Clinical features of Guillain-Barré syndrome with anti-neurofascin 155 antibody.

Objective: Anti-neurofascin 155 (NF155) antibody has been discovered in chronic demyelinating conditions. However, the positive rate and clinical description were insufficient in acute demyelinating conditions, such as Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). This study aimed to explore the positive rate of anti-NF155 antibody in GBS patients and determine whether there were unique clinical characteristics in these patients.

Pramipexole inhibits astrocytic NLRP3 inflammasome activation via Drd3-dependent autophagy in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease.

Inflammation is one of the pathogenic processes in Parkinson's disease (PD). Dopamine receptor agonist pramipexole (PPX) is extensively used for PD treatment in clinics. A number of studies show that PPX exerts neuroprotection on dopaminergic (DA) neurons, but the molecular mechanisms underlying the protective effects of PPX on DA neurons are not fully elucidated.

Authentic leadership and innovation behaviour among nurses in China: A mediation model of work engagement.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of authentic leadership on nurses' innovation behaviour and the mediating role of work engagement.

Background: Encouraging nurses to generate more innovation behaviours has become an important development direction for improving the quality of nursing services.

Method: We employed a self-report questionnaire to collect data in Jinan City, China.

Identifying the hub gene and immune infiltration of Parkinson's disease using bioinformatical methods.

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder that affects 1%-2% of the population over 60 years old. Immune response dysfunction in the brain contributes to the occurrence and development of PD. This study aimed to uncover the potential diagnostic genes for PD and characterize the immune cell infiltrates.

Cerebrospinal fluid lactate level in aquaporin-4 antibody positive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders: a hint on differential diagnosis and possible immunopathogenesis.

Background: Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) and multiple sclerosis (MS) may be similar to each other in clinical features. The differential diagnosis between them remains challenging in clinical practice. This retrospective study is aimed to describe the difference of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) lactate level between aquaporin-4 antibody (AQP4-Ab) positive NMOSD and MS, to discuss the possible explanation upon immunopathogenesis and the significance in differential diagnosis.

Comparisons Between Infectious and Autoimmune Encephalitis: Clinical Signs, Biochemistry, Blood Counts, and Imaging Findings.

Objective: Infectious encephalitis (IE) and autoimmune encephalitis (AE) are symptomatically similar in clinic, however essentially different in pathogenesis. Therefore, the objective of this study was to identify specific features to distinguish the two types of encephalitis for early effective diagnosis and treatments through a comparative analysis.

Methods: Fifty-nine IE patients and 36 AE patients were enrolled.

Increased serum IL-36γ levels are associated with disease severity in myasthenia gravis patients.

Background: Interleukin 36 (IL-36), as a gradually recognized cytokine, is involved in the occurrence and evolution of autoimmune diseases. Nevertheless, the relationship between myasthenia gravis (MG) and IL-36 is rarely reported.

Methods: We evaluated the serum levels of IL-36 (IL-36α, IL-36β and IL-36γ) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Correlation between serum levels of endothelin-1 and disease severity in patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders.

Aims: Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) are aquaporin-4 antibody-mediated diseases of the central nervous system. Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is an inflammatory cytokine released by vascular endothelial cells and activated astrocytes. Previous studies have reported the aberrant expressions of cytokines/chemokines in patients diagnosed with NMOSD.

Different clinical characteristics of longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis with and without connective tissue disorders: a single-center retrospective study.

Background And Objective: Autoimmune longitudinal extensive transverse myelitis (LETM) is often combined with connective tissue disorders (CTD). The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical characteristics of autoimmune LETM with and without CTD.

Methods: Ninety-two patients diagnosed with autoimmune LETM were enrolled from our clinical database and divided into two groups depending on whether they had a concomitant diagnosis of CTD.

Impact of Maternal Separation on Dopamine System and its Association with Parkinson's Disease.

As a type of stress, maternal separation (MS) has been one of the most widely used models in neuropsychiatric research. An increasing number of studies has found that MS not only affects the function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and hippocampal 5-hydroxytryptamine system, but also causes dysfunction of the central dopamine (DA) system and increases the susceptibility of dopaminergic neurons to pathogenic factors of Parkinson's disease (PD), for instance, 6-hydroxydopamine, thus impairing motor function. We reviewed the impact of MS on the DA system and its correlation with PD and found the following: (1) discrepant effects of MS on the DA system have been reported; (2) MS is a good model to study the impact of stress on the occurrence and development of PD, however, unified modeling criteria of MS are required; (3) correlation between MS and PD may involve the impact of MS on the DA system, which however is not the only connection; (4) intervening measures can block pathways between MS and PD, which provides reference for the prevention of PD in specific populations such as left-behind children.

Three-layered metallodielectric nanoshells: plausible meta-atoms for metamaterials with isotropic negative refractive index at visible wavelengths.

A three-layered Ag-low-permittivity (LP)-high-permittivity (HP) nanoshell is proposed as a plausible meta-atom for building the three-dimensional isotropic negative refractive index metamaterials (NIMs). The overlap between the electric and magnetic responses of Ag-LP-HP nanoshell can be realized by designing the geometry of the particle, which can lead to the negative electric and magnetic polarizabilities. Then, the negative refractive index is found in the random arrangement of Ag-LP-HP nanoshells.

Fano-like resonance in symmetry-broken gold nanotube dimer.

The influences of the symmetry-breaking on the plasmon resonance couplings in the isolated gold nanotube and the gold nanotube dimer have been investigated by means of the finite element method. It is found that the core offset of gold nanotubes leads to the red-shifts of the low energy modes and the enhanced near-field on the thin shell side of the symmetry-broken gold nanotube (SBGNT). In the weak coupling model of the SBGNT dimer, the interference of the bonding octupole mode of the dimer with the dipole modes causes a strong Fano-like resonance in scattering spectrum.

A tunable Fano resonance in silver nanoshell with a spherically anisotropic core.

The influences of the anisotropic permittivity and permeability in inner core on the Fano resonance have been investigated in Ag nanoshell by means of Mie scattering theory. The decreased inner core radius can enhance the coupling between superradiant and subradiant dipole modes and hence a distinct Fano profile. With increasing the tangential permittivity or permeability of inner core, the Fano resonance shows a redshift and the magnitude of Fano profile increases.

[Comparison of CCL28 in human labial glands and parotids].

Objective: To compare the expression of CCL28 in minor and major salivary glands and clarify the role it plays in IgA secreting by minor salivary glands in oral cavity.

Methods: Labial gland and parotid samples were analyzed with real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR assay for CCL28 mRNA. Rank-sum test was used for data analysis using SPSS 10.