Background Clinical assessments of motor symptoms rely on observations and subjective judgments against standardized scales, leading to variability due to confounders. Improving inter-rater agreement is essential for effective disease management. Objective We developed an objective rating system for Parkinson's disease (PD) that integrates computer vision (CV) and machine learning to correct potential discrepancies among raters while providing the basis for model performance to gain professional acceptance. Methods A prospective PD cohort (n = 128) were recruited from multi-centers. Motor examination videos were recorded using an android tablet with CV-based software following the MDS-UPDRS Part-III instructions. Videos included facial, upper- and lower-limb movements, arising from a chair, standing, and walking. Fifteen certified clinicians were recruited from multi-centers. For each video, five clinicians were randomly selected to independently rate the severity of motor symptoms, validate the videos and movement variables (MovVars). Machine learning algorithms were applied for automated rating and feature importance analysis. Inter-rater agreement among human raters and the agreement between artificial intelligence (AI)-generated ratings and expert consensus were calculated. Results For all validated videos (n = 1024), AI-based ratings showed an average absolute accuracy of 69.63% and an average acceptable accuracy of 98.78% against the clinician consensus. The mean absolute error between the AI-based scores and clinician consensus was 0.32, outperforming the inter-rater variability (0.65), potentially due to the combined utilization of diverse MovVars. Conclusions The algorithm enabled accurate video-based evaluation of mild motor symptom severity. AI-assisted assessment improved the inter-rater agreement, demonstrating the practical value of CV-based tools in screening, diagnosing, and treating movement disorders.
1. Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) often activates the sympathetic system and inhibits the vagal system. Long-term vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) exerts several beneficial effects on the ischaemic heart, including an anti-inflammatory effect. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether short-term VNS during AMI could inhibit tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α expression and the effect of TNF receptor (TNFR), key components in inflammatory responses to AMI, in a rodent model. 2. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups, namely a control (C), VNS (S), AMI (M) and an AMI group subjected to prior VNS (MS). In the S and MS groups, the right vagus nerve was stimulated electrically for 4 h; in the M and MS groups, AMI was induced by occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery. Haemodynamic data were monitored continuously using a multichannel physiological recorder. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage, creatine kinase (CK) leakage and infarct size were determined. The expression of TNF-α and its receptors were analysed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, western blotting and ELISA. 3. Compared with the control group, rats in the M group had low blood pressure, high left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic pressure, a depressed maximum dP/dt of LV pressure, higher LDH and CK leakage, a larger infarct size, increased TNF-α levels and an increased TNFR1/TNFR2 ratio. However, these presumably harmful effects of AMI were all significantly ameliorated by VNS during AMI (MS group). 4. In conclusion, VNS can rectify ischaemia-induced cardiac dysfunction partly via inhibition of a TNF-α-mediated signalling pathway.
Abstract YAP (Yes-associated protein) and TAZ (transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif) are downstream effectors of the Hippo pathway, they activate the expression of transcriptional targets that promote cell growth, cell proliferation, and prevent apoptosis. Here I examined the function of YAP/TAZ in mouse neocortex development through conditional deletion of Yap and Taz by Emx1-Cre. Loss of YAP/TAZ cause the hydrocephalus after birth, leads to aberrant development and dilated ventricle in adult stage, this phenotype can be detected as early as P0. YAP/TAZ are expressed in Sox2+ neural progenitor cells, when YAP/TAZ are deleted, the neuroepithelial cell junctions are disrupted; the numbers of Sox2+ cell and Tbr2+ cell are reduced and the ratio of tbr2/Sox2 is also reduced at E15.5. Results of cell cycle analyzing experiments display YAP/TAZ deletion increased the cell cycle exit. The improperly increased expression of Tuj1+ in progenitor cells in the YAP/TAZ deleted cortex indicates the premature of Sox2+ progenitor cells. Together, our results reveal that YAP/TAZ deletion changed the polarity of neuroepithelial cells, and increased the cell cycle exit, reduced the differentiation of Sox2+ cells into Tbr2+ cells through promoting the premature of Tuj1+ cells. These results define the functions of YAP/TAZ in keeping the cell polarity neural progenitors and ensuring their proliferation and differentiation, and also reveal the roles of YAP/TAZ in developing cortex.
Abstract Background : Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) is a rare neuromuscular junction disorder associated with muscle weakness and small-cell lung cancer. Here, we used microarray analysis to identify long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and messenger RNAs (mRNAs) that might serve as biomarkers for LEMS. Methods : Plasma lncRNA and mRNA expression profiles of three patients with paraneoplastic LEMS and three healthy controls were analyzed using Arraystar Human lncRNA Microarray v4.0. Differentially expressed lncRNAs and adjacent mRNAs were analyzed jointly, and candidates were verified in individual samples by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The identified lncRNAs and mRNAs were evaluated in nine patients with paraneoplastic LEMS, eight patients with non-tumor LEMS, and four patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Results : A total of 320 lncRNAs were differentially expressed in patients with paraneoplastic LEMS compared to healthy controls (fold change >1.5, P < 0.05), and nine were further evaluated. One of the identified lncRNAS, LOC338963 (NR_031439), is known to regulated the expression of the mRNA AP3B2, and both were upregulated more than 2-fold in patients with paraneoplastic LEMS compared to healthy controls. Furthermore, qRT-PCR analysis revealed significant upregulation of LOC338963 (NR_031439) and AP3B2 expression in patients with paraneoplastic LEMS compared to those with either non-tumor LEMS (2.37- and 5.06-fold, respectively) or SCLC (4.36- and 14.97-fold, respectively). Conclusions : Plasma LOC338963 (NR_031439) and AP3B2 were found to be upregulated in LEMS and might be used as diagnostic biomarkers for this disease.
Intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) line the surface of intestinal epithelium, where they play important roles in the digestion of food, absorption of nutrients, and protection of the human body from microbial infections, and others. Dysfunction of IECs can cause diseases. The development, maintenance, and functions of IECs are strongly influenced by external nutrition, such as amino acids. Amino acids play important roles in regulating the properties and functions of IECs. In this article, we briefly reviewed the current understanding of the roles of amino acids in the regulation of IECs’ properties and functions in physiological state, including in IECs homeostasis (differentiation, proliferation, and renewal), in intestinal epithelial barrier structure and functions, and in immune responses. We also summarized some important findings on the effects of amino acids supplementation (e.g., glutamine and arginine) in restoring IECs’ and intestine functions in some diseased states. These findings will further our understanding of the important roles of amino acids in the homeostasis of IECs and could potentially help identify novel targets and reagents for the therapeutic interventions of diseases associated with dysfunctional IECs.
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder caused by loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra compacta, which may result from mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress. Isorhamnetin (Iso) has important anti-oxidative stress and anti-apoptotic effects, this study investigated the effects of Iso on PD in vitro and its underlying mechanisms using a model of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced SH-SY5Y cell damage. The results showed that Iso significantly ameliorated 6-OHDA-induced SH-SY5Y cell injury, including decreased cell viability, increased apoptosis and senescence, and oxidative stress injury. Senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β) Staining, Western blot (WB) and immunofluorescence suggested that Iso significantly decreased the number of SA-β+ cells and the levels of senescence-associated proteins p21 and p16, and enhanced tyrosinehydroxylase level. Iso markedly reduced number of apoptotic cells and the levels of cleaved caspase-3 and BAX, as detected by CCK-8, flow cytometry and WB. The results of DCFH-DA, JC-1 staining, and the measurement of MDA and SOD content indicated that Iso elevated ROS generation and mitochondrial membrane potential, lowered MDA content and raised SOD level in the 6-OHDA group. In-depth investigation revealed that Iso activated the AKT/mTOR signal via reducing the expression level of Fos-like antigen (FOSL1), which further exerted the protective effect in SH-SY5Y cells. Overexpression of FOSL1 attenuated the effect of Iso by inhibiting the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. Taken together, Iso protects against senescence, apoptotic, and oxidative stress injury by targeting FOSL1 to activate the AKT/ mTOR signaling pathway in 6-OHDA-induced SH-SY5Y cells, which may provide new insights for PD treatment.
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