Fatal familial insomnia: A new case description with response to thoracic sympathetic nerve thermocoagulation and stellate ganglion block.

Fatal familial insomnia (FFI) is a rare autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder characterized by rapidly progressive dementia, severe sleep disturbances, and autonomic dysfunction. The clinical manifestations of FFI can exhibit substantial variations, making it crucial to rule out other conditions, such as autoimmune encephalitis and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, during early diagnosis. In this study, we describe the case of a 58-year-old man who experienced persistent insomnia, autonomic symptoms, gait instability, and rapidly progressive dementia.

HDAC6 deacetylates TRIM56 to negatively regulate cGAS-STING-mediated type I interferon responses.

Histone deacetylase HDAC6 has been implicated in regulating antiviral innate immunity. However, its precise function in response to DNA virus infection remains elusive. Herein, we find that HDAC6 deficiency promotes the activation of cGAS-STING signaling and type I interferon (IFN) production, both in vitro and in vivo, resulting in a decrease in HSV-1 infection.

Compositionally-graded ferroelectric thin films by solution epitaxy produce excellent dielectric stability.

The composition in ferroelectric oxide films is decisive for optimizing properties and device performances. Controlling a composition distribution in these films by a facile approach is thus highly desired. In this work, we report a solution epitaxy of PbZrTiO films with a continuous gradient of Zr concentration, realized by a competitive growth at ~220 °C.

The impact of ciliary length on the mechanical response of osteocytes to fluid shear stress.

Background: Osteocytes are crucial for detecting mechanical stimuli and translating them into biochemical responses within the bone. The primary cilium, a cellular 'antenna,' plays a vital role in this process. However, there is a lack of direct correlation between cilium length changes and osteocyte mechanosensitivity changes.

Effects of anti-seizure medications on resting-state functional networks in juvenile myoclonic epilepsy: An EEG microstate analysis.

Objective: Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) is associated with large-scale brain network dysfunction. This study aims to investigate how anti-seizure medication (ASM) treatment alters resting-state functional networks in JME patients through resting-state EEG microstate analysis.

Methods: Ninety-six subjects participated in this study: 24 healthy controls (HC), 29 newly diagnosed JME patients who had not started ASMs therapy (JME-NM), and 43 JME patients on ASMs treatment with effective seizure control (JME-M).

Preparation, Characterization, and Immune Activity of Viola philippica Polysaccharide PLGA Nanoparticles.

Recent pharmacological studies have demonstrated that Viola philippica polysaccharide (VPP) exhibits a modulating effect on immune activity. However, its utilization has been hampered by its large particle size and complex spatial structure. Polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) copolymer is recognized as an effective drug delivery carrier, exhibiting excellent biochemical properties.

Effects of Manipulated Rainfall and Intraspecific Variation Within Dominant Species on Community Assembly: Insights From a Long-Term Grassland Restoration Experiment.

Grasslands converted to agricultural land use can be reestablished by sowing seeds of native species and temporal dynamics of diversity under altered climate can inform community assembly in the context of global change. We quantified three aspects of diversity (species richness, phylogenetic diversity, and functional diversity) in restored prairie plots sown with different ecotypes of two dominant grass species and manipulated rainfall to understand the relative importance of abiotic filtering and population source of dominant species on community assembly. We also evaluated the contributions of intra- and interspecific variations in functional traits across plots sown with different ecotypes of dominant species.

Elastic and recoverable sponges based on collagen/yeast β-glucan for quick hemostasis.

In this investigation, we aimed to engineer sponges with exceptional mechanical and hemostatic capabilities for effective wound healing. By combining collagen, a stiff fibril protein in ECM, with β-glucan, an elastic and triple-helical polysaccharide from yeast cell wall, we prepared a series of composite sponges, designated as CY sponges. This material exhibited a uniform pore structure, displaying enhanced elasticity and shape recovery ability compared to pure collagen sponges.

Acupuncture for Residual Dizziness After Successful Repositioning Maneuvers in Patients with Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo: Study Protocol for a Randomized Noninferiority Trial.

Introduction: Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is the most common cause of peripheral vertigo among adults. Successful treatment often requires an appropriate canalith repositioning procedure (CRP), which has proven effective in the treatment of BPPV. However, some patients experience residual dizziness (RD) after CRP, affecting their daily activities and quality of life.

MiR-221 on protective oxidative induced by selenium modified Codonopsis pilosula polysaccharide.

Oxidative stress plays an important role in various diseases. miR-221 has been reported to regulate oxidative stress. However, the mechanism of miR-221 in regulating oxidative stress induced by sCPPS remains unclear.

Inhibition of mitophagy via the EIF2S1-ATF4-PRKN pathway contributes to viral encephalitis.

Introduction: Mitophagy, a selective form of autophagy responsible for maintaining mitochondrial homeostasis, regulates the antiviral immune response and acts as viral replication platforms to facilitate infection with various viruses. However, its precise role in herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) infection and herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE) remains largely unknown.

Objectives: We aimed to investigate the regulation of mitophagy by HSV-1 neurotropic infection and its role in viral encephalitis, and to identify small compounds that regulate mitophagy to affect HSV-1 infection.

Artemvulactone E isolated from L. ameliorates lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation in both RAW264.7 and zebrafish model.

Introduction: Natural plants are valuable resources for exploring new bioactive compounds. L. is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb that has been historically used for treating multiple diseases.

Ultrastructure and distribution of antennal sensilla of parasitic wasp, Cotesia gregalis (Hymenoptera: Braconidae).

Cotesia gregalis Yang et Wei (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is a gregarious koinobiont endoparasitic wasp attacking the larvae of fall webworm, Hyphantria cunea, an important invasive insect pest in China. To better understand the parasitic wasps' mating and parasitic behaviors, we examined the morphology of the antennae of adult C. gregalis, as well as the type, number, and distribution of antennal sensilla, via scanning electron microscopy.

Collagen/Curdlan composite sponge for rapid hemostasis and skin wound healing.

Collagen's unique properties promise hemostatic potential, but its sponge form's stability and mechanics need improvement. In this study, we developed a series of homeostatic sponges by co-assembling collagen and curdlan at different ratios into hydrogels, followed by freeze-drying treatment. The incorporation of curdlan into collagen sponges has been found to significantly enhance the sponge's properties, including increased porosity, elevated water uptake, improved elasticity, and enhanced resistance to degradation.

Effective of different industrial disinfection in subzero cold-chain environment.

Effective disinfection methods are crucial in the cold chain transportation process of food due to the specificity of temperature and the diversity of contaminated flora. The objective of this study was to investigate the sanitizing effect of different disinfectants on various fungi at - 20 °C to achieve accurate disinfection of diverse bacterial populations. Peracetic acid, hydrogen peroxide, and potassium bisulfate were selected as low-temperature disinfectants and were combined with antifreeze.

TM6SF1 suppresses the progression of lung adenocarcinoma and M2 macrophage polarization by inactivating the PI3K/AKT/mtor pathway.

Transmembrane 6 superfamily 1 (TM6SF1) is lowly expressed in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), but the function and mechanisms of TM6SF1 remain unclear. Thus, we attempt to explore the function of TM6SF1 and its underlying mechanisms in LUAD. qRT-PCR was used for detecting TM6SF1 mRNA expression.

Regulatory T cells as crucial trigger and potential target for hyperprogressive disease subsequent to PD-1/PD-L1 blockade for cancer treatment.

PD-1/PD-L1 blockade therapy has brought great success to cancer treatment. Nevertheless, limited beneficiary populations and even hyperprogressive disease (HPD) greatly constrain the application of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in clinical treatment. HPD is a special pattern of disease progression with rapid tumor growth and even serious consequences of patient death, which requires urgent attention.

Metformin as anticancer agent and adjuvant in cancer combination therapy: Current progress and future prospect.

Metformin, as the preferred antihyperglycemic drug for type 2 diabetes, has been found to have a significant effect in inhibiting tumor growth in recent years. However, metformin alone in cancer treatment has the disadvantages of high dose concentrations and few targeted cancer types. Increasing studies have confirmed that metformin can be used in combination with conventional anticancer therapy to obtain more promising clinical benefits, which is expected to be rapidly transformed and applied in clinic.

Preparation and adjuvanticity against PCV of Viola philippica polysaccharide loaded in Chitosan-Gold nanoparticle.

The present Porcine circovirus type 2 virus (PCV) vaccine adjuvants suffer from numerous limitations, such as adverse effects, deficient cell-mediated immune responses, and inadequate antibody production. In this study, we explored the potential of a novel nanoparticle (CS-Au NPs) based on gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) and chitosan (CS) that modified Viola philippica polysaccharide (VPP) as efficient adjuvants for PCV vaccine. The characterization demonstrated that CS-Au-VPP NPs had a mean particle size of 507.

Effect of resveratrol on herpesvirus encephalitis: Evidences for its mechanisms of action.

Background: Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1)-induced herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE) has a high mortality rate in clinically immunocompromised patients, while recovered patients often experience neurological sequelae due to neuroinflammation. Nucleoside drugs and nucleoside analogues such as acyclovir and ganciclovir are mainly used in clinical treatment, and the emergence of resistant viral strains makes the development of new anti-herpesvirus encephalitis drugs urgent. Resveratrol is a multifunctional, plant-derived bioactive compound and its antiviral potential is attracting much attention.

Construction of machine learning models for recognizing comorbid anxiety in epilepsy patients based on their clinical and quantitative EEG features.

Background: This study aimed to construct prediction models for the recognizing of anxiety disorders (AD) in patients with epilepsy (PWEs) by combining clinical features with quantitative electroencephalogram (qEEG) features and using machine learning (ML).

Methods: Nineteen clinical features and 20-min resting-state EEG were collected from 71 PWEs comorbid with AD and another 60 PWEs without AD who met the inclusion-exclusion criteria of this study. The EEG were preprocessed and 684 Phase Locking Value (PLV) and 76 Lempel-Ziv Complexity (LZC) features on four bands were extracted.

Awareness, attitudes and first aid knowledge of epilepsy among university students - A cross-sectional study in Henan Province, China.

Purpose: Epilepsy is a debilitating disease that can lead to series of social and psychological issues, impairing the quality of life of people with epilepsy (PWE). This survey aimed to investigate the awareness, attitudes, and first-aid knowledge of epilepsy in university students METHOD: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Henan Province, China between January 1 and April 30, 2022. Students majored in education, medicine, science and engineering from 8 universities attended the study.

A lattice model based on percolation theory for cold atmospheric DBD plasma decontamination kinetics.

The tailing phenomenon, where the survival curve of bacteria shows a slow tailing period after a rapid decline, is a ubiquitous inactivation kinetics process in the advanced plasma sterilization field. While classical models suggest that bacterial resistance dispersion causes the tailing phenomenon, experiments suggest that the non-uniform spatial distribution of spores (clustered structure) is the cause. However, no existing inactivation kinetics model can accurately describe spatial heterogeneity.