Higher Alpha/Theta Ratio May Indicate Decreased Brain Function in Older Adults during CSPFP10 Compared to Young Adults

Declined physical ability and brain function observed in elder can affect daily living activities and negatively influence the quality of life (QOL). While the extensive research has explored the changes in cortical activity related to motor control in elder, less is known about how the brain functions during a physical function test. PURPOSE: To examine the electrocortical activation in the older adults’ brain during the Continuous Scale Physical Function Performance-10 (CSPFP-10) compared to young adults. METHODS: Twenty five older adults (OLD; 75.40±7.32 yrs, 70.33±18.23 kg, 162.87±7.55 cm) and twenty five young (YOUNG; 19.88±1.72 yrs, 66.52±14.22 kg, 167.50±10.22 cm) completed CSPFP10 while frontal (F3, Fz, F4), central (C3, Cz, C4), temporal (T7, T8, P7, P8), parietal (P3, Pz P4), and occipital (O1, Oz, O2) regions’ electrocortical activation was measured using a mobile electroencephalograph (EEG). Spectral power values (μV2/Hz) for theta (θ: 4-8 Hz) and alpha (α: 8-13 Hz) band were averaged across the target electrodes. Then α/θ ratio was calculated. Data were analyzed using independent t-test. RESULTS: OLD exhibited significantly higher α/θ ratio in frontal (M=0.98 vs.0.95, pp=.02), temporal (M=1.02 vs. 0.98, p=.006) compared to YOUNG. The separated t-test showed YOUNG had higher θ and α in frontal (θ: M= 40.93 vs. 37.56, pp=.03), central (θ: M=39.68 vs. 36.43, pp=.038), and parietal θ (M=40.55 vs. 37.98, p=.001) compared to OLD. Pearson’s correlation analysis did not find any significance between brain function and CSPFP10 scores in both groups. CONCLUSION α/θ ratio in OLD showed that their α power was relatively higher than YOUNG. Increased α power indicates suppression/selective cortical processing. It might indicate that OLD had inhibitory cortical activation process during the CSPFP10 task. Decreased frontal and parietal θ in OLD may indicate diminished decision making speed and attention with aging, while lower θ power in a central region (motor cortex) implies disrupt motor control. Overall, our result may indicate that brain activation patterns become less active during aging. It’s important to enhance both physical and brain function to improve activities of daily living and QOL in elderly population

Učinci gama-zračenja na folikule jajnika

In order to observe the morphological and endocrinological changes of the rat and mouse ovarian follicles by gamma-radiation, rats were whole-body irradiated with doses of 3.2 Gy and 8.0 Gy and mice with 2.9 Gy and 7.2 Gy. Sections of ovaria were examined by light microscopy. Concentrations of progesterone, testosterone, and estradiol in ovarian homogenate were determined by radioimmunoassay techniques. Gamma-radiation resulted in the increased percentage of atretic follicles in the groups killed on day 0, day 4, and day 8 after irradiation. The decrease in granulosa cell viability was found in animals killed on day 4 after irradiation. The finding of the high ratio of testosterone to estradiol compared to that of progesterone to testosterone suggests that aromatase activity — steroid biosynthesis from testosterone to estradiol — in granulosa cell could be affected by gamma-radiation.U radu su procjenjivane strukture i endokrinološke promjene u folikulima jajnika štakorica i mišica izazvane gama-zračenjem. Štakorice su bile izložene zračenju od 3,2 Gy ili 8,0 Gy, a mišice od 2,9 Gy ili 7,2 Gy. Životinje su usmrćene dana 0, dana 4, odnosno dana 8 nakon ozračenja. Rezovi debljine 7 µm pripremljeni su za mikroskopiranje. Koncentracije progesterona, testosterona i estradiola u homogenatu jajnika određene su specifičnim radioimunoesejem. Gama-zračenje uzrokovalo je povećanje broja atretičnih folikula u obje skupine životinja usmrćenih 4 odnosno 8 dana nakon ozračivanja. Gama-zračenje također je smanjilo životni vijek granuloza stanica u skupinama usmrćenim 4. dan nakon ozračivanja. Utvrđeno povećanje omjera testosterona prema estradiolu u usporedbi s omjerom progesterona prema testosteronu upućuje na to da gama-zračenje utječe na aktivnost aromataze u steroidnoj biosintezi testosterona u estradiol u granuloza stanicama

Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Bangpungtongsung-San, a Traditional Herbal Prescription

Bangpungtongsung-san (BPTS), a traditional oriental herbal prescription, is widely used for expelling wind, draining heat, and providing general improvement to the immune system. In this study, we investigated the effects of BPTS on induction of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), proinflammatory cytokines, nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in lipopolysaccharide- (LPS- ) stimulated Raw 264.7 cells, and on paw edema in rats. At concentrations of 0.5, 0.75, and 1 mg/mL, treatment with BPTS inhibited levels of expression of LPS-induced NF-κB and MAPKs (ERK, JNK, and p38) as well as production of proinflammatory mediators, such as nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) by LPS. These results suggest that BPTS may exert anti-inflammatory effects via reduction of proinflammatory mediators, including NO, PGE2, TNF-α, and IL-6 through suppression of the signaling pathways of NF-κB and MAPKs in LPS-induced macrophages. In addition, using the carrageenan-induced paw edema assay, an antiedema effect of BPTS was observed in rats. These findings may provide scientific evidence validating the use of BPTS in treatment of patients with heat syndrome in Korean oriental medicine

Photophysical Properties of Pheophorbide-a Derivatives and Their Photodynamic Therapeutic Effects on a Tumor Cell Line In Vitro

Pheophorbide-a derivatives have been reported to be potential photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy (PDT). In this study, photophysics of pheophorbide-a derivatives (PaDs) were investigated along with their photodynamic tumoricidal effect in vitro. PaDs were modified by changing the coil length and/or making the hydroxyl group (–OH) substitutions. Their photophysical properties were studied by steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopic methods. The photodynamic tumoricidal effect was evaluated in the mouse breast cancer cell line (EMT6). Lifetime and quantum yield of fluorescence and quantum yields of triplet state and singlet oxygen were studied to determine the dynamic energy flow. The coil length of the substituted alkyl group did not significantly affect the spectroscopic properties. However, the substitution with the hydroxyl group increased the quantum yields of the triplet state and the singlet oxygen due to the enhanced intersystem crossing. In order to check the application possibility as a photodynamic therapy agent, the PaDs with hydroxyl group were studied for the cellular affinity and the photodynamic tumoricidal effect of EMT6. The results showed that the cellular affinity and the photodynamic tumoricidal effect of PaDs with the hydroxyl group depended on the coil-length of the substituted alkyl group

PHF7 Modulates BRDT Stability and Histone-to-Protamine Exchange during Spermiogenesis

Chang Rok Kim, Taichi Noda, Hyunkyung Kim, Gibeom Kim, Seongwan Park, Yongwoo Na, Seiya Oura, Keisuke Shimada, Injin Bang, Jun-Yeong Ahn, Yong Ryoul Kim, Se Kyu Oh, Hee-Jung Choi, Jong-Seo Kim, Inkyung Jung, Ho Lee, Yuki Okada, Masahito Ikawa, Sung Hee Baek, PHF7 Modulates BRDT Stability and Histone-to-Protamine Exchange during Spermiogenesis, Cell Reports, Volume 32, Issue 4, 2020, 107950, ISSN 2211-1247, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2020.107950

Isolation and characterization of canine umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells

Human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are known to possess the potential for multiple differentiations abilities in vitro and in vivo. In canine system, studying stem cell therapy is important, but so far, stem cells from canine were not identified and characterized. In this study, we successfully isolated and characterized MSCs from the canine umbilical cord and its fetal blood. Canine MSCs (cMSCs) were grown in medium containing low glucose DMEM with 20% FBS. The cMSCs have stem cells expression patterns which are concerned with MSCs surface markers by fluorescence-activated cell sorter analysis. The cMSCs had multipotent abilities. In the neuronal differentiation study, the cMSCs expressed the neuronal markers glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), neuronal class III β tubulin (Tuj-1), neurofilament M (NF160) in the basal culture media. After neuronal differentiation, the cMSCs expressed the neuronal markers Nestin, GFAP, Tuj-1, microtubule-associated protein 2, NF160. In the osteogenic & chondrogenic differentiation studies, cMSCs were stained with alizarin red and toluidine blue staining, respectively. With osteogenic differentiation, the cMSCs presented osteoblastic differentiation genes by RT-PCR. This finding also suggests that cMSCs might have the ability to differentiate multipotentially. It was concluded that isolated MSCs from canine cord blood have multipotential differentiation abilities. Therefore, it is suggested that cMSCs may represent a be a good model system for stem cell biology and could be useful as a therapeutic modality for canine incurable or intractable diseases, including spinal cord injuries in future regenerative medicine studies

High Cleavage Efficiency of a 2A Peptide Derived from Porcine Teschovirus-1 in Human Cell Lines, Zebrafish and Mice

When expression of more than one gene is required in cells, bicistronic or multicistronic expression vectors have been used. Among various strategies employed to construct bicistronic or multicistronic vectors, an internal ribosomal entry site (IRES) has been widely used. Due to the large size and difference in expression levels between genes before and after IRES, however, a new strategy was required to replace IRES. A self-cleaving 2A peptide could be a good candidate to replace IRES because of its small size and high cleavage efficiency between genes upstream and downstream of the 2A peptide. Despite the advantages of the 2A peptides, its use is not widespread because (i) there are no publicly available cloning vectors harboring a 2A peptide gene and (ii) comprehensive comparison of cleavage efficiency among various 2A peptides reported to date has not been performed in different contexts. Here, we generated four expression plasmids each harboring different 2A peptides derived from the foot-and-mouth disease virus, equine rhinitis A virus, Thosea asigna virus and porcine teschovirus-1, respectively, and evaluated their cleavage efficiency in three commonly used human cell lines, zebrafish embryos and adult mice. Western blotting and confocal microscopic analyses revealed that among the four 2As, the one derived from porcine teschovirus-1 (P2A) has the highest cleavage efficiency in all the contexts examined. We anticipate that the 2A-harboring cloning vectors we generated and the highest efficiency of the P2A peptide we demonstrated would help biomedical researchers easily adopt the 2A technology when bicistronic or multicistronic expression is required

A Prediction Rule to Identify Severe Cases among Adult Patients Hospitalized with Pandemic Influenza A (H1N1) 2009

The purpose of this study was to establish a prediction rule for severe illness in adult patients hospitalized with pandemic influenza A (H1N1) 2009. At the time of initial presentation, the baseline characteristics of those with severe illness (i.e., admission to intensive care unit, mechanical ventilation, or death) were compared to those of patients with non-severe illnesses. A total of 709 adults hospitalized with pandemic influenza A (H1N1) 2009 were included: 75 severe and 634 non-severe cases. The multivariate analysis demonstrated that altered mental status, hypoxia (PaO2/FiO2 ≤ 250), bilateral lung infiltration, and old age (≥ 65 yr) were independent risk factors for severe cases (all P < 0.001). The area under the ROC curve (0.834 [95% CI, 0.778-0.890]) of the number of risk factors were not significantly different with that of APACHE II score (0.840 [95% CI, 0.790-0.891]) (P = 0.496). The presence of ≥ 2 risk factors had a higher sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value than an APACHE II score of ≥ 13. As a prediction rule, the presence of ≥ 2 these risk factors is a powerful and easy-to-use predictor of the severity in adult patients hospitalized with pandemic influenza A (H1N1) 2009