Georgejiang0857
This study evaluates the effect of combined epidural electrical stimulation (EES) applied above (C5) and below (L2) the spinal cord injury (SCI) at T8-9 combined with motor training on the restoration of sensorimotor function in mini pigs. The motor evoked potentials (MEP) induced by EES applied at C5 and L2 levels were recorded in soleus muscles before and two weeks after SCI. EES treatment started two weeks after SCI and continued for 6 weeks led to improvement in multiple metrics, including behavioral, electrophysiological, and joint kinematics outcomes. In control animals after SCI a multiphasic M-response was observed during M/H-response testing, while animals received EES-enable training demonstrated the restoration of the M-response and H-reflex, although at a lower amplitude. The joint kinematic and assessment with Porcine Thoracic Injury Behavior scale (PTIBS) motor recovery scale demonstrated improvement in animals that received EES-enable training compared to animals with no treatment. The positive effect of two-level (cervical and lumbar) epidural electrical stimulation on functional restoration in mini pigs following spinal cord contusion injury in mini pigs could be related with facilitation of spinal circuitry at both levels and activation of multisegmental coordination. This approach can be taken as a basis for the future development of neuromodulation and neurorehabilitation therapy for patients with spinal cord injury.
Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is the most prevalent antibody impairment. Resveratrol mouse It is characterized by failure in immunoglobulin and protective antibody generation and defined by an increased tendency toward bacterial infections, autoimmunity, and malignancy. Most CVID diagnoses do not follow a classical Mendelian pattern of inheritance. In recent years, CVID has been considered an epigenetic phenomenon in the majority of cases, overtaking previous monogenetic and/or polygenetic theories. The aim of this study was to review the role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in CVID, focusing on the involvement of the same miRNAs in various non-infectious clinical complications of CVID, mainly autoimmunity and/or cancer.
A bibliographic search of the scientific literature was carried out independently by two researchers in scientific databases and search engines. The MeSH terms "microRNAs" and "common variable immunodeficiency" were used. All research articles from inception to May 2020 were considered.
The literature da55 involvement in human CVID could be hypothesized.
miR-142 and miR-155 deregulation leads to similar CVID phenotypesin KO mice models. Although no data are available on the involvement of these miRNAs in human CVID, their dysregulation has been detected in human CVID comorbidities. The literature data show that miRNA sequences in murine models are comparable to those in humans; therefore, miR-142 and miR-155 involvement in human CVID could be hypothesized.Cartilage regeneration is a clinical challenge. In recent years, hydrogels have emerged as implantable scaffolds in cartilage tissue engineering. Similarly, electrical stimulation has been employed to improve matrix synthesis of cartilage cells, and thus to foster engineering and regeneration of cartilage tissue. The combination of hydrogels and electrical stimulation may pave the way for new clinical treatment of cartilage lesions. To find the optimal electric properties of hydrogels, theoretical considerations and corresponding numerical simulations are needed to identify well-suited initial parameters for experimental studies. We present the theoretical analysis of a hydrogel in a frequently used electrical stimulation device for cartilage regeneration and tissue engineering. By means of equivalent circuits, finite element analysis, and uncertainty quantification, we elucidate the influence of the geometric and dielectric properties of cell-seeded hydrogels on the capacitive-coupling electrical field stimulation. Moreover, we discuss the possibility of cellular organisation inside the hydrogel due to forces generated by the external electric field. The introduced methodology is easily reusable by other researchers and allows to directly develop novel electrical stimulation study designs. Thus, this study paves the way for the design of future experimental studies using electrically conductive hydrogels and electrical stimulation for tissue engineering.The effect of food components on brain growth and development has attracted increasing attention. Milk has been shown to contain peptides that deliver important signals to the brains of neonates and infants. In order to reach the brain, milk peptides have to resist proteolytic degradation in the gastrointestinal tract, cross the gastrointestinal barrier and later cross the highly selective blood-brain barrier (BBB). To investigate this, we purified and characterized endogenous peptides from bovine milk and investigated their apical to basal transport by using human intestinal Caco-2 cells and primary porcine brain endothelial cell monolayer models. Among 192 characterized milk peptides, only the αS1-casein peptide 185PIGSENSEKTTMPLW199, and especially fragments of this peptide processed during the transport, could cross both the intestinal barrier and the BBB cell monolayer models. This peptide was also shown to resist simulated gastrointestinal digestion. This study demonstrates that a milk derived peptide can cross the major biological barriers in vitro and potentially reach the brain, where it may deliver physiological signals.
Three PARPis (olaparib, niraparib and rucaparib) are currently FDA-approved as maintenance therapy in newly diagnosed and recurrent ovarian cancer. However, thus far, no trial has compared the three approved PARPis in the overall population, in patients with
mutations, or in those with wild-type
.
A frequentist network meta-analysis was used for indirect comparisons between the different PARPis with respect to progression free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and adverse events.
Overall, six randomized clinical trials involving 2,770 patients, were included in the analysis. Results from the indirect comparisons revealed no statistically significant differences between the three PARPis with respect to PFS or OS in the entire population and in patients with mutated and wild-type BRCA, separately. Niraparib showed a statistically significant increased risk for grade 3 and 4 thrombocytopenia (risk-difference [RD] from placebo 0.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.27‒0.34) and any grade neutropenia (RD from placebo 0.22; 95% CI, 0.18‒0.25) as compared with the other PARPis.
No statistically significant difference was found between the three PARPis with respect to PFS or OS (overall and in subpopulations by
status). There is, however, a statistical difference in toxicity as niraparib is associated with a greater risk for thrombocytopenia and neutropenia.
No statistically significant difference was found between the three PARPis with respect to PFS or OS (overall and in subpopulations by BRCA status). There is, however, a statistical difference in toxicity as niraparib is associated with a greater risk for thrombocytopenia and neutropenia.Onychomycosis is considered as one of the major public health problems with a global distribution associated with geographic, demographic and environmental factors, underlying comorbidities and immunodeficiency disorders. This study was conducted to investigate the etiological agents of onychomycosis, in Northwestern Greece during a 7-year period. The study population included 1095 outpatients with clinically suspected onychomycosis that presented to the University Hospital of Ioannina, NW Greece (2011-2017). Samples were examined for causative fungi, and mycological identification was established using standard mycological methods. Demographic data of each patient, comorbidities, localization of infection and history of previous fungal infection were collected. Onychomycosis was diagnosed in 317 of the 1095 suspected cases (28.9%) and the most frequently isolated pathogens were yeasts (50.8%) followed by dermatophytes (36.9%) and non-dermatophyte molds (NDMs) (12.3%). Dermatophytes were mostly involved in toenail onychomycosis (90.6%) and more commonly affected males than females (57.3% vs. 42.7%), while the predominantly isolated pathogen was Τrichophyton rubrum (74.4%) followed by Τrichophyton interdigitale (21.4%). Candida albicans was the most prevalent isolated yeast (82%), whereas among the cases with onychomycosis due to NDMs, Aspergillus spp. were isolated as the principal species (59%). Continuous monitoring should be performed in order to identify possible trends and shifts in species isolation rates and to evaluate the impact of onychomycosis among the general population and high-risk groups.Calcium ion (Ca2+) plays a critical role in the cardiac mitochondria function. Ca2+ entering the mitochondria is necessary for ATP production and the contractile activity of cardiomyocytes. However, excessive Ca2+ in the mitochondria results in mitochondrial dysfunction and cell death. Mitochondria maintain Ca2+ homeostasis in normal cardiomyocytes through a comprehensive regulatory mechanism by controlling the uptake and release of Ca2+ in response to the cellular demand. Understanding the mechanism of modulating mitochondrial Ca2+ homeostasis in the cardiomyocyte could bring new insights into the pathogenesis of cardiac disease and help developing the strategy to prevent the heart from damage at an early stage. In this review, we summarized the latest findings in the studies on the cardiac mitochondrial Ca2+ homeostasis, focusing on the regulation of mitochondrial calcium uptake, which acts as a double-edged sword in the cardiac function. Specifically, we discussed the dual roles of mitochondrial Ca2+ in mitochondrial activity and the impact on cardiac function, the molecular basis and regulatory mechanisms, and the potential future research interest.Both ischemic heart disease (IHD) and stroke are major causes of death worldwide. We investigated the effects of combined Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and western medicine (WM) on stroke risk in IHD patients.Taiwanese patients with IHD were enrolled in the TCM study during their outpatient visit. Stroke events after TCM or non-TCM treatment were examined. Chi-square tests and Student t-tests were used to examine differences between patients using and not using TCM. The Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs). Sex, age, and comorbidities were included in a multivariable Cox model to estimate the adjusted HR (aHR). The survival probability and the probability free of stroke were calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method.There were 733 IHD patients using TCM and 733 using non-TCM treatment, with the same proportion of sex and age within each cohort. Using single Chinese herb such as Dan Shen, San Qi, or Chuan Xiong would have lower stroke events and lower aHR than non-TCM in IHD patients. There was 0.3-fold lower stroke risk in IHD patients with combination TCM and non-TCM treatment (95% CI = 0.11-0.84, P = .02). Moreover, the survival rate was higher (P less then .001) and the incidence of hemorrhagic stroke was significantly lower (P = .04) in IHD patients with TCM treatment.IHD patients using combined TCM and WM had a higher survival rate and lower risk of new onset stroke, especially hemorrhagic stroke than those who did not use TCM treatment.