Perioperative cerebral blood flow measured by arterial spin labeling with different postlabeling delay in patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy: a comparison study with CT perfusion

BackgroundArterial spin labeling (ASL) is a non-invasive technique for measuring cerebral perfusion. Its accuracy is affected by the arterial transit time. This study aimed to (1) evaluate the accuracy of ASL in measuring the cerebral perfusion of patients who underwent carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and (2) determine a better postlabeling delay (PLD) for pre- and postoperative perfusion imaging between 1.5 and 2.0 s.MethodsA total of 24 patients scheduled for CEA due to severe carotid stenosis were included in this study. All patients underwent ASL with two PLDs (1.5 and 2.0 s) and computed tomography perfusion (CTP) before and after surgery. Cerebral blood flow (CBF) values were measured on the registered CBF images of ASL and CTP. The correlation in measuring perioperative relative CBF (rCBF) and difference ratio of CBF (DRCBF) between ASL with PLD of 1.5 s (ASL1.5) or 2.0 s (ASL2.0) and CTP were also determined.ResultsThere were no significant statistical differences in preoperative rCBF measurements between ASL1.5 and CTP (p = 0.17) and between ASL2.0 and CTP (p = 0.42). Similarly, no significant differences were found in rCBF between ASL1.5 and CTP (p = 0.59) and between ASL2.0 and CTP (p = 0.93) after CEA. The DRCBF measured by CTP was found to be marginally lower than that measured by ASL2.0_1.5 (p = 0.06) and significantly lower than that measured by ASL1.5_1.5 (p = 0.01), ASL2.0_2.0 (p = 0.03), and ASL1.5_2.0 (p = 0.007). There was a strong correlation in measuring perioperative rCBF and DRCBF between ASL and CTP (r = 0.67–0.85, p < 0.001). Using CTP as the reference standard, smaller bias can be achieved in measuring rCBF by ASL2.0 (−0.02) than ASL1.5 (−0.07) before CEA. In addition, the same bias (0.03) was obtained by ASL2.0 and ASL1.5 after CEA. The bias of ASL2.0_2.0 (0.31) and ASL2.0_1.5 (0.32) on DRCBF measurement was similar, and both were smaller than that of ASL1.5_1.5 (0.60) and ASL1.5_2.0 (0.60).ConclusionStrong correlation can be found in assessing perioperative cerebral perfusion between ASL and CTP. During perioperative ASL imaging, the PLD of 2.0 s is better than 1.5 s for preoperative scan, and both 1.5 and 2.0 s are suitable for postoperative scan

The proteomics of lipid droplets: structure, dynamics, and functions of the organelle conserved from bacteria to humans.

Lipid droplets are cellular organelles that consists of a neutral lipid core covered by a monolayer of phospholipids and many proteins. They are thought to function in the storage, transport, and metabolism of lipids, in signaling, and as a specialized microenvironment for metabolism in most types of cells from prokaryotic to eukaryotic organisms. Lipid droplets have received a lot of attention in the last 10 years as they are linked to the progression of many metabolic diseases and hold great potential for the development of neutral lipid-derived products, such as biofuels, food supplements, hormones, and medicines. Proteomic analysis of lipid droplets has yielded a comprehensive catalog of lipid droplet proteins, shedding light on the function of this organelle and providing evidence that its function is conserved from bacteria to man. This review summarizes many of the proteomic studies on lipid droplets from a wide range of organisms, providing an evolutionary perspective on this organelle

Myocardial tissue and metabolism characterization in men with alcohol consumption by cardiovascular magnetic resonance and 11C-acetate PET/CT

Background: Chronic alcohol consumption initially leads to asymptomatic left ventricular dysfunction, but can result in myocardial impairment and heart failure if ongoing. This study sought to characterize myocardial tissues and oxidative metabolism in asymptomatic subjects with chronic alcohol consumption by quantitative cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) and 11C-acetate positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT). Methods: Thirty-four male subjects (48.8 +/- 9.1 years) with alcohol consumption > 28 g/day for > 10 years and 35 age-matched healthy male subjects (49.5 +/- 9.7 years) underwent CMR and 11C-acetate PET/CT. Native and post T1 values and extracellular volume (ECV) from CMR and Kmono and K1 from PET imaging were measured. Quantitative measurements by CMR and PET imaging were compared between subjects with moderate to heavy alcohol consumption and healthy controls, and their correlations were also analyzed. Results: Compared to healthy controls, subjects with alcohol consumption showed significantly shorter native T1 (1133 +/- 65 ms vs. 1186 +/- 31 ms, p 0.05). In contrast, subjects with heavy alcohol consumption showed significantly lower Kmono values compared to those with moderate alcohol consumption (52.9 +/- 12.1 min(- 1) x 10(- 3) vs. 63.7 +/- 9.2 min(- 1) x 10(- 3), p = 0.012). Strong and moderate correlations were found between K1 and ECV in healthy controls (r = 0.689, p = 0.013) and subjects with moderate alcohol consumption (r = 0.518, p = 0.048), respectively. Conclusion: Asymptomatic men with heavy alcohol consumption have detectable structural and metabolic changes in myocardium on CMR and 11C-acetate PET/CT. Compared with quantitative CMR, 11C-acetate PET/CT imaging may be more sensitive for detecting differences in myocardial damage among subjects with moderate to heavy alcohol consumption.</div

Maturity Evaluation of National Agro-technology Park Innovation Network Based on Improved Matter-element Extension Model From the Perspective of Intensive Development

Based on the improved match-element extension model, the maturity of collaborative innovation network in China’s agricultural science and technology parks was explored with 257 national agricultural science and technology parks as research objects. The results show that: (1) the results obtained by measuring the maturity level of collaborative innovation network in national agricultural science and technology parks by asymmetric proximity degree are more consistent with the actual situation;(2) the maturity of collaborative innovation networks in national agricultural science and technology parks are good. Therefore, the park should replace the traditional resource input-driven development model through innovation-driven development to achieve low energy consumption, intensive and high-quality development

Changes of Active Substances in <i>Ganoderma lucidum</i> during Different Growth Periods and Analysis of Their Molecular Mechanism

Ganoderma lucidum, renowned as an essential edible and medicinal mushroom in China, remains shrouded in limited understanding concerning the intrinsic mechanisms governing the accumulation of active components and potential protein expression across its diverse developmental stages. Accordingly, this study employed a meticulous integration of metabolomics and proteomics techniques to scrutinize the dynamic alterations in metabolite accumulation and protein expression in G. lucidum throughout its growth phases. The metabolomics analysis unveiled elevated levels of triterpenoids, steroids, and polyphenolic compounds during the budding stage (BS) of mushroom growth, with prominent compounds including Diplazium and Ganoderenic acids E, H, and I, alongside key steroids such as cholesterol and 4,4-dimethyl-5alpha-cholesta-8,14,24-trien-3beta-ol. Additionally, nutrients such as polysaccharides, flavonoids, and purines exhibited heightened presence during the maturation stage (FS) of ascospores. Proteomic scrutiny demonstrated the modulation of triterpenoid synthesis by the CYP450, HMGR, HMGS, and ERG protein families, all exhibiting a decline as G. lucidum progressed, except for the ARE family, which displayed an upward trajectory. Therefore, BS is recommended as the best harvesting period for G. lucidum. This investigation contributes novel insights into the holistic exploitation of G. lucidum

Newest data on fluoroquinolone resistance mechanism of Shigella flexneri isolates in Jiangsu Province of China

Abstract Background To determine the prevalence, antimicrobial susceptibility patterns and related presence of mutations in quinolone resistance-determining region (QRDR) genes and plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) among Shigella flexneri isolates obtained from Jiangsu Province, China. Methods A total of 400 Shigella flexneri clinical isolates collected during 2012–2015 were identified by biochemical and serological methods, and the antimicrobial susceptibility pattern was evaluated using the disc-diffusion method. PCR and DNA sequencing were accomplished to identify mutations in gyrA, gyrB, parC and parE, and the presence of qnrA, qnrB, qnrC, qnrD, qnrS, qepA and aac(6′)-Ib-cr genes were also detected. Results Of all the Shigella flexneri, 75.8% were resistant to nalidixic acid, and 37.0% were categorized as norfloxacin resistant. Overall, 75.5% of isolates possessed gyrA mutations (Ser83Leu, Asp87Gly/Asn and His211Tyr), while 84.3% had parC mutations (Ser80Ile, Ala81Pho, Gln91His and Ser129Pro). The most prevalent point mutations in gyrA and parC were Ser83Leu (75.5%, 302/400) and Ser80Ile (74.5%, 298/400), relatively. Besides, the Gln517Arg alternation in gyrB was detected in 13 S. flexneri isolates and no mutations were identified in parE. PMQR determinations of qnrB, qnrS and aac(6′)-Ib-cr were detected among 16 strains (4.0%). Conclusions The results presented here show that fluoroquinolone resistance in these clinical isolates result from mutations in chromosome, besides, despite the low prevalence of PMQR determinants in Jiangsu, it is essential to continue surveillance PMQR determinants in this area

A Meta-Analysis of <i>P2X7</i> Gene-762T/C Polymorphism and Pulmonary Tuberculosis Susceptibility

<div><p>Aim</p><p>We performed a comprehensive meta-analysis to determine the association between <i>P2X7</i> -762T/C polymorphism and pulmonary tuberculosis susceptibility.</p><p>Methodology</p><p>Based on comprehensive searches of the PubMed, SCI, Elsevier, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and Wanfang Database, we identified eligible studies about the association between <i>P2X7</i> -762T/C polymorphism and pulmonary tuberculosis risk. Pooled odds ratio (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) were calculated in random-effects model.</p><p>Results</p><p>A total of 2207 tuberculosis cases and 2220 controls in 8 case-control studies were included in this meta-analysis. Allele model (C vs. T: p = 0.15; OR = 0.83, 95% CI = 0.65–1.07), homozygous model (CC vs. TT: p = 0.23; OR = 0.73, 95% CI = 0.44 to 1.22), and heterozygous model (CT vs. TT: p = 0.57; OR = 0.92, 95% CI = 0.68 to 1.24) did not show increased risk of developing pulmonary tuberculosis. Similarly, dominant model (CC+CT vs. TT: p = 0.32; OR = 0.84, 95% CI = 0.59 to 1.19) and recessive model (CC vs. CT+TT: p = 0.08; OR = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.57 to 1.04) failed to show increased risk of developing pulmonary tuberculosis. Subgroup analysis by ethnicity did not detect any significant association between <i>P2X7</i>–762T/C polymorphism and pulmonary tuberculosis susceptibility.</p><p>Conclusions</p><p><i>P2X7</i> -762T/C gene polymorphism is not associated with pulmonary tuberculosis susceptibility.</p></div