Cortical vein involvement and its influence in a cohort of adolescents with cerebral venous thrombosis

Abstract Background and purpose Cortical vein thrombosis (CVT) is a rare form of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) in adolescent patients that has received little attention. We aimed to analyze the clinical and radiological features of adolescents with CVST and investigate the effects of CVT involvement. Methods Patients aged ≥ 10 to ≤ 18 years and diagnosed with CVST were identified at Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University between January 2015 and August 2022 and divided into two groups according to the presence or absence of cortical vein involvement. Additionally, the patients were also categorized based on their sex. Clinical features, radiological characteristics, and 12-month follow-up outcomes were compared between the two groups. Results Fifty-three adolescents, including 21 with CVT, were included (mean age: 15.2 ± 1.8 years; females, 54.7%). The CVT group was more likely to experience seizures (P = 0.028) and deterioration (28.6% vs. 6.2%, P = 0.047) during hospitalization than the non-CVT group. Poor short-term outcomes, based on the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score at discharge, were more common in adolescents with CVT (P = 0.007). The proportions of patients showing edema (42.9% vs. 6.2%, P = 0.004) and mass effect (P = 0.015) were significantly higher in the CVT group. Recanalization was observed in 61.9% and 82.1% of the patients in the CVT and non-CVT groups, respectively, during the first imaging review (median, 22 days). After a 12-month follow-up, female adolescents had more frequent resident secondary headaches than male adolescents (52.9% vs. 12.5%; P = 0.014). Conclusions Cortical vein involvement in adolescents with CVST was associated with a higher risk of epilepsy at presentation, deterioration during hospitalization, edema, and mass effect on acute imaging. Moreover, cortical vein involvement may lead to worse short-term outcomes. Sex differences require consideration in etiological analyses and prolonged follow-ups

Valproic acid-like compounds enhance and prolong the radiotherapy effect on breast cancer by activating and maintaining anti-tumor immune function

Inadequate sustained immune activation and tumor recurrence are major limitations of radiotherapy (RT), sustained and targeted activation of the tumor microenvironment can overcome this obstacle. Here, by two models of a primary rat breast cancer and cell co-culture, we demonstrated that valproic acid (VPA) and its derivative (HPTA) are effective immune activators for RT to inhibit tumor growth by inducing myeloid-derived macrophages and polarizing them toward the M1 phenotype, thus elevate the expression of cytokines such as IL-12, IL-6, IFN-g and TNF-a during the early stage of the combination treatment. Meanwhile, activated CD8+ T cells increased, angiogenesis of tumors is inhibited, and the vasculature becomes sparse. Furthermore, it was suggested that VPA/HPTA can enhance the effects of RT via macrophage-mediated and macrophage-CD8+ T cell-mediated anti-tumor immunity. The combination of VPA/ HPTA and RT treatment slowed the growth of tumors and prolong the anti-tumor effect by continuously maintaining the activated immune response. These are promising findings for the development of new effective, low-cost concurrent cancer therapy

A structural study of new tetrakis(1H-pyrazol-1-yl)methanes

Tetrakis(1H-pyrazol-1-yl)methanes are very rare compounds of which only two are known: the unsubstituted 1 obtained classically by Hückel in 1937 from carbon tetrachloride and prepared again several times and the 3,5-dimethyl substituted 2 obtained serendipitously by Pombeiro in 2009. We have now extended this group to include four new derivatives 8, 9, 11 and 12 bearing methyl groups. The X-ray crystal structure of the four compounds has been determined. They have been studied by NMR both in solution (H, C, N) and in the solid state (C and N). DFT calculations of the six compounds (geometries, energies and absolute shieldings) have been used to discuss the experimental observations.We thank Dr. Duane Choquesillo-Lazarte (LEC, IACT-CSIC) for compound 12 X-ray data collection. This work was carried out with financial support from the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (Project PGC2018-094644-B-C22) and Direccion General de Investigacion en Innovacion de la Comunidad de Madrid (PS2018/EMT-4329 AIRTEC-CM). Computer, storage and other resources from the CTI (CSIC) are gratefully acknowledged. Thanks are also due to University of Aveiro and FCT/MEC for the financial support of the QOPNA research unit (FCTUID/QUI/00062/2019) through national founds and, where applicable, co-financed by the FEDER, within the PT2020 Partnership, and also to the Portuguese NMR network. Support from the UNED is also greatly acknowledge

Additional file 1: of Genome-wide copy number variant analysis for congenital ventricular septal defects in Chinese Han population

Supplemental material. (DOCX 4259 kb

(A) Energy associated with the bond angles in the case of DOPC; (B) Energy associated with the bond angles in the case of glucose; (C) Bond energies for DOPC and glucose molecules; (D) Energy associated with the dihedrals in the case of DOPC and glucose molecules.

<p>All energies are for flexible DOPC molecules (residue ID 1 to 64).</p

Representative screenshot showing the simulated trajectory of the glucose molecules through the DOPC membrane during the first 1500 ps.

<p>Representative screenshot showing the simulated trajectory of the glucose molecules through the DOPC membrane during the first 1500 ps.</p

Cell productivity increase after sonication.

<p>Cell productivity increase after sonication.</p

2-NBDG uptake in Sf9 cells with and without ultrasound treatment observed by conventional microscopy (A) and fluorescent microscopy (B and C).

<p>The sample with ultrasound treatment shows higher green intensity (C) compared to the control sample (A).</p