Quantitative magnetization transfer and g-ratio imaging of white matter myelin in early psychotic spectrum disorders.

Myelin abnormalities in white matter have been implicated in the pathophysiology of psychotic spectrum disorders (PSD), which are characterized by brain dysconnectivity as a core feature. Among evidence from in vivo MRI studies, diffusion imaging findings have largely supported disrupted white matter integrity in PSD; however, they are not specific to myelin changes. Using a multimodal imaging approach, the current study aimed to further delineate myelin and microstructural changes in the white matter of a young PSD cohort.

Activation of Imprinted Gene Promotes Cardiac Fibrosis After Ischemic Injury.

Background: Cardiac fibrosis, characterized by excessive extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition in the myocardium, is an important target for heart disease treatments. (paternally expressed gene 3) is an imprinted gene expressed from the paternal allele, and de novo purine biosynthesis (DNPB) is a crucial pathway for nucleotide synthesis. However, the roles of PW1 and DNPB in ECM production by cardiac fibroblasts during myocardial ischemia are not yet understood.

Missense variants of associated with congenital arachnodactyly in three Chinese families.

Background: Congenital contractural arachnodactyly (CCA) is a rare autosomal dominant disorder caused by pathogenic variants of Fibrillin-2 () gene. This study aimed to investigate the variants in three Chinese families with CCA.

Methods: Next-generation sequencing analysis and Sanger sequencing of exons 24-35 of (NM_001999.

Diffusion imaging markers of accelerated aging of the lower cingulum in subjective cognitive decline.

Introduction: Alzheimer's Disease (AD) typically starts in the medial temporal lobe, then develops into a neurodegenerative cascade which spreads to other brain regions. People with subjective cognitive decline (SCD) are more likely to develop dementia, especially in the presence of amyloid pathology. Thus, we were interested in the white matter microstructure of the medial temporal lobe in SCD, specifically the lower cingulum bundle that leads into the hippocampus.

Ultrafast Multifunctional Photodetector Based on the NiAlO/4H-SiC Heterojunction.

Solar-blind photodetectors based on wide bandgap semiconductors have recently attracted a lot of interest. Nickel-containing spinel phase oxides, such as NiAlO, are stable p-type semiconductors. This paper describes a multifunctional solar-blind photodetector based on a NiAlO/4H-SiC heterojunction that utilizes photovoltaic effects.

MicroRNAs in spermatogenesis dysfunction and male infertility: clinical phenotypes, mechanisms and potential diagnostic biomarkers.

Infertility affects approximately 10-15% of couples worldwide who are attempting to conceive, with male infertility accounting for 50% of infertility cases. Male infertility is related to various factors such as hormone imbalance, urogenital diseases, environmental factors, and genetic factors. Owing to its relationship with genetic factors, male infertility cannot be diagnosed through routine examination in most cases, and is clinically called 'idiopathic male infertility.

Synthesis and Performance Evaluation of a Novel High-Temperature-Resistant Thickener.

Successful exploitation of carbonate reservoirs relies on the acid-fracturing process, while the thickeners used in this process play a key role. It is a common engineering problem that thickeners usually fail to function when used in high-temperature environments. Until now, no research has ventured into the field of synthesizing thickeners which can be effectively used at ultra-high temperatures up to 180 °C.

Growth factors in the treatment of Achilles tendon injury.

Achilles tendon (AT) injury is one of the most common tendon injuries, especially in athletes, the elderly, and working-age people. In AT injury, the biomechanical properties of the tendon are severely affected, leading to abnormal function. In recent years, many efforts have been underway to develop effective treatments for AT injuries to enable patients to return to sports faster.

Expression analysis of plvap in mouse heart development, homeostasis and injury.

Plasmalemma vesicle associated protein (PLVAP) is commonly considered to be specifically expressed in endothelial cells in which it localized to diaphragms of caveolae, fenestrae, and transendothelial channels. PLVAP is reported to be an important regulator of heart development and a novel target to promote cardiac repair in the ischemic heart. However, the dynamics of plvap expression in heart development, homeostasis and pathology have not been comprehensively described.

enzymatic degradation of the PTMC/cross-linked PEGDA blends.

Poly(1,3-trimethylene carbonate) (PTMC) is a flexible amorphous polymer with good degradability and biocompatibility. The degradation of PTMC is critical for its application as a degradable polymer, more convenient and easy-to-control cross-linking strategies for preparing PTMC are required. The blends of poly(trimethylene carbonate) (PTMC) and cross-linked poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) were prepared by mixing photoactive PEGDA and PTMC and subsequently photopolymerizing the mixture with uv light.

Population Pharmacokinetic Analysis of Follicle-Stimulating Hormone During Ovarian Stimulation: Relation with Weight, Prolactin and Gene Polymorphism in THADA and ADIPOQ.

Background: Personalisation strategies of ovarian stimulation for in vitro fertilisation (IVF)/ intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) treatments using exogenous follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) have been extensively studied over the past 20 years. This research aimed to develop a FSH population pharmacokinetic (PPK) model taking into account the contribution of gene polymorphisms in Chinese reproductive-age women.

Methods: Data from 173 patients undergoing GnRH agonist down-regulation long protocols of IVF/ICSI treatment were collected.

A nanonewton-scale biomimetic mechanosensor.

Biomimetic mechanosensors have profound implications for various areas, including health care, prosthetics, human‒machine interfaces, and robotics. As one of the most important parameters, the sensitivity of mechanosensors is intrinsically determined by the detection resolution to mechanical force. In this manuscript, we expand the force detection resolution of current biomimetic mechanosensors from the micronewton to nanonewton scale.

Synthesis and characterization of a novel Ga-labeled p-bromobenzyl lysine-urea-ODAP PSMA inhibitor.

Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) has been proved as a specific target for diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer (PCa). Recently, oxalyldiaminopropionic acid (ODAP)-Urea-based ligands showed the potential as a new scaffold for developing radiotracers to image PCa. In this study, we synthesized seven ODAP-Urea-Lys derivatives characterized with p-bromobenzyl group conjugated to lysine.

Microstructural and Microvascular Alterations in Psychotic Spectrum Disorders: A Three-Compartment Intravoxel Incoherent Imaging and Free Water Model.

Background And Hypothesis: Microvascular and inflammatory mechanisms have been hypothesized to be involved in the pathophysiology of psychotic spectrum disorders (PSDs). However, data evaluating these hypotheses remain limited.

Study Design: We applied a three-compartment intravoxel incoherent motion free water imaging (IVIM-FWI) technique that estimates the perfusion fraction (PF), free water fraction (FW), and anisotropic diffusion of tissue (FAt) to examine microvascular and microstructural changes in gray and white matter in 55 young adults with a PSD compared to 37 healthy controls (HCs).

Asymmetric Janus functionalization induced magnetization and switchable out-of-plane polarization in 2D MXene MoCXX'.

Exploring two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals materials with out-of-plane polarization and electromagnetic coupling is essential for the development of next-generation nano-memory devices. A novel class of 2D monolayer materials with predicted spin-polarized semi-conductivity, partially compensated antiferromagnetic (AFM) order, fairly high Curie temperature, and out-of-plane polarization is analyzed in this work for the first time. Based on density functional theory calculations, we systematically studied these properties in asymmetrically functionalized MXenes (Janus MoC)-MoCXX' (X, X' = F, O, and OH).

The cGAS-STING pathway-related gene signature can predict patient prognosis and immunotherapy responses in prostate adenocarcinoma.

The cyclic GMP-AMP synthase-stimulator of the interferon genes (cGAS-STING) pathway is essential in inflammation-driven tumor occurrence and progression. However, the prognostic roles and immune functions of cGAS-STING pathway-related genes in patients with prostate adenocarcinoma (PRAD) remain unclear. cGAS-STING pathway-related genes were obtained from the gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) website.

High-Performance Self-Powered Photodetector Based on the Lateral Photovoltaic Effect of All-Inorganic Perovskite CsPbBr Heterojunctions.

CsPbBr, an inorganic halide perovskite, has attracted great interest in recent years due to its excellent photoelectric properties. In this paper, we report a high-performance position-sensitive detector and laser communication sensor based on a CsPbBr/4H-SiC heterojunction that effectively exploits the lateral photovoltaic (LPV) effect. The X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectra, and photoluminescence data indicate that a high-quality CsPbBr film has been successfully obtained using pulsed laser deposition.

Cortical myelin profile variations in healthy aging brain: A T1w/T2w ratio study.

Demyelination is observed in both healthy aging and age-related neurodegenerative disorders. While the significance of myelin within the cortex is well acknowledged, studies focused on intracortical demyelination and depth-specific structural alterations in normal aging are lacking. Using the recently available Human Connectome Project Aging dataset, we investigated intracortical myelin in a normal aging population using the T1w/T2w ratio.

BAP1 Tumour Predisposition Syndrome Due to Whole BAP1 Gene Deletion.

BRCA-1-associated protein-1 (BAP1) tumour predisposition syndrome (BAP1-TPDS) is a dominant hereditary cancer syndrome. The full spectrum of associated malignancies is yet to be fully characterised. We detail the phenotypic features of the first reported family with a whole BAP1 gene deletion.

Decreased basal ganglia and thalamic iron in early psychotic spectrum disorders are associated with increased psychotic and schizotypal symptoms.

Iron deficits have been reported as a risk factor for psychotic spectrum disorders (PSD). However, examinations of brain iron in PSD remain limited. The current study employed quantitative MRI to examine iron content in several iron-rich subcortical structures in 49 young adult individuals with PSD (15 schizophrenia, 17 schizoaffective disorder, and 17 bipolar disorder with psychotic features) compared with 35 age-matched healthy controls (HC).

Quantitative Macromolecular Proton Fraction Mapping Reveals Altered Cortical Myelin Profile in Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders.

Myelin abnormalities have been reported in schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) in white matter. However, examinations of cortical myeloarchitecture in SSD, especially those using quantitative measures, are limited. Here, we employed macromolecular proton fraction (MPF) obtained from quantitative magnetization transfer imaging to characterize intracortical myelin organization in 30 SSD patients versus 34 healthy control (HC) participants.

Oxaliplatin promotes siMAD2L2‑induced apoptosis in colon cancer cells.

The clinical efficacy of colorectal tumor treatment is restricted due to platinum agent resistance. Translesion DNA synthesis (TLS) has been shown to contribute to this resistance; however, the exact molecular mechanism remains unknown. The present study aimed to investigate the possible function of the core of the TLS polymerase mitotic arrest deficient 2 like 2 (MAD2L2) in drug sensitivity, in order to provide a treatment rationale for platinum‑based chemotherapy in colon cancer.

A family with Milroy disease caused by the FLT4/VEGFR3 gene variant c.2774 T > A.

Background: Milroy disease (MD) is a rare, autosomal-dominant disorder. Variants in the Fms-related tyrosine kinase 4 (FLT4/VEGFR3) gene cause the symptoms of this disease. In this report, we investigated the variant in a large Chinese family with MD.

Increased hydrophobicity of CRYGD p.(Ala159ProfsTer9): Suspected cause of congenital cataracts in a large Chinese family.

Objective: This study aimed to identify the disease-causing mutation of congenital cataract disease in a large northeastern Chinese family.

Materials And Methods: The subjects' peripheral blood was collected, their genomic DNA was extracted, mutation screening of candidate genes was performed using polymerase chain reaction, and the amplified products were sequenced. Recombinant C-terminal enhanced green fluorescent protein-tagged wild-type or mutant CRYGD was expressed in HEK293T cells, and the expression pattern was observed under a fluorescence microscope.

Establishment of an in vitro model using the rat alveolar macrophage cell line NR8383.

Objective: To establish an in vitro model of radiation-induced lung injury using rat lung alveolar macrophages (NR8383).

Methods: Using a medical electronic linear accelerator, cells were irradiated with either 0 Gy or 6 Gy X-rays. At 6, 12, 24, 30 and 48 h, the DNA damage index (8-OHdG) and lipid damage index (MDA) were measured in the two groups.