Circular RNA METTL15/miR-374a-5p/ESCO2 axis induces colorectal cancer development.

This study investigated the biological role and mechanism of circMETTL15 in colorectal cancer (CRC). Cancer tissues and matched adjacent normal tissues were collected. CircMETTL15, miR-374a-5p, and ESCO2 levels were detected by RT-qPCR and Western Blot.

Chiral Arylated Amines via C-N Coupling of Chiral Amines with Aryl Bromides Promoted by Light.

The Buchwald-Hartwig C-N coupling reaction has found widespread applications in organic synthesis. Over the past two decades or so, many improved catalysts have been introduced, allowing various amines and aryl electrophiles to be readily used nowadays. However, there lacks a protocol that could be used to couple a wide range of chiral amines and aryl halides, without erosion of the enantiomeric excess (ee).

Assessing gray matter volume in patients with idiopathic rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder.

Idiopathic rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (iRBD) is often a precursor to neurodegenerative disease. However, voxel-based morphological studies evaluating structural abnormalities in the brains of iRBD patients are relatively rare. This study aimed to explore cerebral structural alterations using magnetic resonance imaging and to determine their association with clinical parameters in iRBD patients.

EGb761 improves the cognitive function of elderly db/db diabetic mice by regulating the beclin-1 and NF-κB signaling pathways.

To assess whether EGb761 could protect elderly diabetic mice with cognitive disorders and explore the role of beclin-1-mediated autophagy in these protective effects. Two-month-old male db/db mice and wild-type C57/BL6 mice were randomly divided into six groups: db/db control, db/db 50 mg, db/db 100 mg, wild-type (WT) control, WT 50 mg, and WT 100 mg. EGb761 (50 mg/kg or 100 mg/kg of bodyweight) was given by gavage once a day for 1 month from the age of 6 months.

Small-worldness of brain networks after brachial plexus injury: A resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study.

Research on brain function after brachial plexus injury focuses on local cortical functional reorganization, and few studies have focused on brain networks after brachial plexus injury. Changes in brain networks may help understanding of brain plasticity at the global level. We hypothesized that topology of the global cerebral resting-state functional network changes after unilateral brachial plexus injury.

Comparison of Electroacupuncture and Mild-Warm Moxibustion on Brain-Gut Function in Patients with Constipation-Predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objective: To compare the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) and mild-warm moxibustion (Mox) therapies for constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (C-IBS) patients.

Methods: Sixty C-IBS patients were assigned to 2 groups by simple randomized method, i.e.

CIRH1A augments the proliferation of RKO colorectal cancer cells.

Accumulating evidence suggests that ribosomal proteins may have extraribosomal functions in various physiological and pathological processes, including cancer. We analyzed the expression of the CIRH1A ribosomal protein in colorectal carcinoma and para-carcinoma samples by bioinformatics analyses of data extracted from The Cancer Genome Atlas and in colorectal cancer cell lines in vitro by qPCR. CIRH1A was highly expressed in carcinoma samples and colorectal cancer cells.

Comparison of electroacupuncture and moxibustion on brain-gut function in patients with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome: A randomized controlled trial.

Objective: To compare the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) and moxibustion therapies on patients with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (D-IBS).

Methods: A total of 60 D-IBS patients were randomly allocated to the EA group (30 cases) and moxibustion group (30 cases). Before and after treatment, the gastrointestinal symptoms and psychological symptoms were scored by Visual Analogue Scale, Bristol Stool Form Scale, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA), and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD); the expressions of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), 5-HT3 receptor (5-HT3R), and 5-HT4 receptor (5-HT4R) in the sigmoid mucosal tissue were measured by immunohistochemical staining.

rs17501976 polymorphism of CLDN1 gene is associated with decreased risk of colorectal cancer in a Chinese population.

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between polymorphisms in Claudin-1 (CLDN1) and the risk of colorectal cancer in a Chinese population. In this study, a case-control study was conducted in which polymorphisms in CLDN1 were analyzed in 50 patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) and 50 healthy individuals as controls. No rs16865344 and rs17429833 polymorphism were found among all analyzed samples.

Recurrent gain-of-function USP8 mutations in Cushing's disease.

Cushing's disease, also known as adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-secreting pituitary adenomas (PAs) that cause excess cortisol production, accounts for up to 85% of corticotrophin-dependent Cushing's syndrome cases. However, the genetic alterations in this disease are unclear. Here, we performed whole-exome sequencing of DNA derived from 12 ACTH-secreting PAs and matched blood samples, which revealed three types of somatic mutations in a candidate gene, USP8 (encoding ubiquitin-specific protease 8), exclusively in exon 14 in 8 of 12 ACTH-secreting PAs.

Localizing hand motor area using resting-state fMRI: validated with direct cortical stimulation.

Background: Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (R-fMRI) is a promising tool in clinical application, especially in presurgical mapping for neurosurgery. This study aimed to investigate the sensitivity and specificity of R-fMRI in the localization of hand motor area in patients with brain tumors validated by direct cortical stimulation (DCS). We also compared this technique to task-based blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) fMRI (T-fMRI).

Diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging for predicting the consistency of intracranial meningiomas.

Background: The ability of preoperative MRI-sequences to predict the consistency of intracranial meningiomas has not yet been clearly defined. We aim to demonstrate that diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) improves the prediction of intracranial meningiomas consistency.

Methods: We prospectively studied 110 meningioma patients operated on in a single center from March 1st to the 25th of May 2012.

Acupuncture treatment of chronic low back pain reverses an abnormal brain default mode network in correlation with clinical pain relief.

Background: Acupuncture is gaining in popularity as a treatment for chronic low back pain (cLBP); however, its therapeutic mechanisms remain controversial, partly because of the absence of an objective way of measuring subjective pain. Resting-state functional MRI (rsfMRI) has demonstrated aberrant default mode network (DMN) connectivity in patients with chronic pain, and also shown that acupuncture increases DMN connectivity in pain-modulator and affective-emotional brain regions of healthy subjects.

Objective: This study sought to explore how cLBP influences the DMN and whether, and how, the altered DMN connectivity is reversed after acupuncture for clinical pain.

Sensorimotor cortical changes assessed with resting-state fMRI following total brachial plexus root avulsion.

Objective: Peripheral nerve injury can induce immediate and long-standing remodelling of the brain cortex, which may affect outcomes of nerve repair. This study examined changes of corresponding cortical representations in patients with brachial plexus injuries.

Methods: Resting-state fMRI was acquired for 13 adult patients with total brachial plexus root avulsion, three of whom underwent second scans 7 or 8 months later.

Long-term ongoing cortical remodeling after contralateral C-7 nerve transfer.

Object: Contralateral C-7 nerve transfer was developed for the treatment of patients with brachial plexus avulsion injury (BPAI). In the surgical procedure the affected recipient nerve is connected to the ipsilateral motor cortex, and the dramatic peripheral alteration may trigger extensive cortical reorganization. However, little is known about the long-term results after such specific nerve transfers.

Clinical application of motor pathway mapping using diffusion tensor imaging tractography and intraoperative direct subcortical stimulation in cerebral glioma surgery: a prospective cohort study.

Background: Glioma surgery in eloquent areas remains a challenge because of the risk of postoperative motor deficits.

Objective: To prospectively evaluate the efficiency of using a combination of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) tractography functional neuronavigation and direct subcortical stimulation (DsCS) to yield a maximally safe resection of cerebral glioma in eloquent areas.

Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted in 58 subjects with an initial diagnosis of primary cerebral glioma within or adjacent to the pyramidal tract (PT).

Sensory neuronopathy involves the spinal cord and brachial plexus: a quantitative study employing multiple-echo data image combination (MEDIC) and turbo inversion recovery magnitude (TIRM).

Introduction: Sensory neuronopathy (SNN) is a distinctive subtype of peripheral neuropathies, specifically targeting dorsal root ganglion (DRG). We utilized MRI to demonstrate the imaging characteristics of DRG, spinal cord (SC), and brachial plexus at C7 level in SNN.

Methods: We attempted multiple-echo data image combination (MEDIC) and turbo inversion recovery magnitude (TIRM) methods in nine patients with sensory neuronopathy and compared with those in 16 disease controls and 20 healthy volunteers.

Preoperative surgical planning for intracranial meningioma resection by virtual reality.

Background: The Dextroscope system by Volume Interactions (Singapore) had been applied to minimally invasive neurosurgery in many units. This system enables the neurosurgeon to interact intuitively with the three-dimensional graphics in a direct manner resembling the way one communicates with the real objects. In the paper, we explored its values in pre-operation surgical planning for intracranial meningiomas resection.

[Chinese herbal medicine for patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer disease based on syndrome differentiation: a randomized controlled trial].

Background: Alzheimer disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that is characterized by its gradual progression. At present, the cause and mechanism of AD are yet unclear, and there is no effective therapy for treating it. With development of global aging, the prevalence rate of AD is increasing.

[Preliminary application of magnetic resonance susceptibility weighted imaging in neonates with punctate white matter lesions].

Objective: To evaluate the severity of punctate white matter lesions (PWML) in neonatal brain injury with susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI) and explore the value and limitation of SWI versus the conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Methods: A total of 34 neonates presenting with PWML at initial MRI were recruited for this prospective study. PWML were defined as punctuate lesions with T(1) hyperintensity and T(2) isointensity or hypointensity in white matter.

Virtual reality presurgical planning for cerebral gliomas adjacent to motor pathways in an integrated 3-D stereoscopic visualization of structural MRI and DTI tractography.

Objective: Resection of gliomas invading primary motor cortex and subcortical motor pathway is difficult in both surgical decision-making and functional outcome prediction. In this study, magnetic resonance (MR) diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data were used to perform tractography to visualize pyramidal tract (PT) along its whole length in a stereoscopic virtual reality (VR) environment. The potential value of its clinical application was evaluated.

[Association between clinical ischemic events and carotid calcification evaluated by 64 slices CT angiography].

Objective: To explore the relationship between clinical ischemic events and carotid calcification detected by 64 slices CT angiography.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the carotid calcified plaques in 116 patients underwent the 64 slices CT angiography. The relationship between the carotid calcification and the clinical ischemic events was analyzed.

Preoperative evaluation of neurovascular relationships for microvascular decompression in the cerebellopontine angle in a virtual reality environment.

Object: In this paper the authors' goal was to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of a virtual reality (VR) system in preoperative planning for microvascular decompression (MVD) procedures treating idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia and hemifacial spasm. The system's role in surgical simulation and training was also assessed.

Methods: Between May 2008 and April 2009, the authors used the Dextroscope system to visualize the neurovascular complex and simulate MVD in the cerebellopontine angle in a VR environment in 16 patients (6 patients had trigeminal neuralgia and 10 had hemifacial spasm).