Dynamic cortical inhibition imbalance as a biomarker of clinical progression in early Parkinson's disease.

Objective: The role of bilateral cortical inhibition in motor compensation during the progression of early Parkinson's disease (PD) remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the dynamic balance of between-hemispheric inhibition and the clinical relevance of its neurophysiological indicators.

Methods: Paired-pulse TMS was used to investigate the activity of different intracortical inhibitory circuits in 90 PD patients and 43 healthy controls during the "on medication" state.

A systems immunology perspective on gout pathogenesis and its precision-targeted treatment strategies.

Gouty arthritis (GA) is a sterile inflammatory disease driven by monosodium urate (MSU) crystal deposition, which activates innate and adaptive immune responses. Key mechanisms involve NLRP3 inflammasome activation, cytokine release (IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6), and dysregulated autophagy, positioning GA at the intersection of metabolic and autoimmune disorders. While conventional therapies (colchicine, NSAIDs) remain first-line, their limitations in refractory cases have spurred the development of biologic agents targeting pro-inflammatory pathways.

Complex brain networks mediation of neuroticism and extraversion on obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Background: Personality traits significantly influence obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), yet their underlying neural mechanisms remain poorly defined. This study aimed to identify complex brain networks that mediate the association between personality traits and OCD, offering novel insights for personalized interventions.

Methods: We recruited 211 OCD patients who underwent clinical evaluations and rs-EEG recordings.

Unified solution of earth pressure at the end of shallow buried shield at different driving angles.

This study develops a three-dimensional sliding block model for estimating average face pressure in shield tunneling, considering three distinct driving directions based on limit equilibrium theory. The sliding surfaces initiate from the horizontal planes at both tunnel sides. The geometric dimensions of the sliding blocks beneath both tunnel sides are correlated with the shield tunneling direction angle β.

Exploring causal correlations between immune cells and diabetic neuropathy: a Mendelian randomization.

Background: Circulating immune cells reportedly affect diabetic neuropathy (DN). Although associations have been previously established between numerous biomarkers and diseases, elucidating their causal relationships remains challenging. Mendelian Randomization (MR) could overcome this difficulty by applying genetic instruments to discern causal links.

Characterisation of kefir-derived lactic acid bacteria and their extracellular vesicles.

The signalling effects of microbial biofilms and extracellular polysaccharides (EPS) determine the stability of microbial communities. As messenger molecules, extracellular vesicles (EVs) mediate the interactions of microbial populations by carrying cargo. Therefore, this study took biofilm and EPS as screening factors, preliminarily explored the basic characteristics of strains with strong biofilm formation ability and high EPS production.

Relationship between microorganisms and milk metabolites during quality changes in refrigerated raw milk: A metagenomic and metabolomic exploration.

Although cold storage at 4 °C can effectively prolong the shelf life of raw milk, it cannot prevent its eventual spoilage. In this study, we analyzed the main physicochemical and microbial indexes of raw milk stored at 4 °C for 6 days. The changes in microbial profiles and milk metabolites and their relationship during refrigeration were also explored.

Distinct patterns of electrophysiologic-neuroimaging correlations between Parkinson's disease and multiple system atrophy.

Due to a high degree of symptom overlap in the early stages, with movement disorders predominating, Parkinson's disease (PD) and multiple system atrophy (MSA) may exhibit a similar decline in motor areas, yet they differ in their spread throughout the brain, ultimately resulting in two distinct diseases. Drawing upon neuroimaging analyses and altered motor cortex excitability, potential diffusion mechanisms were delved into, and comparisons of correlations across distinct disease groups were conducted in a bid to uncover significant pathological disparities. We recruited thirty-five PD, thirty-seven MSA, and twenty-eight matched controls to conduct clinical assessments, electromyographic recording, and magnetic resonance imaging scanning during the "on medication" state.

Screening and molecular dynamics simulation of ACE inhibitory tripeptides derived from milk fermented with QS306.

Peptides in milk fermented with QS306 before and after ultrahigh pressure treatment were identified using proteomics. Subsequently, 16 stable tripeptides were screened out based on activity score prediction, PeptideCutter analysis, and hydrophobicity calculations. Among them, WRP, WSR, and YRP showed the best angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity, and their semi-inhibitory concentrations were 46.

High glucose-increased miR-200c contributes to cellular senescence and DNA damage in neural stem cells.

Background: Maternal diabetes increases the risk for neural tube defects (NTDs). It is unclear if miRNAs, senescence, and DNA damage are involved in this process. In this study, we used neural stem cells as an in vitro proxy of embryonic neuroepithelium to investigate whether high glucose triggers neural stem cell senescence and DNA damage by upregulating miR-200c, which may be responsible for NTDs.

Dynamic postural balance indices can help discriminate between patients with multiple system atrophy and Parkinson's disease.

Background: Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and those with multiple system atrophy (MSA) show similar symptoms but have different clinical treatments. It will be helpful to discriminate between these two kinds of patients at an early or middle stage. The purpose of this study is to highlight the differences in posturographic characterization between patients with PD and those with MSA during quiet standing and perturbed standing.

Continuous theta burst stimulation over the bilateral supplementary motor area in obsessive-compulsive disorder treatment: A clinical randomized single-blind sham-controlled trial.

Background: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can cause substantial damage to quality of life. Continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) is a promising treatment for OCD patients with the advantages of safety and noninvasiveness.

Objective: The present study aimed to evaluate the treatment efficacy of cTBS over the bilateral supplementary motor area (SMA) for OCD patients with a single-blind, sham-controlled design.

Neuroprotective Effects of Intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation in Parkinson's Disease (NET-PD): A Study Protocol for a Delayed-Start Randomized Double-Blind Sham-Controlled Trial.

Background: As a typical high-disability neurodegenerative disease, Parkinson's disease (PD) progresses variably, and patients who are clinically insensitive to dopaminergic therapy and whose symptoms fail to improve are commonly observed. As a result, achieving early neuron protection is critical.

Methods/design: The NET-PD study is a 2-year prospective single-center, double-blind, multi-arm, delayed-start, sham-controlled clinical trial assessing the long-term neuroprotective effect of intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) in PD patients.

The functional connectivity predictor of therapeutic effect of continuous theta burst stimulation on obsessive-compulsive disorder: A preliminary study.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) on the bilateral supplementary motor area (SMA) among patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and to explore the potential predictors of cTBS outcome based on neuroimaging.

Methods: 29 OCD patients and 29 healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled in this pilot study. Twenty consecutive cTBS intervention targeting at bilateral SMA was applied.

A one-step platform for screening high-efficient and minimal off-target CRISPR/Cas13 crRNAs to eradicate SARS-CoV-2 virus for treatment of COVID-19 patients.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a new respiratory illness caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and now spreads globally. Currently, therapeutics and effective treatment options remain scarce and there is no proven drug to treat COVID-19. Targeting the positive-sense RNA genome and viral mRNAs of SARS-CoV-2 to simultaneously degrade viral genome templates for replication and viral mRNAs for essential gene expression would be a strategy to completely realize virus elimination.

Transcranial direct current stimulation improve symptoms and modulates cortical inhibition in obsessive-compulsive disorder: A TMS-EEG study.

Background: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a disabling condition for which approximately 40% of patients do not respond to first-line treatment. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a safe and accessible technique that modulates cortical excitability and inhibition, but evidence of its efficacy for OCD is insufficient.

Objective: To investigate the efficacy of tDCS for OCD and alterations of cortical excitability and inhibition after treatment measured by concurrent transcranial magnetic stimulation-electroencephalography (TMS-EEG).

CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing on Sox2ot promoter leads to its truncated expression and does not influence neural tube closure and embryonic development in mice.

Sox2 overlapping transcript (Sox2ot) is a long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), which harbors one of the major regulators of pluripotency, the Sox2 gene, in its intronic region. Sox2ot is primarily expressed in the developing neuroepithelium. However, its role in neural tube closure and embryonic development remains unclear.

Intermediation of perceived stress between early trauma and plasma M/P ratio levels in obsessive-compulsive disorder patients.

Objectives: This study is to find the correlation among BDNF metabolism, early trauma, and current stress status of OCD patients. As well as to study the BDNF metabolism-stress related pathological mechanism in OCD development.

Methods: A total of 140 participants were recruited in this study, including 64 drug-naïve OCD patients (OCDs) and 76 healthy controls (HCs).

Long Noncoding RNA SOX2-OT: Regulations, Functions, and Roles on Mental Illnesses, Cancers, and Diabetic Complications.

SRY-box transcription factor 2 (SOX2) overlapping transcript (SOX2-OT) is an evolutionarily conserved long noncoding RNA. Its intronic region contains the SOX2 gene, the major regulator of the pluripotency of embryonic stem cells. The human SOX2-OT gene comprises multiple exons and has multiple transcription start sites and generates hundreds of transcripts.

p53 is required for metformin-induced growth inhibition, senescence and apoptosis in breast cancer cells.

The p53 tumor repressor gene is commonly mutated in human cancers. The tumor inhibitory effect of metformin on p53-mutated breast cancer cells remains unclear. Data from the present study demonstrated that p53 knockdown or mutation has a negative effect on metformin or phenformin-induced growth inhibition, senescence and apoptosis in breast cancer cells.

Dissipation and residues of picoxystrobin in peanut and field soil by QuEChERS and HPLC-MS/MS.

The dissipation and final residues of picoxystrobin in peanut and soil were determined by a modified quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) method and high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). The dissipation and final residue of picoxystrobin at three different provinces (Hebei, Hubei, and Shandong) in China were studied. The fortification experiments at three different spiking levels of 0.