). Cd bioavailability could be promoted by increasing the EXC-Cd and CAR-Cd concentration at the expense of RES-Cd. Our results suggest that N rates may affect Cd speciation in regulation of soil pH, thus further affect Cd bioavailability. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Global shipping flows through strategically important restricted waters such as Panama and Suez Canals, and hence accidents occurring in the Canals will cause serious disruptions to global supply chains. In this paper, a new data-driven Bayesian network (BN) based risk model is developed to investigate how risk factors jointly generate impact on different types of maritime accidents within restricted waters. A new risk database involving 25 factors has been developed by manual analysis of all the recorded accidents from 2005 to 2021 that occurred in the world's important restricted waters including key maritime canals, channels and straits. A data-driven BN model is constructed to analyse the key risk influential factors (RIFs) contributing to such accidents. The model is verified by sensitivity analysis and real accident cases. Further, it is tested by the already known information of the 2021 Suez Canal blockage case to generate useful insights and draw the lessons to learn. In a retrospective analysis using the currently available limited information on the Suez Canal case, the implication of the case study shows a plausible explanation for the observed findings by scenario analysis. The findings can be applied to backward risk cause diagnosis for accident investigation and forward risk prediction for accident prevention in restricted waters to avoid the reoccurrence of similar accident to the Suze Canal blockage. • A new data-driven risk model enables the systematic analysis of the risk factors of maritime accidents in restricted waters. • Analysis of the dependencies between RIFs for maritime accidents in restricted waters. • Forward risk prediction for accident analysis and prevention. • Backward risk diagnosis for root cause analysis of maritime accidents. • Analysis of the Suez Canal blockage case study to provide insights for accident investigation and prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the era of big data, mass customization (MC) systems are faced with the complexities associated with information explosion and management control. Thus, it has become necessary to integrate the mass customization system and Social Internet of Things, in order to effectively connecting customers with enterprises. We should not only allow customers to participate in MC production throughout the whole process, but also allow enterprises to control all links throughout the whole information system. To gain a better understanding, this paper first describes the architecture of the proposed system from organizational and technological perspectives. Then, based on the nature of the Social Internet of Things, the main technological application of the mass customization–Social Internet of Things (MC–SIOT) system is introduced in detail. On this basis, the key problems faced by the mass customization–Social Internet of Things system are listed. Our findings are as follows: (1) MC–SIOT can realize convenient information queries and clearly understand the user's intentions; (2) the system can predict the changing relationships among different technical fields and help enterprise R&D personnel to find technical knowledge; and (3) it can interconnect deep learning technology and digital twin technology to better maintain the operational state of the system. However, there exist some challenges relating to data management, knowledge discovery, and human–computer interaction, such as data quality management, few data samples, a lack of dynamic learning, labor consumption, and task scheduling. Therefore, we put forward possible improvements to be assessed, as well as privacy issues and emotional interactions to be further discussed, in future research. Finally, we illustrate the behavior and evolutionary mechanism of this system, both qualitatively and quantitatively. This provides some idea of how to address the current issues pertaining to mass customization systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous relevant studies have revealed that noise and poor sleep quality are two important risk factors causing seafarer fatigue. However, the relationship between marine engine noise and objective sleep parameters has rarely been studied. Using primary data collected from a 28-day on-board experiment and 1 questionnaire survey during both voyage and berthing periods, this study takes a pioneering step to address this crucial relationship. Energy indicators related to the engine noise for 28 days were estimated and 6 objective sleep parameters were used to measure the degree of seafarer fatigue. The findings reveal that as seafarers want to sleep longer to relieve their anxiety and irritability caused by the increased engine noise, the time in bed (TB) and the total sleep time (TST) increased when the engine noise level increased. Meanwhile, with the growing engine noise levels and the higher number of engine noise events, the total wake time after sleep onset (WASO) and the time for sleep onset latency (SOL) increased, and the sleep efficiency (SE) decreased. Energy indicators were significantly associated with objective sleep parameters. Finally, strengthening the content of psychological adjustment in the seafarer training link and cultivating the seafarers' character strength to improve the ability to face harsh environments are recommended. In maritime management, managers should play the role of social work intervention to adjust seafarers' sleep quality and ease fatigue. In the construction of ships, builders should emphatically consider the use of sound insulation materials to reduce noise effect on living areas. • A 28-day on-board experiment and a questionnaire survey during both sailing and berthing periods are conducted. • Six objective sleep parameters were used to measure the degree of seafarer fatigue. • Case studies are conducted using binary and ordered logistic regression model. • Appropriate psychological advice on alleviating seafarer fatigue is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large body of research has established diabetes-related cognitive deterioration, sometimes known as "diabetic encephalopathy". Current evidence supports that oxidative stress, neuronal apoptosis, and cerebral microcirculation weakness are associated with cognition deficits induced by diabetes. The present study explores the effect of propionate on neurological deficits, cerebral blood flow, and oxidative stress in diabetic mice. Propionate in different doses (37.5, 75 and 150 mg/kg) was orally administrated daily. Here, we show that propionate can markedly improve neurological function, which is correlated with its capabilities of stimulating nitrogen monoxide (NO) production, increasing cerebral microcirculation, suppressing oxidative stress, and reducing neuron loss in the hippocampus. In addition, the results of Western Blotting indicated that the brain-protective function of propionate in streptozocin (STZ)-induced type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) mice is related to phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/serine-threonine protein kinase (Akt)/endothelial nitrogen monoxide synthase (eNOS) signaling pathway. In a diabetic mouse model, propionate reduces cerebral microcirculation, hippocampus apoptosis, and neurological impairment. Thus, propionate, now employed as a food preservative, may also help slow diabetes-induced cognitive loss. [Display omitted] • Propionate ameliorates diabetic-induced depression-like behavior, spatial learning, and memory deficits. • Propionate increases cerebral microcirculation by enhancing NO production in diabetic mice. • Propionate suppresses oxidative stress and reduces neuron loss in the hippocampus. • The brain-protective function of propionate is related to PI3K/Akt/eNOS signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • 18β-GA (a constituent of licorice) effectively reversed the mice behavioral dysfunction after exposure to cuprizone for five weeks. • 18β-GA sufficiently alleviates demyelination in a mouse model of cuprizone-induced demyelination. • The function of 18β-GA is related to moderating M1/M2 polarisation. This research aimed to examine the nutritious supplementary function of 18β-Glycyrrhetinic acid (18β-GA) in moderating the myelin sheath destruction and behavioral impairments observed in the cuprizone model of demyelination. Mice were fed daily on food containing cuprizone (0.3 %) and given doses of 18β-GA (5 or 1 mg/kg) for a period of five weeks. The groups treated with 18β-GA exhibited improvements in exploratory behavior, locomotive activity, and weight. As assessed using luxol-fast blue and myelin basic protein (MBP) staining, which were used to detect demyelination in the brain, 18β-GA both reduced and prevented instances of cuprizone-induced demyelinating lesions; treatment with 18β-GA also caused the MBP level in the corpus callosum to increase. Furthermore, alongside these positive results following 18β-GA treatment, microglial polarisation was also observed to shift towards the beneficial M2 phenotype. The results of this research thus indicate the potential clinical application of 18β-GA for the prevention of myelin damage and behavioral dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]