Search

The choice of treatment for lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) depends on symptom severity. When severe motor issues with urinary dysfunction are not present, conservative treatment is often considered to be the priority. One such conservative treatment is epidural injection, which is effective in alleviating inflammation and the pain caused by LSS-affected nerves. In this study, Shinbaro2 (Sh2), pharmacopuncture using natural herbal medicines for patients with disc diseases, is introduced as an epidural to treat LSS in a rat model. The treatment of primary sensory neurons from the rats' dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons with Sh2 at various concentrations (0.5, 1, and 2 mg/mL) was found to be safe and non-toxic. Furthermore, it remarkably stimulated axonal outgrowth even under H2O2-treated conditions, indicating its potential for stimulating nerve regeneration. When LSS rats received epidural injections of two different concentrations of Sh2 (1 and 2 mg/kg) once daily for 4 weeks, a significant reduction was seen in ED1+ macrophages surrounding the silicone block used for LSS induction. Moreover, epidural injection of Sh2 in the DRG led to a significant suppression of pain-related factors. Notably, Sh2 treatment resulted in improved locomotor recovery, as evaluated by the Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan scale and the horizontal ladder test. Additionally, hind paw hypersensitivity, assessed using the Von Frey test, was reduced, and normal gait was restored. Our findings demonstrate that epidural Sh2 injection not only reduced inflammation but also improved locomotor function and pain in LSS model rats. Thus, Sh2 delivery via epidural injection has potential as an effective treatment option for LSS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxidative stress‐induced neuronal damage is a significant factor contributing to spinal cord injury. Although previous research has shown that Fructus Ligustri Lucidi (FLL) has neuroprotective benefits in SH‐SY5Y, BV2, and PC12 cells, its impact on primary spinal cord neurons, which more accurately reflect the characteristics of central nervous system neurons, remains unexplored. This research investigated how FLL can protect rat primary spinal cord neurons from injury triggered by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)‐mediated oxidative stress. Cell viability, generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), upregulation of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), activation of the Nrf2/HO‐1 antioxidant pathway, and mitochondrial superoxide were assessed. Rat primary spinal cord neurons were not adversely affected by concentrations of FLL extract up to 100 μg/mL. Furthermore, FLL extract showed a significant protective effect against H2O2‐induced neuronal toxicity at 10–100 μg/mL. Fluorescence‐activated cell sorting analysis revealed that FLL extract inhibited H2O2‐induced ROS generation in a dose‐dependent manner. Immunocytochemistry and gene expression analysis confirmed that FLL extract reduced the overexpression of iNOS induced by H2O2 and enhanced the stimulation of the Nrf2/HO‐1 pathway, crucial for antioxidant responses. In conclusion, FLL extract demonstrated neuroprotective effects on rat primary spinal cord neurons against the oxidative stress induced by H2O2. FLL extract effectively preserved cell viability, reduced ROS generation, suppressed iNOS overexpression, and activated the Nrf2/HO‐1 antioxidant pathway. These results highlight the capacity of FLL extract as a neuroprotective agent against oxidative stress‐related spinal neuron damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the VUCA era, organizations that are bound by rigid regulations often find themselves lagging behind in their ability to adapt to the dynamic external environment, consequently missing out on potential opportunities. Organizational innovation often stems from employees' proactive and spontaneous pro-social rule breaking behavior. This study, based on situation-strength theory under the framework of trait activation, investigates the impact of proactive personality on employees' pro-social rule breaking behavior and its underlying mechanisms through a scenario experiment and a questionnaire survey. The results reveal that proactive personality is not significant for pro-social rule breaking behavior, with one positive and one negative effect counteracting each other. Proactive personality positively influences promotion focus, but it also negatively affects pro-social rule breaking behavior through promotion focus. Moreover, psychological safety climate plays a weakening moderating role between promotion focus and pro-social rule breaking behavior. With an increase in the level of psychological safety climate, the negative effect of proactive personality on prosocial rule-breaking behavior through promotion focus gradually attenuates. This study offers novel insights for a more comprehensive comprehension of the role of proactive personality on favorable organizational behavior and deepens the understanding of the effect mechanisms and boundary conditions in the association between proactive personality and pro-social rule-breaking behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Career choice research has attracted the attention of recruiters and young graduates. The study aims to investigate the psychological factors that influence college students’ employment choices. As a result, data for the study were gathered from 250 final-year college students in China via an online questionnaire survey. The study identified the psychological barriers faced by college students during job interviews through interviews with 120 h recruiters. The SPPS tool is used for data analysis. The study identified personal interest, self-efficacy, and self- esteem; social responsibilities; confidence; professional development opportunities; and future orientation as the important psychological factors that influence the career choice of college students. The study also found that the barriers faced by the college students during the interview were anxiety, inferiority complex, cowardice, and pride. Therefore, the study suggests that the college provides job-oriented training for college students’ employment choices. The college should take the initiative to provide students with career opportunities and proper training to avoid psychological barriers during interviews. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the effects of earing in a sheared billet of S25C steel formed during rod shearing in an automatic multi-stage cold forging (AMSCF) process for an automobile wheel nut were experimentally and numerically investigated. Precision forging simulations with an emphasis on rod shearing were conducted using the implicit elastoplastic finite element method with a tetrahedral MINI-element scheme. AMSCF of an automobile wheel nut involves the use of a converging or near-conical die that shows a gradual reduction in its cross-sectional area. Our results showed that the shearing-induced earing plays the role of a pivot during balancing of the material inside the die cavity in the early stroke, before significant material contact. Earing formation resulted in a wobble motion of the material that accompanied the rigid-body motion. This ultimately led to a change in the center of mass of the material and unbalanced loading. Earing had a significant influence on the local high-cycle fatigue (HCF) fracture of die insets, especially in the cold forging of nut-like short products. The stress concentration on the die was attributed to asymmetric localized contact between the material and critical die corner, leading to changes in the mass center. Taken together, our results indicate that sheared billet characterization should account for earings with roll-overs and inclined surfaces to not only better predict the HCF life of die parts but also to optimize the forging outcome, particularly for safety products such as automobile wheel nuts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glucocorticoids (GCs) are commonly used in the treatment of chronic inflammatory conditions. However, the administration of high doses and long-term use of GCs can induce muscle atrophy (MA) in patients, leading to a decline in quality of life and increased mortality. MA leads to protein degradation in skeletal muscle, resulting in a reduction of muscle mass. This process is triggered by GCs like dexamethasone (DEX), which induce the expression of E3 ubiquitin ligases, namely Atrogin-1 and muscle RING-finger protein-1 (MuRF1). In this study, we examined the anti-MA potential of Luffa cylindrica Roemer (LCR) on DEX-treated primary skeletal myotubes. Primary skeletal myotubes stimulated with LCR alone resulted in a significant upregulation of myotube development, characterized by an increase in both the number and diameter of myotubes. Contrastingly, combined treatment with LCR and DEX reduced the expression of Atrogin-1, while treatment with DEX alone induced the expression of MuRF1. Furthermore, LCR treatment successfully restored the number and diameter of myotubes that had been diminished by DEX treatment. These findings suggest that LCR holds potential for treating MA, as an accelerating effect on muscle development and anti-MA effects on primary skeletal muscle cells were observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Progressive myoclonus epilepsies (PMEs) comprise a group of rare genetic disorders characterized by action myoclonus, epileptic seizures, and ataxia with progressive neurologic decline. Due to clinical and genetic heterogeneity of PMEs, it is difficult to decide which genes are affected. The aim of this study was to report an action myoclonus with or without renal failure syndrome (EPM4) family and summarize the clinical and genetic characteristics of all reported EPM4 patients. Methods: In the present study, targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) was applied to screen causative genes in a Chinese PME family. The candidate variant was further confirmed by cosegregation analysis and further functional analysis, including the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blot of the proband's muscle. Moreover, literature data on the clinical and mutational features of all reported EPM4 patients were reviewed. Results: The gene analysis revealed a novel homozygous splicing mutation (c.995-1G>A) of the SCARB2 gene in two brothers. Further functional analysis revealed that this mutation led to loss function of the SCARB2 protein. The classification of the candidate variant, according to the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics standards and guidelines and functional analysis, was pathogenic. Therefore, these two brothers were finally diagnostically confirmed as EPM4. Conclusions: These present results suggest the potential for targeted NGS to conduct a more rapid and precise diagnosis for PME patients. A literature review revealed that mutations in the different functional domains of SCARB2 appear to be associated with the phenotype of EPM4.

Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD), characterized by symmetric or asymmetric muscular weakness of the initial onset of facial, shoulder-girdle and upper arm muscles, and descending to limb muscles, is a classical autosomal dominant myopathy with high clinical diversity and relatively good prognosis. FSHD is catigorized into two types, FSHD1 and FSDH2. Previous studies have demonstrated that 95% patients with FSHD1 were associated with a contraction of D4Z4 microsatellite repeats on chromosome 4q35, which was pathogenic in the genetic backgrounds, including a special sequence of simple sequence length polymorphism (SSLP) proximal to the D4Z4 repeats and the 4qA/4qB polymorphism distal to the repeats. In recent years, several reports have confirmed that 4q35 locus leads to DNA hypomethylation and inner DUX4 gene transcription by epigenetic effect. The abnormal expression of DUX4 further activates several genes, which inhibit myogenesis, sensitize cells to oxidative stress and induce muscle atrophy. And not only that, FSHD2 is formed by another methylation regulation gene—— SMCHD1 mutations. More and more evidences supported that toxic gain of function mechanism plays an important role in the occurrence of FSHD. The DUX4 gene becomes an important target for treatment study in the future. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1672-6731.2017.08.004

Background Owing to the clinical variability and molecular heterogeneity, the traditional Sanger sequencing takes time and effort and is inefficient. In this paper, target region capture sequencing in the diagnosing of autosomal recessive Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (AR-CMT) is explored. Methods Clinical data and peripheral blood sample of 5 clinically suspected AR - CMT patients were collected. Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) related gene mutation were detected by target region capture sequencing. The candidate variants were confirmed in the peripheral blood sample of the patients and their parents by Sanger sequencing. Results Target region capture sequencing revealed that compound heterozygous mutations of GDAP1 gene was found in 2 patients, and was not seen in the other 3 patients. Sanger sequencing revealed that among the 2 patients with mutation of GDAP1 gene, compound heterozygous mutation c.767A > G (p. His256Arg) and c.866T > A (p. Phe289Tyr) were seen in Case 1, whose father carried c.866T > A (p. Phe289Tyr) heterozygous mutation and mother carried c.767A > G (p. His256Arg) heterozygous mutation, while compound heterozygous mutation c.571C > T (p. Arg191X) and c.589delC (p. Asp198IlefsX8) were seen in Case 2, whose father carried c.589delC (p. Asp198IlefsX8) heterozygous mutation and mother carried c.571C > T (p. Arg191X) heterozygous mutation. Therefore, Case 1 and Case 2 were all diagnosed as AR-CMT. Conclusions Target region capture sequencing is a rapid and reliable genetic testing method with high efficiency. It is applicable for the diagnosis of AR-CMT. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1672-6731.2017.08.009

PURPOSE:The aim of this study was to investigate the association between refractive error and prevalence of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in Korean adults, based on the sex and age group. METHODS:This was a nationwide population-based cross-sectional study that included 17,676 subjects aged over 40 years who participated in the 2008-2012 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Digital fundus images (45°) were obtained for both eyes under physiologic mydriasis and were graded using the international classification and grading system for age-related macular degeneration. The spherical equivalents of refractive errors were calculated in diopters using auto-refraction data. RESULTS:After adjustment for potential confounders, myopia was associated with lower risk of any age-related macular degeneration [odds ratio (OR), 0.74; 95% Confidence Interval (CI), 0.61-0.91]. In particular, myopia was significantly associated with lower odds of age-related macular degeneration in female participants (any AMD: OR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.54-0.93; early AMD: OR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.53-0.93) and in participants younger than 50 years (any AMD: OR, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.24-0.90; early AMD: OR, 0.47; 95% CI, 0.24-0.93). There was no significant association between myopia and age-related macular degeneration in male participants and in participants older than 50 years. CONCLUSIONS:In the Korean adult population, myopia was associated with significantly lower odds of any type of early age-related macular degeneration, particularly in females and in younger age groups.

The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is of global concern and has recently emerged in the US. In this paper, we construct a stochastic variant of the SEIR model to estimate a quasi-worst-case scenario prediction of the COVID-19 outbreak in the US West and East Coast population regions by considering the different phases of response implemented by the US as well as transmission dynamics of COVID-19 in countries that were most affected. The model is then fitted to current data and implemented using Runge-Kutta methods. Our computation results predict that the number of new cases would peak around mid-April 2020 and begin to abate by July provided that appropriate COVID-19 measures are promptly implemented and followed, and that the number of cases of COVID-19 might be significantly mitigated by having greater numbers of functional testing kits available for screening. The model is also sensitive to assigned parameter values and reflects the importance of healthcare preparedness during pandemics.