Objective: To investigate the different categories of benefit finding among caregivers of patients with ischemic stroke and the mechanisms of personality and coping styles using an individual-centered approach.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 235 caregivers of patients with ischemic stroke in the neurology departments of three tertiary hospitals in Bengbu using the revised Inventory of Illness Benefit, the Short Form of the Chinese Big Five Personality Inventory, and the Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire.
Results: The benefit finding of caregivers of patients with ischemic stroke could be categorized into three latent classes: "Low sense of benefit-low personal growth group " (n = 58, 24.
Understanding how embryonic progenitors decode extrinsic signals and transform into lineage-specific regulatory networks to drive cell fate specification is a fundamental, yet challenging question. Here, we develop a new model of surface epithelium (SE) differentiation induced by human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) using retinoic acid (RA), and identify BMP4 as an essential downstream signal in this process. We show that the retinoid X receptors, RXRA and RXRB, orchestrate SE commitment by shaping lineage-specific epigenetic and transcriptomic landscapes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Endocrinol (Lausanne)
October 2024
Benthic eukaryotic microalgae were analyzed by metabarcoding the partial 18S rRNA gene in Daya Bay bi-monthly in 2021. Altogether 941 eukaryotic microalgal OTUs were detected, belonging to 27 classes of 8 phyla. Dinophyta and Chlorophyta were the dominant phyla.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe corneal epithelium is the outermost transparent barrier of the eyeball and undergoes continuous self-renewal by limbal stem cells (LSCs) during its lifetime; however, the impact of aging on LSCs remains largely unknown. Here, we showed that the healing ability of the cornea in elderly macaques (Macaca fascicularis) was significantly decreased compared to that of younger macaques. This delayed wound closure accompanied a disordered cell arrangement and corneal opacity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInvest Ophthalmol Vis Sci
June 2024
Purpose: N6-methyladenosine (m6A) methylation is a chemical modification that occurs on RNA molecules, where the hydrogen atom of adenine (A) nucleotides is replaced by a methyl group, forming N6-methyladenosine. This modification is a dynamic and reversible process that plays a crucial role in regulating various biological processes, including RNA stability, transport, translation, and degradation. Currently, there is a lack of research on the role of m6A modifications in maintaining the characteristics of RPE cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe continual exposure of retinal tissues to oxidative stress leads to discernible anatomical and physiological alterations. Specifically, the onslaught of oxidative damage escalates the irreversible death of retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) cells, pinpointed as the fundamental pathological event in dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD). There is a conspicuous lack of effective therapeutic strategies to counteract this degenerative process.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGastrointestinal (GI) tumors are a significant global health threat, with high rates of morbidity and mortality. Exosomes contain various biologically active molecules like nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids and can serve as messengers for intercellular communication. They play critical roles in the exchange of information between tumor cells and the tumor microenvironment (TME).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Bering-Chukchi shelf is one of the world's most productive areas and characterized by high benthic biomass. Sedimentary microbial communities play a crucial role in the remineralization of organic matter and associated biogeochemical cycles, reflecting both short-term changes in the environment and more consistent long-term environmental characteristics in a given habitat. In order to get a better understanding of the community structure of sediment-associated prokaryotes, surface sediments were collected from 26 stations in the Bering-Chukchi shelf and adjacent northern deep seas in this study.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProper differentiation of corneal epithelial cells (CECs) from limbal stem/progenitor cells (LSCs) is required for maintenance of ocular homeostasis and clear vision. Here, using a single-cell transcriptomic atlas, we delineate the comprehensive and refined molecular regulatory dynamics during human CEC development and differentiation. We find that RORA is a CEC-specific molecular switch that initiates and drives LSCs to differentiate into mature CECs by activating PITX1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Endocrinol (Lausanne)
January 2024
Background: With the increasing incidence of diabetes, diabetic foot ulcer(DFU) has become one of the most common and serious complications in people with diabetes. DFU is associated with significant morbidity and mortality, and can also result in significant economic, social and public health burdens. Due to peripheral neuropathy, peripheral vascular disease, hyperglycemic environment, inflammatory disorders and other factors, the healing of DFU is impaired or delayed, resulting in the formation of diabetic chronic refractory ulcer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnlabelled: Acute necrotizing encephalopathy 1 (ANE1) is a very rare disorder associated with a dominant heterozygous mutation in the (RAN binding protein 2) gene. ANE1 is frequently triggered by a febrile infection and characterized by serious and irreversible neurological damage. Although only a few hundred cases have been reported, mutations in are only partially penetrant and can occur , suggesting that their frequency may be higher in some populations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAge is closely related to human health and disease risks. However, chronologically defined age often disagrees with biological age, primarily due to genetic and environmental variables. Identifying effective indicators for biological age in clinical practice and self-monitoring is important but currently lacking.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA small molecule screen identified several cardiotonic steroids (digitoxin and ouabain) and the ionophore monensin as potent inhibitors of HCoV-229E, HCoV-OC43, and SARS-CoV-2 replication with ECs in the low nM range. Subsequent tests confirmed antiviral activity in primary cell models including human nasal epithelial cells and lung organoids. Addition of digitoxin, ouabain, or monensin strongly reduced viral gene expression as measured by both viral protein and RNA accumulation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIt has been suggested that in vitro studies of the rescue effect of CFTR modulator drugs in nasal epithelial cultures derived from people with cystic fibrosis have the potential to predict clinical responses to the same drugs. Hence, there is an interest in evaluating different methods for measuring in vitro modulator responses in patient-derived nasal cultures. Commonly, the functional response to CFTR modulator combinations in these cultures is assessed by bioelectric measurements, using the Ussing chamber.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFungal keratitis remains a major cause of severe visual loss in developing countries because of limited choices of therapy. The progression of fungal keratitis is a race between the innate immune system and the outgrowth of fungal conidia. Programmed necrosis (necroptosis), a type of proinflammatory cell death, has been recognized as a critical pathologic change in several diseases.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Persistent fetal vasculature (PFV) is a pathological condition accounting for 4.8% of children's blindness in the United States. However, the PFV cell composition and pathogenetic mechanisms are poorly understood.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLimbal stem/progenitor cells (LSC) represent the source of corneal epithelium renewal. LSC proliferation and differentiation are essential for corneal homeostasis, however, the regulatory mechanism remains largely unexplored. Here, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing and discovered proliferation heterogeneity as well as spontaneously differentiated and senescent cell subgroups in multiply passaged primary LSC.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCorneal transplantation is impeded by donor shortages, immune rejection, and ethical reservations. Pre-made cornea prostheses (keratoprostheses) offer a proven option to alleviate these issues. Ideal keratoprostheses must possess optical clarity and mechanical robustness, but also high permeability, processability, and recyclability.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInvest Ophthalmol Vis Sci
January 2023
Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the role and molecular mechanism of ETS1 in the proliferation and differentiation of human limbal epithelial stem cells (LESCs).
Methods: RNA-seq and quantitative real-time PCR were used to determine gene expression changes when ETS1 and HMGA2 was knocked down using short-hairpin RNAs or overexpressed by lentivirus. Immunofluorescence and flow cytometry experiments were performed to assess the roles of ETS1 and HMGA2 in LESC proliferation.
Objective: General hospitals admit lower gestational age neonates than maternal and child health care centers, therefore associated with a higher morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to assess the etiology and clinical characteristics of neonatal sepsis in different medical setting models.
Methods: Neonates admitted to 5 tertiary medical centers, including one national general hospital, two maternal and child health care hospitals and two regional general hospitals, in central-south China with culture-proven sepsis between January 2010 and December 2019 were included in the study.