Neuronal Oxidative Stress Promotes α-Synuclein Aggregation In Vivo.

Both genetic and environmental factors increase risk for Parkinson's disease. Many of the known genetic factors influence α-synuclein aggregation or degradation, whereas most of the identified environmental factors produce oxidative stress. Studies using in vitro approaches have identified mechanisms by which oxidative stress can accelerate the formation of α-synuclein aggregates, but there is a paucity of evidence supporting the importance of these processes over extended time periods in brain.

Inter-transducer variability of ultrasound image quality in obese adults: Qualitative and quantitative comparisons.

Purpose: Acquiring high-quality ultrasound images of deep abdominal organs and vasculatures in obese adults (BMI >30 kg/cm) is considered challenging. The aim of the study was to assess the inter-transducer variability in B-mode and color Doppler image quality from four commercial ultrasound transducers through qualitative and quantitative analyses.

Methods: Four curvilinear transducers on three ultrasound scanners were used to acquire B-mode and color Doppler images of deep abdominal structures in 15 obesity ≥ class II (BMI >35 kg/cm) adults.

Reliability of performing ultrasound derived SWE and fat fraction in adult livers.

Purpose: The aim of the study was to test the reproducibility of performing conventional point shear wave elastography (pSWE), auto-pSWE, and ultrasound derived fat fraction (UDFF) in adult livers.

Methods: The Institutional Review Board approved the study and all participants provided written informed consent. Conventional pSWE (obtaining 10 measurements through 10 acquisitions), auto-pSWE (automatically obtaining 15 measurements by a single acquisition), and UDFF (one measurement obtained by one acquisition) of the liver were prospectively performed in 21 participants (10 men, 11 women, mean age 63y) by senior and junior operators in February-May 2021.

α-synuclein aggregates induce c-Abl activation and dopaminergic neuronal loss by a feed-forward redox stress mechanism.

Oxidative stress and α-synuclein aggregation both drive neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease, and the protein kinase c-Abl provides a potential amplifying link between these pathogenic factors. Suppressing interactions between these factors may thus be a viable therapeutic approach for this disorder. To evaluate this possibility, pre-formed α-synuclein fibrils (PFFs) were used to induce α-synuclein aggregation in neuronal cultures.