Cardiac computer tomography-derived radiomics in assessing myocardial characteristics at the connection between the left atrial appendage and the left atrium in atrial fibrillation patients.

Objectives: To evaluate the feasibility of utilizing cardiac computer tomography (CT) images for extracting the radiomic features of the myocardium at the junction between the left atrial appendage (LAA) and the left atrium (LA) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and to evaluate its asscociation with the risk of AF.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 82 cases of AF and 56 cases in the control group who underwent cardiac CT at our hospital from May 2022 to May 2023, with recorded clinical information. The morphological parameters of the LAA were measured.

MR study on white matter injury in patients with acute diquat poisoning.

Objective: To explore the microstructural damage of white matter in acute diquat (DQ) poisoning patients using diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) and Tract-based Spatial Statistics (TBSS).

Methods: This study included 19 DQ poisoning patients and 19 age-matched controls. MRI was performed using a 3.

A preliminary investigation of the left atrial suspended cord and its significance as revealed by coronary CT angiography: an observational study with a systematic literature review.

Background: The occurrence of suspended cords of the left atrium (SCLA) is rare and has seldom been described. The purpose of this study was to summarize the cases of SCLA accidentally detected by coronary CT angiography (CCTA), describe their imaging features, conduct a preliminary analysis of their clinical significance, and review relevant literature.

Methods: A total of 10,796 patients who underwent CCTA examinations from July 2020 to November 2021 were consecutively selected.

Magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers using ternary deep eutectic solvent as novel functional monomer for hydroxytyrosol separation.

In this work, magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) for specific recognition of Hydroxytyrosol (HT) were designed by vinyl-modified magnetic particles (FeO@SiO@VTEOs) as carrier, ternary deep eutectic solvent (DES) as functional monomer, while ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as crosslinker. The optimum amount of DES was obtained by adsorption experiments (molar ratio, caffeic acid: choline chloride: formic acid = 1:6:3) which were 140 μL in total. Under the optimized amount of DES, the maximum adsorption capacity of the MIPs particles was 42.

Border-zone cardiomyocytes and macrophages contribute to remodeling of the extracellular matrix to promote cardiomyocyte invasion during zebrafish cardiac regeneration.

Despite numerous advances in our understanding of zebrafish cardiac regeneration, an aspect that remains less studied is how regenerating cardiomyocytes invade, and eventually replace, the collagen-containing fibrotic tissue following injury. Here, we provide an in-depth analysis of the process of cardiomyocyte invasion using live-imaging and histological approaches. We observed close interactions between protruding cardiomyocytes and macrophages at the wound border zone, and macrophage-deficient mutant zebrafish exhibited defects in extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling and cardiomyocyte protrusion into the injured area.

Elucidating the mechanisms underlying astrocyte-microglia crosstalk in hippocampal neuroinflammation induced by acute diquat exposure.

The transition from paraquat (PQ) to diquat (DQ), both organic dication herbicides, in China has led to significant increases in the number of acute DQ poisoning cases. Case studies have shown that acute DQ poisoning resulted in injury to the central nervous system (CNS), but the mechanism underlying the injury remains to be explored. The present study aimed to investigate how DQ influenced purinergic signaling between astrocytes and microglia and whether extracellular ATP (eATP) was involved in promoting neuroinflammation induced by acute DQ toxicity through the activation of the P2X4/NLRP3 signaling pathway.

Three-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging of left ventricular volume and function in comparison with computed tomography and echocardiography.

This study investigated the correlation between 3-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and 256 multiple-slice computed tomography (MSCT) or 2-dimensional echocardiography (ECHO) in evaluating left ventricle. Forty patients were retrospectively enrolled to undergo cardiac MSCT, 3-Tesla MRI and 2-dimensional ECHO within 1 week. The end-diastolic (EDV) and end-systolic volume (ESV), stroke volume (SV) and ejection fraction (EF) were analyzed and compared.

Majority of transferred mosaic embryos developed healthy live births revealed by a preclinical study using embryonic morphology assessment and noninvasive PGT-A on cell-free DNA in blastocoel fluid.

Purpose: This preclinical study aimed to evaluate whether using transferred mosaic embryos (primarily selected by embryonic morphology assessment (EMA) and compared by the noninvasive preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (niPGT-A) on cell-free DNA in blastocoel fluid (BF)) increases the rates of clinical pregnancies (CPs) and healthy live births (HLBs) and to investigate whether niPGT-A could provide valuable genetic information for the EMA-selected transferred mosaic embryos.

Methods: This study collected 215 blastocyst culture samples and 182 BF samples. Cell-free DNA from the BF was amplified and examined by next-generation sequencing-based niPGT-A.

Ozone causes depressive-like response through PI3K/Akt/GSK3β pathway modulating synaptic plasticity in young rats.

Ozone pollution has been associated with several adverse effects, including memory impairment, intellectual retardation, emotional disturbances. However, the potential mechanisms remain uncertain. The present study aimed to investigate whether ozone (O) regulates synaptic plasticity through PI3K/Akt/GSK3β signaling pathway and induces neurobehavioral modifications among the young rats.

Single-cell transcriptomic landscapes of the otic neuronal lineage at multiple early embryonic ages.

Inner ear vestibular and spiral ganglion neurons (VGNs and SGNs) are known to play pivotal roles in balance control and sound detection. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying otic neurogenesis at early embryonic ages have remained unclear. Here, we use single-cell RNA sequencing to reveal the transcriptomes of mouse otic tissues at three embryonic ages, embryonic day 9.

JAK2/STAT3 pathway regulates microglia polarization involved in hippocampal inflammatory damage due to acute paraquat exposure.

Objective: To explore the effects of acute paraquat (PQ) exposure on the phenotypic polarization of hippocampal microglia and its mechanism.

Methods: An acute PQ exposure rat model was established. Male SD rats were exposed to 0, 5, 25, and 50 mg/kg PQ, and brain hippocampal tissue was collected after 1, 3, and 7 days of exposure, respectively.

Acute exposure to paraquat affects the phenotypic differentiation of substantia nigra microglia in rats.

The toxicity of the bipyridine cationic herbicide paraquat (PQ) to the lung and kidneys has been widely documented, but the acute toxic effects of PQ on the nervous system have received little attention. This study aimed to explore the changes in the phenotypic differentiation of microglia in rats caused by acute PQ exposure. As results, acute PQ exposure induced pyknosis, edema, and apoptosis in substantia nigra neurons.

LHCGR and ALMS1 defects likely cooperate in the development of polycystic ovary syndrome indicated by double-mutant mice.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a heterogeneous disorder with evidence of polygenetic components, and obesity may be a risk factor for hyperandrogenism. Previous studies have shown that LHCGR is enriched in the ovary and LHCGR deficiency causes infertility without typical PCOS phenotypes. ALMS1 is implicated in obesity and hyperandrogenism, the common phenotypes among PCOS patients.

SD + SV4 diagnosis of left ventricular hypertrophy, a revaluation of ECG criterion by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging.

Backgroud: Present electrocardiogram (ECG) criteria for diagnosing left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) usually have low sensitivity, while the newly proposed SD + SV4 criterion, namely the deepest S-wave amplitude in any lead (SD) plus SV4 amplitude, has been reported to have higher sensitivity and accuracy compared with other existing criteria. We aimed to further evaluate the diagnostic value of the SD + SV4 criterion in reference to the gold standard cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) in LVH diagnosis.

Methods: This retrospective study enrolled 138 patients who received CMR examination-60 patients with reduced ejection fraction (EF) and 78 patients with preserved EF.

Disseminated Cryptococcosis revealed by transverse myelitis in Immunocompetent patient: a case report and review of the literature.

Background: Transverse myelitis (TM) is due to inflammatory spinal cord injury with bilateral neurologic involvement, which is sensory, motor, or autonomic in nature. It may be associated with autoimmune disease, vaccination, intoxication and infections. The most common infection cause of TM is Coxsackie virus and Mycoplasma pneumoniae.

Exfoliation and dispersion of boron nitride nanosheets to enhance ordinary Portland cement paste.

Exfoliation and dispersion of boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs) is the key to achieving desired reinforcing effects for ordinary Portland cement (OPC). Few studies exist, however, of the dispersion of BNNSs in a cement-induced alkaline environment and their effect on the mechanical properties of normal OPC paste. In this study, protocols were developed to prepare BNNS-reinforced OPC paste.

Rare Deleterious PARD3 Variants in the aPKC-Binding Region are Implicated in the Pathogenesis of Human Cranial Neural Tube Defects Via Disrupting Apical Tight Junction Formation.

Increasing evidence that mutation of planar cell polarity (PCP) genes contributes to human cranial neural tube defect (NTD) susceptibility prompted us to hypothesize that rare variants of genes in the core apical-basal polarity (ABP) pathway are risk factors for cranial NTDs. In this study, we screened for rare genomic variation of PARD3 in 138 cranial NTD cases and 274 controls. Overall, the rare deleterious variants of PARD3 were significantly associated with increased risk for cranial NTDs (11/138 vs.

Extracellular Cl(-) regulates human SO4 (2-)/anion exchanger SLC26A1 by altering pH sensitivity of anion transport.

Genetic deficiency of the SLC26A1 anion exchanger in mice is known to be associated with hyposulfatemia and hyperoxaluria with nephrolithiasis, but many aspects of human SLC26A1 function remain to be explored. We report here the functional characterization of human SLC26A1, a 4,4'-diisothiocyanato-2,2'-stilbenedisulfonic acid (DIDS)-sensitive, electroneutral sodium-independent anion exchanger transporting sulfate, oxalate, bicarbonate, thiosulfate, and (with divergent properties) chloride. Human SLC26A1-mediated anion exchange differs from that of its rodent orthologs in its stimulation by alkaline pHo and inhibition by acidic pHo but not pHi and in its failure to transport glyoxylate.

CMR assessment of the left ventricle apical morphology in subjects with unexplainable giant T-wave inversion and without apical wall thickness ≥15 mm.

Aims: Patients with unexplainable giant T-wave inversion in the precordial leads and apical wall thickness <15 mm have been reported. These patients cannot be diagnosed as apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (AHCM) according to the current criteria. The objective of this study was to evaluate the apical morphological features of this type of patients using cardiac magnetic resonance.

Quantitative evaluation of left ventricular volume and function in middle-aged healthy chinese people with 3 Tesla MRI.

Purpose: To quantitatively investigate left ventricular volume and function in middle-aged healthy subjects.

Materials And Methods: Ninety healthy volunteers underwent cardiac 3 Tesla MRI. The left ventricular end-diastolic volume (EDV) and end-systolic volume (ESV), stroke volume (SV), ejection fraction (EF), cardiac output (CO), myocardial mass (MM), and their normalized indices (EDVI, ESVI, SVI, CI, and MI, respectively) after corrected with the body surface area (BSA) were analyzed and compared at different ages.

Genome-wide copy number variant analysis for congenital ventricular septal defects in Chinese Han population.

Background: Ventricular septal defects (VSDs) constitute the most prevalent congenital heart disease (CHD), occurs either in isolation (isolated VSD) or in combination with other cardiac defects (complex VSD). Copy number variation (CNV) has been highlighted as a possible contributing factor to the etiology of many congenital diseases. However, little is known concerning the involvement of CNVs in either isolated or complex VSDs.