Clinical Significance of Intraplaque Hemorrhage in Low- and High-Grade Basilar Artery Stenosis on High-Resolution MRI

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Intraplaque hemorrhage within intracranial atherosclerotic plaques identified by high-resolution MR imaging has been studied as a potential marker of stroke risk. However, previous studies only examined intracranial arteries with high-grade stenosis (degree of stenosis, >50%). This study aimed to ascertain the clinical relevance of intraplaque hemorrhage in patients with low- and high-grade stenotic basilar artery plaques.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients with basilar artery stenosis (n = 126; mean age, 62 ± 10 years; 66 symptomatic and 60 asymptomatic) underwent high-resolution MR imaging. The relationship between imaging findings (intraplaque hemorrhage, contrast enhancement, degree of stenosis, minimal lumen area, and plaque burden) and symptoms was analyzed.

RESULTS

Intraplaque hemorrhage was identified in 22 patients (17.5%), including 21 (31.8%) symptomatic patients and 1 (1.7%) asymptomatic patient. Multivariate analysis showed that intraplaque hemorrhage was the strongest independent marker of symptomatic status (odds ratio, 27.5; 95% CI, 3.4-221.5; P = .002). Contrast enhancement was also independently associated with symptomatic status (odds ratio, 9.9; 95% CI, 1.5-23.6; P = .016). Stenosis, minimal lumen area, and plaque burden were not correlated with symptoms (P > .05). Intraplaque hemorrhage was present in both low- and high-grade stenotic basilar arteries (11.3% versus 16.3%, P = .63). Diagnostic performance values of intraplaque hemorrhage for patients with acute/subacute symptomatic stroke were the following: specificity, 98.3%; sensitivity, 31.8%; positive predictive value, 95.5%; and negative predictive value, 56.7%.

CONCLUSIONS

Intraplaque hemorrhage is present in both low- and high-grade stenotic basilar artery plaques and is independently associated with symptomatic stroke status. Intraplaque hemorrhage may identify high-risk plaque and provide new insight into the management of patient with stroke without significant stenosis.

Motor subtypes and other risk factors associated with drooling in Parkinson's disease patients

OBJECTIVE

To explore the relationship between motor subtypes and drooling, and other risk factors associated with drooling in a large cohort of Chinese patients with Parkinson's disease (PD).

METHODS

A total of 586 PD patients were enrolled in this study. Unified Parkinson's disease rating scale (UPDRS) and Hoehn & Yahr stage (H & Y stage) scale, Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression-24 item (HRSD), and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) were applied to all subjects. Salivary subscores of UPDRS part II were used to evaluate drooling. Constipation was diagnosed using the Rome III criteria.

RESULTS

The prevalence of drooling in this cohort is 54.6% (320/586). Non-TD subtype PD patients tend to have higher daily levodopa-equivalent dose (LED), H & Y stage, UPDRS I, UPDRS II, and UPDRS III scores, HRSD score and ESS score, a higher percentage of levodopa treatment, drooling, dyskinesia, and constipation. After adjusting for confounders, non-TD subtype, male sex, UPDRS III score, ESS and PSQI scores, and constipation were still associated with drooling, with corresponding Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were 1.865 (95% CI, 1.137-3.060), 1. 951 (95% CI, 1.326-2.869), 1.024 (95% CI, 1.002-1.046), 1.064 (95% CI, 1.024-1.105), 1.058 (95% CI, 1.000-1.119), and 1.603 (95% CI, 1.092-2.353), respectively.

CONCLUSION

Drooling is common, even in mild-to-moderate PD patients. PD patients with non-TD subtype are at a higher risk of drooling. Male sex, motor severity, excessive daytime sleepiness, poor nighttime sleep, and constipation are also associated with drooling in patients with PD.

MoS2 Nanoprobe for MicroRNA Quantification Based on Duplex-Specific Nuclease Signal Amplification

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play significant regulatory roles in physiologic and pathologic processes and are considered as important biomarkers for disease diagnostics and therapeutics. Simple, fast, sensitive, and selective detection of miRNAs, however, is challenged by their short length, low abundance, susceptibility to degradation, and homogenous sequence. Here, we report a novel design of nanoprobes for highly sensitive and selective detection of miRNAs based on MoS₂-loaded molecular beacons (MBs) and duplex-specific nuclease (DSN)-mediated signal amplification (DSNMSA). We show that MoS₂ nanosheets not only exhibit high affinity toward MBs but also act as an efficient quencher for absorbed MBs. The strong fluorescence-quenching ability of MoS₂ in combination with cyclic DSNMSA contributes to the superior sensitivity of our method, with a limit of detection 4 orders of magnitude lower than that of traditional hybridization methods. Moreover, the nanoprobes also show high selectivity for discriminating homogenous miRNA sequences with one-base differences because of the discrimination ability of MBs and DSN. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the MoS₂-loaded MB nanoprobes can be utilized for multiplexed detection of miRNAs. Given its high sensitivity and specificity, as well as the multiplexed function; this novel method as an effective tool shows a great promise for simultaneous quantitative analysis of multiple miRNAs in biomedical research and clinical diagnosis.

The localization and function of p38α mitogen-activated protein kinase in rat oocytes

P38α mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), which is a member of the canonical MAPK family, is activated in response to various extracellular stresses and plays a role in multiple cellular processes. In this study, we investigated the expression, subcellular localization and functional roles of p38α MAPK during the meiotic maturation of rat oocytes. We found that p38α MAPK phosphorylation (p-p38α MAPK, indicative of p38α MAPK activation) was low at the germinal vesicle (GV) stage, increased 3 hr after germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) and maintained its maximum at metaphase I (MI) or metaphase II (MII). The p-p38α MAPK mainly accumulated in the GV and had no obvious expression in the nucleus. From GVBD to MII, p-p38α MAPK was distributed in the cytoplasm around either the chromosomes or the spindle. We used SB203580, an inhibitor of p38α MAPK, to investigate the possible functional role of p38α MAPK during rat oocyte meiotic maturation. Treatment of GV stage oocytes with 20 μM SB203580 blocked p-p38α MAPK activity, and the spindles appeared abnormal. Additionally, the rate of GVBD after 3 hr of culture with 20 μM SB203580 (58.8%) was significantly inhibited compared with the control (82.5%, p < .05), and the polar body extrusion rate after 12 hr of culture with SB203580 was also significantly decreased compared with the control (40.1% vs 73.3%, p < .05). Taken together, these data indicate that p38α MAPK may play a vital role in rat oocyte meiotic maturation.

Logic Catalytic Interconversion of G-Molecular Hydrogel

By incorporating hemin into G-quadruplex (G₄) during cation-templated self-assembly between guanosine and KB(OH)₄, we have constructed an artificial enzyme hydrogel (AEH)-based system for the highly sensitive and selective detection of Pb²⁺. The sensing strategy is based on a Pb²⁺-induced decrease in AEH activity. Because of the higher efficiency of Pb²⁺ for stabilizing G₄ compared with K⁺, the Pb²⁺ ions substitute K⁺ and trigger hemin release from G₄, thus giving rise to a conformational interconversion accompanied by the loss of enzyme activity. The Pb²⁺-induced catalytic interconversion endows the AEH-based system with high sensitivity and selectivity for detecting Pb²⁺. As a result, the AEH-based system shows an excellent response for Pb²⁺ in the range from 1 pM to 50 nM with a limit of detection of ∼0.32 pM, which is much lower than that of the previously reported G₄-DNAzyme. We also demonstrate that this AEH-based system exhibits high selectivity toward Pb²⁺ over other metal ions. Furthermore, two two-input INHIBIT logic gates have been constructed via switching of the catalytic interconversion induced by K⁺ and Pb²⁺ or K⁺ and pH. Given its versatility, this AEH-based system provides a novel platform for sensing and biomolecular computation.

Standardized ileal digestible amino acids and digestible energy contents in high-protein distiller's dried grains with solubles fed to growing pigs

Chemical composition and, therefore, potential nutritive value of corn distiller's dried grains with solubles (DDGS) is constantly evolving as the ethanol industry innovates processing techniques. We determined standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of AA (Exp. 1) and DE (Exp. 2) contents in high-protein (HP; >40% on a DM basis) DDGS samples. Two HP DDGS (HP-A and HP-B) samples and 1 conventional DDGS (CON) sample were selected for this study. Three semipurified corn starch-based diets (minimum 18% CP, as-fed basis) were formulated with DDGS as the sole source of AA. A fourth, N-free diet was prepared to estimate basal ileal endogenous AA losses. The corn starch:sucrose:oil ratio was kept constant across diets to allow calculation of DE content in DDGS by the difference method. In Exp. 1, 8 ileal-cannulated barrows (23.9 kg initial BW) were used in a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design ( = 8). Pigs were fed at 2.8 × maintenance energy requirement. In each period, pigs were adjusted to diets for 5 d followed by a 2 d of 8 h each grab continuous ileal digesta collection. In Exp. 2, 9 barrows (24.9 kg BW) were assigned to the 4 diets in a repeated 9 × 4 Youden square design to give 9 replicates per diet. In each period, pigs were adjusted to diets for 7 d followed by 5 d of fecal grab sample collection. The analyzed CP was 30.1, 42.3, and 43.1% (on a DM basis) in the CON, HP-A, and HP-B samples, respectively; the corresponding values for GE were 5,067, 5,425, and 5,407 kcal/kg DM, respectively. The concentrations of fat and NDF were comparable among the DDGS samples. Except for Arg and Val, the SID values for indispensable AA were not different ( > 0.05) among the 3 DDGS samples. However, HP samples had higher ( < 0.05) SID values for indispensable AA and CP compared with the CON sample. The SID of Lys content was 4.9, 6.1, and 7.4 g/kg DM for the CON, HP-A, and HP-B, respectively; the corresponding values for Met and Thr were 4.6, 6.8, and 7.4 g/kg DM, respectively, and 6.8, 9.5, and 10.7 g/kg DM, respectively. The DE content in HP samples was greater ( < 0.01) than in the CON (3,614, 4,494, and 4,555 kcal/kg DM for the CON, HP-A, and HP-B, respectively). In conclusion, HP DDGS had higher SID content of AA and DE compared with the CON.

Liquid crystal elastomer foams with elastic properties specifically engineered as biodegradable brain tissue scaffolds

Tissue regeneration requires 3-dimensional (3D) smart materials as scaffolds to promote transport of nutrients. To mimic mechanical properties of extracellular matrices, biocompatible polymers have been widely studied and a diverse range of 3D scaffolds have been produced. We propose the use of responsive polymeric materials to create dynamic substrates for cell culture, which goes beyond designing only a physical static 3D scaffold. Here, we demonstrated that lactone- and lactide-based star block-copolymers (SBCs), where a liquid crystal (LC) moiety has been attached as a side-group, can be crosslinked to obtain Liquid Crystal Elastomers (LCEs) with a porous architecture using a salt-leaching method to promote cell infiltration. The obtained SmA LCE-based fully interconnected-porous foams exhibit a Young modulus of 0.23 ± 0.07 MPa and a biodegradability rate of around 20% after 15 weeks both of which are optimized to mimic native environments. We present cell culture results showing growth and proliferation of neurons on the scaffold after four weeks. This research provides a new platform to analyse LCE scaffold-cell interactions where the presence of liquid crystal moieties promotes cell alignment paving the way for a stimulated brain-like tissue.

MoS2–Au@Pt nanohybrids as a sensing platform for electrochemical nonenzymatic glucose detection

A MoS₂–Au@Pt nanohybrid was used as a sensing platform for electrochemical nonenzymatic glucose detection with high sensitivity, selectivity and stability.

Teen drivers' awareness of vehicle instrumentation in naturalistic research

INTRODUCTION

Naturalistic driving methods require the installation of instruments and cameras in vehicles to record driving behavior. A critical, yet unexamined issue in naturalistic driving research is the extent to which the vehicle instruments and cameras used for naturalistic methods change human behavior. We sought to describe the degree to which teenage participants' self-reported awareness of vehicle instrumentation changes over time, and whether that awareness was associated with driving behaviors.

METHOD

Forty-two newly-licensed teenage drivers participated in an 18-month naturalistic driving study. Data on driving behaviors including crash/near-crashes and elevated gravitational force (g-force) events rates were collected over the study period. At the end of the study, participants were asked to rate the extent to which they were aware of instruments in the vehicle at four time points. They were also asked to describe their own and their passengers' perceptions of the instrumentation in the vehicle during an in-depth interview. The number of critical event button presses was used as a secondary measure of camera awareness. The association between self-reported awareness of the instrumentation and objectively measured driving behaviors was tested using correlations and linear mixed models.

RESULTS

Most participants' reported that their awareness of vehicle instrumentation declined across the duration of the 18-month study. Their awareness increased in response to their passengers' concerns about the cameras or if they were involved in a crash. The number of the critical event button presses was initially high and declined rapidly. There was no correlation between driver's awareness of instrumentation and their crash and near-crash rate or elevated g-force events rate.

CONCLUSION

Awareness was not associated with crash and near-crash rates or elevated g-force event rates, consistent with having no effect on this measure of driving performance.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Naturalistic driving studies are likely to yield valid measurements of driving behavior.

Melatonin at pharmacological concentrations suppresses osteoclastogenesis via the attenuation of intracellular ROS

Osteoporosis is linked to age-related decline of melatonin production; however, the direct effects of melatonin on osteoclastogenesis remain unknown. Our study demonstrates that melatonin at pharmacological concentrations, rather than at physiological concentrations, significantly inhibits osteoclastogenesis. Melatonin-mediated anti-osteoclastogenesis involves a reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated but not a silent information regulator type 1 (SIRT1)-independent pathway.

INTRODUCTION

Osteoporosis is a bone disorder linked to impaired bone formation and excessive bone resorption. Melatonin has been suggested to treat osteoporosis due to its beneficial actions on osteoblast differentiation. However, the direct effects of melatonin on osteoclastogenesis in bone marrow monocytes (BMMs) remain unknown. This study was to investigate whether melatonin at either physiological or pharmacological concentrations could affect osteoclast differentiation.

METHODS

Primary BMMs were isolated from the femurs and tibias of C57BL/6 mice and were induced toward multinucleated osteoclasts, in the presence of melatonin at either physiological (0.01 to 10 nM) or pharmacological (1 to 100 μM) concentrations. Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining was used to label multinucleated osteoclasts and the levels of osteoclast-specific genes were evaluated. To further explore the underlying mechanisms, the roles of silent information regulator type 1 (SIRT1) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were evaluated.

RESULTS

We found that melatonin at pharmacological concentrations, rather than at physiological concentrations, significantly inhibited osteoclast formation in a dose-dependent manner. The number of TRAP-positive cells and the gene expression of osteoclast-specific markers were significantly downregulated in melatonin-treated BMMs. The melatonin-mediated repression of osteoclast differentiation involved the inhibition of the nuclear factor κ-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) signaling pathway. The treatment with SIRT1 inhibitors did not affect osteoclast differentiation but, when supplemented with exogenous hydrogen peroxide, a partial rescue of melatonin-suppressed osteoclastogenesis was observed.

CONCLUSION

Melatonin at pharmacological doses directly inhibited osteoclastogenesis of BMMs by a ROS-mediated but not a SIRT1-independent pathway.

Assessment of serum Golgi protein 73 as a biomarker for the diagnosis of significant fibrosis in patients with chronic HBV infection

Transient elastography (TE) is accurate in staging fibrosis noninvasively. However, a reliable serum biomarker with comparable accuracy is also important, especially when TE is unreliable/unavailable. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of serum Golgi protein 73 (GP73) for significant fibrosis in patients with chronic HBV infection. A total of 801 patients with chronic liver disease (CLD; 492 chronic HBV infection and 309 non-HBV liver disease) with liver biopsy performance were enrolled. Healthy controls (n = 180) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients (n = 85) were included for comparisons. Liver biopsy was used as the reference method for fibrosis staging. Serum GP73 level was measured in duplicate in double-blind fashion. Serum GP73 was highest in HCC but also significantly higher in chronic hepatitis B than in healthy controls. The elevation of serum GP73 in non-HCC patients was significantly associated with the presence of significant fibrosis independently of ALT level, liver stiffness (LS) value, inflammation grade and other confounding factors. The diagnostic performance of serum GP73 was accurate in antiviral-naïve HBV patients (area under the receiver operating curve [AUROC], 0.76 95% CI: 0.72-0.81) but not in patients with ongoing antiviral treatment (AUROC, 0.60). The utility of serum GP73 was also confirmed in non-HBV CLD (AUROC, 0.80 95% CI: 0.75-0.85). Serum GP73 was comparable to LS (AUROC, 0.78 95% CI: 0.73-0.82) and significantly better than AST to platelet ratio index (APRI) (AUROC, 0.67 95% CI: 0.62-0.72) and FIB-4 (AUROC, 0.68 95% CI: 0.63-0.73). In conclusion, serum GP73 is an accurate serum marker for significant fibrosis in chronic HBV infection, with higher accuracy than APRI and FIB-4. Serum GP73 is potentially a complementary tool for TE when evaluating the necessity of antiviral treatment, particularly in patients without definite antiviral indication.

Integrative analyses reveal biological pathways and key genes in psoriasis

BACKGROUND

Psoriasis is a complex disease influenced by both genetic and environmental factors with abnormal gene expression in lesional skin. However, no studies are available on genome-scale gene expression of psoriatic lesions in the Chinese population. In addition, systematic studies on the biological pathways, pathogenicity and interaction networks of psoriasis-related genes with abnormal expression profiles require further investigation.

OBJECTIVES

To further explore the associated pathways in psoriasis by functional analysis and to identify the key genes by gene pathogenicity analysis.

METHODS

We performed RNA sequencing on 60 skin biopsy samples from patients with psoriasis and healthy controls to identify the primary differentially expressed genes in psoriatic lesional skin. We retrieved all reported psoriasis-associated genes and performed integrative analyses covering gene expression profiling, pathway analysis, gene pathogenicities and protein-protein interaction networks.

RESULTS

We found that internal and external stimuli may activate immunoinflammatory responses to promote the development of psoriasis. Pathways associated with infectious diseases and cancers were identified by functional and pathway analyses. The gene pathogenicity analysis revealed five key genes in psoriasis: PPARD, GATA3, TIMP3, WNT5A and PTTG1.

CONCLUSIONS

Our analyses showed that genes contributed to the pathogenesis of psoriasis by activating risk pathways with components abnormality in expression. We identified five potentially pathogenic genes for psoriasis that may serve as important biomarkers for the diagnosis and treatment.

Genotype frequencies of human neutrophil antigen-3 in the Chinese Zhuang and Dong populations

Individuals with the human neutrophil antigen (HNA)-3b/3b type can produce HNA-3a antibodies, which have been reported to cause severe, sometimes fatal transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI). Our study aimed to determine the genotype frequency of HNA-3a/3b which will be helpful to estimate the potential risk for forming anti-HNA-3a, the clinically relevant antibody linked to TRALI in two different ethnic groups of southern China. Five hundred unrelated and healthy blood donors (284 male, 216 female; 300 Zhuangs, 200 Dongs) from the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region were simultaneously typed for the HNA-3 allele using a polymerase chain reaction sequence-based typing (PCR-SBT) method. Genotype frequencies of HNA-3a/3a, HNA-3a/3b and HNA-3b/3b were 51.7%, 39.7% and 8.6% in the Zhuang population, and 44.0%, 49.0% and 7.0% in the Dong population, respectively. Homozygous HNA-3b/3b genotype frequency among the Zhuang population (8.6%) was significantly higher than previously reported in African Americans (0.4%), Brazilians (3.6%) and English Caucasians (2.9%) (p < .05). And the HNA-3b/3b genotype frequency among the Dong population was higher than African Americans (0.4%) (p < .05). This study showed Chinese Zhuang and Dong populations possessed a higher frequency of HNA-3b/3b genotype, suggesting that they may be at greater risk for developing anti-HNA-3a alloantibodies that may cause severe cases of TRALI. A molecular-based identification of the HNA-3b/3b genotype in all multiparous female blood donors was suggested to reduce the risk of TRALI following plasma and whole blood allogeneic transfusions.

The significance of HBD-3 and fluorescent composite carriers in the processof bone formation in rats infected with Staphylococcus aureus

OBJECTIVE

The objective of the present study was to explore the significance of human β-defensin 3 (HBD-3) through establishment and evaluation of the model of implant-related biofilm infection of the femoral condyle of the outer knee using Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Age-matched SD rats were divided into three groups, the HBD-3 group, HBD-3 fluorescent liposome group, and the HBD-3 liposome-microbubble fluorescent composite carrier group. After biofilm infection for 24 h, the fluorescent composite vector was injected intraperitoneally 2 times/day. After the first injection, rats in each group were sacrificed on the 7th, 14th, and 28th day. The lower end of the femur bone was harvested after removing the surrounding soft tissue. H&E and immunohistochemical staining were applied and light microscopy was used for observation. Fluorescent markers including tetracycline and calcein were used to follow the formation of new bone in vivo. Undecalcified specimens were embedded in epoxy resin (thickness of roughly 150 m), and confocal microscopy was used for observation.

RESULTS

By assessing cell proliferation with cell counting kit-8, the proliferation ability of cells in the HBD-3 liposome-microbubble fluorescent composite carrier group was significantly increased compared with the other groups (p<0.05). qPCR was used to measure the levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), type I collagen, osteocalcin (OCN), osteopontin (OPN), and bone sialoprotein (BSP) in each group. The levels of these genes in the HBD-3 liposome-microbubble fluorescent composite carrier group were significantly higher than those in other groups (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The application of the HBD-3 liposome-microbubble fluorescent composite carrier can significantly promote osteogenesis in rats infected with Staphylococcus aureus, and increase the expression levels of ALP, type I collagen, OCN, OPN, and BSP.

Naturalistic assessment of the learner license period

The purpose of this study was to describe the characteristics and progression of practice driving during the learner license period in a sample of teenagers. During the first and last 10h of practice driving, we examined (1) the amount, variety and complexity of conditions of practice; (2) the nature of parental instruction; and (3) errors that teens made while driving. Data were collected from 90 teens and 131 parents living in Virginia, USA, using in-vehicle cameras, audio recorders, GPS and trip recorders. Based on data collected from the instrumented vehicles, teens practiced for 46.6h on average, slightly higher than the GDL requirement for their jurisdiction, though half did not complete the required 45h of practice and only 17% completed the required 15h of night time driving. Exposure to diverse roadways increased over the practice driving period, which averaged 10.6 months. Most driving instruction occurred in reaction to specific driving situations, such as navigating and identifying hazards, and could be characterized as co-driving. Higher order instruction, which relates to the tactics or strategies for safe driving, was less frequent, but remained stable through the practice driving period. Instruction of all forms was more likely following an elevated gravitational force (g-force) event. Errors decreased over time, suggesting improvements in manual and judgment skills, but engagement in potentially distracting secondary tasks increased (when an adult was in the vehicle). A small percentage of trips occurred with no passenger in the front seat, and the g-force rate during these trips was almost 5 times higher than trips with an adult front-seat passenger. Taken collectively, these findings indicate (1) most teens got at least the required amount of supervised practice, but some did not; (2) instruction was mainly reactive and included some higher order instruction; (3) teens driving skills improved despite increased exposure to complex driving conditions, but secondary tasks also increased. Opportunities remained for improving the quality and variability in supervision and enhancing the development of skills during the lengthy period of practice.

Sequence identification, serological reactivity and family genetics of a novel HLA allele, HLA-A*26:82

HLA-A*26:82 was identified by sequence-based typing and showed the serological specificity of A26.

[Effects of functional training combined with self-made hand flexing training band in treatment of scar contracture after burn injury of dorsal hand]

Objective: To observe the effects of functional training combined with self-made hand flexing training band in treatment of scar contracture after burn injury of dorsal hand. Methods: Forty-six patients with scar contracture after deep partial-thickness or full-thickness burn injury of dorsal hand hospitalized in our department from March 2013 to February 2015 were divided into routine training group (RT, n=18) and comprehensive training group (CT, n=28) according to their willingness. Two weeks after the wounds were healed, patients in group RT were treated with functional training of hands and self-made pressure gloves, while patients in group CT were treated with self-made hand flexing training band (consisting of nylon strap, flexing band, and velcro) on the basis of those in group RT. All patients were treated for 3 months. Before and after treatment, scar condition of affected hands was assessed with Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS). The range of motion of joints of affected hands was measured by Total Active Movement (TAM) Scale. The function of affected hands was evaluated by Carroll Upper Extremity Function Test. Data were processed with t test, chi-square test, and Mann-Whitney U test. Results: (1) The score of VSS in patients of group RT was (10.0±1.9) points before treatment and (4.4±1.4) points after treatment, with the improved score of (5.6±1.0) points. The score of VSS in patients of group CT was (10.5±1.8) points before treatment and (4.6±1.4) points after treatment, with the improved score of (5.9±1.2) points. There was no statistically significant difference in the improved score of patients between the two groups (t=0.834, P>0.05). The score of VSS in patients of groups RT and CT after treatment was significantly lower than that before treatment (with t values respectively 14.014 and 10.003, P values below 0.01). (2) Before treatment, the ratios of excellent and good results according to TAM were 2/9 in patients of group RT and 3/14 in group CT, with no statistical differences between them (χ(2)=2.140, P>0.05). After treatment, the ratio of excellent and good results according to TAM in patients of group CT (6/7) was higher than that in group RT (5/9, χ(2)=0.023, P=0.038). The ratios of excellent and good results according to TAM in patients of groups RT and CT after treatment were significantly higher than those before treatment (with Z values respectively -2.023 and -4.780, P values below 0.05). (3) The improved score of hand function in patients of group CT was (26±12) points, which was higher than (15±7) points in group RT (t=3.278, P=0.002). The score of hand function in patients of groups RT and CT after treatment was significantly higher than that before treatment (with t values respectively 2.628 and 6.125, P values below 0.05). There were no significant differences in grades of hand function of patients between the two groups before treatment (Z=-0.286, P>0.05). After treatment, the grade of hand function in patients of group CT was higher than that in group RT(Z=-1.993, P=0.046). The grades of hand function in patients of groups RT and CT after treatment were significantly higher than those before treatment (with Z values respectively -2.717 and -4.998, P values below 0.01). Conclusions: For patients with scar contracture after burn injury of dorsal hand, early functional training combined with hand flexing training band can improve the range of motion of hand joints and functional recovery of hand, and the result was better than functional training alone.

Identification and Quantitative Assessment of Different Components of Intracranial Atherosclerotic Plaque by Ex Vivo 3T High-Resolution Multicontrast MRI

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

High-resolution 3T MR imaging can visualize intracranial atherosclerotic plaque. However, histologic validation is still lacking. This study aimed to evaluate the ability of 3T MR imaging to identify and quantitatively assess intracranial atherosclerotic plaque components ex vivo with histologic validation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Fifty-three intracranial arterial specimens with atherosclerotic plaques from 20 cadavers were imaged by 3T MR imaging with T1, T2, and proton-density-weighted FSE and STIR sequences. The signal characteristics and areas of fibrous cap, lipid core, calcification, fibrous tissue, and healthy vessel wall were recorded on MR images and compared with histology. Fibrous cap thickness and maximum wall thickness were also quantified. The percentage of areas of the main plaque components, the ratio of fibrous cap thickness to maximum wall thickness, and plaque burden were calculated and compared.

RESULTS

The signal intensity of the lipid core was significantly lower than that of the fibrous cap on T2-weighted, proton-density, and STIR sequences (P < .01) and was comparable on T1-weighted sequences (P = 1.00). Optimal contrast between the lipid core and fibrous cap was found on T2-weighted images. Plaque component mean percentages were comparable between MR imaging and histology: fibrous component (81.86% ± 10.59% versus 81.87% ± 11.59%, P = .999), lipid core (19.51% ± 10.76% versus 19.86% ± 11.56%, P = .863), and fibrous cap (31.10% ± 11.28% versus 30.83% ± 8.51%, P = .463). However, MR imaging overestimated mean calcification (9.68% ± 5.21% versus 8.83% ± 5.67%, P = .030) and plaque burden (65.18% ± 9.01% versus 52.71% ± 14.58%, P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Ex vivo 3T MR imaging can accurately identify and quantitatively assess intracranial atherosclerotic plaque components, providing a direct reference for in vivo intracranial plaque imaging.

Dysfunctional metacognition across psychopathologies: A meta-analytic review

BACKGROUND

Dysfunctions in metacognition have been reported in individuals with anxiety disorders. Although recent studies have examined metacognition in other disorders, how dysfunctional metacognition compares across disorders is not clear. This review aimed to ascertain the importance of dysfunctional metacognition in various psychopathologies, and to identify similarities and differences in metacognitive profiles across disorders.

METHODS

Forty-seven studies were selected from 586 articles published between 1990 and August 2015, including a total sample of 3772 patients and 3376 healthy individuals. Studies that measured metacognition using the Meta-Cognitions Questionnaire (MCQ) and its variants were included. We conducted five meta-analyses including 49 to 55 effect sizes, comparing psychiatric patients to healthy individuals on respective metacognitive dimensions of the MCQ.

RESULTS

We found elevated metacognitive dysfunctions in patients, as a group, on all MCQ dimensions. Group effects were large and robust for the two negative beliefs (i.e., beliefs about the uncontrollability and danger of thoughts, and beliefs about the need to control thoughts), and moderate and unstable for the positive beliefs. Patients showed decreased cognitive confidence and heightened cognitive self-consciousness on moderate to large levels. Moderator analyses revealed that negative beliefs about uncontrollability and danger of thoughts were most prevalent in generalized anxiety disorder, whereas heightened cognitive self-consciousness was more characteristic in obsessive-compulsive disorder. Generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and eating disorders manifested more similar metacognitive profiles than other disorders.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings supported dysfunctional metacognition as common processes across psychopathologies, with certain dimensions being more prevalent in particular disorders.

Belief inflexibility and dimensions of delusional beliefs in non-affective psychosis: Comparison with non-clinical meaningful beliefs

Introduction

Belief inflexibility (BI) has been considered as a crucial factor for delusional conviction, but less is known about other dimensions of delusional beliefs. Question has been raised regarding the extent to which BI distinguishes delusions from strongly held (non-deluded) personally meaningful beliefs.

Objectives

We examined the association between BI and major dimensions of delusional beliefs/non-clinical personally meaningful beliefs, and compared results from two BI measures (Maudsley assessment of delusions schedule [MADS] and bias against disconfirmatory evidence [BADE] task).

Methods

Idiosyncratic delusional beliefs from 40 outpatients with non-affective psychosis and personally meaningful beliefs from 30 healthy controls were assessed in an interview. Belief dimensions (conviction, preoccupation, and distress) and BI were measured.

Results

Compared with controls, patients reported higher levels of distress and preoccupation but a comparable level of conviction (3.30/4 vs. 3.00/4, t(66.967) = 1.928. P = n.s.). Patients exhibited lower belief flexibility than controls on MADS but not on BADE. In patients, delusional conviction was associated with lower flexibility on a MADS item (“possibility of being mistaken”: t(38) = 4.808, P < 001) and the BADE evidence integration index (r = 0.463, P = 01). In healthy controls, belief conviction was associated with lower flexibility on a MADS item (“reaction to hypothetical contradiction”: t(27) = 3.345, P=.002). Two-way ANOVA revealed that the association between possibility of being mistaken and conviction was stronger in patients than controls (F(1) = 6.718, P = 012). In both groups, BI on either measure did not correlate with distress or preoccupation.

Conclusions

BI was specifically associated with belief conviction. The association was significant for both groups, and was stronger in patients than controls.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

[Effect of obstructive sleep apnea on sleep architecture of acute ischemic stroke patients]

Objective: To investigate the effect of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) on sleep architecture in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients. Methods: Seventy AIS patients with polysomnography examination from June 2014 to April 2016 were included in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University. Twenty-seven healthy controls during the same period were chosen as control group. According to apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), AIS patients were divided into AIS group (AHI<5/h) and AIS+ OSA group (AHI≥5/h). Their general conditions, Neurological function defect (national institutes of health stroke scale, NIHSS) on admission and at discharge and self-care ability (modified Rankin Scale, mRS) at discharge and 3 months later (mRS score <2 reflected good prognosis, and mRS score≥2 reflected unfavorable prognosis) were collected. Results: Fifty-two patients (74.3%) had OSA in total seventy AIS patients. Total sleep time (TST) was significantly shorter and sleep efficiency (SE) was lower in AIS group than the control group (P=0.007, 0.008, respectively). AIS+ OSA group had longer non-rapid eye movement (NREM)1 than control group [24.9(21.3) vs 14.3(10.6), P=0.044]. Compared with AIS group, AIS+ OSA group had shorter NREM3 [13.0(13.2) vs 19.6(12.8), P=0.039]. There was no significant difference between the infarct location of AIS group and AIS+ OSA group. However, AIS+ OSA group had higher mRS score observed at 3 months through follow-up visit than AIS group (P=0.027). Spearman correlation analysis showed a positive correlation between unfavorable prognosis of stroke at 3 months and atrial fibrillation, the oxygen desaturation index (ODI), percentage of oxygen saturation <90% of total recording time (TS90%), AHI, the longest time of apnea and hypopnea, respiratory related microarousal and NIHSS, while a negative correlation between unfavorable prognosis of stroke and NREM3, lowest nocturnal oxygen saturation (L-SaO(2)). On Logistic analysis, the unfavorable prognosis was independently predicted by AHI and NIHSS. Conclusions: Sleep architecture of cerebral infarction patients are disturbed with its characteristic of shorter total sleep time and lower sleep efficiency. Cerebral infarction patients with OSA have longer NREM1 and shorter NREM3.

Inductive expression of the NOD1 signalling pathway in chickens infected with Salmonella pullorum

1. The aim of this study was to describe the role of Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-containing protein 1 (NOD1) receptor signalling in chicken. 2. Tissue-specific expression analysis of NOD1, receptor-interacting serine-threonine kinase 2 (RIPK2), nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinase 11 (MAPK11 or p38) by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) revealed their wide distribution in various organs and tissues. 3. Salmonella pullorum infection activated NOD1 receptor signalling in vivo and in vitro, resulting in significant induction of downstream signalling molecules RIPK2, NF-κB/p65, MAPK11/p38 and the effector molecules IL-1b and IL-8. 4. Activation of NOD1 by its agonist bacterial γ-D-glutamyl-meso-diaminopimelic acid (iE-DAP) in HD11 cells induced the adapter molecular RIPK2 and activated the NF-κB/p65 and MAPK11/p38 pathways, resulting in an increase in IL-8 but not IL-1β. Additionally, inhibition of NOD1 using NOD1-shRNA resulted in downregulation of RIPK2, MAPK11 and IL-8, while NF-κB/p65 and IL-1β were unaltered. 5. These results highlight the important role of NOD1 receptors in eliciting the innate immune response following pathogenic invasion in chicken.

A chiral smectic structure assembled from nanosheets and nanorods

A chiral smectic structure assembled from nanosheets and nanorods should open a new route to create a variety of chiral structures.

Selection signature analysis reveals genes associated with tail type in Chinese indigenous sheep

Fat-tailed sheep have commercial value because consumers prefer high-protein and low-fat food and producers care about feed conversion rate. However, fat-tailed sheep still have some scientific significance, as the fat tail is commonly regarded as a characteristic of environmental adaptability. Finding the candidate genes associated with fat tail formation is essential for breeding and conservation. To identify these candidate genes, we applied FST and hapFLK approaches in fat- and thin-tailed sheep with available 50K SNP genotype data. These two methods found 6.24 Mb of overlapped regions and 43 genes that may associated with fat tail development. Gene annotation showed that HOXA11, BMP2, PPP1CC, SP3, SP9, WDR92, PROKR1 and ETAA1 may play important roles in fat tail formation. These findings provide insight into tail fat development and a guide for molecular breeding and conservation.

The Influenza A Virus Non-structural Protein NS1 Upregulates The Expression of Collagen Triple Helix Repeat Containing 1 Protein

Influenza A virus (IAV) infection induces a strong immune response and regulates the expression of many host proteins. The collagen triple helix repeat containing 1 (CTHRC1) protein is a secreted protein that exhibits increased expression during the viral infection process. However, the regulatory function of IAV on CTHRC1 expression is obscure. In this study, we investigated the effect of IAV on CTHRC1 expression and its regulatory mechanism. A total of 106 serum specimens from healthy people and 80 serum specimens from patients infected with IAV were collected. The CTHRC1 levels in the sera from the IVA patients and healthy individuals were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the differences were statistically analysed. A549 cells were infected with the IAV or delNS1 virus. Additionally, A549 cells were cotransfected with a eukaryotic non-structural NS1 protein gene expression plasmid and the CTHRC1 gene promoter reporter plasmid (pCTHRC1-Luc), and, the luciferase activities were assessed. The CTHRC1 mRNA and protein expression were detected using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting, respectively. The serum CTHRC1 level was significantly higher in the IAV patients than in the healthy individuals. IAV upregulated the CTHRC1 mRNA and protein expression. The non-structural NS1 protein specifically activated CTHRC1 gene promoter activity and upregulated CTHRC1 mRNA and protein expression. The activation function had a dose-dependent effect, indicating that influenza virus upregulated CTHRC1 expression through its NS1 protein.