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Abstract Both morphological and metabolic imaging were used to determine how asymmetrical changes of thalamic subregions are involved in cognition in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). We retrospectively recruited 24 left-TLE and 15 right-TLE patients. Six thalamic subnuclei were segmented by magnetic resonance imaging, and then co-registered onto Positron emission tomography images. We calculated the asymmetrical indexes of the volumes and normalized standard uptake value ratio (SUVR) of the entire and individual thalamic subnuclei. The SUVR of ipsilateral subnuclei were extensively and prominently decreased compared with the volume loss. The posterior and medial subnuclei had persistently lower SUVR in both TLE cases. Processing speed is the cognitive function most related to the metabolic asymmetry. It negatively correlated with the metabolic asymmetrical indexes of subregions in left-TLE, while positively correlated with the subnuclei volume asymmetrical indexes in right-TLE. Epilepsy duration negatively correlated with the volume asymmetry of most thalamic subregions in left-TLE and the SUVR asymmetry of ventral and intralaminar subnuclei in right-TLE. Preserved metabolic activity of contralateral thalamic subregions is the key to maintain the processing speed in both TLEs. R-TLE had relatively preserved volume of the ipsilateral thalamic volume, while L-TLE had relatively decline of volume and metabolism in posterior subnucleus.

High-grade gliomas (grades III and IV) are highly malignant and aggressive brain tumors that present significant treatment challenges. Despite advances in surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy, the prognosis for patients with glioma remains poor, with a median overall survival (mOS) range of 9–12 months. Therefore, exploring new and effective therapeutic strategies to improve glioma prognosis is of utmost importance and ozone therapy is a viable option. Ozone therapy has been used in various cancers, such as colon, breast, and lung, yielding significant results in preclinical studies and clinical trials. Only a few studies have been conducted on gliomas. Furthermore, since the metabolism of brain cells involves aerobic glycolysis, ozone therapy may improve the oxygen condition and enhance glioma radiation treatment. However, understanding the correct ozone dosage and optimal time of administration remains challenging. Herein, we hypothesize that ozone therapy should be more effective in gliomas compared with other tumors. This study provides an overview of the use of ozone therapy in high-grade glioma, including mechanisms of action, preclinical data, and clinical evidence.

Abstract Background The present study aims to use two different kinds of filling materials, oxidized regenerated cellulose and gelatin sponge, to repair defects of breast-conserving surgery due to breast cancer, and compare the clinical efficacy, cosmetic effect and complication rate among groups. Methods A total of 125 patients, who had breast -conserving surgery due to breast cancer, were enrolled into the present study. Postoperative efficacy was assessed by a doctor and patient, according to the Harvard/NSABP/RTOG Breast Cosmetic Grading Scale. Results Among these patients, 41 patients received conventional breast-conserving surgery, and 84 patients received breast-conserving surgery plus filling implantation (41 patients in the oxidized regenerated cellulose group and 43 patients in the gelatin sponge group). All patients had small to medium sized breasts (cup size A and B). The average weight of tumor tissues was 56.61 ± 11.57 g in the conventional breast-conserving surgery group, 58.41 ± 8.53 g in the oxidized regenerated cellulose group, and 58.77 ± 9.90 g in the gelatin sponge group. The difference in pathological factors, average operation time, length of stay and local infection rate was not statistically significant among the three groups. 18 patients in the oxidized regenerated cellulose group and 15 patients in the gelatin sponge group were evaluated to have a good cosmetic effect by the surgeon and patient, while 12 patients in the conventional breast-conserving surgery group were evaluated to be have good cosmetic effect by the surgeon and patient. The cosmetic effects in the oxidized regenerated cellulose group and gelatin sponge group were comparable, and these were superior to those in the conventional breast-conserving surgery group. Conclusion The use of oxidized regenerated cellulose and gelatin sponge is a feasible approach for defect repair after breast-conserving surgery.

Plasmalogens and Platelet-Activating Factor (PAF) are both bioactive ether phospholipids. Whereas plasmalogens are recognized for their important antioxidant function and modulatory role in cell membrane structure and dynamics, PAF is a potent pro-inflammatory lipid mediator known to have messenger functions in cell signaling and inflammatory response. The relationship between these two types of lipids has been rarely studied in terms of their metabolic interconversion and reciprocal modulation of the pro-inflammation/anti-inflammation balance. The vinyl-ether bonded plasmalogen lipid can be the lipid sources for the precursor of the biosynthesis of ether-bonded PAF. In this opinion paper, we suggest a potential role of plasmalogenic analogs of PAF as modulators and PAF antagonists (anti-PAF). We discuss that the metabolic interconversion of these two lipid kinds may be explored towards the development of efficient preventive and relief strategies against PAF-mediated pro-inflammation. We propose that plasmalogen analogs, acting as anti-PAF, may be considered as a new class of bioactive anti-inflammatory drugs. Despite of the scarcity of available experimental data, the competition between PAF and its natural plasmalogenic analogs for binding to the PAF receptor (PAF-R) can be proposed as a mechanistic model and potential therapeutic perspective against multiple inflammatory diseases (e.g., cardiovascular and neurodegenerative disorders, diabetes, cancers, and various manifestations in coronavirus infections such as COVID-19).

Neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS) is a type of newborn disorder caused by the deficiency or late appearance of lung surfactant, a mixture of lipids and proteins. Studies have shown that lung surfactant replacement therapy could effectively reduce the morbidity and mortality of NRDS, and the therapeutic effect of animal-derived surfactant preparation, although with its limitations, performs much better than that of protein-free synthetic ones. Plasmalogens are a type of ether phospholipids present in multiple human tissues, including lung and lung surfactant. Plasmalogens are known to promote and stabilize non-lamellar hexagonal phase structure in addition to their significant antioxidant property. Nevertheless, they are nearly ignored and underappreciated in the lung surfactant-related research. This report will focus on plasmalogens, a minor yet potentially vital component of lung surfactant, and also discuss their biophysical properties and functions as anti-oxidation, structural modification, and surface tension reduction at the alveolar surface. At the end, we boldly propose a novel synthetic protein-free lung surfactant preparation with plasmalogen modification as an alternative strategy for surfactant replacement therapy.

The influence of different shapes of centre notches on the tensile mechanical behavior of composite laminates was investigated by tension tests of composite laminates with circular notch and oblong notch. The strain concentration and failure process of notched specimens around the notch were analyzed intuitively with the strain distribution rule obtained during the tension test. A progressive damage model based on continuous stiffness degradation criterion was also developed to investigate the damage propagation processes of notched composite laminates. The results indicate that the proposed progressive damage model can accurately describe the tensile failure of notched specimens; and the strain concentration factor induced by oblong notch is more remarkable compared to that induced by circular notch, but the strain gradient around the oblong notch is larger; while the damage processes of the two types of notched specimens are quite different, the tensile strengths of both notched specimens are close.

The off-axis tensile mechanical behaviors of 2D-C/SiC composite laminates were obtained by tests under different off-axis angles, and the influence of off-axis angle on the tensile mechanical behaviors was studied. By sticking strain gauges on the surfaces of specimens, the stress-strain behaviors in the loading direction and in the fiber bundle directions of material were obtained and analyzed. Combined with the SEM (scanning electron microscope) results of fractured surfaces on specimens, the coupling effects between tensile and shear damage in the fiber bundle directions were also analyzed. Test results show that the tensile modulus and strength of material decrease significantly with increasing off-axis angle; and there exists obvious mutual effect between tensile and shear damage in fiber bundle orientation. Furthermore, based on the stress-strain data obtained from 0° and 45° tensile tests, a predictive model was built to predict the off-axis tensile stress-strain behaviors of material. The prediction has good agreement with test data.

Exploring the frequency and distribution pattern of polyploid species in geographic parameters is of significance in understanding the mechanisms of polyploid speciation and evolutionary drivers of biodiversity. We here explored polyploid and paleopolyploid incidence frequency in a scale of 100 × 100 km grids in China. We found 33% of angiosperm species are polyploidy in China, and 23% of polyploid speciation. Western China and eastern China showed a significantly different polyploid and paleopolyploid frequency, with an evolutionary cradle of polyploid angiosperms in the Qinghai–Tibetan plateau. Herbaceous species exhibited higher polyploid frequency but lower paleopolyploid frequency than woody species, indicating the former experienced more rapid differentiation and speciation than the latter. Our results indicate that western China is an evolutionary cradle for polyploid angiosperms where harsh environment facilitates the establishment and survival of polyploids, while polyploid lineages tend to rediploidize to be diploids with sufficient time in suitable environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asthma is an allergic inflammatory disease of the airways. The interaction between bronchial epithelial cells and eosinophils is an important feature of an asthma attack. Eotaxin, an eosinophil-specific C-C chemokine, is a potent chemoattractant involved in the mobilization of eosinophils into the airway after allergic stimulation. Cnidii monnieri fructus, the dried fruit of Cnidium monnieri Cusson, has been used as an antipruritogenic agent in ancient China. Osthol is the major component of Cnidii monnieri fructus extract. We investigated the ability of osthol to regulate cytokine-induced eotaxin expression in the human bronchial epithelial cell line BEAS-2B. Methods: BEAS-2B cells were pretreated with osthol at different concentrations (0.1–10 μM), and then stimulated with interleukin (IL)-4 alone, or in combination with tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. Eotaxin levels were determined by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. STAT6 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 6) and MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) expressions were evaluated by Western blotting, to detect possible intracellular signal transduction. Results: IL-4 and TNF-α significantly induced eotaxin expression in BEAS-2B cells. Expression of eotaxin was suppressed by osthol (0.1–10 μM) in a dose-dependent manner. Osthol did not suppress IL-4-induced p38, ERK or JNK expression. Osthol did suppress IL-4-induced STAT6 in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusion: Osthol suppressed IL-4-induced eotaxin in BEAS-2B cells via inhibition of STAT6 expression. This data suggest that osthol might have potential for treating allergic airway inflammation.