Optical imaging and spectroscopy for the study of the human brain: status report.

This report is the second part of a comprehensive two-part series aimed at reviewing an extensive and diverse toolkit of novel methods to explore brain health and function. While the first report focused on neurophotonic tools mostly applicable to animal studies, here, we highlight optical spectroscopy and imaging methods relevant to noninvasive human brain studies. We outline current state-of-the-art technologies and software advances, explore the most recent impact of these technologies on neuroscience and clinical applications, identify the areas where innovation is needed, and provide an outlook for the future directions

Effectiveness of PIVKA-II in the detection of hepatocellular carcinoma based on real-world clinical data

Abstract Background Protein Induced by Vitamin K Absence or Antagonist-II (PIVKA-II) is an efficient biomarker specific for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Some researchers have proved that levels of PIVKA-II reflect HCC oncogenesis and progression. However, the effectiveness of PIVKA-II based on real-world clnical data has barely been studied. Methods A total of 14,861 samples were tested in Southwest Hospital in over 2 years’ time. Among them, 4073 samples were PIVKA-II positive. Finally, a total of 2070 patients with at least two image examinations were enrolled in this study. Levels of AFP and PIVKA-II were measured by chemiluminescence enzyme immunoassay (CLEIA) and chemiluminescent microparticle Immunoassay (CMIA), respectively. Results A total of 1016 patients with HCC were detected by PIVKA-II in a real-world application. In all these cases, 88.7% cases primarily occurred and patients with advanced HCC covered 61.3%. Levels of PIVKA-II were significantly higher in advanced group (4650.0 mAU/ml, 667.0–33,438.0 mAU/ml) than early-stage group (104.5 mAU/ml, 61.0–348.8 mAU/ml; P < 0.001). Levels of PIVKA-II elevated significantly in recurrence and residual group than recovery group (P < 0.001). A total of 1054 PIVKA-II positive patients were non-HCC cases. Among them, cirrhosis took the largest part (46.3%), followed by hepatitis (20.6%) and benign nodules (15.3%). High-levels of PIVKA-II in at-risk patients is an indicator of HCC development in two-year time. Conclusions Our data showed that PIVKA-II effectively increases the detection rate of HCC was a valid complement to AFP and image examination in HCC surveillance

A novel mutation in the BCHE gene and phenotype identified in a child with low butyrylcholinesterase activity: a case report

Abstract Background Butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), an ester hydrolase produced mainly by the liver, hydrolyzes certain short-acting neuromuscular blocking agents, like succinylcholine and mivacurium that are widely used during anesthesia. Patients with BChE deficiency are possibly in danger of postanesthetic apnea. Hereditary BChE deficiency results from the mutations of BCHE gene located on chromosome 3, 3q26.1-q26.2, between nucleotides 165,490,692–165,555,260. Case presentation This study describes a novel mutation in a child with BChE deficiency. In general, this child appeared healthy and well-developed with a normal appearance. However, the results of Wechsler Intelligence Scale showed that the full-scale intelligence quotient (FIQ) was 53, classified into the group with the minor defect. The BChE activity was 32.0 U/L, considerably lower than the normal lower limit (reference range: 5000-12,000 U/L). Sanger sequencing showed that there were 2 mutations in the exon 2 of BCHE gene of this child. One is a heterozygous mutation rs764588882 (NM_000055.3: c.401_402insA, p.Asn134Lysfs*23). The other one is a heterozygous mutation (NM_000055.3: c.73A > T, p.Lys25Ter) that has never been reported before. The two mutations lead to a premature stop of transcription. Conclusions Double heterozygous recessive mutations are the cause of BChE deficiency of this boy in this study, including a novel mutation c.73A > T. Intellectual disability is a new phenotype that is probably associated with this mutation

Estrogen receptor alpha gene polymorphisms and risk of HBV-related acute liver failure in the Chinese population

Abstract Background The sexual dimorphism of hepatitis B virus (HBV) -related liver diseases is related with estrogen and its receptors. Recent reports indicate that abnormal expression of estrogen receptor alpha (ESR1) may be a hallmark for the progression of liver disease and HBV carriers presenting variant ESR1 have an extremely aggressive clinical course. Here we examine whether the ESR1 polymorphisms or its haplotypes are related to HBV-related acute liver failure (ALF) risk among chronic HBV carriers in a Chinese population. Methods A total of 1216 unrelated Han Chinese HBV carriers were recruited in this hospital-based case–control study, including 359 HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) carriers affected with ALF and 857 asymptomatic HBsAg carriers. Two ESR1 haplotype tagging polymorphisms, c.30 T > C (rs2077647) and c.453-397 T > C (rs2234693), were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) assay. Results We observed a significantly increased susceptibility to HBV-ALF associated with the c.30 C allele (P = 8.65 × 10-4), c.453-397 C allele (5.37 × 10-4) and [c.30 C; c.453-397 C] haplotype (Dominant model, P =0.0004, odds ratio = 1.53, 95% CI 1.23 ~ 1.96) compared with the T alleles and [c.30 T; c.453-397 T] haplotype of c.30 T > C and c.453-397 T > C polymorphisms, respectively. Conclusions Our study suggests that [c.30 C; c.453-397 C] hapotype may be a risk factor for genetic susceptibility to HBV-related ALF in the Chinese population. It also emphasizes the importance of ESR1 in the pathophysiology of HBV-related ALF on the population level.</p

Sequencing and analysis of the complete mitochondrial genome of Coenobita brevimanus

Coenobitidae is one of the most important families in Anomura. However, systematic classification and taxonomic studies are still limited. In this study, we determined the complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of Coenobita brevimanus and further explored the phylogenetic relationships of Anomura. In the whole mitogenome of C. brevimanus (16388 bp), the AT-skew is negative and the GC-skew is positive.The phylogenetic tree was constructed using MrBayes method based on the 13 PCGs, which showed that Coenobitidae is monophyletic with maximal support value. Our phylogenetic analysis can be used to provide a basis for studies of the mitochondrial evolution of Anomura

Impact of Elevated Circulating Histones on Systemic Inflammation after Radiofrequency Ablation in Lung Cancer Patients

Background. This study investigated the changes of circulating histones following radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in lung cancer patients and their impact on systemic inflammation. Methods. Serial blood samples were obtained from a total of 65 primary and metastatic lung cancer patients undergoing RFA at 2 time points: pre-RFA and post-RFA within 48 h. Circulating histones, myeloperoxidase (MPO), and multiple inflammatory cytokines were measured. Moreover, the patient’s sera were incubated overnight with human monocytic U937 cells in the presence or absence of anti-histone antibody, and cytokine production was evaluated. Results. Compared to pre-RFA, there was a significant increase in circulating histones within 48 h after RFA, along with an elevation of MPO and several canonical inflammatory cytokines. Circulating histones were correlated with these inflammatory markers. Notably, compared to the sera obtained before RFA, the patients’ post-RFA sera significantly stimulated cytokine production in the supernatant of U937 cells, which could be prevented by anti-histone antibody, thereby confirming a cause-effect relationship between circulating histones and systemic inflammation. Conclusions. This study showed that circulating histones may serve as a marker indicating RFA-related systemic inflammation as well as represent a therapeutic target for resolution of inflammation

Errata: Best practices for fNIRS publications

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1117/1.NPh.8.1.012101.]

Radiation-Hard Power Electronics for the ATLAS New Small Wheel

The New Small Wheel (NSW) is an upgrade for enhanced triggering and reconstruction of muons in the ATLAS forward region. The large LV power demands of the NSW necessitate a point-of-load architecture with on-detector power conversion. The radiation load and magnetic field of this environment, while significant, are nevertheless still in the range where commercial-off-the-shelf power devices may suffice. We present studies on the radiation-hardness and magnetic-field tolerance of several candidate buck converters and linear regulators. Device survival and performance are characterized when exposed to gamma radiation, neutrons, protons and magnetic fields

Best practices for fNIRS publications

The application of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) in the neurosciences has been expanding over the last 40 years. Today, it is addressing a wide range of applications within different populations and utilizes a great variety of experimental paradigms. With the rapid growth and the diversification of research methods, some inconsistencies are appearing in the way in which methods are presented, which can make the interpretation and replication of studies unnecessarily challenging. The Society for Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy has thus been motivated to organize a representative (but not exhaustive) group of leaders in the field to build a consensus on the best practices for describing the methods utilized in fNIRS studies. Our paper has been designed to provide guidelines to help enhance the reliability, repeatability, and traceability of reported fNIRS studies and encourage best practices throughout the community. A checklist is provided to guide authors in the preparation of their manuscripts and to assist reviewers when evaluating fNIRS papers