Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis: Fecal Microbiota Transplantation for Severe or Fulminant Clostridioides difficile.

Background: Severe and fulminant Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. While fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has proved to be a highly effective treatment for recurrent CDI, its efficacy in severe or fulminant CDI remains uncertain.

Aims: To perform a systematic review with meta-analysis evaluating clinical outcomes and safety of FMT in severe and fulminant CDI.

Ginseng metabolite Protopanaxadiol induces Sestrin2 expression and AMPK activation through GCN2 and PERK.

Ginseng is one of the most commonly used herbs that is believed to have a variety of biological activities, including reducing blood sugar and cholesterol levels, anti-cancer, and anti-diabetes activities. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms involved. In this study, we showed that protopanaxadiol (PPD), a metabolite of the protopanaxadiol group ginsenosides that are the major pharmacological constituents of ginsengs, significantly altered the expression of genes involved in metabolism, elevated Sestrin2 (Sesn2) expression, activated AMPK, and induced autophagy.

Ginseng metabolite protopanaxadiol interferes with lipid metabolism and induces endoplasmic reticulum stress and p53 activation to promote cancer cell death.

Protopanaxadiol (PPD), a ginseng metabolite generated by the gut bacteria, was shown to induce colorectal cancer cell death and enhance the anticancer effect of chemotherapeutic agent 5-FU. However, the mechanism by which PPD promotes cancer cell death is not clear. In this manuscript, we showed that PPD activated p53 and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and induced expression of BH3-only proteins Puma and Noxa to promote cell death.

Error-checking intraoperative arterial line blood pressures.

Electronic medical records now store a wealth of intraoperative hemodynamic data. However, analysis of such data is plagued by artifacts related to the monitoring environment. Here, we present an algorithm for automated identification of artifacts and replacement using interpolation of arterial line blood pressures.

Specific killing of Rb mutant cancer cells by inactivating TSC2.

The retinoblastoma (Rb) tumor suppressor is often inactivated in cancers. To identify genes that can be used to specifically target such cancers, we carried out a genetic screen in Drosophila. We identified gig (fly TSC2) and found that inactivation of rbf (fly Rb) and gig synergistically induced cell death.