Recombinant human thioredoxin-1 promotes neurogenesis and facilitates cognitive recovery following cerebral ischemia in mice

AbstractCerebral ischemia (CI) can induce loss of hippocampal neurons, causing cognitive dysfunction such as learning and memory deficits. In adult mammals, the hippocampal dentate gyrus contains neural stem cells (NSCs) that continuously generate newborn neurons and integrate into the pre-existing networks throughout life, which may ameliorate cognitive dysfunction following CI. Recent studies have demonstrated that recombinant human thioredoxin-1 (rhTrx-1) could promote proliferation of human adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells and angiogenesis. To investigate whether rhTrx-1 also regulates hippocampal neurogenesis following CI and its underlying mechanisms, adult mice were subjected to bilateral common carotid arteries occlusion (BCCAO) to induce CI and treated with rhTrx-1 before reperfusion. Mice treated with rhTrx-1 showed shortened escape latencies in Morris water maze by 30 days and improvements in spatial memory demonstrated by probe trial test. Enhanced NSCs proliferation was observed at day 14, indicated by BrdU and Ki67 immunostaining. Doublecortin (DCX)+ cells were also significantly increased following rhTrx-1 treatment. Despite increases in BrdU+/NeuN+ cells by day 30, the double-labeling to total BrdU+ ratio was not affected by rhTrx-1 treatment. The promotive effects of rhTrx-1 on NSCs proliferation and differentiation were further confirmed in in vitro assays. Western blot revealed increased ERK1/2 phosphorylation after rhTrx-1 treatment, and the ERK inhibitor U0126 abrogated the effects of rhTrx-1 on NSCs proliferation. These results provide initial evidence that rhTrx-1 effects neurogenesis through the ERK signaling pathway and are beneficial for improving spatial learning and memory in adult mice following global CI

MODMA dataset: a Multi-modal Open Dataset for Mental-disorder Analysis

According to the World Health Organization, the number of mental disorder patients, especially depression patients, has grown rapidly and become a leading contributor to the global burden of disease. However, the present common practice of depression diagnosis is based on interviews and clinical scales carried out by doctors, which is not only labor-consuming but also time-consuming. One important reason is due to the lack of physiological indicators for mental disorders. With the rising of tools such as data mining and artificial intelligence, using physiological data to explore new possible physiological indicators of mental disorder and creating new applications for mental disorder diagnosis has become a new research hot topic. However, good quality physiological data for mental disorder patients are hard to acquire. We present a multi-modal open dataset for mental-disorder analysis. The dataset includes EEG and audio data from clinically depressed patients and matching normal controls. All our patients were carefully diagnosed and selected by professional psychiatrists in hospitals. The EEG dataset includes not only data collected using traditional 128-electrodes mounted elastic cap, but also a novel wearable 3-electrode EEG collector for pervasive applications. The 128-electrodes EEG signals of 53 subjects were recorded as both in resting state and under stimulation; the 3-electrode EEG signals of 55 subjects were recorded in resting state; the audio data of 52 subjects were recorded during interviewing, reading, and picture description. We encourage other researchers in the field to use it for testing their methods of mental-disorder analysis

Data from: Corrosion resistant systems of formate packer fluid for G3/N80/TP110SS pipes at high temperature, high pressure and high H2S/CO2 ratios

A series of corrosion problems caused by high-temperature, high-pressure and high-acid gas environments has been an issue in oil and gas production for a long time. During the development of a high-acid gas field, the petroleum pipe is subjected to many aspects of corrosion, and the corrosion mechanism is complicated by the condition of the coexistence of H2S/CO2/O2. Based on the study of the corrosion problem associated with the formate packer fluid in Southwest China, three kinds of steels were studied for corrosion prevention in the Alloy G3/N80 Steel/TP110SS Steel. The study shows that the corrosion rate of the formate packer fluid is low, but corrosion is severe in environments characterised by high temperatures, high pressures and high acid gas contents. Based on the consideration of cost and the difficulty of realization, an anti-corrosion system was constructed based on the existing packer fluid, mainly through the introduction of a variety of anti-corrosion additives. Through the selection of various additives and corrosion experiments, a corrosion protection system of formate packer fluid was developed. Corrosion tests show that the corrosion rate of the system must be less than 0.076 mm/a to achieve the purpose of corrosion protection. The formate packer fluid with corrosion protection can meet the needs of the current application

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Cell-therapy for Parkinson’s disease : a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Cell-based strategies focusing on replacement or protection of dopaminergic neurons have been considered as a potential approach to treat Parkinson’s disease (PD) for decades. However, despite promising preclinical results, clinical trials on cell-therapy for PD reported mixed outcomes and a thorough synthesis of these findings is lacking. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate cell-therapy for PD patients. Methods: We systematically identified all clinical trials investigating cell- or tissue-based therapies for PD published before July 2023. Out of those, studies reporting transplantation of homogenous cells (containing one cell type) were included in meta-analysis. The mean difference or standardized mean difference in quantitative neurological scale scores before and after cell-therapy was analyzed to evaluate treatment effects. Results: The systematic literature search revealed 106 articles. Eleven studies reporting data from 11 independent trials (210 patients) were eligible for meta-analysis. Disease severity and motor function evaluation indicated beneficial effects of homogenous cell-therapy in the ‘off’ state at 3-, 6-, 12-, or 24-month follow-ups, and for motor function even after 36 months. Most of the patients were levodopa responders (61.6–100% in different follow-ups). Cell-therapy was also effective in improving the daily living activities in the ‘off’ state of PD patients. Cells from diverse sources were used and multiple transplantation modes were applied. Autografts did not improve functional outcomes, while allografts exhibited beneficial effects. Encouragingly, both transplantation into basal ganglia and to areas outside the basal ganglia were effective to reduce disease severity. Some trials reported adverse events potentially related to the surgical procedure. One confirmed and four possible cases of graft-induced dyskinesia were reported in two trials included in this meta-analysis. Conclusions: This meta-analysis provides preliminary evidence for the beneficial effects of homogenous cell-therapy for PD, potentially to the levodopa responders. Allogeneic cells were superior to autologous cells, and the effective transplantation sites are not limited to the basal ganglia. PROSPERO registration number: CRD4202236976

Synergistic coupling of Mn-doped skeleton and Mg-toughened matrix: towards a heat-resistant Al–La–Mg–Mn alloy

Thermally stable three-dimensional (3D) skeleton coupled with the Mg-toughened matrix is employed to enhance the high-temperature strength in an Al–La–Mg–Mn alloy fabricated via laser powder bed fusion. The 3D skeleton exhibits a network and trans-granular structure with submicron cells, providing effective boundary strengthening to counter conventional grain boundary softening at elevated temperatures. Notably, Mn-doping introduces nanoscale Al6Mn precipitates into the skeleton, inducing additional microcracks that aid deformation coordination yet are buffered by the high-Mg toughened α-Al matrix during deformation. Quantitatively, the network structure contributes to over 30% and 40% yield strength increments at 200°C and 300°C, respectively. LPBF-fabricated Al–La–Mg–Mn alloy achieved outstanding high-temperature strength via boundary strengthening mechanism provide by the 3D skeleton.</p

TREK-1 mediates isoflurane-induced cytotoxicity in astrocytes

Abstract Background There are growing concerns that anaesthetic exposure can cause extensive apoptotic degeneration of neurons and the impairment of normal synaptic development and remodelling. However, little attention has been paid to exploring the possible cytotoxicity of inhalation anaesthetics, such as isoflurane, in astrocytes. In this research, we determined that prolonged exposure to an inhalation anaesthetic caused cytotoxicity in astrocytes, and we identified the underlying molecular mechanism responsible for this process. Methods Astrocytes were exposed to isoflurane, and astrocytic survival was then measured via LDH release assays, MTT assays, and TUNEL staining. TWIK-related potassium (K+) channel-1 (TREK-1) over-expression and knockdown models were also created using lentiviruses. The levels of TREK-1 and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were measured via Western blot and qRT-PCR. Results Prolonged exposure to isoflurane decreased primary astrocytic viability in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Moreover, with prolonged exposure to isoflurane, the TREK-1 level increased, and the BDNF level was reduced. TREK-1 knockdown promoted the survival of astrocytes and increased BDNF expression following isoflurane exposure. Conclusions Overdoses of and prolonged exposure to isoflurane induce cytotoxicity in primary astrocytes. TREK-1 plays an important role in isoflurane-induced cultured astrocytic cytotoxicity by down-regulating the expression of BDNF

Improving the ductility of ultrahigh strength lath martensite through heterogeneous carbon distribution

This investigation aims to improve the ductility of ultrahigh strength (>2 GPa) press hardening steels (PHS) by exploiting the heterogeneous carbon distribution in lath martensite. The proposed strategy is demonstrated in a medium carbon PHS with a lath martensite microstructure produced by quenching austenite. It is found that by enhancing auto-tempering, the solute carbon content in the coarse laths formed earlier during martensitic transformation can be reduced, leading to the softening and ductilizing of these laths. The softened coarse laths of small volume fraction provide significant improvement in the post-uniform elongation (PUE) without compromising the ultrahigh strength of lath martensite. The remarkable improvement in the PUE of ultrastrong lath martensite achieved by exploiting heterogeneous carbon distribution is expected to be instructive for the development of ultrahigh strength PHS with good ductility and fracture toughness

Neural signal analysis with memristor arrays towards high-efficiency brain–machine interfaces

Designing energy efficient and high performance brain-machine interfaces with millions of recording electrodes for in-situ analysis remains a challenge. Here, the authors develop a memristor-based neural signal analysis system capable of filtering and identifying epilepsy-related brain activities with an accuracy of 93.46%

Alterations in Plasma Lipidomic Profiles in Adult Patients with Schizophrenia and Major Depressive Disorder

Background and Objectives: Lipidomics is a pivotal tool for investigating the pathogenesis of mental disorders. However, studies qualitatively and quantitatively analyzing peripheral lipids in adult patients with schizophrenia (SCZ) and major depressive disorder (MDD) are limited. Moreover, there are no studies comparing the lipid profiles in these patient populations. Materials and Method: Lipidomic data for plasma samples from sex- and age-matched patients with SCZ or MDD and healthy controls (HC) were obtained and analyzed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Results: We observed changes in lipid composition in patients with MDD and SCZ, with more significant alterations in those with SCZ. In addition, a potential diagnostic panel comprising 103 lipid species and another diagnostic panel comprising 111 lipid species could distinguish SCZ from HC (AUC = 0.953) or SCZ from MDD (AUC = 0.920) were identified, respectively. Conclusions: This study provides an increased understanding of dysfunctional lipid composition in the plasma of adult patients with SCZ or MDD, which may lay the foundation for identifying novel clinical diagnostic methods for these disorders