Maternal Th17/Treg Cytokines and Small Extracellular Vesicles in Plasma as Potential Biomarkers for Preeclampsia

Preeclampsia is one of the most serious pregnancy complications. It may be caused by immunological changes in the early placental microenvironment. The contents of small EVs may serve as biomarkers of pregnancy complications. Evidence suggests that the balance between T helper 17 (Th17) and regulatory T (Treg) cells are critical for preventing preeclampsia. The study recruited 39 pregnant women with preeclampsia and 127 healthy pregnant women. We assessed the levels of both Th17 and Treg cytokines (IL-10, IL-17, IL-21, IL-22, and TGF-β) in their plasma and small EVs. We found significant differences in the levels of all cytokines in the plasma between the two groups during the second trimester. We also observed significant differences between the two groups in the levels of EV-encapsulated cytokines IL-21, IL-22, and TGF-β, as well as in total small EVs, during the second trimester. The ROC analysis showed that the classification efficiency (AUC) of TGF-β in small EVs was 0.81. TGF-β had the best discriminant ability of all the single EV biomarkers tested, the cross-validation of the accuracy was 0.89. Th17 and Treg cytokines in plasma and small EVs may contribute to maternal immune activation and clarify the potential mechanisms of small EVs and cytokines in preeclampsia.     

Epigenetic regulation of B cells and its role in autoimmune pathogenesis

B cells play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. Although previous studies have shown many genetic polymorphisms associated with B-cell activation in patients with various autoimmune disorders, progress in epigenetic research has revealed new mechanisms leading to B-cell hyperactivation. Epigenetic mechanisms, including those involving histone modifications, DNA methylation, and noncoding RNAs, regulate B-cell responses, and their dysregulation can contribute to the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. Patients with autoimmune diseases show epigenetic alterations that lead to the initiation and perpetuation of autoimmune inflammation. Moreover, many clinical and animal model studies have shown the promising potential of epigenetic therapies for patients. In this review, we present an up-to-date overview of epigenetic mechanisms with a focus on their roles in regulating functional B-cell subsets. Furthermore, we discuss epigenetic dysregulation in B cells and highlight its contribution to the development of autoimmune diseases. Based on clinical and preclinical evidence, we discuss novel epigenetic biomarkers and therapies for patients with autoimmune disorders.     

Volumetric Imaging of Neural Activity by Light Field Microscopy

Recording the highly diverse and dynamic activities in large populations of neurons in behaving animals is crucial for a better understanding of how the brain works. To meet this challenge, extensive efforts have been devoted to developing functional fluorescent indicators and optical imaging techniques to optically monitor neural activity. Indeed, optical imaging potentially has extremely high throughput due to its non-invasive access to large brain regions and capability to sample neurons at high density, but the readout speed, such as the scanning speed in two-photon scanning microscopy, is often limited by various practical considerations. Among different imaging methods, light field microscopy features a highly parallelized 3D fluorescence imaging scheme and therefore promises a novel and faster strategy for functional imaging of neural activity. Here, we briefly review the working principles of various types of light field microscopes and their recent developments and applications in neuroscience studies. We also discuss strategies and considerations of optimizing light field microscopy for different experimental purposes, with illustrative examples in imaging zebrafish and mouse brains.     

Occurrence of Intracranial Hemorrhage and Associated Risk Factors in Cerebral Autosomal Dominant Arteriopathy With Subcortical Infarcts and Leukoencephalopathy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background and PurposeIntracranial hemorrhage (ICH) is thought to be a rare but probably underestimated presentation of cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL). We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis with the aim of comprehensively revealing the occurrence of ICH in patients with CADASIL.MethodsEnglish-language studies published up to September 30, 2021 were searched for in the MEDLINE (PubMed), Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases. The design, patient characteristics, occurrence rate of ICH, and associated risk factors were retrieved for each identified relevant study.ResultsWe enrolled 13 studies in the final meta-analysis, which included 1,310 patients with CADASIL. The probability of ICH occurrence in patients with CADASIL was 10.1% (95% confidence interval [CI]=5.6%–18.0%, I²=85.1%). When stratified by geographic region, the occurrence rate of ICH was much higher in Asians (17.7%; 95% CI=11.0%–28.5%, I²=76.3%) than in Europeans (2.0%; 95% CI=0.4%–10.8%, I²=82.8%). A higher burden of cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) and a history of hypertension were the most commonly recorded risk factors for ICH, which were available for three and two of the included studies, respectively.ConclusionsOur study suggests that ICH is an important clinical manifestation of CADASIL, especially in Asians. A higher burden of CMBs and the existence of hypertension were found to be associated with a higher probability of ICH occurrence in patients with CADASIL.     

不同复合麻醉方式对腹腔镜异位妊娠患者术后意识状态和认知功能的影响

目的 比较不同复合麻醉方式对腹腔镜异位妊娠术后意识状态和认知功能的影响.方法 选取2017-2018年绍兴第二医院收治的异位妊娠患者70例均于腹腔镜下实施手术,术前随机分为观察组和对照组各35例,观察组接受咪唑安定+芬太尼+右美托咪定+丙泊酚+维库溴胺麻醉,对照组接受咪唑安定+芬太尼+丙泊酚+维库溴胺麻醉.比较两组患者...     

Molecular dynamics simulation study of adsorption of anionic–nonionic surfactants at oil/water interfaces

Four anionic–nonionic surfactants with the same headgroups and different units of oxygen ethyl (EO) and oxygen propyl (PO) were adopted to investigate the influence on oil/water interfacial tensions in this article. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were conducted to study the interfacial property of the four surfactants. Four parameters were proposed to reveal the effecting mechanism of molecular structure on interfacial tension, which included the interfacial thickness, order parameter of the hydrophobic chain, radial distribution function, and the solvent accessible surface area. In addition, the electrostatic potential of the four surfactants was calculated. The research results indicated that the interface facial mask formed by the surfactants, which contained three EO or three PO units was more stable, and it was easier for the surfactants of six EO or six PO units to form a microemulsion at higher concentrations. The adsorption mechanism of the anionic–nonionic surfactant systems at the oil/water interfaces was supplemented at a molecular level, which provided fundamental guidance for an in-depth understanding of the optimal selection of the surfactants in enhancing oil recovery.

Four anionic–nonionic surfactants with the same headgroups and different units of oxygen ethyl (EO) and oxygen propyl (PO) were adopted to investigate the influence on oil/water interfacial tensions in this article.     

Preparation and performance study of a reactive polyurethane hot-melt adhesive/CS–Fe3O4 magnetic nanocomposite film/fabric

Magnetic nanoparticles are attracting significant attention for their wide application as biomaterials and magnetic storage materials. As an environmentally friendly adhesive, reactive polyurethane hot-melt adhesive (PUR) is a biocompatible polymer with a wide range of applications. In this paper, chitosan (CS)-surface-modified magnetic Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were synthesized by the sol–gel method. Surface modification of the Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles with CS enhanced their mechanical properties in PUR. The nanoparticles were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses, while their surface morphology was elucidated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and projection electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. Subsequently, PUR/CS–Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanocomposite films were prepared using an in situ method, wherein different amounts of CS–surface-modified magnetic Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were doped into the PUR and coated on the films. The thermal, UV resistance and mechanical properties of the PUR/CS–Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanocomposite films were investigated by TGA, UV spectrometer and tensile testing. CS–Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were successfully prepared using the sol–gel method and CS to modify the surface of the Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles. The results show that the mechanical properties and UV resistance of PUR/CS–Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanocomposites are improved by almost 50%, so the constructed PUR/CS–Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanocomposites have good UV-resistant properties and mechanical properties. The as-synthesized CS–Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanocomposites show great potential for application to mechanical and textile development.

Magnetic nanoparticles are attracting significant attention for their wide application as biomaterials and magnetic storage materials. As an environmentally friendly adhesive, reactive polyurethane hot-melt adhesive is a biocompatible polymer with a range of applications.