Altered orbitofrontal and pars opercularis cortical thickness in betel quid dependence chewers.

Background: Altered cerebral cortex's structural organization has been found in individuals with betel quid dependence (BQD). However, the neurological underpinnings of the BQD-related abnormalities in cortical thickness and brain circuitry deficit are largely unknown.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate potential abnormalities of brain circuitry in the cortical thickness of BQD individuals by applying the surface-based morphometry (SBM) method.

Enhancing Cancer Therapy: Boron-Rich Polyboronate Ester Micelles for Synergistic Boron Neutron Capture Therapy and PD-1/PD-L1 Checkpoint Blockade.

Malignant cancers, known for their pronounced heterogeneity, pose substantial challenges to monotherapeutic strategies and contribute to the risk of metastasis. Addressing this, our study explores the synergistic potential of combining boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) with immune checkpoint blockade to enhance cancer treatment efficacy. We synthesized boron-rich block copolymer micelles as a novel boron drug for BNCT.

Boron Neutron Capture Therapy Enhanced by Boronate Ester Polymer Micelles: Synthesis, Stability, and Tumor Inhibition Studies.

Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) targets invasive, radioresistant cancers but requires a selective and high B-10 loading boron drug. This manuscript investigates boron-rich poly(ethylene glycol)--(poly(4-vinylphenyl boronate ester)) polymer micelles synthesized via atom transfer radical polymerization for their potential application in BNCT. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed spherical micelles with a uniform size of 43 ± 10 nm, ideal for drug delivery.

Cisplatin-activated and hemoglobin-mediated injectable hydrogel system for antitumor chemodynamic and chemotherapy.

Low specificity and hypoxia-induced drug resistance are significant challenges in traditional cancer treatment. To enhance the anticancer efficacy, an injectable hydrogel system is developed through the formation of dynamic covalent bonds in hyaluronic acid, allowing for localized controlled release of drugs. This system also utilizes double-stranded DNA sequences for the intercalation delivery of the chemotherapeutic drug, enabling a multifaceted approach to therapy.

Assembly of Interfacial Polyelectrolyte Complexation Fibers with Mineralization Gradient for Physiologically-Inspired Ligament Regeneration.

Current synthetic grafts for ligament rupture repair often fail to integrate well with the surrounding biological tissue, leading to complications such as graft wear, fatigue, and subsequent re-rupture. To address this medical challenge, this study aims at advancing the development of a biological ligament through the integration of physiologically-inspired principles and tissue engineering strategies. In this study, interfacial polyelectrolyte complexation (IPC) spinning technique, along with a custom-designed collection system, to fabricate a hierarchical scaffold mimicking native ligament structure, is utilized.

Acetylcholine muscarinic M1 receptors in the rodent prefrontal cortex modulate cognitive abilities to establish social hierarchy.

In most social species, the attainment of social dominance is strongly affected by personality traits. Dominant individuals show better cognitive abilities, however, whether an individual's cognition can determine its social status has remained inconclusive. We found that mice show better cognitive abilities tend to possess a higher social rank after cohousing.

In vivo investigation of boron-rich nanodrugs for treating triple-negative breast cancers via boron neutron capture therapy.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is characterized by highly proliferative cancer cells and is the only subtype of breast cancer that lacks a targeted therapy. Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is an approach that combines chemotherapy with radiotherapy and can potentially offer beneficial targeted treatment for TNBC patients owing to its unique ability to eradicate cancer cells selectively while minimizing damage to the surrounding healthy cells. Since BNCT relies on specific delivery of a high loading of B10 to the tumor site, there is growing research interest to develop more potent boron-based drugs for BNCT that can overcome the limitations of small-molecule boron compounds.

Supramolecular hydrogel for programmable delivery of therapeutics to cancer multidrug resistance.

Multidrug resistance (MDR) has been considered as a major adversary in oncologic chemotherapy. To simultaneously overcome drug resistance and inhibit tumor growth, it is essential to develop a drug delivery system that can carry and release multiple therapeutic agents with spatiotemporal control. In this study, we developed a hydrogel containing an enzyme-cleavable peptide motif, with a network structure formed by 4-armed polyethylene glycol (PEG) crosslinked by complementary nucleic acid sequences.

Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging-based radiomics for the prediction of progression-free survival in advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

To establish a multidimensional nomogram model for predicting progression-free survival (PFS) and risk stratification in patients with advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). This retrospective cross-sectional study included 156 patients with advanced NPC who underwent dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI). Radiomic features were extracted from the efflux rate constant ( ) and extracellular extravascular volume ( ) mapping derived from DCE-MRI.

Radiological model based on the standard magnetic resonance sequences for detecting methylguanine methyltransferase methylation in glioma using texture analysis.

This study aims to build a radiological model based on standard MR sequences for detecting methylguanine methyltransferase (MGMT) methylation in gliomas using texture analysis. A retrospective cross-sectional study was undertaken in a cohort of 53 glioma patients who underwent standard preoperative magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Conventional visual radiographic features and clinical factors were compared between MGMT promoter methylated and unmethylated groups.

Comparison of Radiomics Analyses Based on Different Magnetic Resonance Imaging Sequences in Grading and Molecular Genomic Typing of Glioma.

Objective: To investigate the value of radiomics analyses based on different magnetic resonance (MR) sequences in the noninvasive evaluation of glioma characteristics for the differentiation of low-grade glioma versus high-grade glioma, isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)1 mutation versus IDH1 wild-type, and mutation status and 6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) promoter methylation (+) versus MGMT promoter methylation (-) glioma.

Methods: Fifty-nine patients with untreated glioma who underwent a standard 3T-MR tumor protocol were included in the study. A total of 396 radiomics features were extracted from the MR images, with the manually delineated tumor as the volume of interest.

Biodegradable aniline-derived electroconductive film for the regulation of neural stem cell fate.

Neural stem cells (NSCs) represent significant potential and promise in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases and nerve injuries. An efficient methodology or platform that can help in specifically directing the stem cell fate is important and highly desirable for future clinical therapy. In this study, a biodegradable electrical conductive film composed of an oxidative polymerized carboxyl-capped aniline pentamer (CCAP) and ring-opening polymerized tetra poly(d,l-lactide) (4a-PLA) was designed with the addition of the dopant, namely chondroitin sulfate.

Neural tissue engineering: the influence of scaffold surface topography and extracellular matrix microenvironment.

During nervous system development, an extracellular matrix (ECM) plays a pivotal role through surface topography and microenvironment signals in neurons and neurites maturation. Topography and microenvironment signals act as physical and chemical guiding cues, respectively, for neural tissue formation and reconstruction. Imposed surface topography can affect neural stem cells by promoting adhesion, spreading, alignment, morphological changes, and specific gene expression.

Early Stage Markers of Late Delayed Neurocognitive Decline Using Diffusion Kurtosis Imaging of Temporal Lobe in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Patients.

: To determine whether the early assessment of temporal lobe microstructural changes using diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) can predict late delayed neurocognitive decline after radiotherapy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients. : Fifty-four NPC patients undergoing intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) participated in a prospective DKI magnetic resonance (MR) imaging study. MR imaging was acquired prior to IMRT (-0), 1 month (-1), and 3 (-3) months after IMRT.

Temporal lobe microstructural abnormalities in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma quantitatively evaluated by high-resolution DWI and DKI after concurrent chemoradiotherapy.

Purpose: To investigate temporal lobe microstructural abnormalities and neurocognitive function impairment after concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

Methods: NPC patients who underwent CCRT were enrolled. High-resolution diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diffusion-kurtosis imaging (DKI) MRI, were performed 5 times per patient (once pre-CCRT, 1 week post-CCRT, 3 months post-CCRT, 6 months post-CCRT, and 12 months post-CCRT).

Multi-parameters of Magnetic Resonance Imaging to Estimate Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury after Stroke in Hyperglycemic Rats.

The aim of the study is to verify the effect of hyperglycemia on ischemia-reperfusion injury and to explore the feasibility of noninvasive observation of ischemic-reperfusion injury in hyperglycemic ischemic stroke by MRI technique. According to the duration of ischemia and blood glucose levels, 40 rats were divided into hyperglycemic ischemic 2-hr (H-I2h), hyperglycemic ischemic 6-hr (H-I6h), non- hyperglycemic ischemic 2-hr (NH-I2h), and non- hyperglycemic ischemic 6-hr (NH-I6h) groups. T2W imaging, DW imaging, T2 mapping, T2* mapping, DCE, and T1 mapping after enhancement sequences were acquired before reperfusion and approximately 3-hr after reperfusion.

Multi-systemic melioidosis: a clinical, neurological, and radiological case study from Hainan Province, China.

Background: Melioidosis is a tropical disease caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei (B. pseudomallei). It can infect any organ system and lead to multiple abscesses.

In Vivo Imaging Markers for Prediction of Radiotherapy Response in Patients with Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: RESOLVE DWI versus DKI.

In this prospective study, we compared the performance of readout segmentation of long variable echo trains of diffusion-weighted imaging (RESOLVE DWI) and diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) for the prediction of radiotherapy response in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Forty-one patients with NPC were evaluated. All patients underwent conventional MRI, RESOLVE DWI and DKI, before and after radiotherapy.

Smoke suppression properties of Si-Al mesoporous structure on medium density fiberboard.

In this article, smoke suppression of Si-Al mesoporous structure on medium density fiberboard (MDF) was investigated by cone calorimeter test (CCT), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), and fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR). The CCT results show that the Si-Al mesoporous structure can effectively decrease heat release rate (HRR), total heat release (THR), smoke production rate (SPR), total smoke production (TSP), smoke rate (SR), CO and CO concentration, etc. Particularly, the SR curves of MDF present that Si-Al mesoporous structure are considered to be a filter, which can net the solid particles and volatile flammable components in the smoke and fix onto wood fiber.

Diffusion-kurtosis imaging predicts early radiotherapy response in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients.

In this prospective study, we analyzed diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) parameters to predict the early response to radiotherapy in 23 nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients. All patients underwent conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and DKI before and after radiotherapy. The patients were divided into response (RG; no residual tumors; 16/23 patients) and no-response (NRG; residual tumors; 7/23 patients) groups, based on MRI and biopsy results 3 months after radiotherapy.

Sinulariolide suppresses LPS‑induced phenotypic and functional maturation of dendritic cells.

The dendritic cell (DC) maturation process is essential for the development of T cell responses and immune tolerance. Accordingly, DCs are considered a major target in the development of immunomodulating agents. In the present study, the effect of sinulariolide, an active compound isolated from the cultured soft coral Sinularia flexibilis, on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‑induced murine bone marrow‑derived DCs was evaluated.