Utility of F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography in Evaluating Disseminated Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Infection in Patients With Anti-interferon-γ Autoantibodies.

Background: Managing disseminated nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) infection in patients with neutralizing anti-interferon-γ autoantibodies (AIGAs) poses substantial challenges due to the lack of established treatment guidance and predictive tools for clinical outcomes. In this study, we investigated the utility of F-fluorodeoxyglucose (2-[F]FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) in guiding treatment decisions, with a focus on its ability to predict rehospitalization outcomes.

Methods: We conducted a post hoc analysis of the first available 2-[F]FDG PET scans of patients with AIGAs and disseminated NTM infection from a prospective observational multicenter cohort.

Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Arrhythmia and Cardiac Hypertrophy.

Arrhythmia and cardiac hypertrophy are two very common cardiovascular diseases that can lead to heart failure and even sudden death, thus presenting a serious threat to human life and health. According to global statistics, nearly one million people per year die from arrhythmia, cardiac hypertrophy and other associated cardiovascular diseases. Hence, there is an urgent need to find new treatment targets and to develop new intervention measures.

RNF149 Destabilizes IFNGR1 in Macrophages to Favor Postinfarction Cardiac Repair.

Background: Macrophage-driven inflammation critically involves in cardiac injury and repair following myocardial infarction (MI). However, the intrinsic mechanisms that halt the immune response of macrophages, which is critical to preserve homeostasis and effective infarct repair, remain to be fully defined. Here, we aimed to determine the ubiquitination-mediated regulatory effects on averting exaggerated inflammatory responses in cardiac macrophages.

Sensory reweighting of postural control requires distinct rambling and trembling sway adaptations.

Background: Implementation of the Sensory Organization Test (SOT) under the rambling-trembling (RM-TR) framework allows for an examination of both individual sensory contributions and compensatory mechanisms, a valuable insight in research and clinical settings. Such investigation could substantially improve our ability to assess and treat fall risk in older adults and people living with neurological disorders.

Research Question: How are RM and TR components of sway influenced by SOT-induced challenges in healthy adults?

Methods: Twenty-three healthy adults (27.

The effect of statins on the risk of anti-tuberculosis drug-induced liver injury among patients with active tuberculosis: A cohort study.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) remains prevalent worldwide, and anti-TB drugs are associated with drug-induced liver injury (DILI). Statins have pleiotropic effects which may decrease inflammation and achieve immunomodulation. However, few studies have investigated the pleiotropic effects of statins on the risk of DILI.

Frontiers in plant RNA research in ICAR2023: from lab to innovative agriculture.

The recent growth in global warming, soil contamination, and climate instability have widely disturbed ecosystems, and will have a significant negative impact on the growth of plants that produce grains, fruits and woody biomass. To conquer this difficult situation, we need to understand the molecular bias of plant environmental responses and promote development of new technologies for sustainable maintenance of crop production. Accumulated molecular biological data have highlighted the importance of RNA-based mechanisms for plant stress responses.

A study on out-of-field leakage of an accelerator-based neutron beam for boron neutron capture therapy.

More and more accelerator-based boron neutron capture therapy (AB-BNCT) facilities are under the construction or commissioning stage, and the neutron beam characteristic measurements at each facility will start soon. In addition to the in-field neutron beam properties, the leakage of neutron beam is also important, which is related to the side effects of the patient. In the Virtual Technical Meeting on Advances in Boron Neutron Capture Therapy held by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in July 2020, the issue of the out-of-field leakage in BNCT was addressed.

The Effect of Sensory Reweighting on Postural Control and Cortical Activity in Parkinson's Disease.

Aims: Balance requires the cortical control of visual, somatosensory, and vestibular inputs. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to compare the contributions of each of these systems on postural control and cortical activity using a sensory reweighting approach between participants with Parkinson's disease (PD) and controls.

Methods: Ten participants with PD (age: 72 ± 9; 3 women; Hoehn & Yahr: 2 [1.

RNA-based detection of genetically modified plants via current-voltage characteristic measurement.

The widespread adoption of genetically modified (GM) crops has escalated concerns about their safety and ethical implications, underscoring the need for efficient GM crop detection methods. Conventional detection methods, such as polymerase chain reaction, can be costly, lab-bound, and time-consuming. To overcome these challenges, we have developed RapiSense, a cost-effective, portable, and sensitive biosensor platform.

Changes in macrophage infiltration and podocyte injury in lupus nephritis patients with repeated renal biopsy: Report of three cases.

Background: In this study, we retrospectively analysed macrophage infiltration and podocyte injury in three patients with diffuse proliferative lupus nephritis (LN) who underwent repeated renal biopsy.

Case Summary: Clinical data of three diffuse proliferative LN patients with different pathological characteristics (case 1 was LN IV-G (A), case 2 was LN IV-G (A) + V, and case 3 was LN IV-G (A) + thrombotic microangiopathy) were reviewed. All patients underwent repeated renal biopsies 6 mo later, and renal biopsy specimens were studied.

The impact of nontuberculous mycobacterial lung disease in critically ill patients: Significance for survival and ventilator use.

Background: This study investigates the impact of nontuberculous mycobacterial lung disease (NTM-LD) on mortality and mechanical ventilation use in critically ill patients.

Methods: We enrolled patients with NTM-LD or tuberculosis (TB) in intensive care units (ICU) and analysed their association with 30-day mortality and with mechanical ventilator-free survival (VFS) at 30 days after ICU admission.

Results: A total of 5996 ICU-admitted patients were included, of which 541 (9.

Emerging insight of whole genome sequencing coupled with protein structure prediction into the pyrazinamide-resistance signature of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Pyrazinamide (PZA) is considered to be a pivotal drug to shorten the treatment of both drug-susceptible and drug-resistant tuberculosis, but its use is challenged by the reliability of drug-susceptibility testing (DST). PZA resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) is relevant to the amino acid substitution of pyrazinamidase that is responsible for the conversion of PZA to active pyrazinoic acid (POA). The single nucleotide variants (SNVs) within ribosomal protein S1 (rpsA) or aspartate decarboxylase (panD), the binding targets of POA, has been reported to drive the PZA-resistance signature of MTB.

Honokiol ameliorates angiotensin II-induced cardiac hypertrophy by promoting dissociation of the Nur77-LKB1 complex and activating the AMPK pathway.

Pathological cardiac hypertrophy is a key contributor to heart failure, and the molecular mechanisms underlying honokiol (HNK)-mediated cardioprotection against this condition remain worth further exploring. This study aims to investigate the effect of HNK on angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced myocardial hypertrophy and elucidate the underlying mechanisms. Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to Ang II infusion, followed by HNK or vehicle treatment for 4 weeks.

Activation of AHR by ITE improves cardiac remodelling and function in rats after myocardial infarction.

Aims: Left ventricular remodelling subsequent to myocardial infarction (MI) constitutes a pivotal underlying cause of heart failure. Intervention with the nontoxic endogenous aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) agonist 2-(1'H-indole-3'-carbonyl)-thiazole-4-carboxylic acid methyl ester (ITE) in the acute phase of MI has been shown to ameliorate cardiac function, but its role in the chronic phase remains obscured. This study explores the beneficial role of ITE in delaying the progression of heart failure in the chronic phase of MI.

Prognostic value of the post-exercise heart rate recovery and BHDE-index in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: The BODE index, consisting of body mass index (B), airflow obstruction (O), dyspnea score (D), and exercise capacity (E), can predict outcomes in COPD. However, when spirometry was restricted to prevent cross-infection such as COVID-19 pandemic, a modified index would be needed. Because cardiovascular dysfunction is associated with poor clinical outcomes in COPD, we conducted a novel BHDE-index by replacing spirometry with post-exercise heart rate recovery (HRR, H) and evaluated its predictive performance in this observational study.

Retinoid X receptor agonists alleviate fibroblast activation and post-infarction cardiac remodeling via inhibition of TGF-β1/Smad pathway.

Retinoid X receptor (RXR), particularly RXRα, has been implicated in cardiovascular diseases. However, the functional role of RXR activation in myocardial infarction (MI) remains unclear. This study aimed to determine the effects of RXR agonists on MI and to dissect the underlying mechanisms.

Association between microcirculation in spontaneous breathing trial and extubation success.

Purpose: This study assessed the association between changes in sublingual microcirculation after a spontaneous breathing trial (SBT) and successful extubation.

Materials And Methods: Sublingual microcirculation was assessed using an incident dark-field video microscope before and after each SBT and before extubation. Microcirculatory parameters before the SBT, at the end of the SBT, and before extubation were compared between the successful and failed extubation groups.

Insights into integrated glycerol-driven partial denitrification-anaerobic ammonium oxidation system using bioinformatic analysis: The dominance of Bacillus spp. and the potential of nitrite producing via assimilatory nitrate reduction.

Partial denitrification-anaerobic ammonium oxidation (PD/A) was considered a novel technology for biological nitrogen removal. In this study, a glycerol-driven PD/A granular sludge reactor was constructed, and its nitrogen removal efficiency and microbial mechanisms were investigated systematically. After optimization, the PD/A reactor achieved 92.

Collaborative Referral Model to Achieve Hepatitis C Micro-Elimination in Methadone Maintenance Treatment Patients during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Although hepatitis C virus (HCV) prevails in patients receiving methadone maintenance treatment (MMT), most do not receive anti-HCV therapy. This single-center observational study aimed to achieve HCV micro-elimination at an MMT center during the COVID-19 pandemic using a collaborative referral model, which comprised a referral-for-diagnosis stage (January 2020 to August 2020) and an on-site-diagnosis stage (September 2020 to January 2021). A multidisciplinary team was established and all MMT center patients were enrolled.

Exploring Gut Microenvironment in Colorectal Patient with Dual-Omics Platform: A Comparison with Adenomatous Polyp or Occult Blood.

The gut mucosa is actively absorptive and functions as the physical barrier to separate the gut ecosystem from host. Gut microbiota-utilized or food-derived metabolites are closely relevant to the homeostasis of the gut epithelial cells. Recent studies widely suggested the carcinogenic impact of gut dysbiosis or altered metabolites on the development of colorectal cancer (CRC).