Publications
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The ability of the brain to perform multiple complex tasks with fixed structures has yet to be fully elucidated. Structural connectivity (SC) and functional connectivity (FC) have been increasingly used to understand the structure and function of the brain respectively. However, a limited number of studies have explored the relationship between both entities especially in…
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Human neural stem cells (hNSCs) possess significant therapeutic potential for the treatment of traumatic brain injury (TBI), a leading cause of global death and disability. Recent pre-clinical studies have shown that hNSCs reduce tissue damage and promote functional recovery through neuroprotective and regenerative signaling and cell replacement. Yet the overall efficacy of hNSCs for TBI…
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In this study, we evaluated the effects of induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neural stem cell (iNSC) treatment on cellular, tissue, and functional recovery in a translational controlled cortical impact TBI piglet model. At 12-weeks post-transplantation, iNSCs showed long-term engraftment and differentiation into neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes. iNSC treatment enhanced endogenous neuroprotective and regenerative activities indicated…
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To better understand TBI’s impact on brain function and assess the efficacy of treatments, this study uses a novel temporal-spatial cross-group approach with a porcine model, integrating resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) for temporal and arterial spin labeling for spatial information. Read more about these results by clicking on the following link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39036426/.
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This study established a piglet brain tract model and conducts a comparative analysis of adult pig’s and piglet’s structural connectivity. These findings underscore the potential use of the piglet brain model in employing piglet model for developmental studies. Click on the following link for additional details: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38588923/.
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Pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) often induces significant disability in patients, including long-term motor deficits. Early detection of injury severity is key in determining a prognosis and creating appropriate intervention and rehabilitation plans. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) tractography enables three-dimensional reconstruction of specific white matter tracts throughout the brain in order to detect white matter…
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Human mitochondrial DNA mutations are associated with common to rare mitochondrial disorders, which are multisystemic with complex clinical pathologies. The pathologies of these diseases are poorly understood and have no FDA-approved treatments leading to symptom management. Leigh syndrome (LS) is a pediatric mitochondrial disorder that affects the central nervous system during early development and causes…
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This study aims to uncover important biomarkers and stroke recovery patterns based on physiological changes by developing two sparse CCA methods for multiple datasets. In analyzing the pig stroke data, we apply the proposed sparse CCA methods along with dimension reduction techniques, interpret the recovery patterns, and identify influential variables in recovery. Please click on…
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Functional connectivity (FC) measures statistical dependence between cortical brain regions. Studies of FC facilitate understanding of the brain’s function and architecture that underpin normal cognition, behavior, and changes associated with various factors (e.g. nutritional supplements) at a large scale. We aimed to identify modifications in FC patterns and targeted brain anatomies in piglets following perinatal…
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Maternal nutrition during the perinatal stage is critical to offspring brain development. Egg yolks are a balanced and nutrient-dense food that is rich in bioactive components crucial to optimal neurodevelopment early in life. Egg consumption is often recommended to pregnant women to enhance both maternal and fetal health. The findings from this study support egg…
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Pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death and disability in children. Due to bidirectional communication between the brain and gut microbial population, introduction of key gut bacteria may mitigate critical TBI-induced secondary injury cascades, thus lessening neural damage and improving functional outcomes. The objective of this study was to determine the…
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