Multimodal analysis of disease onset in Alzheimer's disease using Connectome, Molecular, and genetics data.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) and its related age at onset (AAO) are highly heterogeneous, due to the inherent complexity of the disease. They are affected by multiple factors, such as neuroimaging and genetic predisposition. Multimodal integration of various data types is necessary; however, it has been nontrivial due to the high dimensionality of each modality.

Extra-Basal Ganglia Brain Structures Are Related to Motor Reserve in Parkinson's Disease.

Background: The "motor reserve" is an emerging concept based on the discrepancy between the severity of parkinsonism and dopaminergic degeneration; however, the related brain structures have not yet been elucidated.

Objective: We investigated brain structures relevant to the motor reserve in Parkinson's disease (PD) in this study.

Methods: Patients with drug-naïve, early PD were enrolled, who then underwent dopamine transporter (DAT) scan and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).

Enhanced neuroimaging genetics using multi-view non-negative matrix factorization with sparsity and prior knowledge.

Neuroimaging genetics is a powerful approach to jointly explore genetic features with rich brain imaging phenotypes for neurodegenerative diseases. Conventional imaging genetics approaches based on canonical correlation analysis cannot accommodate multimodal inputs effectively and have limited interpretability. We propose a novel imaging genetics approach based on non-negative matrix factorization (NMF).

Multivariate association between brain function and eating disorders using sparse canonical correlation analysis.

Eating disorder is highly associated with obesity and it is related to brain dysfunction as well. Still, the functional substrates of the brain associated with behavioral traits of eating disorder are underexplored. Existing neuroimaging studies have explored the association between eating disorder and brain function without using all the information provided by the eating disorder related questionnaire but by adopting summary factors.

Prediction of age at onset in Parkinson's disease using objective specific neuroimaging genetics based on a sparse canonical correlation analysis.

The age at onset (AAO) is an important determinant in Parkinson's disease (PD). Neuroimaging genetics is suitable for studying AAO in PD as it jointly analyzes imaging and genetics. We aimed to identify features associated with AAO in PD by applying the objective-specific neuroimaging genetics approach and constructing an AAO prediction model.

DEEP NETWORK-BASED FEATURE SELECTION FOR IMAGING GENETICS: APPLICATION TO IDENTIFYING BIOMARKERS FOR PARKINSON'S DISEASE.

Imaging genetics is a methodology for discovering associations between imaging and genetic variables. Many studies adopted sparse models such as sparse canonical correlation analysis (SCCA) for imaging genetics. These methods are limited to modeling the linear imaging genetics relationship and cannot capture the non-linear high-level relationship between the explored variables.

Synthesis of edge-rich vertical multilayer graphene nanotube arrays towards high-performance supercapacitors.

In this work, we demonstrate the synthesis of edge-rich vertical multilayer graphene nanotube arrays and edge density-dependent capacitance in a supercapacitor application. We employ Ni-Au multi-block vertical nanotubes fabricated by anodic aluminum oxide template-assisted electrodeposition as a designer substrate for multilayer graphene growth. This edge generation of graphene relies on the distinct carbon solubility of Au and Ni under chemical vapor deposition.

Joint-Connectivity-Based Sparse Canonical Correlation Analysis of Imaging Genetics for Detecting Biomarkers of Parkinson's Disease.

Imaging genetics is a method used to detect associations between imaging and genetic variables. Some researchers have used sparse canonical correlation analysis (SCCA) for imaging genetics. This study was conducted to improve the efficiency and interpretability of SCCA.

Effectiveness of imaging genetics analysis to explain degree of depression in Parkinson's disease.

Depression is one of the most common and important neuropsychiatric symptoms in Parkinson's disease and often becomes worse as Parkinson's disease progresses. However, the underlying mechanisms of depression in Parkinson's disease are not clear. The aim of our study was to find genetic features related to depression in Parkinson's disease using an imaging genetics approach and to construct an analytical model for predicting the degree of depression in Parkinson's disease.

Synthesis of octahedral gold tip-blobbed nanoparticles and their dielectric sensing properties.

Site-selective synthesis of nanostructures is an important topic in the nanoscience community. Normally, the difference between seeds and deposition atoms in terms of crystallinity triggers the deposition atoms to grow initially at the specific site of nucleation. It is more challenging to control the deposition site of atoms that have the same composition as the seeds because the atoms tend to grow epitaxially, covering the whole surface of the seed nanoparticles.

Thyroid nodules and cancer in children and adolescents affected by Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

Objective: To investigate the rates of thyroid nodules and cancer in pediatric cases of Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) in Korea.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 89 pediatric and adolescent patients (age, 3-18.0 years) with HT who underwent thyroid ultrasonography (US) at our institution from February 2006 to July 2016.

Primary Pleural Synovial Sarcoma with Metastatic Cardiac Involvement: A Case Report.

Primary pleuropulmonary synovial sarcomas are rare soft tissue malignancies; combined metastatic involvement of the heart is extremely rare. In this case report, a 17-year-old female presented with a history of chest pain. Chest radiographs revealed a round mass in the left upper hemithorax, and computed tomography (CT) showed a well-defined heterogeneous enhancing mass abutting the pleura.

Accessory gallbladder in an intrahepatic location mimicking a cystic tumor of the liver: A case report.

Background: Double gallbladder (GB) is a rare congenital anomaly of the biliary system characterized by the presence of an accessory GB.

Clinical Findings: A 38-year-old female presented with a history of right upper quadrant (RUQ) pain. Computed tomography (CT) showed a lobulated cystic mass involving the center portion of liver.

p62/SQSTM1 is required for the protection against endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced apoptotic cell death.

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is triggered by various cellular stresses that disturb protein folding or calcium homeostasis in the ER. To cope with these stresses, ER stress activates the unfolded protein response (UPR) pathway, but unresolved ER stress induces reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation leading to apoptotic cell death. However, the mechanisms that underlie protection from ER stress-induced cell death are not clearly defined.

Ezetimibe, an NPC1L1 inhibitor, is a potent Nrf2 activator that protects mice from diet-induced nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.

Oxidative stress is important for the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a chronic disease that ranges from hepatic steatosis to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2-Kelch-like ECH associated protein 1 (Nrf2-Keap1) pathway is essential for cytoprotection against oxidative stress. In this study, we found that oxidative stress or inflammatory biomarkers and TUNEL positive cells were markedly increased in NASH patients compared to normal or simple steatosis.

Ca(2+) is a Regulator of the WNK/OSR1/NKCC Pathway in a Human Salivary Gland Cell Line.

Wnk kinase maintains cell volume, regulating various transporters such as sodium-chloride cotransporter, potassium-chloride cotransporter, and sodium-potassium-chloride cotransporter 1 (NKCC1) through the phosphorylation of oxidative stress responsive kinase 1 (OSR1) and STE20/SPS1-related proline/alanine-rich kinase (SPAK). However, the activating mechanism of Wnk kinase in specific tissues and specific conditions is broadly unclear. In the present study, we used a human salivary gland (HSG) cell line as a model and showed that Ca(2+) may have a role in regulating Wnk kinase in the HSG cell line.

Highly flexible, proton-conductive silicate glass electrolytes for medium-temperature/low-humidity proton exchange membrane fuel cells.

We demonstrate highly flexible, proton-conductive silicate glass electrolytes integrated with polyimide (PI) nonwoven fabrics (referred to as "b-SS glass electrolytes") for potential use in medium-temperature/low-humidity proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). The b-SS glass electrolytes are fabricated via in situ sol-gel synthesis of 3-trihydroxysilyl-1-propanesulfonic acid (THPSA)/3-glycidyloxypropyl trimethoxysilane (GPTMS) mixtures inside PI nonwoven substrates that serve as a porous reinforcing framework. Owing to this structural uniqueness, the b-SS glass electrolytes provide noticeable improvements in mechanical bendability and membrane thickness, in comparison to typical bulk silicate glass electrolytes that are thick and easily fragile.

Hydrophilicity/porous structure-tuned, SiO2/polyetherimide-coated polyimide nonwoven porous substrates for reinforced composite proton exchange membranes.

Porous substrate-reinforced composite proton exchange membranes have drawn considerable attention due to their promising application to polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). In the present study, we develop silica (SiO(2)) nanoparticles/polyetherimide (PEI) binders-coated polyimide (PI) nonwoven porous substrates (referred to as "S-PI substrates") for reinforced composite membranes. The properties of S-PI substrates, which crucially affect the performance of resulting reinforced composite membranes, are significantly improved by controlling the hygroscopic SiO(2) particle size.