Role of the amygdala in disrupted integration and effective connectivity of cortico-subcortical networks in apathy

Background Apathy is a quantitative reduction in motivation and goal-directed behaviors, not only observed in neuropsychiatric disorders, but also present in healthy populations. Although brain abnormalities associated with apathy in clinical disorders have been studied, the organization of brain networks in healthy individuals has yet to be identified. Method We examined properties of intrinsic brain networks in healthy individuals with varied levels of apathy. By using functional magnetic resonance imaging in combination with graph theory analysis and dynamic causal modeling analysis, we tested communications among nodes and modules as well as effective connectivity among brain networks. Results We found that the average participation coefficient of the subcortical network, especially the amygdala, was lower in individuals with high than low apathy. Importantly, we observed weaker effective connectivity fromthe hippocampus and parahippocampal gyrus to the amygdala, and from the amygdala to the parahippocampal gyrus and medial frontal cortex in individuals with apathy. Conclusion These findings suggest that individuals with high apathy exhibit aberrant communication within the cortical-to-subcortical network, characterized by differences in amygdala-related effective connectivity. Our work sheds light on the neural basis of apathy in subclinical populations and may have implications for understanding the development of clinical conditions that feature apathy.</p

Application of the (fr)AGILE scale in the evaluation of multidimensional frailty in elderly inpatients from internal medicine wards: a cross-sectional observational study

BackgroundWith the rapid growth of an aging global population and proportion, the prevalence of frailty is constantly increasing. Therefore, finding a frailty assessment tool suitable for clinical application by physicians has become the primary link in the comprehensive management of frailty in elderly patients. This study used the (fr)AGILE scale to investigate the frailty status of elderly patients from internal medicine wards and identified relevant factors that affect the severity of frailty.MethodIn this study, 408 elderly inpatients in internal medicine departments of Qilu Hospital of Shandong University from May 2021 to August 2022 were enrolled as research subjects, and a cross-sectional observational study was conducted. Researchers evaluated the frailty based on the (fr)AGILE scale score. The general condition, past medical history, physical examination, laboratory examination, nutrition control score, intervention and treatment measures and other elderly patient information was collected. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the relevant factors that affect the severity of frailty and hospitalization costs.ResultsAccording to the (fr)AGILE scale score, the elderly patients were divided into groups to determine whether they were frail and the severity of the frailty. Among them, 164 patients were in the prefrailty stage, which accounted for 40.2%. There were 188 cases of mild frailty that accounted for 46.1%, and 56 cases of moderate to severe frailty that accounted for 13.7%. Decreased grip strength, elevated white blood cell levels, and low sodium and potassium are independent risk factors affecting the severity of frailty. As the severity of frailty increases, the proportion of sodium, potassium, albumin supplementation as well as anti-infection gradually increases.ConclusionFrailty is a common elderly syndrome with a high incidence among elderly patients in internal medicine departments. The main manifestations of frailty vary with different severity levels. Inflammation, anemia, and poor nutritional status can lead to an increase in the severity of frailty as well as blood hypercoagulability, myocardial damage, and additional supportive interventions. This ultimately leads to prolonged hospitalization and increased hospitalization costs

Quality of life in rectal cancer patients with permanent colostomy in Xi’an

Purposes: The aim of this study was to observe the quality of life (QOL) in rectal cancer patients with permanent colostomy in different periods after operation. Methods: A 1-,3-,6-month prospective study of QOL in 51 rectal cancer patients with permanent colostomy and 50 ones without permanent colostomy was assessed by using European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QOL-30 and CR38 questionnaires. Results: The variation of QOL in different periods was “v” type. In the 1st postoperative month, these patients had the lowest quality of life scores, accompanied significantly varied functions and severe symptoms. Almost of all indexes of these patients had improved consistently in postoperative periods. The scores of global QOL even better than pre-operative level at 6th months post-operation, but the social function, body image, chemotherapy side effects and financial difficulties had not restored to the baseline level. Patients without permanent colostomy had a better score in most of categories of QOL-30 and CR38. Conclusions: The 1st postoperative month was crucial for patients’ recovery, in which we should pay great attention to these problems which relate to the recovery of rectal cancer patients with permanent colostomy.Keywords: Quality of life, Rectal cancer, Permanent colostomy, EORTC QOL-30 and CR38 questionnairesAfrican Health sciences Vol 14 No. 1 March 201

Expression mapping of GREM1 and functional contribution of its-secreting-cells in the brain using transgenic mouse models

Gremlin 1 (Grem1) is a secreted protein that antagonizes bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs). While abnormal Grem1 expression has been reported to cause behavioral defects in postpartum mice, the spatial and cellular distribution of GREM1 in the brain and the influence of the Grem1-secreating cells on brain function and behavior remain unclear. To address this, we designed a genetic cassette incorporating a 3 × Flag-TeV-HA-T2A-tdTomato sequence, resulting in the creation of a novel Grem1Tag mouse model, expressing an epitope tag (3 × Flag-TeV-HA-T2A) followed by a fluorescent reporter (tdTomato) under the control of the endogenous Grem1 promoter. This design facilitated precise tracking of the cell origin and distribution of GREM1 in the brain using tdTomato and Flag (or HA) markers, respectively. We confirmed that the Grem1Tag mouse exhibited normal motor, cognitive, and social behaviors at postnatal 60 days (P60), compared with C57BL/6 J controls. Through immunofluorescence staining, we comprehensively mapped the distribution of Grem1-secreting cells across the central nervous system. Pervasive Grem1 expression was observed in the cerebral cortex (Cx), medulla, pons, and cerebellum, with the highest levels in the Cx region. Notably, within the Cx, GREM1 was predominantly secreted by excitatory neurons, particularly those expressing calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II alpha (Camk2a), while inhibitory neurons (parvalbumin-positive, PV+) and glial cells (oligodendrocytes, astrocytes, and microglia) showed little or no Grem1 expression. To delineate the functional significance of Grem1-secreting cells, a selective ablation at P42 using a diphtheria toxin A (DTA) system resulted in increased anxiety-like behavior and impaired memory in mice. Altogether, our study harnessing the Grem1Tag mouse model reveals the spatial and cellular localization of GREM1 in the mouse brain, shedding light on the involvement of Grem1-secreting cell in modulating brain function and behavior. Our Grem1Tag mouse serves as a valuable tool for further exploring the precise role of Grem1 in brain development and disease

ZHENG-Omics Application in ZHENG Classification and Treatment: Chinese Personalized Medicine

With the hope to provide an effective approach for personalized diagnosis and treatment clinically, traditional chinese medicine (TCM) is being paid increasing attention as a complementary and alternative medicine. It performs treatment based on ZHENG (TCM syndrome) classification, which could be identified clinical special phenotypes by symptoms and signs of patients even if they have a different disease. However, it caused controversy because ZHENG classification only depends on observation, knowledge, and clinical experience of TCM practitioners, which lacks objectivity and repeatability. Although researchers and scientists of TCM have done some work with a lot of beneficial methods, the results could not reach satisfactory with the shortcomings of generalizing the entire state of the body or ignoring the patients' feelings. By total summary, mining, and integration of existing researches, the present paper attempts to introduce a novel macro-microconcept of ZHENG-omics, with the prospect of bright future in providing an objective and repeatable approach for Chinese personalized medicine in an effective way. In this paper, we give the brief introduction and preliminary validation, and discuss strategies and system-oriented technologies for achieving this goal

The Antimicrobial Activity and Characterization of Bioactive Compounds in Peganum harmala L. Based on HPLC and HS-SPME-GC-MS

Peganum harmala L. is a perennial herb of the Tribulus family and its aerial parts and seeds can be used as medicine in the traditional medicine of China. However, the differences in chemical components and antibacterial activity between different parts have not been reported. In this study, the chemical composition of the different parts of P. harmala was characterized by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and headspace-solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS). The antimicrobial activities of the different parts and some isolated components were also carried out on 12 bacterial strains and phytopathogenic fungi. The HPLC results revealed that the contents of harmine and harmaline in the seeds were higher than that in the aerial parts. A total of 94 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were tentatively identified by HS-SPME-GC-MS for the first time. The major components were methyl hexadecanoate, p-xylene, octane, (Z)-9-octadecanoate, ethylbenzene, methyl octadecanoate, ethyl hexadecanoate, and methyl tetradecanoate. At the concentration of 800 μg·mL−1, the methanol extracts of seeds showed stronger antimicrobial activities with a wide antimicrobial spectrum, inhibiting Escherichia coli (ATCC 24433), Xanthomonas oryzae (ACCC 11602), and Xanthomonas axonopodis with inhibitory rates of more than 90%. Furthermore, harmine and harmaline showed better antibacterial activities against all the bacteria. These findings indicated that alkaloids from P. harmala could account for antimicrobial activity, which could be used as lead molecules in the development of new antimicrobial drugs

Co-precipitation synthesis of reduced graphene oxide/NiAl-layered double hydroxide hybrid and its application in flame retarding poly(methyl methacrylate)

A reduced graphene oxide/NiAl-layered double hydroxide (RGO-LDH) was synthesized through a simple co-precipitation route. NiAl-layered double hydroxide (NiAl-LDH) nanoparticles were homogeneously dispersed on the reduced graphene oxide (RGO) nanosheets, which were simultaneously reduced during the process. RGO-LDH exhibited three steps of weight loss, leaving high residue. RGO-LDH was then solution blended into poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) to investigate its effect on reducing flammability of the composite. With the incorporation of RGO-LDH, the thermal stability of PMMA composite was improved. Moreover, RGO-LDH endowed PMMA with the largest reduction in the heat release rate, smoke production and CO production rate relative to RGO or NiAl-LDH alone. RGO-LDH could decrease the production of volatiles including hydrocarbons, carbonyl compounds and epoxy compounds from the PMMA composite. The improved flame retardancy was ascribed to the combined effect of the physical barrier of RGO and the catalytic carbonization of NiAl-LDH. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved