Genomics yields biological and phenotypic insights into bipolar disorder.

Bipolar disorder is a leading contributor to the global burden of disease. Despite high heritability (60-80%), the majority of the underlying genetic determinants remain unknown. We analysed data from participants of European, East Asian, African American and Latino ancestries (n = 158,036 cases with bipolar disorder, 2.

Social contact patterns and their impact on the transmission of respiratory pathogens in rural China.

Introduction: Social contact patterns significantly influence the transmission dynamics of respiratory pathogens. Previous surveys have quantified human social contact patterns, yielding heterogeneous results across different locations. However, significant gaps remain in understanding social contact patterns in rural areas of China.

Heat-Killed subsp. 557 Extracts Protect Chondrocytes from Osteoarthritis Damage by Reducing Inflammation: An In Vitro Study.

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic condition characterized by joint pain and disability, driven by excessive oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokine production in chondrocytes, resulting in cell death and cartilage matrix breakdown. Our previous study showed that in monosodium iodoacetate (MIA)-induced OA rats, oral administration of heat-killed subsp. 557 (LDL557) could significantly decrease OA progression.

Canonical androgen response element motifs are tumor suppressive regulatory elements in the prostate.

The androgen receptor (AR) is central in prostate tissue identity and differentiation, and controls normal growth-suppressive, prostate-specific gene expression. It also drives prostate tumorigenesis when hijacked for oncogenic transcription. The execution of growth-suppressive AR transcriptional programs in prostate cancer (PCa) and the potential for reactivation remain unclear.

Accurate Intramyocardial Hemorrhage Assessment with Fast, Free-running, Cardiac Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping.

Purpose To evaluate the performance of a high-dynamic-range quantitative susceptibility mapping (HDR-QSM) cardiac MRI technique to detect intramyocardial hemorrhage (IMH) and quantify iron content using phantom and canine models. Materials and Methods A free-running whole-heart HDR-QSM technique for IMH assessment was developed and evaluated in calibrated iron phantoms and 14 IMH female canine models. IMH detection and iron content quantification performance of this technique was compared with the conventional iron imaging approaches, R2*(1/T2*) maps, using measurements from ex vivo imaging as the reference standard.

Middle Meningeal Artery Embolization for Nonacute Subdural Hematoma.

Background: The effect of embolization of the middle meningeal artery in patients with subacute or chronic subdural hematoma is uncertain.

Methods: We performed a multicenter, open-label, randomized trial in China, involving patients with symptomatic nonacute subdural hematoma with mass effect. Patients were assigned to undergo burr-hole drainage or receive nonsurgical treatment at the surgeon's discretion, and patients in each group were then randomly assigned, in a 1:1 ratio, to undergo middle meningeal artery embolization with liquid embolic material or to receive usual care.

Care to Explain? AI Explanation Types Differentially Impact Chest Radiograph Diagnostic Performance and Physician Trust in AI.

Background It is unclear whether artificial intelligence (AI) explanations help or hurt radiologists and other physicians in AI-assisted radiologic diagnostic decision-making. Purpose To test whether the type of AI explanation and the correctness and confidence level of AI advice impact physician diagnostic performance, perception of AI advice usefulness, and trust in AI advice for chest radiograph diagnosis. Materials and Methods A multicenter, prospective randomized study was conducted from April 2022 to September 2022.

Neuroprotective Effects of Rapid Local Ischemic Postconditioning in Successful Endovascular Thrombectomy Patients.

Background: We aim to assess the efficacy of rapid local ischemic postconditioning (RL-IPostC) following successful reperfusion in patients with acute ischemic stroke with anterior circulation large vessel occlusion who underwent endovascular thrombectomy.

Methods: We conducted an ambidirectional cohort study with 78 prospectively enrolled patients with RL-IPostC and endovascular thrombectomy and 129 retrospectively enrolled patients with endovascular thrombectomy. The RL-IPostC procedure involved 5 cycles of 15-s balloon inflation and deflation in the ipsilateral internal carotid artery.

Effects of Extracted Pulse Proteins on Lipid Targets for Cardiovascular Risk Reduction: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Background: Many clinical practice guidelines recommend dietary pulses for the prevention and management of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The impact of extracted pulse proteins remains unclear. We therefore conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of the effect of extracted pulse proteins on therapeutic lipid targets.

Novel immunotherapeutic approaches in gastric cancer.

Gastric cancer is a malignant tumor that ranks third in cancer-related deaths worldwide. Early-stage gastric cancer can often be effectively managed through surgical resection. However, the majority of cases are diagnosed in advanced stages, where outcomes with conventional radiotherapy and chemotherapy remain unsatisfactory.

The Oral Administration of subsp. 557 (LDL557) Ameliorates the Progression of Monosodium Iodoacetate-Induced Osteoarthritis.

Low-grade body inflammation is a major cause of osteoarthritis (OA), a common joint disease. Gut dysbiosis may lead to systemic inflammation which can be prevented by probiotic administration. The subsp.

Effects of Shoulder Corrective Training Program on Pitching Loads and Sonographic Morphology in Elbow Joint in Youth Baseball Players.

Chen, P-T, Lin, Y-C, Chang, H-Y, Chiu, C-H, Chen, C-Y, Chen, P, and Lin, Y-H. Effects of shoulder corrective training program on pitching loads and sonographic morphology in elbow joint in youth baseball players. J Strength Cond Res 38(8): e440-e447, 2024-We assessed the effects of a 12-week shoulder corrective training program for shoulder flexibility and strengthening on pitching loads and sonographic morphology of the elbow joints in youth baseball players.

Discovery of a mu-opioid receptor modulator that in combination with morphinan antagonists induces analgesia.

Morphinan antagonists, which block opioid effects at mu-opioid receptors, have been studied for their analgesic potential. Previous studies have suggested that these antagonists elicit analgesia with fewer adverse effects in the presence of the mutant mu-opioid receptor (MOR; S196A). However, introducing a mutant receptor for medical applications represents significant challenges.

Adenine base editing-mediated exon skipping restores dystrophin in humanized Duchenne mouse model.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) affecting 1 in 3500-5000 live male newborns is the frequently fatal genetic disease resulted from various mutations in DMD gene encoding dystrophin protein. About 70% of DMD-causing mutations are exon deletion leading to frameshift of open reading frame and dystrophin deficiency. To facilitate translating human DMD-targeting CRISPR therapeutics into patients, we herein establish a genetically humanized mouse model of DMD by replacing exon 50 and 51 of mouse Dmd gene with human exon 50 sequence.

Preclinical study and phase II trial of adapting low-dose radiotherapy to immunotherapy in small cell lung cancer.

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) provide modest but unsatisfactory benefits for extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC). Developing strategies for treating ES-SCLC is critical.

Methods: We preliminarily explored the outcomes of salvage low-dose radiotherapy (LDRT) plus ICI on refractory SCLC patients.

Optimizing immunofluorescence with high-dynamic-range imaging to enhance PD-L1 expression evaluation for 3D pathology assessment from NSCLC tumor tissue.

Assessing programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression through immunohistochemistry (IHC) is the golden standard in predicting immunotherapy response of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, observation of heterogeneous PD-L1 distribution in tumor space is a challenge using IHC only. Meanwhile, immunofluorescence (IF) could support both planar and three-dimensional (3D) histological analyses by combining tissue optical clearing with confocal microscopy.