Electroencephalogram (EEG) is a non-invasive, high temporal-resolution technique for monitoring brain activity. However, affected by the volume conduction effect, EEG has a low spatial resolution and is difficult to locate brain neuronal activity precisely. The surface Laplacian (SL) technique obtains the Laplacian EEG (LEEG) by estimating the second-order spatial derivative of the scalp potential. LEEG can reflect the radial current activity under the scalp, with positive values indicating current flow from the brain to the scalp (“source”) and negative values indicating current flow from the scalp to the brain (“sink”). It attenuates signals from volume conduction, effectively improving the spatial resolution of EEG, and is expected to contribute to breakthroughs in neural engineering. This paper provides a systematic overview of the principles and development of SL technology. Currently, there are two implementation paths for SL technology: current source density algorithms (CSD) and concentric ring electrodes (CRE). CSD performs the Laplace transform of the EEG signals acquired by conventional disc electrodes to indirectly estimate the LEEG. It can be mainly classified into local methods, global methods, and realistic Laplacian methods. The global method is the most commonly used approach in CSD, which can achieve more accurate estimation compared with the local method, and it does not require additional imaging equipment compared with the realistic Laplacian method. CRE employs new concentric ring electrodes instead of the traditional disc electrodes, and measures the LEEG directly by differential acquisition of the multi-ring signals. Depending on the structure, it can be divided into bipolar CRE, quasi-bipolar CRE, tripolar CRE, and multi-pole CRE. The tripolar CRE is widely used due to its optimal detection performance. While ensuring the quality of signal acquisition, the complexity of its preamplifier is relatively acceptable. Here, this paper introduces the study of the SL technique in resting rhythms, visual-related potentials, movement-related potentials, and sensorimotor rhythms. These studies demonstrate that SL technology can improve signal quality and enhance signal characteristics, confirming its potential applications in neuroscientific research, disease diagnosis, visual pathway detection, and brain-computer interfaces. CSD is frequently utilized in applications such as neuroscientific research and disease detection, where high-precision estimation of LEEG is required. And CRE tends to be used in brain-computer interfaces, that have stringent requirements for real-time data processing. Finally, this paper summarizes the strengths and weaknesses of SL technology and envisages its future development. SL technology boasts advantages such as reference independence, high spatial resolution, high temporal resolution, enhanced source connectivity analysis, and noise suppression. However, it also has shortcomings that can be further improved. Theoretically, simulation experiments should be conducted to investigate the theoretical characteristics of SL technology. For CSD methods, the algorithm needs to be optimized to improve the precision of LEEG estimation, reduce dependence on the number of channels, and decrease computational complexity and time consumption. For CRE methods, the electrodes need to be designed with appropriate structures and sizes, and the low-noise, high common-mode rejection ratio preamplifier should be developed. We hope that this paper can promote the in-depth research and wide application of SL technology.

BACKGROUND: Epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs), which are metabolites of arachidonic acid catalyzed by cytochrome P450 epoxygenase, are degraded into inactive dihydroxyeicosatrienoic acids by soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH). Many studies have revealed that sEH gene deletion exerts protective effects against diabetes. Vascular calcification is a common complication of diabetes, but the potential effects of sEH on diabetic vascular calcification are still unknown. METHODS: The level of aortic calcification in wild-type and Ephx2-/- C57BL/6 diabetic mice induced with streptozotocin was evaluated by measuring the aortic calcium content through alizarin red staining, immunohistochemistry staining, and immunofluorescence staining. Mouse vascular smooth muscle cell lines (MOVAS cells) treated with β-glycerol phosphate (0.01 mol/L) plus advanced glycation end products (50 mg/L) were used to investigate the effects of sEH inhibitors or sEH knockdown and EETs on the calcification of vascular smooth muscle cells, which was detected by Western blotting, alizarin red staining, and Von Kossa staining. RESULTS: sEH gene deletion significantly inhibited diabetic vascular calcification by increasing levels of EETs in the aortas of mice. EETs (especially 11,12-EET and 14,15-EET) efficiently prevented the osteogenic transdifferentiation of MOVAS cells by decreasing nidogen-2 (NID2) expression. Interestingly, suppressing sEH activity by small interfering ribonucleic acid or specific inhibitors did not block osteogenic transdifferentiation of MOVAS cells induced by β-glycerol phosphate and advanced glycation end products. NID2 overexpression significantly abolished the inhibitory effect of sEH gene deletion on diabetic vascular calcification. Moreover, NID2 overexpression mediated by adeno-associated virus 9 vectors markedly increased insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) and phospho-ERK1/2 expression in MOVAS cells. Overall, sEH gene knockout inhibited diabetic vascular calcification by decreasing aortic NID2 expression and, then, inactivating the downstream IGF2-ERK1/2 signaling pathway. CONCLUSIONS sEH gene deletion markedly inhibited diabetic vascular calcification through repressed osteogenic transdifferentiation of vascular smooth muscle cells mediated by increased aortic EET levels, which was associated with decreased NID2 expression and inactivation of the downstream IGF2-ERK1/2 signaling pathway.
Animals ; Mice ; Vascular Calcification/metabolism* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Epoxide Hydrolases/metabolism* ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental/genetics* ; Male ; Gene Deletion ; MAP Kinase Signaling System/genetics* ; Cell Line ; Immunohistochemistry ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction/genetics* ; Mice, Knockout

Cemental tear is a rare and indetectable condition unless obvious clinical signs present with the involvement of surrounding periodontal and periapical tissues. Due to its clinical manifestations similar to common dental issues, such as vertical root fracture, primary endodontic diseases, and periodontal diseases, as well as the low awareness of cemental tear for clinicians, misdiagnosis often occurs. The critical principle for cemental tear treatment is to remove torn fragments, and overlooking fragments leads to futile therapy, which could deteriorate the conditions of the affected teeth. Therefore, accurate diagnosis and subsequent appropriate interventions are vital for managing cemental tear. Novel diagnostic tools, including cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), microscopes, and enamel matrix derivatives, have improved early detection and management, enhancing tooth retention. The implementation of standardized diagnostic criteria and treatment protocols, combined with improved clinical awareness among dental professionals, serves to mitigate risks of diagnostic errors and suboptimal therapeutic interventions. This expert consensus reviewed the epidemiology, pathogenesis, potential predisposing factors, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of cemental tear, aiming to provide a clinical guideline and facilitate clinicians to have a better understanding of cemental tear.
Humans ; Dental Cementum/injuries* ; Consensus ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Cone-Beam Computed Tomography ; Tooth Fractures/therapy*

Objective To investigate the efficacy and safety of intravenous thrombolysis with low-dose and standard-dose recombinant tissue plasminogen activator(rt-PA)in the elderly patients(aged over 80 years)with acute ischemic stroke(AIS).Methods A total of 201 elderly patients with AIS treated at Tianjin Fourth Central Hospital from February 2019 to February 2023 were prospectively included and randomly assigned to the rt-PA low-dose group(n=93,0.6 mg/kg)and rt-PA standard-dose group(n=108,0.9 mg/kg).The incidence of intra-cranial hemorrhage,symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage,fatal intracranial hemorrhage,neurologic deterioration within 7 days and mortality within 90 days were observed to evaluate the safety.The neurologic improvement rate and good prognosis rate at 90 days were used to evaluate the effectiveness.A stratified analysis of 90-day outcomes was performed based on stroke severity and age.Results The incidence of intracranial hemorrhage,symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage and fatal intracranial hemorrhage within 7 days in rt-PA low-dose group was lower than that in rt-PA standard-dose group(P＜0.05).There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups concerning the residual safety index and the effectiveness index.The 90-day good prognosis rate of moderate stroke sub-group and of≥90 years of age sub-group in rt-PA low-dose group were both higher than that of rt-PA standard-dose group(P＜0.05).Conclusions For AIS patients with moderate stroke and aged over 90 years,intravenous thrombolytic therapy with rt-PA 0.6 mg/kg is recommended.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is characterized by chronic relapsing intestinal inflammation and encompasses ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD). IBD has emerged as a global healthcare problem. Clinically efficacious therapeutic agents are deficient. This study concentrates on models of ulcerative colitis with the objective of discovering novel therapeutic strategies. Previous investigations have established that schisandrin A demonstrates anti-inflammatory effects in vitro, concurrently enhancing the transcriptional activity of farnesoid X receptor (FXR). FXR inversely modulates the transcriptional activity of NF-κB, which has an important role in regulating inflammatory responses. Consequently, the current study was to explore the safeguarding influence of schisandrin A on ulcerative colitis and delineate the mechanism by which it regulates this effect through the FXR signaling pathway. The effect of schisandrin A on the mRNA levels of inflammatory factors was evaluated in RAW264.7 cells. The dual luciferase reporter gene assay was used to verify the relationship between schisandrin A and FXR targeting. The animal experiments were performed in accordance with the regulations of the Animal Ethics Committee of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (approval No. PZSHUTCM2304250005). Acute ulcerative colitis was induced in wild-type or FXR knockout C57BL/6 mice by drinking 3% dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) for 7 days, and schisandrin A was administered via gavage for a continuous treatment period of 7 days. The body weight and faecal were monitored daily. The mRNA levels of inflammatory factors in colon tissue and FXR target genes were measured by RT-qPCR. The findings revealed that schisandrin A, in vitro, impeded the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced elevation in mRNA levels of inflammatory factors and schisandrin A could augment transcriptional activity of FXR. In wild-type mice, schisandrin A significantly improved weight loss, colon shortening, loose stools and blood in stools in mice with acute ulcerative colitis, and schisandrin A significantly reduced the expression of pro-inflammatory factors genes and significantly increased the expression of FXR target genes in colon tissues. In FXR knockout mice, the administration of schisandrin A failed to yield ameliorative effect on acute ulcerative colitis in mice. In conclusion, schisandrin A can reduce intestinal inflammation through the FXR signaling pathway to alleviate acute ulcerative colitis in mice. Implications arise that Schisandra lignans could serve as lead compounds for drug development aimed at inflammatory bowel disease.

AIM To investigate the variation rules of main secondary metabolites in Hedysari Radix before and after rubbing strip.METHODS UPLC-MS/MS was adopted in the content determination of formononetin,ononin,calycosin,calycosin-7-glucoside,medicarpin,genistein,luteolin,liquiritigenin,isoliquiritigenin,vanillic acid,ferulic acid,γ-aminobutyric acid,adenosine and betaine,after which cluster analysis,principal component analysis and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis were used for chemical pattern recognition to explore differential components.RESULTS After rubbing strip,formononetin,calycosin,liquiritigenin and γ-aminobutynic acid demonstrated increased contents,along with decreased contents of ononin,calycosin-7-glucoside and vanillic acid.The samples with and without rubbing strip were clustered into two types,calycosin-7-glucoside,formononetin,γ-aminobutynic acid,vanillic acid,calycosin-7-glucoside and formononetin were differential components.CONCLUSION This experiment clarifies the differences of chemical constituents in Hedysari Radix before and after rubbing strip,which can provide a reference for the research on rubbing strip mechanism of other medicinal materials.

Aim To investigate the mechanism of curcumin inhibition of oxidative stress on osteogenic differentiation and its dose-dependent anti-osteoporosis effect. Methods Cellular oxidative stress models were used, different concentrations of curcumin were added to determinethebone formation markers, and the potential signaling pathways involvedwere detected. Meanwhile, the mouse model of osteoporosis ( ovariecto- mized, 0VX) was used to confirm its effect against osteoporosis. Results In vitro experiments found that low concentrations of curcumin (1-10 μmol · L

Digital polymerase chain reaction(dPCR)is a PCR technology that realizes accurate quantification of single-copy nucleic acid molecules by dividing the reaction system into tens of thousands of independent PCR reaction units for single-molecule-level amplification and integrating Poisson distribution.Due to its single-copy sensitivity and accurate quantification without the need of standard curves,dPCR has been widely used in disease diagnosis.By introducing technologies such as stepped emulsification and three-dimensional imaging,dPCR has been greatly improved in terms of accuracy,multiplexability and turnaround time,significantly enhancing its performance in clinical disease diagnosis.Based on this,this paper traced the technological development history of dPCR,gave an overview of its application in detection of tumors,infections and other diseases,and further discussed the challenges and opportunities of the development of dPCR,with the aim of providing a reference for the development and utilization of dPCR in the future,and promoting the high-quality development of molecular technology in clinical testing.

Immunoassays are widely used in medicine, food, environment and other fields due to having the advantages of simpleness, rapidness and accuracy. Combining immunoassays with nanomaterials can improve the performance of immunoassays. Compared with traditional nanomaterials, upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) have excellent optical properties such as good photostability, long luminescence lifetime and narrow and tunable emission bands, which can significantly reduce background noise and improve analytical sensitivity when combined with immunoassay. This paper briefly introduces the luminescence mechanism of UCNPs, summarizes the synthesis and surface modification methods of UCNPs. And then 5 UCNPs-based immunoassay techniques, namely, fluorescence resonance energy transfer, inner filter effect, magnetic separation technique, upconversion-linked immunosorbent assay and upconversion immunochromatography, are discussed in detail. These sensing protocols of UCNPs-based immunoassays have been successfully utilized to detect various targets, including small molecules, macromolecules, and pathogens, all of which closely related to food safety, human health, and environmental pollution. Finally, the challenges and prospects of this technique are summarized and prospected. Although the UCNPs immunoassays based on antibodies and antigens have made great progress, most of the research is still in the stage of laboratory, and there is a long way to go to realize its social applications. There is a series of challenges need to be overcome. (1) Designing excellent water soluble and dispersive upconversion nanomaterials is needed. Hydrophilic ligands are bound to smaller upconversion nanoparticles and removing hydrophobic surface ligands are the most widely used methods to improve solubility and dispersity. (2) Multi-detection technology platforms and multi-mode simultaneous detection platforms have great potential, which will improve the efficiency of point of care detection. (3) The researchers also need to focus on some important problems. For examples, the upconversion luminescence efficiency of UCNPs is difficult to maintain, the synthesis method is complex, and the surface modification degree and functionalization are difficult to control.