Scientific reports
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In five patients with acute, severe thoracic traumatic spinal cord injuries (TSCIs), American spinal injuries association Impairment Scale (AIS) grades A-C, we induced cord hypothermia (33 °C) then rewarming (37 °C). A pressure probe and a microdialysis catheter were placed intradurally at the injury site to monitor intraspinal pressure (ISP), spinal cord perfusion pressure (SCPP), tissue metabolism and inflammation. Cord hypothermia-rewarming, applied to awake patients, did not cause discomfort or neurological deterioration. ⋯ At 18-months, two patients improved and three stayed the same. We conclude that, after TSCI, hypothermia is potentially beneficial by reducing cord inflammation, though after rewarming these benefits are lost due to increases in cord swelling, ischemia and inflammation. We thus urge caution when using hypothermia-rewarming therapeutically in TSCI.
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The aim of this study was to explore the most powerful systemic inflammation marker of survival in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) patients and construct prognostic nomograms. A total of 472 LARC patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCRT) and radical surgery from 2011 to 2015 were included. The optimal cutoff points for the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII); and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte (PLR), and monocyte-to-lymphocyte (MLR) ratios were calculated and determined by using the X-tile program. ⋯ Higher NLR scores (≥2 0.3) were associated with poorer DFS and OS in LARC patients. In addition, NLR was identified as the most effective marker for systemic inflammation, and the prognostic value was further confirmed by time-dependent ROC analysis. More intense adjuvant treatment could be considered for higher NLR score patients with LARC following NCRT.
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Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a disease characterized by cerebral neuronal degeneration and loss in a progressive manner. Amyloid beta (Aβ) in the brain is toxic to neurons, being a main risk factor for initiation and continuation of cognitive deterioration in AD. Neurotoxicity of Aβ origin is also linked to oxidative stress characterized by excessive lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation, changes in antioxidant systems, and cerebral DNA damage in AD. ⋯ Mannose ratio, molecular weight, functional groups, surface morphology, and amorphous character structure of EPSs are thought to play a role in the protective effect of EPSs. EPSs reduced apoptotic activity of Aβ1-42 in addition to their depolarizing effect on mitochondrial membrane potential in concentration-dependent manner. These observations contribute the inclusion of EPSs among the therapeutic options used to manage various neurological disorders in the traditional medicine in a scientific manner, indicating that EPSs may be promising natural chemical constituents that need advanced research and development for pharmacological therapy of AD.
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The present study aimed to explore the value of intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion-weighted imaging (IVIM-DWI) in differentiating hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) from intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). This study included 65 patients with malignant hepatic nodules (55 with HCC, 10 with ICC), and 17 control patients with normal livers. All patients underwent IVIM-DWI scans on a 3.0 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. ⋯ When the cut-off values of ADC, Dslow, and Dfast were 1.27 × 10-3 mm2/s, 0.81 × 10-3 mm2/s, and 26.04 × 10-3 mm2/s, respectively, their diagnostic sensitivities for differentiating HCC from ICC were 98.18%, 58.18%, and 94.55%, their diagnostic specificities were 50.00%, 80.00%, and 80.00%, and their areas under the ROC curve (AUCs) were 0.687, 0.721, and 0.896, respectively. Dfast displayed the largest AUC value. IVIM-DWI can be used to differentiate HCC from ICC.
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The objective of the study was to elucidate the microRNA (miRNA) profile of an enriched human corneal epithelial stem cell (CESC) population in comparison to differentiated central corneal epithelial cells (CCECs) by small RNA sequencing. The CESCs were enriched by differential enzymatic treatment to isolate the basal limbal epithelial cells followed by laser capture microdissection of cells with nucleus to cytoplasm ratio ≥0.7, from donor tissues. Small RNA sequencing was carried out using Illumina NextSeq. 500 platform and the validation of differentially expressed miRNAs by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) and locked nucleic acid miRNA in-situ hybridization (LNA-ISH). ⋯ The targets of the upregulated miRNAs were predicted to be associated with signaling pathways -Wnt, PI3K-AKT, MAPK and pathways that regulate pluripotency of stem cells, cell migration, growth and proliferation. Further studies are essential to elucidate their functional role in maintenance of stemness. The findings of the study also hypothesize the inherent potential of hsa-miR-143-3p to serve as a biomarker for identifying CESCs.